Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 350

350. Not Just One Person

“The culprit, you say?”

“Talking about you.”

“What did I do?”

“The person who lived in this house. They’ve gone missing.”

“Are you talking about Uncle Joo-kyung?”

“I don’t know if it’s Uncle Joo-kyung. Just someone who lived in this house.”

“I don’t know who lived in this house. I came to find Uncle Joo-kyung.”

“…….”

The person who was talking so well suddenly stares.

Rembrary tilted his head. Why is he doing that? He couldn’t have suddenly forgotten how to speak. Did he freeze up?

Still, when Woo-sungwoo just stood there, Rembrary raised his hand and tapped his cheek. Only then did Woo-sungwoo release Rembrary, making an unpleasant expression as he spoke.

“It’s not you, then.”

Suspecting on his own, clearing suspicions on his own. He hasn’t changed much from before. He’s lost some weight, though. Rembrary dusted off the clothes that had been crumpled by Woo-sungwoo’s grip.

Anyway, since his business seemed to be done, Rembrary picked up his phone again. To call the Lion Lord. But again, just before pressing the call button, Rembrary put his phone down again.

“Woo-sungwoo.”

But unlike before, this time Rembrary was the one who spoke first. Woo-sungwoo, who was about to enter the empty house, turned around with a frown.

“Don’t call me so familiarly. We both know your relationship with my brother isn’t good. And don’t go near my brother. For any reason.”

“I have something to ask.”

“Are you ignoring me?”

“What’s your relationship with Uncle Joo-kyung, or rather, the person who lived in this house?”

“You’re ignoring me.”

“The person who lived in there. Was it Nakru, by any chance?”

Woo-sungwoo, thinking that Rembrary was ignoring him, decided to ignore Rembrary’s words as well, turning his head sharply to go back to what he was doing.

But at Rembrary’s question, he frowned and looked back at Rembrary. In one way, it seemed like a question he could ask. In another way, it sounded a bit strange.

“You came here without knowing?”

“I told you, I came to find Uncle Joo-kyung.”

“You keep saying Joo-kyung, Joo-kyung. Who is this Joo-kyung?”

“He’s a child. About seven years old. His parents suddenly disappeared, so we’re looking for relatives.”

At those words, Woo-sungwoo furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment. Then, after a while, he took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Rembrary.

“Why this all of a sudden?”

“I’ll check if the person I’m looking for is the same person as this Uncle Joo-kyung. If the person we’re looking for is the same, we might be able to help each other find him.”

“You told me not to go near him.”

“I said don’t go near my brother. And this is just to exchange information regarding this matter. Send a text to my number. I’ll let you know there once I confirm whether it’s the same person or not.”

* * *

“Uncle Joo-kyung works at Nakru. If Woo-sungwoo knows him, he must be in a decent position. He did move out of there, but then he went missing.”

At Rembrary’s muttering while eating popcorn, the Lion Lord glanced over from watching the drama [Korean TV series].

“What is it?”

“Shin Jo-woon hates Nakru…….”

“What are you talking about?”

Still, Rembrary kept muttering to himself, and just as the Lion Lord was about to ignore him, he called out to him.

“Lion.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have a nephew?”

“No?”

“Imagine you found out you had a nephew. Regardless of whether you’re close or not, a nephew you’ve never seen before. To the point where you don’t even know his face or barely remember his name.”

“I’m an only child. Let’s say I do. Why?”

“What if you suddenly had to raise that nephew?”

“I’d raise him.”

At the unexpectedly earnest answer, Rembrary looked at him and shook his head, causing the Lion Lord’s whiskers to twitch. Behind the mask, he raised his eyebrows.

“Is that not the answer?”

“Yeah. An unexpectedly kind answer came back. Answer as if you don’t want to raise him.”

“Why are you asking if the answer is already decided?”

“Because whether you raise him or not isn’t the issue. Would you move to avoid a nephew you don’t want to raise?”

“Is it confirmed that I don’t want to raise him? Then, well, I might move if I don’t like it.”

“Would you quit your job too? One of the top jobs in the country.”

“Uh…… Is it a situation where I’d get a bad reputation at work for being harsh about my nephew?”

“No. The people at work don’t even know you have a nephew.”

“Then I probably wouldn’t quit.”

“Right?”

“Right. But why is that?”

“That’s why it’s strange.”

Honestly, moving is a bit of an overreaction, but still, if you think about it, you might do it. People tend to judge others more morally when it’s not their own business.

If the neighbors gossip, ‘That person abandoned his poor nephew,’ you might move.

But what if it’s one of the top three jobs in the country? Even if the people at work don’t even know about the nephew? Would you still quit your job? Without even saying anything?

“It’s strange.”

The fact that Shin Jo-woon was the last one to tell him about the guy’s whereabouts made it even more suspicious. Didn’t Shin Jo-woon hate Nakru from the start?

The Lion Lord tilted his head and reached into the popcorn bucket Rembrary was holding.

“Everything’s strange to you. There are all kinds of people in the world.”

But the Lion Lord’s nonchalant hand couldn’t escape the popcorn bucket and he flinched as soon as Rembrary muttered, “Shin Jo-woon is strange.”

