Chapter 119: If You're Short on Cash, Do It Yourself The moment I stepped inside my home, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me.
The mission? Fighting that chuunibyou? That wasn't tiring at all.
It was all because of that crazy bitch's execution show.
And…
"I couldn't win a single argument."
I sank into the sofa and stared up at the ceiling.
In my past life, even if I wasn't the best at my job, I made a living with my silver tongue. Yet, I couldn't find a single word to push back against Park Yu-jeong.
Was I shocked that Trevor died? No.
It was more the shock of Park Yu-jeong putting on an execution show right in front of my eyes.
I thought I'd grown somewhat accustomed to the life-and-death nature of combat, but witnessing a murder that was essentially an execution left me with a strong sense of revulsion.
It's like that, you know? You can watch people die in war or action movies while munching on popcorn, but once it crosses into the thriller or horror genre, the act of killing becomes incredibly heavy.
And then came Park Yu-jeong's relentless fact-bombing.
"You're soft. Aren't you underestimating the government too much? An unrelated person? If there's even the slightest flaw, they'll use it as a weakness against you whenever they want. Someday, when it matters most, they'll blow this out of proportion to pressure and manipulate you."
"Don't you understand him better than I do? He's a coward who prioritizes his own safety above all else. If he gets caught, do you think he'll protect you? No, he'll try to pin his crimes on you just to save his own skin. Am I wrong?"
"Ahahaha! You already declared during the mission that he was a stranger. What did you call him? A suspicious individual? Pfft—you can't use his abilities so actively and then claim you don't know him. How were you going to explain that later?"
"Weren't you already thinking about killing him? I just pulled the trigger you were hesitating on. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
I had tried to get worked up and argue back, even if it meant nitpicking her words, but she played dirty by sticking strictly to the facts. I got absolutely demolished.
Cold-blooded bitch.
Furthermore, she was so thorough that she erased everything related to Trevor.
Starting with the electronics in Trevor's house, she replaced everything—books, furniture, even trivial things like pens and cutlery—with different items. She said a mysterious fire would break out there in a month.
Why a month? Because in a world with magic, she had to account for magic that reads the memory of a place.
She was also collecting all the internet history from Trevor's PC and working on erasing any traces or data.
"Just like you said, Trevor has become a 'suspicious individual' you met for the first time. He has nothing to do with you anymore."
That's what she said while sitting on Trevor's trembling thighs and looking up at me.
Should I call it typical of Park Yu-jeong?
I couldn't complain about her ability to produce results. It was just the process that was the problem.
Park Yu-jeong did all of this knowing exactly what was going on.
That left one question: Why did she help me?
If she knew everything, she must have known I was investigating her. It wasn't like her to leave something bothersome alone.
Park Yu-jeong's answer to my question was…
"Hmm? Well, because you have to be flawless. I'll remove anything that might hold you back in the future."
"…Why?"
"You have to soar higher. To the 12 Zodiacs… no, even higher than that, so high that no one can reach you."
"…I don't really have any ambition for status—but putting that aside, what does my success have to do with you?"
"Because it'll be more fun when I torment you. The idea that I'm the only one who can bully someone everyone else looks up to… it's electrifying."
Yep, Park Yu-jeong is definitely insane.
I can't keep up with her logic at all.
Those were the kind of words someone would say while cupping their cheeks with a yandere expression, but in reality, Park Yu-jeong looked like a shy girl confessing her love.
Arms tucked behind her back, eyes shyly avoiding mine, flushed cheeks…
Her expression didn't match her words at all.
"Every time I see your troubled face, every time I see you racking your brain and struggling to find a way out… my heart flutters. Isn't this what love is?"
"Absolutely not."
When I denied it, she giggled and clung to me. I had to peel her off before I could finally head home.
I'm exhausted.
What was Park Yu-jeong's character event again?
I don't think she had a specific personal event.
I recalled that if certain conditions were met, she would naturally join Akito's group. Then she'd go around killing demons and masterminds while doing crazy shit, and Akito would repeatedly have to clean up her mess in a panic.
Akito definitely followed her around, saying it was fun.
…Wait.
Does that mean she's doing this because I seem more fun than Akito?
Why the hell is she interested in me?
Just go to Akito like you're supposed to!
Aaaaagh!! I hate this!! Akito is a saint, so he could endure it, but I'm going to die of a stroke!
I thrashed around on the sofa before pathetically rolling off onto the floor.
