Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: How to Be a Jerk
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“What?”
Greatly flustered, Haon faltered, but straightened up when Juyeol kicked the back of her heel.
“Wh-why do you need my escort's identity? Everyone else just went right in.”
“That's because no one else is covering their face.”
“Ah.”
Haon almost instinctively turned to look at Juyeol, but quickly forced her gaze forward.
Even through her sunglasses, she could feel a piercing stare.
*Rolling your eyes around will only make you more suspicious*, he had said.
*So you should act like a complete scoundrel instead.*
‘…How exactly do I act like a complete scoundrel?’
Her mind racing, Haon recalled a list of unbearable scoundrels she had known.
The one who tried to steal someone else's research and then had the audacity to get angry when caught.
The one who said that women in STEM were supposed to date all the guys in their department in turns.
The one who borrowed an out-of-print book, claimed to have lost it, and then sold it online for a premium.
Among them, the one she wanted to interact with the least was definitely…
Remembering a particularly lecherous face, Haon looked at the guard with grim determination.
“What was your name again?”
“Excuse me? It’s Jeongjin.”
“Right, Jeongjin. You might be young now, but you won't be young forever.”
“…Excuse me?”
“If you want a good evaluation, you should be bringing coffee to the lab and trying to act all cute.”
The guard’s face went white as he glanced around.
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
Seeing the same reaction she once had, Haon was convinced things were going well.
“Are you planning on leaving this field? We'll be seeing a lot of each other. Wouldn't it be nice if we got a little closer?”
“No, I just…”
“And you should wear pretty clothes while you're still young. What's with that outfit? I'll take you somewhere nice next time—”
“Just go in!”
The pale-faced guard flung the door open.
“I'm sorry! Please, just spare my life…!”
“…?”
She was trying to act like a scoundrel, not threaten his life.
Haon gave the terrified guard a puzzled look before smiling with satisfaction.
In any case, she’d managed to get in without revealing Juyeol’s face.
As she stepped into the warehouse, she glanced sideways at him with a *See? I did great, right?* expression. Juyeol muttered, looking unconvinced.
“That’s a pretty innovative assassination method.”
A bewildered Haon was about to ask what he meant when her eyes widened.
Though it looked like a crude warehouse from the outside, the inside was a completely different space.
The exhibition hall, decorated in pristine white, had glistening white fabric draped loosely from the ceiling, making it look something like an outdoor wedding venue.
Rope barriers were set up in front of and behind long white tables, and guards in black suits patrolled slowly.
“If you came here without knowing anything, you’d never think it was an illegal exhibition.”
As Haon murmured in admiration, Juyeol said something completely out of the blue.
“Can’t you use what you did yesterday—making the beaker tougher—on people?”
“Huh? In what way?”
“Like, turning a person into dust.”
Startled, Haon shook her head vigorously.
“You can't directly modify living organisms with Mana Engineering.”
Then, recalling the hypotheses she had formulated about Awakening, she added.
“Of course, ‘Awakening’ here is a modification of the human body by mana… but that seems to be possible only if you absorb mana consistently from the fetal stage.”
“From the fetal stage? Then what about the guys who succeed at forced Awakening as adults?”
“That's why it's a *forced* Awakening, and it leaves side effects, don't you think? I'd love to research it if I get the chance. I'm so curious. Does the mother's constitution have an effect? Or is it exposure to mana after birth—”
As Haon’s eyes began to sparkle with engrossed contemplation, Juyeol’s expression grew increasingly weary.
They passed by what looked like old picture frames, then elegant plates and teacups, before reaching a long display of jewels and accessories.
While the two of them browsed the exhibits and slowly circled the warehouse, they pinpointed the locations of the ceiling CCTVs and the guards.
Just as Haon identified a blind spot in the CCTV coverage, she suddenly flinched and yelped, “Agh!”
A dull noise had abruptly pierced one of her ears.
Hearing an exasperated sigh from above her head, Haon finally realized the noise had come from the earpiece she was wearing.
‘Ah. He must have tapped it to check if there were any signal jammers.’
She raised a hand to her ear in alarm, but Juyeol grabbed it.
“I told you not to act suspicious.”
By the time Juyeol whispered his warning, eyes were already turning their way, and two guards were approaching.
“Is there a problem?”
“No! It's just…”
Startled that they were talking to her, Haon pointed randomly at an exhibit.
“W-woooow…! It's so beautiful! I absolutely love it!”
The guards glanced at the exhibit she was pointing at and exchanged trembling looks.
