NPLLD 23

Chapter : 23

In the End, Beating Is the Best Cure (2)

Sizzle!

Samgyeopsal was grilling and crackling on a heated cast-iron lid.

It was a simple farewell dinner before the deployment to Ulleungdo.

The ones gathered there were Seoyul’s colleagues: Kang Jeongmin and Lee Jeonghye.

Lee Jeonghye, with a swollen red forehead, was using tongs to flip the perfectly cooked pork belly and cutting it with scissors.

Clang!

Kang Jeongmin clinked glasses with Seoyul and looked at her with a face full of disbelief.

“So… why is she acting crazy?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m not crazy. Is it that surprising that I’m grilling meat for once?”

“It is.”

The two men answered in unison and nodded.

Until now, Lee Jeonghye had always insisted she liked eating, never cooking meat no matter what.

“Cough. Then be honored and eat it.”

“Hey, Seoyul. Did you get Botox or something? No—this is beyond plastic surgery. I was shocked.”

“I just rested well. Got some glow back.”

Seoyul chuckled at their meaningless conversation.

Unlike his usual tense self—always focused on rescues and irritated by guild interference—being with familiar people made him feel lighter.

As the mood warmed up…

“It’s hot.”

Seoyul loosened one button near his collar.

Bang!

Lee Jeonghye slammed her forehead into the table again.

“………”

At this point, both Seoyul and Kang Jeongmin couldn’t help but worry.

Seoyul tapped her head.

“Hey, you don’t look normal today. Shouldn’t you go rest?”

“Shut up! I’m just suffering from inner demons!”

“……Why are you closing your eyes while saying that?”

Teasing her, Seoyul stuffed a large ssam (lettuce wrap with meat and garlic) into her mouth.

Munch, munch.

Lee Jeonghye chewed awkwardly and shook her head.

Snap out of it, Lee Jeonghye! That’s just annoying Seoyul like always! Seoyul!

But for some reason…

When Seoyul had loosened his collar earlier, he had looked strangely… radiant.

As if glowing with an overwhelming aura of attractiveness.

While she was fighting her inner chaos…

Kang Jeongmin poured more alcohol into Seoyul’s glass.

“By the way, are you okay? I heard rumors you got demoted this time because you were acting out too much.”

“I never really cared.”

Seoyul answered casually, making Jeongmin feel oddly deflated for worrying.

“You really do your job well, huh.”

They clinked glasses again—this time all three together.

As the drinking continued, two or three women even gathered courage to ask Seoyul for his number.

At first, he thought it was coincidence.

But he soon realized it was a side effect of the Manhondo Peach Blossom Body.

The pheromones Seoyul unconsciously emitted were heavily influencing the opposite sex.

So that’s why she was acting like that.

Seoyul felt slightly guilty toward Lee Jeonghye.

He had casually assumed she was just acting strangely today, but now realized he had been careless.

“I should’ve said something earlier.”

To suppress the pheromones, Seoyul closed his eyes and activated the Clear Mirror Heart technique.

[Pheromone secretion reduced.]

Lee Jeonghye slowly returned to normal.

She tilted her head.

“Are you in love with me or something? My heart keeps racing when I look at you.”

It sounded like flirting—but somehow didn’t feel like it.

“It’s just anxiety.”

“Why?”

“Worried about when you’ll pay back the 1.2 million won you owe me.”

“Pfft!”

Jeongmin, who was drinking, spat out soju straight onto Jeonghye’s face in shock.

Jeongmin just laughed emptily while drenched in alcohol, while Jeonghye coughed.

“I-I didn’t pay you back?”

“You already did.”

“Hey, you wanna die?!”

With that, the atmosphere finally returned to normal.

Seoyul laughed in relief.

After Dinner

After samgyeopsal, they decided to continue the second round of drinking at Seoyul’s house.

Lee Jeonghye walked happily ahead, carrying a bag full of beer she bought at the convenience store.

“She’s really not working tomorrow, huh?”

Jeongmin sighed.

“You know her. The moment she joined Surveillance Division, she drank all night and still showed up to work perfectly fine.”

“…She’s insane.”

Jeongmin genuinely admired her.

When they arrived at the house, they ran into Lee Yeonhee in the yard.

“Hey, Yeonhee.”

Seoyul greeted her as usual.

“Ah—hello.”

But Yeonhee’s face was bright red and she fidgeted awkwardly.

