Oh Deok-hee was a high school girl born and raised in a very ordinary home.
Aside from her dad's slightly bothersome drunken ramblings and her younger sister entering her rebellious teenage years, her life was relatively peaceful. Today, she even invited a friend over. “Deok-sun, thanks for inviting me. I've never been able to visit a friend's house because of my concept. Hehe...” “Me too... Since I transferred last year... I haven't had any friends...” Baek Yeo-ul and Oh Deok-hee ordered chicken and had fun.
Then, as time passed and they lay down together under the covers, Baek Yeo-ul talked about Ha Nam-jin appearing today and how he'd given the seniors a satisfying blow. Listening to the story, Oh Deok-hee found many parts admirable. ‘Isn't Ha Nam-jin afraid of the seniors? What's he going to do if they lock him up like that and he gets sued or meets the police later?’ A reckless problem-solving method without considering the consequences.
It was something Oh Deok-hee could never do, even if she died and came back to life, so she couldn't help but be amazed in many ways. On the other hand, she thought that because of his radical methods, no matter what happened, Ha Nam-jin would probably handle it well on his own. He was a strange friend. She envied him too. “Anyway, thanks to Nam-jjin, I'm saved.” Beep-!
Then Baek Yeo-ul's KokTalk went off.
A message had arrived. 【Nam-jjin: Which of the two sounds more sincere? Judge by their voices.】 It was a voice file from Ha Nam-jin, and when she played it, familiar voices could be heard. ─Baek Yeo-ul, I'm sorry! It was my fault! Please forgive me!
─I'll do better in the future! I'm really more sorry! Yeo-ul! Yeo-ulaaaagh! “That's Jeon So-mi and Jang Hyeon-ah's voices! Jeon So-mi and Jang Hyeon-ah apologized to me! Deok-sun, can you hear this! I need to save this and listen to it whenever I have a hard time!” Oh Deok-hee was surprised because she hadn't expected such heartfelt apologies to be uttered by the fierce Jeon So-mi and Jang Hyeon-ah. “Ugh, I feel good, but I've been helped by Nam-jjin again. It's going to be hard to repay this debt just by packing him lunch every day.” Baek Yeo-ul didn't like being indebted to Ha Nam-jin.
She wanted to be an equal partner with him.
Lost in deep thought, Baek Yeo-ul came to a conclusion. ‘Ha Nam-jin liked Seo Ga-eul.’ But now, that Seo Ga-eul had been kidnapped by a bad person and was missing. “If I catch the culprit and find Seo Ga-eul, Nam-jjin will be happy, right? Deok-sun, what do you think?” Oh Deok-hee was greatly surprised.
To Baek Yeo-ul, Seo Ga-eul was a rival, a nemesis, or whatever you might call her. And she was saying she'd find Seo Ga-eul, her nemesis, for Ha Nam-jin. “But if Seo Ga-eul returns, Yeo-ul, you and Nam-jin...” “I know! I-I have my own problems! But I don't want to take advantage of someone else's misfortune! And I also feel like it's my fault that Seo Ga-eul ended up like that...” Apparently, Baek Yeo-ul and Seo Ga-eul were best friends until sometime during middle school. Baek Yeo-ul seemed genuinely worried about Seo Ga-eul. ‘Friends...’ Oh Deok-hee didn't have many friends until middle school.
She could count them on one hand.
Actually, she didn't want to think much about her middle school days.
But seeing her friend Baek Yeo-ul working so hard, she felt like she shouldn't just stand by and do nothing. “...Someone who can help find Seo Ga-eul... I know someone. We weren't that... close, though.” Tap- Tap- Tap-
Oh Deok-hee opened the Byul-Star app on her phone and searched for a female student. “...This is her. We went to the same middle school...” It was a female student whose profile was filled with pictures taken at famous overseas locations and selfies from fancy lounges.
She had a lot of followers, too. Around 400,000. Oh Deok-hee's hands trembled as she saw how happily the female student seemed to be living. So to speak, this girl was Oh Deok-hee's ‘Seo Ga-eul.’
The difference was that it had been a one-sided bullying relationship, never a close friendship. The reason Oh Deok-hee had awakened the concept of 「Stillness」 was because of this female student. However, Baek Yeo-ul, unaware of all this, felt an immediate liking for the girl in the picture because she was very pretty.
