Chapter 171
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: In Front of the House.
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“Hyung! Over here!”
His younger brother, who had been waiting in the alley, spotted Ryu Min and waved happily.
“You made it? Ryu Min?”
Yamtti winked at him behind his brother’s back, but Ryu Min just clicked his tongue inwardly and turned his head.
“You okay? Won-ah? Not hurt anywhere?”
“I got slapped on the cheek a bit, but it’s fine.”
“Doesn’t look like just a bit. Come here.”
When Ryu Min placed his hand on the reddened cheek, a warm light flowed out.
“Huh? It doesn’t hurt anymore. What’d you do?”
“Simple healing skill.”
“Whoa, no need for a hospital? Works great.”
“Let’s head home now.”
“Hyung.”
Ryu Min turned at his brother’s call as he started to move.
“What?”
“Why aren’t you saying anything to me? Like, ‘I told you so,’ or ‘If you’d stayed home, this wouldn’t have happened,’ or ‘Now you see how dangerous players are?’ You could chew me out.”
“I already know you know that.”
“What?”
“You felt it too, right? Why it’s dangerous out there. How scary players are.”
Ryu Won nodded quietly.
He’d felt it clearly this time.
The world was still too dangerous to roam freely.
“That’s why I’m not saying anything more. It’d just be nagging.”
“…….”
“I’m satisfied as long as you’re safe. If something had happened to you…….”
Ryu Min turned away, as if he didn’t even want to think about it.
He swallowed the rest in his heart.
“Let’s go. Home.”
“Yeah.”
As Ryu Won followed, he glanced at Yamtti.
She just nodded toward the front, as if saying go ahead.
“Hyung, why isn’t Yamtti coming with?”
“Her place is the other way. She’ll head back on her own.”
“Yeah, young master…… no, Ryu Won. You go on ahead.”
Yamtti waved, but Ryu Won kept glancing back at her.
“Hyung. Can’t we invite Yamtti to our house?”
“Why?”
“Well, she saved my life, same as you. We can’t just part ways after she helped. It feels right to repay her somehow…….”
True, Yamtti had directly saved Ryu Won.
It made sense he’d want to treat his lifesaver.
“But we don’t have much to offer at home.”
“I can cook. I’ve been practicing lately with all this free time, watching YouTube. Got all the ingredients stocked up too.”
“You’ll cook dinner yourself?”
“Yeah. Yamtti, what do you think? Want to have dinner at our place? I’m not great, but I can manage.”
“Oh…… really?”
She was touched, but Yamtti rolled her eyes toward Ryu Min, gauging his reaction.
She desperately wanted to go, but it depended on the master’s permission.
Ryu Min let out a secret sigh and spoke dryly.
“Fine. Yamtti, my brother wants you to. Stay for dinner at our place?”
Her face lit up at the approval.
“Sounds good!”
* * *
Beep beep beep—click.
Seo Ah-rin returned home with a sigh and collapsed onto the sofa.
Her mind was a mess.
It was because of a face she’d tried hard to forget.
‘Hwang Yong-min. Never thought I’d see that bastard there…….’
The last time she’d seen him was in Round 4 of death.
She hadn’t seen or even thought of him since.
She’d wanted to forget.
She’d been afraid to remember.
Yet she never imagined running into him in real life by chance.
‘His face was identical to his otherworld self, just with a different build.’
Short as it was, it was a bad connection.
From the look on his face, he’d recognized her too.
‘Well, my appearance is the same in the otherworld and here…….’
She’d recently shot a PSA for the CPF unit, and as a celebrity, there was no way he wouldn’t know her.
‘What’s he doing at the Reaper Church? Didn’t Black Scythe beat him badly back then?’
Badly beaten? That was an understatement.
Hwang Yong-min had lost both arms and suffered ongoing torment after.
Of course, Seo Ah-rin had no idea about the torment.
‘That thug wouldn’t show up at the Reaper Church for anything good. He must be there for revenge on Black Scythe.’
He’d poked around looking for Black Scythe, gotten into a fight with some guy he had a grudge against, and fled when people started staring.
That’s how it had to be.
‘I can’t let him cause trouble for Black Scythe. I have to eliminate him.’
Surprising he’d survived to Round 10, but the point was he could be an obstacle ahead.
‘I have to kill him.’
Sure, Black Scythe had spared him, but thinking ahead, killing him was better.
She was confident.
‘I’m a completely different person from back then.’
After being betrayed by colleagues she trusted, after Black Scythe advised her not to trust anyone, Seo Ah-rin had been reborn.
She wouldn’t be victimized anymore.
She’d strike first.
Lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling with those thoughts, a face suddenly appeared.
It was Ahn Sang-chul.
“Eek! You scared me!”
“Surprised?”
“Of course! Who wouldn’t be?”
Irritated, Seo Ah-rin sat up.
She’d thought the place was empty since it was quiet, but he’d let himself in.
“Didn’t you notice I was here? You could’ve seen my shoes.”
“Didn’t have time to check.”
“Why? Something happen?”
At Ahn Sang-chul’s question, Seo Ah-rin hesitated.
‘Can I trust the bodyguard?’
Ever since Black Scythe’s advice, she’d grown wary.
‘CEO Ma would abandon me anytime. The bodyguard’s his right-hand man, so no need to mention.’
Ma Kyung-rok and Ahn Sang-chul were a package deal.
