Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The One Who Laughs Last... (13)
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Regardless of my confused state of mind.
The world kept turning as indifferently as ever today.
Office workers rushing to work.
Hunters gearing up and steeling themselves.
Even people leisurely strolling about.
"Struggling a lot with studying foreign languages?"
"Huh? What's that out of nowhere...?"
After showing up at Han Nam-do's studio apartment like always.
We had sex, and now we were smoking.
Suddenly, up on the rooftop, Han Nam-do asked something I hadn't expected.
I tilted my head in surprise.
Leaning his elbow on the top of my head, Han Nam-do muttered.
"Just... your face looks like total shit."
"R-Really?"
I felt around my face.
Seeing me like this, Han Nam-do smirked.
"You won't figure it out like that."
"Yeah, guess not..."
You couldn't see your own face.
So I had no idea I was making that kind of expression.
"...Was it that bad?"
I asked cautiously.
Han Nam-do exhaled a long plume of cigarette smoke before answering.
"Pretty much... looked like you were about to kill someone."
"Pfft."
I burst out laughing without meaning to.
I must have been trying to manage my expression at least a little.
'Kill someone, huh...'
If it were just killing, it wouldn't be a big deal.
I'd already killed three people myself in the tower, borrowing monsters' hands or not—what was one more murder to fear?
'This feels way shittier than murder.'
An Tae-ho was trash, no doubt.
He'd received that kind of order from Go Min-cheol and was actually moving to carry it out.
The kind of guy who deserved to die a hundred times over.
Killing him would feel damn good, no guilt about it.
But what crime had his girlfriend committed?
'Well, you could say she could just break up and date someone else...'
But people's hearts didn't work that way.
'Nosy, yeah, I'm being nosy.'
I knew it better than anyone.
The reason my heart was tangled up over fucking An Tae-ho was just meddlesome bullshit.
What right did a slut like me, who's rolled in the dirt, have to hesitate now?
"Hey, Nam-do."
"What."
"Gimme one more cigarette."
"Here."
Han Nam-do naturally put the cigarette in my mouth and lit it for me.
I exhaled a long stream of smoke and said.
"I've been to the tower, and now I'm living the trainee life here, right? Not a ton of people, but rubbing shoulders with them here and there."
"Yeah."
"And you know what? Dealing with monsters feels easier by comparison."
Thinking back, even when climbing the tower.
The monsters weren't as scary as the people climbing alongside me.
I worried more about what kind of assholes the other hunters would be.
"Come on, isn't that obvious?"
Han Nam-do's reaction was lukewarm.
Like, why make such a big deal out of something so basic?
"The monsters in the tower are scared of humans, and the ones who see those monsters as paychecks are also humans. Of course humans are the scariest thing in the world."
"..."
"Anyway, why are you whining already? You haven't even really started yet. Trainees have it easy. Bickering inside the agency walls—you haven't stepped out into the wild. Think of the agency as the Serengeti; outside's like some African war zone."
"Fuck..."
Heh.
"Humans are the scariest animals out there. Nine out of ten act nice to your face but badmouth you behind your back if you outshine them, scheming to drag you down."
"You too?"
I might've felt a bit hurt depending on his answer...
"Fuck no, I'm different. You and me were never equals to begin with. Fuck, bitch, I can't even fuck other women besides you. How's that equal? It's straight-up master and slave. You couldn't betray me even if you wanted—unless you wanna declare yourself a eunuch first."
"Puhahaha, pfft!"
I burst out laughing.
The most satisfying answer in the world.
This kind of relationship might be why I could trust him more than anyone.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. You couldn't fuck anyone but me anyway. So behave yourself. Don't get dumped for no reason."
"Fuck, as if."
Even as he cursed, Han Nam-do panted, his dick hardening at the sight of me in just a t-shirt, pussy fully exposed.
Feeling better now, I lifted one leg and asked.
"Wanna fuck?"
"Quit being gross and spread that pussy already."
"Mmm, yeah... Truth is, I wanna get fucked. To blow off some stress. Ahhn, haang...!"
This was the best thing about Han Nam-do.
When we fucked, he treated me like a fleshlight.
That rough pounding hit just right.
"Hngh, Nam-do."
"What? Not in the mood for shitty chit-chat during sex. Save it for later, you cunt."
"No, just... haang, one favor."
"What?"
"...Fuck my ass later too."
Caught off guard by my answer, Han Nam-do froze, then raked back his bangs and bit his lip.
"Ha, fuck... Of all the perverts to get tangled with."
"Hehehe, you like it too."
"Fuck off."
His words were rough.
But right now, he was the most helpful guy to me, no matter what.
Whew, stress gone in a flash.
The moment I arrived at the practice room, the stress relief vanished, piling right back up.
