The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess - Chapter 94



094 – Suddenly a Mafia Game Vibe # 1

094 – Suddenly a Mafia Game Vibe # 1

“Ha Nam-jin, what the hell are you wearing.”

The moment she met me, Seo Ga-eul, with narrowed eyes, expressed her irritation.

It was like someone who, charmed by the plumpness of a bumblebee’s backside, absentmindedly stroked it, only to get stung by a sharp stinger.

“Weren’t you the kind of person who hated these parties and banquets?”

“No, I never said I hated them. It’s good to have a lot of people.”

There was a time when I wished there was someone, anyone, next to me to chat with. I’m still the same as I was back then.

Having someone by my side is a tremendously joyous thing!

“So, what the heck is with that look?”

At Seo Ga-eul’s question, I paused for a moment.

Because I knew exactly what she was trying to say.

That my appearance was odd, probably.

Usually, I’d cut my own hair while looking in a mirror. Not only could I style my looks the way I wanted, but I could also save money on going to a salon.

That’s how a wise man lives.

“But they kept stopping me from entering the banquet hall.”

The staff at this party kept denying me entry because my attire and appearance were inadequate, so I had no choice but to buy banquet attire at a nearby department store using my precious money.

Buying clothes that I can’t even eat.

And what’s more, a suit that would get you called crazy in a ruined world!

Just that alone, the value of hundreds of food packets flew away in an instant.

Then the staff messed with my hair, doing whatever they wanted, and I was even more unhappy with myself because I hated the style they gave me.

So I was just looking at books when I saw Seo Gaeul. She was wearing a black dress like an actress attending an awards ceremony, and she looked good, maybe because she just carried it well.

Even the way she wore those strappy sandals made her look like a goddess at Thetis’s wedding.

From noble mtl dot com

“So you like the milk jug, huh. But…”

*Sniff sniff-*

I sniffed Seo Gaeul.

She had a sour smell.

“What’s that? Did you not shower?”

“What?! Seriously! Ugh, this is stressful.”

“No, you’re not supposed to smell because of that ‘Proper Lady’ thing. Who were you talking to before you talked to me?”

“Me? Ahn Yuri… no, why should I tell *you*?”

*Swish-*

Seo Gaeul turned her head and walked away.

For some reason, Seo Gaeul had been angry ever since she met me at the party. Even when I looked at it with the concept of ’emotions’, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.

Maybe she just didn’t want to be here.

Politicians and celebrities coming to take photos and laugh all fake and friendly- it must’ve reminded her of the party she held before she got kidnapped.

“Ha-nam-jjin! What are you doing there!”

Someone came running at me, *da-dat-*

The dark blue cheongsam dress was so bizarre that I thought someone ordered delivery from a fancy Chinese restaurant, but then I realized it was Bbangdaengi.

“Bbangdaengi, did you get a job as a Chinese delivery driver? What’s with the outfit?”

“Nuh-uh, no! This is a dress my mom lent me! Because they said we have to wear dresses, but I didn’t have one… Anyway! Don’t just stand there, come here!”

*Swish-*

Bbangdaengi grabbed my arm and pulled me.

She finally let out a relieved *huh-* when we got to a less crowded hallway.

Then she straightened her index finger and started talking, like a cousin trying to scold her younger sibling.

“If you just stand there all vulnerable like that, you’re going to get done in by the girls! There are wicked she-devils all over this party, you have to be careful!”

`Name : Baek Yeo-ul`

`Possesses : ＜＜Misfortune Lv.3＞＞ – Unlucky as a winter raven’s cry.`

`Status : ＜＜Vigilant＞＞ – Wary of all the girls around!`

What are Baek Yeoul’s “wicked b*tches” all about?

Could she be talking about users of “Witch Weed?” “Witch Weed” is like a ginseng root that only female Awakeners can take, and its effects are insane.

They say female Awakeners who take it really go wild!

That’s why it’s called “Witch Weed.”

It grants a burst of strong power, but the side effects are nasty too.

Addiction, delirium, and a sour body odor are all part of the package.

Wasn’t “Witch Weed” all the rage during the end-of-the-century when Awakeners were fighting deathmatches for each other’s concept stones, right after that super-shady cult called “Witch Cult” popped up?

We’re past that now, but it’s still good to be wary.

Actually, I’ve seen some suspicious-looking folks with my own eyes.

I just haven’t been letting on.

# # #

The instant Baek Yeoul saw Ha Namjin, it was like her hair stood straight up.

It was because he’d spruced himself up.

‘No way!’

Baek Yeoul didn’t want Ha Namjin to get handsome.

