Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: B-Rank Villain No Face Reinforcement (1)
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"Yahoo!"
Letting out an incredibly old-fashioned exclamation, Lee Seo-yeon bounced up and down on the bed.
Unable to contain her joy, she rolled around on the floor and only stopped after bumping her head on the desk leg.
"Ow... It hurts... But it hurts and I'm happy..."
Rubbing the bump on her forehead with her palm, she immediately sprang into action.
"This isn't the time for that!"
This wasn't just any date.
She was already so excited that she had frantically typed out an impromptu plan in her messages, but something like that had a high chance of falling apart.
'I need to make a plan that's absolutely foolproof!'
Lee Seo-yeon was always anxious because she had no idea what Yoo Jun-hyuk thought of her.
Their first meeting hadn't gone well, and even though he'd saved her afterward, what she'd done still lingered like karma. He treated her like an acquaintance, replying to her messages and agreeing to meet, but whether that could develop into something romantic was another matter entirely.
"I'm already grateful he didn't reject me outright, but I want to take it further."
So she had to use this opportunity as a springboard to boost his affection for her somehow.
"Men rely on the woman to plan the date, right?"
The moment she failed at that, she'd come off as a woman without foresight—or worse, without capability.
Sure, she worked at the Millennium Guild, so no one would seriously question her abilities over something as trivial as failing to plan a date. But she knew her position all too well.
"This spot I'm in now is all thanks to Jun-hyuk-ssi."
He'd introduced her to Choi Yu-ra, and with Yu-ra's help, she'd settled in. She was basically a parachute hire.
Which meant this position was more his achievement than hers.
That's why she had to make him see her in a new light this time. Even late into the night, she poured her effort into crafting the perfect plan.
"First, let's map out the route."
She turned on her computer and checked the city map along with street views.
"Okay, this shop looks good? Movie's in the morning, so something light for breakfast... What? They've violated food hygiene laws before?"
She didn't just check reviews for countless shops in the city—she even hacked into government sites to verify if any had issues.
"Jun-hyuk-ssi weighs 60kg. Walking from there to the shop burns about 80 calories, so he won't starve. But I need to add some fun stops in between."
...Eventually, she went overboard, calculating every calorie he'd burn while moving, predicting when he'd get hungry, and scheduling restaurant arrival times accordingly.
"Ugh, just a bit more and I'll have the perfect plan."
Sleep was creeping in, but she fought it off with caffeine.
To her, this chance was one she absolutely couldn't miss—it meant more than just a first date.
'I have no idea what Yu-ra's thinking, so I can't let this slip away.'
After Choi Yu-ra returned alive from the EX-Rank Gate, Lee Seo-yeon had apologized to her again, as promised.
Yu-ra had accepted it readily this time too, but Lee Seo-yeon remembered the look in her eyes.
'It felt like she was dissatisfied... but not quite.'
Sometimes it seemed like affection, other times like she was sizing her up.
Maybe because of what she'd gone through in school, Lee Seo-yeon was hypersensitive to others' gazes, which let her read some of the emotions in Yu-ra's eyes.
'Is she judging me as the "main wife" versus the "side piece"?'
Whatever. Focus on tomorrow's date.
If she really wanted to stop it, she'd have told Jun-hyuk-ssi or warned me separately.
But she'd forgotten her own state.
The fact that she'd been pulling all-nighters all week due to a sudden influx of work.
"Perfect plan!"
Her stamina had already hit its limit, and after staying up all night obsessing over the plan, the final blow landed.
"Perfect... plan... Perfect... plan..."
Thud! Her head hit the desk.
"Mmm..."
She fell into such a deep sleep that someone could carry her off without her noticing.
For reference, their appointment was at 9 a.m.
[AM 7:48]
The clock on her monitor ticked on, as if mocking her.
＊＊＊
[It's been a while. Didn't expect you'd come back to us so soon.]
Early dawn. Shin Jeong-hwa glared at the incoming chat like it was her mortal enemy.
The kidnapping commission she'd posted on the dark web had connected with her in less than a few hours.
[Did something go wrong with the cleanup? I made sure your name didn't come up with those guys. And I thought the job wrapped up smoothly. We guarantee after-service for a year... Anything after that isn't our problem. No need for complainers.]
[That's not why I'm contacting you. I have a new commission.]
[Yes! Customer! We'll serve you faithfully!]
Grind!
The sound of her grinding her teeth sent chills through the air.
Their money-grubbing villain nature was repulsive, and remembering how much they charged only fueled her irritation.
[I want you to kidnap someone.]
[Kidnappings start at 500 million won minimum. We also need to gather intel on the target, so there's extra for that. That okay?]
What if it wasn't?
Then they just wouldn't take the job.
Even for high-earning Hunters, 500 million was a huge burden, but these were pros among pros. They had the skills, and she was the desperate one, so she kept chatting to haggle the price down.
[No need for intel gathering. I already did it. Nothing special about the target.]
[Not sure I trust that.]
[It's true. Not someone who'd pose any threat to you guys.]
It wasn't a lie.
The Yoo Jun-hyuk she'd investigated had scant info, but aside from his looks, he was just an ordinary guy.
But suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
'What if Lee Seo-yeon hid Jun-hyuk-ssi's info?'
If so, there might be things she didn't know.
It made her uneasy, but she shook it off.
