Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Lee Ji-ah (12)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The raid members are all pointing out Hunter Lee Ji-ah's mistake. Do you have anything to say about that?
"This was the Abyss raid team made up of the nation's top elite hunters. It wasn't the kind of force that would collapse due to one individual's error, and zeroing in on a single person in a large-scale team battle to nitpick mistakes is absurd."
Lee Ji-ah answered the committee members' questions without missing a beat.
The scenario the Association President had wanted was long gone.
The committee members, who had been relentlessly attacking Lee Ji-ah, were now grimacing as evidence kept piling up against them.
They must have realized they were in deep trouble.
They'd come to the hearing chasing popularity and the spotlight.
But instead, they'd been lynching an innocent person.
If the footage of them yelling at Lee Ji-ah after the hearing didn't turn into laughingstock memes circulating online, they'd be lucky.
They were probably cursing the Association President inwardly right now.
What could they do? It was all their own karma.
Han Yoo-jung tugged at the sleeve of my suit with her small hand.
"Mister."
"Yes?"
"Here."
She suddenly thrust a large envelope at me from who-knows-where.
"What's this?"
"The Association President's weakness."
A weakness? My mouth started watering at the tantalizing topic.
"...?"
I opened the envelope, and out came a few sheets of paper—a profile with my face and personal details listed.
But something was off.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but the contents on the paper remained the same.
Rape, murder, fraud records, etc.
I'd been transformed into a criminal so vile it made you question if such human scum could exist.
"Yoo-jung-ssi."
"You can speak casually to me, Mister."
"Got it, Yoo-jung. Anyway..."
Han Yoo-jung stared at me blankly. I hurriedly corrected myself.
"Yoo-jung-ah, where on earth did you get a document like this?"
Even as I asked, I had a pretty good idea who gave it to her and why.
In response to my question, Han Yoo-jung nodded toward the Association President.
Well, that figures.
As I ran my hand down my face, Han Yoo-jung played a recording on her phone.
The voices of the Association President and Han Yoo-jung.
"Actually, three weeks ago, the Association President ordered your assassination, Mister."
Han Yoo-jung revealed the truth to me.
To suppress the killing intent of her Heavenly Killing Star ability, she'd allied with the Association President as a stopgap measure.
He'd been ordering her to assassinate criminals.
"What a load of crap."
Just looking at the haphazardly fabricated criminal record pinned on me made it obvious who she'd been killing on commission.
Probably the Association President's political enemies.
Whether they were actually criminals didn't matter.
They'd just slapped on some generic labels like they did to me.
"...I figured as much."
Han Yoo-jung replied with a face tinged with guilt.
She'd suspected it all along, which was why she'd gathered and kept this evidence instead of destroying it.
There were no words of comfort I could offer.
But there was something else I could do for Han Yoo-jung.
"Association President."
"......"
The Association President, who had been glaring rottenly at Lee Ji-ah, finally turned his gaze to me.
"You're in political hot water, right? You'll face backlash once this incident wraps up."
The Association President would self-destruct even if left alone.
He'd hit rock bottom. But rock bottom wasn't the end.
If the fabricated charges against Lee Ji-ah were like an anti-aircraft missile, the Han Yoo-jung issue was a nuclear bomb for him.
I couldn't imagine that stubborn old man letting it slide quietly.
Riiip! Riiiip!
So I tore the documents to shreds right in front of him. Han Yoo-jung yelped in surprise.
"What are you doing!?"
"Yoo-jung-ah, your phone."
"Mister!"
After a staring contest, Han Yoo-jung roughly tossed her phone into my hand.
I erased all the recordings and showed it to the Association President.
"Association President, the Lee Ji-ah matter is out of our hands now, so nothing to be done there. But with Han Yoo-jung, there's no evidence left."
"......"
"If you want to pick a fight and go down swinging, fine. But don't go stirring up trouble unnecessarily. Got it?"
The Association President nodded faintly.
The documents Han Yoo-jung handed over were a double-edged sword. He was done for anyway. No need to take extra risks.
Lee Ji-ah's statements were wrapping up.
"───With no evidence at all, why am I, a single raid member, being held solely responsible while the Association President, Guild Masters, and Raid Leader all get a pass?"
The committee members couldn't attack Lee Ji-ah anymore. The hearing dragged on sluggishly.
It was a hearing meant to lynch Lee Ji-ah from the start.
They hadn't properly prepared questions for the other witnesses.
Did that happen? Why did you do that?
Predictable questions, predictable answers.
The hearing ended successfully.
