Manager App - Chapter 29: The Mask Hunt
What should I do?
With my smartphone snatched away, running was out of the question. Hell, running off right in front of Eunha was absurd from the start. Unlike Yu Seoyeon, Eunha was a junior in my department.
……What now…… Like this…….
I glanced back and forth between my smartphone thrust out in front of me and Yu Seoyeon.
Calm down. It's not set in stone yet.
Taking a slow breath, I took the phone from her hand.
……The Manager App on my smartphone just looks like a normal app to anyone else. If I'm lucky, she'll let it slide. At most, she'll poke around the albums or folders.
Forcing myself to stay calm, I unlocked the phone and handed it back to Seoyeon.
But if she actually tries to launch the Manager App, I'll just…….
I stood straight, fully prepared to act.
“……”
Having taken the smartphone from me, Seoyeon began examining it meticulously. She started with the album, of course. But all that was there were ordinary family photos and landscape shots. Nothing else.
“……”
Frowning after finding nothing in the album, Seoyeon soon began swiping through the home screen, checking the apps.
The Manager App……!
Then the Manager App icon appeared on the screen.
“……”
Seoyeon paused her finger for a moment, staring holes through the screen.
Did she catch it?
I swallowed hard, ready to lunge at any second.
“Are these all the apps?”
“That's everything.”
“……”
At my response, she went back to the home screen and started launching apps one by one. Eventually, she reached the screen with the Manager App.
The moment she taps it, I'll snatch the phone and drag Yu Seoyeon into training…….
Fully geared up, I waited for her to launch the Manager App. But for some reason, she skipped right over it, as if it wasn't even there, launching all the other apps instead.
What the hell?
Did she miss the order? No way. Even if she did, the timing was too perfect.
“You……”
Suddenly, she called out to me.
“Yeah?”
“Open the door. I need to search for something.”
“……”
Her brazen demand left me speechless for a second. But I quickly furrowed my brow on purpose and spoke up.
“……Why the hell should I do that?”
“Why? Scared I'll find that mask you always carry around?”
“What mask?”
“Don't play dumb! I know you have a mask in this place!”
She yelled, glaring at me fiercely. I let out a light sigh.
“Fine. But can you give my phone back now?”
“What?”
“Or give me yours. Make it fair, right? You might run off with mine.”
“Y-You! Treating me like a thief?”
“Anyone would do the same.”
Her face flushed red with anger, and with a tsk! she tossed the phone back to me.
Phew…….
Relieved to have my smartphone back, I pocketed it and headed to the door.
“Oppa, sorry……”
Just then, Eunha's voice piped up. Turning around, I saw her looking genuinely apologetic, eyes glistening with tears.
“If you're sorry, buy me food later.”
“Ah, okay!”
I patted her head as I said it, and she beamed, nodding vigorously like it was the best thing ever.
“Hurry up and open the door.”
As I chatted with Eunha, a thorny voice cut in from behind.
“Opening it now.”
Tongue clicking, I swung the front door open with a click.
“Out of the way!”
The moment it opened, Yu Seoyeon shoved me aside like she was possessed and barged into the apartment alone. Pissed at her rudeness, I followed her in and spoke up.
“If it turns out I'm innocent, you're not getting off easy.”
“Hmph, so shameless! I'll find your mask, just you wait!”
She yelled back, then started ripping open drawers, cabinets—ransacking the place for the mask. She was making such a racket, it was like a thief hunting for valuables.
Search all you want.
I smirked inwardly. The mask from the Training Room wasn't a real-world item—it belonged to the Training Room.
……No way it exists here.
I stood side by side with Eunha, watching Yu Seoyeon's frantic rampage. About an hour in, she started slowing down, clearly exhausted. Peeking at her face, it was pale as a ghost.
Perfect.
Smirking triumphantly, I walked over to where she had collapsed on the floor.
“Hey.”
“……!”
She flinched and looked up at me.
“Find it?”
“……”
“It's not there, right?”
“……”
“Then let's head to the police station.”
As I grabbed her wrist, she jerked away violently, trembling.
“Th-This can't be!”
“Hey.”
“You hid it somewhere else! Right? You hid it somewhere!”
Muttering in a shaky voice, she suddenly gripped my hand tight and screamed.
“……Where'd you hide it? Where?!”
“Hide what?”
“The mask! Where's the mask! It has to be you…… It's you! I knew it the second I saw you!”
Her voice brimming with conviction, she clung to my clothes.
“Knew what?”
“Th-That…… Anyway! Anyway…… Ah!”
Stumbling over her words in panic, she suddenly gasped as something clicked.
“……Hit me! Hit me!”
“What?”
“If you hit me, the phone will go ding!! It will, for sure!”
“No……”
“You pervert bastard! Hit me like before!”
Yelling loud enough to rupture eardrums, she seized my right hand.
“……Hit me!”
It was desperation at its finest. Shaking my head, I tried to pull away, but her grip was surprisingly strong.
“Stop it!”
That's when Eunha shouted and wedged herself between us.
“……Just stop! He said he's not, so why keep pushing?!”
“N-No! It has to be him!”
“No! From what I see, it's not oppa!”
Pushing Seoyeon back hard, Eunha planted herself in front of me like a shield.
“Hey!!”
“What!!”
The two women screeched in unison, making my ears—and now my head—ring.
“Aren't you pissed that this pervert did that to you?”
“I am! But Yuhyun oppa didn't do it! Why keep insisting when he said no?!”
“No, I definitely…… Fuck, I saw that bastard's eyes twitch! I saw it!”
“You're calling oppa a pervert over that? Are you insane?”
“B-But……”
“Oppa, call the cops now!”
As Eunha turned to me yelling, Seoyeon went ghost-white and shrieked.
“Wait!!”
Everyone's eyes—including mine and Eunha's—snapped to her.
“……I-I'll pay you! Let's call it even.”
Her offer to buy me off left me dumbfounded. Eunha looked just as stunned.
“No, shouldn't you apologize first?”
Eunha pressed her, voice even angrier.
“Wh-Why should I! That bastard definitely……!”
“Definitely what?”
“……”
Under Eunha's stern glare, Seoyeon pouted and turned her head away, clearly refusing to apologize even on her deathbed. As Eunha pulled out her phone to dial 112, Seoyeon yelled, Wait, wait! and stopped her.
“……F-Fine, I'll do it! I'll apologize!”
Still eyeing me suspiciously, she looked up and forced it out.
“Sorry.”
It was half-hearted as hell, but knowing her personality, this was a huge concession.
“What kind of apology is that! Do it properly!”
“I did it properly!”
Of course, it didn't satisfy Eunha.
Sigh.
I shook my head and spoke up.
“It's fine. Let's call it quits.”
“But……!”
“Honestly, I'm tired.”
I dragged over a nearby chair and sat. Eunha shut her mouth, not sure what else to say. Seoyeon's face brightened a bit—though I had zero intention of letting her off easy.
“……Instead, clean this mess up properly.”
“Ah…… Okay.”
She glanced around, then nodded obediently. At least she had some conscience left.
“And you're buying dinner tonight.”
“Huh?”
“As your apology. And tell me why you thought that in the first place.”
I grinned cheekily at Yu Seoyeon.