### Chapter 349 – Hell of Gluttony (3)
—
– Kim Ari
Left alone in the car, I pondered what strength was left within me.
The conditions were just like when I used to offer prayers for rest back in the maze.
Though my heritage was sealed, blessings remained.
That meant I could use either a compass or the presence-less girl as an asset.
Direct combat might be challenging, but sneaking around seemed like the way to go.
Next, I recalled Soyun’s problems.
First, the text stalker.
Finding some crazed fan hiding somewhere in South Korea to punish sounds like a hassle.
If I were still an agent of the Administration Bureau on stage, it might be doable, but as just a teenage girl, solving it wouldn’t be easy.
Plus, I didn’t think the one sending the texts was the fundamental issue.
Soyun wasn’t a normal person; she was a nationally recognized celebrity. If her personal information leaks, there would be a swarm of stalkers large enough to fill ten buses.
Should I try to catch someone around Soyun who’s leaking schedules and phone numbers?
I’m sure the parties involved have attempted something already…
Second, the mysterious creature that showed up two months ago.
This was way more serious than the first.
It wasn’t just that they managed to find out Soyun’s schedule; they attacked precisely when the bodyguards and staff stepped away.
This person was likely someone connected to Soyun.
It’s not something an obsessive fan could manage just by stumbling upon Soyun’s phone number or schedule.
Finally, the third issue: the unidentified entity that appeared at Soyun’s house late at night and wasn’t caught on CCTV.
From the circumstances, it seemed like a ghostly urban legend, but how to deal with it was beyond me.
If it’s some intangible evil spirit, even with a heritage, that would be tough to tackle. Let alone just relying on the power of blessings.
As I was lost in thought, Soyun and Kanghyeok arrived at the SUV.
“Did you hear the crazy radio story today?”
“Yeah, they just keep throwing nonsensical questions at me!”
“That’s because I was holding a mic while the PD was reading them out!”
“Should I smack the PD for you?”
“Oh come on, that’s just a joke!”
“Let me take a crack at that PD guy next time.”
Kanghyeok’s banter seemed to ease some of Soyun’s frustration.
“Good job, unnie!”
“Thanks! Oh, Kanghyeok, the dinner CF shoot got canceled.”
“Wait, what? How come—”
“I’ll tell you later. I’m tired, so let’s head home first.”
“Sure thing. But, shouldn’t we be sending Ari home since it’s late?”
What do you mean ‘home’ all of a sudden?
I was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden change.
Thinking about it, even if I’m staff, it is typically quitting time at 10 PM.
Especially since if I’m just a close sibling who’s getting an occasional allowance, now is definitely home time.
While I was pondering how to stay close to Soyun without raising suspicions, the problem got resolved instantly.
“Ari! How about you stay at my place tonight?”
“Uh, what?”
“I made a movie theater at home, remember?”
Did I?
“I’ve been saying I’d show it to you. Today’s a great chance!”
Staying close to Soyun was definitely better than parting ways, so I quickly replied.
“Sounds good!”
“Then let’s head to my place right away.”
Even though it was late, the SUV sped through the bright streets of Seoul like it was noon when Soyun began to speak, looking tired.
“About that CF…”
“Right, how did it end up canceled at the last minute?”
“The director called and pulled the plug.”
“…”
“Seems like Seokmin hyung thought you looked too busy.”
“Are you serious?”
“…”
It sounded like they were talking about Kim Seokmin, the head of Soyun’s agency who had just come up earlier.
Kanghyeok mentioned that he was utterly smitten by Soyun after she became a star, but now the atmosphere felt a bit different.
“Should I bring it up tomorrow?”
“Who do you think you are? You really think the director would listen to you?”
“… Sorry. I’ll just focus on driving.”
When Soyun reacted prickly at everything Kanghyeok said, he quickly zipped his lips.
No matter how I thought about it, this wasn’t the vibe of someone inviting their close sibling to watch a movie.
Then again, that’s just how it is. I was starting to feel increasingly anxious.
