Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: 23. The Great Chaotic Barbecue Party (1)
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Bukchon, the cult rep's old mansion.
"...You're really throwing a barbecue party?"
At my mutter, the cult rep looked up from diligently flipping the meat with tongs.
The rep flashed a slightly excited smile as he replied.
"Yes. It's to wrap up the training camp and welcome Heavenly Demon into his new home."
"I see...."
It looked like his words last time weren't just empty talk. He'd actually set up a barbecue party in the yard of his old mansion.
On the fancy grill sat not just Hanwoo beef, but also lamb, corn, and pineapple—things the Heavenly Demon liked.
Off to one side, skewers loaded with thick chunks of meat and veggies alternated as they spun slowly over the fire.
This was a place I'd visited often for MV shoots, but he'd never even let the snack truck inside.
Was he that thrilled about living here with the Heavenly Demon from now on?
He must have some idea that we'd come to ransack the place.
Both I and Senior Hyeonseong were convinced something was hidden here.
In fact, the Left and Right Protectors had said there was a barrier in the rep's room.
And yet here he was, grilling meat like this.
How well-hidden must it be for him to throw a barbecue party so defenselessly?
With his personality, he wouldn't stash something like a scroll linking to the murim world or info on summoning the Heavenly Demon outside the mansion.
More than that.
"But... what's with this member lineup?"
The rep's yard was swarming with familiar faces.
Not just the Gupailbang crew, but Nokrim and the Odaesega members too.
Left Protector and Right Protector, Teacher Namgung Ryeo.
Lion CEO and Brother Zhang Wen.
And even Woo Gi-deok CEO.
It felt like everyone I'd run into lately was here.
...Wait, Woo Gi-deok?
"You invited Woo Gi-deok CEO too??"
"Of course. Parties are better with a crowd."
Inviting Odaesega made sense since he had to know I'd been involved in that low-budget MV.
But Woo Gi-deok? That was a real surprise.
He wasn't the rep's type at all.
Just then, the rep looked disappointed.
"I invited Team Leader Park too... but she didn't come, as expected."
"......"
If what Senior Hyeonseong said was true—that he'd killed the rep—then from the rep's perspective, Senior Hyeonseong had murdered him once before.
Did he not know Senior Hyeonseong was a real murim fighter?
...Well, if he did, he'd probably already be fanboying hard.
The reason he'd been so lenient with me seemed to be because I was murim clueless.
"Miss Soi, don't just stand there—go grab something to eat over there."
"Right you are, Brother Soi."
Dang Sacheon, who was wearing a cooking mask pulled up over his nose next to the rep, paused from slicing meat and chimed in.
"Leave this to me, Dang Sacheon. Go enjoy your meal."
The frills on the shoulders of the white apron draped over Dang Sacheon's wuxia attire fluttered in the breeze.
No wonder no one came near.
Still, leaving cooking assist to Dang Sacheon—what was the rep thinking?
He must have read that thought on my face, because the rep smiled brightly and explained.
"Sacheon here is great in the kitchen—his parents run a restaurant. He'll make sure nothing weird gets added, so no worries."
Wasn't the problem that he needed watching in the first place?
"Even so... I'm an employee too. I should help out."
At that, the rep let out a soft chuckle.
"Miss Soi, have you forgotten? I invited you to my home to impress you.... Stick around until you have zero desire to quit."
With him putting it like that, it felt awkward to keep helping, so I slipped into the crowd of people.
As I approached the group, Zhuge Liang—beer in one hand—greeted me first, along with the other Odaesega members minus Dang Sacheon.
"We parted ways in Tongyeong just like that, and seeing you again feels awkward."
After the appointment ceremony, Zhuge Liang had gone off alone to his band's van, but here he was at the rep's house, having arrived before us.
"But why'd everyone hide that they'd been invited?"
When I asked like I was genuinely curious, the three Odaesega members looked embarrassed and glanced away in different directions.
Hwang Boyun covered her mouth with her hand, looking sheepish.
"Well, I thought the rep had invited just me specially...."
"I'd already gotten scouted by my bro, so it felt weird telling Kichi CEO that."
"Same here, something like that with Paeng Habuk."
I narrowed my eyes.
"So everyone came excitedly to meet Kichi CEO while keeping it secret from me?"
Hwang Boyun waved her hands frantically.
"N-No, Brother Soi! I'm just a trainee—I had to come when called!"
"Okay, fine for Boyun, but you, Habuk...."
"If I'm not quitting showbiz entirely, I have to show up when Kichi CEO calls. Plus, I was curious about the barbecue."
"Right! There's Soi merchandise as prizes too!"
At least they were trying to make excuses, so it seemed their hearts weren't totally set on jumping ship to my agency.
Well, if I were in their shoes, I'd have accepted Kichi CEO's invite too.
Zhuge Liang... he had connections, so it wasn't my place to complain about him meeting Kichi CEO.
But he seemed inwardly miffed about it.
"Miss Soi... why didn't you ask my reason?"
It didn't feel like the right moment to say, "Zhuge Liang-ssi, you're smart enough to handle yourself," so I paused before asking.
"What made you accept the invite, Zhuge Liang-ssi?"
At that, he smirked like he'd been waiting for the question.
