Three-Way Encounter
“How has Leona been lately?” Marcela asked.
“She’s struggling.”
Ever since the day monsters had swarmed across the world, Sehwa’s face had remained clouded for days. She carried an overwhelming burden of guilt for failing to save people even though she had been right there. She longed to confide in someone, but the inability to do so only tightened the knot in her chest. There were only two people she could truly open up to—Yu Seunghyeon, who knew her real identity, and me.
So Sehwa had tried to meet us both, hoping to unload the weight pressing on her heart. But she couldn’t reach either of us. Yu Seunghyeon was swamped with work at the Gold Perfume Hotel; even two bodies wouldn’t have been enough. They spoke on the phone now and then, but the conversations were always brief. It simply wasn’t the same as meeting face to face.
My own schedule was just as merciless. I had spent the entire week summoned to Dr. Cash’s laboratory, helping modify equipment. What began as a lunchtime call on the first day quickly turned into arriving at dawn and leaving long after dark. Knowing this, Sehwa couldn’t bring herself to burden me with her troubles while I was neglecting my studies to work on her behalf.
She had even wanted to accompany me to the lab and help however she could. But she knew nothing of future technology, and when Dr. Cash firmly told her not to come and to focus on her studies instead, Sehwa could only fidget in helpless frustration.
“Her strong sense of justice has created emotional complications instead.”
“More or less. She still has a long way to go before fully synchronizing with Leona’s mental fortitude, so it’s only natural.”
“Was releasing the monsters part of your plan to instill psychological instability in Leona? As expected…”
She was excellent in every regard, yet she occasionally twisted my intentions. This was another such moment. I had never planned to create instability in Sehwa’s mind, let alone exploit it, so her words drew a dry chuckle from me.
“Don’t read too much into it. It simply happened because Dr. Cash called for me. The timing aligned by coincidence.”
“But the doctor’s actions were also guided by you, My King, were they not?”
I didn’t expect her to entrust me with equipment modification this quickly, you little— I kept my expression solemn. Whenever she fixed those sparkling eyes on me like that, it sent a shiver down my spine.
“Correct.”
“As expected… This Marcela remains eternally—”
“Enough. How is the tracking monster modification progressing?”
“It will take a little longer, but we should soon be able to monitor footage in real time. I will complete it shortly!”
Marcela answered with the eager energy of a girl scout. I let out a small laugh.
“Good. Understood.”
“By the way, My King, how do you intend to approach Yuria? I know you have disguised yourself as a man resembling that bitch’s father… I am simply curious.”
I looked down at Marcela. Of course. Since she had not been a player, she had only served me faithfully until Celine killed her; she knew nothing of Yu Seunghyeon and the Beast Slayers’ depraved sex lives. Yuria possessed an intriguing fetish. She enjoyed soft sadism—though “dominant” would be the more accurate term. The added bonus was her growing obsession over time. She radiated queenly arrogance while treating Yu Seunghyeon like a servant, and the fool happily worshipped her while functioning as a living device charger. My plan was to amplify that fetish and then shatter her completely. Naturally, I would first need to create circumstances in which she could actually engage in a sex life.
“I have thoughts on the matter, so don’t concern yourself.”
“Yes! This Marcela trusts in you completely, Master!”
“Enough with the sugarcoated words. Transfer Dr. Cash’s portal technology into my brain.”
Originally this was something Dr. Cash would labor over for some time after making contact with the government, only completing it midway through the first volume. It involved installing portals in the heart of every nation so Beast Slayers could deploy instantly the moment monsters appeared. Early versions were unstable—sometimes causing people to forget weapons or lose equipment—but they grew flawless with time. I intended to earn massive merit by accelerating Dr. Cash’s invention. After all, I needed to become an indispensable figure among the Beast Slayers.
“Understood. I will begin immediately.”
“Also… today is Friday, correct? Grant Yu Seunghyeon a day off. One day will suffice.”
“Pardon? A vacation…? To observe how far Leona’s heart has tilted?”
“There is no need for you to know everything.”
