Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Kim Hyun Treaty (2)
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Thud thud.
President Han Sung-ho, who had slipped into Kim Hyun's apartment while avoiding prying eyes as much as possible, swallowed hard.
'This is the place.'
The president stared at the door in front of him.
An utterly ordinary iron apartment door.
But beyond it lived a demon who had killed three government ministers just for displeasing her.
The president rolled his eyes as he thought.
'Surely she won't harm me the moment I step in?'
Who could say.
Being the president of South Korea meant nothing to the demon beyond that door.
This very treaty was proof—instead of summoning Kim Hyun to the president's presence, he had come to her.
She hadn't demanded it outright, but these things had to be handled with deference.
"Hoo."
As President Han Sung-ho let out a sigh, his security detail looked at him with pity.
'Please, just let him leave here alive.'
With that thought, President Han Sung-ho opened the door and stepped inside.
There sat Kim Hyun on the sofa, dressed in casual training wear.
Judging by appearances alone, no one would guess she was anything but stunningly beautiful.
She could debut in entertainment tomorrow without batting an eye. Her slightly sharp eyes might be a minor flaw, but her otherworldly looks turned even that into charm.
President Han Sung-ho, momentarily entranced by her face, quickly snapped to attention and bowed his head deeply.
"Hello, Ms. Kim Hyun."
Kim Hyun glanced over at him, then asked Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk.
"Is that the president?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Only then did Kim Hyun slowly rise.
President Han Sung-ho watched her stand, frozen, as a crushing pressure bore down on his chest.
'W-what is this?'
His heart shrank, breath caught—a sensation like facing a savage predator. Move even slightly, and she'd rip his throat out.
'This is a National Power-level Hunter...!'
President Han Sung-ho's pupils quaked.
Cross the line, and death.
One misstep, and slaughtered.
That was the aura radiating from Kim Hyun.
Naturally, President Han Sung-ho's legs began to tremble.
He shuffled inside, shaking uncontrollably.
Then, bowing at a perfect ninety degrees, he thrust the treaty forward and bellowed, steeling his gut.
"Please sign it!"
The president left.
"He looked pretty rough."
"...Haha."
Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk gave an awkward laugh at my question.
I left him behind and skimmed the treaty with a flick. Nothing special—tax exemptions, immunity privileges, and so on. Just a bunch of fancy-sounding clauses.
"Doesn't really change anything whether I have it or not."
I muttered as I tossed the treaty onto the sofa.
"Still, legal and illegal are different."
"Yeah, if you say so."
I shrugged and sank back into the sofa.
"But why the sudden attitude shift?"
Wasn't it 'no way in hell' at first?
Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk eyed me hesitantly.
"...Well, if there's a reason."
He nodded toward the TV.
"Probably that."
The TV was running a news segment on the political blame game over the Gangwon Incident. Impeachment talks suggested the president was in a bind.
'No wonder he was staggering in here.'
Lee Min-hyuk spoke slowly.
"He's already taking heat from this mess, so maybe he wants to parade you out front and flip public opinion. A National Power-level Hunter is pure national pride material. It could definitely distract everyone."
"Makes sense. But is it okay for you to say that? Aren't civil servants supposed to stay politically neutral or something?"
"Eh... this much is fine."
Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk shrugged indifferently.
I nodded.
That's when Agent Chae Seol-ah entered the room.
"I got ice cream!"
"Nice, good job."
We popped the ice cream she'd bought into our mouths and watched the TV news.
After a bit,
a sudden question made me turn to Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk.
"Why no news blasting Siberia or East Russia?"
Wasn't it common knowledge they were behind the Gangwon mess?
No embargo or anything, right?
At my question, Lee Min-hyuk grimaced bitterly.
"No point poking the crazies."
"Crazies?"
"East Russia has nukes. They've even used one before."
"Oh."
"They seized all Russia's nuclear sites in Siberia, so they've got a huge stockpile. And they'll fire if they feel like it—total lunatics. No one wants to prod them."
"Fair enough."
I nodded.
Then curiosity struck.
