Chapter 11

“Ahahahahaha!”

A clear, high laugh burst through the shabby office as if it would split it apart. As though mocking someone who had fallen into a foolish trap, Mimi truly laughed with all her might.

“You…… hkk, didn’t really get taken in by Kwon Ki-joo? Hahaha.”

“Stop laughing.”

“No wonder the deputy’s face looks so f*cking awful.”

At Mimi’s teasing, Lee-jin gave up responding any further. No matter what she said, Mimi would not listen properly anyway.

Usually, the day after a match, whether she won or lost, Lee-jin would do nothing and just stay holed up at home resting.

But after yesterday’s match, she could not do that. The face of Sang-pil, whom she had parted from in the end without saying a single thing, also weighed unpleasantly on her mind.

Still, yesterday Lee-jin had gotten into the octagon and, for the first time in a long while, flown about to her heart’s content. Under Kwon Ki-joo’s whim, the result of the match had been turned around, and thanks to that, she too had been able to swing her fists to her fill.

[Then do as you want.]

What was it about that little bit of encouragement? For the first time in her life, Lee-jin had felt as if she had someone solid backing her up, and it had put her at ease. A handsome man supporting her with money—even for a moment, she had not envied any big-shot sponsor.

But whatever he had said, the opponent who stepped into the octagon had been wound up tight with fury. She had charged in fiercely, as if determined never to take it easy on Lee-jin, but in the end, Lee-jin won by K.O. with a right hook in the fourth round.

It was the first time since stepping into Roxana’s octagon. No matter what the result turned out to be, Lee-jin had focused only on the fighter in front of her.

Even in matches she won, Lee-jin had always had to move while calculating in her head. Sang-pil’s coaching had been quite specific, so she had to follow it exactly.

But yesterday, on that eight-sided ring, Lee-jin had been free for once.

Of course, after the match ended, things had gotten a little noisy because the opposing fighter’s side protested strongly.

If it had not been for Boss Kim’s intervention—showing up with his greasy face and appointing himself savior—another match might have broken out right there in the waiting room.

“Now is not the time to be sitting around laughing like that.”

At that moment, Sang-pil, who had just entered the office, spoke in a sharp voice.

Unless something unusual happened, the innermost office of the Vigilante Group, where the three of them always gathered, bore the strange, unheard-of sign ‘Dohyang Company.’

“Did you get anything else?”

The moment he sat down on the sofa, Sang-pil asked Wonjae. It was understandable that he was being worn down by the stagnant Kwon Ki-joo matter. The one being directly pressured was not the three of them, but Sang-pil.

“No matter what, I think Kwon Ki-joo’s secret safe is in his house. We got someone on the inside at the gambling hall, but there was nothing useful.”

“And planting someone among Kwon Ki-joo’s underlings?”

“There’s a secretary of Kwon Ki-joo’s named Manager Kang, and he’s pretty strict, so it wasn’t easy to break through. Apparently everyone who accompanies Kwon Ki-joo goes through him, so outsiders have a hard time getting in.”

“So in the end, what we need is one hit that’ll shake the whole board…….”

As Sang-pil trailed off, his gaze naturally landed on Lee-jin. Feeling inexplicably guilty, Lee-jin avoided his eyes, and in a softly mocking voice Sang-pil asked,

“How’s your body? You were really flying around yesterday thanks to somebody.”

“It hurts. I got hit a lot too.”

Could it be that what Kwon Ki-joo had been aiming for was for an enraged opponent to beat Lee-jin black and blue? Considering how the other fighter, who would not back down, had not spared her jabs in order to land even one more hit on Lee-jin.

And maybe he had wanted Lee-jin’s face ruined too. She had been wearing headgear, but bluish bruises remained on the face that had taken such concentrated blows.

After winning the match, even amid all that chaos, Lee-jin had immediately looked for Kwon Ki-joo, who should have been sitting in the VIP seats. But Kwon Ki-joo, who had still been sitting there with a shameless smile on his face up until the end of the third round, had disappeared before she knew it.