“Ah, yes. I see.”
“Let us know if you need any assistance.”
Then they departed with unnatural speed.
The gazes that had been fixed on Haon quickly scattered elsewhere.
Though their behavior was strange, Haon breathed a sigh of relief at having averted the crisis and then flinched when she saw the exhibit she had pointed to.
On the beautiful and ornate stone slab, upon which was drawn a blood-red eye, was written in elegant script:
「What are you looking at? Avert your gaze before I gouge them out.」
The description explained it was a piece submitted by a collector of prosthetic eyes from some city.
“The ridiculous things people do.”
Just then, Juyeol let go of her hand, muttering in disbelief.
In her panic, she had been gripping his hand tightly.
Embarrassed, Haon quickly gestured toward a few secluded spots.
They were the CCTV blind spots.
After getting a rough idea of the blind spots leading to the stairs, Juyeol whispered.
“You stay here. Let me know when the guards go up to the second floor.”
“What will you do if you get caught?”
“I’ll handle it. If things get noisy, watch for your chance and slip out. I’m going.”
After a quick scan of the guards’ movements, Juyeol headed for the second floor.
He’d said there was something he needed to check here. He hadn’t specified what, but it seemed to be related to his sister.
Haon tried her best not to look toward the stairs and scanned her surroundings instead.
Since she was in a room full of Villains, she wanted to use this opportunity to gather information about ‘Eun Haon.’
The problem was, she had no idea what ‘Eun Haon’s’ personal relationships were like.
‘…Who should I talk to first?’
If she accidentally spoke to ‘Eun Haon’s’ murderer, there was no telling what might happen.
As she stood there, sweating nervously, someone approached her first.
“Dr. Eun. I thought you said you didn't need an admission ticket.”
“Huh?”
A young woman with a memorable knife scar by her mouth and freckles. It was a face she’d seen on the Villain list.
She was Cue, the boss of a gang that had recently taken over Section 1 of the Old District.
“So you didn't mean you weren't coming, just that you'd get here on your own?”
“S-something like that.”
As Haon nodded, Cue’s gaze traveled up and down, as if observing her.
“Your… taste has changed, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“I heard there was some trouble. Well, it's been a while, so let's at least say hello.”
Cue gestured toward a group of people with a formidable aura.
Haon quickly identified their faces, and a chill ran down her spine.
The large, muscular woman with one arm bared in a sleeveless top was Halla from Section 2.
The man with a mohawk that resembled a rooster's comb was Two-Shot from Section 3.
The middle-aged man in a double-breasted suit and a fedora was Rusty from Section 4.
The middle-aged woman whose entire face was tattooed to look like a skull was Weaver from Section 5.
They were all bosses of the Old District gangs.
‘This is terrifying, but it might be a chance to find out who killed ‘Eun Haon’.’
Steeling herself, Haon followed Cue, and the bosses’ gazes naturally turned toward them.
The sheer pressure they exuded was on a different level from Chacha or the other Villains who had visited her lab.
Haon swallowed dryly and waved her hand.
“L-long time no see.”
Cue let out a short laugh.
“Anyone would think you’re a completely different person.”
“It has been a while, Dr. Eun.”
The gray-bearded Rusty greeted her with a slight tip of his fedora.
Haon was moved. It was the first polite greeting she’d received since falling into this dimension.
To think there was such a gentlemanly Villain.
“Well, well. Dr. Eun. This is a new look for you.”
Two-Shot, standing next to him, also smiled brightly and extended a hand.
‘What’s this? Was she on good terms with the Old District bosses?’
Bewildered, Haon took his hand and shook it.
Weaver and Halla also seemed pleased to see her, lending more credence to her guess.
Cue glanced around at the gathered people and smiled as if amused.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all gathered like this for something other than plotting to kill someone.”
“So, when do you think you’ll be well? You are recovering, I trust?”
“There's an item I absolutely must commission from you, Doctor. I've got plenty of money ready.”
Hearing Rusty and Halla’s words, Haon finally understood.
‘Ah. It seems they have a lot of weapons they want to commission.’
They were being quite friendly because they assumed she would be back to normal soon.
If that was the case, their relationship probably wasn’t that bad to begin with.
‘If she had a decent relationship with the Old District bosses, then no one here would try to kill me out of the blue, right?’
Feeling a bit more relaxed, Haon casually asked Cue.
“By any chance, has anyone been openly saying they want to kill me lately?”
“Hmm. Besides me and Rusty?”
“…?”