Chapter 78

After exiting the alley, I entered the bustling downtown area.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Suddenly, there are so many people.

【Handsome Licker】—We’re near Apgujeong Station. The alley we just passed through was weird. *Lick*.

【Min Ji】—This neighborhood is usually crowded.

【Yoho】—Don’t act like you know everything. Haha.

【Min Ji】—Okay.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】—Se-hoon got quiet again because of the crowd. LOL.

【Maehwa Tree】—He’s surprisingly shy.

【Balloon Gum Collector】—Wow! Shy boy!

【Maid】—Shy boy!

【Drifting AI】—I’ll say it. Are you SCP-096?

【Qkrnfl892】—What are you talking about?

It was natural to be cautious. If I walked around with a camera, muttering to myself, people would naturally stare. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened on the subway earlier.

‘But I can’t keep communicating through chat… I’ll have to speak as quietly as possible.’

I pressed the camera close to my face and spoke in a low voice.

“Wow. The foot traffic here is insane.”

【Handsome Licker】—? What did you just say? Couldn’t hear. *Lick*.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】—I couldn’t hear either. LOL.

【Yoho】—Isn’t this the first time the Room Master is being cautious?

【Min Ji】—Yep. Not the first time.

【Yoho】—Okay.

【Qkrnfl892】—LOL Se-hoon is so cute.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Speak louder, damn it!

“There are a lot of people.”

【Yoho】—He said there are a lot of people.

【Min Ji】—He said there are a lot of people. Haha.

【Jujijoa】—We heard it too, idiots.

【Maehwa Tree】—But the passersby keep looking at Se-hoon.

【Reverse Rape Mania】—Yeah, a lot of people are glancing at him.

【Drifting AI】—I’ll say it. It’s weird not to look at him.

【Balloon Gum Collector】—Wow! Popular guy!

【Maid】—Wow!

I could feel the stares too. No one was looking directly, but many were glancing at me from the corner of their eyes.

“They don’t usually stare this much… Is it because I’m holding a camera today?”

【Maehwa Tree】—It would’ve been the same even without the camera.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】—For real. LOL.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—No, they’re staring because you’re holding a camera. People aren’t that interested in others. They don’t stare just because someone’s handsome.

【Jujijoa】—Guburi’s right. I don’t look at people’s faces when I walk around.

【Handsome Licker】—I stare at handsome people like crazy. *Lick*.

【Qkrnfl892】—Me too. LOL.

【Reverse Rape Mania】—I don’t stare. I’m afraid they’ll accuse me of visual assault. LOL.

Why were people staring at me? Opinions were divided. It was a pointless debate.

【Min Ji】—Maybe they recognize Se-hoon.

“That’s not it. If they recognized me, they would’ve said something.”

【Yoho】—They’re probably still unsure. They’ll swarm you soon.

【Min Ji】—Right. They’ll come like zombies asking for photos.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】—Stop it, you crazy girls. LOL.

【Qkrnfl892】—Isn’t that just teasing?

【Maehwa Tree】—Looking at it, it seems like they’re idolizing Se-hoon.

【Jujijoa】—Exactly. It’s not like they’re fanatics.

【Handsome Licker】—To them, Se-hoon is like a religion. *Lick*.

【Reverse Rape Mania】—Se-hoon is a religion. My mom and I believe in Se-hoonism.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—What the hell is Se-hoonism? Damn it.

Contrary to Yoho and Min Ji’s concerns, people just kept glancing at me. No one asked for photos or approached me.

【Drifting AI】—I’ll explain why people are staring at Gye Se-hoon. 1) The camera draws attention. 2) After seeing the camera, they naturally check the face. 3) He’s handsome, so they keep glancing. It’s not because they recognize him.

I agreed with Drifting. When walking around, people rarely check others’ faces. If I weren’t holding a camera, I wouldn’t have gotten this much attention.

