Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 182

182. What a Celebrity

‘How… how can he do that?’ The reporter’s eyes widened, struggling to breathe.

To stop such a monster—one that could tear off a burly cameraman’s shoulder with a single snap of its jaws—by simply grabbing its hair?

Of course, the reporter hadn’t actually seen whether the monster attacked the cameraman in one bite or several. But either way, it didn’t diminish how amazing Woo Yeon-woo seemed.

To subdue that fearsome and terrifying monster so easily…

The surprises didn’t end there.

“Hurry up.”

When Woo Sung-woo called out, Woo Yeon-woo, using the hand not holding the monster, took off one of his shoes and smacked the monster on the head.

It seemed like a bizarre action, but surprisingly, the monster fainted after being hit with the shoe.

Woo Yeon-woo looked at the shoe he used to knock out the monster with a disgusted expression. Then, shuddering, he hopped over to his brother, Woo Sung-woo.

Streetlights began to flicker on, and more people, having heard the screams, came running. In the distance, the sirens of emergency vehicles (like ambulances or police cars) grew louder.

The reporter swallowed hard.

‘This… this is a scoop!’

An idol subduing a monster. Moreover, a hugely popular idol, and one famous for being clumsy!

The reporter recalled the strange rumors that had circulated about Woo Yeon-woo and decided to investigate that aspect in more detail.

However, a sense of futility washed over him. Evidence. Would people believe his words without proof?

The monster that had fainted after being hit by Woo Yeon-woo had completely disappeared. He hadn’t even seen where it went.

No, if he said anything, he’d be considered crazy.

‘The camera?’

The reporter picked up the camera that had fallen to the ground. Could it have captured anything?

But as far as he knew, the cameraman had dropped the camera before he was attacked.

In other words, the monster’s attack probably wasn’t recorded. Still, he had to check…

Moreover, he was bothered by the fact that Woo Yeon-woo had saved him.

If he couldn’t prove that the culprit was a monster, this incident would be treated as an ordinary—no, a horrific—crime.

Wouldn’t Woo Yeon-woo, as an idol, be embroiled in unnecessary gossip just for being at such a place?

Furthermore, the reason he had been chasing Woo Yeon-woo was to investigate suspicions of him receiving a sponsor, wasn’t it?

Before he could sort out his thoughts, the sound of footsteps and sirens grew closer.

The reporter quickly hid the camera. As soon as he did, more people appeared.

Those who ran over all screamed, big and small, instantly turning the quiet, eerie street into a gruesome crime scene.

* * *

“Wow. What’s going on?”

Rembrary, who felt uneasy about having grabbed the strangely 생긴 [shaped] monster’s hair, scrubbed his body more thoroughly than usual. When he came out, Hye-gyeol was clicking her tongue.

“What’s wrong?”

Hye-gyeol pointed to the television screen. The reporter on the screen was holding a microphone with a fist-sized ball on it, explaining the situation with a serious expression.

“Someone was attacked on the street and got hurt, apparently.”

“Is that so?”

The reporter was at the scene. The police tape visible over her shoulder, the detectives, the urgent atmosphere conveyed through the monitor… an unfamiliar scene.

“One person was seriously injured. Their shoulder was torn off, they say.”

Rembrary silently toweled his wet hair. He seemed to know where that was. It was the place he had gone with Woo Sung-woo just a few hours ago.

He had avoided the crowds by leaving early. It seemed he had avoided them well. To think they would gather like this…

There was a reason why Woo Sung-woo had pulled him away, urging him to leave as soon as he heard people coming.

“Wow, how can someone tear off a shoulder? I don’t think you could tear it off even if you tried. Can it even be torn off?”

Rembrary half-listened to Hye-gyeol’s constant muttering and quickly returned to his room.

Sitting on the bed, he recalled what Woo Sung-woo had said in the car immediately after escaping the scene.

-You’re shameless and rude, but why are you weak only at crucial moments?

-Why are you just leaving when someone is about to die? I can understand not being able to help the person with the shoulder injury because they were too far away, but you could have at least tried to help the other person.

-I can’t subdue a monster with just one shoe like you. If I had tried to defeat the monster in a short amount of time and run away with that person, I would have been caught by the people at the scene.

‘That’s true.’

Rembrary threw the wet towel onto the chair and lay down on the bed.

The number of monsters is increasing…

Is it artificial or natural?

If a tool that easily turns people into monsters is used to create monsters, should that be considered artificial?

And this artificial phenomenon… First, Rembrary called the High Priest.

[Yes, High Priest.]

The High Priest answered the phone immediately. A calm voice. Composed.

“Have you seen the news?”

[I have.]

“Did you see the shoulder in particular?”

[Yes. Why do you ask?]

“It was the work of a monster.”

[Oh dear. Is that so?]

“To be precise, it was the work of someone undergoing monsterization. At that point, they’re practically a monster already.”

[That’s unfortunate.]

Rembrary frowned. The other party remained calm.

“Have you found the brush?”

[We are still searching for it.]

“I’ve seen several people who have started to monsterize in the past few days. I don’t know if you’re aware, but people don’t become monsters that easily.”

[…….]

