Naked in Hera's apartment, I scrolled through real-time search trends on my smartphone.
Since last night, search terms related to me had dominated the top ten rankings:
1. Jeokgwang
2. Murder Clown
3. Sunset Fitness Massacre
4. Red Clown
5. Sunset Fitness Murder Video
6. 28 Deaths at Sunset Fitness
7. Demon Clown
8. Clown's Red Knife
9. Jeokgwang's Escape
10. Sunset Fitness Gang Hideout
"Jeokgwang..." I muttered.
Jeokgwang .
The Red Madman. More precisely, it was an abbreviation of "Red Blood Clown."
Just yesterday, they called me Murder Clown or Red Clown. But then someone saw a photo of me drenched in blood and started calling me Blood Clown. Suddenly, the Korean term "Jeokgwang" (Blood Clown) appeared.
Later, on a community site, a user praised me as the "Crimson Blood Clown" in a glowing post that went viral. Before I knew it, everyone was calling me Jeokgwang.
"A gangster, huh..."
The police claimed Sunset Fitness was a gangster hideout and labeled me a killer and terrorist.
Gunshots had rung out at Sunset Fitness, and a large cache of firearms was discovered alongside the bodies. To cover this up, they disguised the dead Vampire Hunter as a Chinese-descent gangster.
"They didn't take the firearms they used. So... they really did pretend to be gangsters because of the guns?"
If they weren't gangsters, there would be few ways to explain why they had firearms. Moreover, their identities as Vampire Hunters had to remain secret.
"Oh, this woman... she's become a real celebrity."
It was the woman I took a photo with yesterday. A mosaic of her face and my clown mask were circulating all over the internet. She had even appeared on national emergency news.
-Ms. K met Jeokgwang in person and even took a photo with him. Ms. K, did Jeokgwang threaten your life in any way?
-No. I didn't even know he was a murderer. I just thought he was cosplaying for an event.
-Did you notice anything unusual about him?
- The clown mask was incredibly well-made. The mouth moved naturally as he spoke, making it seem like real skin rather than a mask.
- What did Jeokgwang's voice sound like?
- Just ordinary.
- Did Jeokgwang do anything to Ms. K?
- Ah, he slapped my butt.
- ...Excuse me? So, Jeokgwang used violence...?
- It was more sexual harassment than violence.
- ...Ah. Right.
A woman sexually harassed by Jeokgwang!
I chuckled and started researching Jeokgwang. People were analyzing his photos, speculating his age to be between his late twenties and mid-thirties. A baseless rumor even claimed he was a former special forces operative. Ninety-nine percent of it was nonsense.
Most people cursed Jeokgwang, the madman who had slaughtered over twenty people with a knife.
Yet some defended him, arguing that his victims were vicious Chinese-descent gangsters armed with guns. Others might have simply pretended to support him to draw attention to themselves.
The internet was, as always, a chaotic mess.
This is kind of interesting.
If Jeokgwang were someone else, I would have skimmed through the news and moved on to porn. But the Jeokgwang they were talking about was me.
I am Jeokgwang.
Whether they cursed or defended me didn't matter. The mere fact that they were talking about me was amusing.
Ah. What is this? Am I really just an attention seeker?
I began researching Jeokgwang further.
Jeokgwang had already spread overseas. In foreign countries, they called me the Red Clown.
"It's bound to be a hot topic. Twenty-eight people slaughtered in a single night, with a sword, in this day and age, not the Middle Ages."
The internet overseas was buzzing because of me, especially in Japan. The sword I used was the reason. Some were even calling me a samurai.
It's not a Japanese sword, it's an Iris Sword.
Arguments flared up. Japanese users insisted it was a katana, while Koreans countered that it was an Iris Sword.
I just chuckled and watched the chaos unfold.
"Oppa, what are you doing~?"
Hera, who must have woken up at some point, wrapped her arms around me from behind. I felt the soft press of her breasts against my back. Like me, she was completely naked.
"Just browsing the internet. You said you're off today and tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. Fewer customers means more days off."
"How about a date tomorrow?"
"...Huh? My oppa wants to go out with me?"
Hera had always called me oppa, even though she knew my age. For her, anyone older or richer was automatically oppa.
