Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 380

380. The Worst Relationship

“Already?”

At Rembrary’s nonchalant reply, Believer No. 305, who had initiated the conversation, was even more surprised and questioned him further.

“Is it really true?”

Rembrary vaguely answered, “Who knows.”

He had met the Demon King. But the body was Woo Yeon-woo’s, so unless a camera that could capture souls was developed, it would naturally appear to others as just Woo Yeon-woo and Rembrary meeting.

Instead of probing further, No. 305 cracked an egg into a shallow bowl, quickly relaying the situation.

“Eun-in and Woo Yeon-woo are famous for having a bad relationship. Because of that, there was a bit of a buzz after the photo was uploaded. People were saying things like, ‘Woo Yeon-woo and Eun-in aren’t actually fighting,’ ‘They’re colluding for noise marketing [a marketing technique using controversy to gain attention],’ ‘Who shoots and chokes someone to fake a fight?’ ‘They fought and then made up,’ ‘They did fight, but not as seriously as people think,’ ‘What’s worse than shooting and choking?’ That’s how it went.”

While relaying the information, No. 305 kept glancing at Rembrary as if curious about the truth himself, but Rembrary, instead of revealing anything, sent a text to Jung Seo.

[Do you know Tae-in’s phone number?]

[Yeah, why? To heal him?]

[If I can]

About 5 minutes later, Jung Seo sent Tae-in’s phone number.

‘What should I send…’ After hesitating, Rembrary first informed him of the main point.

[Tae-in, it’s Rembrary. Reply, I have something to say.]

* * *

Tae-in ignored Rembrary’s text. Far from getting angry, he didn’t even reply.

However, when they were told that if they gave the address to Tae-in’s agency, he would heal Tae-in’s neck, they readily provided the address. Not only that, but they even sent a car, so Rembrary went to Tae-in’s house in that car.

It seemed that Tae-in’s new agency was pinning their hopes on Rembrary, who had already made a name for himself as the world’s only healer. It was clear from the fact that the person who came to act as the driver was Tae-in’s manager.

“Please take good care of Tae-in. He’s not usually one to ignore texts like that. He’s so shocked right now that he doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”

‘He probably always ignored texts,’ Rembrary thought to himself, but tactfully replied that he understood.

Meanwhile, a text also came from Shin Jo-woon.

[Looks like you made up with Woo Yeon-woo?]

[It’s a little ambiguous]

[Why? He was happily accepting the grilled meat you were giving him]

[It’s not like that]

[There were photos uploaded too?]

[Is that all you felt from seeing those photos?]

[There weren’t even any onions on Woo Yeon-woo’s plate]

[Is that all?]

[Woo Yeon-woo didn’t even have chopsticks]

[Is that all?]

[Want me to buy you meat? lol]

[You’re so clueless.]

[? What is it? Is there something else?]

‘He can freeze grim reapers and even has an unidentified power, yet he can’t even tell that Woo Yeon-woo’s condition is different from usual. A small fry is just a small fry.’

In the meantime, the car finally arrived in front of Tae-in’s officetel [a Korean term for a building with both office and residential units].

“Here we are.”

Rembrary, ignoring Shin Jo-woon’s constant texts, first switched his phone to silent mode and got out of the car, following the manager.

“This way…”

Tae-in’s manager asked the security guard to park the car in the outdoor parking lot and guided Rembrary, and the two were able to enter Tae-in’s house without any trouble.

However, it wasn’t easy once inside. Tae-in was sitting gloomily on the sofa, listening to his solo song, and as soon as he saw Rembrary, he pointed wildly with his finger.

He didn’t curse out loud, probably because he had lost his voice, but it was clear from his gestures that he was swearing.

“He seems happy to see you. He must be looking forward to it since he saw Mr. Rembrary.”

The manager quickly gave a distorted interpretation, but Rembrary, knowing Tae-in’s personality, brushed it off and approached Tae-in.

Tae-in, who had been pointing wildly, hesitated and lowered his hand as Rembrary came closer.