Neither could be trusted.
“Why the hesitation? What’s going on?”
“…….”
She didn’t want to share info, but Seo Ah-rin decided to speak.
He’d been through life-and-death with her, after all.
“Remember Hwang Yong-min?”
“Hwang Yong-min…… the guy from Round 2 who chased us in the forest?”
“Yeah. Ran into him by chance today.”
“That punk’s still alive?”
They hadn’t seen him during missions and hadn’t paid attention, so Ahn Sang-chul hadn’t known either.
“He is.”
“Tough bastard. Thought he’d drop out before Round 10.”
“His scummy personality’s the same as ever. He beat a disabled guy half to death.”
“…….”
Ahn Sang-chul looked shocked, but not at the act—it was her eyes.
‘What’s this? Killing intent?’
Her pretty face contrasted with the chill in her gaze.
“We have to kill him.”
“…….”
“Leaving him alive will just cause trouble. We need to kill Hwang Yong-min.”
Ahn Sang-chul just blinked in surprise at her cold words.
‘Is this really the Seo Ah-rin I knew?’
Back in Round 2, she’d asked if they really had to kill.
She’d nearly been raped, yet worried about the attacker’s life like a saint.
‘And now this change?’
They’d been through a lot, but this was the first time she’d changed so visibly.
‘Something must’ve triggered it.’
The betrayal by the actors was known only to Black Scythe and her.
No wonder Ahn Sang-chul was puzzled.
“Fine. Killing him like you say would be clean.”
“Right?”
“But Black Scythe spared him back then. Prophet nailed it down—no more pursuing Hwang Yong-min.”
“The Prophet……?”
Seo Ah-rin asked, puzzled.
“What’s the reason?”
“Told the CEO touching him would bring big trouble.”
“That all?”
“Yeah. Said he couldn’t reveal details.”
“…….”
News even to Seo Ah-rin.
‘Why would the Prophet protect Hwang Yong-min?’
Puzzling, but nothing to be done.
‘If the Prophet said so, there must be a reason. Have to drop it.’
Seo Ah-rin decided to abandon revenge.
“No choice. Hope he doesn’t cause issues ahead.”
“Don’t worry. He’s survived on luck so far, but punks like that don’t last.”
“I’m more worried he’ll go after Black Scythe for revenge and cause harm.”
‘Well, well?’
Ahn Sang-chul shot her a look.
He’d sensed her fondness for Black Scythe, but not that she’d worry so openly.
A strange jealousy rose, but he smiled coolly.
“You know what’s the most pointless worry in the world? Worrying about Black Scythe.”
“Bodyguard. Can’t I worry if I want? Black Scythe is human. He can be in danger anytime.”
“…….”
Her fierce reaction to his joke left Ahn Sang-chul speechless for a moment.
Then Seo Ah-rin stared into space, tilting her head.
Seemed like she was checking a message.
“What’s up, Ah-rin?”
“I searched for Hwang Yong-min to track him, just in case, and it’s weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Says the person doesn’t exist.”
“What?”
Tracking worked in reality too if you knew face and name.
No reason it shouldn’t if conditions were met.
“You sure it was Hwang Yong-min?”
“Of course.”
“No mistake?”
“As if. Do I seem that forgetful? It was definitely him.”
“Then maybe it’s not his real name?”
“If it’s an alias, it should say face and name don’t match. But it says the person doesn’t exist at all…….”
“Hmm. Yeah, that’s odd.”
Even Ahn Sang-chul agreed it was strange.
“Hold on. Let me try someone else.”
Just to be sure, Seo Ah-rin searched Hong Sun-ah.
Then she realized.
[The person does not exist.]
“Ah.”
The message wasn’t lying.
“What’s wrong, Ah-rin?”
“Tried tracking a dead person’s name, just in case. Says doesn’t exist.”
“Really? So Hwang Yong-min’s already dead.”
“Uh……? Y-yeah.”
“Then who did you see? A ghost?”
“…….”
A chill ran through Seo Ah-rin, silencing her.
‘What…… what did I see?’
Ghost? Goosebumps prickled her arms.
“L-let me try someone else. M-might be a glitch.”
System glitch? Absurd, but she had to say it or admit she’d seen a ghost.
‘Who to search? Ah, the Prophet.’
Seo Ah-rin pictured Ryu Min’s face and spoke his name.
[Face and name match. Tracking target’s location.]
[Located ‘Ryu Min.’]
[Currently 125m away.]
[Follow the arrow ahead to track the target.]
“Tried the Prophet. It tracks. He’s pretty close.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Distance dropping. He’s heading home.”
“Then why not ask the Prophet? If Hwang Yong-min’s really dead?”
“Would he know?”
“He’s the one who said not to touch him, so maybe he knows if he’s alive.”
“Good idea.”
They headed out and down the stairs.
Waiting by Ryu Min’s door, he’d arrive soon.
Ding—
Elevator doors opened, and as expected, there was Ryu Min.
“Hello, Ryu Min.”
“Hm? Actress Seo? Manager Ahn?”
Ryu Won was there too.
But a woman neither recognized was with them.
Seo Ah-rin narrowed her eyes at Yamtti.
‘She looks familiar…… where from?’
Pondering, she remembered.
“Y-you’re…….”
The woman said to be Black Scythe’s real-life acquaintance.