I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 304: Shine Moon (3)

"Is it you?"

Pyo Jiwoo narrowed her eyes sharply and spoke to Low.

If not for him, there would have been no one else who would cause this kind of scene.

It had been suspicious all along.

The constant hints about Shim Cheongseok, or the insistence that she should attend the birthday party. If it was really because he wanted to celebrate her birthday with her, she would have gone.

But, the longer she watched, the more she couldn't ignore it.

There had been similar incidents in the past, so of course, she had to watch the other person’s behavior closely.

It was clear he wasn’t after her but someone else.

The name 'Ju Seoyeon' was obvious enough to deduce.

"What are you saying, Jiwoo? Don’t say such scary things."

Low waved his hand and laughed.

Behind him, two club guards of considerable size stood, but Pyo Jiwoo’s stance didn’t falter at all.

'This is not your average guts.'

She never expected he could speak so boldly in this situation.

Especially while suspecting that he might have done something to Shim Cheongseok.

'I heard she practiced Kendo.'

It was something Pyo Jiwoo had heard herself, and she remembered that Jiwoo used to practice Kendo until high school.

Even so, she had never competed in any tournaments; it was just something she practiced alone at the dojo. It seemed like self-defense, so Pyo Jiwoo hadn't paid much attention to it, but hearing others talk about it, it seemed it wasn't so simple.

After all, she had the skill to drive away a few grown men with a steel pipe.

"It’s my birthday today, so let’s avoid causing a fuss. The VIPs will be here soon."

At his words, Pyo Jiwoo realized her words had no impact at all.

She wondered if she should slap him, but just as she was considering it...

"Oh, but now that you’re here, how about this?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Since you’re already here, Seoyeon is here too, right? Wouldn’t it be nice if she came too?"

Anyway, his target was Ju Seoyeon. Everything else didn’t matter.

To speak so openly to someone clearly irritated like her meant it was obvious that his true goal was her.

"You've been in this industry long enough, haven’t you?"

Low slowly approached Pyo Jiwoo and spoke.

"Among the VIPs coming today, there’s an executive from GH Group. You know, right? If you make an enemy of GH Group, you won’t be able to do broadcasting in Korea."

His words were like a veiled threat.

"If you want to stay in the industry, it’s better to quietly answer the call."

At Low's words, Pyo Jiwoo felt her rationality snap.

Lately, she had been putting on a stable appearance, but fundamentally, she wasn’t mentally strong.

She hadn’t been obsessively attached to men in the past for no reason. Though her patience had been strengthened by Seoyeon, when she got angry, she could become reckless.

Seoyeon’s past life.

The club guard, who had barged into the kitchen with only a kitchen knife at a club with over 20 men—this was why.

"Hey. Just stay still."

"Huh?"

Pyo Jiwoo’s hand moved towards the bag she was holding.

And just as she reached into it...

Clink.

The door to the room opened.

In the tense air, everyone’s eyes turned toward the entrance.

"Hello."

A young girl casually bowed to them.

Ju Seoyeon.

Her appearance was completely unexpected for them.

Before coming here, Seoyeon had hesitated a little.

She thought it was best to sneak in, since drawing attention wouldn’t be good for her.

'But that would severely limit my options.'

If Pyo Jiwoo hadn’t gone to ShineMoon first, sneaking in might have been the better option. But once she moved, there weren’t many choices left.

If something were to happen, she would have to stop it.

And that choice turned out to be the right one.

As she saw Pyo Jiwoo, standing frozen with her hand still in her bag...

"Jiwoo unni. Wait a second."

Seoyeon grabbed Pyo Jiwoo’s arm, pulling her out of Low’s room.

At the same time, she didn’t forget to observe the inside of his room.

'There.'

When the incident had occurred in the past, there had been a place that had seemed suspicious.

Low’s private room.

In that room, there was a safe.

It was where a considerable amount of gold had been stored, but there were also traces that something else had been kept there.

'The ledger.'

There had been a ledger detailing the VIP guests at ShineMoon, but it hadn’t been found anywhere. The place where it was likely kept was that safe.

'...What if I’m wrong?'

