Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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"Come in."
"...Yes."
Kim Se-a.
The woman from my hometown who tried to sell Jiwon-i, my little sister figure, into the red-light district—and ended up getting a thorough lesson from me.
Her first impression had been bold and confident, much like her sleek figure, but now she stood before me looking completely different from back then.
A pale face.
Eyes flickering with anxiety.
And above all, an expression filled with raw fear.
She looked like one wrong step would send her tumbling off a cliff.
I sat down on the sofa, furrowing my brow.
"What's going on?"
Kim Se-a settled onto the sofa across from me, biting her lip hard as she hesitated.
It was clear she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come easily.
Finally, she spoke in a small, trembling voice.
"After that day... I haven't met Jiwon-i at all."
"Good. That's what you promised me."
Kim Se-a let out a deep sigh, clasping her trembling fingertips together as she continued.
"Not just Jiwon-i... my friend Hyunju's the same. Neither of us... sees Jiwon-i anymore."
Even as she spoke, Kim Se-a kept glancing around nervously.
As if someone might be chasing her.
I could instinctively tell this wasn't just simple tension.
"But how did you find my place without even calling first?"
"...I saw it on Stargram. You posted... a photo of your family home a while back. I guessed the location from that..."
"You found this place just from a Stargram pic of my family home? Why not skip the shady crap and become a detective instead?"
Kim Se-a's fingertips twitched like they were spasming faintly.
"...I'm sorry."
"But still, no reason to show up unannounced, right?"
"I was scared... you wouldn't pick up if I called."
No, if you're keeping your promise not to see Jiwon-i, what the hell are you so afraid of?
I crossed my arms heavily, letting out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Afraid I'd break the promise and come after you? Like I said back then, as long as you two never contact Jiwon-i again, there won't be any problems."
Even after I told her not to worry, Kim Se-a's lips were parched, and her throat bobbed anxiously up and down.
Her breathing was uneven too.
Ragged one moment, shallow the next, sometimes trembling.
"Oppa, remember back then? Choi Jeongsu... and his friends..."
"Yeah, your boyfriend and his crew."
"Yes, that's right."
"They're probably in prison by now, aren't they?"
"No..."
"What do you mean, no?"
"...They're not in prison."
"What!?"
"I checked every prison in the country online, but there's no record of them being incarcerated anywhere."
Did Yeoksan Group screw up the job?
The next day, when I went to the parking lot, the car keys were on the vehicle, and Choi Jeongsu and his friends had all vanished.
'I assumed they'd been taken away, but did they rip off the tape and escape on their own?'
I shifted in my seat and spoke up.
"You're sure they're gone?"
"Yes... That's why I'm scared Hyunju and I might end up disappearing like Choi Jeongsu..."
I felt sweat beading in my palms as I gripped my phone tightly in my pocket.
If those guys had escaped?
Then Jiwon-i would be in far more danger than Kim Se-a or Park Hyunju.
Unable to shake the ominous feeling, I quickly scrolled through my screen and found the name I needed.
Then I stood up and headed quietly to the bedroom.
'...Jin Hyeong-o.'
Yeoksan Group's secretary.
If they slipped away, just say so— what the hell is this, some kind of joke?
Anger surged, but I took a deep breath to steady myself.
Yelling now wouldn't solve anything.
-Ring... ring...
After a few rings, Jin Hyeong-o picked up, his voice as calm as ever.
-Mr. Han Haeseong, what's this about?
Jin Hyeong-o's nonchalant attitude grated on me, but urgency won out, and I cut straight to it.
-You said you'd handle Choi Jeongsu and his gang, right?
My grip tightened on the phone as I spoke.
But Jin Hyeong-o replied coolly as always.
-Ah, yes. We handled it exactly as you asked.
-...Then why isn't Choi Jeongsu in prison?
A brief silence followed.
Then a light laugh came through the line.
-What are you talking about? Those guys are probably sunk in the middle of the ocean by now.
-...Pardon? What did you just say?
-Just what I said. They don't exist in this world anymore. So of course you won't find them in prison.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Only now did it fully hit me that Jin Hyeong-o's "handling" wasn't some legal measure.
