Chapter 13 - Chapter 11: Episode 10 - Insight
Inside the private detective agency, the woman handed over a USB drive.
"This is everything we found on Choi Min-ji."
"This is my first time using your agency, but you're faster than I expected. Thank you. I'll wire the remaining balance immediately."
The client taking the USB was Yu-rin.
"Much appreciated. Please, come back anytime you need our services."
Stepping out of the building, Yu-rin was impressed by their efficiency. They had delivered exactly what she wanted, and fast.
In just three days, they'd dug up everything—from her high school friends to her family history.
Since the Hwaryong Guild used them frequently, she'd figured they were reliable, but this exceeded her expectations. She'd definitely keep them in mind if "something like this" came up again.
With that satisfied thought, she headed home, buzzing with anticipation.
Once she reviewed the contents of the USB, she found quite a bit of "useful information."
It seemed like a good idea to have them look into anyone else who tried to get close to Seon-ah, not just Minji.
Now that she was an adult, she had to think about how to handle problems that couldn't be solved with simple violence. She recalled the "missing persons" cases that occasionally popped up in the news.
Conspiracy theories swirled around those disappearances. People who gave unfavorable testimony or crossed the "Giant Guilds" had a habit of vanishing into thin air.
There was often evidence that seemed almost certain, but in most cases, the government would just sweep it under the rug.
With the world on a permanent wartime footing because of the Gates, the government often turned a blind eye to the tyranny of the Giant Guilds. They couldn't risk high-ranking hunters defecting to other countries or being imprisoned over "minor" issues.
Of course, Minji was my friend, so I didn't plan on doing anything "direct" to her. But it was good to have a way to stop her if she ever tried to confess to Seon-ah or did anything to get in my way.
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Choi Min-ji had been a social butterfly since starting university.
She attended every gathering, treated her seniors with respect, and always looked out for classmates who were struggling.
She was the ultimate "insider," the life of every party on campus.
But even someone like Min-ji had a worry.
She found herself thinking more and more about Seon-ah, a classmate in her department.
Seon-ah had entered as the top student, and his looks alone made him the center of attention from day one.
I'd considered asking him if he had a girlfriend, but it didn't take long to get my answer. His girlfriend, Yu-rin, was always there, her arm wrapped firmly around his waist, glaring at any woman who so much as glanced at him. It was obvious he was taken.
Seeing Yu-rin stick to Seon-ah like glue at every single event, I initially thought she just really cherished her boyfriend.
But as time went on, and after one specific incident, everyone in our year realized that Yu-rin suffered from severe morbid jealousy.
At one party, Seon-ah started to look a little uncomfortable, but Yu-rin didn't care. She acted like he was her personal property, and everyone was getting fed up with it.
The breaking point was when a female classmate tried to save her number in Seon-ah's phone. Yu-rin snatched the smartphone right out of his hand and deleted the contact right in front of them. No one could believe what they were seeing.
"Don't even think about taking other women's numbers. And if this happens again, you'd better delete it yourself."
In that moment, Yu-rin's usual easygoing mask slipped, and she spoke to Seon-ah in a bone-chilling tone.
She was normally such a "nice junior," great at reading the room, respectful to seniors, and always willing to help out.
Even though she only came to these parties because of Seon-ah, she'd be the one calling taxis and paying for them to make sure the drunk classmates got home safely.
But this person, who was nice to the point of being a pushover, became a completely different human being when it came to Seon-ah.
If that wasn't morbid jealousy, I'd bet my life savings on it.
Did she really not see how uncomfortable she was making him? For someone who obsessed over him that much, she seemed completely blind to his feelings.
From my perspective, it was just frustrating to watch.
I couldn't help but wonder why Seon-ah was dating someone like that in the first place.
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An upperclassman who'd recently finished his military service and returned to school invited a group of us out for drinks, his treat.
Yu-rin, who had joined the group chat a while back, actually showed up.
It was the first time anyone had seen Yu-rin at a party alone, without Seon-ah.
I attend almost every gathering, and even I'd never seen her without him, so I wasn't the only one surprised.
The conversation drifted from topic to topic until the upperclassman started telling military stories. It turned into a Q&A session between those who had served and those who hadn't.