Seoyeon thought, and as she was about to leave, she mentally noted the possibilities.

Well, if I’m wrong, I’ll just sneak around and search everything.

"Seoyeon, what are you doing here?!"

"Hold on for a second."

Seoyeon pulled her hand out of the bag Pyo Jiwoo was holding.

She was certain that there was a knife in that hand.

Right now, she had prevented a bloodbath from happening at ShineMoon.

"Recorder?"

Seoyeon muttered when she saw it.

"No knife?"

She accidentally murmured, and quickly closed her mouth, looking at Pyo Jiwoo.

It was so surprising that she couldn’t help but let her words slip.

"...What do you think of me?"

Pyo Jiwoo sighed as she avoided Seoyeon’s gaze.

"After our conversation earlier... I was trying to make a point. Don’t mess with me."

At Pyo Jiwoo’s words, Seoyeon nodded slightly.

It was a pretty reasonable explanation.

'But, without the other person’s consent, a recording isn’t valid, right?'

Of course, Seoyeon wasn’t familiar with the law, so she didn’t know the specifics.

But at least, if it was spread, it would definitely cause a stir.

"What were you two talking about?"

After a brief chat outside, Low followed them with a big smile.

He had a rather handsome face, just like someone who had become popular on JustX. His looks were undoubtedly great.

But.

'...'

Seoyeon felt a surprising sense of calm when she looked at his face.

The little ember of anger that had been temporarily extinguished reignited.

Anger.

That unfamiliar emotion made Seoyeon calmly exhale.

'Honestly.'

Surprisingly, solving the case wasn’t that hard.

She had confirmed on the way here that there weren’t many people in the area, and there were no CCTV cameras.

It was likely done to hide what was here.

That’s why all the spaces where the VIPs could play were here.

She had learned this from Ma Yeonwoo, on the way here.

'Of course, he probably said that to warn me.'

Personally, Ma Yeonwoo’s title was a little uncomfortable.

She couldn’t call him “sunbae” and, considering his age, she should call him “Yeonwoo oppa,” but that still felt uncomfortable.

Anyway.

Seoyeon slowly opened and clenched her fists.

'If I wanted to, I could do it.'

But.

She sometimes thought.

Her special power wasn’t given to her for such trivial reasons.

There must be another reason, she believed.

"Do you know it’s my birthday today? Then, will you join us for the event later? Oh, and one of the VIPs really wants to meet you. Do you know GH Group?"

As she quietly gathered her thoughts, Low whispered to her like a devil.

"Seoyeon, you’re doing so well lately. Wouldn’t it be great if you got connected with GH Group? You’d have wings like a tiger. Overseas expansion wouldn’t be just a dream. I recognize your talent, Seoyeon."

A VIP wants to meet you.

That was a line that didn’t sound like anything wholesome.

No matter how innocent Seoyeon might be, she didn’t take that literally.

'What should I do?'

Seoyeon narrowed her eyes as she looked at Low.

She had come up with plans for today.

She had already told Sehee in case something happened, and she had thought of ways to find the VIP ledger from ShineMoon.

The reason ShineMoon became the subject of investigation was because of Low’s birthday party.

At that time, a reporter who sneaked into the event had recorded Low and the VIPs’ conversation and taken pictures of them with celebrities, publishing the article.

And, the exposé followed.

The reporter had written the story back then, and she had an idea of how it might go.

'If I can just get the safe open...'

It was a perfect plan.

So, Seoyeon decided to wait until the VIPs arrived, keeping an eye on things.

Perhaps a small opening would appear before then.

"How about it? Don’t you like Seoyeon? Oh, and personally, I’m a little interested in Seoyeon too."

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? I really like capable people."

With those words, Low took a step closer.

Seeing that, Seoyeon quietly looked up at him, and Low smiled widely.

"You must like a man who’s on your level. Someone like me, for example."

But at that moment, Low stopped speaking.

The look in Seoyeon’s eyes was so chilling that he couldn’t continue.

Seoyeon wanted to keep a light heart, but it wasn’t easy when she looked at him.

That was to be expected.

Looking at him made her think of Shim Cheongseok.

What would have happened if Pyo Jiwoo hadn’t been there?