【Maehwa Tree】—I’ll summarize. 1) He’s just handsome, so they stare.

【Jujijoa】—Next?

【Maehwa Tree】—That’s it.

Well, I couldn’t deny Maehwa’s opinion. Some might be staring for that reason. Everyone has different tendencies.

【Min Ji】—I’ll summarize too!

【Yoho】—Don’t.

Anyway, it was a relief that no one, like the boy on the subway, asked for an autograph thinking I was a celebrity. The constant stares were still uncomfortable, but not unbearable. They were just curious glances.

Since it wasn’t unpleasant, I decided to ignore them and keep walking.

—

While strolling through the city, ignoring the stares, Guburi’s chat caught my eye.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—So, what now?

【Qkrnfl892】—Aren’t we just walking around? You said you’d show us around Seoul.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—We’re not cavemen. Why would we tour Seoul?

“…Guburi, is the broadcast not fun?”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Yeah, it’s boring as hell. How is it fun to just walk around?

【Handsome Licker】—It’s not just walking around, it’s exploring. *Lick*.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—What the hell? It’s the same thing.

【Yoho】—I’m having fun. If you’re not, leave.

【Min Ji】—Right. Leave. -_-

【Balloon Gum Collector】—Wow! Guburi has a lot of complaints!

【Maid】—A lot!

【Reverse Rape Mania】—You should be grateful we’re even broadcasting. You’re so ungrateful.

【Qkrnfl892】—For real. LOL. A top-tier handsome guy is showing his face, why complain?

【Se-hoon Defense Team】—Top-tier handsome? No, I’m dimension-tier.

【Maehwa Tree】—And his looks are addictive.

【Jujijoa】—It never gets old.

【Drifting AI】—I’ll say it. Gye Se-hoon’s eyes are abnormally attractive.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Stop idolizing him, you idiots. Gye Se-hoon’s getting spoiled.

I understood Guburi’s feelings. If I were a viewer, I’d find a broadcast of just walking around boring too. I decided to accept the criticism humbly.

“Hmm… Thinking about it, Guburi’s right. We’ve just been walking around without doing anything.”

【Yoho】—?

【Min Ji】—??

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Yeah, let’s go eat lunch or something. At least let’s watch a mukbang.

“Fine. It’s a bit early, but we don’t have anything else to do.”

【Handsome Licker】—What? I thought Guburi would get banned. *Lick*.

【Min Ji】—Right. Does Se-hoon really like Guburi?

【Qkrnfl892】—The ban hammer was sharp, but it’s surviving.

“Why would I ban him? Guburi didn’t say anything wrong.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—LOL. Sex.

【Maehwa Tree】—What the hell? Guburi, did you learn how to charm men?

【Jujijoa】—I think I know Se-hoon’s type. He definitely likes assertive women.

【Reverse Rape Mania】—For real? That’s disappointing.

【Min Ji】—He likes assertive women?

【Yoho】—Huh?

【Min Ji】—Gye Se-hoon! Don’t eat!

【Yoho】—Room Master! Bow down!

“Maid. Ban Min Ji and Yoho.”

【Maid】—Wow!

『‘Yoho’ has been restricted from chatting. Remaining time: 00:05:00』

『‘Min Ji’ has been restricted from chatting. Remaining time: 00:05:00』

【Jujijoa】—Never mind.

【Reverse Rape Mania】—Phew.

【Handsome Licker】—LOL. Idiots. *Lick*.

【Qkrnfl892】—Serves them right. LOL.

【Maehwa Tree】—Are they really that dumb…?

【Qkrnfl892】—Oh, I get it. It’s like when a pet throws a tantrum, and you just let it slide because it’s cute.

“That’s part of it, and I prefer honest people over flatterers.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—What do you mean ‘part of it,’ you bastard!

“Anyway, let’s eat as Guburi suggested.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】—Don’t ignore me. Damn it!

And so, we decided to have lunch and picked a random restaurant.