With her cold and sophisticated looks, long straight hair, and a mole near her eye, she resembled a girl Oh Deok-hee had seen in a manga on her bookshelf. “She looks just like Tomie from Ito Junji's horror manga! Her name is... Jin Eun-byeol? I've heard that name somewhere before. Where have I heard it...? Jin Eun-byeol... Is she an Awakened?” Jin Eun-byeol.
Oh Deok-hee recalled those cold lips.
And the terrifying 「Concept」 that made everyone wary. # # # “Fuck, Jang Hyeon-ah, you bitch. Because of you, I'm... Because of you, I can't get married now!”
“...Why is this my fault?” The naked women hurriedly put on their clothes.
Judging by 「Appraisal」, they seemed to be feeling extremely humiliated and insulted. “Bangdeng-i says she can't tell which of you two apologized more sincerely. I agree. I can't tell the difference. Neither of you have even a speck of sincerity.” Jeon So-mi and Jang Hyeon-ah hadn't sincerely apologized to us.
Apologizing is also a talent, not something just anyone can do. But since I'd definitely recorded the naked dogeza video, the gains were substantial.
With the two of them having so many Byul-Star followers, this video would be sufficient leverage for negotiations. “If you try anything funny, this video goes straight to the internet. My life might get a little twisted, but you'll both become instant superstars. Good, right?” Flinch-
The women trembled at my threat.
They seemed to dislike the idea of their faces being plastered all over the internet in an embarrassing video. “Now, you two have to create an opportunity for me to approach Wang Ja-hyun naturally. If things go well, I'll delete the video. Okay?” “...Alright.”
“...Okay.” Everyone's spirits are crushed. 「Name: Jeon So-mi
Possession: 《Slipperiness Lv.2》 - As slippery as a top-notch loach.
Status: 《Great Anger》 - Angry about her misfortune. At the same time, her anger towards Wang Ja-hyun and Jin Eun-byeol, who deceived her, has grown, and she wants revenge.」「Name: Jang Hyeon-ah
Possession: 《Vibration Lv.3》 - Can produce vibrations as precise as a construction machine.
Status: 《Fear》 - Wants to prevent the humiliating video from spreading at all costs. She's afraid of the thought of having to pay penalties for numerous advertisement contracts being canceled due to the controversy.」 Looking at their inner thoughts, it seemed like they would cooperate well.
The 「Appraisal」 concept is so useful. We then left the 「Grand Labyrinth」.
It was around 10 PM.
As I received the 「Shrinking Cage」 from them under the dark moonlight, Jang Hyeon-ah said coldly, “Jin Eun-byeol is having a birthday party soon. It's an event where only political and business figures and their children are invited, and Wang Ja-hyun invited me. He really wanted me to come.” Jin Eun-byeol. The daughter of the Sam-jin Group.
Jang Hyeon-ah showed signs of fear as she mentioned that name. “If you screw over Wang Ja-hyun, you'll inevitably clash with Jin Eun-byeol, are you sure about that? It’s best to avoid becoming enemies with her.” Is she a woman whom even the proud Jang Hyeon-ah would back down from?
Why? I'm even more interested now. After returning home, I finished up some things and lay down.
Since I'd solved the 'most pressing issue lately', I could sleep soundly tonight.
As I was thinking this, someone banged on my door. “Are you student Ha Nam-jin? We received a report, so we're here to investigate your house.”
“Check the front house, the back house, and the next house! Student, do you have a basement in your house?” The police are investigating?
The basement and even the next house? Whose doing is this?
Jang Hyeon-ah and Jeon So-mi flashed through my mind, but I quickly dismissed the thought. Those girls didn't have the guts to report to the police. If anyone had this kind of guts, it would probably be─.
Seo Do-cheol.
That man. “Sir! There’s a basement next door! It’s locked with a padlock!” # # # Late at night. Chairman's office of the South-West Group.
Under the dim lighting, a cold-looking female student sat in front of Seo Do-cheol.
Seo Do-cheol didn't let a single expression show on his face. Because the woman in front of him was a witch.