"..."
My mind was so troubled that I just lay there face-down for a long time.
She helped me hide my connection to Trevor, but that also meant Park Yu-jeong had leverage over me. I couldn't just ignore her.
If it went public, Park Yu-jeong would take a hit too, but she's the type of person who would blow everything up if things didn't go her way.
And then, in the end, she'd somehow slip away unscathed.
Did I mention she was thorough?
As a reward for this incident, Park Yu-jeong demanded that I include her in every request I take.
That's right, it was a similar flow to her joining Akito.
Except it was me instead of Akito…
Why? I didn't even do anything.
Weren't things going well between her and Akito during the Tournament?
This is driving me crazy. We don't even have a connection, so why is she coming after me?
As I was writhing on the floor again, a text arrived. It was from Park Yu-jeong.
I'll be in your care from now on~ Here's a gift! I originally filmed this to show that pervert who was secretly peeking at my phone, but I don't need it anymore. I was going to delete it, but it seemed like a waste, so I'll send you one. You worked hard today, so jerk one out before you go to sleep~ "..."
I checked to see what it was, and it was a masturbation video.
She had pulled up her short T-shirt, biting the hem, and was pinching her swollen, angry nipples with her fingers.
With a provocative, aroused face, Park Yu-jeong stared intently at the camera before moving her hand down. The camera followed, showing her fingers pleasuring her plump pussy.
She filmed this to show Trevor?
Because she knew he was peeking at her phone with magic? She really is out of her mind.
And you, dick. Have you no pride? Is this really the time to be getting hard?
No matter how much I scolded it, my cock was rock-hard, and my eyes were glued to Park Yu-jeong's breasts and pussy.
…Let's not do anything stupid and just go to sleep.
After I watch it just one more time.
*
A week later, while my uneventful daily life continued, Park Yu-jeong showed up as if she wouldn't allow such peace.
Coincidentally, it was right when Rebecca had come to sell her wares.
By the way, why are you two naturally sitting there without even ringing the doorbell, as if this were your own home?
"Are you doing business with Yeon-woo, Rebecca? Hmmm, and here I thought you wouldn't sell to me."
"Ahahaha… I was planning on visiting you too, Ms. Park Yu-jeong… Aha, ahahaha…"
Do they know each other?
Well, they're both famous. One is a legendary merchant, and the other is a legendary crazy bitch.
The group Park Yu-jeong runs isn't some neighborhood corner store, so it makes sense that someone like Rebecca would recognize her.
Park Yu-jeong patted the sofa, telling me to sit next to her, but then she stood up.
"I'm going to the bathroom. I was having such a fun conversation with Rebecca that I've been holding my pee for too long."
"The bathroom is down this way… Oh, you already know. Right."
Even though I hadn't told her, Park Yu-jeong headed to the bathroom with familiar ease, as if it were her own house.
Rebecca, who had been silently gauging the atmosphere, quickly clung to me the moment she heard the bathroom door close.
"Yeon-woo, do you know that person?"
"Well… I know her."
"How on earth do you know her? Haven't you heard the rumors?"
I probably know her better than you do. And they aren't rumors; they're the truth.
As if she knew Park Yu-jeong well, Rebecca spoke urgently.
"I don't want to die. No, I heard that if you get caught by her, she makes you wish you were dead. You aren't being blackmailed, are you?"
"Unfortunately, no. And calm down. I'll make sure to tell her not to touch you."
"Uuu—really? I'm counting on you, Yeon-woo!"
Rebecca was always boastful and arrogant in front of me, but she seemed genuinely terrified of Park Yu-jeong.
That just goes to show how many stories she's heard while traveling around.
I calmed Rebecca down and took the catalog to check the prices.
What mattered now were the ingredients for the secret medicine to treat the Whitening Phenomenon.
"…Aren't you ripping me off a bit too much?"
"Ripping you off?! I, Rebecca Hall, am an honest merchant who always stands by the customer!"
If you're an honest merchant, how can these prices be right?
Did I tell Yukina before that the net cost of the ingredients alone was 3 billion? I also said it would probably be double by now, but I was wrong.
Double? It looks more like five times that.
"Because you've monopolized so much, the materials aren't appearing on the market. I barely managed to get these. Since you buy so many other things every time, I'm practically providing these at cost as a service. I'm not making any profit on them at all!"
