11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15

I guess this is karma for once laughing at the friends of powerless heroes in movies, who always got dragged into trouble like it was fun.

Na Eun had to wait anxiously for the event to end, and about thirty minutes after the party concluded, she was invited, just as promised, to the top floor of the building.

Following her father, Seok Hoon, Na Eun glanced discreetly at the fewer than twenty attendees and truly realized that Congressman Kang had carefully selected only those he favored to remain here.

As the elevator doors opened and the grand double doors swung wide, a hidden new world unfolded before her.

Famous paintings she’d glimpsed in books and ancient white porcelain pieces—East and West intermingled—were displayed together, yet even Na Eun, who knew nothing about such matters, could tell each item was incredibly valuable.

Among the awestruck guests, Congressman Kang spread his arms wide, inviting everyone to enjoy themselves freely, his posture dripping with unmistakable smugness.

He seemed the type who enjoyed solidifying his status and feeling superior through displays like this.

As guests slowly admired the artwork beginning from the left wall, Congressman Kang passed by and posed yet another predictable question: did she like it?

Na Eun’s eyes sparkled as she declared this was an experience she’d never have again and would never forget.

Though it was tiresome flattery, it apparently worked—Congressman Kang’s pleased smile never faded.

Hee Won, listening through her earpiece to every word of Na Eun’s flattery, whistled admiringly and complimented her people skills, only to be met with Seung Joo’s sharp rebuke from the other side, telling him to shut up.

Na Eun ignored it all.

It wasn’t anger—her mind had simply gone blank from nervous tension in the face of this sudden, urgent situation.

About twenty minutes after the VIP floor opened, Na Eun cautiously slipped past people’s gazes and moved deeper inside.

Thankfully, this floor was designed like a private study meant to be secretly explored, with plenty of bookshelves, tables, and drawers in each room where one could easily hide.

Additionally, since the space was divided into rooms themed around different subjects, guests had scattered, each absorbed in admiring the artworks that caught their interest.

Her father, Seok Hoon, had long since turned his attention away from her, deeply engaged in conversation with Congressman Kang.

[Not there—go further inside.]

Hee Won’s hushed voice guided her through the earpiece.

His tone was noticeably different from usual.

When they’d met in plain clothes, his speech had been so rough and cheeky she’d wondered if such a delinquent even existed—but now, at work, he sounded surprisingly serious.

Still, at the end of the day, he was a delinquent.

Na Eun found herself strangely impressed by how someone who’d saved her life could still leave such an impression.

Pushing aside distractions, she passed the bookshelf opposite the display of art in the innermost room about five times before spotting a slightly oversized wall clock hanging at roughly eye level.

Following Hee Won’s instructions—that removing the clock would reveal an entrance—Na Eun carefully lifted it, making sure not to create any noise.

She turned a small handle attached to the clock on the picture-covered wall, and a door began to open inward.

Slipping inside from behind the bookshelf without being seen by anyone proved easier than expected.

As soon as the door opened, a narrow staircase leading downward was revealed—its gloomy atmosphere making it feel like descending into an underground prison, causing Na Eun to hunch her shoulders.

…It won’t have bugs, will it? Despite hesitating, she couldn’t afford to complain—the urgency in Seung Joo’s request made it clear something big depended on her.

Careful not to stumble and mindful not to break her heels, she descended thirty steps and finally saw the interior space.

Wow. For a moment, Na Eun forgot the seriousness of the situation and gasped in awe.

Unlike the narrow entrance, the interior was at least twice as wide as the main hall outside, filled endlessly with bookshelves like a grand library.

Though many shelves towered far beyond her reach, fortunately, there was a small movable step stool she could use to climb up.

[Now you need to find the book.]

Following Hee Won’s direction through the earpiece, Na Eun entered the innermost bookshelf.

The aisle between shelves was so narrow she had to squeeze through sideways.

Staying calm, she searched for the English title Hee Won had given her—and after several minutes of searching, she finally found a worn, tattered book.

As she recited the publication date and author’s name exactly as printed, a small sigh of relief escaped through the earpiece.

That meant she’d found the right item.

[Good job. Now bring it back.]

“Wait, hold on….”

She’d found the book, but Na Eun blinked in disbelief at their request to bring it back.

“How am I supposed to take this out without anyone noticing?”

When she pointed out it was a massive hardcover nearly three hundred pages long, they fell silent for a moment—clearly caught off guard.

They apparently hadn’t been informed of the book’s size either.

Seung Joo asked if it was truly too bulky to carry out, and Na Eun firmly insisted there was no way she could do it without getting caught.

Seung Joo quickly changed tactics.

