Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Midnight Flight
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"What the hell? You barge into someone else's house without permission and start yapping about betrayal? What did I even betray?!"
Catherine snorted derisively.
"Hmph? Betrayal? That's far too mild a word."
Catherine pulled a pistol from her coat, flicking off the safety as she replied coldly.
Click—
Woojin stared at her in shock.
"Hey, why'd you pull a gun, you crazy woman! This is South Korea!"
"Don't worry. It's rubber bullets."
Her mind flashed back to the conversation she'd had with Eileen just before leaving for Singapore.
– Catherine, I made big progress with Woojin oppa this time.
– Congratulations, Lady Eileen. Now all that's left is...
– Yeah. Now all that's left is consummation. It'll happen soon enough.
Catherine clearly remembered Eileen's joyful expression that day.
Yet while her lady was throwing herself into strategy sessions for the Asian subjugation without holding back, this so-called 'fiancé' was out sipping coffee with another woman, arm in arm.
Not fiancé. Fiancée.
"You talk about consummation with Lady Eileen, do everything but the deed, then cheat on her?! Do you have any idea how much she was looking forward to it, you shameless bastard?!"
"Hah, consummation?! When did I ever?! What the hell are you even talking about?!"
Woojin's scream pulled Kim Cheolsu into his own reverie this time.
'Consummation?'
He clenched his fist, recalling his conversation with DH Group's Chairman Yoo.
– Cheolsu, Jihyun picked a pretty decent guy as her partner.
– Yes, he's a good man.
– Right. You play matchmaker from the middle. Jihyun might seem blunt, but she's head over heels for him inside. Apparently, she's even confessed already.
"Traitor..."
The word slipped from Kim Cheolsu's lips.
"Hyung, what the hell's your deal?!"
"You accepted her confession!! Is this how you treat someone, President Kim Woojin!? As a fellow man, I'm ashamed!! You should've given her a straight answer!! If this isn't betrayal, then what is it!! You playboy!!"
It was getting more ridiculous by the second.
"M-Me, a playboy...?"
Kim Cheolsu's shout plunged the living room into even greater chaos.
Woojin clutched the back of his neck in frustration, but the one who took the biggest hit was someone else entirely.
"......You bastard...."
The chicken leg slipped powerlessly from Ayoung's hand.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're in on it too?!"
"Is that... true? You promised consummation... accepted my confession... but to me, you're just... a momentary toy? In front of the director earlier, you clearly said 'my woman'..."
Flinch—!
The words 'my woman' made Catherine and Kim Cheolsu react simultaneously.
"I knew it!! There's a solid witness right here!!"
Woojin was on the verge of exploding from injustice.
"No, Ayoung! That was just acting! You agreed to it! We were trying to fool Director Jung so you could quit being a civil servant...!"
At that moment, Catherine fired a shot.
Thwack—!
Bang—!
It was a rubber bullet, but it ricocheted off the floor near Woojin's feet and embedded itself in the wall.
'Fuck, that packs a punch? That's supposed to be rubber?'
"Holy shit! You scared me! No wonder you're Eileen's secretary—same damn tactics! Why shoot it?!"
"Don't move!! Hmph! Don't think some half-assed act will fool me!"
Catherine's eyes flashed.
"Senior Officer Jo Ayoung! Now that we've secured evidence, I'm placing you under restraint too. Seducing and coveting the fiancée of the Benedict family is a grave crime. These are Lady Eileen's orders. I'll capture both of you alive and isolate you!"
The situation spiraled uncontrollably toward disaster.
Woojin sensed it instinctively.
If they got caught here, it was really over.
Excuses had to come from him, not this trainwreck of a woman...
The mere thought was horrifying.
"Ayoung, let's get out of here first. They're out for blood right now. They'll really drag us off!"
Woojin reached for Ayoung's hand, but she whipped her head away.
"No way! You said it was acting! That I'm just a toy! Get out on your own!"
But soothing a sulking Ayoung wasn't easy.
"Damn it! Why are you doing this too! Do you like me or something!? What's your deal!!"
Whoosh—
Jo Ayoung flushed red without a word.
Woojin clutched his neck in disbelief.
"...I'm losing my mind here...."
He hadn't planned to reveal it, but with her asking so directly, denying it felt impossible.
Then, an out-of-place sound came from behind.
Munch—
Munch—
"Oh, fuck. Our hyung's one罪重的 man."
Sangjin had already evacuated the kids and was watching from afar, munching popcorn.
'That bastard... help me out at least...'
But Sangjin had no intention of intervening.
Where else could he spectate this delicious chaos?
Woojin broke out in cold sweat, racking his brain alone.
Then he remembered the contract Ayoung had signed earlier.
"Hey! Jo Ayoung! This is a contract breach! Remember the clause?!"
"......Contract clause?"
Ayoung stared blankly at Woojin.
Woojin shouted desperately.
"This is exactly the moment where my safety's threatened!! You signed it! You'll pay 1,000 times the penalty?!"
And Ayoung recalled clause 5.
'R-Right. The contract.... Threat.... 24-hour close protection!'
Ayoung's eyes changed in an instant.
Her hurt feelings were pushed aside.
'I'm in the best position!! Tonight!!'
Ayoung switched gears.
No matter what, tonight's 24-hour close protection was locked in.
Who knew what might happen.
"...O-Okay. I'll protect you for now."
Ayoung clenched her fist and stood.
Catherine blocked her path.
"Planning to resist?"
Ayoung replied.
"H-Honestly, this is ridiculous! Locking someone up for having coffee together?!"
