The Returner

Chapter 368

Chapter 368: Is that a problem? (3)

“What do you mean, drop the act?!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min got triggered by that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply looked at her and tutted grandly .

Since she was already in the full ‘fan meet-and-greet’ mode, she could only shoot him a subtle glare while smiling radiantly to everyone else .

“Do you have to be like that even in here?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“And why shouldn’t I? Isn’t this an official event?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Yeah, sure . Veeeery official . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to tut away .

He just couldn’t figure out why this shorty transformed into a weird little creature when she was shooting TV shows or standing before complete strangers .

“Just how long do you think you’ll add on top by being like this?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Add what on top?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Extra time added to your remaining career, obviously . It looks to me almost on its dying legs . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“You!! Imma kill you!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min tried to pounce on him like a feral beast ready to tear him apart, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply extended his hand, grabbed her head, and lightly pushed her away .

“There you go . Keep being yourself, will ya . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Oh, my goodness me . What was I doing?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min quickly covered her mouth and smiled in a very fakey way .

“Ohohoho~, I’m so sorry about that . This kid can be so naughty and sometimes, unfortunate scenes do occur when dealing with him . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“I, I see… . ” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

Choi Chang-Hyuk’s expression was deeply crumpled by then .

‘They are way too freaking friendly!!’ (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

Oh, dear Jesus, dear Buddha-nim… .

How can that Yi Ji-Hyuk be in such a relationship with Jeong Hae-Min?

How can heavens be so uncaring like this? This is so unfair, you hear me?!

This is simply too much!!(Choi Chang-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

“How do you do?” (Seon-Mi)

Choi Seon-Mi smiled brightly . Although her face was smiling, Jeong Hae-Min didn’t miss the displeasure hidden beneath that smile .

‘Would you look at this girl?’ (Jeong Hae-Min)

She had been battling it out in the entertainment industry for over a decade . Even if you were supposed to hide your true intentions and emotions then show only a smile outwardly in wider society, nothing could even remotely come close to the entertainment industry in terms of faking it .

Jeong Hae-Min’s been so battle-hardened by now that she was no longer a veteran soldier but straight up a living legend, so of course she wouldn’t miss such obvious signs .

“Hello to you, too . It’s nice to meet you . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Ah, yes . Me too . I heard you were really busy lately, so what brings you here exactly?” (Seon-Mi)

“I wonder about that myself . I am indeed really busy, but he begged me to come and brighten up this place a little . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion .

“He”?

Is she talking about me?(Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

“When did I?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

He reacted rather honestly just then, but Jeong Hae-Min utterly ignored him with a bright smile .

“You see? He can be so mischievous . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Aha, that’s why you’re here . ” (Seon-Mi)

However, Choi Seon-Mi didn’t let go of the opening .

“By the way, what is your relationship with Ji-Hyuk? I mean, to me it looks a bit weird seeing you come to an event like this . ” (Seon-Mi)

Jeong Hae-Min’s eyelashes trembled imperceptibly .

‘This girl, she’s still on it?’ (Jeong Hae-Min)

‘Why did you even show up here in the first place?’ (Seon-Mi)

Jeong Hae-Min maintained that bright smile . It was her business smile perfected through countless past encounters . Meaning, she’d not make a simple mistake of baring her emotion to a little kid before her eyes .

“Isn’t it fine for a friend to accompany him?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Is that what you think?” (Seon-Mi)

“… . Ah!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min suddenly covered her mouth and formed a surprised expression .

“Ah, I’m so sorry . I was in your way, wasn’t I? I hadn’t thought about that . I’m a little clueless on matters like that, you see . In that case, I shall be on my way now . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“… . . Excuse me?” (Seon-Mi)

That prompted rather vigorous and vocal reactions from the males .

“W-where are you going, Miss Hae-Min?! But, you just arrived!”

“Hey, Choi Seon-Mi! Who do you think you are, questioning Miss Hae-Min for gracing us with her presence?! Get outta way!”

“An autograph! Please!”

“Hey, get away from there!”

The sudden outpouring of criticism finally cracked Seon-Mi’s expression just a little .

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‘T-this dang nine tail fox of a woman… . !’ (Seon-Mi)

‘Kiddo, you’re still way too early to touch this . ’ (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min smiled triumphantly and turned around while looking suitably uncomfortable .

“C-can I sit over here?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Of course, of course! Please, have a seat over here!”

“N-no, this here is more comfortable to sit! See how wide the cushion is!”

Yi Ji-Hyuk silently observed the ongoing spectacle, before opening his mouth .

“Well, this is a fine mess, alright . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

That was exactly what this was .

The atmosphere was getting weirder and weirder still .

Something or rather finally settled down within the previously-boisterous mood, but that led to everyone present to think about quite a lot of things .

