Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 280

280. You Can’t Go There

Rembrary walked to the 3rd floor with a light step. It was his first time being summoned since becoming the representative.

‘If I’m the representative, I’ll naturally be giving speeches.’ Rembrary pondered what kind of speech he would give and in what situation as he walked.

“I thought you’d be late. Guess you’re not that lazy.”

The instructor was sitting at one of the desks on the 3rd floor, unusually with several complex-looking documents displayed on the monitor.

When Rembrary looked at the monitor, the instructor quickly turned it off and handed over a file on the desk.

“Here.”

Rembrary received the file and asked.

“What’s this?”

“Matters to be conveyed to the White Squad kids.”

“Conveyed?”

‘Is this something that must be included in the speech?’ Rembrary inadvertently flipped through the first page. At the very top, in large letters, was written ‘3rd Training Practice Plan,’ and below that, the entire page was filled with dense text.

“What is this?”

As Rembrary asked, wondering what it was, the instructor nodded.

“It’s for you to convey. Go around and let them know one by one. It’s important. The next practice is a bit dangerous.”

Rembrary was more surprised by the phrase ‘go around and let them know one by one’ than the dangerous part, and he asked back.

“Me?”

“Then who else would do it? You’re the representative, aren’t you?”

“!”

“Don’t skip it because it’s a hassle. Have the trainees who you explain it to sign here in the signature box.”

The instructor took out a pen from the pencil holder and handed it over. Rembrary blankly received the pen and became dazed. Regardless, the instructor pointed to the elevator with his chin.

“Go. Bring it back by 6 PM today.”

Still, Rembrary didn’t leave and stood there. The instructor was about to turn on the monitor again but turned back, asking, “Why?” Rembrary was flustered and asked.

“Why am I doing this?”

“You’re the representative. And didn’t you ask that question earlier?”

“No, I mean. Why do I have to do this kind of work when I’m the representative?”

“You’re the representative, aren’t you?”

The same question went around and around, but Rembrary didn’t understand. The instructor also frowned, wondering, ‘What’s wrong with him?’ but belatedly realized what part Rembrary was flustered about and asked in disbelief.

“What did you think the representative does?”

“Speeches…….”

“What?”

The instructor was dumbfounded and looked at Rembrary’s upright face before clicking his tongue.

“This guy must have been a pampered young master in a greenhouse before the cataclysm. Trainee. I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but you’re already the representative. Everyone else knows that too. Go hand it out and get signatures.”

“I…….”

“Go. Quickly. I’m busy.”

The instructor patted him on the back, so Rembrary had no choice but to hold the file and trudge to the elevator. But he was still bewildered. What on earth is going on? He couldn’t grasp the situation at all.

He went around each room in the dormitory and did as he was told, but the more he did, the more confused and wronged Rembrary felt. Why should he, as the representative, have to go around doing this alone?

Then, when he met Mori, Rembrary finally asked properly.

“Mori. What does the representative do?”

“Huh? Representative? They help the instructors with various chores, right?”

“Chores!”

“Why? Are you the representative?”

Rembrary was so shocked that he couldn’t answer, so Mori explained the representative’s job in just one sentence.

“That sounds like a pain.”

“A pain…….”

‘Wasn’t it an honorary position? Wasn’t it just giving speeches and waving?’

“But if you become a representative, it’s easier to get into a company later. They don’t openly give you extra points, but the recruiters look at you more favorably. That’s what people expect when they do it.”

Oblivious to his feelings, Mori told Rembrary to do his best and continued on his way. His steps were very light, unlike Rembrary’s.

Rembrary stared at his receding figure before lowering his gaze. The signature box, which was only half-filled, seemed too large.

* * *

Rembrary was spending his days as an unwilling representative when it happened.

[White Squad representative, please come to the 7th floor now. White Squad representative, please come to the 7th floor now.]

Rembrary, who was sitting face to face with Mori and listening to an explanation about a community that trainees mainly joined, listlessly put his spoon down on his tray when the now-familiar announcement came on.

“Now they’re even calling me while I’m eating.”

These days, he reflexively sighed whenever he heard the words ‘representative, come here.’

“They call you often, don’t they?”

Mori asked worriedly, feeling sorry for Rembrary, who was openly showing his annoyance.

“It’s not just often.”

“It’s especially like that in the beginning. They’ll call you less next year. ……Maybe. I’ve never been a representative, so I don’t have accurate information, but it was hard to see our representative’s face.”

“I won’t be staying until next year.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Rembrary only took an orange, returned his tray, and got on the elevator. He wondered what he was being called for this time, feeling stuffy inside.

But when he arrived on the 7th floor, the instructor wasn’t there. Instead, someone else was standing there. The person smiled and raised his hand when Rembrary looked around for the instructor.

“Mr. Rembrary. This way.”

Then, without explaining what was going on, he told him to follow and went ahead.

‘Where are we going?’ Is he going to give me another job today? Could it be an even more complicated job……? He didn’t like the stranger more than seeing the instructor, but Rembrary followed him obediently for now.

The person went into a room at the end of the hallway.

‘Huh?’

There was someone there. A familiar person.

Rembrary, who had followed without thinking, stopped abruptly when he found a welcome face in the room.