It was all foreign to me, but I just nodded along as the atmosphere grew more relaxed.
You can't have a drinking party without smoke breaks.
I don't smoke, so I stayed at the table when the seniors and classmates stepped outside for a moment.
"You're Choi Min-ji, right? I'm Park Yu-rin. We're in the same year, but I don't think we've actually introduced ourselves yet."
While the others were away, I chatted with Yu-rin about this and that.
We'd talked in the group chat before, but I've always preferred meeting people in person. I like looking at someone's face when we talk.
Text is just words on a screen; it's hard to convey real emotion that way.
In a face-to-face conversation, you see their expressions and hear the nuance in their voice.
It's a much better form of communication, using both sight and sound.
The reason I participate in almost every gathering is largely because of this preference.
Yu-rin seemed to feel the same way. She laughed heartily and agreed that it was much better to "talk to people in person."
As we found more things in common, the conversation flowed effortlessly.
Even after the others returned from their smoke break, Yu-rin and I didn't stop talking.
I'd only ever met one or two people I clicked with this well. I genuinely thought we could become close friends.
The party eventually ended, and most people headed home.
I'm a local, so I don't live in the dorms.
I commute from home.
Walking with a "friend" while pleasantly tipsy is always fun.
Since I was heading in the same direction as Yu-rin's studio apartment, we walked together, chatting like old friends.
During the walk, a question about Seon-ah had been nagging at me, so I finally asked.
"Yu-rin, you really love Seon-ah, right? It's just... sometimes you treat him in a way that seems so different from your usual self. Even when he looks uncomfortable. Is everything okay?"
Yu-rin's eyes went cold. She looked like a completely different person from the girl I'd been laughing with just a moment ago.
"That's between me and Seon-ah. Relationships are for the people in them to figure out. You can't understand what's going on just by watching from the sidelines."
Her reaction was icy, but she wasn't wrong.
Most people who know Seon-ah know that he and Yu-rin have been dating for fifteen years.
If they've been together that long, they must have their own secrets. And since they're still together, maybe Seon-ah is okay with her behavior.
Something still felt off, but I realized I was overstepping. I blamed the alcohol and apologized immediately.
"I'm sorry, I think the alcohol made me talk out of turn. Since you've been together so long, I'm sure you have your own understanding. I was being too simplistic."
Yu-rin's cold expression vanished instantly. She smirked as if it were nothing.
"As long as you understand."
We changed the subject and kept talking until it was time to part ways.
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After that night, we kept in touch through the group chat and agreed to meet up at the next drinking party.
The party was in full swing, and most people were already pretty drunk.
As they say, "in vino veritas"—drunken hearts were being poured out all over the room.
I was talking to Yu-rin, just like last time.
Suddenly, she threw a curveball at me.
"So, do you have a boyfriend?"
"No. I think it's hard for me to date because my standards are too high."
I said it dismissively, hoping she wouldn't try to set me up, but Yu-rin pressed on.
"Oh? How high are we talking? What's your ideal type?"
"It's hard to put into words. I'm not great at describing things, so I'll just show you some photos. I've got a few saved."
I pulled out my phone and started flipping through screenshots in my gallery, showing her the kind of guys I liked.
Then, a photo appeared that I absolutely could not let Yu-rin see.
They were photos I'd downloaded back on the day of the entrance ceremony.
The images I'd saved for... private sessions. They weren't hardcore, mostly just borderline gravure shots.
A specific style: a beauty mark just below the right eye, elegant features, and sharp, piercing eyes.
In other words, I had several suggestive photos of a man who looked exactly like Seon-ah, wearing almost nothing.
I hurriedly swiped past them, trying to act natural as I showed her the next set of photos.
Yu-rin didn't seem to notice. Her expression didn't change.
Thank god.
"Oh, you have decent taste."
"Want me to send a few to you?"
"No thanks. Seon-ah is the only one for me."
Then why the hell did you ask to see mine?
"Anyway, thanks for showing me."
Minji felt completely drained after that exchange.
Even between women, revealing such intimate tastes wasn't easy. She'd only done it because she thought they were becoming close, but now she just felt exposed and awkward.