[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 215

“Officer Uncle. Shouldn’t I, uh, go in there?”

The officer glances at the iron bars I’m pointing at and shakes his head.

“Nope.”

“Then do I have to pay bail?”

“Why would you pay bail when you’re not even detained?”

“But I shot a gun.”

“…Just leave. This isn’t a playground.”

If this were our country, the nation would’ve flipped over twice by now, but the officer just waves me off like I’m a nuisance. Guess this is just another random hiccup in the vast land of America to him.

Reluctantly, I get up and head out through the hallway. As I pass by, a man in a suit sitting on a hallway chair stands up and approaches me.

“Hello, Young Lady.”

“Yep.”

Even though it’s our first meeting, the term “Young Lady” sends a wave of unease over me.

“Don’t worry, nothing serious will happen.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I bribed the investigator.”

“Why’s that?”

“So the prosecutor with the authority can drop the charges. You fired a gun, and someone got hit, so avoiding prosecution isn’t an option at this point.”

“Why’s that?”

“This troublemaker. When this is over, stop by your grandpa’s place. You’re in for a big scolding, he says.”

“I’m doomed.”

I don’t even need to ask who it is—I already feel like I’ve been scolded.

“By the way, who are you?”

“The lawyer sent by the Elder.”

“Ah… But are you sure there’s no real problem?”

“Of course. The media’s already being manipulated, and as I said, the prosecutor has decided not to press charges.”

He grins creepily while casually brushing off the horrifying details.

“What’s prosecution?”

“When there’s a criminal case, the prosecutor with the authority decides whether to file charges. In your case, the favorable part is that it was self-defense, and the unfavorable part is the suspicion of harming an innocent person.”

“Ahh. I don’t get it, but it’s fine, right?”

“Of course. Except for the gang you messed with keeps trying to kill themselves.”

“That’s because I hypnotized them to do it.”

The self-proclaimed lawyer’s grin freezes in place.

“The Elder mentioned something similar happening with a senator…”

“Yeah. Want me to show you?”

“…What?”

*Snap!*

The lawyer’s eyes glaze over, and he starts choking himself.

“Guh… Gah…”

“Shadow.”

—*Creak!*

“Stay put.”

The shadow seeps into the lawyer’s shadow and disappears.

*Snap!*

“Gasp!”

His eyes return to normal, and he gasps for air, looking utterly horrified.

“Cool, right? I use it to catch monsters.”

“…….”

“Wanna try catching one, Lawyer? You’ll gain experience points.”

“I’m good…”

In this modern era, things sure are… something.

In these times when fewer people believe in scientific work, even though it’s something to be greatly flustered about, they quickly loosen their stiff expressions and start smiling brightly.

Proving that they’re indeed the person working by the grandfather’s side, it’s no ordinary courage.

“If you talk nonsense, I’ve hinted that I’ll pester you again.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Okay. Anyway, thank you for your help.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The lawyer, finishing the conversation, rummages through his pocket and hands over a business card.

“If anything comes up, please contact me here. I’ll come running as fast as I can.”

“Wow, thank you.”

“Yes.”

The lawyer, with his beady eyes wide open, doesn’t sit well with me. The more I look, the more a sticky feeling flows over like a flood.

Leaving the lawyer behind and exiting the police station, a crowd of people with worried expressions gathers.

“Autumn!”

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“They said it’s nothing to worry about. The prosecutor also decided not to indict.”

“Huh? That kind of thing usually takes weeks, how did it get resolved so quickly?”

“I guess so. I kind of wanted to experience jail time, you know?”

“Yeah!”

As I vigorously pet the descending Baekseol, she flips over to show her fluffy belly.

Truly a brave rabbit.

“Oh dear, the child says nothing. It’s a good thing it got resolved.”

“But what about our broadcast? Can we continue?”

“We can continue the broadcast, but is there a problem?”

“No, I shot someone. But it’s okay?”

“Well, guns are the opposite of our country’s sentiment, so even if it’s noisy, it’s not here. Except for a brief mention at the end of the news, there’s no interest.”

Not everyone, but most people are laughing as they look at me.

It’s the opposite of what I expected. If I were them, I wonder if I could have laughed.

Of course, among them, there might be people who feel fear. It would be abnormal not to.

“Aren’t you scared? I shot someone.”

“Do you think we’re ungrateful beasts? We clearly saw you take the bullet.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“There’s a mountain of things I want to ask, but I’ll hold back for now. And, having a mop handle stuck in a person’s body is a bit gory. It could cause trauma.”

Even as they say that, they’re laughing.

It seems like they’re doing it for my sake.

─Click, click.

“Whew─”

As I exhale cigarette smoke, the expressions of the people looking at me change.

“What’s wrong?”

“I find it more strange that you’re smoking than shooting a gun. It doesn’t suit your soft, sweet dessert-like appearance at all.”

