Chapter 9
Impurity (2)
Ding─!
A famous Chinese restaurant in Seoul.
But since it was neither lunch nor dinner time, there wasn’t a single person other than them.
‘……Choi Sungchul.’
In a corner seat sat a hulking man.
When he spotted Rachel, he glared at her as if he might devour her on the spot.
His expression was filled with hostility.
Who would ever think these two were friends of ten years, looking at them now?
Rachel calmly sat across from him.
“I didn’t come here just to eat, so I’ll get straight to the point. That guy you fought—can’t you tell me who he is?”
“……”
“I know you have issues with me. But right now, I’m here as a representative of the Management Team. I’d appreciate it if you’d put aside personal feelings for the moment.”
“……”
But Sungchul remained silent.
“Think carefully. Depending on the situation, this could cause you trouble—”
“Rachel.”
“…What?”
Sungchul, who had been listening in silence, suddenly cut her off. Rachel froze.
“Since when did the Management Team interfere in disputes between players? Isn’t that against the principles?”
“……”
He was right.
One of the core principles for players was that no one interfered in fights between them.
“This case is different. To prevent further problems, we need your testimony—”
“In the end, it’s just for your own satisfaction. If it’s only about post-management, you don’t need my information.”
“Why are you talking like that…!”
Rachel raised her voice at the direct blow, but quickly shut her mouth.
“If you’d paid attention beforehand like you’re doing now, Seong-ah wouldn’t have ended up like that.”
“……”
“Or are you going to claim this time is different?”
Rachel knew better than anyone how shameless her request was.
Because of the rule not to interfere in incidents between players, she had hidden the truth about Sungchul’s younger sister, Seong-ah.
“Nine whole years.”
“……”
“You knew, didn’t you? You’re Management Team—how could you not?”
It had been nine years since his younger sister ran away from home.
When he tried to search for her, it was Rachel who told him to calm down. She’d said that, as part of the Management Team, she could definitely find Seong-ah.
But afterward, there was no news.
No—in hindsight, it was clear she had known and kept silent.
He had trusted and waited for his so-called friend…
What he got back was nothing but betrayal.
“Did you hide it on purpose? Afraid I’d do something reckless?”
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
The Management Team wasn’t an organization that judged right or wrong.
They were the so-called “cleaners.”
Cleaning up the filth, making things disappear.
The most important thing for them was concealment.
Their primary mission was to thoroughly hide the identities of players and quietly deal with problems when they arose.
Of course, the Foundation always came before individual circumstances.
But that was only her justification as a Management Team member.
Thud─!
Sungchul slammed his fist against the poor table.
“And now you come asking for information? Does that job make your skin thicker?”
“……”
She had no excuse.
Her request now contradicted everything she had used as an excuse in the past.
Of course, she did have reasons.
The perpetrator who killed Choi Seong-ah was clearly her lover, Yoo Taehun.
Once his identity was confirmed, the principle of not interfering in disputes between players meant their actions were limited.
Still, because it was a crime resulting in death, they had taken proper measures against him.
If Sungchul had found out back then…
‘He would’ve killed him. No doubt about it.’
Half the reason for concealment had been to prevent murder as the Management Team. The other half was not wanting to turn her friend into a killer.
That was why Rachel had hidden everything about Seong-ah.
But what truly unsettled her wasn’t that Sungchul had figured out the truth.
‘To think those words would come out of his mouth…’
Though things had soured between them over his sister, Sungchul had always been known as a kind friend.
For him to respond this sharply…
It was the worst-case scenario Rachel had feared.
But even so, it was still within expectations.
And she had prepared an answer.
“Then how about a deal?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You think I’d take money—”
“Not money. Don’t you want to know about your sister?”
“……!”
The advantage was hers.
It was obvious what Sungchul wanted most.
Information about his sister.
Rachel was sure she could get anything from him with that.
“Strictly speaking, it’s against the rules. But if it’s framed as an information trade, it’s not impossible for me to help.”
If he had nothing at all, it’d be one thing—but once he’d tasted even a drop of possibility, his thirst would only grow.
“……”
But strangely, no answer came right away.
‘What’s with the hesitation? In the end, you’ve got no choice but to cling to me.’
Sungchul drained a glass of water in one gulp, like a man dying of thirst.
Rachel secretly smiled in triumph.
“In that case, I don’t need it.”
“Good, that’s the right—huh? What did you say?”
What?
What did he just say?
Sungchul looked her straight in the eyes, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
“I said I don’t want it. Not your deal, not anything.”
“……”
Rachel’s voice turned tense, realizing things weren’t going as planned.
“Wait. I think you misunderstood me. This is a legitimate deal through the Management Team. I can give you information about Seong-ah right now—”
“Hey.”
