Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 319

319. Reunited with Senior Maeng

“Okay, enter on cue… Cue!”

Since Kim Mu-rok hadn’t arrived yet, Shim PD, the assistant director, took the lead in filming Rembrary’s departure from Worldboom.

The sequence was as follows: First, Rembrary exits the main gate of Worldboom. Then, after walking a few steps, he naturally turns back to bid farewell to the Worldboom building. Finally, he walks about fifteen steps further to board Dae-ju’s waiting car. Why it had to be this way, he didn’t know.

In any case, while giving instructions like, ‘Do this, do that,’ Shim PD didn’t have high expectations for Rembrary. He figured that since Rembrary wasn’t used to being in front of the camera, he’d probably stiffen up and move like a rusty tin doll.

‘Oh? He’s good?’

However, Rembrary had a history of receiving praise from picky PDs for his natural acting during his idol days. Although it was a staged walk, Rembrary’s movements were smooth and seamless.

“Wow, Rembrary could have done well as a celebrity.”

One of the staff members muttered, watching him.

“Drive safely. I’ll contact you as soon as I get there.”

“Yeah. You just joined, and things turned out like this? That’s too bad.”

“I’m okay.”

The main MC, who had been temporarily sidelined because the format changed to a pseudo-religion special, was saying goodbye to Jung Seo when he heard the staff member’s mutter and briefly turned his head.

Jung Seo also heard the same thing and smiled faintly. Knowing that Rembrary had actually been a celebrity for a while, she couldn’t help but smile.

However, just as the staged farewell was coming to an end as expected, Shin Jo-woon, who had been standing at the entrance, suddenly strode towards Rembrary.

Jung Seo stopped smiling. Why was he suddenly going over there? They had already said their goodbyes. It was strange to approach right before leaving.

Perhaps thinking the same thing, the cameraman smoothly shifted the lens from Rembrary to Shin Jo-woon. Despite it being a small action, the gazes of the onlookers were fixed on Shin Jo-woon.

“Rembrary trainee.”

Rembrary also stopped walking and turned around, puzzled. Why was he calling him that?

Shin Jo-woon had only called Rembrary a trainee before he knew that Rembrary was Woo Yeon-woo, who had filmed the two-legged variety show. After finding out, he hadn’t called Rembrary that. So, being called that so abruptly as he was leaving made him wonder what he was up to.

“What is it?”

“Take this with you.”

But all Shin Jo-woon did was hand over a large, thin box.

“What is it?”

The box looked thin but felt heavy. Rembrary took it, bewildered, and asked. Shin Jo-woon explained briefly.

“Meat.”

“Meat?”

Why meat all of a sudden? Of course, he was grateful, but…

As Rembrary tilted his head, staring blankly, Shin Jo-woon leaned in slightly and whispered in Rembrary’s ear.

“Open it when you’re alone.”

Why? Was he supposed to eat it alone? Rembrary looked at him, even more confused, but Shin Jo-woon, as if that was all he needed to do, smiled gently and lightly patted Rembrary’s shoulder. He looked so kind, warm, and friendly, like a character beautified to the fullest extent in a drama, which made Rembrary even more suspicious. That sardine [a sly or untrustworthy person] wasn’t such a generous sardine.

“Contact me when you arrive. Got it?”

“What are you up to?”

“What am I up to? I’m worried about you.”

Shin Jo-woon smiled and pushed Rembrary’s back again, causing some of the onlookers to exclaim without realizing it.

“Wow. Shin Jo-woon is so magnanimous.”

“Look at him sending a gift even though his pride must be hurt. That’s definitely beef.”

“Looks like they didn’t break up on bad terms? Just a difference in values? Is Rembrary leaving Worldboom because of that?”

Rembrary, who had gotten into the car with the box, opened the lid when the Worldboom building was no longer visible. He checked that Lionheart was dozing in the passenger seat and Dae-ju was busy driving.

‘What kind of meat makes him say to open it when I’m alone… What is this sardine?’

Rembrary frowned and turned around sharply. But Shin Jo-woon was nowhere to be seen, not even the tail end of the Worldboom building.

* * *

“President. What did you send with Rembrary earlier?”

Inside the Worldboom president’s office. The secretary, who had received some instructions regarding the regular meeting between the presidents of hunter companies, turned back to ask as she was about to leave the room.

The secretary had personally witnessed Shin Jo-woon packing something in the president’s office about 30 minutes before Rembrary and the production team left. But she didn’t see what was inside. So, she was very curious about what gift Rembrary had received.

Shin Jo-woon chuckled as he moved the documents clipped together to the side.

“Sardine meat.”

“Pardon?”

Are sardines… meat? Well, it’s not a plant, so it could be called meat… The secretary tilted her head at the unexpected answer, smiled, and turned to leave.

‘He must be joking.’

But Shin Jo-woon wasn’t joking.

As the door closed with a click, Shin Jo-woon walked to the window with a pleasant expression, opened the blinds halfway, and looked outside.