The text stalking began seven months ago, the creature who appeared on her way home was two months back, and the mysterious phenomenon at the house happened three days ago.
All these events are in the past, so why on earth did I end up here in the ‘now’?
Is something going to happen today?
“Unnie.”
“…”
“Unnie.”
“What?”
“Is there something wrong?”
“I’m fine.”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“Then why don’t you just stop pretending? You’re clearly showing signs of something bothering you while insisting everything’s okay!”
It was annoying to be using honorifics with someone younger than me; was she trying to be a pain? Should I smack her to get her to spill?
“If you keep on like this, I might just head home.”
Was that a mistake? I shouldn’t go home right now.
“… It’s really nothing.”
Hearing me say I’d go home, Soyun cracked a smile and mentioned the conflicts she had with the director.
After that, we spent the ride tense but uneventfully until we arrived at her house.
Kanghyeok parked and waved us off at the parking garage.
As he parked the car and left, it looked like he had another vehicle to get home or he lived nearby.
*
Eerie.
Even though it was a parking garage I visited daily, Soyun felt a curious sense of dread in this place.
It felt as if something lurking in the darkness was tightening around her neck.
“The lights are a bit dim… I should tell the caretaker tomorrow. Ari, come this way.”
“Okay.”
Suddenly, Soyun realized what was causing her anxiety.
The lights were flickering like they were partially out, making creaky noises from the old devices.
— Tap!
Suddenly, irregular footsteps began to echo.
At first, Soyun thought it was just someone who shared the parking space with them, so she turned her head, but then she realized the figure was no neighbor, and her expression turned pale in an instant.
The approaching person’s steps looked slow, but that was merely due to the poor lighting.
Soon, the awkwardly styled hair and bloodshot eyes came into their view.
In that moment, upon recognizing the person, Soyun mustered her courage, grabbed Ari’s hand tightly, and pushed her behind.
“Hey?”
“Stay back for a moment.”
Ari sensed something amiss in the situation.
If an unidentified man appeared out of nowhere in the parking garage, it was the normal reaction for a twenty-something woman, celebrity or not, to scream and run away.
But Soyun didn’t do that. She didn’t seem particularly brave either; rather, it seemed she recognized who the person was.
“So you finally tracked me down?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t come?”
Ari then understood that these two knew each other.
“I didn’t call for you…”
“What about that email? Did you consult with a lawyer?”
“…”
“Are you really going to act like this? Do you think canceling today’s CF is everything I can do?”
At this point, Ari realized who this enraged man that barged into Soyun’s home was.
It was Kim Seokmin, the director of the agency, with whom Soyun had been having recent conflicts.
“I told you before, don’t be greedy beyond your means!”
“Phew… Was that guy you sent last time the director? An employee? I had no idea who they were.”
“You know I have a lot of people under me, right?”
“Stay away from me!”
“What do you mean? I can’t hear you when you’re so far away!”
The director was starting to show a threatening demeanor as he closed in on Soyun, seemingly ignoring Ari entirely.
Ari couldn’t understand why this lunatic was acting violently while surely there were CCTV cameras in such a high-end villa.
“Sir, should I call the police?”
“Ari, stay out of this. You’re a kid, so don’t meddle!”
“Seriously, you must be nuts.”
“… What?”
Ari’s sharp outburst drew the eyes of both Soyun and the director to her.
“Activating the presence-less girl mode.”
In the next moment, both seemed to forget about Ari and returned their focus to each other.
“Director, if you don’t leave immediately, I’ll call the cops!”
“Oh~! Go ahead. I’ll just bring a lawyer for you breaching contract!”
— Bang!
“Ahhhh!”
“And you, Soyun! When did you become so defiant? Just because you’ve gotten famous, you think the whole world belongs to you?”
Suddenly, he closed in, slamming his fist against the wall, causing Soyun to almost sit down from the shock.
She couldn’t falter. Soyun thought this way.
Even if Kim Seokmin was a psycho, this wasn’t some secluded mountain but right in the middle of Seoul, so there’s no way he would actually hurt her.
Then, at that fateful moment—
Something neither of them could have imagined happened.
