The Shocking Truth
“Why are you here, unnie?”
Kim Seol-bi walked toward us instead of answering. She hooked her arm through mine and said, “I have something to tell you. Let’s finish the settlement first and go together.”
Jo A-young’s eyes widened. It wasn’t because Kim Seol-bi had something to say to her. It was the arm-in-arm part.
“Are you two... some kind of...?”
“If you’re curious, follow us.”
Kim Eun-bi moved quickly. She went up to the management office window and said, “Settle up, please. We’re busy people, so make it quick even if it’s rough.”
“Y-yes, right away...!”
The staff looked utterly confused. He knew who Kim Seol-bi was, of course. And seeing her all dressed up so beautifully, his face was completely entranced.
“What are you staring at? I said hurry up.”
At Kim Eun-bi’s words, he snapped his gaze away. “Yes!”
His last look was at me, his face screaming envy—like, who the hell is this guy with three beauties hanging off him?
Well, that’s how it is.
I’d been in the exact same boat as that staffer not long ago. Life really is unpredictable.
After finishing the settlement, we each got into our cars. Kim Seol-bi kept her arm linked with mine the whole way, so I couldn’t take the car we’d arrived in. I ended up in the passenger seat of hers.
The car we’d come in was driven by Kim Eun-bi—she had a license but said she wasn’t confident driving, though with such a luxury model, other cars would probably just get out of the way on their own.
Jo A-young got into her own car. She’d been full of energy since we met, but now she suddenly looked down, maybe even a little angry. Was she feeling betrayed by me? It was an incredibly awkward situation.
“How’d it go, Sung-gi?”
Kim Seol-bi asked me as she drove, staring straight ahead. She didn’t look too happy herself.
“Just as expected. A-young too...”
“I see. Good.”
Even saying “good,” a cold wind blew from Kim Seol-bi.
I’m the sinner here.
Best to stay quiet in times like this. Would there ever come a day when all the women were as cool about it as Kang A-jin?
At one point along the road, Kang A-jin was waiting. She’d parked her car on the shoulder and was leaning against it. Dressed in black, she had that cute face, but her aura was no joke. She didn’t look like an ordinary person at all.
Our three cars pulled over, and Kang A-jin got into hers. A warp zone snapped open in front of her.
How would Jo A-young take all this? She was in her own car alone, so there was no way to check.
A meal was already laid out at Kang A-jin’s house. I’d seen her cook before. All she did was visualize the dish in her head and give precise instructions. The targets were the utensils, ingredients, bowls—whatever.
Anyway, the finished dishes filled the table. They smelled amazing and would surely taste just as good—Kang A-jin followed recipes to the letter—but no one looked happy about it.
A cold air hung around the table. Even after yesterday’s agreement, no woman could easily accept another one joining the fold. Hearing about it and seeing it were different things.
“I’m starving—perfect timing! Thanks, unnie!”
Only Kim Eun-bi spoke brightly and picked up her utensils.
“You must be hungry. Eat plenty.”
Even with Kang A-jin’s encouragement, Jo A-young just sat there.
“Who are you?”
Kang A-jin was still a veiled figure to most people. Even knowing she was Jo Dong-geun’s sister didn’t mean Jo A-young knew about her.
“I’m Kang A-jin, a sorceress. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so feel free to speak casually. You’re the same age as Eun-bi, right?”
“No, that’s not... ”
Jo A-young twisted her face.
“Why am I here? What exactly do you want to tell me...?”
Her gaze turned to me, her face on the verge of tears, stirring guilt in me.
Kim Seol-bi sat right next to me. Of course I felt guilty. I was the sinner.
Jo A-young had followed us quietly into this bizarre situation purely because of me. I was relieved she hadn’t contacted her brother. Though, for a normal sister, consulting a real brother about guy problems wouldn’t even cross her mind.
“It’s heavy stuff, so let’s eat first. Bad for digestion if you’re uncomfortable, right?”
At Kang A-jin’s words, Jo A-young slowly looked around the table at everyone. Kim Seol-bi and Kang A-jin started eating. I picked up my utensils to match the mood as best I could. I really was starving.
With the situation like this, Jo A-young finally began eating too. In the heavy atmosphere, the delicious food steadily filled our stomachs. Focused only on eating, the meal didn’t drag on.
Once done, the dishes floated up on their own, dumped scraps, and slid into the dishwasher. A fragrant aroma rose as coffee brewed. Cups settled in front of each of us.
“I don’t like black coffee.”
Milk flew over to Kim Eun-bi’s complaining voice and poured into her cup, with a bit of syrup added.
“How about the rest of you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Me too.”
Jo A-young said nothing. She’d adapted somewhat to the mood and couldn’t show her emotions easily anymore. With an ambiguous expression, she said, “Tell me. What’s this heavy story?”
“Hm...”
Kang A-jin sipped her coffee and let out a deep sigh.
“It might be shocking. But we can’t move forward without you knowing the truth.”
With that declaration, she pulled out a talisman. As it fluttered, an image burst forth like a projector beam. A holographic projection unfolded in the center of the table, right in the middle of us all seated around it.
“This is...!”
Jo A-young’s eyes widened.
An older foreign couple appeared in the projection. They had a gentle vibe, affectionate with each other—like a kind, upstanding elderly couple.
“Mom... Dad...”
Tears streamed down Jo A-young’s face as she saw them.
So that’s it.
I realized what Kang A-jin was showing her. What surprised me was that Kang A-jin had this footage in talisman form. She couldn’t have seen it herself. Probably recreated from someone’s memory.
Whose? It became clear soon enough.
A shadow followed the couple into the house. They recoiled in shock. The conversation was in a foreign language, but from the mood, they already knew the man.
“Shut up and stay quiet.”
The man said. His massive build exuded overwhelming presence from the back alone. He didn’t feel like an ordinary person. No average hunter either.
“Oppa...?”
Jo A-young covered her mouth.
“No... It can’t be...”
The footage continued.
What followed was simple. And tragic.
“Should’ve just gone quietly.”
Jo Dong-geun killed the terrified couple. Without lifting a finger, he paralyzed them completely. Crunch! The ceiling collapsed, swallowing them. The house crumbled, flames roaring up. Neither rubble nor fire touched the man. It was uncanny, miraculous. Even for a hunter, was this possible?
The man turned. A handsome, masculine face. One side of his lips curled up. Thinking of his crime, it was the face of a devil.
The scene shifted. The same man appeared again, this time with Jo A-young. He hugged the sobbing her, consoling her with fake words. But out of her sight, he smirked in satisfaction.
“No way... How could this...”
Tears poured down Jo A-young’s face. She shot to her feet, screaming.
“It’s a lie! Why would you do this to me?!”
Seeing her natural reaction, Kang A-jin said, “It’s not a lie. You know it too. It all happened. You just didn’t know how your adoptive parents died.”
“No... Impossible... This is a lie...”
Mumbling and staggering, Jo A-young suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed. Kang A-jin used sorcery to control her body, preventing it from hitting the floor. It floated up and drifted to the side.
The bedroom door opened, and her body went inside. Kang A-jin stopped the projection with a deep sigh.