Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 879

◈ 879. Shin Jo-woon’s Side Story (4)

Shin Jo-woon released Joo Tae-yeol’s shoulder, gesturing for him to think more, then approached the robot vacuum cleaner struggling against the wall.

Joo Tae-yeol, watching his back, bit his lip and asked, “You… are you perhaps from the Saint family?”

He’d considered many possibilities: the graduation banner, the school uniform, the bouquet of flowers. The person before him was clearly a high school graduate, just becoming an adult.

Yet, this same person was attempting such a cruel revenge. A Nakru member was looking for him, and he possessed information about Nakru.

No matter how he analyzed it, it seemed like revenge against Nakru, driven by someone from the Saint family. After all, not all members of the Saint family are Saints [referring to their virtuous reputation].

Shin Jo-woon glanced back while righting the robot vacuum cleaner.

Joo Tae-yeol pleaded, “If that’s the case, I’m sorry. You’re not Saints, so you wouldn’t understand. But we don’t do this because we enjoy it. We have nightmares even when we sleep. But if someone doesn’t play the villain, humanity will eventually die!”

Shin Jo-woon tilted his head. Seeing him listening, Joo Tae-yeol spoke faster. “You might not know, but who do you think allows you to live so peacefully? I know it’s painful from the Saint family’s perspective, but the Saints were the ones who started this in the first place—”

Shin Jo-woon picked up the robot vacuum cleaner, strode over, and placed it directly onto Joo Tae-yeol’s face.

The cleaner, with its damp cleaning pad, rotated against Joo Tae-yeol’s face. It didn’t hurt, but he couldn’t breathe. Joo Tae-yeol struggled.

Only when he was on the verge of passing out did Shin Jo-woon remove the cleaner, looking back and forth between Joo Tae-yeol and the device, muttering, “It’s trash, but it doesn’t clean up. I bought it because they said it would clean everything. Did I get scammed?”

*That* psychopath. Joo Tae-yeol couldn’t bear it and cried.

Among the Nakru, there were indifferent people who simply did their jobs, and those who couldn’t overcome their guilt and suffered.

Because of this, Joo Tae-yeol could tell from Shin Jo-woon’s expression and attitude that this human being was definitely not someone who would sympathize with him and let him go.

“I understand! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

Realizing this, Joo Tae-yeol had no choice but to shout.

Even if he told them about his team members, he wouldn’t be able to harm the others.

Since he had suspiciously disappeared, all the other team members would have started to be wary of their surroundings.

Shin Jo-woon put down the cleaner and waited for his answer.

Joo Tae-yeol opened his mouth with difficulty, contemplating who to tell. Someone who wouldn’t be defeated even if that bastard went—someone who would rather catch that bastard and take revenge. The strongest person.

“I think—”

At that moment, the intercom rang from the wall pad connected to the basement.

Joo Tae-yeol closed his mouth, and Shin Jo-woon turned his head.

On the square screen of the wall pad, Jang Tae-ri was standing, looking worriedly at her cell phone. Jang Tae-ri, who had been waiting, pressed the doorbell again.

Shin Jo-woon seemed lost in thought for a moment, then walked behind Joo Tae-yeol.

As he moved to a position where he couldn’t see the perpetrator, Joo Tae-yeol’s mind filled with fearful imaginings, and he shrank his neck.

He was afraid the crazy bastard would hit him from behind.

However, the perpetrator seemed to rustle the rope tying his hands from behind and then went up the stairs. There was no instruction to be quiet.

‘Did he go to check if I was tied up well?’

While pondering this meaningful action, Joo Tae-yeol stared at the wall pad with bated breath.

In the small square screen, he saw a stranger fidgeting as if bored.

However, not long after, the door opened, and the woman standing in front of the front door put down her cell phone and went inside.

The screen of the wall pad went dark after a few seconds.

“Damn it. Damn it.”

Joo Tae-yeol spat out curses and turned his head back. Even that alone hurt as if his muscles were tearing, but he focused his mind and checked the state of his tied hands.

This gap was an opportunity. He had to escape before that crazy criminal returned.

* * *

Shin Jo-woon opened the front door and asked, displeased, “Father or mother?”

It was a question with many omitted details, but Jang Tae-ri immediately understood. “Mother.”

Jang Tae-ri glanced at the bouquet of flowers placed between the entrance and the living room as she entered the house. Did she come straight here without going home? Was she busy with something?

Shin Jo-woon noticed Jang Tae-ri’s sharply scrutinizing eyes and sighed. “I don’t know why my parents keep telling you about my personal life.”

Jang Tae-ri ignored his grumbling and carefully observed his expression before asking, “You know, you’re a bit stranger than usual today.”

“It’s because of the graduation ceremony.”

“Liar. Are you the type of person to be excited about a graduation ceremony?”

Jang Tae-ri’s eyes narrowed even more. Her searching gaze was as sharp as a well-honed knife.

Shin Jo-woon turned to the kitchen, changing the subject. “Did you eat something? Should I order something?”

Jang Tae-ri followed Shin Jo-woon but was not swayed. “Keep telling me about what you were saying earlier.”

“What are you talking about?”

Shin Jo-woon pretended not to know, but when he opened the refrigerator, it was empty. Shin Jo-woon closed the refrigerator door, which didn’t even have a water bottle, and said to Jang Tae-ri, “I guess we have no choice but to order something?”

However, instead of falling for the playful atmosphere, Jang Tae-ri grabbed his arm and said earnestly, “You don’t have to give me anything to drink. Just tell me that story. The story about the culprit.”

“……”

Shin Jo-woon stared at his arm held by Jang Tae-ri before raising his eyes.

Jang Tae-ri did not avoid his gaze. Her straight gaze pierced through him with the force to dig into Shin Jo-woon’s heart.

