I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

“Thank you so much for the drinks.”

Sang-moon of Ilshim bowed politely to me.

I bowed my head deeply in response.

“Thank you for helping with the reconstruction of the shop… I’m really grateful.”

The burned-down shop was filled with members of the Executor’s organization.

They climbed ladders themselves to reinforce the roof and worked on the floor.

Most companies avoided accepting requests for shops under Ilshim’s protection due to concerns about the Association’s oversight.

Thanks to that, Ilshim’s members had become versatile workers.

Though I had hammered some nails during my time in the military, these people were nearly professionals.

All I could do was hand them cocktails one by one.

“Once we finish the plastering, it’ll mostly be done, so you can leave.”

“Is that okay…? It feels irresponsible of me…”

“This isn’t something a woman should be doing. The smell of chemicals is strong…”

The word ‘woman’ froze my thoughts for a moment.

While I was reacting to that, Sang-moon turned to start giving orders for the plasterwork.

Feeling frustrated, he eventually ran to the field himself.

Left alone, I could only watch him blankly.

Is that so?

Am I now someone who shouldn’t be doing this kind of work?

A sour taste lingered in my mouth.

I rolled it over my tongue as I walked out of the shop, feeling desolate.

On my way out, I almost bumped into a member of the organization.

He hadn’t noticed me because he was carrying a bag of concrete on his shoulder.

“Sorry…”

“No, it’s okay.”

I hurriedly left the shop.

I deeply understood Sang-moon’s words.

I wandered the streets alone.

With the sudden free time, I could think about many things.

Should I go shopping?

I’d used up the last of the vegetables at home, so there’d likely be nothing to eat when I returned.

“Now that I think about it… Didn’t a department store recently open?”

I took out my phone.

I searched for the few department stores that had survived the monster crisis.

Gasan.

It was close to Sindorim.

Should I save money and walk there?

Gripping the crossbody bag on my shoulder tightly, I started moving.

Still, it should be relatively safe during the day.

Unless a monster suddenly appeared, of course.

“—.”

The sunlight blazed down on the road.

Even though it was spring, a hot mirage shimmered on the asphalt.

I wiped the sweat off my hand.

Wait, was the department store this far away…?

I was sure this kind of distance used to feel like nothing when I walked.

Now, no matter how much I moved my legs, it took forever.

“Should I take a taxi…”

I stared intently at the road.

A black taxi appeared at the intersection.

Black taxis were originally meant for the wealthy, and in today’s anarchic times, the base fare was a whopping 20,000 won.

Spending 20,000 won on a taxi just to go grocery shopping?

Ridiculous.

I sighed deeply.

And I looked at an old car proudly standing on the wide road.

Not just an ‘old car.’

Its sleek, milky-white body bore a striking Jaguar emblem on the front.

Even though it was old, it was undoubtedly an expensive car.

Someone driving such a car in these times must be at least an Association assemblyman or a corporate head.

I looked at the person sitting alone in the driver’s seat.

A woman with long black hair and sunglasses.

I stared at her profile.

And then I realized that her face seemed familiar, as if I’d seen it somewhere before.

Who was she?

“—.”

While I was lost in thought, the car’s window rolled down.

The woman, who I’d only seen in profile, began looking directly at me.

Did she notice me staring?

I instinctively bowed my head deeply.

What should I do…

Surely she won’t confront me about staring at her, right?

“Si-ho.”

But then, an unexpected word came out of the woman’s mouth.

She knew my name?

And this voice…

It was the Executor.

She took off her sunglasses and asked me with a relaxed expression.

“Why are you here when you should be busy with the shop’s restoration?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Don’t tell me, you dumped everything on my employees and came out to have fun?”

She raised an eyebrow as she asked.

I frantically shook my head.

“No way… They said there wasn’t anything left for me to help with today, so I came out.”

“Then where are you heading now?”

“The department store…”

I mumbled.

At that, the Executor’s eyes narrowed.

“Seems like you’ve made some money. Shopping leisurely, huh.”

Her mocking tone made me flare up instead.

I proudly shouted at her.

“That’s not it! I’m just out of food at home…”

At the mention of being out of food, the Executor stared intently at me.

I gulped hard under her gaze.

Clutching my crossbody bag tightly, I waited for her reply.

“Get in.”

“Huh…?”

“I happen to need industrial glue, so I was heading there anyway.”

She made a bold U-turn right on the road.

And pulled her car up close to the sidewalk where I stood.

The Executor’s unexpected kindness left me speechless.

But when I heard the sound of the car unlocking, it snapped me back to reality.

I hesitantly climbed into the passenger seat.

It was hard to refuse after she had even made a U-turn for me.

The first thing I noticed when I got in the car was the smell of leather.

The rich, deep scent made me sniff involuntarily.

Then I fixed my gaze stiffly forward.

“—.”

With a smooth engine sound, the car began moving forward.

To think I had planned to walk such a long distance alone…

Having a car is really nice.

I wanted to say this exact thought to the Executor to ease the awkward mood.

But my small body was frozen, staring straight ahead.

The Executor seemed to notice my feelings as she reached for the audio system.