—

On the 15th floor of a building owned by the Daehan Seoul Group, three women knelt in an office at the end of the hallway, trembling.

“Why do these junkies look like this?”

Team Leader Park glanced at the junkies and asked. One of the women who brought them answered stiffly.

“They were like this from the start.”

“From the start? You didn’t beat them up?”

“No. We just brought them here.”

The junkies were a mess. One had a crushed face, and another’s face was swollen like a dumpling.

“…Anyway.”

Though it was strange, Team Leader Park decided it wasn’t his concern and ignored it.

“What should we do with them, Director?”

Team Leader Park turned his head toward the desk and asked.

“……”

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Seong Sori, who had been sitting and looking at the cityscape, quietly stood up. She leisurely walked over to the junkies.

“Eek…!”

“B-Big Girl…”

“Please, have mercy…”

The junkies trembled and muttered upon seeing Seong Sori. One couldn’t even speak properly due to her sunken face.

“Everyone except Team Leader Park, leave.”

At Seong Sori’s command, the women in black suits loudly responded and left the office. Seong Sori looked at the closed office door, then slowly turned her gaze to the junkies.

The junkies avoided her gaze and shrank back.

“You.”

Seong Sori called them in a low voice.

“Y-Yes!”

“Yes…!”

“Y-Yeah!”

The junkies answered with choked voices. Three knives fell in front of them.

“Choose one of two options. Pick up the knife and fight me like a woman, or cut off one of your arms.”

The junkies’ pupils shook violently. It was an incomprehensible situation.

Cutting off an arm was a sign of severing ties with the organization and starting a new life. For the junkies, severing ties with the organization was akin to a death sentence, as they would no longer receive drugs.

“D-Director… Did we do something wrong…?”

One of the junkies mustered the courage to ask. No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t figure out what they had done wrong.

“You want to know what you did wrong? Fine, you should know.”

Seong Sori, who had been eyeing each junkie, answered.

“The man you harmed an hour ago…”

Seong Sori paused, pondering her next words. After a few seconds, she spoke again.

“…That man is mine.”

The junkies’ faces turned pale upon hearing that.

—

The junkies all made the same choice. They decided to cut off their own arms. It was a rational decision. Those involved in the underworld knew Big Girl was a monster beyond human comprehension.

“H-Hic…”

With their arms cut off, the junkies groaned as they were dragged away by the organization members.

“Are you really letting them off with just that?”

Team Leader Park asked in a slightly agitated voice.

“They messed with your man, didn’t they? Shouldn’t we send them off in a drum or something…?”

“Team Leader Park.”

Seong Sori cut him off and sat back in her chair. She lit a cigarette and spoke.

“I’ve said it many times, but we’re not thugs anymore.”

“……”

“Act according to your position.”

“…Understood.”

Their conversation ended, and silence filled the office.

“Um… Director.”

Team Leader Park broke the awkward silence and asked Seong Sori.

“When did you meet that man?”

“Not too long ago.”

“Is that so? It’s a bit surprising. I thought you were only interested in fighting. I didn’t expect you to be interested in men…”

“…What do you think of me? I’m a woman too. It’s natural to like men.”

“I’ve never seen you with a man since I first met you in the Seongnam faction.”

“Back then, I was obsessed with fighting.”

“So now you’re more interested in men than fighting?”

“Well, you could say that…”

Seong Sori trailed off. It wasn’t that she had developed an interest in men, but rather in Gye Se-hoon.

“Ah, and can you introduce the man you’re seeing now? It’s a bit disappointing that you’re hiding it even from me.”

“I’ll tell you when the time comes. Now go do your job. I’m busy with work on my phone, so don’t bother me.”

Seong Sori answered and turned her chair. She watched Gye Se-hoon’s broadcast on her phone and posted a chat.

【BigGirl】—Looks like you’re having lunch already.

A small smile appeared on Seong Sori’s lips.