It might have ended as simple assault, but still, bad thoughts lingered.

When she thought about it, Seoyeon’s mind weighed the easy path.

In Mine, she could now understand why Jin Yeonseo acted that way.

Anger comes from discomfort and fear.

If she left Low alone, she feared that those around her would also be harmed.

Perhaps, Jin Yeonseo had the same feeling.

Now, Seoyeon could somewhat understand that feeling and anger.

'!!'

Low's eyes were drawn to the distinct red glare aimed at her.

The overwhelming presence that couldn’t be expected from such a small frame made Low forget how to breathe.

‘Danger...’

Something felt dangerously off.

Just as she thought that, Seoyeon looked at Low.

Low, who had been focusing on Seoyeon, was suddenly distracted.

"Are you seriously messing with high school students now?!"

Pyo Jiwoo’s fist, gripping the recorder, hit Low’s chin with precision.

"Ugh."

There was no scream.

The moment the punch landed on his chin, Low fell backward.

Seoyeon reflexively rushed to put her hand out just before his head could hit the floor, preventing it.

It was almost too picturesque how he collapsed; she was stunned for a moment.

Had he collapsed unconscious, his life might have been in danger, after all.

This was more for Pyo Jiwoo than for Low.

Looking at the fainted Low with his eyes rolled back, Seoyeon’s pupils shook.

'One punch?'

Then, her eyes caught Pyo Jiwoo’s furious face, breathing heavily.

Her hand, still holding the recorder, had a fist that was flushed red from the impact.

The anger that had built up in her chest began to cool, replaced by confusion.

Wait, what about my plan?

"Isn’t this just a crazy woman?!"

In the sudden chaos, the guards behind them couldn’t even react.

So, they charged at Pyo Jiwoo, who had thrown the punch, but within five minutes, they were both lying on the floor.

Puffing for air, Seoyeon remained frozen in place, holding onto Low.

She didn’t even have a chance to step in.

She thought about intervening, but Pyo Jiwoo fought so well.

Seoyeon, flustered, asked,

"Unni, did you get a TS?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

No? But why is she so strong?

Even though the club guards had let their guard down, to knock them down with just a punch, without any Kendo training, was unexpected.

"...I used to work out a bit."

"Yet you were helplessly dragged around by me back then."

"So, I trained harder. I couldn’t stand being dragged around by someone as delicate as you."

At those words, Seoyeon flinched.

Though her actions had changed a lot compared to her past life, she never expected this kind of outcome.

She never imagined her existence would make Pyo Jiwoo even stronger.

It was quite shocking.

What do I do now?

Should I just knock everyone out and leave?

Of course, unlike Seoyeon, who was flustered, Pyo Jiwoo was spitting on Low’s head and about to stomp on him.

"Wait, this will cause serious trouble."

"It’s fine. I’ll kill this bastard and go to prison. So, could you move out of the way?"

Ah, so this is the mindset.

Seoyeon realized that her anger was far more restrained compared to Pyo Jiwoo’s.

Her eyes didn’t even change color, but Pyo Jiwoo’s eyes were bloodshot and fierce.

It wasn’t just Seoyeon, but the accumulated emotions with Shim Cheongseok, and everything built up exploded all at once.

And most of all, even though they were somewhat involved, seeing Pyo Jiwoo like this was still unsettling.

'This is killing intent.'

Seoyeon unconsciously swallowed her saliva.

'I thought a fight might break out, but...'

So, she had planted some bait for the filming beforehand.

It was like insurance.

That way, even if someone witnessed it, it wouldn’t feel as real.

She had tried to resolve things peacefully, but isn’t there always that “what if” in life?

But, wouldn’t this be okay for people like them?

She definitely had thoughts like that, but when she looked at Pyo Jiwoo again, she realized.

Violence is dangerous.

Though nothing had gone according to plan, this might actually be for the better.

"Ah, no. More importantly, I need to open that safe."

"Why?"

"It’s suspicious."

"It is suspicious."

"If we have that, you won’t be able to harm Unni... at least, I hope so."

Seoyeon hurriedly led Pyo Jiwoo towards the place where the safe was earlier, and scolded her for using her fists so suddenly.