"I heard you're quitting Kichi soon, so I came to ask if I could take you as my manager."
"......"
So that manager offer last time was serious.
"What'd the CEO say?"
"He laughed his head off and said, 'If you can, go for it.' Also that too many people are after you, and it's a hassle."
"Too many people after me?"
"Yeah, that lady over there—the Heavenly Demon's little sister—is gunning for you too, apparently."
"...Heavenly Demon's little sister?"
Dumbfounded by the unheard-of claim, I made a baffled face, and Zhuge Liang pointed with his beer glass toward Lion CEO.
Lion CEO had been staring our way the whole time, because our eyes met immediately.
The moment they did, she strode over like it was her chance.
"Hi, long time no see?"
"Hello, Lion CEO."
As I greeted her, the Odaesega members' expressions shifted by the second.
They must not have known who she was; they bowed stiffly and glanced at me.
Lion CEO swept her trademark beastly gaze over them before speaking.
"I saw the video. Great song, huh? As expected, Miss Soi gets things done."
"You watched it too, then."
The [Jukyeopcheong and Eohyang Yuksa] MV had a Lion6 viral clip, so of course she'd seen it.
Then Lion CEO grinned mischievously.
"Managing two households in the meantime? Impressive."
"Two households?"
"Gupailbang, Odaesega. One alone would be a handful. Hmm. If I'd known you had that much leeway, I should've been more aggressive."
Lion CEO was high-energy as ever today.
I glanced around—no one with her?—and spotted Brother Zhang Wen.
"L-Lupin-ssi! Huge fan. I full-circled your cards...!"
"Oh, mehsi, mehsi~"
Brother Zhang Wen, face flushed from who-knows-how-many beers, was getting an autograph from Lupin.
The Nokrim kids around them were excitedly shouting stuff....
"R-Really our fan?"
"You know our latest track's name?"
"You know all our member names?"
...Why did it look like a reverse fan sign event?
Lion CEO noticed my gaze on Zhang Wen, glanced that way, and grinned at me.
"Didn't know till now, but Zhang's a Nokrim stan. Wanted to feature them in Lion6 ads too."
"Ah... Heard you were hospitalized then. All good now?"
"Wasn't seriously hurt. Just shocked."
"Glad to hear."
"By the way, Miss Soi, word on the street is...."
Lion CEO started to say more to me, then spotted something and chuckled.
"Better head out. Looks like Sa CEO doesn't like me pestering you."
"Huh?"
I turned toward the rep at her words, but he was just grilling meat like before.
"Well, party's just starting. Catch you later."
With that, Lion CEO blew me a kiss and headed toward Zhang Wen, surrounded by the Nokrim kids.
The moment she left, Zhuge Liang grabbed my arm.
"Th-That was Lion CEO?!?!"
"Yeah. Why? Did you do something rude?"
Judging by Zhuge Liang's unprecedented fluster and stammering, he'd messed up somehow.
"I-I asked if she was Heavenly Demon noona, and she said sister, so I thought....!"
"......"
Who even knew what Lion CEO was thinking.
Then someone tugged my arm.
"Hey, hyung! Why aren't you with us—why here?"
Looking down, Ja-ha glared up at me, face full of annoyance and hurt.
"You always wandering off! No Heavenly Demon hyung either! What's with you two lately!"
Heavenly Demon had been missing since earlier—not even with the Gupailbang kids.
I soothed Ja-ha appropriately and moved to where the Gupailbang members were gathered.
"Hyung, seeing your face is such a chore these days."
Mengju, lounging on a sunbed, took off his sunglasses and sat up. Woo Gi-deok CEO, standing beside him, clapped in admiration.
"Wow, Ilgeom—you look hot no matter what."
Why was Woo Gi-deok CEO, whose own agency's Nokrim, hanging with the Gupailbang crew?
I shot Mengju a look demanding explanation, and he smiled like he was at a loss too.
"We were playing Mafia till you got here, but...."
Mengju glanced up, and there on the big tree in the rep's yard, Left Protector and Right Protector were hiding.
"Mafia's more fun with more people."
"Right, more the merrier."
The two whispered from the tree, but infused with qi, it rang clear in my ear.
"...Why hide up there?"
"'Cause scary person's here."
"Scary, scary."
Scary person?
Here, that had to mean Teacher Namgung Ryeo.
Scanning around, I spotted Namgung Mu chatting with Teacher Namgung Ryeo a bit away.
Her expression was normal, so Namgung Mu's disguise as not being Namgung Jun hadn't been blown yet.
I'd ask what they talked about when Namgung Mu got back later.
I'd chatted with pretty much everyone at the party by then.
When the rep approached with a plate of grilled meat.
"Here, this is for you, Miss Soi."
"Thanks."
"Have fun."
As he turned to leave, he spun back like he'd forgotten something.
"Oh right, I prepared a simple game for later."
"A game?"
"There's prizes, so... you'll join too, right, Miss Soi?"
"What kind?"
"What kind? Well...."
I popped a skewer in my mouth without thinking and asked, and the rep smiled radiantly in a gentle tone.
"It's treasure hunt."
He added with a completely unperturbed face.
"Feel free to search every nook and cranny inside the house."