The manager quickly said in that gap.

“Tae-in. You know Mr. Rembrary, right? Mr. Rembrary came to help you. He said he would find your voice.”

The manager glanced at Rembrary, adding a little seasoning to things Rembrary hadn’t said.

“Thanks to you, Mr. Rembrary got rid of the rumors. That’s why he came to help you. You know Mr. Rembrary is a healer, right? So, try getting treatment once…”

However, before the manager could finish speaking, Tae-in jumped up and made a fuss, then quickly wrote something on his phone.

Rembrary thought Tae-in was writing what he wanted to say in a memo, but what Tae-in showed was a scene of the Demon King putting grilled meat on Rembrary’s plate. The manager, not unaware of the news, fidgeted without showing any surprise.

“It’s good to make up after a fight. Of course, you and Woo Yeon-woo don’t get along, but…”

Tae-in took the phone back and quickly typed something into the memo, then held it up between Rembrary and the manager.

[I can’t trust that healer when he’s in cahoots with Woo Yeon-woo.]

Rembrary answered.

“I’m not in cahoots with Woo Yeon-woo. But even if I were, what does that have to do with healing you?”

Tae-in glared and typed more letters, holding them out to Rembrary.

[Woo Yeon-woo made me like this]

“What ability does Woo Yeon-woo have to do that?”

Tae-in’s manager had heard the story of what Tae-in had suffered from Woo Yeon-woo, so he also hated Woo Yeon-woo. But apart from hating him, he didn’t think Woo Yeon-woo was incapable, so he seemed a little surprised at Rembrary’s expression.

Tae-in, as if he couldn’t get through, huffed and started typing letters into the memo again.

But this time, the length was too long. Tae-in kept writing, as if he had so much to say, and Tae-in’s manager, unable to watch any longer, slyly checked what he was writing, and since it was something he knew, he stepped in.

“Mr. Rembrary, I heard this from Tae-in before…”

* * *

“Woo Yeon-woo. Let’s talk.”

Tae-in called out to Yeon-woo, who was cautiously coming out of his room.

“Why?”

When Yeon-woo asked with a puzzled face, Tae-in crossed his arms and asked harshly.

“Are you investigating some kind of demon with Hye-gyeol?”

Yeon-woo, who had been bewildered, hardened his expression. Tae-in looked at Yeon-woo with the eyes of someone looking at a cult member. Yeon-woo’s face turned a little red at the contempt in that expression.

“Who said that? I’m not.”

“I heard you’re looking for a demon or something that grants wishes.”

“Ah, no.”

Yeon-woo got annoyed and tried to leave, but Tae-in grabbed him.

“You know you’re the most popular one here, right?”

Yeon-woo frowned.

“What are you trying to do?”

“If you get caught chasing after something like that, it’s not just you who’ll be treated strangely. You’re the only one with a name, don’t you know that if something goes wrong, we’ll all be called a cult group?”

“Hey. Ji Tae-in.”

“Don’t go around investigating things like that. You really seem to have strange tastes.”

“Hey.”

“Do that after the group contract expires and you leave.”

Woo Yeon-woo let out a hollow laugh.

“Hey. Have I ever interfered with your hobbies? No, I haven’t. But why are you ordering me around like this?”

“If you keep doing that, I’ll tell people that Woo Yeon-woo is a cult member first.”

“!”

“You won’t listen to me, but you’ll listen to the CEO.”

Having said that, Tae-in turned around and tried to leave.

But he hesitated at the weak voice from behind, “Hello? Mom?”

“Is Dad there too?”

When Tae-in turned around, Woo Yeon-woo was holding a phone to his ear, making a sad voice with a cold face.

Before he could think about what that was, Woo Yeon-woo spoke again.

“No. It’s nothing. One of the members is threatening me.”

Tae-in opened his mouth. Woo Yeon-woo smiled brightly and changed his words.

“Ah… it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, it’s just a joke.”

