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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 12: Become My Disciple (2)
I bowed to Kim Do-jin. Even though it was just a formality, my heart raced. It felt as if I’d truly become his disciple, like I was fulfilling a dream—it was exhilarating.
Riiiing.
The touching moment was broken by my phone ringing. It was Min-Ah calling. I answered quickly, and the nagging began immediately.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m on my way."
I grumbled as I hung up. When I turned around, Kim Do-jin was staring at me. Honestly, even I felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at like that.
"Boss—I mean, Master?"
["Very well."]
"Could you, uh, move aside a bit?"
Even though he was a ghost, he still took up space in my line of sight. My tiny one-room apartment was cramped, and Kim Do-jin was a big guy.
Before I could even finish my sentence, he vanished. I looked around, startled.
"Huh? I just asked you to move, not disappear completely!"
["I’m here. Right here."]
"Where?"
["This little rascal!"]
I lowered my head, and there he was—Kim Do-jin, now the size of my palm. Wow, what was this? He looked just like a miniature figure!
So he could adjust his size… Must be because he’s a ghost. He floated up and perched right on top of my head.
The idea of that big guy sitting on my head felt a bit strange. But, well, he was tiny now, so it was fine.
I pulled out my suitcase and started packing my belongings. When I glanced in the mirror, I couldn’t see Kim Do-jin sitting on my head.
'Wow, he really is visible only to me.'
Not being able to confirm it before, I hadn’t fully realized it, but now it was obvious. I hopped in a taxi and headed to the address Oh Yeon-su had given me.
It was an apartment just a few stops away from Cheongyeong Guild. Talk about benefits. No wonder everyone kept talking about the big companies. It was insane.
The doorbell barely finished ringing before Min-Ah came to greet me…
"Huh?"
"…Why are you still here?"
It was Oh Yeon-su. I had no idea why she was still here. Sensing my suspicion, Oh Yeon-su sighed.
"I’m here because of dinner."
"Dinner?"
Now that she mentioned it, I could smell food. It was a bit early, but it was already evening. Time really flew by. Back when I was stuck in a time loop, it had crawled by so slowly.
"If you think a simple home-cooked meal is enough to—"
"I haven’t cooked in over ten years."
"So how do you even eat?"
"I mostly buy takeout or get delivery."
"You don’t hire a chef or anything?"
Yeon-su scoffed, looking at me as if I were crazy. I slipped off my shoes and stepped inside.
It was a typical high-rise apartment view. The sunset streaming through the curtains was a bit mesmerizing. Yeon-su moved closer.
For a split second, I worried that she might notice my miniature master sitting on my head. Fortunately, she didn’t react at all. It seemed that Mini Master was indeed visible only to me.
"What do you think I am, Su-Hyuk?"
"I was kidding about the chef, but I really did think of you as someone from another world."
"I’m just the same as you."
"Someone who lives off delivery and can’t cook? Is that the kind of person you are?"
Oh Yeon-su nodded. In the past, I might have denied it, but now things were different.
She was right. We were all just people, each doing our best and carrying our own burdens, no matter our place in the world.
"Wait, then who made the…"
"Hey! You packed a bag? What took you all day to get a few things? And you hardly brought anything!"
"Who else? It’s obviously your sister."
Min-Ah ladled out the kimchi stew she’d been simmering on low heat before I arrived. Oh Yeon-su calmly walked over to the dining table.
“Wait…!”
Startled, I reached a hand toward her back. She instinctively swatted it away.
“Oh, sorry. Just a habit.”
“It’s fine.”
Even I had to admit, I’d reached out without much thought. As I awkwardly lowered my head, Yeon-su asked me, "Why, though?"
"Wouldn’t it be better to eat at home?"
"I was going to, but I got dragged into this."
"I doubt my sister’s cooking skills."
We’d lived together before she started high school. She’d tried cooking a few times, but it had been a disaster—exploding rice cooker, burnt pots, you name it.
From the looks and smell of things, it seemed fine, but for all I knew, she might’ve dumped an entire container of salt in there… It’d be a disaster for Yeon-su if she ate that.
Yeon-su blinked. "I helped her taste it earlier, and it seemed fine."
"It’s not like you’ve got a messed-up sense of taste or—hey! Why’d you just kick me!"
"Just because."
“Just because?” Kicking someone just because she’s in a bad mood?
I clutched my stomach where she’d kicked me and looked up.
"Quit complaining and just eat."
"I’m telling you, I warned you!"
If it tastes bad, it’s not my fault, okay? Ignoring me, Yeon-su sat at the table, and I joined Min-Ah.
“Did you really make this? Or did you pick it up from some side-dish store or…”
There she goes. Yeon-su kicked at my feet under the table, but I slid my chair back and avoided it. Ha, I might fall for it once, but not twice.
“What do you mean, ‘picked it up’? I made it all myself!”
“Really?”
“Yes, really! I’m not lying!”