'At most, it's that ring's owner.'
And the ring's owner probably wasn't anything special either.
Would someone impressive have their boyfriend working part-time at a cafe?
'No time. If they start investigating, they'll drag it out for days or weeks under the guise of observation.'
She couldn't stand her image plummeting in real time any longer.
Any more delays, and she might not recover it.
Plus, longer investigations meant higher costs, so with 500 million already a burden, Shin Jeong-hwa wanted it done as fast as possible.
[If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility.]
[Responsibility, huh. How exactly?]
[However you want.]
[Deal. So, tell me more. Who do you want kidnapped? You said you investigated, so give me everything.]
Staring at the monitor with bloodshot eyes, Shin Jeong-hwa typed rapidly.
[Name's Yoo Jun-hyuk.]
Hope gleamed in her eyes—the light of overcoming her greatest crisis.
[Lee Seo-yeon's boyfriend. She's team lead for external network business ops, non-Hunter affiliate of Millennium Guild.]
＊＊＊
"Well now. Millennium Guild, huh. Tricky, but... not murder, just a simple snatch-and-grab from an external affiliate? Not a bad gig."
In a refreshingly bright room, a man grinned wickedly.
"But who to send? If the info's right, one person's plenty."
Normally, they'd gather intel first and plan, but the client promised to take responsibility, so they decided to jump in.
Still, to be safe, he pondered sending someone expendable even if it failed. Rubbing his chin, he thought.
"Who's the disposable one again?"
Success was good.
Failure was... fine too.
"A newbie's perfect. Decent skills, but brain-dead. Made for this."
He unclasped his hands and sent a message.
[First mission. Nail this commission, and you're not an intern—you're full staff.]
＊＊＊
"What the hell is this?"
On a weekend morning—prime time for sleeping in—I got up early, got ready, and waited for Lee Seo-yeon.
But past our appointment time, she hadn't shown up at my place, let alone contacted me.
"We're supposed to go on a date? Did she... ghost me?"
Is this what a zero-confession first-date flake feels like!?
Maybe she overslept, so I called repeatedly and waited over two hours, but my smartphone stayed silent.
"Damn it! What gives!"
If I'd known, I wouldn't have slept early—I'd have watched some Insta-bangers!
I was ready to hang out, and she pulls this no-show.
"If something came up, at least text me. Don't just vanish!"
I vented with a late brunch, but what could I do? It was already over.
Better to shake off the anger and do what I want now. Already dressed and out, I headed to the cafe.
"Boss!"
"Oh, Jun-hyuk? What brings you here on a weekend?"
"Bored, so I came to hang."
"Hehe, missed me, huh?"
"You're always who I wanna see."
Joked around with the boss, scored some free drinks.
Wasn't just goofing off—I consulted on gear and tools needed for my future cafe ownership.
"See you Monday!"
"Yeah. Rest up this weekend."
Didn't wanna go home yet, so I headed to 'my cafe' next.
"Bigger and roomier than the boss's... but empty without fixtures."
Just the building so far.
No cafe essentials yet.
Planned to quit my job, chill a few weeks, then open—so no stocking up early.
"But it's great."
Because it's mine.
Nothing to see, but just being inside felt good.
"Still..."
Last time with Yu-ra noona, she showed me a spot, so I headed there.
Basement hallway, end of the corridor.
A massive steel door greeted me.
"A bunker, seriously. Noona..."
Separate semi-permanent battery-powered door lock.
Door and walls that could withstand an A-Rank explosion skill user blasting point-blank.
Inside: half a year's food and water, plus books to kill boredom.
Way overkill for a cafe.
"Will I ever use this?"
A disaster big enough would mean Seoul's already toast.
Noona looks out for me, but this was over-the-top worry.
'...Huh?'
Then, faint footsteps from upstairs.
I'd left the cafe door unlocked on the way in. Intruder?
'Coming this way?'
I eyed the corridor end, stairs connecting to the first floor.
Korea was safe, especially broad daylight—no crime, right?
Too complacent. Ready to use Hypnosis just in case.
Soon, a woman appeared on the stairs.
'Yu-ra noona?'
No. Red hair and eyes matched, but...
Way shorter and slimmer. Definitely not her.
"You came right here on your own. Behave, and stay quiet."
The nameless woman approached me.
"I'm already holding back big time. Pent-up frustration, y'know? Get rowdy, and I might snap. Gotta bring you alive, but if I lose it, I could just ditch the whole thing."
But I wasn't scared.
Did I mention?
[I must shake hands with anyone I meet for the first time.]
"Ah, duh. Handshake first."
Since my skill upgraded, I instinctively knew if my Hypnosis would work before casting.
The unidentified woman extended her hand.
"Hurry up."
"Yes."
I grabbed it.
Through the handshake guise, I cast level-two Hypnosis.
[Irresistible drowsiness floods in.]
"Whew, handshake done, now thennnn..."
She crumpled to the floor, breathing softly in sleep.
Wouldn't wake unless forcibly roused—even if carried.
"..."
Her sleeping form was cute.
Cute, but my feelings toward her were chillingly cold—even I was surprised.
"Pathetic. Or rather..."
What she'd just said meant kidnapping me.
And killing me if I resisted.
"You pathetic bitch."
Before carrying her, I punched in the bunker's code.
"Never thought I'd use this so soon."