Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Too Much to Scold Like That (2)
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The weekend I'd promised with Han Ye-eun had arrived.
I got ready to head out at the crack of dawn.
As quietly as possible, so I wouldn't wake Eun-seol.
Having gotten a taste for internet streaming, the kid kept her cam on late into the night for some chat session before finally crashing just two or three hours ago.
I glanced toward Kang Eun-seol's room, which was following the original story's flow nicely without me lifting a finger, and slipped on my mana suppression bracelet out of habit.
Kiiiik.
Then, I closed the front door ever so slowly behind me.
I could have used Presence Concealment or Sensory Manipulation, but I didn't want to waste mana on something this trivial.
Mana in this world recovered much more slowly than stamina, after all.
Beep!
I headed down to the officetel's parking lot and naturally slid into the car.
Vroom! Vrr!
My phone buzzed right away, as if it had been waiting.
[Hey! You up?!]
The sender was none other than Lee Ji-hye, just as diligent as me.
[That thing we talked about! So what exactly do I need to do?!]
Her questions came flooding in nonstop, forcing me to idly preheat the car.
[Just do as you're told.]
While texting her back and forth.
[So, what are you gonna make me do! For how long?! Until when?!]
[How about a generous one-year term?]
[What?! Are you insane?!]
[You think you're gonna snag 200 million won that easily?]
[Ugh! You're such a jerk!]
[And what I make you do will vary, so no point spelling it out now. Just know it's gonna be lewd stuff.]
No sooner had I sent the message than a cute emoticon flew back from Lee Ji-hye.
It was a cone character clasping its hands together in plea.
[Go easy on me, okay? You won't make me do anything too crazy, right?]
I ignored her plea and tapped the screen as if a thought had just struck me.
[By the way, Ji-hye, how many part-time gigs do you have?]
[Me? Counting the weekend one, about four? Why?]
[Quit all but one or two. Just enough for living expenses.]
[......Huh?]
[Don't you need to reenroll at the academy? Another leave next year means expulsion, right?]
[Oh? Yeah, you're right.]
[And no matter what, quit that cafe.]
I pictured some no-name, faceless NTR guy from this world and added more.
[When you quit, make sure to really stick it to that manager jerk.]
[Stick it to him? How?]
[Say you're going paparazzi or whatever.]
[What's paparazzi?]
[Say you got a rich older boyfriend.]
Truth be told, I was pretty curious myself.
About how the manager—who'd been steadily working to bed Lee Ji-hye—would react when he heard.
[Just in case, do it in a crowded place. Even in broad daylight, don't be alone with him.]
I added the message while entertaining some fun imaginings.
[Hey, hey. Tell people that in a crowded spot?]
[They're all one-timers anyway.]
[I'd be socially ruined. What if weird rumors spread?]
[Rumors will spread whether you worry or not.]
[Huh? Why?]
[The girl he thought was a sure lay pulls a drift right before the all-whore ending. You think that manager's gonna sit quiet?]
Her replies cut off for a moment.
Vrr!
Instead of texting, Lee Ji-hye called.
[Hey!]
She yelled right off the bat, clearly pissed.
[I'm listening, so lower your voice.]
[Whore? You called me a whore? Say it again, Kang Woojin!]
[Just an example. And it's not exactly wrong, is it?]
[Still! How can you be so thoughtless?!]
[Isn't this thoughtful enough? I heard about my friend's plight and shelled out 200 million. If you hate 'brothel' that much, I'll say 'establishment' instead.]
[You asshole! You're a total asshole, got it?!]
How dare she say such harsh things to a nice guy like me...
You're gonna get thoroughly wrecked later, Ji-hye.
[Anyway, I know that manager type well. If you dodge the brothel ending, he'll spread every rumor to trash your rep. Makes it easier for him to move on.]
[Ha... At this point, I don't even know what's right...]
[Good or bad rumors are gonna fly either way, so really stick it to the manager. Crush his pride, plant some defeat in him.]
[...Yeah, I get what you're saying.]
[Good you understand. Leave a review later.]
[Fine...]
I ended the call and gripped the wheel, heading to Han Ye-eun's place.
Planning to pick her up and go all the way to the Dawon Truth Church's local branch.
Excluding headquarters, they had about twenty branches.
Five near Seoul alone, with the rest scattered nationwide per the lore.
The one Ye-eun was introducing me to was probably one of those five.
I mentally mapped it out, placing dots on each branch's location.
'Generously, six or seven to deal with.'
Even dismantling the Dawon Truth Church didn't mean turning every nationwide believer into an enemy.
Facing all the regular followers, plus outlying formal disciples and leaders at once? Unrealistic as hell.
Even the Hwameong Guild that took down the Dawon Truth Church in the original only mustered full force to eliminate the leader's faction.
Their nationwide flock numbered tens, maybe hundreds of thousands.
Full war with them? It'd be a bloodbath massacre.
I'd never had religion myself, but I'd heard faith was life to believers.
With absolute devotion, they ignored outsiders, and deprogramming took ages.
Bottom line: Crush the heads first.
Then expose the cult's ugly truth to calm the enraged followers mourning their lost leader.
That was the Hwameong Guild's strategy in the original.
My plan wasn't much different at the core.
Just some tweaks in approach and outcome.
Screech.
Reviewing the situation, I'd arrived at Han Ye-eun's building and parked.
Ye-eun was already waiting outside the apartment complex.
Click.
I got out and walked to the passenger side.
"I said I'd call when I got here. Why come out?"
"Didn't want to make you wait. Plus, parking around here's a pain."