"What? You don't like it?"
"No, that's not it. It's just a little unexpected. I'm actually excited it's been a while since I've been on a date with a guy."
"Don't read too much into it. Let's just have fun."
"Don't worry, I won't misunderstand. Hmm... I can already guess how this date will end."
I grinned.
We both knew exactly how the date would end, without needing to say it.
Moon Ji-Hyeok glanced at his smartphone and unconsciously smiled.
The message was from Yang Jeongmin, a police officer in the traffic division. They had first met by chance, like fate bringing them together, and now they were close enough to exchange casual messages.
They weren't quite friends, and definitely not lovers. They were in what people these days call a relationship something between friendship and romance.
Yang Jeongmin: Another late night at work confirmed ??
Moon Ji-Hyeok: You too, Jeongmin? There's been a surge in cases in Gangnam lately, so I'm stuck working late tonight as well.
Yang Jeongmin: Oh! Then how about we grab dinner together later? I know a great place.
Moon Ji-Hyeok: A great place?
Yang Jeongmin: There's a budae jjigae place just ten minutes from the station.
Moon Ji-Hyeok: Ah, that place. It's good. But do you even like budae jjigae?
Yang Jeongmin: I absolutely love budae jjigae! I even make it myself at home sometimes.
Moon Ji-Hyeok: Wow, you make budae jjigae yourself?
Yang Jeongmin: It's surprisingly not that hard.
Moon Ji-Hyeok paused, his fingers hovering over the send button. He had been about to type, "I'd love to try it sometime," but he hesitated.
Isn't that too obvious? It practically screams, "I want to come to your house!"
What should he reply? Moon Ji-Hyeok, who had never been in a relationship, pondered deeply over the proper response.
Yang Jeongmin - I'm actually really good at making budae jjigae. Would you like to come over to my place and try it sometime?
Moon Ji-Hyeok froze. He was a virile young man, and a virgin who had never experienced romance. His mind flooded with fantasies.
No, no. She probably didn't mean it that way. Jeongmin-ssi has a bit of an airheaded side.
Moon Ji-Hyeok's fingers moved.
Moon Ji-Hyeok: If you're treating, I'm all for it.
Yang Jeongmin: Great! Strike while the iron's hot... Are you free this weekend?
Moon Ji-Hyeok: This weekend? There's been a lot of cases lately, so I'm not sure yet.
Yang Jeongmin: I'll keep my fingers crossed you'll be free.
"Hey, Detective Moon! You look like you're glowing! Girlfriend?"
"Ah, no, not at all."
Moon Ji-Hyeok immediately turned off his smartphone as Detective Team Leader Oh Jeongjin approached.
"Don't deny it! It's written all over your face. Enjoy your youth while you can. Later, you'll be one of those guys who wants to but can't."
"...More importantly, what's up? Another case?"
"You know Jeokgwang, right?"
Jeokgwang.
The clown-masked murderer who massacred Sunset Fitness yesterday.
Moon Ji-Hyeok's face hardened. Based on various clues, he was convinced that Jeokgwang was a True Ancestor Vampire.
"...Is there anyone at the station who doesn't know Jeokgwang?"
"Probably not. The higher-ups are on high alert because of that bastard."
"Are we supposed to catch Jeokgwang?"
Catching Jeokgwang was exactly what Moon Ji-Hyeok wanted. The utterly ruthless Jeokgwang had to be apprehended for the sake of the public, and Moon Ji-Hyeok personally needed to extract information from him.
"No. Headquarters is forming a special investigation unit dedicated to Jeokgwang."
"...Ah. I see."
Moon Ji-Hyeok felt a twinge of disappointment, but it was an expected development. This case was far too massive for an ordinary detective to handle.
"They're asking for recommendations for personnel to join the Red Light Special Task Force."
"Team Leader, the person you're recommending... is it me?"
"Detective Moon has been our top performer lately. He practically caught that last criminal single-handedly."
Moon Ji-Hyeok hated to admit it, but his enhanced physical abilities during Vampire's Night were undeniably beneficial to his work as a detective.
"Don't want to do it? Just tell me you have no one to recommend, and I'll report that to the higher-ups. No pressure, just be honest."
