Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 113

< 113. Summer Song >

Meanwhile, Rembrary was facing his own set of challenges.

The person holding the leash was frowning, though his expression remained largely unchanged. The faceless monster, devoid of any expression, made it difficult to discern their intentions.

Communication hinged on interpreting subtle reactions, and maintaining a facade of lies proved difficult in the face of such indifference.

“Neither of them?” Rembrary asked hesitantly. The faceless monster tilted its head.

*How can I navigate this situation with minimal damage?* Rembrary clicked his tongue inwardly, his mind racing.

Before he could formulate a plan, hurried footsteps echoed nearby.

“Yeonwoo-ssi!”

He turned to see Lim Yuhan approaching with a bright smile, like a scene lifted from a K-drama.

“Sunbae?” Rembrary exclaimed in surprise. Lim Yuhan responded with unusual warmth.

“Wow, what a coincidence running into you here!”

“Hello,” Rembrary replied, still puzzled. *Why is Lim Yuhan sunbae here?*

*Isn’t this a haven for people who control monsters? Could that bull-headed creature following Lim Yuhan sunbae have been acquired here?*

Yet, Lim Yuhan seemed oblivious to the bull-headed creature, not even acknowledging its presence.

*So, this isn’t a monster-user den, and the person strolling around with a monster on a leash is just an eccentric?*

His thoughts swirled in confusion.

“Oh? The CEO is here too? Do you know our Yeonwoo-ssi?”

Amidst the chaos of his thoughts, Lim Yuhan casually acknowledged the leash-holder as ‘CEO,’ acting as if they were acquainted.

Rembrary ceased his mental gymnastics and focused on observing the interaction between the two.

The CEO, seemingly familiar with Lim Yuhan, offered a slight, friendly smile, a departure from his otherwise stern demeanor.

“Yuhan-ssi, you know this person?” he inquired.

“Wow, CEO, your interests are on full display here. You mentioned enjoying the drama I’m in.”

“Ah, are you two appearing together?”

“I’m playing his boyfriend.”

“No, that’s not it. I keep watching it. Now that I hear it, I think that’s right.”

“I’m lying.”

“…”

“I’m playing his dad. A very youthful role.”

“Ah. Now that you mention it, that’s right.”

“I’m lying too.”

The CEO’s expression faltered. Lim Yuhan, unfazed, quipped, “If you don’t watch it, just admit it,” and burst into cheerful laughter.

The CEO awkwardly joined in.

*Are they close enough to trade jokes like this?*

Lim Yuhan, having teased the CEO, turned back to Rembrary and gestured with his finger.

“Since we’ve met here, Yeonwoo-ssi, how about we go over some lines together? You know, that part I mentioned earlier. I’m struggling to grasp the emotional core.”

Rembrary didn’t fully comprehend Lim Yuhan’s words, but he quickly realized that he was being offered an escape from the situation.

*Perhaps he’s deliberately joking with the CEO to create this opportunity.*

Eager to leave, Rembrary immediately agreed, “Yes,” and followed Lim Yuhan away.

He half-expected the CEO to call out, “Wait a moment,” but he didn’t.

Instead, he watched them depart without a word.

Once they were completely out of sight, he tilted his head and muttered,

“A newbie?”

As soon as the CEO spoke, the faceless monster shuddered. When the trembling subsided, surprisingly normal eyes, nose, and mouth materialized on its once-blank face. The features were so perfectly proportioned that one would admire it as handsome.

However, the CEO remained unfazed, as if he had witnessed this transformation before.

The monster rolled its eyes toward the CEO, then stretched its mouth into a wide grin.

[What does it matter? Just hold onto this.]

With that, the monster tapped the leash around its neck. The CEO replied, “Yes,” and dutifully secured the leash.

[Where is Nakru?]

“Probably running around upstairs.”

[Tell them to catch it. Tell them to catch it well. They must catch it.]

“Even a stupid hunting dog is still a hunting dog, so they will catch it well.”

***

Meanwhile, Lim Yuhan led Rembrary down two flights of stairs via the emergency exit before stopping.

She panted, sighed in relief, and then turned her attention to Rembrary.

Rembrary, unsure whether Lim Yuhan possessed some knowledge that prompted this intervention, simply stared at her in silence.

“Yeonwoo-ssi.”

Finally catching her breath, Lim Yuhan spoke after a long pause.

“I don’t really like nagging.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

“When someone you meet for the first time calls themselves a slave…”

“?”

“It makes you feel like… ?”

“Wouldn’t it depend on the person?”

“Of course… there might be people who don’t mind, but Yeonwoo-ssi, you don’t know if the other person has that kind of taste, right?”

“Taste? Not status?”

“Heol.”

Lim Yuhan clicked her tongue, but Rembrary was even more taken aback by her words. It was as if Lim Yuhan had seen the faceless monster.

He wondered if she was mistakenly assuming that his words were directed at the CEO, but that seemed unlikely. The one Rembrary had called a slave was directly in front of him, while the CEO was diagonally to the side.

Besides, Rembrary had discussed the monster with the CEO. Lim Yuhan, with her keen understanding of language, couldn’t possibly misinterpret the intended recipient of his words.

*They said it’s rare to have ‘eyes’ [ability to see supernatural beings]. It doesn’t seem that rare.*

While Rembrary processed this revelation, Lim Yuhan offered a firm warning.

“Anyway, you shouldn’t say things like that to strangers. It’s rude. Especially since we’re in a profession where we have to be mindful of others.”

“But sunbae, that person wasn’t a person, was he?”

“…Our Yeonwoo-ssi, you’re the real deal.”

“Yes?”

“Someone would really like you if they saw you.”

“?”

“Never mind. But since Yeonwoo-ssi doesn’t even see people as people, I don’t know what to say.”