She was a little curious whether he had stayed to watch her victory, when with one furious punch she had knocked the other fighter down.

“I think we’re going to have to change the plan.”

With his gaze still on Lee-jin, Sang-pil spoke. Hoping the words to follow would not be what she thought, Lee-jin straightened her back tensely.

“We took on one more job this time, and Mimi’s handling that one. Wonjae and Lee-jin, support her as usual.”

“Then what about Kwon Ki-joo? I’m not sleeping with that man?”

Even though Mimi could clearly guess what Sang-pil was going to say, she asked with a bright smile. Sang-pil looked at her with an irritated gaze.

“There’s nowhere suitable to push you in. I looked into it, and it turns out Kwon Ki-joo has a separate supplier for the women he keeps around.”

“If there’s even a supplier, then isn’t there really nothing Lee-jin can do separately?”

In Wonjae’s opinion, Lee-jin also nodded vigorously in agreement. She could not let herself get dragged into this as it was.

But Sang-pil did not relax his resolute expression.

“Do you know how much money Kwon Ki-joo lost yesterday because of Lee-jin? He blew 200 million won in just 6 minutes and 47 seconds.”

At the words that came from Sang-pil’s mouth, Lee-jin stopped breathing altogether. She had guessed it would be a huge amount, but she had not imagined it would be that much.

“Even then, that was only because it was the first match and women’s boxing, so the betting stakes weren’t that high. But a loss is still a loss. And given Kwon Ki-joo’s personality, he’s not the type to just let that money go.”

“Then…….”

“Right, at least until he gets it back, he’ll keep paying attention to Lee-jin.”

Just as everyone had expected, Sang-pil seemed intent on changing the center of the plan to Lee-jin. Kwon Ki-joo had put a huge sum on Lee-jin because he found her interesting.

Kwon Ki-joo, who was already behaving in ways far removed from the information they had known up to now, would probably keep up that interest at least until Lee-jin won her next match.

So it seemed he had firmly decided to put aside Mimi, who had not even been able to show her face yet, and use the material already on hand.

Lee-jin’s role changed just like that, in an instant.

“Get into Kwon Ki-joo’s house, whatever it takes.”

But hearing it said out loud, Lee-jin truly could not imagine doing it. Kwon Ki-joo’s interest in her came from nothing more than a whim, as small as the palm of a hand, that could turn over at any time. He was absolutely not interested in her because he saw her as a woman.

So how on earth was she supposed to get into Kwon Ki-joo’s house?

“Um…… maybe I should just work as a housekeeper in Kwon Ki-joo’s home?”

It really seemed like that was the only way, so when she said it, Sang-pil nodded without even smiling.

“If that’s all you can do, then do even that. In any case, don’t care about means or methods. I gave you plenty of time, but Boss Nam is starting to get bored.”

“…….”

“And keep up the stalking act too.”

When Sang-pil said it in a cold voice that almost sounded mocking, Lee-jin could not bring herself to raise her eyes.

It had been an excuse she had planned to use from the very beginning, in case she got caught while following Kwon Ki-joo, but she still could not get used to it. She had never liked anyone before, so it was difficult because she did not even know how she was supposed to act.

“Find the secret safe first. And if it really is inside the house, figure out what time security is at its weakest too. Once we gather the information, I’ll handle what comes next.”

“Yes.”

“The moment Kwon Ki-joo loses interest in you, things get complicated, Song Lee-jin. Just remember how much money we got from Boss Nam, and how much we’re still going to get.”

“……Yes.”

“If you have to, jump right into Kwon Ki-joo’s bed, understand? Even if that’s what it takes, prove you’re useful.”

“Ah, what a waste. Sleeping with a man like Kwon Ki-joo should be my job. Such a shame. This time I was really confident.”

Once again, Mimi’s thoughtless-sounding remark cut in. Sang-pil’s face twisted into a deep frown, but at this moment, Lee-jin was incredibly grateful to Mimi.

Seeing Sang-pil press Lee-jin too hard without easing that disapproving look, Mimi had deliberately interrupted him as if to get in the way.