To hide how affected I was at his audacity, I hid my face by lifting the cup of coffee I didnt originally intend to drink.

Oh? It must be hotPlease, drink it after it cools down.

..

Bae Jaemin pretended to be sweet and poured water into my cup. I nodded as if I agreed with him and did as he recommended. But still, I felt nauseous, recalling Choi Kyung-sik and his final moments from Seo Dawons memories.

Bae Jaemin couldnt possibly be unaware of his death.

Even if Bae Jaemin didnt personally see his end as he was caught up in confronting Jung GaramHis saccharine words were terrifying when compared with how he cruelly asked if all the bodies had been disposed of properly; goosebumps raised all over my arms.

It tastes good, right? Bae Jaemin asked.

Yes. Very good.

However, I couldnt express my anxiety.

Every time Bae Jaemin asked a question, I responded briefly. The conversation continued that way for quite some time. I reacted soullessly to each meaning-laden overtures of small talk the Priest flung my way

Fascinatingly, Bae Jaemin was able to continue the conversation and ask follow-up questions to my short answerI was unable to remain quiet.

If he had asked overly personal questions, I would have been able to refuse to answer or have the excuse to stay silent as I contemplated my response, but he had ambiguously toed the line. I had no choice but to engage in his small talk, and silence lasted for no longer than three seconds.

Aha. So, you just became a user?

Yes..

Was there anyone around you whos become a User?

Um.Ive heard a rumor that a classmate I didnt know very well became a User.

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Oh? Whats his name?

Ive only ever seen him around I dont know I dont know why he always smiled so vibrantly at my unenthusiastic answers, but my lips matched histhe corners of my lips curling upwards, making my cheeks cramp. 1

Just how long must I deal with this kind of omiai-like atmosphere? 2

At that moment, Bae Jaemin suddenly pressed, Then, Lee-kyung-ssi, where did you meet this friend of yours?

What?

You said you didnt know anyone here; you dont belong to a guild nor an agencyI was wondering where you found a friend who could sell dozens of [Barnasiums].

. Naturally, I was left tongue-tied. Bae Jaemins question didnt seem so simple. With cold sweat running down my back, I stuttered, T-thats..

Bae Jaemin observed my growing anxiety with a calm face and mumbled, As expected, at the [Tower of Command].?

What?

He smirked at my rigid expression, put down the cup he was holding, and looked straight at me. Lee-kyung-ssis past is clean.

.

He was smiling, but he revealed so casually that he conducted a background check on me.

I continued to guess at his motive, but I became nervous at his straightforward attitude and his blunt reveal of my contradictionsHe seemed to relish my expressions, slowly bringing up the cup to his mouth and taking a long sip of coffee. So maybeI thought that Lee-kyung-ssi had made a friend recently

Only rankers are able to sell top quality [Barnasiums] in batches

The most recent place where you could have met with such a Ranker could only have been the Tower of Command. Lee-kyung-ssi, like puzzle pieces falling into place, you were at that raid being carried by Kim Sangyoon, right?

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.

In addition, that person hides himself well and refuses to let me know of his identitythat narrows down the possibilities.

Ah, of course this is all simply guesses so far. Its not necessarily the truth. He looked far too confident for his conjectures to be merely wild guessesHis reasoning was horribly accurate. If he were to make a connection to my class, Necromancer, here, it may be easy for him to make a leap of logic and consider those from the Red Lotus guild

Did I really get discovered so easily?

I didnt dare return Bae Jaemins gaze and stared at my cup instead; my palms under the table were drenched in sweat.

I couldnt imagine what he would reveal next, so I could only barely restrain the unbridled nervous energy that simmered in my body.

Lee-kyung-ssis friendI guess they still dislike me a lot. 3 He sighed and spoke calmly, as if he were blandly reminiscing upon an ex-friend. His strange, conciliatory words struck me speechless.

This.What did this mean?

My friend was Seo Dawon

Is he asking if Seo Dawon dislikes him?

Dislike doesnt even begin to cover the depths of his displeasureBecause of him, Seo Dawon was murdered, lost the guild that he poured blood, sweat, and tears into, and was made to wander as a vengeful ghost separated from his bodyTo summarize all of this as merely dislike..

Is Bae Jaemin crazy?

I dont know how Bae Jaemin interpreted my bewildered silence, but he smiled bitterly and fiddled with the handle of his coffee cup. Im sure you would find it troublesome to be caught in the middle, but

Yes?

ButTheyve refused to communicate with me. Even if I want to apologize, I have no means to contact themBut now, Ive gotten to know you.

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I couldnt understand the rapidly changing line of thought.

Right nowI think Bae Jaemin is operating under some huge misunderstanding?

After we parted ways last time, he conducted a thorough background checkBut, instead of connecting the lines between Necromancer, Tower of Command, and the Red Lotus Guild, he seemed to be suspecting a partnership between me and a Ranker who had also attended the recent raidone who must not be on good terms with him. Perhaps he connected the suspicious origins of the [Barnasiums] with that Ranker?

Who the hell are they?

In order to obscure our plans, wouldnt it be better to reinforce Bae Jaemins faulty reasoning?

However,the conversation alone did not give a clue as to who Bae Jaemin suspected; even if I were to lie, I lacked the sauce. 4 To make matters worse, it seems he wanted me to contribute to the conversation; the longer the silence, the more inscrutable the atmosphere became.

In the end, after meeting Bae Jaemins gaze for the third time after looking away, I predicted that, even if all the coffee in this room was drunk, the interrogation would not finish without some input from me. He.That person.

Yes.

He stillhas yet to let go of hisanger. I looked at Bae Jaemin; he smiled bitterly and noddedhe looked as if he had expected this foregone conclusion.

That hyung is particularly FM-like. Bae Jaemin sighed. 5

I was so afraid hed suddenly ask for me to confirm the others nameI felt that my head would explode. It would have been nice to know the Rankers personalities or know who exactly had history or intimacy with Bae JaeminBut, no matter how hard I thought, my mind only thought of the Red Lotus guild members.

Fortunately, rather than to press me on the mans identity, Bae Jaeminspoke as if he were conversing with that mysterious ranker backing mehe spoke more freely, wistfulness coloring his tone. I stayed warythere were many points to respond to and, thus, many pitfalls to fall into. Well, theres nothing I can do if hes still regretful

Ahyes.

But thats a more personal matterId rather ask why he was so against the official registration of the guild.

Ahhh.

Looking into his eyes, I realized Bae Jaemin had finally reached the point of his inquiry after a lengthy and twisted path.

So that meansThe Ranker in question has some authorityThat mysterious someone feelspity for Bae Jaemin? By the way, what does he mean by protesting against the official registration of the guild? The HaHae guild? Theyve already held a press conference to announce the official launch, havent they?

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However, I couldnt afford to show any signs of burning curiosity, so I rubbed my hands, pretending to be helpless and trying to back out of this dangerous direction. You know, IIn fact Ive just recently gotten to know this person I appealed that I was not the best person to help him with his dilemma. If I follow through to the logical conclusion and promise Bae Jaemin an appointment with this unknown Rnker, I may escape today but be in deeper waters the next time we meet

Bae Jaemin, though, continued to speak before I had fully voiced my excuses, Since youre here with me nowId appreciate it if you told me where you planned to eat tonight.

TL: NGL, I was pretty tense when I thought MC was discovered.