As soon as the call ended, Tae-in grabbed Woo Yeon-woo by the collar.

But Woo Yeon-woo sneered without showing any fear.

“You’re going to tell people I’m a cult member? I’m going to tell people you threatened me? Who do you think people will believe?”

“That’s funny. Why do you think people will believe you?”

“I don’t think they’ll believe me.”

“?”

“But they won’t believe you either. Every time we open our mouths, they’ll listen to this side and then that side, wouldn’t it end up in a chicken game [a situation where two parties engage in a reckless course of action, where neither wants to yield]?”

“You cowardly bastard…!”

“Don’t be interested in other people’s private lives unless you’re willing to die together, Tae-in.”

* * *

As soon as Tae-in’s manager finished the past story, Tae-in deleted the memo he had written and turned on another memo, quickly writing something else and holding it out.

[Before I lost my voice, a black hand appeared in the air and stroked my neck. No one but me saw that hand.]

“……”

[There might be demons in a world full of monsters. Woo Yeon-woo held a grudge against me for releasing the recording of him choking me.]

‘A black hand.’

Rembrary thought carefully.

He knew that Woo Yeon-woo was interested in demons. The ‘demon that grants wishes’ part seemed to be Woo Yeon-woo mistaking Honghwa Brigade and Cheonripung as one group while investigating.

If Tae-in had seen something like that, it was understandable that he would think this was Woo Yeon-woo’s doing.

‘There’s a fragment of the Demon King inside Woo Yeon-woo’s body. Even a fragment could easily commit this kind of act. Even if not, there must be many demons under him… Is it really related to Woo Yeon-woo?’

[Woo Yeon-woo took revenge on me.]

[I saw a picture of you two grilling meat together]

[You two are in cahoots. But you’re going to save me?]

[Don’t talk nonsense.]

[What are you trying to do?]

As he recalled it, Tae-in seemed to get more and more angry, writing on the memo and shaking it in front of Rembrary in a threatening manner.

After watching that a few times, Rembrary struck Tae-in’s neck with a knifehand [a karate chop using the edge of the hand].

“Heal!”

“Ack!”

Surprised, Tae-in screamed instead of protesting and fell backward.

“Damn it!”

Tae-in, who had landed hard on his butt, even shed tears and cursed.

He had been venting his resentful feelings, but he had been hit in the neck with a knifehand and bounced out, so he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

But soon he realized that he had made a voice and widened his eyes.

The manager, who had been watching the situation with his hands covering his mouth, was also surprised and jumped up.

“Oh my god, Tae-in! You’re cursing again!”

Tae-in stroked his neck with one hand and stared blankly at Rembrary.

But he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to speak again, so he couldn’t say anything more.

“You…”

Then he barely opened his mouth.

“You? Just now, was that… healing?”

When Rembrary nodded, Tae-in looked dazed.

He was so surprised that he couldn’t even get up from his butt and just asked questions.

“Why? Why are you healing me? Aren’t you in cahoots with Woo Yeon-woo?”

Rembrary replied nonchalantly.

“Woo Yeon-woo is a heretic. I told you, I’m not in cahoots.”

* * *

The next day.

“I came here just looking at Mr. Rembrary, but Mr. Rembrary is either holed up at home or just wandering around everywhere. He doesn’t even show his face. He doesn’t even let me into his house. I’m starting to wonder why I’m here. Should I just withdraw? Huh?”

Kim Mu-rok was complaining to Rembrary, who had come to the Redrine Hunter Company for the first time in a while.

Rembrary couldn’t easily answer whether it would be better to keep Kim Mu-rok around for Redrine or to tell him to leave because he was annoying.

But then, people suddenly started whispering.

Wondering why, he turned around and saw a celebrity-like person wearing sunglasses walking through the crowd.

Puzzled, he watched as the person came to Rembrary and took off his sunglasses.

It was Tae-in.

Tae-in asked Rembrary, who was bewildered, in an annoyed tone.

“How do I join here?”