## Chapter 147 – Distance (3)
“So, you ran into that guy?”
“…Yes, I shouldn’t have missed him… I’m sorry.”
Soo-ah explained to me in a subdued voice as she entered the room, head bowed, explaining why it had been so chaotic. I was wondering why only Seo-hee and Nabi had come to help me. So she had met that guy. I knew Jung Ah-un was here too, but he hadn’t shown his face this time. According to Soo-ah, he seemed pretty badly hurt. Was that why he avoided me on purpose?
“…He’s such an unpredictable guy.”
“…I’m sorry.”
I leaned back slightly, resting my arms on the bed, and sighed as I looked at the ceiling. Soo-ah, mistaking my sigh for anger, kept her head down and repeated the same apology.
“I’m not angry, so don’t apologize. He’ll show up again anyway.”
“…Still…”
“It’s okay.”
I smoothed Soo-ah’s hair as she looked like she was about to cry. She whimpered softly, ‘Eep…’ as she felt my touch, and I found myself naturally stroking her hair.
“…Oppa, you seem to be in a good mood today?”
“Why would that guy be in a good mood? It must be because of those girls.”
Two women were watching me from beyond the glass door leading to the balcony at the back of the room. Seo-hee was leaning against the railing, smoking a cigarette, and Chae-yoon was looking at Soo-ah with envious eyes. The eyes of the two, pretending to look away, were fixed on the same thing.
Yuri and Woori were standing demurely and perfectly still in the corner of the room. Seo-hee, glancing at the two, asked me with a look that said, ‘What are those things?’
“…I can’t say it’s not true, but it’s not just because of them.”
“Then it’s because of another woman?”
“…What kind of reputation do I have among you guys?”
I chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten the heavy, strange atmosphere, but everyone in the room looked at me with suspicion, as if they didn’t believe me. I won’t deny that I’ve been too focused on my desires, but I never imagined I was being judged so harshly.
…But weren’t you guys the ones who came to me for sex in the first place?
The words almost reached my throat, but I barely managed to swallow them down. There’s no need to stir up trouble with such words in this strange atmosphere.
Besides, although it’s a little different, my good mood is also because of ‘women.’
“I’ll explain later tonight while we’re hanging out. First, you two, remember the orders I gave you earlier, right?”
“Yes! We will prepare a large space in Seoul and install an ‘Android Modification Device’ there. Then, we will gradually modify the people around us who might notice our true identities.”
“Good, start now.”
Yuri and her friend Woori answered my command with short, confident replies. I had ordered them to return to Seoul and install the brainwashing device they had found in the lab. Yuri, who had been forgotten by society, was one thing, but Woori was a top idol with sky-high popularity. It wasn’t good to keep her around when missing person reports were plastered all over the internet. Just on the way back to the hotel from the lab, some passersby recognized her, so I had to pretend it was a misunderstanding and bring her back discreetly, turning a 30-minute trip into an hour.
It would be a lot of trouble if someone took a picture and uploaded it to social media. So, I ordered them to return to Seoul and act ‘normal’ for the time being. I ordered Woori to make up an excuse that ‘something suddenly happened to a friend she had lost contact with in school, so she went to see her.’ She would fill in the gaps in the flimsy story herself.
And one of the unexpected gains from the lab was a large brainwashing device. But it was too big to move to Seoul. There was no way to get it above ground right away… So, I came up with a plan to create a blueprint of the device, implant it in their minds, and then use the blueprint to create a new device there after they arrived in Seoul. The equipment and parts needed to build the device were loaded onto a truck that remained in the lab and brought here.
“…But wait, do you guys know how to drive?”
“I don’t have a license? But I can ‘search’ and ‘learn’!”
Yuri, not even understanding the intent of my question, answered with a bright smile. And Woori, seeing her friend’s reaction, smiled awkwardly and said quietly.
“I only have a Class 2 license… But if I ‘learn’ like Yuri said…”
“If you get caught doing that, it’ll just attract attention…”
I thought the plan was perfect, but I got caught up in something I hadn’t even thought of. You might say, what’s the big deal about driving without a license when I’ve committed all sorts of illegal acts…
But as they said themselves, they can search with their electronic brains and learn in an instant.
They might learn how to drive, but accidents don’t happen just because the driver is good at driving. Imagine if, by some unlucky chance, the driver of the car behind them crashed into the truck they were driving. The driver is ‘Han Woori,’ an idol who has been reported missing, and she’s driving without a license.
