Chapter 18: The codename is Police. (5)

Lee Yuna and Mr. Lee Jangsu confirmed each other’s safety and sighed in relief.

After waiting for a moment, I opened the door to the representative’s office.

The smell of spilled blood seemed to cling to my whole body.

“Ms. Lee Yuna. Please come in.”

Lee Yuna wiped her tears and stood up.

She followed me immediately without hesitation.

“I’ve kept my promise.”

I showed her the corpses laid out neatly.

Lee Yuna stared blankly at the corpses.

Her fists were clenched tightly.

“And this is a gift.”

I moved to the window and turned the chair Representative Kim was sitting in.

I showed her his front.

“Good heavens….”

Aunt Sujeong muttered in a low voice, startled.

Lee Yuna, her lips firmly pressed together, stared directly at Representative Kim.

Stab

I plunged the knife I had taken out into Representative Kim’s shoulder.

“Kkeueueup.”

“Kill him yourself.”

Lee Yuna must be the one to kill him.

She is different from the aunt and uncle.

Because her Fundamental Skill is related to combat.

It’s also a procedure to accept her as a colleague, as I told Mr. Lee Jangsu.

“I- I….”

I wasn’t trying to torment her.

It was something I planned after seeing Jang Hoseop become stronger after his first kill.

“Dad, I’ll do it.”

“Why would you do something like this… You even hid your Awakening!”

“Because that’s the only way Dad and I can continue to live.”

There were various calculations involved, but I didn’t say them.

“Dad… This isn’t something you can do for me. I need to become stronger.”

“Yuna….”

Nevertheless, Lee Yuna strode forward.

Brushing off her father who was trying to stop her.

“This. May I take it off?”

Lee Yuna asked, pointing at Representative Kim’s mouth.

I nodded.

Riiip

Lee Yuna removed the tape plastered over Representative Kim’s mouth.

She even pulled out the sock stuffed in his mouth.

“Sh*t. Why… are you doing this to me.”

Representative Kim managed to speak with difficulty.

“It’s me.”

“Yuna? Yuna? Yuna, please, this….”

He reacted violently upon hearing Lee Yuna’s voice.

“I wanted to let you know who’s killing you.”

Lee Yuna, who had muttered softly, grabbed the knife embedded in Representative Kim’s shoulder.

---

Lee Yuna had been swimming since she was young.

‘Our daughter is amazing! She’d be even better if she learned properly, right?’

She had talent and nurtured the dream of becoming a swimmer.

Lee Jangsu did his best to support Lee Yuna.

Lee Yuna, in turn, strived not to disappoint his expectations.

Everything was going smoothly.

She won prizes when she entered competitions, and she was also registered as an athlete.

Then, it was when Lee Yuna was in her second year of middle school.

‘She’s always alone.’

‘I heard she doesn’t have a mom?’

‘Is that the same swimsuit again?’

When one person started to slander her, the sentiment spread like wildfire.

There were many reasons.

Lee Yuna trained harder than anyone else.

Her records were excellent, and she was pretty.

She had never once treated the coaching staff to snacks, yet she received the director’s favor.

She received scholarships and always came to competitions by public transport.

If these various reasons were reduced to one word.

‘Jealousy.’

No one stayed by Lee Yuna’s side.

But she was mature for her age, and strong.

Lee Yuna dived into the water more and more.

She didn’t show it to her father either.

She greeted everyone with a bright smile.

Unaware that her own heart was rotting away.

---

Winter vacation of her third year in middle school.

Lee Yuna experienced her second growth spurt.

Suddenly, her height began to increase again.

‘She’s over 170cm now. Her height grew too quickly.’

Her muscle growth couldn’t keep up with her height.

But it wasn’t just her height that grew.

Her pelvis widened, and her breasts continued to grow.

‘It seems we’ll have to focus on recovery training for a while. Muscular strength and….’

For the first time, Lee Yuna hit a plateau.

No, rather, her records began to decline.

‘Isn’t she crazy?’

‘No, who is she trying to show off to, dressing like that?’

‘That’s why her records are dropping.’

Even when she became a high school student, the jealousy persisted.

Saying she was vulgar, or that she was exercising to seduce men.

Even though Lee Yuna wore the same competitive swimsuit as other athletes, she had to listen to all sorts of slander from her female teammates.

Gossip with sexual connotations began to be added.

A video of her at a competition gaining fame on the internet was decisive.

― Wow… High definition is urgently needed.
― Judge, over here!
― Beautiful,,, promising talent,,, please become a shining jewel,,,,,

Half of the comments praised her appearance.

The other half were insults saying she was gaining popularity with her looks.

In reality, men came to see her.

She received confessions from men she had never seen before every day.

The more that happened, the harsher the slander against her became.

Even though she rejected all confessions and focused only on training.