"What do you take my parking skills f... Never mind. Hop in."
I even opened the passenger door for her myself.
"Yeah, thanks."
And, fearing she'd slam it, I quickly closed it for her.
Thud. Click.
We didn't chat much on the way to the car.
Honestly, it felt a bit awkward.
With Ye-eun buckled up, sitting ramrod straight and fidgeting her hands and feet, even I started feeling it.
"Sleep okay last night?"
I asked to break the ice.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Slept fine. You, Woojin?"
"Me? Honestly, not great. Tossed and turned from nerves."
"I see. Truth be told, I've been a little tense since yesterday."
"Why you? Isn't it just the usual spot?"
Staring straight ahead, Han Ye-eun replied.
"W-Well, first time bringing a friend..."
I glanced at her now and then, but she never turned my way once.
Man, her profile's gorgeous.
You've got that killer left-side face too, huh, Ye-eun?
Maybe because we were sealed in the car alone, dirty thoughts kept bubbling up, blood rushing south.
"Uh, this the right address? Am I going the right way?"
I tamped down the urge and asked.
"Yeah, correct."
Then Han Ye-eun finally looked my way.
I felt her sneaking peeks as I double-checked the nav.
"......"
"......"
And silence fell again.
Of us two squirming uncomfortably, Han Ye-eun spoke first this time.
"Nice morning, huh?"
"Yeah. Speaking of, you guys always do religious stuff this early?"
"Varies by person, but yeah, usually on weekends."
"Gotcha."
"But wow, great car. Sounds way better than what I heard before."
"What, you buying one too?"
"As if. Where would I get the money?"
Won't your big-shot daddy buy you one if you ask nicely?
Or you could hypnotize a used car dealer or official salesman.
...I nearly let that slip, chuckling instead.
"Hey, Woojin, had breakfast?"
"Nah."
"Not hungry?"
"Kinda? We'll grab brunch later while wandering."
Truth was, I was starving.
Not for food—for something else.
Every time I glanced at Ye-eun in her crisp open-shoulder blouse and miniskirt, I wanted to devour her.
"Figured, so I packed lunch. The branch lunch is at 1 p.m. Figured you'd be starving till then."
"Lunch? You made it? For me?"
"Yup."
Han Ye-eun, who gave off a vibe like Cynthia but different, smiled shyly.
Her innocent look tugged a bit at my guilt.
But hey, what can you do.
Blame your dad or your crappy fate.
"Can't wait."
"Just stuff from home, so don't expect much..."
Chatting idly like that, we arrived at the branch on Seoul's outskirts.
A sprawling site ringed by woods.
A perfectly normal-looking building came into view.
About five stories tall?
It gave off vibes like a remote suburban gym.
No, it wasn't just vibes.
One side even had a small park and artificial turf field.
'Fancier than I thought.'
Thinking that, I parked.
"This way. Need to register you as a visitor first."
Following Han Ye-eun's lead, we entered the gym.
The observation process was strict but reasonable.
Unlike the rotten core of the Dawon Truth Church, everything visible to outsiders was squeaky clean.
Whoosh! Swish!
The people gathered in the gym's center were no different.
"What're they doing?"
Trailing Han Ye-eun, I pointed at the folks doing odd moves.
"Morning routine. Think of it as morning exercises. Church members do that daily to warm up before training."
She explained matter-of-factly.
I knew all about it, of course.
The slow, tai chi-like motions, waving limbs lazily.
I had their full daily schedule memorized.
"Wanna try with me, Woojin?"
"Me too?"
But as always, I blinked with feigned innocence and curiosity.
"Yeah. Since you're here to observe. I'll teach you. We'll do it over there so we don't bother them."
Soon, Han Ye-eun flawlessly demonstrated.
"Like this to start, then this next..."
The awkward, tense girl from the car was gone.
Swoosh!
Immersed in the tai chi-esque routine(?), she stayed dead serious through each pose.
'Hmm...'
My take in one word: damn hot.
Short skirt, wuxia-novel stances.
The precarious absolute territory doubled the appeal, stirring imaginations and boiling lust.
"That's form one. Think you can do it? Want me to show again?"
She asked, lightly catching her breath.
"Nah. I'll try."
I flawlessly mimicked her poses.
Piece of cake with my superior awakening and dynamic vision.
"Whoa! You're really good, Woojin!"
She clapped with pure delight at my near-perfect copy.
"Next one's like this!"
Buoyed by my quick learning, her voice rose excitedly.
"Like this!"
Not just her voice.
Swish!
Growing bolder over time, she didn't shy from skinship either.
"Anchor your center there, then rotate your body in a half-circle to the right."
She adjusted my form hands-on, our breaths syncing closer.
"Tougher than it looks. So, what's this dawn activity called?"
"Oh, it's qigong calisthenics. Our Truth Church emphasizes harmony of body, mind, and qi..."
Suddenly aware of our closeness, she flushed and stepped back.
"A-Anyway, members wrap up dawn activities like this, then do morning offerings. Weekends together, weekdays at home or nearby branches."
"Offerings too?"
"...Yeah. Kinda different from meals. Chewing grains to cultivate the spirit. Then meditation with deep breathing, bowing from the Primordial Heavenly Lord down to the saints..."
Explaining the daily routine, Han Ye-eun delved into the Dawon Truth Church's doctrines and teachings.
And.
'Hm?'
Someone was watching Han Ye-eun and me from afar.
'That guy's...'
Caught by my sharp eyes: none other than the Dawon Truth Church's leader, Han Jong-hoe.