Rembrary grasped half of Lim Yuhan’s meaning, but the other half remained elusive. Lim Yuhan had clearly seen the monster, yet she spoke of it as if it were a person.

But he quickly realized that this wasn’t the crucial point. What mattered now was-

“But sunbae, why did you come here?”

*This is it.*

Lim Yuhan saw the monster, and despite seeing it, she showed no surprise and even greeted the CEO. This suggested that her presence here wasn’t a coincidence. Perhaps Lim Yuhan was a member of this group that sought to exploit monsters.

And Lim Yuhan, in turn, was questioning Rembrary’s identity. Outsiders shouldn’t have been able to enter this building today, and there was no Woo Yeonwoo among the members she knew. They hadn’t been accepting new members, yet Rembrary was here conversing with the CEO, which was highly suspicious.

“Ah, just because. Actually, I’m a member here.”

After careful consideration, Lim Yuhan decided to be honest. Whether Woo Yeonwoo was a member or not, he must have come because he was interested.

Rembrary listened to Lim Yuhan’s confession and thought, *Ah, so Yuhan sunbae is a member of the group that uses monsters.*

“I see…”

“I know. It’s unexpected, right?”

“A little.”

“It’s okay. Everyone says that when they first see me. They say I don’t fit in, but what can I do if I like it?”

“That’s right.”

Rembrary and Lim Yuhan engaged in a seemingly normal conversation, each misunderstanding the other’s true intentions.

They both recognized the existence of a secret society, albeit with differing interpretations of its nature, leading to a strange sense of mutual understanding.

Rembrary even mused, *Yuhan sunbae must really like monsters.*

*Would he appreciate it if I caught a small, cute monster and gifted it to him? But would I need to put a leash on it too? Is the leash a group preference, or just the CEO’s personal taste?* His thoughts drifted into the absurd.

“Did Yeonwoo-ssi join here recently?”

“No. Not really, I just came to see it with my brother.”

“Ah, I see. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen Yeonwoo-ssi’s face before, but you came with your brother. Is your brother a member here?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s his name? We all know each other’s names.”

*Judging by the fact that they all know each other’s names, it can’t be a very large group.*

The CEO’s earlier expression wasn’t good, was it because he was lying too obviously?

Rembrary regretted pretending to be part of the same group and answered,

“Woo Sungwoo.”

“Who is that? I don’t know him.”

“My brother’s friend came with him, so that person might be a member. But I don’t know that person’s name.”

As they continued their slightly disjointed conversation, Rembrary’s cell phone rang. It was Woo Sungwoo.

“Hey, hyung [older brother or close male friend].”

– Hey. Where are you?

“23rd floor.”

Lim Yuhan mouthed that she was leaving as Rembrary answered the call, and she quickly headed back up the emergency stairs.

– 23rd floor? Did you go down?

“Yeah.”

– Are you crazy? Why didn’t you follow me and go there?

“Ah. I saw something strange, so I did.”

– What do you mean by something strange?

“Monster walk?”

– What?

“Someone was walking a monster on a leash.”

Lim Yuhan’s footsteps faded away completely.

Woo Sungwoo’s voice, filled with relief, came from the other end of the line. “Ah.”

– It looks like the CEO here.

“Do you know him?”

– That’s the person who asked me to catch the monster.

“Hmm?”

Rembrary frowned.

*That CEO who walks monsters asked Nakru to catch the monster?*

It didn’t make sense.

*Clearly, Yeomra said that the group that uses monsters had refuted Nakru?*

*Has his personality changed over time? Or is it simply the CEO and Woo Sungwoo’s friendship?*

As he grappled with these questions, Woo Sungwoo issued a stern order.

– First, come down to the first floor lobby. We’re done here.

***

The first floor lobby was unchanged. Empty, with only the building’s flashy extravagance on display.

But as Rembrary waited at the lobby entrance, Woo Sungwoo appeared with a black bag slung over his shoulder in less than five minutes.

Rembrary noticed the bugs swarming around the bag.

*He must have caught a demonic beast or monster and put it in there.*

The mission seemed to be a success.

However, despite the successful mission, Woo Sungwoo’s face darkened as soon as he saw Rembrary.

“You have to tell me where you’re going…!”

He quickly lowered his voice as the security guards at the entrance glanced inside, but Woo Sungwoo’s expression remained grim. Even when another Nakru member approached, his face didn’t brighten.

Eventually, as they drove away from the building, Woo Sungwoo warned Rembrary in a low voice.

“I’m against bringing you here. An ‘eye’ who does whatever he wants like you will end up dying alone after causing an accident.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Who’s worried about you?”

“Are you worried about me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It was a bit of a dangerous situation earlier. Please worry about me.”

“This bastard…”

Glancing at Woo Sungwoo, who was grinding his teeth, Rembrary said firmly.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of joining here either.”

*Rather, it was a good thing for this side.*

***

Following that incident, neither Woo Sungwoo nor the spear-wielding man’s superior contacted him for three days.

*It seems that wandering around on purpose had the desired effect!* Rembrary felt relieved.

He was already struggling to increase his popularity and follower count in order to return to his original world. He had no desire to become entangled with such troublesome groups.

After three days, Rembrary put the incident behind him and focused on practicing the remaining script.

Jungseo was engrossed in preparing for the audition, constantly clutching the script at the agency and in the dorm. Hyegyeol, Keshia, and Taein sang until their voices were hoarse, hoping to secure summer solo songs.

The incident occurred that night, after Hyegyeol was chosen to sing a solo song.

Thrilled to be singing the title track, Hyegyeol stayed in the practice room, determined to excel and practice all night.

But in the middle of the night, Jongwoo’s urgent call reached Jungseo.

– Did you guys happen to see Hyegyeol?

< 113. Summer Song > End