For the dudes, they began sharpening their senses, hoping to figure out the reason why someone like Jeong Hae-Min listened to Yi Ji-Hyuk’s request and showed up here, while the ladies had grown very wary of her unexpected entrance to the scene .

Especially for Choi Seon-Mi, as she was practically grinding her teeth .

‘That nine tail fox of a woman!’ (Seon-Mi)

Since she was also in the same category of foxes(?), she knew the truth . That current outward appearance of Jeong Hae-Min? That was completely fake, systematically built up to look pretty to the onlookers .

Her broadcast-worthy reactions when dealing with this particular private function was causing Choi Seon-Mi endless amounts of ire, but somehow, she didn’t mind that as much .

No, what made her innards boil was the fact that the diminutive idol was sitting riiight next to Yi Ji-Hyuk .

Sure, Seon-Mi might have said some disparaging things about him, but the truth be told, she wasn’t stupid enough to not recognise how successful Yi Ji-Hyuk was . No, hang on a minute – if they were talking about the ability to judge a man’s worth, then Min Ye-Jeong’s eyes weren’t even on the same level as hers .

Out of the same-old, same-old school alumni present, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the best-positioned out of them all, whether it be his background, his current job, or well, even his character .

But then, the spot right next to him was being occupied not by her former classmates but some random tumble-weed that rolled in with the passing wind, so rather obviously, Seon-Mi’s innards continued to boil away .

What p*ssed her off even more was…

“Ah, you said you’re an NDF agent, yes?” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

“Ah, yes . I am . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Choi Chang-Hyuk’s question was answered by Jeong Hae-Min with a bright smile . That smile was basically an automated response system . Seon-Mi even began worrying about the idol’s facial muscles developing a sudden case of cramp from all that forced smile .

“Working as an entertainer must be really difficult, yet you even protect our country, too! You’re truly amazing, Miss Hae-Min!” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

“No, not at all . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min politely waved her hand around .

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“I’m not an entertainer working for the NDF, but an NDF agent who received the blessing from the organisation to also have a side job as an entertainer . That’s why I’ll always be grateful when doing my job . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Ahh, as expected!” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

Choi Chang-Hyuk continued to nod his head as if he wanted the whole world to know about Jeong Hae-Min’s wonderful heart .

‘That stupid dumba*s… . ’ (Seon-Mi)

What was he doing, busy praising Jeong Hae-Min like that in this place? That was an action of a man who still hadn’t figured out that praising her would naturally mean praising Yi Ji-Hyuk, instead .

‘You shouldn’t talk crap behind his back, then . ’ (Seon-Mi)

That dude was busy saying all sorts of rubbish about Yi Ji-Hyuk when the latter was absent about a minute ago but now, he was doing things that elevated the target of his scorn to a new height . What a fool he was being right now .

“Miss Jeong Hae-Min, you’re a space/dimension related ability user, yes?” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

“Yes . I’m a teleporter . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Wow . Isn’t that, like, really rare?” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

Jeong Hae-Min smiled bashfully .

“Honestly, I’m not much of a help . Ji-Hyuk and the others fight the monsters, and I’m more like a shuttle for them . Kinda like a bread shuttle, if you will . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Eii, what do you mean, you’re a shuttle . ” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

“Still, it’s a nice ability to have when you’re touring . I can just zip to my destination even if it’s far away . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

It was here that Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to butt in with a less than impressed expression on his face .

“Oh, so you’re a tour shuttle, then . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“…… . ”

“I was wondering why they were letting an ahjumma participate, but I guess she has her own… Ouch?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

He jumped up in pain when a hand sneaked under the table to angrily pinch his thigh .

“Is there a bug in there or something? Did you get bitten?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“… . . There’s a human-sized bug here . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Oh, my? Is it a pretty bug, then?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Urgh . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and settled down on his chair again .

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Jeong Hae-Min . I’m Jo Ji-Woong, affiliated with KSF . ”

“Oh, my? You work for the KSF? Does that mean we met each other before in the past?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Technically, yes . I did see you in the distance during one of the operations . ” (Jo Ji-Woong)

“Ah, I see . It’s nice to meet you . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jo Ji-Woong smiled refreshingly .

The celebrity version of Jeong Hae-Min was nice and all, but to him, every person from the NDF was the object of respect .

Of course, he’d still unhesitantly refuse without even giving it a moment’s thought when asked to join that organisation .

‘My life is important, after all . ’ (Jo Ji-Woong)

If he was like Jeong Hae-Min who was a non-combat agent, then sure thing, why not – but as he was a combatant who needed to use his own body, he’d be on his one-way trip to the underworld during the very first mission by joining a hardcore organisation like the NDF .

It seemed that both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min weren’t aware of it, but the gap between the NDF agents and none NDF agents was basically an uncrossable wall of 4 dimensions . The organisation began as a gathering of the strongest ability users in South Korea, but the difference in power initially wasn’t this great .