She also didn’t want him to become an even more amazing person, catching the eyes of women.

‘Because, if Ha Namjin gets handsome or richer, it’ll look like I like him for that, y’know!’

If Baek Yeoul liked Ha Namjin, it wasn’t because he was a hot shot or had a pretty decent-looking face once he cleaned up.

Baek Yeoul thought she was the only one who knew how great Ha Namjin was.

Even when other women laughed and mocked him, Baek Yeoul knew more than ten good things about him.

But now, just because he slicked back his hair, wiped the dirt off his face, and put on some nice clothes, these women were throwing themselves at a guy they’d never even given a second thought to before.

There’s no way those women could love properly.

Ha Namjin needed to find a woman who would look deeper inside him and truly love him.

Someone like her, for example…

“Hey!”

“Heeey-“

Just then, a few women approached Ha Namjin and Baek Yeoul. They gave Baek Yeoul a quick up-and-down scan, and then flashed confident smiles.

“We need to find a restroom, but we can’t find it…”

“I need to call a friend, but my phone battery died. Would you mind if I borrowed your phone for a sec…”

Wicked b*tches.

“If you gotta pee, just go anywhere! And use my phone!”

Baek Yeoul, feeling the need to protect Hanamjin, growled out loudly—though the women just snorted.

“Who’s this?”

“Is she cosplaying a game character?”

Baek Yeoul felt a surge of impatience.

Then, *thwack*, the stage in the banquet hall lit up and someone appeared. A man with a tall frame, pale skin, and chilling eyes.

“I’d like to thank all the honored guests who have arrived. And I’ll skip the long, twenty-line speech that follows, so if you don’t want to hear annoying drivel, please take your seats.”

Baek Yeoul sat at a round table.

The chaotic atmosphere instantly subsided. Baek Yeoul felt a tension from the charisma of that man on stage, named ‘Nambada.’

On the one hand, she realized that everyone here was an Awakened like her, and that this banquet wasn’t just a social gathering.

It was a gathering to subjugate her cousin, Nam Woo-joo.

He had become a ‘Star’s’ Demon.

“…”

Baek Yeoul still couldn’t believe that her cousin, Nam Woo-joo, was flickering with starlight in his eyes, trying to harm people in the dark depths of the Great Labyrinth.

So, she went to the bathroom to clear her head, but a woman who seemed to be fixing her makeup at the sink quickly shoved something into her bag, then snapped at her.

“What, who are you?”

“I-I’m Baek Yeoul…uh…”

“Not that, I’m saying why are you here right before the event starts? And why is your hair dyed such a loud color? And what’s with those clothes, are you cosplaying?”

“…I’m not cosplaying…”

“Geez, even if they mostly took volunteers, how can they put someone this low-grade on the subjugation team?”

Only after the woman stormed out of the bathroom, having said her piece, could Baek Yeoul let out a sigh.

A sudden wave of criticism brought tears pricking at her eyes.

“Seriously! What a b*tch!”

But she couldn’t show her crying face to people.

So, after splashing her face with cold water at the sink and returning to the banquet hall, a man clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Instead of just standing around, how about we take a picture first?”

It was Yoo Do-kwan, the opposition party leader. Flanking him, members of the National Assembly and Ministers, from both sides of the aisle, nodded in agreement.

“Pictures are important.”

“In the end, all that’s left are pictures anyway.”

The sight of it made Baek Yeo-ul feel sad and angry, like her own brother was being politically exploited by greedy adults.

She didn’t even feel like taking pictures.

Then, Ha Nam-jin rose from his seat and spoke.

“We didn’t gather for some happy occasion, so why would we take a damn memorial portrait?”

“What? A… memorial portrait? Young man, your words are harsh! We’re just trying to commemorate the fact that we have this opportunity! Frankly speaking, we’re the ones who funded this subjugation force!”

“Councilman, are you trying to take credit for giving some measly sum of money in front of the people who will be risking their lives? And isn’t that money just taxes, anyway?”

“What? You, you b*stard….”

Yoo Do-gwan’s face flushed red.

“I’m not really into pictures either.”

Soon, a woman with her hair elegantly pulled back stood up abruptly. Baek Yeo-ul looked at the woman’s face. It was the woman she had met in the bathroom earlier.

“From now on, everyone who is not a part of the subjugation force, please leave?”

She was Ahn Yu-ri, the one who was being considered as the vice-commander of the subjugation force. She was known for not holding back when she had something to say and was popular with many people.

Even for Yoo Do-gwan, arguing with her wouldn’t look good. It would highly likely cost him votes from young women in the next presidential election.

Ahem—as Yoo Do-gwan only cleared his throat, Nam Bada, who was holding the microphone, spoke.

