Chapter 73
Chapter 73
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze Seems Off
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The quiet hospital room was filled only with the faint electronic beeps of medical equipment.
Park Gwangho lay motionless on the bed, still unconscious. His face was pale, and the shallow sound of his breathing through the oxygen mask was barely audible.
Detective Kim Jin-ho, who had been watching over him from the side, let out a deep sigh.
"Seongjae, it looks like Park Gwangho's condition is getting worse."
"Yeah. And he's the only key we have to unraveling this case."
A short while ago, they had investigated Kim Seok-hwan, the idol who had gone missing and was dramatically found.
A member of "Sanpo Ever" and active under the stage name Jay-hyun.
He had vanished without a trace for a month, only to be discovered naked at a rural bus stop by students heading to school.
The police who first found him were shocked.
His extremely emaciated body, haunted eyes, and fractured mental state.
He couldn't even hold a proper conversation.
That's why.
Detective Kim Jin-ho and Detective Yoo Seongjae initially thought he might be connected to the Park Gwangho case.
However, when they asked Kim Seok-hwan about a woman named Sowol, he showed no reaction.
He just stared blankly into space, repeating nonsensical words.
In the end, Kim Jin-ho and Yoo Seongjae had no choice but to conclude that the two incidents were unrelated.
Detective Yoo Seongjae pressed his throbbing temples with his fingertips.
"I really feel like trash."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a detective who can't find any leads... and now I'm hoping another case pops up."
"Sheesh. Even if it might be connected to the Seonghyeon case, you need to take it easy."
"...Yeah."
"You look exhausted. I'll watch over him here, so go catch some sleep."
Detective Yoo Seongjae shook his head and stood up.
"I'll go wash my face in the bathroom."
Detective Yoo Seongjae quietly opened the hospital room door and stepped into the hallway.
The hospital corridor felt even more silent in the dead of night.
Under the dim fluorescent lights, the long stretch of hallway seemed like an endless tunnel.
Creepy.
That's when it happened.
A figure was walking down the opposite hallway.
Swoosh.
Detective Yoo Seongjae's gaze snapped toward it.
He could only see the back of their head, but they wore a black hat pulled low, a thick jumper, and what looked like a mask.
What the...?
It was definitely suspicious.
Wearing a mask in a hospital wasn't unusual, but this person seemed overly careful to hide their face and build.
Moreover, they walked with their head bowed, staring at the ground.
Detective Yoo Seongjae's instincts flared a warning.
...Something's fishy.
Long black hair spilled out from under the hat.
Height around 160cm.
Even with the thick jumper, she appeared slim, and her gait was peculiar.
Most people walk hospital corridors at a steady pace unconsciously.
But this woman couldn't maintain a constant speed—her steps were gradually quickening ever so slightly.
Detective Yoo Seongjae made a snap judgment and raised his voice.
"Hey, you there?"
The woman walking down the opposite hallway didn't even flinch at his call.
Her pace seemed a bit faster now.
"Hey! Hold on a second!"
At that moment—
The fluorescent lights flickered.
The space ahead seemed to cut off, plunging into momentary darkness.
A brief but interminable blackness swallowed the corridor.
Then, the lights blazed back on.
"Wh-what the hell!?"
The woman had vanished from the lit corridor as if she'd evaporated.
All that remained where she'd been was the clean floor and the faint afterglow of the lights.
"...Damn it!!"
Regaining his senses too late, Detective Yoo Seongjae regretted his split-second hesitation and sprinted at full speed.
He reached the other end of the hallway.
But no one was there.
The doors, stairs, and exits were all unchanged.
There was no trace of her anywhere.
"What the...?"
He caught his breath and scanned the surroundings.
Looking for any sign of movement, but there was nothing.
The only sound echoing through the corridor was his own ragged breathing.
The highway heading to Seoul.
Cars sped along the road, engines roaring.
I gripped the wheel with one hand, rubbing my chin with the other, focused on driving.
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
I glanced at the phone on the passenger seat.
Incoming call from Seo Junseok.
I pressed the button with the hand that had been on my chin to answer.
"Yeah, Junseok."
"You heading up to Seoul today?"
"Yeah, but I gotta head back down pretty quick."
"Can't spare even a day?"