‘I just need to do well… do well. Then they’ll acknowledge me.’

Lee Yuna found swimming fun.

She just worked hard because she wanted to be better at something she enjoyed.

She closed her ears and dived back into the water.

‘Yuna. How about trying a slightly different path?’

The envy and jealousy didn’t matter.

What truly made things difficult for her was.

‘It’s hard if you don’t win a prize. The current record is….’

Not being rewarded for her efforts.

Making her father’s devotion futile.

That day too, Lee Yuna went to the swimming pool out of habit, and the always blue lanes looked gray.

---

A man handed Lee Yuna a business card.

‘An idol?’

She was on her way to the hospital where her father was admitted.

‘Money… Can I earn a lot?’

Lee Yuna was enduring alone in a world染 Gray.

Representative Kim approached her in that state.

Persuaded by Representative Kim, Lee Yuna signed a contract.

He said her potential was remarkable.

He even took care of her father and supported her trainee life.

‘Can’t sing, can’t dance well. Calling this trash the center….’

‘Ah, really, what the hell! We’ve been training for years….’

‘Isn’t she that? The Representative’s that? That’s why she’s a parachute hire….’

This time too, Lee Yuna was ostracized.

By the older girls, friends, and younger ones she was supposed to debut with.

It didn’t matter.

This was business.

She immersed herself only in practice, just as she had endured difficult training schedules.

And so, debut day arrived.

‘Have you ever seen the Representative do a losing business?’

‘Still, if it fails….’

Lee Yuna accidentally found out that she had signed an unfair contract.

‘He’s already recovering the investment from that b*tch’s father….’

‘Hey, look at her. Just send her around to a few sponsors.’

‘Absolutely. It’s good if she makes it big, and even if she doesn’t, there are ways….’

‘The members are bullying her on orders, so she has no one to rely on….’

‘Taming her slowly. Their previous group was also the Representative’s work….’

What kind of situation she was in.

That her father had been deceived along with her.

The fact that everyone was in cahoots.

And then, the cataclysm struck.

‘Unni, help me!’

‘Yuna!’

Lee Yuna ignored the members trapped under the building.

She looked for her father and fled frantically.

She wanted to die, but she didn’t want to die.

She fled from a mountain-sized monster and arrived at an intact department store.

‘Yuna! You’re alive.’

Representative Kim was there.

Along with the leader unni.

---

Lee Yuna was separated from her father.

A few days passed like that, and Representative Kim, for the first time, distributed a moderate amount of food to the people.

‘Lee Yuna. Eat that and come to the representative’s office.’

‘Why?’

‘You have to earn your keep too. Ah, this too.’

Team Leader Kim handed Lee Yuna a few bottles of water.

In a situation where everyone was suffering from thirst.

‘You’re meeting the Representative, so wash up a bit. Even if you can’t wash your hair….’

‘Pardon?’

‘Use it sparingly.’

Lee Yuna attempted to escape.

She knew what the leader unni was doing in the representative’s office every night.

‘Police….’

She safely escaped the department store and met Ihyun’s group.

“Please help me.”

For the first time, Lee Yuna asked someone else for help.
Because it wasn’t a situation she could endure and overcome alone.

The tall police officer moved elegantly.

Stab

He killed people without hesitation.

Those terrifying male Awakeners, so easily.

‘Red….’

A drop of blood splattered on Ihyun’s face.

To Lee Yuna’s eyes, it looked so beautiful.

A drop of blood shining red in a gray world.

And her heart pounded violently.

‘Strong.’

Lee Yuna clung to Ihyun.

Having nothing, she showed him her Fundamental Skill.

“That’s a good ability.”

“Pardon?”

“It’ll be even more amazing if you level it up.”

Ihyun’s indifferent words struck a chord in Lee Yuna’s heart.

Because it wasn’t praise for her appearance.

Because it was similar to the praise she had heard from her father when she was young.

Watching Ihyun’s back as he left, saying he would keep his promise first, she made a vow.

If he kept his promise, she would keep hers too.

“I’ve kept my promise.”

When Lee Yuna returned to the department store.

Ihyun said with a blank expression.

Covered from head to toe in red blood.

‘They’re all… dead.’

The leader unni who had always ignored her was sprawled out unsightly, legs spread.

The agency staff who used to laugh like devils were dead with their eyes wide open.

“And this is a gift.”

Even that terrifying Representative Kim was groaning in agony, his eyeballs gouged out.

Still alive.

“Kill him yourself.”

That was the first gift Lee Yuna received from the man.

Her world, which had been dyed gray, began to shine again.

---

I took a step back.

Lee Yuna grabbed the knife embedded in Representative Kim’s shoulder.

‘What is this?’

The strange thing was that the emotions I felt from Lee Yuna had changed.

Until we parted at the bank, she had been filled with negative emotions.

Although it didn’t show on the outside.