"Why’re you getting so mad?"
“If you don’t know, don’t ask, okay? You don’t need to hang around with idiots, Min-Ah."
"Who’re you calling an idio… Sigh. Thanks."
I turned away and picked up my chopsticks, grabbing a side dish. It didn’t taste like she’d poured a whole container of salt in it, so it was edible. Just a simple home-cooked meal. Neither great nor terrible.
"Sit up straight while you eat. What’s that posture?"
"My injury hasn’t healed yet, so this is just more comfortable!"
I twisted my body and ate, giving a flimsy excuse. I really couldn’t bear to look her in the face.
[Aren’t you and your sister close?]
Mini Master’s voice came from above my head.
‘Close? I’m just putting up with her.’
[Family is like that.]
‘What do you mean— Wait, you can hear me?’
How did he hear my thoughts?
"Master, you can’t just read someone’s private thoughts!"
Even for him, that felt like an invasion of privacy.
["It’s you who’s talking to me in your head, nothing more."]
At Kim Do-jin’s clarification, I sighed in relief. He only heard me because I was addressing him in my mind.
I really thought he could hear everything, and it freaked me out. No matter how close we were, some boundaries had to stay intact.
After quickly finishing one bowl of rice, I went for seconds. When we were done eating, I helped with the cleanup.
We didn’t talk much. Back when I was trapped in the time loop, I’d seen Min-Ah’s routines so many times that conversation came naturally. But this was how it was supposed to be—just the usual silence.
“Did Yeon-su leave?”
“No, she went into that room over there.”
“Thanks.”
Wait, that was my room. Why she thought she could just go in there was beyond me. I grabbed my suitcase from the living room and opened the door. It wasn’t even locked.
"Didn’t anyone teach you to knock before entering a woman’s room?"
"It’s my room."
Oh Yeon-su was sitting on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, smoking an e-cigarette. I glanced around the room.
"Did you plant a listening device in here or something?"
"Watched a lot of dramas in the hospital, did you? Why would I do that?"
She turned her head slowly.
"I don’t need to; I already know exactly what you’re up to. Want an hourly report?"
"I figured I’d be monitored, but that’s a bit much."
"If you didn’t like it, you should’ve joined the Elden Clan. Not that you were ever serious about that."
She knew I’d only mentioned the Elden Clan as a bluff.
"Our Team Leader Cha won’t hesitate when it comes to things involving CEO Kim. How you knew that about him, I don’t know."
"…"
"I don’t dislike CEO Kim, either. But staking your life is a whole other matter."
"So who would you stake your life for, Yeon-su?"
"Who else?"
I’d heard that Team Leader Cha’s team was unusually close. Judging by her attitude, it seemed to go even deeper than I thought.
"So, it’d be wise not to do anything that might anger Team Leader Cha."
"That won’t happen. He’s my benefactor."
"That’s funny, coming from someone who tried so hard to milk him for all he’s worth."
"Well, I didn’t expect him to be so generous. Team Leader’s softer than he looks."
Honestly, I meant it. With a personality like his, how has he avoided getting scammed all this time? Then again, people probably don’t dare try it on him, just by looking at him.
"I won’t do anything to bother him. I owe him too much."
Ever since Kim Do-jin made his proposal, I’d been mulling over my next steps. Figuring out the traitor could be even harder than eliminating all seven disciples.
If even Kim Do-jin didn’t know who the traitor was, it would be risky to announce myself as his hidden disciple.
For now, Kim Do-jin was only visible to me because I had the watch. Just handing over the watch wouldn’t necessarily make him appear to others. And even if I claimed to be his disciple, no one would believe me.
Someday, I would have to reveal myself—but that time wasn’t now.
First, I needed to earn the trust of all seven disciples.
It wouldn’t be an easy task, but it was certainly worth aiming for. Luckily, I’d already gotten entangled with Cha Woo-jae even before starting.
Whether I liked it or not, Cha Woo-jae was the first person I’d need to bring to my side. And to do that, I needed to stay on Oh Yeon-su’s good side. She was practically Cha Woo-jae’s right hand, meaning her words likely had a big impact on him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Out of nowhere?”
At my sudden apology, Oh Yeon-su flinched, looking a bit caught off guard. It was probably out of the blue to her, but I didn’t say it without reason. In fact, this was why I’d sought her out in the first place.
“You mentioned you hadn’t cooked in over ten years, but because of Min-Ah, you broke that streak.”
“…”
“And… thank you.”
Sure, Min-Ah might not be blowing up rice cookers like she used to, but how skilled could a high schooler’s cooking really be?
I realized it while eating her rolled omelets—some were cut neatly, while others were sliced haphazardly. It was clear who’d stepped in to help.
Oh Yeon-su slowly rose from the bed.
“It’s fine. I actually had fun, for the first time in a while.”
“I thought you didn’t like cooking.”
“I don’t.”
“But you said you usually buy food or order in.”
“Only because I’m busy.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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