I'd told Han Yoo-jung to wait in the car ahead of time, then approached Lee Ji-ah as she descended from the podium.
Maybe because she wasn't used to being in front of crowds.
Lee Ji-ah looked utterly exhausted at a glance.
"Ji-ah-ssi!"
Her ears perked up, and she quickly spotted me.
Her face bloomed like a flower in full spring.
"Hyun-woo-ssi!"
Lee Ji-ah came running over, waving her hands wildly.
She wouldn't trip, would she?
The rushing Lee Ji-ah boasted in an excited voice.
"Did you see? Did you see me?"
"You did great."
"Right?"
"Must be because of the encouragement I gave you..."
Oh, damn.
I clamped my mouth shut with my hand mid-straight-man response.
Lee Ji-ah seemed to recall it too and clamped her mouth shut.
After the silence, I spoke.
"...Let's go."
"Yep."
We walked down the hallway together. Maybe because we'd seen each other's worst sides during training. An unspoken agreement formed quickly: don't mention this.
"Hunter Lee Ji-ah! Interview, please!"
As we headed out, reporters swarmed like bees upon spotting Lee Ji-ah.
"Hyun-woo-ssi, go ahead to the car. I'll wrap this up quick."
"Don't blow the landing. You know that, right?"
One slip-up in an interview, and the articles would flood in uncontrollably. Anyone in Korea knew that.
"Don't worry."
Lee Ji-ah flashed a bright smile and shook it off. I got in the car first without protest. Han Yoo-jung, in the passenger seat, immediately asked.
"Business done?"
"Yeah."
"You got all the permissions?"
Oh, right.
Come to think of it, I hadn't mentioned Han Yoo-jung to Lee Ji-ah.
Han Yoo-jung wanted to stay at Lee Ji-ah's place because of her Heavenly Killing Star.
She seemed to struggle controlling her killing intent on her own.
"I'll explain when she comes."
If I said a knife was at my throat and I had no choice, what would Lee Ji-ah's personality let slide?
Light footsteps approached from nearby.
Even a cheerful hum drifted over, like she was in high spirits.
Lee Ji-ah, fresh from the interview.
"Hyun-woo-ssi, our hearing wrapped up well, so before heading home, how about a movie and dinner at a restaurant...?"
Lee Ji-ah smiled as she flung open the passenger door. Her smiling face froze solid. Han Yoo-jung raised a hand in greeting.
"Hi."
No reply came.
Lee Ji-ah tilted her head at Han Yoo-jung in the passenger seat, utterly baffled.
"What...?"
She muttered to herself, then turned to me.
"Hyun-woo-ssi?"
"Yes?"
"Who is she...?"
Damn, why is it so hot today? Sweat suddenly poured down.
"Uh, um... Actually..."
I flailed my hands and feet, mumbling incoherently to explain to Lee Ji-ah. I could see her face cooling in real time.
"This kid has Heavenly Killing Star..."
"That's right."
"The Association President sent an assassin to kill you..."
"Yes, yes."
"And she's sticking by your side in exchange for saving you?"
I nodded frantically. Lee Ji-ah brushed her hair behind her ear with her fingers. She awkwardly curled the corner of her mouth.
"I get the situation, but... kiddo, could you move to the back seat for now? I need to talk work with Hyun-woo-ssi."
At "kiddo," Han Yoo-jung's eyebrow twitched.
"No thanks, lady."
Han Yoo-jung replied indifferently, eyes fixed on her phone. Lee Ji-ah's curled smile stiffened.
"Lady...?"
"You're 26, right?"
"......Yeah."
"So, lady it is."
Lee Ji-ah's expression turned dangerous. I shouted in panic.
"J-Ji-ah-ssi!"
"......"
"I'm 26 too! Yoo-jung calls me 'Mister.' It's just the age gap. Uncle, auntie, soldier mister. You get it?"
Lee Ji-ah barely nodded her creaking head.
BAM!!!!!
Lee Ji-ah slammed the passenger door shut and climbed into the back. She crossed her arms, turned her head, and stared out the window at the scenery.
"Ahem. L-Let's head home first."
I turned the key, and the warning chime blared.
"Ji-ah-ssi?"
"......"
No response.
I cleared my throat repeatedly and cautiously said.
"Uh, your seatbelt..."
Tsk. Lee Ji-ah clicked her tongue shortly.
"......I'm an S-rank hunter."
True, if the car exploded, she'd be fine, but not me.
"Yoo-jung-ah?"
"Not a hunter, but I'm S-rank too."
Got it.
Just me in danger, then.
I buckled up tight and hit the accelerator.
"W-We’re off. Haha..."