Ch.37Pork Cutlet 5

“That face looks familiar.”

At Dae-eun’s words, I shook my head desperately.

The High Ranker licked his lips uncertainly.

Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to remember that I’m the girl he met at dawn.

Back then, he only checked my ID while I was wearing a mask, so it makes sense he wouldn’t recognize me.

So if I just don’t show my ID this time either, he’ll never know who I am.

If I just don’t show it…

“Let me see your ID card.”

Of course…

If he discovers I’m the girl he saw that day, and Anna’s identity is exposed too, we’ll both be treated as accomplices without question.

I have to stop this somehow.

“Um… I left my ID at home.”

I mumbled like a student trying to buy cigarettes at a convenience store.

I never thought I’d be saying something like this myself…

The High Ranker’s eyebrows twitched.

This wasn’t the answer he wanted.

“Then I have no choice. You’ll have to come with me to the station.”

“All the way to the station?! I really didn’t do anything…”

I looked at the customers with the most pitiful expression I could muster.

Understanding my intention, they nodded and spoke up on my behalf.

“This young lady set off a smoke bomb and saved us. She was really skilled at it.”

The male employee unnecessarily mentioned how “skilled” I was.

“And that tall young lady took down all the robbers with just a string.”

The female employee unnecessarily mentioned the “just a string” part.

They were clearly trying to prove our innocence.

But their overly honest account of our heroics only piqued Dae-eun’s curiosity.

“I see… One subdued armed robbers with just a string, and the other threw a hard-to-obtain smoke bomb with great skill-“

“Truly remarkable people.”

Dae-eun smiled faintly as he stared at us intently.

Anna nodded, seemingly pleased with his compliment.

He’s being sarcastic… you jerk.

Dae-eun approached Anna, who was wearing a cap.

And he asked for her ID as well.

“I. Left it. Too.”

Anna responded indifferently, as if she didn’t know she was facing the 7th-ranked Hunter.

Please, I wish she wouldn’t provoke him.

“I see. Then I’m afraid both of you will have to come to the station with me.”

He shrugged as if going to the station would solve everything.

Then he issued orders into his radio.

“All units, come inside.”

Soon, officers armed with carbine rifles filed in at his command.

They maintained their positions, watching all directions.

All wore bulletproof vests, and those without guns were at least B-rank Hunters equipped with swords and magic.

The robbers had seemed strong, but these officers showed absolutely no openings.

Now I understand why the criminals had tried to rob just the first floor and leave quickly.

My body trembled involuntarily at the sight of them.

Seeing my reaction, Dae-eun smiled reassuringly.

“It’s nothing serious. We just need to verify your identities to give you the reward.”

“Not interested.”

Anna cut off his words abruptly on my behalf.

The High Ranker’s smiling face froze at her cold, dismissive response.

In this country of Korea, there are only six rankers above him.

So Anna’s insolent attitude must have seemed quite novel to Dae-eun.

But he’s a public servant.

He tried to handle her diplomatically.

“At the very least, a brave citizen award…”

“Not interested.”

After Anna’s repeated, insane blocking, Dae-eun’s patience reached its limit.

He sighed deeply and slowly approached her.

“How strange…”

Dae-eun bent down to see the killer’s face hidden under the cap.

There wasn’t a trace of a smile left on his face.

“Usually, people who are this reluctant to show their IDs fall into one of two categories.”

The High Ranker grabbed Anna’s cap.

“One is illegal immigrants from China or Russia…”

The cap came off.

Anna’s white skin and face were revealed.

Her high nose bridge and deep-set eyes made her look distinctly non-Korean.

“The other is wanted criminals.”

White irises that couldn’t be completely concealed even with colored contacts.

Seeing those eyes, Dae-eun was certain.

“Isn’t that right, Anna?”

The corners of Dae-eun’s mouth turned up as if he’d solved a long-contemplated puzzle.

The experienced ranker immediately placed his hand on his waist.

Anna didn’t just stand there staring blankly either.

As Dae-eun was about to draw his sword, she pulled out a dagger from her inner pocket.

And then…

“Stop right there. Draw it and she dies.”

She yanked me into her arms.

With the dagger at my throat.

“W-wait… why me?”

My voice burst out involuntarily at the sudden blade against my skin.

But Anna paid no attention to my cry.

She simply pressed the sharp knife against my soft neck.

“So she wasn’t an accomplice…”

A security officer muttered, seemingly surprised by Anna’s sudden action.

Dae-eun raised both hands in the air, indicating he had no intention to attack.

The killer began to slowly increase the distance between herself and the ranker.

“Strange, Anna has never taken hostages before.”

He approached very cautiously, like handling an escaped cheetah at a zoo.

In response, Anna smiled and stabbed the knife into my neck.

I felt a cold sensation on my neck.

Black droplets of blood ran down my collarbone, staining my T-shirt.

It’s cold and painful.

“Okay, okay… I’m sorry.”

