Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: 12. Disappearance of Mu and Jun (3)
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"But."
Tang Sa-cheon, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"Why were you pretending to be your brother all this time?"
It wasn't strange for Tang Sa-cheon to ask that.
Namgung Mu had only explained the circumstances of his brother's disappearance.
"If something felt off, shouldn't you have filed a runaway report or a missing person report?"
It was a valid point, but hearing logical words from Tang Sa-cheon felt a bit awkward.
Namgung Mu replied as if he felt wronged.
"That morning was total chaos. The CEO showed up at the dorm first thing. With my brother gone, I had to handle everything alone..."
"The CEO came?"
When I cut in with a question, Namgung Mu looked my way and nodded.
"Yeah. He came early in the morning. But if he found out he'd snuck in without telling me, my brother would get in trouble... So I pretended to be him without thinking."
"What did the CEO want?"
"He just... asked if his body was okay."
I narrowed my eyes.
'He came to check on what happened to Namgung Jun...'
But all that was left was Namgung Mu, with his body intact.
The CEO must have been a little flustered.
Remembering that moment, Namgung Mu continued pouring out his words.
"All I could think was... why's he asking if his body's okay? Was my brother actually sick? But there was no one to ask, and the manager said we had a packed schedule."
The manager he meant wasn't me.
At the time, I was the head manager on vacation.
I remember that week—there was a fireworks festival on the Han River.
Kichi was a sponsor, so a few of our company kids performed on stage.
The festival lasted about three days.
I didn't know exactly which of those three days Namgung Jun vanished, but one was my birthday.
The CEO gave me the day off, but I stayed at a nearby hotel just in case something came up.
The manager back then didn't know Namgung Jun well, so he wouldn't have noticed the switch.
Namgung Mu went on.
"The schedule was jammed. I couldn't say my brother had disappeared in that situation. He's not that irresponsible. He wanted to be an idol so bad. I figured there had to be some reason. At the time, I thought I'd just fill in for him on broadcasts until he came back..."
Namgung Mu muttered with a gloomy face.
"He's just... not back yet..."
So he'd ended up continuing the impersonation that started on impulse.
Debut days were hectic, and they'd drag him to practice right after waking up—no chance to slip away.
Announcing later that his brother vanished in pajamas would weigh heavy on him too.
"Is that really the only reason?"
The one who spoke then was the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon lifted one corner of his mouth.
"You're not secretly hoping that guy never comes back, are you?"
"Heavenly Demon."
"Don't glare at me like that. I said it's a cliché story."
He'd been quiet until now—what was he about to say?
The moment the Heavenly Demon suggested he might hope that, Namgung Mu looked utterly lost.
Even Tang Sa-cheon stared at the Heavenly Demon in shock, so the twins must have been close.
Ignoring the frozen atmosphere, the Heavenly Demon continued.
"Names hold power. That's why your CEO obsessively collects those silly names—it's all meaningful."
"And?"
"When naming twins originally, do you know what to watch out for?"
I furrowed my brow, and Tang Sa-cheon cautiously raised his hand.
"The name endings...?"
The Heavenly Demon smirked and nodded.
"Right. An old fogey's superstition, but you know it well."
"Old fogey...?"
"Why the endings?"
"Ah, you must not have heard of it, hyung."
Tang Sa-cheon added eagerly, like he was glad to help me out.
"There's a superstition that if the name endings don't match, the one without will devour the fate of the one with."
"...You think that's something to say happily right now?"
I could see Namgung Mu's eyes shaking wildly next to Tang Sa-cheon.
"H-Have you heard...? My name was given by Great-Aunt herself..."
"Yeah. So from the start, Namgung Ryeo—that Namgung family head—had other plans."
"Other plans?"
To my question, the Heavenly Demon blinked and replied.
"How should I know?"
"Huh?"
"You think I know his thoughts? But something's fishy, that's for sure."
"......"
It might sound like nonsense at first glance.
But now I knew.
The Heavenly Demon had figured something out.
He just couldn't say it in front of Tang Sa-cheon and Namgung Mu.
Whatever he held back, I'd ask privately later.
For now, change the subject.
"What happened in Japan?"
"Japan?"
"Tang Sa-cheon said he saw you recording our conversation at the hot springs."
At that, Namgung Mu flinched and shot Tang Sa-cheon a glare for a split second.
Tang Sa-cheon made a what-can-I-do face.
So these two were close after all.
"You were gonna tell us anyway, right? You were about to bring it up before we went to Anyang."
"Y-Yeah, that's true."
"Then why secretly record our conversation?"
"By then, you two were acting so suspicious... I wondered if it had to do with my brother."
"......"
Not a wrong guess.
We had conspired with the Heavenly Demon a lot back then.
Must've looked shady to others.
"But how did Tang Sa-cheon know I was there?"
"He was recording right next to you."
"Huh?!"