— Vroom! Whoooom!
Out of nowhere, a heavy SUV began to charge toward them!
“Ahhhh!”
“What the hell is that maniac doing!”
As the SUV skidded to a stop near them, Seokmin yelled with a curse as he drew closer.
“Hey! Who the hell are you? Get the hell out of here!”
“Oh my! How scary!”
“What— Wait, are you Ari?”
“I’m sorry! Today, unnie said she’d teach me how to drive!”
“You, I just told you to stay over there—”
— Vroom!
Next moment, the SUV started to reverse and without hesitation charged straight at Seokmin!
“Ahhh!”
Even as the SUV sped towards him, Seokmin thought,
It will definitely stop.
It has to stop.
No way Ari, even if she’s a lunatic, would just keep it going!
— Bang!
The Porsche didn’t stop.
Seokmin crashed into the bumper and fell backward, hitting the parking wall.
“Ugh, agh! You’re really crazy—!”
“Ahhhhh!”
“Why are you screaming now?”
“Ari~! I’m sorry!”
“What? What?”
“I’m not great at telling the difference between the accelerator and brake!”
“What kind of madness—”
“Is the brake on the right? Right?”
— Vroom!
“Ahhhh!”
“Or is it not?”
“P-Please calm down! Why are you doing this to me?”
“Is this a right turn? Watch out!”
“Eek! How the hell am I supposed to deal with this—”
“Because of you, I’m getting confused!”
“What kind of nonsense is this!”
“Shut up! You’re talking too much, so I can’t concentrate on driving. If your tongue keeps wagging, I might accidentally push the accelerator!”
“You… You crazy—”
“Accelerate! Vroom!”
“…”
“Have you ever heard this saying?”
“…”
“Getting run over by a car counts as natural death. If the director were a fast-reacting twenty-something, he could have evaded the oncoming car, right?”
“Y-You’re seriously spouting nonsense—”
“Open your mouth! Natural death is coming your way!”
— Vroom!
At that point, Seokmin surrendered and started to run away.
“You maniac!”
“Natural death~!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Just as Seokmin escaped the parking garage, sprinting into the alley, the SUV came to a halt.
*
– Kim Ari
When the chaos settled down, Soyun approached me with a dazed look.
Earlier, she’d tried to hide her troubles with the director from me, yet now she began spilling her heart at once.
As I listened, I found that the story felt oddly familiar.
Before Soyun became a star and achieved massive success, the contract she had with her agency was akin to a ‘slave contract.’
When she had no fame, she had to endure such contracts, but now it was unacceptable.
So when she brought up renegotiating, the director blew up in anger, and they had been at odds ever since.
Who’s right and who’s wrong in these contract disputes?
It’s tough to say.
Soyun’s trying to frame it through her perspective, branding her previous contract as slavery while insisting that she deserves fairer terms now; conversely, if you ask the director, you would probably hear a totally different story.
Today, it was clear that the director’s visit to intimidate Soyun was wrong, but the contractual affair was a different can of worms.
Honestly…
I don’t need to get tangled into Soyun’s legal battles.
If the hotel intended for me to take on such a role, they surely wouldn’t have given me the setup of a genius lawyer from a top law school!
The problem I needed to solve was how to deal with a deranged director barging into Soyun’s house, and I managed to pull that off successfully.
Nodding at me, a still-dazed Soyun mumbled.
“Ari…”
“Yes?”
“F-First of all, thank you! Really, thank you. But what on earth were you thinking? How did you learn to drive? And where did you get the car keys?”
“I’m fine.”
Really, I felt great. After all, I didn’t plan on sticking around in her memory for long.
What advantage does an invader from the outside have over the people internally?
We have no need to worry about the back end.
Soon, the police might haul me in for some courtroom drama, but that’s not my concern. Before that happens, I intend to wrap up all these messy situations.
“With this, the issue of the mysterious creature that appeared two months ago is resolved!”
“What?”
“Now, let’s hurry to your house and tackle whatever creepy phenomena are happening there.”
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