‘It’s Salk.’

It was Jang Tae-ri. Jang Tae-ri was sitting on the long sofa there, drinking coffee. In fact, it hadn’t been that long since they had been apart, but Rembrary felt a rush of welcome and stared at Jang Tae-ri for a long time.

Jang Tae-ri was looking at her phone while yawning, but belatedly found Rembrary and put down her coffee cup before greeting him with a smile.

“You’re here. You should have said something. Hello.”

“…….”

Rembrary stared at Jang Tae-ri for a moment before smiling brightly.

“You look like a leopard now.”

“Huh?”

Jang Tae-ri didn’t understand Rembrary’s words, but Rembrary was still happy and just smiled.

“Are you that surprised to see President Jang [President of a Resource Company]?”

As he was doing that, someone he didn’t even know was there spoke to him from somewhere. When he looked towards the sound, the person who was said to be the head of this place was coming out from between the cabinets with something like an album in his hand.

“I’m the head of the center.”

Then, when Rembrary stared blankly, the head of the center thought he didn’t recognize his face, so he went out of his way to introduce himself.

“I know.”

But since he wasn’t looking because he didn’t know, Rembrary answered calmly and asked the head of the center.

“Why did you call me?”

Aside from being happy to see Jang Tae-ri, he had to first ask why the head of the center had called him, the ‘White Squad representative.’ Until now, the one who had summoned the new student representative had always been the instructor. Would the head of the center have any reason to call him?

Jang Tae-ri watched the scene, tilting her head. The way he acted was somehow…… nostalgic.

Jang Tae-ri crossed her legs and leaned comfortably on the sofa, sipping her coffee while carefully examining the handsome trainee over the glass.

The head of the center pointed at Jang Tae-ri with his hand.

“Ah, trainee. President Jang wanted to meet the trainee here.”

“Me?”

“She said she wants to give you a good offer.”

When Rembrary looked at her, Jang Tae-ri covered her nose and mouth with her coffee cup and smiled only with her eyes.

But even at the words ‘good offer,’ Rembrary calmly only asked, “Why?”

Jang Tae-ri thought it was unexpected. The hunters she had met were nervous or excited when the president of a resource company showed interest in them, wondering if they could get sponsorship. Of course, there were some who pretended to be calm, but he was the first person to have no reaction at all.

Rather, when he first opened the door and came in, when their eyes met. At that time, the trainee Rembrary showed the biggest reaction.

“Why is why?”

Rembrary was acting too dryly, so the head of the center made a fuss next to him and gently pressed Rembrary down on the sofa.

“Why would the president of a resource company have anything to do with a hunter?”

After finishing his words, the head of the center went to sit at a desk a little further away and watched Jang Tae-ri and Rembrary as if he were watching a show.

‘It seems like I wasn’t called in to work.’ Rembrary thought to himself and asked Jang Tae-ri.

“Why did you call me?”

Jang Tae-ri and the head of the center were surprised at the change in tone from when he was talking to the head of the center. The head of the center was annoyed, thinking, ‘That bastard?’ Jang Tae-ri thought, ‘He’s more familiar when he talks like that?’

The head of the center huffed, thinking, ‘I’ll see you after President Jang leaves,’ and deliberately lowered his head and picked up a fountain pen, pretending to be very busy.

On the other hand, Jang Tae-ri didn’t beat around the bush and told him honestly.

“I looked at trainee Rembrary’s records. I was interested. Do you have any thoughts of becoming an exclusive member of our resource company?”

“Exclusive?”

“I’ll sponsor the trainee. And the trainee will come to me right after leaving here.”

Rembrary recalled the explanation the instructor had given him on the first day of practice. He had definitely said something like resource companies never sponsor trainees. But she’s going to sponsor this newbie?

“I heard there are some rules regarding trainee sponsorship.”

“Ah. It doesn’t matter. I’m not the type to follow the rules, but the type to make them.”

When Jang Tae-ri smiled, the head of the center looked at Rembrary with a frustrated face. It was a face that wanted to shout, ‘President Jang is talking about sponsorship, so why are you just standing there? Say thank you right now and accept it!’

But Rembrary immediately refused.

“You have good taste, but it’s a pity. I’m going somewhere else.”

At the firm refusal, the head of the center covered his face with both hands.

Jang Tae-ri also raised her eyebrows, thinking it was unexpected. It wasn’t just because he was rejecting her, the president of a resource company, but because the person who gave her that nostalgic feeling was rejecting her. For some reason, she had a strange conviction that he would never reject her offer.

‘Well. He’s not Yeonwoo before amnesia.’

Jang Tae-ri thought that Shin Jo-woon had been calling him a pig so much that she had been affected and smiled sadly. But she soon changed her expression to a clear one and asked.

“Where else? Could it be World Boom?”

“No.”

“Then…… Could it be Nakru? I hope it’s not that.”

“It’s not there either.”

Then, when Rembrary denied twice in a row with short answers, Jang Tae-ri tilted her head.

“Then where do you want to go that you would reject our company?”

“Redrine.”

“!”

Surprisingly, as soon as Rembrary said those words, Jang Tae-ri said “Um” and made a troubled expression, and the head of the center shouted, “No!”