Namgung Mu didn't know Tang Sa-cheon was nearby then.
Tang Sa-cheon's martial arts level must be pretty high.
"The recording online? That was Tang Sa-cheon."
"Tang Sa-cheon? Why would he?!"
"To lure out the Heavenly Demon, he said."
Surprisingly, Namgung Mu looked relieved.
"It was Tang Sa-cheon. I thought it was definitely a Ja-ha sunbae fan. It blew up right after he got friendly with me..."
"I thought so too... but it had nothing to do with you, right?"
"......"
Tang Sa-cheon just gave an enigmatic smile and stared at me.
"Why aren't you answering...?"
"Honestly."
Tang Sa-cheon grinned sheepishly and confessed.
"Seeing Namgung Jun—who debuted in my place—getting chummy with the Heavenly Demon, Yama got pissed and uploaded it on impulse."
"......"
Tang Sa-cheon really has a consistent personality.
* * *
Getting the recording from Namgung Mu was easy.
His recording covered from right after meeting Shin Tae-eul to just before the Masked Expert appeared.
When I asked why it stopped there, he said he felt a chill when the Masked Expert showed up and slipped away.
The Heavenly Demon, sitting on my bed and staring at me, spoke.
"How many times are you gonna loop it?"
"Am I bothering you?"
"Not that. Isn't that enough?"
"Huh?"
"Your plan. It only has the essentials, right? You could pass it off as role-playing..."
"True, but."
I stopped the playback and closed my phone.
"I'm not releasing this."
"Hmm?"
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head with an intrigued smile.
"What's this whim now?"
"I wanted to release it because... no one would believe it's real."
"And?"
"But not anymore. Teacher Namgung Ryeo got involved."
Does Namgung Ryeo really know he summoned the Heavenly Demon?
That the Nine Supreme Dance Groups' choreography is actually an internal energy method?
That his own son Namgung Jun was used as a sacrifice?
That the current Namgung Jun is actually Namgung Mu?
"This recording has too many cards against us. Without knowing Teacher Namgung Ryeo's stance, I can't release it blindly."
"Then all our effort so far was wasted."
I stared openly as the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue briefly, then asked.
"You have something to tell me, right?"
He chuckled softly.
"You're getting sharper now."
"Too many people around me hiding things."
"Hmm."
For some reason, instead of diving in, the Heavenly Demon just watched me.
"What?"
"I'll hear your thoughts first."
What? Why so cautious suddenly?
But he's the one who told me his power isn't fully restored.
I didn't think he'd keep another secret here.
So, as requested, I spoke first.
"Namgung Jun vanishing, leaving only pajamas."
Not sure if "vanishing" fits, but.
"You think the CEO did it too, right, Heavenly Demon?"
"Who else would pull that off?"
"Did Jun... suffer the same as the Pa-moon disciples' kids?"
Maybe my voice trembled, because the Heavenly Demon chuckled.
"That was what you really wanted to ask, huh."
"But people are disappearing!"
And I hadn't known until now!
"Maybe like the others, he lost a body part and hid so his brother wouldn't see?"
"A very you-like thought."
The Heavenly Demon elegantly folded his fluttering sleeves and stepped down before me.
"But before answering, I'll ask you something too."
"W-What...?"
"You..."
The Heavenly Demon looked away for a moment.
As if gazing beyond the window.
"How do you think I'm standing here before you?"
"Huh? Because the CEO summoned you..."
"Is that what you think?"
What I think?
That's not a thought—it's what we've uncovered so far.
The CEO created the Nine Supreme Dance Groups to summon the Heavenly Demon.
Made the kids cultivate internal energy.
Used the ones left alone in the dorms as sacrifices to attempt the summoning.
The failure risk cost them a body part...
Realizing it suddenly, my chest went cold.
"It succeeded."
My cracked voice sounded unlike my own.
"The Heavenly Demon being here means the summoning ritual succeeded at least once."
"Yes."
"But Shin Tae-eul... didn't know it succeeded."
"No, he didn't."
"They said losing a body part was the risk..."
"But one. Someone else."
Namgung Jun.
The only member who vanished entirely from the dorm—not just a part.
Then... what?
Success means the whole body vanishes?
That's not a sacrifice; it's total annihilation...
"No... but... we don't know for sure, right? If Namgung Jun really vanished or just hid."
"From what Namgung family guy or Tang family kid said, he's not the type to ditch his brother."
"Maybe he chose the next-worst option to spare his brother the shock."
"......"
The Heavenly Demon stared down at me silently, then leaned toward me on the floor.
"In my original world, I often enjoyed fireworks."
"...Fireworks out of nowhere?"
I thought it random, but his expression was utterly serious.
"But recently, I saw truly beautiful fireworks. The biggest I'd ever seen in my life."
With a chilling gaze, the Heavenly Demon continued.
"That was the first sight when I crashed into this world like a dog. Massive fireworks."