Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 274

274. A Conversation That Goes Nowhere

At the sound of ‘Eel,’ Shin Jo-woon, who had been staring straight ahead, snapped his head around. The movement was so fast it seemed to create a whooshing sound. But as soon as his eyes met mine, he frowned.

‘Why is he like that? Does he recognize me?’ Rembrary wondered, since people usually didn’t frown upon seeing Shin Jo-woon. He studied Shin Jo-woon, trying to discern the reason for the reaction, but all he received was a curt reply.

“It seems you watched a variety show I was on a long time ago.”

“!”

“It’s not a nickname I like, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use it carelessly.”

Following his words, which drew a firm line, Rembrary frowned. ‘Well, I didn’t really think he’d recognize me.’ Still, it felt absurd that someone who used to act all friendly, calling me ‘Piggy Piggy,’ was now acting so aloof.

“Calling someone by a nickname when you’re not close… Aren’t you old enough to know that’s rude?”

And what was with that condescending tone?

‘His already unimpressive guts have shrunk even smaller; now they’re just tiny grains. Anchovy? He’s more like a dried shrimp [a common Korean snack, implying someone is insignificant].’

Rembrary clicked his tongue inwardly. But despite drawing a cold line, Shin Jo-woon continued.

“I’ve looked at your file. You had the best admission score among this class.”

“…….”

“You have courage and talent, so if you don’t go around calling people by their nicknames, you’ll become a decent Hunter. You’re quite good-looking too, so you’ll probably get a lot of sponsors.”

It seemed like he was trying to give advice in his own way, but Rembrary was already in a bad mood, so he didn’t say anything. When Shin Jo-woon looked at him with an ‘Are you ignoring me?’ expression, he reluctantly replied.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“!”

Shin Jo-woon thought he was giving perfectly reasonable advice to a newbie from the position of an employer and CEO. But he was taken aback by the curt and even grumpy response.

Besides, that blonde newbie. Before the red alarm went off, wasn’t he clearly anxious over there, wanting to talk to him?

It was certain. That hair color, face, and height were so striking that he could be spotted immediately even in a crowd.

‘Just a few minutes ago, he was looking over as if to say, ‘I want to come over, but there are too many people,’ and now he’s acting like this as soon as I give him sincere advice.’

However, just as Shin Jo-woon, disappointed, was about to say something, several crushed bugs were thrown against the glass with a thud.

“Ew!”

“Ah, shit.”

“Visuals… Ugh.”

The trainees, split in half between disgust and fear, lamented as they watched the bug monsters slowly slide down the glass, dripping with sticky liquid. Rembrary, being in the front row, saw the sight even more clearly and squeezed his eyes shut.

Shin Jo-woon glanced at the monsters for a moment, decided that the situation wasn’t urgent yet, and looked to his side again. Then he made a dumbfounded noise.

He had thought that the newbie, who had only been here for two weeks and was waiting in the front row, was not only talented but also brave. But the newbie had his eyes closed. In the front row, no less.

“Who closes their eyes in a real battle? Open your eyes.”

Shin Jo-woon said coldly, dumbfounded, but Rembrary replied immediately with his eyes still closed.

“This isn’t a real battle; it’s just waiting, so I can close my eyes.”

“You only have talent and no practical sense. How do you know when the waiting state will end if you keep your eyes closed?”

Shin Jo-woon rebuked him again, but Rembrary didn’t bat an eye.

“If you get rid of those bug monsters, I’ll open my eyes.”

“Are you saying I have to go over there to make you open your eyes?”

“Exactly. If you’re not going to do that, then don’t bother me.”

“It won’t be good for you if I ignore you.”

“Try ignoring me for now.”

“Just open your eyes.”

“No.”

“…Are you talking down to me? Did you just talk down to me?”

Shin Jo-woon was dumbfounded and questioned Rembrary, but Rembrary still had his eyes closed and ignored him.

The trainees who had been watching this from behind thought that the handsome newbie was speaking in a very… ambiguous way. And the fact that he was talking to the CEO of one of the top Hunter companies in the country like that. They should be trying to make a good impression, but watching him act like that made the onlookers feel frustrated. Although, the CEO arguing back in the same way didn’t seem much better.

‘Unexpectedly, CEO Shin isn’t the taciturn type…’ As the trainees were thinking, more shattered bugs collided with the glass with a splattering sound.

The number was visibly increasing. Shin Jo-woon stopped dealing with Rembrary and stared intently ahead, preparing for any possible situation. Right now, the bugs were blocked by the glass and couldn’t come in, but if the front were to break and the glass shattered, he was planning to freeze them all.

“…….”

How long had it been like that? The bugs continued to hit the glass, but fortunately, there were no further changes. Still, everyone waited without letting their guard down for about 40 minutes. Then, a Hunter covered in green, sticky fluid walked in through the glass door and shouted to the people.

“The situation is under control.”

“You are free to move around, as long as you stay inside the building for 24 hours.”

‘Really?’ Other Hunters were approaching from the back, one by one. But there were fewer of them than the number of people who had left, probably because they had to clean up.

“Is it completely resolved?”

One of them approached Shin Jo-woon, and Shin Jo-woon stepped back slightly to avoid the fluid from touching him, and asked. The approaching Hunter took out a handkerchief and wiped the fluid from his face as he replied.

“Yes. But as you can see, the form is a bit like this. It will take some time to clean up.”

“Any injuries?”