At Uncle Woohyuk’s words, everyone nods in agreement.

“Do you want a light?”

“No, I quit a while ago.”

Clap, clap.

Chattering away in front of the police station.

When Director Kang is around, you can hear the sound of his clapping.

“It seems like it’s been resolved, so I’ll resume the broadcast.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? I feel like I ruined it.”

“Actually, it’s better this way. Plus, the camera was shaking, so it didn’t capture everything properly. Don’t worry too much.”

“Umm. Okay.”

Whoosh!

—

“Miss, the cleaning is done.”

[Jeremy Farrell]

—

It seems like the aftermath was handled well too.

“Phew─”

After Director Kang gives a few instructions, the staff starts bustling around.

After waiting a bit, Director Kang gives a finger signal.

It seems like the broadcast has resumed.

“Hello, viewers. It’s not the Room Master… it’s Han Ga-eul.”

[Room Master!!!!!!!!!!!]

[Gathering gathering]

“Ga-eul, there was an incident.”

Director Kang smoothly continues the story and guides the flow.

You can really tell the pros are different.

“Ah, right. There was some trash, so it took a while to clean up. I have this condition where I can’t stand things dirtier than me. It’s kind of like how smokers hate secondhand smoke, a bit selfish, I guess.”

[LOLOLOLOLOL]

[The vibe….⚆_⚆]

[She’s definitely crazy LOL]

“Manseung-ah, is this really okay to broadcast?”

“Umm… Yes, probably…”

“Alright, let’s stop and continue the broadcast. Ga-eul, come here.”

Thud!

Uncle Wookhyuk, who had been habitually holding a cigarette, snatches it away and puts it in his own mouth.

“Hey! My cigarette!”

“With a chestnut-sized brain, smoking? Phew─ Ah, I feel dizzy.”

“Uncle, you said you quit smoking.”

“It’s ruined because of you, you little foal.”

“Ah, you just wanted to smoke.”

Director Kang has his face buried in his palm, his head bowed deeply.

It seems like the freedom and showing everything they aimed for in this broadcast doesn’t include this kind of thing.

“Manseung-ah, hang in there.”

“Yes…”

Uncle Kwakjin pats Director Kang’s shoulder, who is crouching a step ahead of the other staff.

[LOL call our Room Master and take responsibility]

[Looks like they’re already in deep trouble]

[LOLOLOL]

“Anyway, we need to quickly move on to the next schedule. I’ve caused a lot of delay.”

Originally, I thought we could leisurely tour some sights after arriving at Flagstaff, but since it’s a small town, there’s not much to see, and if we delay any further, the sun will set.

One thing is certain: the security here is incomparably worse than where I used to live.

“So, what are we going to do?”

At Uncle Kwakjin’s words, everyone gathered turns their gaze towards me.

“Am I deciding?”

“If it’s too much pressure, just think of it as giving an opinion and speak up.”

“Umm… First of all, unless it’s a big city, it’s better to avoid outdoor activities at night.”

“Right.”

“We still have a long way to go. Let’s save the sightseeing for tomorrow and head to the accommodation first.”

I asked for opinions, but I’m the only one blabbering.

Still, maybe because we went through a dangerous situation, no one opposes my suggestion to prioritize safety.

“So, where should we stay?”

“Guys, help.”

[LOL, they think it’s a private room.]

[No chill, LOL.]

“Ah, what’s wrong? We’re traveling together, right?”

[Wow, so short with words.]

“Yo.”

[Check out the cool room master.]

[LOL.]

[I’ll let it slide because you’re cute.]

“Yo.”

[How about staying inside the Grand Canyon?]

“Isn’t the Grand Canyon a national park? Are there accommodations inside?”

[It’s so huge, there are tons of places to stay.]

[There’s even helicopter tours.]

[Wow, USA flex.]

When I ask the viewers for help, they come up with near-perfect answers right away.

“Collective intelligence for the win. What do you two think? They say there are places to stay inside the Grand Canyon.”

“Sounds great!”

“Deal. But, I’m hungry.”

“Since we’re in the West, how about stopping by Flagstaff for some Southwestern cuisine?”

“What kind of food is that?”

“You know Chicken Tikka Masala in the UK? It’s curry, but it’s been localized for so long it’s considered British. Southwestern cuisine is kinda like that, a mix.”

“What is that… Before that, Ga-eul, what are you doing?”

“Huh?”

[Info: Contrary to appearances, the room master is an amazing cook.]

[For real, LOL.]

Uncle Kwak Jin, who had been staring at his phone, tilts his head and points at me with his finger.

“She’s a good cook? This pudding-looking kid who smokes like a chimney?”

I can’t tell if that’s an insult or a compliment.

[Yeah, that’s her, LOL.]

[LOL, just get used to it.]