Sungchul leaned forward on the table, resting his elbows on it.
“Don’t you get it yet? Why I won’t talk?”
“I know you’re disappointed in me. But this is about the Foundation’s survival—!!”
“I don’t give a damn about that.”
“You bastard…!”
Sungchul spoke in a low voice.
“But if it were just a friend’s request? I would’ve told you everything, no strings attached.”
“……!!!”
“But right now, you’re not my friend. You’re ‘Team Leader Rachel.’”
“……”
Sungchul rose from his seat and cast her a fleeting glance.
“I’ll take my leave. Team Leader Rachel.”
Ding─!
Only the sound of the bell on the door echoed mournfully.
Clench──
Rachel bit her dry lips hard, staring blankly at the door he’d walked out of.
Every word Sungchul had said had struck true.
This whole situation was nothing but the consequence of her own sins.
‘But… it feels off.’
Since when had he handled situations like this?
This wasn’t the kind of thought that came from his simple mind.
She knew better than anyone that Sungchul had been respected for his straightforwardness, not cunning.
And yet, ironically, her certainty about that was exactly why she had been caught off guard now.
‘Damn… I must be getting desperate.’
Rachel rubbed her face harshly in frustration.
Sharp instincts were useful tools—but without evidence, they were nothing more than shackles.
The more she relied on her gut to build certainty, the more it seemed to slip away from her grasp.
The future that had always seemed so clear was now clouding over.
“Damn it…”
It felt like some kind of impurity had seeped in.
Clang─! Clang─!
The sound of hammering echoed nonstop in the workshop.
Thick drops of sweat dripped from Sehyun’s forehead.
There was no need to work so hard—no shoots scheduled, the Foundation’s sponsorship confirmed.
Clang─! Clang─!
Each strike of the hammer sent blue sparks flying, and the engravings on the sword flashed faintly before fading.
In the back, a pile of already-inscribed weapons had grown tall.
Clatter─!
Sehyun roughly set aside the newly engraved crude sword and grabbed another weapon to hammer.
It was his way of trying to forget his impatience, if only for a while.
At any moment, someone could storm in—it wasn’t a stretch to imagine.
‘Yoo Taehun, the Foundation, Sungchul-hyung…’
Once he’d stepped into this world, it had been nothing but one uncontrollable incident after another.
He couldn’t endure it without preparation.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, someone entered the workshop.
Visitors weren’t uncommon—sometimes the old craftsman from the smithing village brought food, sometimes Chae Inha’s fans stopped by.
But Sehyun recognized this voice instantly.
“It’s been a week, hyung. Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to you.”
A silhouette over two meters tall blocked Sehyun’s view.
It was Sungchul.
“Just a moment. Let me finish this up.”
Sehyun quickly wrapped up, wiped his sweat, and approached him.
But Sungchul sat with a grim expression.
“Are you unwell? You don’t look—”
“I’ve always looked like this.”
“…Haven’t you always been cheerful?”
“Not at all.”
That wasn’t how Sehyun remembered him.
A giant like him, sitting there with such heaviness—most people would’ve been intimidated to the point of trembling.
If not for knowing his kind nature…
‘Give me back the old Sungchul-hyung…’
What had made the once hearty man become so boisterous back then?
While Sehyun sighed deeply, Sungchul placed something on the table.
Two Soul Stones.
“Thanks to you, my doubts are cleared. I’m sorry about last time.”
“Glad to hear it’s resolved.”
He must’ve confirmed he wasn’t the culprit when he spoke with the Management Team leader, and after a week of checking around, reached his conclusion.
‘Though nearly losing my life can’t just be brushed off with a simple sorry…’
Still, since things ended well, Sehyun chose to let it go.
“By the way, I didn’t tell them about me, right?”
“Of course not.”
In exchange for the Soul Stones, Sehyun had asked him to keep quiet about his identity.
He’d worried if Sungchul, who was bad at lying, could manage it.
‘If he just keeps his mouth shut, they can’t do anything.’
Sungchul had no obligation to speak, so this much was enough.
Better that than telling a lie that could be exposed.
For now, the Management Team would be cautious about acting rashly.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Ah, wait a second.”
Sungchul tilted his head as if wondering what more there was.
“Got something urgent?”
“Not really.”
“Then come here. I’ve got something for you—consider it a little test too.”
Half of it was also a gift out of guilt.
After all, he’d stolen away Sungchul’s target of vengeance—it was only right to offer something in return.
“It’s something good, trust me.”
Ever heard of an artifact?
“First, turn around and show me your back.”
“What?”
When Sehyun’s eyes lit up and he brought out a measuring tape, Sungchul instinctively hunched his shoulders, suddenly uneasy.
