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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 9: Are You a Fool? (4)
“Arghhh!”
Cha Woo-jae jolted up, practically convulsing. Although Su-Hyuk had called it "support," it was essentially extortion.
"Skip the internship period, and if it's a gate with fewer than 10 people, I’d like 30% of the mana stones we collect. Oh, and my lease expired while I was hospitalized—I'd like a place to stay, too."
“This punk, seriously?”
“If you don’t like it, no deal.”
Woo-jae knew all too well that Su-Hyuk was eager to keep him on board. Otherwise, there was no way he'd make such bold demands.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Feels like I could push for even more…”
“Keep that to yourself, you punk! But, there’ll be conditions.”
In exchange for agreeing to Su-Hyuk’s terms, Woo-jae added two conditions of his own.
“First, you’ve never set foot in a dungeon. Second, skipping a year of internship is out of the question—let’s agree on three months.”
“Given how much you’re doing for me, I’ll stay quiet. But, are you sure you’re okay with the paperwork and all that?”
“Worry about your own problems. I’m Cha Woo-jae.”
“Yeah, good point.”
“People would talk if some rookie not even rated 3-star skips an internship.”
Woo-jae’s real goal was to keep Su-Hyuk within his line of sight, under close supervision. He didn’t want Su-Hyuk drawing attention from the start.
Still, if Su-Hyuk had pressed harder, there wouldn’t have been much he could do. Thankfully, Su-Hyuk was rational, maybe even suspiciously so.
“Understood. I’ll comply.”
“Head back to your room—I’ll send someone to you soon.”
And with that, their negotiation concluded smoothly. Woo-jae, now sitting with his legs crossed, took a puff from his e-cigarette.
“So, what’s the verdict?”
“Luna’s Mirror? Doesn’t seem like he was lying.”
Behind what looked like a solid wall was another mirror. More like a piece of glass, this mirror could reveal whether the speaker on the other side was telling the truth.
Although the item wasn’t of high rank, it was rare and valuable because it had no limit on usage.
“Hmm…”
However, Luna’s Mirror wasn’t infallible. It could only verify if someone believed they were telling the truth, making it easy to pass if the speaker was misinformed or gave vague answers.
“No way, he couldn’t have manipulated his response that precisely, right?”
Woo-jae shook his head, dismissing the idea as overly paranoid.
“Either way, he’s hiding something. Even if he isn’t, he’s my only link to the master, so there’s bound to be something.”
Whether Su-Hyuk was an enemy or not remained unclear, but if he was even remotely connected to Kim Do-jin’s disappearance...
“I’ll kill him.”
Woo-jae’s eyes grew cold as he removed the e-cigarette from his mouth.
***
“Ow, my body…”
Having gotten up from bed for the first time in a while and still on edge, his muscles ached. He trudged down the hall.
“Didn’t think he’d actually approve my housing request.”
It had been a gamble, but since he’d agreed, Su-Hyuk must really want him around. Of course, now that he’d received the benefits, he had to be mindful of his actions.
“They wouldn’t have given this for no reason.”
It was clear they’d be keeping an eye on me, considering what they were giving. Still, no matter the circumstances, thanks to Cha Woo-jae, my housing situation after discharge was taken care of.
I ended up staying in the hospital for about a week longer. It was originally supposed to be two weeks, but thanks to the blood transfusion, my recovery sped up dramatically, and they were already talking about discharging me earlier than planned.
When the doctor suggested I undergo a few last tests, I complied without protest.
"It does seem like overkill, but hey, it's not coming out of my pocket."
It’s not like hospitals usually put discharging patients through this many tests. Woo-jae’s influence had to be behind it.
“Yawn, I’m exhausted.”
I yawned as I returned to my room, only to hear Min-Ah’s voice as soon as I opened the door.
“Oh, Oppa!”
“What? Why are you here so early?”
“Yeon-Su unnie gave me a ride.”
“Unnie?”
“Yeah, that’s what she told me to call her. But, seriously, Oppa, is it true? You’re joining the Cheong-Yeong Guild? That’s amazing!”
Oh Yeon-Su was seated on the sofa inside. We exchanged polite nods of acknowledgment.
"Damn, playing it this way?"
I hadn’t mentioned the Cheong-Yeong Guild to Min-Ah on purpose. I knew I couldn’t hide it forever, but I’d hoped to keep it under wraps for a while longer. It’s one thing if I’d gotten in solely on merit, but honestly, it’s more like I’d taken a shortcut.
“Yeah, that’s what happened.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me earlier!”
“I only confirmed it yesterday. I was going to tell you once it was settled. Hey, go grab us some coffee, will you? Here, take this…”
“Oh, use this instead,”
Yeon-Su interrupted, handing a card to Min-Ah. After a moment of hesitation, she took it.
“I’ll have one too, please.”
“I can pay for coffee, at least!”
“It’s fine; it’s a guild card anyway.”
“See? It’s company money. Get something nice!”
“Ugh, Oppa, you have no shame!”
Min-Ah grumbled as she left the room, firmly shutting the door behind her. I turned back to Yeon-Su.
“So, are you holding her hostage? This isn’t going to end well for you.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Mistaken, am I…?”
I stepped closer to Yeon-Su. Sure, she was a member of Cha Woo-jae’s team and clearly way above me in terms of level. But still…
"Outside of the Otherworld, we're just humans."
After so many regressions, maybe I’d just lost my sense of fear.
If nothing else—
“If you touch Min-Ah, I won’t stand by.”