[Forget it. Just tear out the last two pages and bring those.]

Since that was all they actually needed, Na Eun silently flipped through the book and examined the final page.

Though it felt wrong—like committing a crime against cultural heritage—she trusted this must be the right thing to do, even if she didn’t fully understand.

Believing in Seung Joo more than anyone else, she tore out the last two pages without hesitation, folded them, and tucked them into her bra.

No one would ever find it there—after all, that’s what they always do in the movies.

When she carefully reported exactly where she’d hidden it, there was a brief silence on the other end of the earpiece.

Having successfully retrieved the item the two heroes requested, Na Eun returned the clock to its original spot, closed the secret door behind her, and made her way back to the VIP room. She decided escaping the place quickly was better than worrying about being caught at any moment.

Just as she was about to find her father, Seok Hoon, and say she didn’t feel well and needed to leave immediately, a small commotion erupted in the room.

Near the entrance, guards dressed in black suits were moving around with small devices in hand.

“What’s going on?”

When Na Eun asked, Seok Hoon beside her wore a slightly troubled expression.

“One of today’s collection pieces seems to be missing. They’re searching everyone who was invited.”

“…”

[Oh, damn it.]

As if echoing Na Eun’s thoughts, Seung Joo’s curse came through the earpiece.

It probably wasn’t about the torn pages she’d taken—she’d just left the underground room, so there was no way they could have noticed already.

But if they decided to conduct a body search, that would be disastrous.

Relieved that she’d hidden the pages in her underwear—surely they wouldn’t search that far—she tried to calm herself, when suddenly Hee Won’s unusually urgent voice cut through.

[This won’t work. Just say you need to use the restroom and get out.]

“…Dad, I’ll be right back—I need to use the restroom.”

Na Eun carefully kept her panic hidden as she slipped away from the room.

Once in the hallway, she hurried to the restroom, checked each stall to ensure no one was inside, then closed the women’s restroom door behind her.

She whispered softly.

“Since I hid it in my underwear, it should be fine, right? They won’t search that far.”

After all, everyone invited here had important connections to Congressman Kang.

Even if a prized item went missing, would they really be so rude as to conduct that kind of search? She voiced her doubt, but Seung Joo’s reply was cold.

[Those papers aren’t ordinary. And those sensors the guards are holding aren’t ordinary either.… Damn it, we’re caught immediately.]

“Then—then what do I do?”

Na Eun asked in panic, but received no reply for a moment.

After a brief pause, she pulled the crumpled paper from her bra and unfolded it.

Staring at the incomprehensible mix of numbers, English, and Korean written on it, she spoke.

“You just need the contents, right? If only I had my phone…”

Then she remembered—they’d been required to surrender all electronic devices, including phones, at the entrance before entering the VIP floor, and her face fell in frustration.

If she’d had her phone, she could’ve just taken a photo, sent it to Seung Joo, and deleted the evidence.

But when she suggested that, Seung Joo grimly explained reality.

[I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier—but even that leaves traces. You’d definitely get caught.…]

“Ughh.”

They check phones too? How thorough can they get? It’s just a lost item! Na Eun floundered helplessly, and silence stretched on the other end of the earpiece.

Eventually, Hee Won spoke first.

[Just keep it hidden and bring it out with you.]

But Seung Joo immediately objected.

[No.… Just give up. Throw it all away and come out.]

Caught between two totally opposing opinions, Na Eun hesitated—when unexpectedly, a heated argument broke out over the earpiece.

[Are you insane, K?] [And if she gets caught? Are you going to take responsibility for Yoon Na Eun’s life? Can you guarantee none of those bastards are among the guards?]

The words zipped past—some vaguely understandable, others completely incomprehensible.

Na Eun quickly scanned the situation with her sharp mind.

Though she didn’t know the full details, it was clear: the information on this old, tattered paper was absolutely vital to them, but getting it out of here now was practically impossible.

And if she were caught, those hidden villains somewhere in this building might take it from her—and she could even end up dead.

Suddenly, she remembered the chilling laugh of the brown-haired woman who’d pressed a gun to her throat at last year’s hotel wedding.

Just the memory sent a shiver down her spine, and Na Eun clenched the paper tightly in her hand.

Forcing down the fresh surge of fear, she addressed the two still arguing over the earpiece.

Hey—

“—You need the contents, right? Not the paper itself.”

If that was true,

“Then I’ll just memorize it and leave.”

[—What?]

Seung Joo’s voice, previously frustrated and high-pitched, fell quiet for a moment.

After another brief silence from both of them, Na Eun rapidly scanned the two densely filled pages of incomprehensible symbols and asked,

“Can’t I just memorize it and walk out?”