She had planned for things to be peaceful, but now a commotion had erupted.

Listening to Seoyeon’s scolding, Pyo Jiwoo thought:

'Was this just an unplanned move?'

She had tried to think it through, but now that she heard it, there were holes in her plan here and there.

Of course, this was because Seoyeon didn’t know the future information Pyo Jiwoo had, so it was understandable.

'...It does feel a little sloppy.'

Now that she had said it out loud, Seoyeon was a bit embarrassed.

She had come in with such confidence, but now didn’t have much to explain.

"But we really need to open the safe."

"We need the password, don’t we?"

"There’s a way to open it."

Seoyeon had already practiced with a few safes before coming here.

Her sharp ears could precisely pick up the sounds of parts in the safe clicking into place.

Using that, she could open a regular safe without much trouble.

"This is an electronic lock, though?"

"..."

The electronic lock with buttons.

She hadn’t seen it properly earlier, but surely it wasn’t something you just twist to unlock?

Completely unprepared for this new obstacle, Seoyeon’s expression became more focused.

As she placed her ear to the lock and pressed the buttons...

The alarm went off after five failed attempts, and Seoyeon had to punch it to stop the sound.

"If you break it, you can’t open it."

"No, you just pull it open. It’ll make a loud noise, though."

You can pull it open?

Pyo Jiwoo looked at Seoyeon.

Didn’t she just break the electronic pad with her fist?

"So, what do we do now?"

"We’ll take it."

"?"

Pyo Jiwoo couldn’t believe what she just heard.

The safe weighed at least 50 kg.

For Seoyeon to casually say she would take it felt like a joke.

"And, I told Ma Yeonwoo I was going to the bathroom, so we need to move quickly and get back."

"This?"

"Yes."

"But what if we don’t need anything in there?"

She hadn’t thought of that.

"Then we’ll come back and get it."

"..."

"It’ll be fine. It’s still here."

Of course, it didn’t take long for Seoyeon to realize that she wasn’t joking.

Low couldn’t believe the situation.

When he woke up, the safe that had been in his private room was gone.

'How could it not have been caught on CCTV?'

It would be impossible unless someone jumped out of the window with the safe.

Whether the front or back door, it should have been caught.

If he had known this would happen, he should have installed CCTV in his personal room.

"You incompetent bastards."

Low gritted his teeth.

Even the guards who were supposed to protect it had ended up lying with him.

Who could have taken it?

Ju Seoyeon? Or Pyo Jiwoo?

They had been there, but there’s no way they took the safe.

Was it a woman?

The police wouldn’t even listen if he said that.

Similarly, he probably got beaten up by Pyo Jiwoo.

A bunch of grown men beaten by a single woman?

No one would believe it.

Moreover, depending on how Seoyeon, who had been there, spoke, the situation could change.

It was more likely to backfire on him.

In South Korea, there’s a system that supports women’s side in cases like these.

That made him hesitate to pressure her agency.

After all, being ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) close to Ju Seoyeon meant the probability of this getting to Jo Sehee’s ears was high.

No one else mattered, but Jo Sehee should never be touched.

"Did Ju Seoyeon leave after that?"

"Yeah. Considering the situation, she said she was leaving. She even sent her regards for the birthday."

It didn’t even take an hour. She came, took a few pictures, and left.

It was like she only came to promote Mine to the people gathered at the event.

At Ri Hyun’s words, Low gritted his teeth.

Naturally, the birthday party was canceled, and he had to apologize to the VIPs.

The event had to be postponed as well.

"Damn, where the hell did it go?"

How could they take the safe so easily?

More than anything, the stuff inside was what mattered.

The gold was secondary; the ledger was right there.

'Well, even if it gets into the police’s hands, they can’t do anything about it.'

VIPs would be difficult for the police to handle.

But that only applied if the police had control.

If it fell into the hands of someone who could use it, someone with money and power, that would be a different story.

"Hmm."

And there was one person who could do just that.

The chairman of New Like Group, Jo Seokhwan, chuckled as he looked at the documents in his hand.

When he looked at the blade in his hand, all he could do was smile.