Shin Jo-woon also looked at Jang Tae-ri’s face.

As neither of them opened their mouths, time passed awkwardly and slowly.

“Is it… difficult to talk about?” Jang Tae-ri asked after a long time.

“Because I don’t know much yet.” Halfway.

Shin Jo-woon shook off Jang Tae-ri’s hand, laughing off her serious worries. “I’ll tell you more when I find out later. I don’t know now either.”

Jang Tae-ri put her hand in her pocket. She grabbed a disposable tissue. She took out a tissue from the tissue pack and wiped someone’s blood that had splattered on Shin Jo-woon’s cheek.

* * *

Shin Jo-woon talked a little more with Jang Tae-ri about the graduation ceremony and later discussed what would happen after graduating from university.

Jang Tae-ri participated well in the conversation, but she stayed for about 30 minutes, checked her watch, and got up.

“I’ll walk you home,” Shin Jo-woon suggested as he got up.

“No. It’s okay. I’m going to take a taxi.” However, Jang Tae-ri waved her hand and left.

Shin Jo-woon watched Jang Tae-ri, who had taken a taxi, drive away, and only after the car was out of sight did he go back into the house.

He locked the front door so that no one could open it immediately, then went down to the basement.

A faint smell of blood wafted in just by opening the stairwell entrance.

Shin Jo-woon leaned against the wall next to the first step and stared at the chair where a person had been tied up just before he left.

But now no one was there. Joo Tae-yeol had already left while Shin Jo-woon was away.

Without showing much surprise, Shin Jo-woon picked up the rope he had touched before leaving from under the chair.

The traces of loosening it slightly earlier remained on the rope.

* * *

Joo Tae-yeol ran down the street with all his might.

There were no people around, even though it was the middle of the night, to an almost unbelievable degree.

In fact, it was understandable. This place was a large construction zone. It was difficult to find people passing by even during the day, so it was natural at night.

Joo Tae-yeol staggered but still tried to speed up.

Finally, Joo Tae-yeol reached his destination. It was a place created by Nakru to go to in case of an emergency – an emergency safe house.

Inside, there was an emergency kit, emergency weapons, cell phones, etc.

Joo Tae-yeol picked up his cell phone and thought about who to contact. Normally, he would have contacted the team leader or deputy team leader.

However, this time he called Dong Gu-jong, who had the best physique.

[Hello?]

Joo Tae-yeol immediately recognized Dong Gu-jong’s voice and shouted, [Joo Tae-yeol?! Hey, where are you now!]

“This is location XX emergency house. I’m seriously injured, so please come quickly. Quickly. That bastard might come after me!”

[That bastard?]

“The culprit. I think he’s from the Saint family. He completely resents Nakru—”

While he was talking, someone snatched the cell phone. Joo Tae-yeol was instantly robbed of his cell phone, and his eyes widened as he looked up.

Shin Jo-woon took the cell phone and was now the one speaking.

While Joo Tae-yeol was frozen in fear for a moment, Dong Gu-jong continued to ask, unaware of the situation. [Hey, why are you stopping in the middle of your words? What about the Saint family?]

“Where are you now?”

Only after Shin Jo-woon asked the question did Dong Gu-jong notice that the other person’s voice had changed and asked nervously, [Who are you? Where’s Tae-yeol?]

“You don’t have to come here.”

Shin Jo-woon looked down at the trembling Joo Tae-yeol and suggested to the person on the other end of the phone, “Shall I call out the location? I’ll go there.”

* * *

As soon as Dong Gu-jong hung up, he went to the place where Nakru Team C had gathered and delivered the news.

Nakru Team C was flustered by the culprit’s words that he would come and whispered amongst themselves.

“He said he’d send a text message in 20 minutes. What should we do?”

The deputy team leader got up from his seat and rushed over urgently. “What about Tae-yeol? How’s Tae-yeol doing?”

Dong Gu-jong recalled Joo Tae-yeol’s voice over the cell phone. “He said he was in pain, but he sounded okay. He seems to be fine enough to come to the emergency house and make a phone call.”

Kang Won-hee stared at the monitor before turning his chair and interjecting. “It’s a trap. It’s definitely a trap. He’s coming himself. He’s definitely going to bring a bunch of subordinates.”

Dong Gu-jong frowned. “Subordinates? Does he have subordinates? Tae-yeol said the culprit was from the Saint family.”

A strange look passed over the faces of the Team C members at the mention that the culprit might be from the Saint family.

After a moment of silence, Kang Won-hee shook his head and strongly refuted. “The subordinates I’m talking about aren’t real subordinates—allies. The culprit will bring friends to help him. He’s not going to come alone.”

Dong Gu-jong still confidently pointed to his weapon hanging on the wall. “We’re professionals, so there’s no need to be afraid of a few people coming in droves, right?”

In fact, he was confident that if the culprit had come to him instead of Joo Tae-yeol, he would have been beaten up instead of being kidnapped.

The team leader frowned and muttered, “I think it’s a trap too…”

Logically, anyone would have to think it was a trap.

The deputy team leader hurriedly interjected. “We can’t just let Tae-yeol die.”

“That’s right.”

The team leader nodded and walked to the large map attached to the wall. “Okay. Then let’s do this. The culprit will definitely bring several allies. So… let’s call him here.”

A red circle was drawn on the place the team leader pointed to.

It was a dilapidated area where aggressive demonic beasts frequently appeared, and it was marked that strong manpower was needed to deal with these demonic beasts, so it should not be touched yet.

“If several people go and make a fuss, the demonic beasts won’t leave them alone. We hide and then go and take out the fallen culprit after things are finished. We take him out and find out what his purpose is and where he took Tae-yeol.”

The team leader looked around at the team members and asked, “What do you think?”