"Still, it's too expensive…"
Normally, I would have acted bold and told her to add whatever profit she wanted, but I couldn't bring myself to say that now.
Should I sell some level 60+ items…? Or sell more recipes?
At this rate, it won't be a lack of supply that stops me; I'll go bankrupt first.
The material cost for a single dose of the secret medicine is 15 billion G… In the currency of my past life, that's 150 billion won for one pill.
No matter how much I inflated my wealth using game knowledge to raid casinos, sell items, sell recipes, and invest in promising companies, I couldn't keep up with this price.
The problem is that the price hike probably won't stop here.
This won't do… I'll have to source the materials myself.
"Angelo's Droplet? Why do you need Black Tumor Toad Skin and Starlight Conception?"
"Kyaaaak!"
Park Yu-jeong, who had approached from behind at some point, asked as she looked at the catalog. Rebecca shrieked and clung to me.
"I'm not going to eat you. Don't be so startled, Rebecca."
"Ahaha, aha… I-I wasn't startled…"
"But are you going to keep hugging Yeon-woo? That makes me want to eat you."
When Park Yu-jeong smirked, Rebecca pulled away from me with the speed of a cockroach.
Once the spot was vacant, Park Yu-jeong unceremoniously climbed over the back of the sofa and sat between us. She leaned her head on my shoulder and asked.
"Why are you collecting these materials? Most of them have few uses and their effects haven't been properly identified."
"I'll explain someday."
"I do like a man with secrets."
The unspoken part of that sentence was that she liked digging up those secrets and exposing them.
As Park Yu-jeong said, most of the ingredients for the secret medicine are currently rarely used.
They were rare, but since they weren't particularly utilized anywhere, I was able to collect them almost exclusively.
They were used in a few uncommon potions or in research facilities studying potential applications, but no one else was collecting them on a large scale like I was.
But since the market has run dry, the price naturally… No, even so, five times is too much.
I pondered over the catalog for a moment before speaking to Rebecca.
"You don't need to look for Starlight Conception anymore. As for the rest… let's wait and see if the market price drops."
"On standby for now, then. Understood."
"Should I buy them for you? I have plenty of money."
As the owner of a group, I'm sure she does.
I smiled thinly and showed Park Yu-jeong the price she hadn't seen yet.
Oh, this expression on Park Yu-jeong is a rare sight.
The way her face went blank the moment she saw the numbers was almost cute.
Get a grip. She's only cute on the outside.
"…Rebecca, I didn't think you were the type to scam Yeon-woo just because he doesn't know—"
"N-No!! That really is the current market price! This is unfair! I'm not even making a profit on this!"
Whether her pride as a merchant was stronger than her fear, Rebecca argued loudly.
However, since the price range I had mentioned to Yukina was already expensive, Park Yu-jeong couldn't believe it and checked the online auction house for the prices.
"Wow… inflation is insane… No, only these items are weird. Why?"
"Because I'm buying them all."
"Are you hoarding? You know hoarding magic materials is illegal, right?"
I don't think I should be hearing that from you.
"I'm putting them all to good use."
"Mmm—are they being used in that research lab?"
Just how much has she investigated me?
I hadn't exactly hidden it, but what student runs a research lab? Most people wouldn't even think to ask or look into it, but Park Yu-jeong knows everything.
Regardless, I need to prepare to go outside the Barrier.
The current members are Yukina, the Comedy Duo, and Park Yu-jeong. I think there was a blonde thug too, but he's a stranger to me.
Ah… I don't want to take her, but I have no one else to put in the party. Right, including Takeo, that makes five.
I think I can barely get permission for the investigation… if not, I'll have to ask the seniors.
Park Yu-jeong. As a party member, she's a bit ambiguous.
If I had to categorize her, she's an intelligence-type character, so her research and management abilities are superior.
It's not that her combat ability is lacking, but rather her other stats are so high that she's a character meant to be used specifically for those purposes.
But it's not like I'm running a club like Akito, and I've already set up external professional staff for research and management, so it's not something I need to worry about.
And it's not like I'm in a position to build a harem and pick strong characters like Shizuka or Chika.
Fine, let's start by sourcing the materials.
"Get ready for a request."
"I didn't think we'd be going out so soon. Our first date, I'm looking forward to it."
It's not a date.
Honestly, it's a place I don't want to go.
I really don't want to go. To think I'm volunteering to go to the most cancerous place in the game.
But what choice do I have? I have to go if I want to survive.
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