Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The End of a Busy Day
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After Ji-yoon left, I was the only one left in the dorm.
Looking around, there was underwear tossed carelessly here and there, cosmetics with all the lids left open...
...even remnants of grapes from an expected source and sticky semen.
'The room's a total mess.'
I couldn't just leave like that, so I tidied up the scattered trash and broadcasting gear.
As I finished cleaning and headed back to the car, I spotted a red light outside the window.
A camera light in the darkness, seemingly aimed right at the room I was in.
It was that same uneasy feeling that had nagged at me all day long.
'That spot...'
It wasn't far from where I'd parked the car.
I bolted toward the light.
There was a man holding a camera at the location.
He was completely absorbed in checking the shots he'd taken.
'Some kind of sasaeng fan?'
I crept up behind him carefully so he wouldn't notice.
Then I twisted his arm and tackled him.
"You've been tailing me since this afternoon, haven't you?"
"Ah...!! Ouch!! Who the hell are you!!"
At first, it was too dark to be sure, but as my eyes adjusted to the night, his face came into sharp focus.
It was the exact shadow that had been bugging me all day.
"I let it slide since you weren't doing anything too bad, but following us all the way to the dorm? That's crossing a line."
"No, there's gotta be some misunderstanding here. Just let go of my arm first?"
"Misunderstanding? You know stalking's a serious crime, right?"
"No! That's not it! I'm a reporter, a reporter!"
......A reporter?
Come to think of it, he did look a bit old for a sasaeng fan.
"Business card's in your right pocket—pull it out. And let go!"
I confirmed the reporter's business card from his pocket.
......Why's a reporter filming the grape girls' dorm in the dead of night?
Suspicious as hell, but I'd verified his ID, so I couldn't keep holding onto him forever.
I released his arm first.
"Why's a reporter out here at this hour? Mind if I check the camera?"
"Ow, my arm. Go ahead. You're that manager who was shadowing the girl earlier, huh."
I checked the camera, but there weren't any weird photos.
"Nothing suspicious, huh."
"Told you... By the way, that girl Ji-yoon—is she with some big agency? You've got a manager glued to her."
"Nah, nothing like that. But why were you shooting the dorm? Kinda looks bad."
"Sorry about that. No funny business, I swear."
"Then what?"
"Eh... not here. Hop in the car."
I got into the reporter's car parked right behind.
He showed me photos from the camera as he explained why he was there.
"See this guy? The one who's completely bald."
"Yeah. Heard he was some city councilor."
"Spot on. I'm undercover on him right now. Guy's got some shady shit going on."
"Undercover?"
The guy who'd introduced himself as a reporter pulled something that looked like candy from his pocket.
"Know what this is?"
"Dunno. Looks like vitamins or something."
"It's an aphrodisiac that sends women into hallucinations. Basically a drug."
"A drug?"
......Hallucinations, though.
Hit a little too close to home, somehow.
"Cranks up women's libido and messes with their judgment. Most aphrodisiac stories are hype, but this one's the real deal."
Drugs and female aphrodisiacs.
All too foreign to a fresh-out-of-the-military guy still adjusting to society.
"Found it in that councilor's car in the photo. Tip says he dosed aspiring idols with it."
"Aphrodisiac, you said?"
"Yeah. Word is he spikes drinks and rapes them."
"Dude's a total psycho."
"Right? Lures in naive girls, gets his rocks off, then films it for blackmail."
"Whoa... Thought that stuff was just internet ghost stories."
"Yeah. Circumstantial evidence is piling up, but no hard proof, so I'm out here scraping for anything."
But if the reporter was right...
Wasn't Ji-yoon in a bit of danger too?
"That girl seems okay, though? Still in the dorm. The others all got called out."
"No, Ji-yoon got a sudden call and bounced too. Any idea where they're meeting?"
"Huh? Beats me. They're keeping it hush-hush among themselves."
I urgently called Ji-yoon, but she didn't pick up.
"If I knew the spot, I'd be staking it out there, not hanging around the dorm."
......Shit.
"Dang. Was gonna tail the girls when they came out and nab the scene, but looks like I'm a step behind. Be right back—bathroom."
"Sure. Take your time."
While the reporter was gone, I sent Seo-yeon the councilor's photo.
Then I called her right away.
-What's up? Weren't you in the middle of anal just now?
"Seo-yeon, can you track the guy in this photo?"
-Why? I could, but procedures take time. Probably approval by morning—Yuksong ain't an intel agency.
It hadn't been long since they left for the party, so probably nothing happening yet.