"Right! Good job! That's my Ayoung!"
Glare—
Ayoung shot him a look, and Woojin shrank back.
Catherine aimed her rubber bullet gun and spoke again.
"Unfortunately, I'm an awakener too. Jo Ayoung, my passive boosts the power of any firearm. Don't underestimate rubber bullets. Taking down a C-rank like you is child's play."
Catherine was utterly confident.
As far as she could tell, Jo Ayoung was just a civil servant with some strength but no real combat experience.
Catherine chambered special rounds with rubber bullets and built-in taser functionality.
"Taser rounds that work on C-rank and below. Unless you want to wet yourself in front of your crush, step back."
'W-Wet herself!?'
Those words made Jo Ayoung flinch, exposing an opening.
Thwack—!
Catherine fired swiftly.
An awakener was still an awakener, after all.
Subduing her would make things easier.
The non-lethal suppression round targeted Ayoung's thigh perfectly.
But.
Ting—
Crackle—
It hit.
The shock effect triggered too.
Yet Jo Ayoung stood there unscathed.
"......?"
Catherine's eyes went wide.
Ayoung grinned.
"I'll go easy on you, control my strength."
Ayoung's figure blurred.
Her movements had long surpassed human limits.
"Kuh?!"
Thwack-thwack-thwack—!
Catherine fired in bursts, but Ayoung swatted the rubber bullets away like flies.
Then she casually pressed down on Catherine's gun barrel.
Crunch—!
The tactical suppression pistol, made of special alloy, crumpled like clay in Ayoung's grip.
"......?"
While Catherine froze, Ayoung's light hand chop neared her nape!
Woojin shouted urgently.
"Jo Ayoung, control your strength!"
"Got it!"
Having obliterated a gate once, Jo Ayoung could now moderate her power decently.
Thud—
One hit.
Thump—
Catherine collapsed limply.
Kim Cheolsu looked back and forth between her and Ayoung in astonishment.
"Hyung, just surrender."
Kim Cheolsu set down his taser gun and raised his hands.
"What the... now what...?"
Woojin grinned at Cheolsu.
"My secret weapon."
The whole mess wrapped up in just 5 seconds.
"Hmm... what to do with these two.... Ah! Right!"
Woojin dashed back to his place and grabbed the enhanced rope he'd prepared just in case for gates.
This should hold even Catherine.
Woojin bound Catherine and Cheolsu tightly together and locked them in the bedroom.
"W-Wait! President Kim Woojin! Th-This position is too...!"
An evil smirk played on Woojin's lips.
Kim Cheolsu and Catherine were tied face-to-face, pressed right up against each other.
"Heh heh heh, what can I do? If I tie your hands behind, you'll wiggle free."
"Th-That's true, but!!"
"Enjoy, Hyung Cheolsu."
"You devil!"
Then Ayoung asked.
"President, what now?"
"First, figure out how this mess even started."
Woojin pulled the smartphone from unconscious Catherine's pocket.
Using her fingerprint to unlock it, he checked the messages. His face drained of color.
"......We're fucked."
A sigh escaped Woojin's lips.
'I'm coming myself' meant Eileen and Yoo Jihyun were already on a plane.
Munch—
Munch—
"Hyung, why? What is it?"
"Look at this."
Sangjin peeked at the phone and burst out laughing.
"Puhahahahaha!!! Hyung, you're dead!!!"
Woojin suppressed the urge to smack his brother.
"What do I do?"
"What do you mean? Pray. Hope you survive."
Eileen and Yoo Jihyun were leagues above Catherine.
Even with Ayoung's Mythic grade, the level gap made victory impossible in her current state.
"Are you insane?! It's not true, and you're saying just sit here and take it!?"
Munch—
Munch—
Sangjin's popcorn crunching grated especially hard.
"Got a better idea?"
Woojin pondered long and hard before deciding.
"We run."
Sangjin doubled over laughing again.
Ayoung asked in surprise.
"Huh? R-Run away?"
"Yeah! We need time for Eileen and Jihyun to cool off. Talking now won't work. You know the saying! When you fight, separate first and think it over."
Hearing that, Sangjin laughed so hard tears streamed down as he giggled.
"H-Huh. I'm dying. Giggle. Hyung, that's for married couples."
"Shut up!! Watch the kids!"
Woojin rushed to his place, packing enhanced items, emergency rations, and stacks of cash.
Good thing he'd stashed emergency cash for times like this.
He returned to Sangjin.
"I'm off. Company's good?"
"Yeah, no issues till the week after next. Giggle. Come back soon though."
"Fuck off."
Woojin and Ayoung slipped out the apartment's back door swiftly.
"O-Oppa. Where are we going now?"
Ayoung asked in a tense voice.
Woojin powered off his phone before answering.
To avoid tracking.
"You turn yours off too. We'll grab a place first. Somewhere crowded and bustling. Myeongdong? Lots of good hotels there, right?"
Ayoung's face turned beet red.
Hotel.
Just the two of them.
"M-Myeongdong?"
"Yeah, that seems best."
Her wish was one step from coming true.
"They ran...? Together?"
[Yes, by the time we arrived late, they were already gone.]
"What were you doing?"
[W-Well, Secretary Catherine said she and Secretary Kim Cheolsu were enough...]
Crack—
The in-flight phone shattered in Eileen's hand.
"You heard...?"
Yoo Jihyun replied in a trembling voice, suppressing her rage into a chilling tone.
"I heard. Those bastards... dared to pull a midnight flight...?"
Vroooom—
The plane was landing at Incheon Airport right on cue.