“The visuals are terrible, and there are a lot of them, but fortunately, the entities themselves are weak. There are no major injuries. Everyone is a little hurt here and there. Still, every time this happens, I wish Woo Yeon-woo would stay as a healer.”

The Hunter brought up the story because he thought Shin Jo-woon was close to Woo Yeon-woo, but Shin Jo-woon didn’t mention that part and only asked more questions about the monsters around the building.

Then, as the Hunter went into the sterilization room to wash up, he looked back at the newbie who couldn’t be distinguished as brave or not. But the newbie was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the blonde who was here?”

Instead, Shin Jo-woon asked someone nearby, and the person pointed to the emergency exit stairs.

“He went somewhere.”

Shin Jo-woon frowned, dumbfounded. ‘That newbie. Did he just talk back and run away?’ Looking back at their last conversation, it seemed like that was the only explanation.

Just then, the blonde, who he thought had left, came down the stairs and walked back towards them.

‘I knew it.’ ‘I saw that you were interested in Worldboom [likely a company name], there’s no way you would just leave like this.’ Shin Jo-woon sneered and stared at Rembrary askew.

‘If that newbie asked to join Worldboom, he was going to say that a newbie who closes his eyes before a battle is of no help, no matter how talented he is, so he wouldn’t accept him.’

“I heard you’re having a hard time with multiple sponsors.”

However, the approaching newbie said something completely unexpected. And in a consoling tone. No, even if it was a consoling tone, the nuance was a bit strange. Shin Jo-woon frowned, and Rembrary continued as if talking to a pitiful puppy.

“Twenty is too many. Don’t suffer too much. Especially with your weak body.”

Just as Shin Jo-woon was about to ask what he was talking about, a hand came up as if to touch his forehead.

“!”

At that moment. Shin Jo-woon recalled the peaceful times of the past, before the Cataclysm [an apocalyptic event]. Well, it wasn’t peaceful back then either. Tae-ri Jang was almost seriously injured when a car suddenly overturned.

But back then, Woo Yeon-woo had touched Shin Jo-woon’s forehead, and Shin Jo-woon had forgotten the situation and felt comfortable for the first time since he had gained his ‘Eyes’ [likely a special ability]. The feeling was exactly like that time.

However, unlike then, Shin Jo-woon didn’t indulge in that comfort but opened his eyes wide. And just as he was about to say something. He lost consciousness and collapsed.

As Rembrary took his hand away, the people next to him opened their mouths in surprise.

‘He hit him.’

‘He knocked him out by hitting his forehead.’

‘Wow… is he crazy? He hit the CEO.’

Rembrary, unaware of the misunderstanding he had caused, looked down at Shin Jo-woon, who had fallen asleep due to not being able to handle the sudden recovery, and turned away.

* * *

Shin Jo-woon slept for nearly twelve hours after that, finally opening his eyes at dawn. He couldn’t figure out what was going on for a long time, then slowly raised his upper body and looked around. It was unfamiliar.

‘Where is this?’

As he was thinking that, the last memory gradually came back to his mind.

‘That newbie.’

Shin Jo-woon pressed his forehead with his hand. Now he remembered. That he had fainted. He had been to the training center a few times, but this was his first time in the infirmary, so he hadn’t immediately realized where he was.

At that moment. The cell phone on the table vibrated with a buzzing sound. He picked up the phone and looked at it; it was a call from Jang Tae-ri. Judging by the fact that he was calling at this hour, he must have heard that he had fainted. Shin Jo-woon hesitated for a moment whether to answer, but he was worried that Jang Tae-ri would be worried, so he finally pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear.

[Hey, I heard you got knocked out!]

But the voice coming from the phone was not worried at all, but rather bright.

“No, I didn’t.”

[Yes, you did! My secretary said so!]

“I didn’t.”

[I heard you got hit in the forehead!]

“……I didn’t.”

As Shin Jo-woon gritted his teeth and answered slowly, Jang Tae-ri chuckled, stopped joking, and asked.

[How’s your body? Are you okay? Why did you faint? But my secretary really said you fainted after getting hit in the forehead.]

“I felt… good. Like the fatigue was flying away.”

[From getting hit in the forehead?]

“…….”

[You’re such a pervert. And you’re not even embarrassed. Saying something like that so openly.]

Shin Jo-woon flared up and retorted again, and Jang Tae-ri chuckled again.

[Sorry. But is your body really okay?]

Then, after a long time, he calmed down and apologized, but Shin Jo-woon didn’t answer that and instead got up from the infirmary bed, went to the mirror, and answered.

“I saw someone who smelled like a pig.”

[Hey, why do you talk like that? How would you like it if someone said your words smelled like trash?]

“It’s not an insult.”

[Ah. Someone who smelled like they ate pork?]

“No.”

[Then?]

“Woo Yeon-woo, who said he would be adopted by us.”

Jang Tae-ri, who had been chuckling all along at Shin Jo-woon’s words, was silent for the first time. But not long after, Jang Tae-ri laughed and nagged as if scolding him.

[Hey, Yeon-woo’s personality has changed, but he hasn’t died or disappeared, okay? Why are you talking so wistfully? Anyone would think you’re talking about a dead friend. He’s fine. He shot another commercial recently.]

“I know. But there was someone with a very similar feeling.”

Shin Jo-woon answered calmly, but he opened the door and gestured to his secretary with his mouth. He asked her to request the video footage of the new recruits taking the test this time.

At that moment. Rembrary was standing face to face with Woo Yeon-woo.