"...No. I want to do it."
"Good. I'll recommend you to the higher-ups."
"Yes, please. But is there any more information about the Special Task Force?"
"A few other detectives recommended like you will be joining the team. The Red Light Special Task Force is quite large, around 30 members. But I heard half of them aren't police officers they're external specialists."
"External specialists? Is that true?"
"The information is almost certain. I'm just as baffled as you are. Who else but the police would handle catching criminals? What's the higher-ups thinking?"
Moon Ji-Hyeok's face suddenly hardened.
If the superiors knew Jeokgwang was a vampire, could this "external specialist" possibly be a Vampire Hunter?
"It seems quite urgent, so you'll be leaving tomorrow. Were you working on the arson case? I thought that was a gas accident."
"Yes, sir. There's evidence of arson."
"Alright. Hand the case over to Detective Park and prepare to leave tomorrow. Just go home early today. You'll be even busier once you join the Red Light Special Task Force."
Oh Jeong-jin returned to his desk.
Moon Ji-Hyeok lowered his gaze to his desk, lost in thought. If the "external specialist" was indeed a Vampire Hunter as he suspected... he would need to move with utmost caution and discretion.
Perhaps the Vampire Hunters know how to turn me back into a human. This could be a good opportunity to learn more about them too. It's risky, but worth it.
"How do I look? I tried on the outfit you suggested, Oppa."
Hera struck a pose in front of me, showing off her outfit. A navy wrap skirt, a white blouse, and a wine-colored cardigan. Her wavy brown hair was styled in a chic layered cut.
"...Wow. You look really beautiful."
I spoke the first thought that came to mind.
"I'm a little surprised. I didn't know you had such specific tastes."
"My taste is beautiful women."
"I know that. But I didn't expect you to order such a detailed outfit."
To be honest, the clothes I asked Hera to wear were the fashion style often worn by Shin Hyejin, the real-life actress. Even the subtly visible earrings and hairstyle were strikingly similar to Shin Hyejin's.
Seeing her like this, it really feels like Shin Hyejin is standing right in front of me. No, since Hera's real name is Shin Hyejin, it's technically true that Shin Hyejin is in front of me...
I scanned Hera from head to toe several times. No matter how many times I looked, she was unmistakably the actress Shin Hyejin.
"Oppa."
"Hm?"
Hera grinned and opened the front of her cardigan. My eyes widened. The snow-white blouse was incredibly thin, and the black bra beneath it was clearly visible, barely containing her overflowing D-cup breasts.
"Oppa, your eyes are about to pop out! We've seen everything already. Why are you so worked up over just a bra?"
"...A woman's body never gets old. It's beautiful whether she's dressed or undressed."
To be honest, I'd started thinking of Hera as actress Shin Hyejin. And since that seemed to work well, I decided to keep thinking of her that way today.
Ah, thinking of her like that suddenly makes me horny.
I moved closer to Hera and pulled her waist toward me.
"Hera, let's take a photo."
"Another photo? Oppa really loves taking pictures, huh? You even filmed us having sex the other day."
"These are all memories, memories. And you enjoy it too, right? Last time, you even filmed me jerking off."
"Hehehe. I still watch that sometimes."
Hera and I used to take photos and videos during sex.
At first, Hera was disgusted by the idea. But my persistence wore her down, and eventually, she started enjoying it too. The photos and videos clearly show our faces.
Just as I have videos of her, she also has some of me.
Recently, we even bought a personal broadcasting camera worth over a million won and started filming ourselves for fun. Now, we feel almost disappointed if there's no camera during sex.
I approached Hera, wrapped my arm around her slender waist, and activated the selfie mode on my smartphone. It was set to video, not photo.
"Push your chest out more. Ah, and stick your tongue out too."
We began French kissing, our saliva-slicked tongues intertwining and rubbing against each other.
My hand, which had been around her waist, gradually moved upward to caress her full breasts.
"Mmm... Aren't we going on our date?"
My hand instinctively unbuttoned her blouse and stroked the deep cleavage between her breasts.
"Ah, right."
I quickly withdrew my hand. Today's plan was to leisurely yet thrillingly enjoy Hera's body during our date.
"This damn hand never listens."