"Hey, unnie Hyun-ah!"
"Yeah. Morning, Chae-rin."
"Cute! Fighting today too!"
Kang Chae-rin was trying her best to lighten the mood alone.
But the practice room had this unprecedented tension hanging in the air.
Centered squarely around Seol Su-bin.
"Gonna spend today flirting with the manager again too, huh? Not like it's anyone else—our super talented Hyun-ah unnie. Why don't you just debut solo?"
"Su-bin. Unnie didn't do anything wrong—why are you like this?"
"...Ugh, whatever! I'm pissed, pissed. I'm going out for some air—deal with it!"
Han Ji-woo tried to look after Su-bin, but Seol Su-bin had long slipped from our grasp.
'Can't say this mess is all An Tae-ho's fault, but he's got a huge share.'
Speak of the devil.
"Brought coffee. Where's Su-bin?"
"Out for some air. She'll be back soon—stick it in the fridge or whatever."
"Got it."
At first, his polite demeanor and friendly vibe were appealing.
But now that I knew he was trash, it all just made him more repulsive.
I wanted to kick that smug face right then.
'Hold it in, hold it in.'
A succubus trying to seduce him couldn't act put off.
I had to pretend to act in ways that made me look good to him.
'This fucking sucks.'
Stuff I'd done casually until now felt disgustingly off.
And as Go Min-cheol said, maybe because he had a girlfriend.
He wasn't falling for it easily.
"Hmm, Su-bin's been picking on Hyun-ah a lot lately. No idea why she's so heated... Objectively, Hyun-ah's the one contributing the most right now. Should think rationally."
"Hey, manager! Anyone would get mad if you say it like that! Words matter how you say them!"
"Ah, sorry. I get called out on this all the time... Still working on it."
"..."
Even sweet Kang Chae-rin was starting to frown at An Tae-ho these days.
Of course, neither she nor Han Ji-woo took it out on me.
But that was only a matter of time.
Keep bottling up anger, and you'd snap over nothing.
'Gotta resolve this as fast as possible.'
Might be okay for now.
But dragging it out helped no one.
I had to seduce An Tae-ho by any means and clean this up.
"Manager, take good care of us today too."
"Of course, same to you, Hyun-ah. Haha, love spending so much time with you lately. Who knows? Might get recognized and fast-tracked for promotion."
Blatantly talking promotion, you bastard.
I'll fast-track your life to an end.
"Unnie Hyun-ah..."
I winked lightly at worried Kang Chae-rin.
"...!"
She grinned back and nodded.
'Just trust your unnie, Chae-rin.'
I'd crawled into this mess on my own two feet for her sake.
That goal hadn't changed. I never forgot.
Time flowed on amid the awkward, uncomfortable vibe.
"Not feeling great today. Gonna head out early. Anyway, you'd be more comfortable without me, right, Hyun-ah unnie? Practice alone with the manager."
"Su-bin."
"What? Our star Hyun-ah unnie?"
"...Let's talk later."
"Ha, talk? Sure, let's talk later."
With sparks flying harder between me and Seol Su-bin, Han Ji-woo and Kang Chae-rin looked worried.
"H-Hyun-ah unnie! Leave it to me! I'll cheer up Su-bin unnie somehow!"
"Yeah, unnie. Don't worry—just leave it to us."
"Thanks, I'll leave it to you."
Watching Chae-rin and Ji-woo leave early with Seol Su-bin, I felt much more at ease.
"Su-bin's going too far. Hyun-ah's working harder than anyone, but she snaps at her every day. Don't worry too much though, Hyun-ah. The best survive, right? Plus, the CEO's got his eye on you."
Who the hell made this atmosphere like this?
You goddamn fucker.
"Alright, let's start with choreography practice then... Think we should get more serious starting today."
"More serious?"
"Yeah. So, manager, get a bit more hands-on if you can?"
"Uh... sure, if that's what Hyun-ah wants."
An Tae-ho fiddled with his ring on his left ring finger, looking somewhat reluctant.
'Looks like the alone time these past few days wasn't totally ineffective.'
No direct touches, of course.
But he'd monitor my choreography practice or help with my foreign language studies as an excuse.
Putting us alone in closed spaces plenty of times.
I hadn't seduced him overtly then.
'Guys full of suspicion—you don't rush them.'
Bide your time calmly, patiently.
And today, I was dead sure it was perfect timing.
"I'll go change in the dressing room."
"Change?"
"Yeah, wanna switch outfits and psych myself up before getting serious."
"...Okay, got it."
In front of An Tae-ho, I deliberately swayed my hips extra provocatively as I entered the dressing room.
Then, pulling out the outfit I'd prepared for today.
"Let's see who's gonna win this. Mr. Boyfriend-with-a-girlfriend."
I stripped off all my underwear.