“Keup.”

Lee Yuna pulled out the knife.

I don’t know if it was intentional, but she wiggled the hilt left and right as she pulled it out.

She awkwardly held the knife she had barely managed to pull out.

“Wait.”

“Pardon?”

“Hold it like this.”

I had her hold it in a reverse grip, with the blade facing her pinky finger.

Our hands touched briefly, and Lee Yuna flinched.

“Support the bottom with your thumb. You’ll get hurt if it slips.”

Lee Yuna, her face flushed, followed my instructions.

I passed on the know-how I had learned from experience and stepped back again.

‘Curiosity? Liking?’

I felt positive emotions from Lee Yuna.

I don’t know why.
What kind of change of heart had occurred during the short time we were apart?

Stab—

“Kkeuaaak! You fcking btch.”

While I was briefly pondering.

Lee Yuna stabbed Representative Kim in the chest.

“Ah….”

At Representative Kim’s reaction, Lee Yuna took a small step back.

She seemed surprised.

“Ungrateful btch. You fcking b*tch, I’ll….”

Representative Kim, who had been exhausted, raised his voice in pain.

She hadn’t stabbed deeply enough, only causing him pain.

“Pfft. Gratitude?”

Lee Yuna snorted.

She grabbed the knife hilt again.

Pulled it out, and stabbed.

Stab… Stab

Stab, Stab, Stab—

Lee Yuna gripped the knife with both hands and repeatedly stabbed downwards.

Shoulder, chest, abdomen, then shoulder again.

Drops of blood splattered on her white face.

“Keolreok… Kkeueuk. Stop… Kill me….”

She didn’t touch his throat.

As if she was venting her anger.

“Auntie.”

“Yes.”

“Did you perhaps use your skill on Ms. Lee Yuna?”

Lee Yuna was hacking Representative Kim to pieces like a madwoman.

Watching her, I asked Aunt Sujeong.

Wondering if her skill might have had some influence.

“No. We didn’t even talk.”

This time, I looked at Jang Hoseop.

He waved his hands and shook his head.

“Keukkeukkeuk. Yeah, die!”

Lee Yuna’s laughter was heard.

Her eyes sparkled.

Mr. Lee Jangsu was watching his daughter with a desolate expression.

---

Representative Kim died in agony.

Lee Yuna, who had continued to stab him even after his screams stopped, finally ceased her movements.

“Haa… Haa….”

Covered in blood, Lee Yuna panted heavily.

She looked our way, then, startled, turned her head.

“Eowu….”

Seeing Lee Yuna’s briefly revealed face, Jang Hoseop rubbed his arm.

He seemed scared.

Swaaaaaa

Lee Yuna waved her hand like she did at the bank.

Then, the raindrops pouring through the window gathered into one stream.

Lee Yuna washed her hands and face, and also the knife.

She completely wiped the moisture off the knife with her clothes and came to me.

“Here….”

She held the blade with both hands and handed it to me.

Her head bowed.

“Thank you.”

When I took the knife back, she greeted me in a small voice and went to her father.

“Yuna….”

“Dad. I’m okay.”

Now it was time to achieve the original purpose of coming to the department store.

“Hyungnim. Shall I call Minsu?”

“No.”

I gestured towards Lee Yuna and her father with my chin.

Then Lee Yuna, who had been consoling her father, quickly stood up and came back to me.

It seemed she had been watching me.

“Um… Do you need something?”

“Please guide me to where the supplies are gathered.”

“Yes!”

We left the representative’s office.

We went down to the basement.

“The food is one more floor down.”

We arrived at the first basement level.

The supplies collected from the department store were well sorted by item.

Several lanterns were placed near the entrance.

“Everyone grab what you need. Clothes and weapons, of course… For now, just put them in a cart and gather back here.”

Aunt Sujeong and Lee Yuna’s eyes sparkled.

Mr. Lee Jangsu still had a dazed expression.

At times like this, one must push even harder.

“Come back within 15 minutes.”

I also grabbed a nearby cart and moved quickly.

After wandering around for a few days, I had some idea of which items were useful and which were unnecessary.

‘Change my shoes too….’

I had to walk quickly to make a round trip in 15 minutes.

I pushed the cart along, picking up only what I needed.

When I returned to the promised spot, only Jang Hoseop came running, out of breath.

“Dad, quickly. Sorry we’re late.”

About 5 more minutes passed, and the rest of the people arrived.

There was no clock, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Auntie. Can you handle all this?”

“This much is….”

I have to put Jang Hoseop’s items in my backpack as well.

But the amount of luggage the women packed is more than this.

“We’re not going on a cross-country trip. And we have to keep walking.”

After sorting the luggage according to my own standards.

We went down one more floor to get food.

[Would you like to activate the Spirit Stones?]

A system message with content I had never seen before popped up.