"Where'd they shoot the nuke?"
"China. Dropped it on the border as a threat, but it nearly sparked nuclear war."
"China put up with that?"
"They didn't!"
Chae Seol-ah jumped in, shouting.
She started to explain but accidentally dropped her ice cream.
"Ahh...!"
With Chae Seol-ah staring in dismay, Lee Min-hyuk finished up.
"China hit back. No detonation, though."
"Why?"
"East Russia's National Power-level Hunter hijacked the incoming nuke with magic."
"Ah, got it."
The one who slapped that gold band on the research team leader's head.
Definitely knew magic.
Hard to judge with only Chae Seol-ah as a comparison on Earth, but by my standards, it was seriously impressive.
'With skills like that, snagging a missile's no big deal.'
A nuke missile's just a flying projectile at the end of the day.
"Makes sense."
I shrugged, and Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk stood.
"I'll head out then, Ms. Kim Hyun."
"Sure."
"Take good care of her, Agent Chae."
"...Yes, sir!"
And with that, Team Leader Lee Min-hyuk was gone.
Just Chae Seol-ah and me left in the room.
"Bored."
Chae Seol-ah fidgeted, then asked.
The Manual must've sniffed out some desire even I didn't know about.
"H-how about... shopping?"
"Shopping?"
I tilted my head.
"Yes! Check out real estate, furniture, that sort of thing."
"Real estate out of nowhere?"
She glanced around the place.
"Well, you can't stay here forever, right? Rental period ends, and you gotta vacate."
"True."
It was just a temporary loaner spot.
"So, like house-hunting for the next place?"
"Hmm."
That piqued my interest a bit.
"Alright... why not?"
And so we headed to a department store in Seoul.
No luck with real estate offices—weekend closed.
I decided to impart some wisdom to Chae Seol-ah.
"No matter what you buy, always get it at a department store."
"Huh? Why?"
"...Because department store stuff is the best?"
"Is it...?"
Even after my truth bomb, she tilted her head. Everyone knows department store goods are premium quality common sense.
Of course.
Why else would they charge so much?
Apgujeong Daehyeon Department Store.
Hwang Yu-hyun, infamous troublemaker of the Seosung family, had finally slipped away from his sister's iron grip for some fresh air.
Of course, with the Seosung vice president as his sister, word of his whereabouts would reach her soon enough. Still, if he played it smart, he could snag a few days of freedom.
"How'd you manage to sneak out?"
"Don't ask. Whew."
The friend he'd escaped to meet was Jeong Jin-woo of Daehyeon Group, in a similar boat. The pair were notorious chaebol heirs who stirred up trouble together.
Hwang Yu-hyun thought his reputation was unfairly harsh.
Drugs? Nah. Assault? Nope. Power trips? Never.
Just a guy who liked a good time—why the thug label? Even his sister was going too far.
"Call the others?"
"Nah, we'd just get called thugs again. Let's hit a club, just us."
Hwang Yu-hyun scanned the luxury section of the department store.
"Looking for something?"
"Nah, just..."
Right then.
Two women entered from the far entrance. Hwang Yu-hyun froze at the sight.
'That woman...?'
The girl from the photo his sister had drilled into him.
A video he'd seen before flashed in his mind.
'...Puked my guts out for hours after that.'
Cold sweat trickled down Hwang Yu-hyun's back.
Oblivious to his turmoil, Jeong Jin-woo whistled, eyes gleaming.
"Whoa... no joke. Actresses? Never seen 'em before. Wanna hit on them?"
"..."
"Too good for a one-nighter. Girls like that, at least..."
Hwang Yu-hyun immediately slammed his foot into Jeong Jin-woo's shin.
"...!"
Jeong Jin-woo bulged his eyes at the bone-deep agony, hopping around yipping.
He glared at Hwang Yu-hyun like a murderer.
"You bastard! What the hell... kuhk!"
"Hey."
Hwang Yu-hyun murmured down at him, face pale.
"You owe me your life right now."
"What the fuck are you on about?"
"You'll see, asshole."