“Council members, let’s skip the photos. And from now on, anyone who is not a member of the subjugation force must leave this venue.”

At Nam Bada’s words, the organizer of the event, Yoo Do-gwan and the ministers muttered a few things before they had no choice but to leave.

Some Awakened Ones snickered at the sight. Although they didn’t show it, they were all displeased with politicians trying to secure their own interests before a dangerous operation.

That was how only the Awakened Ones were left in the hall.

There were about twenty of them.

There were many well-known Awakened Ones such as Moon Hyeon-ah of 「Gate」, Ahn Yu-ri of 「Tracker」, and Jeon Su-ho of 「Guardian」, and many unfamiliar faces as well.

But it was clear that everyone was skilled and powerful.

The same went for the students who hadn’t even graduated yet.

Not to mention Ha Nam-jin, who had achieved greater accomplishments than most active duty soldiers. Seo Ga-eul, who had subjugated a demon of conquest, and Wang Ja-hyeon, who possessed a unique concept, were all formidable individuals.

‘…Am I really qualified to be here? Am I not qualified, like Ahn Yu-ri said?’

Baek Yeo-ul felt unusually pathetic.

Everyone else had come in stylish suits and party dresses, while she was the only one wearing a distinctive cheongsam. She thought she looked like an ugly duckling, but she couldn’t withdraw from the subjugation force.

It might be the last chance to see her cousin brother.

Then, someone opened their mouth.

It was Jeon Su-ho, a man of a large build with rough stubble, who looked to be in his mid to late thirties.

“I’m the oldest here and have the most operational experience, so I’ll take the lead. Forming the subjugation force is good, but you know. Doesn’t it feel like we’ve just gathered a chaotic mess?”

Colonel Jeon Suho.

Everyone nodded, listening to the story of the man who had accomplished just as much as Brigadier General Nam Woo-joo.

Jeon Suho continued.

“Nam Bada, I know you picked mainly volunteers for this subjugation team, but it might be good to weed out the riff-raff a bit. There are still students who are minors.”

His words meant some of the twenty awakeners would have to be cut. As everyone nodded in agreement, Baek Yeo-ul was sure she would be the one to go.

Then, Ha Nam-jin, who had been silent, spoke up.

“What the old man says is right.”

“What, old man? Ha, look at this guy. I’m only twenty-eight, you punk! And why the hell are you the vice-commander instead of me? Nam Bada won’t be doing the actual work, so you’re practically the leader!”

Jeon Suho frowned, dumbfounded. From the start, he didn’t understand why he wasn’t the vice-commander.

But the boy wasn’t done.

“First, we need to root out the mole from inside. If we go like this, we’re all gonna die.”

“Mole?”

“A mole, you say?”

People started to murmur.

Baek Yeo-ul was also greatly startled by Ha Nam-jin’s words.

A traitor? What was he talking about?

Then, Ha Nam-jin winked at Baek Yeo-ul.

“Bbangdaeng, you’re lucky. Just like you said, there really was a wicked b*tch at the banquet! A b*tch who smelled sour.”

“Huh… !?”

“The answer is you! Ahn Yu-ri!”

“Me?”

Ahn Yu-ri, with her pure white silver hair, crossed her arms.

The women sitting around her immediately flared up, saying things like, “What’s he talking about?” and “Why the sudden provocation?” even Jeon Suho jumped up and shouted.

“You! What the hell are you saying! Yuri is my comrade! She’s a junior I’ve known for years, how can you accuse her like that! Why do you think Ahn Yu-ri is a mole?!”

“I’m saying it because I’m confident. Ahn Yu-ri, you’re a ‘Witch’s Weed’ user, aren’t you? Are you perhaps a member of the ‘Witch Cult’? Those guys who kill awakeners, steal their concept stones, or turn them into slaves.”

“Ha, seriously, what the hell are you talking about. Are you drunk? What’s a witch? Ha Nam-jin, I heard you were a hotshot junior but you’re way too cocky. You didn’t even graduate from Youngsa High, some nobody, and you’re coming at me?”

Ahn Yu-ri’s face and neck flushed, as if she was truly angry.

But Ha Nam-jin’s bizarre story wasn’t over yet.

“If the smell’s this strong, it’s not just from trying it a couple of times out of curiosity. Tie this woman to a pillar and wait half a day. She’ll definitely go through ‘Witch’s Weed’ withdrawal.”

“Hey, are you sure about this? How the hell are you gonna handle the aftermath?”

“I’d bet both my balls that you’re the rat, Ahn Yu-ri. If you’re so confident, why don’t you come at me head-on!”