Which made sense considering that there wasn’t a big difference between the weakest agent in the NDF and the strongest one in the KSF who couldn’t quite cross over the line .

But now, things had drastically changed .

In the past, people loudly wondered why someone like Park Seong-Chan the Iron was qualified to join the NDF . But him utterly, completely destroying a level 4 Gate all by himself had become a stuff of legend by now .

Also the stuff of legend was his reply when people asked him for his secret boost in strength – “Why don’t you spend just one single month with Yi Ji-Hyuk?”

Jo Ji-Woong finished his greeting, stepped back, and glanced at Yi Ji-Hyuk .

‘It’s so weird, isn’t it . People know who Seo Ah-Young is, but they don’t have a clue on who Yi Ji-Hyuk is . ’ (Jo Ji-Woong)

Seo Ah-Young and Yi Ji-Hyuk could no longer be compared to each other, at least according to a consensus among the ability users . Just listening to the eyewitness accounts of the NDF agents or from the other folks, would amply tell you that he was now on a realm that she couldn’t even dare to approach . Meaning, there was not a shred of doubt on who the stronger one between the two was .

But the story publicly announced to society at large was that Seo Ah-Young the Flame Witch was still the number one in South Korea .

‘Is it because he hasn’t stepped forward during the normal Gate operations?’ (Jo Ji-Woong)

If Yi Ji-Hyuk participated in the Gate defence operations and displayed scenes of him sweeping all the monsters away just like how Seo Ah-Young had done in the past, then rumours about him couldn’t be stopped even if the government tried its hardest . However, he was currently not even remotely involved in dealing with the so-called regular Gates .

And so, normal citizens had little to no avenue to learn about his existence .

The government bigwigs tried to clamp down on stories of the NDF leaking out, but how could a living, breathing human being resist spilling the beans on something that he or she knew?

Thanks to that, the stories of Yi Ji-Hyuk’s existence spread out with the KSF agents’ families as the epicentre, but honestly, he was being treated like a spooky urban legend more than anything else at the moment .

His status, in other words, was being treated differently from the likes of the officially recognised representative of South Korea, Seo Ah-Young .

‘And that’s why he’s losing out to a celebrity right now . ’ (Jo Ji-Woong)

If the folks in this occasion weren’t former classmates but the KSF agents, then objectively speaking, Jeong Hae-Min wouldn’t be able to garner any attention whatsoever . Seriously now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing right before their eyes, so who would even care about her?

“Well, anyways . Imma use the john, okay?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his chair, but that prompted Jeong Hae-Min to shoot up from hers as well .

“I’ll go with you . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“What the?! Why would you follow me to the toilet of all places?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“I have to . Being alone is gonna feel weird, you know . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Arghhh, gimme a freaking…!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk got seriously irritated, but he didn’t try to push away Jeong Hae-Min following after him .

And so, when the two of them opened the door and disappeared beyond it, an incredibly heavy silence descended on the venue .

“Hah… . ” (Min Ye-Jeong)

The one to shatter this silence was Min Ye-Jeong .

“What was that? There’s no way she’d come?” (Min Ye-Jeong)

Even if Choi Seon-Mi had ten mouths, she still wouldn’t have anything clever to say .

“You sounded so slick and educated just then, so why aren’t you saying anything now? Wowsers, this is how rumours start, isn’t it? I nearly believed it to be true, too . Isn’t it amazing, Choi Seon-Mi?” (Min Ye-Jeong)

Seon-Mi’s face was trembling uncontrollably .

Too bad for her, she just couldn’t shoot back with a retort after everything she had said already .

“That’s enough from you . Let’s be honest, what Seon-Mi said made sense, didn’t it?” Choi Chang-Hyuk)

“What is this, are you siding with her now?” (Min Ye-Jeong)

When Choi Chang-Hyuk spoke up for Seon-Mi, Min Ye-Jeong shot him a murderous glare .

“No, it’s not like I’m siding with her or anything but let’s be real here . It’s only logical to think like her . This is exactly like the sun rising up from the west when everyone says that’s not possible, so it’s not right blaming her for it, you know?” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

Min Ye-Jeong still carried an expression of disagreement .

Choi Chang-Hyuk opened his mouth, hoping to change the subject .

“By the way, what’s the real story between those two, I wonder?” (Choi Chang-Hyuk)

He said that out loud to change the subject, but that instead hit the nail in the proverbial head . The venue’s mood rapidly cooled down .

< 368 . Is that a problem? -3 > Fin .

(TL: I’ve often heard people decry the “cancel culture” attacking our freedom of speech, but well, this coronavirus thing is turning out to be the biggest culprit of them all . Events of both entertainment and educational nature are being cancelled left, right, and centre . I don’t want to make a light of this situation, but couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the irony of it all . )

(TL: As usual, please stay safe and practice good hygiene . See you again next time . )