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? It's been ages—let's grab a drink."
I chuckled and continued.
"Shouldn't the precious heir of Yeoksan Group be a little busy himself?"
"You bastard, I am busy! I cleared my schedule just 'cause you said you were coming up!"
"Tch, I've got a ton to do today, so I'll see about time later."
"Whoa... pretending to be busy?"
"Nah, I'm almost there anyway, so let's talk later."
"Don't ghost me or you're dead!"
Click—
I ended the call and was about to set the phone down when it vibrated again.
Bzzz—
This time, a message notification.
[Delivery Complete Notification]
┗ Your ordered items have been successfully delivered.
I quickly scrolled through the screen to check.
These were items ordered solely for the Gold Fairy.
A slow, eerie smile tugged at my lips.
'Special gifts I prepared for our innocent Gold Fairy.'
How many times had she gotten the better of me so far?
Dozens of times my tongue went numb, and multiple times I'd nearly passed out from suffocation down there.
But now things were different.
A ton of lewd toys delivered to my house.
Outlandish gadgets I'd never used in my life.
'Who would've thought the day would come when I'd fulfill a man's dreams against the Gold Fairy.'
That said.
I wasn't going to use them right away.
First, I needed to get detailed info on celestial rules from the Donghwa Fairy.
Like how they detect sex with humans in the celestial realm, and if it's okay as long as there's no ejaculation.
Only then could I devise a thorough, airtight plan.
"See you soon, my Gold Fairy."
Who knew the day would come when I'd look forward to meeting the Gold Fairy more than the Silver Fairy.
Life really is full of surprises.
"Hmm~♪"
I hummed a tune, my face mixing curiosity and mischief.
Before I knew it, I'd arrived at my destination.
A café near the neighborhood where victim Kim Sejin lived.
Screech.
The small parking lot in front of the café already had a few cars. I spotted an empty spot and smoothly maneuvered into it.
"Whew! Finally here?"
With a short sigh, I shifted to park and turned off the engine. That's when I noticed a man through the car window.
He looked to be in his early thirties, dressed in a sharp, high-end suit.
The dark navy color accentuated his solid build, and his neatly styled hair reminded me of the protagonist from Kingsman.
"Pleased to meet you."
His sudden greeting made my jaw drop.
The man bowed exactly 90 degrees toward my car, impeccably polite.
I twisted around, wondering if there was another car behind me, but the spot was empty.
With puzzled eyes, I slowly got out, and he straightened up.
"Hello. I'm Jin Hyeong-o."
Jin Hyeong-o, secretary for Yeoksan Group.
We'd only spoken a few times over the phone, so this was our first in-person meeting.
His calm yet authoritative voice from calls matched his impression perfectly.
"Oh!? Didn't you say you couldn't make it?"
"My schedule opened up suddenly, so I thought I'd meet Haeseong while I had the chance. I was waiting. Did I startle you?"
He had a very masculine vibe, with sharply defined features like a sculpture.
Up close, his presence was even stronger than I'd imagined from our calls.
"Ah... I see. You should've told me ahead of time—I wouldn't have been so surprised. Sorry for not recognizing you."
"Haha! I planned to give you a little shock, but you were more startled than I thought. My apologies."
"No, no."
"Kim Sejin is waiting inside the café anyway. Shall we go in?"
"Sure."
I quickly wrapped up the awkward greeting with Jin Hyeong-o and headed into the café alone.
There were a few customers inside, most sipping coffee and chatting.
And.
Among them, a woman sitting alone caught my eye.
The moment I saw her, instinct told me she was Kim Sejin.
She sat by the window, a half-drunk cup of coffee on the table.
I took a breath and approached the woman who seemed to be Kim Sejin.
"Hello. I'm Han Haeseong, the one you were supposed to meet."
I greeted her cautiously.
Then, Kim Sejin stared at my face like she'd frozen, her eyes widening hugely, lips trembling.
"...?!"
She looked like she'd seen a ghost.
Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, I stammered.
"Wh-what's wrong!?"
Kim Sejin didn't answer, curling up instead.
Her shoulders trembled faintly, hands clenched tight, wrapped in anxiety.
Finally, fixing her gaze on me, she forced her mouth open.
"You're... Soeun's boyfriend, aren't you...?"