If Rembrary, a potential top hunter, left Worldboom, which could be said to be the best hunter company in the country, and went to Redrine, people who didn’t know the exact circumstances would make various speculations. Some would say that Worldboom wasn’t as good as they thought, so Rembrary left. No, many would.

Even if it wasn’t such a speculation, the fact that a top hunter prospect publicly left Worldboom. Moreover, he wasn’t going to a volunteer organization or going freelance, but to another hunter company. This was absolutely not good for the image of Shin Jo-woon and Worldboom. Being ‘pushed out’ of someone’s choices tarnishes the image of a hunter company that everyone envies.

That’s why he showed it in front of the camera. Whatever people think, it probably wasn’t for those reasons.

* * *

“Here it is.”

Dae-ju stopped the car in front of a sleek, hairtail-shaped building with an overall blue tint.

“The building is pretty.”

Rembrary got out of the car and looked up at the surprisingly tall building. Unexpectedly, the Redrine headquarters was a flashy high-rise, and the glass on the exterior walls sparkled like a calm sea in the sunlight.

In this world, Redrine didn’t seem to have greatly prospered even after the upheaval [a sudden and violent disruption or change], but somehow they had the money to buy such a building.

“Wow, this place is really pretty.”

“Didn’t you know Redrine’s headquarters was here? A picture was posted and became a hot topic before.”

“I heard it was in a more public location than I thought, but I didn’t expect it to be this flashy.”

Rembrary wasn’t the only one impressed by the Redrine headquarters; the production team members were also whispering among themselves as they got off the bus. Everyone had imagined a basement bunker or a gloomy mansion, thinking of it as the headquarters of a pseudo-religious group.

“Where’s my room, Dae-ju?”

While the production team was admiring the decent building, Rembrary asked Dae-ju, adjusting the sardine box.

“Just a moment.”

However, instead of answering, Dae-ju reopened the car door and suggested.

“Please get in first. There’s another place to go.”

“Not here?”

“Yes.”

As Rembrary got into the car, the production team naturally tried to get back on the bus, but Dae-ju called an employee waiting in the parking lot and gave instructions before that.

“These people are from the broadcasting station. Guide them to a good room so they don’t feel uncomfortable.”

Then, as the employee approached the production team, he got back into the car and started the engine.

“Aren’t you taking the production team?”

“No. The place we’re going now is a place where the production team can’t go.”

After moving once more, they arrived at a high-end residential area about 30 minutes away from the Redrine headquarters, unexpectedly.

“Why here? Is this your house?”

As Rembrary looked at the ordinary-looking residential complex, Dae-ju slowed down the car and turned the steering wheel slowly, answering.

“Almost all the members of the Honghwa Unit live in these houses.”

“Honghwa Unit? Didn’t they change their name to Redrine? Does it still exist?”

“Yes. It exists. We operate two of them.”

“Why? Isn’t it cumbersome?”

“Originally, the Honghwa Unit itself was an organization with many celebrities as members. After the upheaval, some people were still working as celebrities, so it was difficult to take the Honghwa Unit members as they were when establishing an official hunter company.”

“Ah.”

“Besides, transmigrators from another world have difficulty mixing with Earthlings unless they receive adaptation training. So, while operating the official Redrine, the Honghwa Unit continues to operate secretly under the surface.”

“So that’s why you said to leave the production team behind.”

“Yes. It’s not a place to show those people. And…”

Before Dae-ju could finish speaking, the car stopped in the parking lot of a house.

While Dae-ju paused to park, Rembrary recognized a familiar old acquaintance he didn’t expect to meet here and made a sound of “Huh?”

“That person…?”

“Does High Priest also know him?”

“Isn’t that Woo-shin?”

“Yes. He’s been living here since he awakened during the Second Upheaval.”

Rembrary was about to get out of the car, happy to see him, but Dae-ju didn’t open the door.

Rembrary pushed the car door and looked at Dae-ju.

“Why?”

“High Priest. What will you say to the believers? You should decide that first.”

“What do you mean, say?”

“Will you reveal your identity as High Priest? If you will, I’ll gather all the believers and make an official announcement.”

At first, Rembrary was going to answer that he would. He wanted to lead the wavering believers here.

But after thinking about it for a moment, Rembrary changed his mind.

“Later.”

The hunter company Redrine had a bad image. Of course, Rembrary came here to change that image of Redrine. But people’s minds aren’t so easy to change.

So, he would try here, but if it didn’t work out, he wouldn’t reveal that he was the High Priest in order to gather believers anew. He could reveal his identity later when needed.

“Won’t it be uncomfortable?”

Dae-ju asked worriedly, but Rembrary hid his true feelings and answered again.

“Later. I’ll look at the atmosphere first.”

“The internal atmosphere is good.”

“No, I mean the external atmosphere.”

“!”

Rembrary quickly opened the door and went outside, afraid that Dae-ju would ask more deeply about the reason. Fortunately, Dae-ju didn’t lock the car door this time either.

But just as Rembrary went outside.

As soon as he stepped on the green grass, Maeng Woo-shin, who had been looking at this side like a meerkat from afar, quickly walked over and looked at Rembrary up and down.