But morning was too late.
-What's going on?
"Well..."
I gave Seo-yeon a rundown of the situation.
-Hmm. I can track Ji-yoon right now, actually. Jin-woo registered her as a seller on our app with that anal payment today.
"For real?"
-Yeah. Sending her location now.
Thank goodness.
Seo-yeon's location ping hit my phone.
"Seo-yeon, if there's victim footage or whatever, could you hack and wipe it?"
-Sure. Just sneak me that councilor's phone. I'll handle the rest.
After hanging up with Seo-yeon, the reporter came back to the car.
"Reporter, I found out where. Head to XX-dong."
"No shit? How'd you figure it?"
I bullshitted an answer.
"Couple app. Managers share locations with their charges. Never know what might happen."
"Makes sense. Easier to manage that way."
Ji-yoon wasn't far from the dorm.
We drove to the destination.
Following a dark mountain road led to a secluded villa.
Seemed they'd called in extra girls from some joint—women arriving in vans.
'She actually came to a sketchy place like this without a second thought.'
We parked in a corner.
The reporter pulled a bag from the trunk and showed me.
It was stuffed with 50,000-won bills.
"Fakes. Politics beat—you gotta carry this kinda prop. Security won't bat an eye if you're flashing these."
He said the grape girls who'd gone in first were likely with local bigwigs or aides.
And Seo-yeon was probably alone with the councilor.
"I'll head in for the other girls as planned."
The reporter double-checked his hidden body cam.
Planned to film the scene and bail.
"I just need the footage and I'm out. You okay solo, Jin-woo?"
"Yeah. Got my own plan."
I had Sperm Pay, after all.
"No idea what you're scheming, but stay safe. Catch you later."
"You too."
After the reporter slipped into the villa, I read Seo-yeon's message.
-Ji-yoon's vitals are steady.
Good, nothing wrong yet.
I found the councilor's parked car first.
'That's it.'
I grabbed a rock nearby and smashed the side mirror.
Crack!
Crack!
Then I called the number on the car.
The aide picked up.
-Hello?
"Ah, sorry! I'm the guy who brought the girls earlier. Scraped your car pulling out—my bad."
-You're at the villa?
"Yeah. Mind coming down quick?"
The aide came to the parking lot.
Drunk off his ass, clothes a mess—he'd clearly already gotten his.
"Goddammit... Mirror's toast. How do you even drive?"
"Sorry. Can I just wire you repair cash? Insurance would be a hassle for me."
"Fuck... Here. Send it now."
"On it!"
He grumbled his account and left.
I tailed him on the sly.
'Whoa... booze stench.'
Inside, the booze was flowing.
The aide stumbled drunk into a room alone.
Passing that, deeper in—Ji-yoon sat there, face full of fear.
"Hey. You really came to a dump like this?"
"...Huh?? Nerd!!"
She lit up like crazy seeing me.
Then the bald councilor bastard emerged from the bathroom.
"Huh? Who're you?"
"Evening, councilor! Here to set up a good time for you."
I fired up the Sperm Pay app.
Sent cash to the aide's account from earlier, then used my payment transfer voucher.
Transfer complete.
Payment voucher redeemed.
The councilor silently dropped his pants, then headed to the aide's room in his underwear.
I swiped his phone from his pants.
"Let's go, Ji-yoon."
"Wha... huh???"
I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the villa.
After dropping Ji-yoon back at the dorm, I returned to the car.
Things seemed resolved okay, but I felt kinda bad for the guy.
'She starved all day for her figure, and that old fart was gonna... whatever.'
Not that she was innocent.
She'd used guys before too.
Still, people gotta eat.
I searched for late-night spots.
Luckily, a sushi joint nearby was still open.
Grabbed some to-go and headed back to her dorm.
"Hey. What? Why're you back?"
"Eat this."
"...No way! I'm dieting."
Says that, but her eyes were sparkling.
Couldn't tear her gaze from the sushi.
"Dude, if I eat all this alone, I'll balloon... Come in and share."
"......Fine."
I sat next to her.
Share, my ass.
After starving all day, she scarfed down the sushi like a champ.
"Nerd. Won't driving back in the morning be a drag?"
"Yeah. Thinking of crashing in the car."
"In the car? Uncomfortable."
"It's fine."
The sushi must've been pretty good.
Good thing the place was open late.
"Hey. Don't go—just crash here."
"......Huh???"
"Just... whatever. Stay the night."
What'd gotten into her?
She'd dropped that bombshell out of nowhere and was now silently stuffing her face with sushi.