They'd actually killed them.
Murder—no accident, but a deliberate "cleanup."
-You could've just thrown them in prison. Was that really necessary?
-It's all for you, Haeseong. Even if they went back to prison, how long a sentence do you think they'd get?
-Well...
-This is tied to Yeoksan Group now too. After they get out, they might target us instead of you.
He had a point.
The longest sentence they'd get? Five years, tops.
Those guys would be in their thirties then, still full of vigor.
Meaning revenge was possible.
I was unsettled by Yeoksan Group's methods, but I forced a casual tone.
-Then do me one favor.
-What kind of favor?
-Recently, someone I know from back home caused some trouble. Look into that incident for me.
Since I was already in the same boat, might as well go all in shamelessly.
-Is this an order? Or a favor?
Jin Hyeong-o, the executive secretary, asked pointedly.
I ground my teeth and let out a soft chuckle.
-A favor from Junseok-i's best friend.
-Understood. If it's not an order, I won't report it to the chairman.
-Thanks even more then.
Click.
As the call ended, I slowly relaxed my grip.
Cold sweat clung to my back.
'...Should I talk to Junseok-i about this?'
Even a massive corp like that—straight out of a drama, committing murder without batting an eye.
With all the CCTV in Korea, what if they get caught...
'Does this make me an accomplice?'
I sighed and headed back to the living room.
Kim Se-a spotted me emerging from the bedroom, her face tense like she was about to ask what happened.
I sat down, forcing a relaxed expression.
"Choi Jeongsu and his friends escaped."
"Es-escaped?"
"Seems like they fled overseas. Don't know their exact location. I'll have someone look into it."
Kim Se-a clamped her mouth shut, blinking in shock.
Clear bewilderment crossed her face.
"I don't even want to find them... I was just scared Hyunju and I might vanish without a trace, like Choi Jeongsu."
"Where's Park Hyunju?"
"She went back home. She's as anxious as I am right now."
"And you?"
"I don't have a hometown... My parents passed early, so I'm on my own. I've even gotten my deposit back from my place."
I looked her straight in the eye and spoke firmly.
"Even if Choi Jeongsu holds a grudge, it'll be against me. You get what I'm saying?"
"...I do."
"So get your ass up to Seoul and live your life."
"Yeah, I should."
That was when it hit me.
A faint smell brushing my nose.
I instinctively sniffed the air.
"...W-wait, do you smell something?"
Kim Se-a flinched at my words.
Then she averted her gaze, hesitating.
"Um... Truth is, I haven't showered... in a few days."
Her hand fidgeted with her collar naturally.
Only then did I notice her hair was a bit tangled.
It was obvious how tense she'd been living these past days.
I took a short breath in and out.
"Ha... Shower first."
Kim Se-a hesitated, looking flustered, but soon nodded.
"Okay..."
Kim Se-a quietly turned and headed to the bathroom.
Watching her go, I pressed my throbbing temples with my fingertips.
'This is driving me insane.'
I sank deep into the sofa.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, it sank in that I'd crossed a line I couldn't uncross.
And Jin Hyeong-o's words from moments ago still echoed in my head.
-Those guys are probably sunk in the middle of the ocean by now?
That single line sent chills down my spine.
Choi Jeongsu and his gang, whom I'd assumed were just imprisoned somewhere— they no longer existed anywhere in the world.
And I knew all about it.
'Yeoksan Group... For some reason, Junseok-i feels distant today.'
As I pondered, the shower sounds from the bathroom faded, and soon the door creaked open.
"...!!"
I glanced over absentmindedly.
Kim Se-a stepped out cautiously, her wet hair and body wrapped loosely in a towel.
Tiny droplets clung to her shoulders, and steam rose faintly from her skin, heated by the bath.
"Could I... crash here just for tonight? I need to wash my underwear and clothes."
Kim Se-a asked carefully, brushing her damp hair to one side.
Proving she was currently going commando and braless.
I slowly rose from the sofa.
Then, nodding toward the bedroom, I continued.
"...Come in. We'll talk details slowly in the bedroom."
Well, no matter how complicated my head's getting, some things gotta get done, right?