This is bad.

Seoyul quickly realized it was the pheromone effect and tried to minimize it.

“We’re having drinks with friends tonight. We’ll keep it quiet.”

“It’s okay. Even if you scream all night, my dad won’t complain.”

“…That’s still disturbing.”

He chuckled.

Yeonhee then noticed their groceries.

“By the way… do you have snacks?”

“Oh!”

All three of them looked like they had just realized it.

“We really are similar, huh.”

“Ugh.”

Even though they looked like they were denying it with their eyes, they oddly resembled each other.

Yeonhee smiled.

“I’ll go buy snacks. Fried chicken or fruit punch okay? My friend runs a shop nearby—it’ll be quick. It tastes better than anywhere else, so don’t worry.”

“No, it’s fine—Yeonhee!”

But she was already gone.

Seoyul sighed.

“Yeonhee! Take your card!”

Stagger!

Jeongmin and Jeonghye almost fell over at his shamelessness.

Jeonghye grabbed the card from Seoyul.

“Geez. Making a kid do your chicken run.”

“I’m innocent!”

But she ignored him and ran after Yeonhee.

Jeongmin smiled faintly.

“She’s gotten a lot brighter, hasn’t she?”

“She’s a strong kid.”

Seoyul chuckled and walked inside.

Meanwhile…

She’s really pretty.

Yeonhee licked ice cream while holding the snack bags.

Lee Jeonghye—wearing a Yankees cap, short boyish hair, and a denim jacket—looked like a gender-neutral beauty.

She had a relaxed, playful vibe that made people feel comfortable… especially men.

“Unni, isn’t this ice cream bought with that ajusshi’s card? It’s like 5,000 won each…”

“You’re eating it too. Do you think Seoyul would care? Don’t worry. I calculated everything carefully.”

She smiled mischievously.

“Unni… do you like him?”

Slip.

She lost balance and fell.

“N-no way! Why would I like someone like him?!”

She denied it furiously.

Yeonhee smiled bitterly.

“There are a lot of rivals, huh.”

“W-what? You little brat, you’re pretending too?!”

“N-no!”

Jeonghye smirked and poked her teasingly.

“Unni, stop it…”

Just then—

Yeonhee saw a man standing at the end of the alley.

Her body froze.

Thud.

In an instant, Jeonghye struck Yeonhee’s neck and knocked her unconscious, gently lowering her against the wall.

The man stepped out.

Jo Hanbin.

He smirked.

“Quick decision-making.”

Jeonghye glared.

“You filthy criminal. You really think you can act freely in front of a Surveillance Division hunter at this hour?”

Bang!

Her fist hit his nose.

Blood flowed, but he just smiled.

“Even a woman, but the Management Bureau can’t be underestimated.”

“Shut up.”

Jo Hanbin was a B-rank blacklisted hunter—an assassin who enjoyed fear.

He never cleared dungeons.

He hunted civilians and other hunters, dismembering victims for pleasure.

He was already wanted by the Surveillance Division after five of their agents had been brutally killed by him.

He licked his lips.

“So why do you think I came here?”

Jeonghye gritted her teeth.

“Are you going to do something to her?”

“Nothing big. I just needed bait to lure your friend here. By the way… haven’t you noticed yet?”

“…What?”

Drip.

Blood began pouring from Jeonghye’s back.

Too late—she finally felt the injury.

Damn it!

She collapsed to her knees.

Jo Hanbin took her phone and called Seoyul.

“Hey. What time is it? Why aren’t you here yet?”

Seoyul’s voice came through.

Jo Hanbin laughed.

“Your friend is about to die. Come quickly… or she will.”

—……

Seoyul replied calmly.

—You’re the one about to die. Run if you don’t want your head crushed.

“What nonsense—?”

BOOM!

Jeonghye’s elbow slammed into his face, sending him crashing into a wall.

She panted heavily.

Jo Hanbin wiped blood from his lips, observing her.

Her wound was already closing.

“An enhanced body type…”

He recognized it.

A transformation-type awakened known as a “Super Body,” carrying beast-like traits.

Her aura was that of a Black Leopard.

A C-rank hunter who had lost control of her instincts.

Jo Hanbin slowly pulled out the short sword she had been stabbed with.

At that moment—

Seoyul’s voice echoed through the phone.

—And don’t think you’re getting out alive today. I’ll kill you myself.