“Su-Hyuk, I assure you, your sister won’t be harmed, regardless of what happens to you. You have my word on that.”
“What makes you think I’d trust you?”
Other than Min-Ah, there wasn’t anyone I trusted. Every regression lasted just a single day, but those days added up.
A single day’s bond might build up to one lasting a hundred days, but no matter how much time passed, they would never remember me. Treating them as NPCs was easier. Even now, knowing the regressions had ended, that habit didn’t go away easily.
“Hah, you… You weren’t aware when you mentioned your sister?”
Despite my sharp gaze, Yeon-Su responded with a calm, almost pitying look.
“What are you implying?”
“I guess you really didn’t know.”
"Huh?"
"Team Leader Cha probably assumed you already knew, so it might be good to clarify things with him later."
"So... what exactly do you mean?"
"Team Leader Cha's younger brother had the same illness as your sister."
"...Ah."
It was the first I’d heard of it. During the repeated regressions, I’d heard about Kim Do-Jin’s disciple, but never about the specifics of their past. And I’d only now learned Cha Woo-Jae even had a younger brother.
“What happened to him?”
Cha Woo-Jae had to be making good money. Someone of his rank in a guild would not only have plenty of cash but also access to rare treatments and items money can’t always buy. I couldn’t imagine his brother had struggled for care the way Min-Ah was.
"Ten years ago… he passed away."
“Ah, I brought it up needlessly. I apologize.”
“It’s fine. Since Team Leader thought you knew about his brother, he wouldn’t take offense. He's not heartless, you know—at least, as long as you don’t do anything suspicious.”
That ‘as long as’ was a bit of a caveat, but it was still reassuring. Both during my time looping and now, Min-Ah had always been my greatest worry.
Whether I trusted Cha Woo-Jae or Oh Yeon-Su was a separate issue, but I couldn’t deny the slight relief of knowing they weren’t out to hurt her.
While I stayed quiet, Oh Yeon-Su pulled out her phone, checking something.
“They’re saying you’re cleared for discharge.”
“What kind of doctor tells a third party before the patient?”
“This room costs ten million won a day, and you haven’t paid a cent. You might as well assume you’ve got no rights while you’re here.”
With that logic, I couldn’t really argue. Just then, Min-Ah returned with coffee and cake. She placed the cake down and started chatting away with Yeon-Su, almost like they were close. Watching them, I felt a weird pang of isolation.
“I’m getting discharged tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s great news!”
“Yeah. You’re starting winter break tomorrow too, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh. But, well... I’ll just be in the dorm.”
I figured as much. I’d bet anything her dorm room was nicer than my cramped studio apartment. Plus, it’d be less uncomfortable for her.
“Why stay in the dorm? Just come home.”
"I’m just going to study there."
"You can study at home! What, is your dorm coated in honey or something?"
“Why are you getting so worked up? You haven’t even paid your rent, and you want to act all high and mighty? Anyway, drop it! I’ll handle it myself!”
Seriously, where did she get that stubborn streak from? Watching her face flush in irritation, I glanced over at Yeon-Su.
Hey, don’t just watch—help me out a little here.
Thankfully, my silent plea seemed to get through to her, as Yeon-Su spoke up.
"Don’t worry, Min-Ah. The guild has covered all the back rent."
I knew it actually came out of Cha Woo-Jae’s personal funds. Just my luck to know a rich guy who barely notices the expense. Damn, must be nice.
"Huh?"
"It’s all part of the guild’s employee benefits. We’ve also secured a company residence for you two."
"You're not joking, right?"
"Have you ever seen Cheong-Yeong Guild joke about something?"
“Even so… my brother doesn’t exactly have anything to offer. Why would the guild make an investment like this?”
Of all the things to be surprised about! I looked at Min-Ah, dumbfounded.
Luckily, Oh Yeon-Su had good intuition.
“He has plenty to offer. The guild assessed him on his achievements, so there’s no need to worry.”
"Yeah, I get that, but... Oppa, you didn’t sign away your organs or anything to get in, right?"
I choked. “What… What kind of thing is that to say?”
Wow. Only my sister would jump to that conclusion. Paranoid little thing. Not easy to deal with at all.
"The Cheong-Yeong Guild isn’t some small convenience store. There’s no way they’d go out of their way to take care of you like this! If it's something shady, just say the word—I don’t need any of it, money or otherwise.”
“Who said you get to decide that?”
“Shut up, will you?”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Jeez, telling me to shut up—isn’t that going a bit far? I pursed my lips, sipping my coffee, clearly sulking. Oh Yeon-Su shot me a look, silently asking what to do, and I subtly gestured to just answer straightforwardly.
Sigh. "Su-Hyuk here is being privately supported by Team Leader Cha."
“Team Leader… Wait, you mean Cha Woo-Jae? Why?”
"Because he has talent."
“But…”
"Min-Ah, just your monthly immune suppression medication alone costs over ten million won. And the school you’re attending isn’t exactly cheap, either, is it?”
“…”
“Su-Hyuk may only be a 2-star Awakened, but his log in the Otherworld records is exceptionally impressive for a freelancer. You know he's the only survivor from his last Otherworld expedition, right?”
“Yes.”
“If it was just luck, or if he didn’t have the skills, he wouldn’t have made it back alive. It’s touching that you’re looking out for him because he’s family, but this is the reality we’re in. Do you understand a little better now?”
Hmm. I don't even really know how I managed to survive out there.
The way she’s hyping me up is honestly kind of unnerving.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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