The Lion Lord dropped the popcorn he was holding and looked at Rembrary with wide eyes. The image of Shin Jo-woon freezing PD Gu in his head, as well as his warning, flashed through his mind.

He seemed not to want Rembrary to know about his secret. Enough to eventually let the Lion Lord go when Rembrary called him.

But when Rembrary seriously muttered, ‘Shin Jo-woon is strange,’ the Lord felt his heart pounding for no reason.

‘Did he notice something?’

If Rembrary found out something about Shin Jo-woon…… that guy would immediately suspect the Lion Lord first. He’s the only one alive who witnessed his secret.

Of course, he didn’t see PD Gu die, but a guy like that would have made sure PD Gu couldn’t say a word, even if he was alive.

“You’re suspicious too?”

As Rembrary narrowed his eyes and leaned in, the Lion Lord hurriedly raised his phone like a shield.

“I’m not…!”

But just as he was about to make excuses that he didn’t know anything.

“No, are you watching this?”

Fortunately, Rembrary stopped questioning the Lion Lord, becoming interested in the drama coming from the phone.

“Huh?”

The Lion Lord, who had naturally thought Rembrary would continue to question him, blinked in surprise and quickly turned the conversation to the drama, saying, “Uh, uh! Uh!”

“This is fun. It’s fun, it’s fun.”

But after speaking, the Lion Lord belatedly realized that Woo Yeon-woo appeared in this drama and became flustered again. Rembrary doesn’t have a good relationship with Woo Yeon-woo!

But unexpectedly, Rembrary nodded, saying, “Hmm,” patted him on the back, telling him to watch it well, and hummed a tune.

He doesn’t…… feel bad? Woo Yeon-woo is in it? Not, not just ‘not feeling bad,’ Rembrary even seemed to be in a good mood.

The Lion Lord watched Rembrary’s expression, then realized that this wasn’t the time for this and quickly grabbed his phone and left the spot.

He had to run away quickly before Rembrary came out with, ‘Shin Jo-woon is strange. Your reaction is suspicious too.’

It was fortunate. As soon as the Lion Lord disappeared, a text message sent by Woo-sungwoo arrived for Rembrary.

[The person you’re looking for seems to be our employee. If you have any related information, please send it.]

Rembrary frowned. Nakru. Shin Jo-woon. Missing. Uncle Joo-kyung.

He didn’t pry into secrets that others wanted to hide unless it was absolutely necessary. But if it’s a situation where it can’t be a secret just for one person…….

‘Should I ask directly?’

* * *

Rembrary had been an Inquisitor, so he actually had a great talent for digging up other people’s secrets. At least, he believed so.

But he couldn’t use his Inquisitor talents on his friends, Mullet and Sak.

After much deliberation, Rembrary invited Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon to have a meal together.

‘This way, I can naturally ask during the meal.’

Two days later, when the appointed time arrived, Rembrary went to the meeting place with the help of the Lion Lord.

“I’ve been thinking about it. That lion mask looks really convenient.”

Jang Tae-ri had arrived at the restaurant first and greeted Rembrary with those words instead of a greeting when he appeared.

“Rembrary. Call me when you leave.”

Shin Jo-woon appeared about 15 minutes after the lion mask disappeared.

“Are you the one who lives closest but arrives the latest?”

While Jang Tae-ri was chiding Shin Jo-woon for being late, Rembrary pondered how to ask Shin Jo-woon the truth. Should he ask right away? Directly? Should he ask indirectly? So that only he can understand? Should he bring up someone else’s case as a friend’s story?

After much deliberation, Rembrary decided to bring up the story around the time they finished eating.

‘The atmosphere might turn cold if I say it now.’

And as he had decided, Rembrary didn’t bring up the story of Uncle Joo-kyung or Woo-sungwoo while eating.

As Rembrary focused on the meal, speaking less in preparation for later, the topic of conversation naturally shifted to work.

“So, the merger is completely off the table?”

“It doesn’t seem like there’s any merit.”

“That’s a shame. Don’t they have some high-ranking hunters [supernatural ability users]?”

“Rather than hunters who are only high-ranking and have no sense of unity…….”

While watching Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon have a conversation he wasn’t interested in, Rembrary focused on checking the amount of food and the timing to jump in.

Then, just as Shin Jo-woon was about to finish his meal, Rembrary quickly asked, taking advantage of a brief pause in the conversation.

“Is there anyone here who’s hiding something from me?”

Jang Tae-ri probably doesn’t have anything to hide, or even if she does, it wouldn’t be a big deal, so he was counting on her to laugh and look at Shin Jo-woon with him when he asked this question.

If he pointed out Shin Jo-woon’s name directly, Shin Jo-woon would definitely deny it, so he deliberately expressed it indirectly.

The moment he asked the question, Shin Jo-woon put a fork in his mouth and slowly looked over here, as if in slow motion. As their eyes met, a faint smile appeared around his eyes. And just as his lips were about to open.

Jang Tae-ri started coughing loudly, choking on her saliva.

Why is Tae-ri coughing? As Rembrary looked at her in confusion, Jang Tae-ri put down her chopsticks and asked.

“How did you know?”

“Pardon?”