‘What the heck is this truck, and why is a missing idol driving it without a license?’
Everyone would think that and want to check what’s in the truck…
“I’ll go with them.”
Just as I was wondering what to do, Min-jung, sensing the awkward atmosphere, stood up.
“I have a Class 1 large vehicle and special vehicle license, so it’s okay.”
“…Oh, she’s more capable than I thought.”
Seo-hee, flicking the ash off her cigarette, looked at Min-jung and smirked. Min-jung didn’t even glance at Seo-hee and quietly looked only at me.
“…Then after you drop them off, I’d like you to do something else.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You know where Jung Ah-un lives, right? He’s probably already run away, but go there and look for anything that might be a clue.”
I should make the most of what I have. Min-jung’s former master was that man, Jung Ah-un. She regarded him as her master, and she was on friendly terms with him even before she became like this. I think she would definitely know Jung Ah-un’s home.
Of course, he would also know that the location of his hideout has been exposed. Even if I go there now, he’s probably already run away, but there will definitely be some small trace of the man named Jung Ah-un left behind.
He’s not always a big threat, but he’s a guy who always gets in the way at important moments. He’s not someone I need to be wary of yet, but he’ll be an obstacle to me someday. Instead of waiting for him to come to me, I should go find him myself now.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“…Yes, I understand.”
I patted Min-jung’s shoulder, who bowed her head with cold eyes. Yuri and Woori, who were behind her, also bowed to me and left the room in turn. Now that I’ve entrusted the work in Seoul to those three, it’s finally time to rest.
“Now that everything’s done, where should we go today? We still have three days left, right?”
“…Don’t you think you’re saying that a little too late?”
“It’s almost sunset, so it’s too late to go to the beach, and it’s too cold to swim at night.”
“…I’ll do whatever you guys want for the remaining three days, so stop looking at me like that.”
I appeased the two people who were glaring at me so openly, Seo-hee and Chae-yoon. Nabi still seemed to be clueless, and Soo-ah was still bowing her head. She kept apologizing, saying, ‘I’m sorry…’ I think I’m getting dizzy. I feel like I’m going to throw up. As I held my throbbing head in the noisy room, someone tugged at my collar from behind.
“…Let’s spend tonight together. I have something to tell you.”
It was Lee-ran noona, looking up at me with a serious expression.
“…Where are the others?”
“Chae-yoon was being stubborn, saying, ‘It was my turn today!’…
But I managed to soothe her somehow, and they’re all in the next room now.”
The bedside lamp was illuminating the dark room alone. After eating dinner and saying goodnight to the group, I made eye contact with Lee-ran noona, who had come in first. Noona was sitting on the bed with her arms crossed, looking like she was deep in thought. Feeling a little awkward, I washed my hands at the sink and waited for her to speak first. But a long time passed without hearing her voice, and only the sound of water ‘splashing’ filled the room…
“Eek?! You scared me…”
“Oh, did I surprise you? Sorry.”
The voice apologizing dryly had already arrived behind me, and I turned around in surprise at the touch I suddenly felt through my thin t-shirt. Noona, not even making eye contact with me, was quietly stroking my back.
“…I still don’t really understand… Hey, do you remember when you fought that girl Yuri…
What did it feel like? Anything is fine, just tell me. Like your body felt warm or something…”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? If you ask me that out of the blue…”
Ah, come to think of it, there was that. I lost consciousness while fighting Lee Yuri, and when I opened my eyes again, the wounds were completely healed. And a strange white jewel in my hand.
…And the woman with a mysterious aura I met when I used up all my strength and fell asleep.
“I knew it…”
“Hey, what?! Did you read my mind again?”
“So what? You read people’s minds sometimes too, right?
And is that all you were thinking about just now? Was there nothing else strange?”
“…Well, yeah… But why? You have to explain something.”
“…Sigh, never mind. It was just my imagination. Sorry for making you worry, I’ll call Chae-yoon back.”
…What’s wrong with that noona all of a sudden? She said she had something to tell me, but suddenly she’s making a face like she’s disappointed in herself and trying to leave. I don’t know why, but it feels like my pride is hurt…
I lengthened my small strides and grabbed the wrist of the noona who had grabbed the doorknob.
“…Huh? Why all of a sudden?”
“…I have something to tell noona too.”
“Huh? Ah! Hey, wait…!! Mmph…!”
I grabbed Noona’s small body, who seemed flustered and tried to get away from me, and blocked her lips with my own.