Seeing me with my eyes half-closed, the ranker stepped back.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he realized I could actually die.

“What do you want?”

“Everyone move 100 meters away.”

Dae-eun slowly nodded and took out his radio.

“All units, exit the building.”

The heavily armed security officers tilted their heads in displeasure.

But soon they retreated into the streaming sunlight, following their captain’s orders.

“Now it’s just the three of us.”

“…”

“Is there really any need to involve a civilian like her? Let’s resolve this between us, like before.”

Anna snorted at Dae-eun’s gentlemanly suggestion.

“So the blind bitch hiding last time. Won’t jump out again?”

She must be referring to the blind councilor I saw at dawn.

She must have been a ranker-level fighter too.

I swallowed the saliva pooled in my mouth.

I looked up at Anna who was holding me.

My gaze traveled from her curved collarbone up her fair neck.

Soon her noble, sculpture-like face came into view.

The strong scent of soap enveloped my entire body.

That fragrance completely erased the metallic smell of my blood.

The killer soon seemed to notice my gaze and looked down at me intently.

Her eyes lazily observed every inch of my body.

Eventually, those cloudy pupils stared fixedly at my cleavage.

Anna’s face drew closer.

Soon she whispered to me softly.

“You’ve hidden something cute?”

“Huh…?”

My entire body froze as if electrocuted.

Because Anna’s hand that was wrapped around my shoulder had moved.

That hand slithered down my collarbone like a snake and gently moved to my chest.

Soon her fingers followed the soft contour of my bra and slipped into my chest pocket.

Anna’s fingers moved sensually.

Caressing my chest, she slowly pulled out a black sphere.

My whole body grew hot from the sensation I’d never felt before.

But the killer, as if already forgetting she’d touched my body, simply put the smoke bomb she’d retrieved into her mouth.

Through her teeth, with saliva stretching between them, she said:

“You kept it nice and warm?”

Her half-lidded gaze looking down at me.

Thanks to that, I could feel the sticky sweat flowing all over my body.

Dae-eun stared at the sphere between Anna’s teeth.

And when he realized what it was, he quickly reached out.

But at that moment, the killer bit down hard on the smoke bomb.

Soon, gray smoke began to spread like a typhoon from her mouth.

“Anna…!”

Dae-eun shouted.

In a very rough voice, not at all gentlemanly like before.

Indeed, the power of the warmed smoke bomb was considerable.

Anna grabbed my wrist tightly.

And hurriedly began to flee upstairs with me.

The escalator had long stopped working.

She ran up ahead of me.

She was so fast that I almost fell and got dragged along.

“W-wait a minute…!”

Why is she taking me along? What is she planning to do?

Is she going to use me as a hostage again?

After we saved each other multiple times, being treated as a hostage again.

It feels bad.

More than bad, it’s disappointing.

But I guess it can’t be helped.

That’s just who Anna is.

We passed the second floor and reached the fourth.

There was a sky terrace there.

A dead end with no elevator or emergency stairs.

“What are you going to do from here? Let’s just surrender. They’re not going to kill you, are they?”

I said, clutching my pounding heart.

But Anna lightly ignored my words.

She began to take off her fleece jacket.

Now in a sleeveless top, she walked to the terrace railing.

And looked down at the outdoor swimming pool on the ground.

A huge aquamarine-colored swimming pool.

Anna muttered to herself for a moment, as if making calculations.

And soon, as if she got the result she wanted, she beckoned to me.

Come here.

I shook my head frantically.

Because I knew exactly what she was going to do.

Anna’s expression turned frightening when she saw my reaction.

It was completely different from when she had taken out the smoke bomb.

Rough footsteps sounded behind me.

I knew they were the security officers.

If I just held out a little longer, I could be rescued.

All I had to do was open the terrace door wide and welcome them.

But… my legs wouldn’t move easily after running so hard.

While I was thinking, Anna’s shadow was already approaching me.

“What a naughty child.”

She pulled my neck with her nimble arm.

I resisted, choking, but my body seemed to have already surrendered to Anna as I was dragged helplessly.

The killer perched on the dizzying railing.

“—!”

Meanwhile, the security officers I had so desperately wanted arrived.

Dae-eun ran up breathlessly and looked at us.

“Help me…”

I squeezed out my voice and kept calling.

But the killer’s rough breathing completely drowned out my voice.

“Anna!”

Dae-eun shouted.

And that shout soon became the signal for our fall.

My body tilted.

The sound of air being torn rushed into my ears.

My body floated in the air.

I couldn’t even scream from the terror I’d never experienced before.

As if understanding my fear, Anna hugged me tightly.

Soon we got closer and closer to the blue coral reef.

“—!”

The swimming pool parted like the Red Sea.

Soon the whole world turned blue.

My entire body hurt as if it was being torn apart.

Perhaps because of the impact, I gradually couldn’t think of anything.

Ripples shimmered on the water’s surface.

I stared at them blankly before losing consciousness.