A witch disguised in a beautiful human shell.
It was Jin Eun-byeol. “I didn't expect Chairman Seo to contact us first. My father told me to help Chairman Seo in every possible way.” “Ms. Eun-byeol, we're both busy people, so let's get straight to the point. With Ms. Eun-byeol’s 「Concept」, can you tell where Ga-eul is?” “Easy. But you must not answer any questions I ask from now on.” Jin Eun-byeol sipped her tea and chuckled.
Then, she unfolded a long fan and covered her face. As her soft laughter gradually subsided, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The surrounding lights began to flicker, and the windows began to rattle from a sudden wind. “─Seo Do-cheol.” A thunderous voice emerged from behind the fan. “Seo Do-cheol.” It was too strange to be the voice of a girl the same age as his daughter. It sounded like the voice of Acala emanating from the deepest depths of hell.[TL]Acala is a demon in Buddhist mythology.[/TL]
Seo Do-cheol remained silent, not answering the call.
Secretly anticipating what would happen.
Soon, a chilling voice called out from behind the fan. “Your daughter has been bitten by a tiger and is trapped in the cloud-filled southern basement.” A cloud-filled southern basement.
For a moment, Seo Do-cheol thought of the geographical south, then shook his head and changed his train of thought. ‘South’ might not refer to the direction itself but to ‘Nam’ Tae-geon or Ha ‘Nam’-jin.
Coincidentally, both of their names contained 'Nam'. “Chairman, have you found Ms. Ga-eul?” Seo Do-cheol was stroking his rough chin to hide his strange feelings.
Then, from behind the fan, Jin Eun-byeol asked again. “Chairman, have you found Ms. Ga-eul?”
“?lue-aG sM .dnuof uoy evah ,namriahC”
“Hee hee hee-.” Seo Do-cheol was annoyed by the persistent questioning.
What would happen if he answered this question? “I haven't found her yet.” “Liar.”
“Murderer.”
“Devil.”
“Do-cheol... help me...” A faint voice from behind the fan jolted Seo Do-cheol's mind.
The voice crying for help was too familiar. “...Who are you?” “I am the black star.” Thud-!
Then, someone grabbed Seo Do-cheol's shoulder. “Chairman, are you alright?” He turned his head and saw Jin Eun-byeol, who until just moments ago had been sitting across from him with a fan, now standing by his shoulder, looking down at him with narrow eyes.
Seo Do-cheol felt like he had been possessed.
And in fact, he had been. “I’m alright.” “You’re sweating a lot. I clearly told you not to answer, no matter what voice you heard. Sometimes in life, the answer is to simply ignore ‘certain things’.” The girl’s eyes seemed to look down on the man many times her age.
Perhaps she truly did. “Chairman, since my father and my godfather asked me, I'll definitely find Ga-eul, so don't worry. Just take care of the correction report and press conference.” Advice from a much younger girl.
Seo Do-cheol humbly accepted it and decided to give her a small reward in return. “Ms. Eun-byeol, I'll also give you a piece of advice. If you encounter a student named Ha Nam-jin while looking for my daughter, avoid or ignore him completely.” Jin Eun-byeol muttered to herself, "Ha Nam-jin...?" then smiled.
It was a beautiful smile, but there was something chilling about it. “Well? He should be the one avoiding me.” With those words, Jin Eun-byeol left the chairman's office.
The strange darkness that had filled the room seemed to dissipate. He suddenly became curious.
What would happen if a mad dog and a witch met, and who would end up avoiding whom?
Though he wasn't sure such a thing would ever happen. ─Your daughter has been bitten by a tiger and is trapped in the cloud-filled southern basement. Recalling the words from behind the fan, Seo Do-cheol picked up his phone and called his secretary. “Secretary Kim, have them focus on basements this time. I'm really bothered by that Ha Nam-jin kid. Tell them to make sure to search his house and the nearby basements.” Seo Do-cheol, who ordered the police to search Ha Nam-jin’s house and the surrounding area, was almost certain that Ha Nam-jin was the kidnapper.
An hour later, he received a call from Secretary Kim. “Yes, Secretary Kim. How did it go? Did you check all the basements... What?” How could this be? “...Nothing?”

Moving to a New House (1)