“Could it be related to the brush you lost?”

There was no response for a moment. Rembrary sat on the bed with the phone wedged between his shoulder and ear. He felt uneasy. Another priest he had met in the world. To have to suspect the only person who worships the same god.

[Where did you hear that story, High Priest?]

The response that came back after a long time was not an answer. It was a more suspicious question.

“What story?”

[The news that the number of people undergoing monsterization has increased.]

How should he take this question?

Should he take it as, ‘I don’t know why you’re asking that, but I’m offended,’ or ‘I don’t know how you found out, but where did you hear that story?’

[High Priest.]

“…….”

[Even if there are suspicious aspects about me, I am a priest of Redrin. That does not change.]

“!”

[I am always working for Redrin, so you can rest assured, High Priest.]

* * *

The cameraman who injured his shoulder was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

Afterward, several reporters entered the hospital and stood in the hallway, pointing to the sign that read ‘In Surgery’ as they explained the situation.

Although he had no visible injuries, the reporter also underwent a simple examination. After receiving confirmation that there were no health issues, the detectives took him away.

The detective in charge of the case asked the reporter what had happened.

The reporter answered honestly, except for the part about the Woo Yeon-woo brothers.

It was an action taken with the conviction that it was better to answer this way than to lie clumsily.

Because the reporter himself had sought out sensational news, he knew people well.

If a huge story about monsters or something like that came out, people would rather click their tongues and turn away. On the other hand, many people believed plausible lies, regardless of whether they were true or not, just by making the claim.

“Do you… do you two use any drugs?”

As expected. As soon as the reporter finished his statement, the detective immediately asked if he had taken any drugs. In fact, the reporter was even subjected to a drug test.

By the time he came out of the police station, it was already around lunchtime. In the meantime, the news that had spread was dominating the internet.

A horrific incident that occurred in the middle of a downtown street. A person whose shoulder was torn off. To the extent that it seemed impossible with human strength.

It was something that anyone couldn’t help but be interested in.

The reporter went to the hospital, but he couldn’t see his colleague, who had just finished surgery and was in the emergency room.

The reporter changed direction and went to the scene of the incident this time. To find the hidden camera.

However, it seemed difficult to do anything at the scene of the incident, which was covered with police tape.

Police officers, onlookers, people who just stopped by, and even personal broadcasters covering accidents and incidents were all gathered there.

Finding the victim’s camera in this situation would be like advertising, ‘I know more!’

The reporter had no choice but to leave the scene and return to the hospital.

“He’s dead?”

However, in that short time, the cameraman had already died.

Belatedly, guilt grew larger than fear and surprise. His legs gave way, and he collapsed in the hallway.

“He’s dead…”

Tears that hadn’t come out until now finally burst out. He was the one who took the cameraman to the scene.

He was the one who dragged him around, saying he was going to investigate Woo Yeon-woo. He was the one who ran away when he asked for help.

He knew it rationally. When the cameraman reached out for help, he was already fatally wounded.

That even if he rushed at the monster to help, they would have both just died.

That he shouldn’t feel responsible for the cameraman’s death just because he decided to investigate Woo Yeon-woo.

But even knowing that, guilt stabbed him like a dagger.

The reporter went to a bathhouse, washed up, ate food to warm his stomach, wandered the streets, and then went to the company.

The company said he could take a few days off because they had heard the story, but it was difficult to endure alone because the cameraman and the monster kept coming to mind.

But it seemed like it wasn’t a good idea.

One of his insensitive superiors bothered to come and pry into him as he covered his head in the pantry.

“What exactly happened? It’s all over the news. It’s related to you, right?”

The reporter reduced the information even more than he had told the police and glossed over it.

Because he was worried about how other colleagues would edit and sensationalize this story.

The superior prodded the reporter several times, but when it was difficult to get a proper answer, he eventually left the reporter alone.

The reporter made a decision while drinking hot coffee with several spoonfuls of coffee grounds.

Even if he were to dig deeper into Woo Yeon-woo later, he would bury the fact that Woo Yeon-woo was at the murder scene with his brother for now.

He had guessed it before he experienced it, but after experiencing it directly, he became even more convinced. That just the fact that the celebrity Woo Yeon-woo was at the scene could create hundreds of rumors.

Whatever the reason…

‘Because he’s my benefactor.’

It probably wouldn’t be difficult.

The only ones who know the truth of this matter are Woo Yeon-woo and Woo Sung-woo themselves. The cameraman who was harmed at the scene, and the reporter himself, who watched all of this.

There are four people like this, but excluding the main characters, Woo Yeon-woo’s brothers, the only ones who know the truth are the cameraman and himself, and the cameraman is dead.

* * *

Although he thought he was rational, the reporter was not as rational and calm as usual.

He constantly thought about and grieved for the cameraman, but he didn’t think about the cameraman’s family.

That they also had mouths to speak.

“A grudge? He wasn’t the type of person to hold one. He was so kind.”

“Do you know anything about why he went to that place at that time?”

“He often stayed up all night. He was passionate. He probably did it for coverage this time too.”

“What kind of coverage?”

“He said he was investigating some celebrity.”