Operation: Subduing the Explosive Continental Beauty (2)

—Pang!

After safely making contact with Firecracker, Chae-ryeong grabbed her arm tightly and led her into a secluded corner of the airport. She clapped her hands once and swapped places with her clone.

"Eek?!"

The vehicle was far larger than an ordinary taxi that could seat four or five people at most. This was a spacious van taxi that could easily fit around eight passengers.

Normally one had to reserve them in advance when using the airport, but it was said that you could occasionally get lucky and catch a large taxi whose reservation had just been canceled.

"I-It’s not a regular car… it’s a van…!"

Firecracker looked around the surprisingly luxurious and comfortable interior with curious eyes. For some reason, Ji-woo and Si-yoon, who had supposedly gotten in first, were nowhere to be seen.

"Yes. I called ahead and asked the driver to wait for us."

Firecracker sat very obediently on the seat and waited for the vehicle to depart.

"Alright! Shall we go?"

"Yes! Departing now!"

The taxi driver cheerfully started the engine at Chae-ryeong’s request. Most taxi drivers were middle-aged men or elderly gentlemen, but the voice that answered just now clearly belonged to a young girl.

‘W-What…? Is the driver a young woman…?’

Firecracker stretched her neck toward the driver’s seat, as if doubting the driver’s identity.

‘W-Well… these days, young women do… this kind of work too…’

She was simply surprised to see a female taxi driver, which was uncommon. Without removing her gloves or rolling up her sleeves, the extremely timid girl seemed too scared to even ask.

—Vroooom!

"There is a speed camera 200 meters ahead."

The van quickly accelerated with a powerful engine roar, and the cheerful navigation voice announced the upcoming route.

‘Ji-woo can… drive too?’

The one gripping the steering wheel and driving down the road was none other than Ji-woo. The reason the driver’s voice had sounded like a young girl’s was because she was genuinely the one operating the vehicle.

‘That aside… where is Master? Is he hiding somewhere…?’

Chae-ryeong tried to carefully locate the hidden Si-yoon, but she couldn’t turn her head because Firecracker was watching her too closely.

‘Master said his ability only works when he directly touches bare skin with his hand. That means… he must be within reach of Rui-lin’s body, right?’

Just as Chae-ryeong had guessed, Si-yoon was crouched behind Rui-lin’s seat.

‘I… can’t breathe.’

More precisely, he was squatting behind the seat Rui-lin occupied, covered by a black cloth, barely peeking at the rearview mirror while waiting for the right moment.

Firecracker’s ability was the most dangerous “bombification” he had encountered so far. She could turn anything her hands touched into a bomb, so it was crucial to seal her ability before she even realized what was happening.

Si-yoon, fully aware of this, waited even more cautiously for his chance.

‘I need to signal Chae-ryeong somehow… Ah!’

While holding his breath and thinking hard, Si-yoon suddenly remembered what to do. He quietly began manipulating the Corruption System from beneath the cloth.

‘If I can’t move… I can just control Chae-ryeong however I want.’

If Chae-ryeong didn’t know how to move, he could simply control her himself. Even after becoming a slave, it was always possible to freely manipulate both body and mind.

‘W-What…? My body is moving on its own…?’

Chae-ryeong turned her head in confusion as her hands began moving against her will, but the hands Si-yoon was controlling paid no attention and continued their motion.

‘Don’t tell me… Master…?’

Thanks to the connection through the Slave Brand, Chae-ryeong quickly realized it was Si-yoon’s ability and accepted the control without resistance.

Chae-ryeong’s hand naturally took hold of Firecracker’s arm. Following the movement, she began speaking to her.

"I noticed earlier that you weren’t wearing your gloves… Is that okay?"

Back at the café a few minutes ago, Firecracker had been sipping coffee with her bare hands instead of the gloves she usually wore.

"A-Ah…! T-That’s… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it’s fine…! U-Um… if I c-can’t eat… I get hungry and lose all my strength…"

—Gurgle…

‘She had that kind of restriction…?’

Chae-ryeong learned an unexpected fact about Firecracker’s ability that even she hadn’t known. If she didn’t consume enough energy through meals, her “bombification” ability became difficult to use.

Combined with the sudden gurgling sound echoing inside the vehicle, it meant Firecracker hadn’t had a proper meal in quite a long time.

"You haven’t eaten properly until now? Then how did you manage the coffee…?"