“—.”

The radio was playing a song.

And I recognized the singer.

Jae-hee.

Or rather, JEI.

She recently changed her stage name.

Jae-hee exposed all the injustices through a press conference.

Thanks to that, Aimer was completely dismantled.

However, she didn’t feel disappointed.

She transferred to Yellow Snake, the entertainment company under Ilshim, and recently debuted as a solo artist.

The first single she released was this song.

‘Hola’ means hello in Spanish.

It’s a song to greet the public for the first time as an adult, they say.

“—.”

I was already familiar with that song.

Jae was the first to tell me about her successful debut.

Because of that, I ended up listening to the song countless times, even memorizing the lyrics.

She threatened to bother me if I didn’t know the lyrics when she asked later.

I’ll never forget the terrifying words she said about touching me once for every syllable I couldn’t remember.

I unconsciously started humming the song.

Then the Executor glanced down at me.

“The song’s not bad.”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

“I didn’t think that punk Hwangsa could produce too…”

The Executor clicked her tongue as if displeased.

Hwangsa…?

Could she mean that man I met on the stairs when I first went to Ilshim?

The one who told me to watch out for the Executor’s sharp tongue…

The thought of him, someone who looked more like a thug than anyone, being an idol producer is unimaginable.

Come to think of it, the members of Ilshim’s organization all seem to have unexpected charms.

Even the Executor, with her infamy and dazzling record, is surprisingly kind.

Like how she’s giving me a ride right now.

I looked up at her with admiration.

“What is it… Why are you staring at me like that?”

The Executor asked cynically, staring straight ahead.

Then, seeming a bit flustered, she cleared her throat.

“No, I just thought you were cool.”

When I chuckled, the Executor tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

Then she switched lanes.

“—!”

As she changed lanes, a taxi suddenly cut us off and sped ahead.

The luxurious steering wheel of the Jaguar XJ 12f the Executor was driving had to swerve sharply in response.

“That bastard…”

Her voice grew heavier.

Soon, a chilling aura emanated from her, pressing against my shoulder.

“You’re not planning to kill him, are you?”

I asked nervously.

The Executor immediately withdrew the menacing aura, looking incredulous.

“Why would I kill him?”

“Well… you’re a killer.”

When I asked as if it were obvious, the woman with red eyes didn’t respond right away.

It wasn’t until we entered the department store’s parking lot that she gave me an answer.

“I don’t kill people unless it’s my business. I’m not like someone else.”

I could immediately infer who she was referring to.

“Anna…”

When I seemed like I was about to speak on her behalf, the Executor cut me off.

“She’s a psychopath who kills anyone she doesn’t like.”

Well, if the Executor had ever lost a dummy because of Anna, it was natural for her to be angry.

But I knew a bit about Anna’s past.

I also knew she didn’t become like that by nature.

“Still… there must’ve been a reason for her to end up that way. Not everyone is born bad…”

As I murmured to myself, the Executor skillfully parked the car.

Then she briskly pulled out the keys.

For some reason, she seemed a bit upset.

“That kind of vague kindness is why you keep suffering.”

Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim parking lot.

In the past, those eyes used to terrify me.

But now, I was gradually getting used to their color.

Instead of looking like blood, they seemed fresh, like Red Eye.

Thanks to that, I was able to meet her sharp gaze steadily.

I squinted slightly and looked up at her.

“Still, isn’t it because of this side of me that I was able to get close to you?”

“Get close,” she said.

The Executor frowned.

Then, turning her head sharply, she yanked the door handle forcefully.

But with an old car, pulling the handle didn’t automatically unlock the door.

So the Executor had to yank the handle repeatedly before the door finally opened.

Frustrated with herself, she walked ahead quickly.

I tilted my head in confusion as I watched her.

“Why is she angry?”

I followed her into the department store.

Then I stood right next to her as we waited for the elevator.

Soon, the elevator stopped on the basement floor where the food section was located.

The delicious aroma of food tickled my nose.

I swallowed and glanced around at the spacious shops.

The Executor turned her head toward where I was looking.

“Did you skip lunch?”

She asked in a cold tone.

I slowly nodded.

“Then grab something to eat before you go.”

The Executor took the lead and looked at the kiosk.

She flipped through screens showing pasta and tteokbokki without much interest.

“Want pasta?”

“No. That doesn’t fill you up.”

I carefully raised my finger and tapped the Korean food section.

“Spicy pork stir-fry.”

“Bone soup with haejangguk.”

“Pork cutlet.”

“This is it. This is real food.”

I smiled and nodded.

But the woman sighed deeply, looking at my choice as if it were pathetic.

“Your taste is so… old-fashioned.”

“What’s wrong with it? I could live off just these three dishes forever.”

When I spoke confidently, the Executor shook her head.

“Judging by your appearance, I thought you’d go for something like rose tteokbokki.”

“That’s for kids,” I said with a displeased expression.

The Executor shrugged as if it were obvious.

“Right, because you’re one of the kids these days too.”

I couldn’t understand what she meant.

What about my appearance made her think I’d like such cloying food?

I tried to shake off her words and clicked on the pork cutlet option.