Still holding Chae-ryeong’s hand with her right hand, Firecracker reached into her skirt pocket with her left and pulled something out to show her.

"T-This is…?"

What Firecracker showed her was none other than a coupon from the café brand they had just visited. It was a stamp card that gave you one free americano or café latte after purchasing five drinks.

"I-I spent all my money on the taxi to the airport… and then I found this… in front of the café…! Hehe…"

She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had apparently spent every last cent on the taxi fare to the airport and, while starving, happened to pick up a coffee coupon with five stamps already on it.

Unlike Chae-ryeong, who at least carried a few ten-thousand-won bills to save money, Firecracker had blown everything on a single taxi ride.

‘Now!’

While Firecracker was showing the coupon with a gloomy expression, her hand—guided by Chae-ryeong—slipped out of her sleeve and entered Si-yoon’s line of sight.

—Rustle…

The moment Si-yoon’s hand carefully emerged from beneath the cloth and touched Firecracker’s hand, Chae-ryeong discreetly placed several ten-thousand-won bills into her palm.

"I don’t have much money left either, but… just in case, please take this."

"T-Thank you…! A-As expected… you’re Tricker-nim…!"

She must have felt the unfamiliar sensation of Si-yoon’s hand instead of Chae-ryeong’s soft one, but thanks to the bills being placed at the same time, she didn’t notice and simply stared at the money in a daze.

‘Did it work…?’

‘Nice…!’

The Corruption System displayed Firecracker’s Slave Brand status, confirming she had been successfully affected by Si-yoon’s ability.

‘I was worried it wouldn’t work since it was only a light touch… Thank goodness.’

Si-yoon had only barely brushed the back of Firecracker’s hand, so he had been concerned the brand might not take hold.

‘For now… I’ll just put her to sleep until we reach the hideout.’

‘Her real name is Rui-lin…? She must be Chinese.’

Surprised by Firecracker’s real name “Hong Rui-lin,” Si-yoon nullified her ability and applied body control at the same time.

"T-Tricker… nim… I… suddenly feel sleepy…"

Perhaps because Si-yoon had forced her into sleep through body control, Rui-lin began nodding off and soon leaned against Chae-ryeong’s shoulder, falling asleep.

"Zzz…"

"She fell asleep so suddenly…?"

Chae-ryeong looked bewildered at Rui-lin, who had passed out as if she had taken sleeping pills.

"Unless you pour cold water on her and shake her hard, she’ll probably sleep for more than six hours."

From behind Rui-lin’s seat, where she had been sleeping so soundly that anyone could have carried her away, Si-yoon finally let out a long breath and removed the black cloth before sitting properly on the seat.

"As expected of Master… you were behind us all along!"

Seeing Si-yoon, whom she had only vaguely sensed through the Slave Brand, Chae-ryeong’s cat ears popped up and twitched excitedly.

"Things went smoother than expected, so Do-hwa doesn’t need to come… Should I still contact her?"

"It’s fine! I already contacted her again."

The mission had ended much faster and easier than Si-yoon anticipated. Fortunately, Ji-woo had already ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠informed Do-hwa in advance.

"By the way, Ji-woo, you can drive? I was surprised when you said you’d drive earlier."

"Nyaah! I was surprised too. I never thought Ji-woo would drive!"

Both Chae-ryeong and Si-yoon wore expressions of disbelief, as if they couldn’t imagine Ji-woo driving.

"W-Well… I do have a driver’s license. It’s just been over two years since I last drove."

Ji-woo’s sulky face was reflected in the rearview mirror. Si-yoon and Chae-ryeong both gave her a thumbs-up in praise.

Thus, the tense and secretive operation to subdue the explosive continental beauty came to an end, and the vehicle carrying Si-yoon and his women headed back toward the hideout.

***

After arriving at the hideout some time later, “Firecracker” Hong Rui-lin was fast asleep in Chae-ryeong’s room.

"Hnnngh… Ugh…"

She had continued sleeping due to Si-yoon’s body control even after sunset. Only now did she seem to be waking up, tossing and turning restlessly.

"Something feels… off…"

Feeling different from her usual self after waking up, Rui-lin lifted her head with a drowsy, annoyed voice.

"W-What…?! W-Why are my clothes…?!"

The reason even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the timid Rui-lin had unconsciously complained was because something felt strangely off. She was only covered by a blanket on the bed, with all her clothes removed and wearing nothing but her underwear.