“Hiiing… Understood… I will inform the manager at once and proceed with the technology transfer.”
“What!? You’re giving me a day off?”
Yu Seunghyeon’s shout nearly knocked him off his feet. The female floor manager of the Gold Perfume Hotel’s adult entertainment lounge smiled sweetly.
“The boss said you’ve worked hard and deserves a full day of rest. He’s also giving you every tip earned today and tripling your daily pay. How about that?”
“R-really? Why is he being so good to me…?”
“You never report us to the labor board even though you don’t get proper days off. This industry does tend to be like that… Anyway, it seems the boss has taken a liking to you. Don’t come in today—show up tomorrow at four in the afternoon.”
Yu Seunghyeon felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude toward the boss. The man already paid well for the labor, yet he was also providing a holiday, tripling the daily wage, and handing over today’s tips on top of it. Even if fear of being reported played a part, gratitude was still gratitude. Not that Yu Seunghyeon had any intention of reporting them.
“I should call the boss to thank him…”
“He’s a busy man, so there’s no need. What are you planning to do today?”
The answer came instantly. Yu Seunghyeon replied without hesitation.
“I’m going to see my girlfriend.”
“Good. Rest well.”
“Yes! See you tomorrow!”
The moment Yu Seunghyeon reached his hotel room, he dialed Sehwa. The ringtone seemed to last forever. He paced the room, anxiety rising, until the call finally connected and Sehwa’s voice came through.
“Yeah, Seunghyeon.”
Her tone was subdued. The guilt she had mentioned last time—failing to save those people—clearly still weighed heavily on her. Yu Seunghyeon’s heart ached.
“Sehwa, were you in class?”
“No, I just finished. I was about to head home. Why?”
“I got today off. I’ll come right now.”
“What? Really?”
“Really. The boss told me to rest the whole day. I was going to ask for just one day anyway, so the timing worked out perfectly. I’m heading over now—do you have time?”
“Um… hold on a second.”
Sehwa fell silent. Yu Seunghyeon could hear her speaking with several youthful voices in the background. Does she have something important planned? A group assignment maybe? He scratched at his fingertip nervously.
“I was going to hang out with my classmates, but I’ll cancel. You got a day off, so of course I should.”
Hearing the answer he wanted, Yu Seunghyeon felt joy burst inside him.
“Thank you. I’ll shower and head straight to Korea University.”
“No, I’ll come to the hotel and wait. Just shower and come out.”
“Got it.”
After ending the call, Yu Seunghyeon hummed cheerfully as he rushed into the bathroom. Once showered, he dug through his scattered clothes and chose the most presentable outfit. When he stepped outside, he spotted Sehwa waiting at a distance, her ponytail swaying, drawing every eye around her. His shoulders squared with pride. To think that stunning woman was his childhood friend and beloved girlfriend. Her new hair color was a little… unusual, but even that looked beautiful on her.
As Yu Seunghyeon drew closer, Sehwa noticed him and broke into a bright smile.
“Sehwa!”
Yet while his reaction brimmed with enthusiasm, hers remained lukewarm.
“You’re here? What should we do today?”
“It’s been so long since we’ve met properly. Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“Of course I’m happy. It’s just… I feel bad. It’s your first day off and I’m being like this…”
Yu Seunghyeon smiled gently, as if he understood everything.
“It’s fine. Want to grab a beer together after so long? Anything you feel like eating?”
“There’s a pajeon place nearby. Let’s go there. You like pajeon, right? My treat.”
“Why would you pay? I brought money today. I got a lot of tips yesterday.”
“You still have debts to pay off. I have some breathing room… Once your debts are cleared, you can treat me then. Deal?”
Her consideration touched him so deeply that Yu Seunghyeon moved to embrace her. But Sehwa raised a hand to stop him.
“Wait… I sweated a lot today. I probably smell.”
“You used to hug me after exercise all the time… Why are you acting like this?”
“Next time… I’ll hug you next time. I just want to look good for you.”
Yu Seunghyeon suddenly recalled the last brief meeting when Sehwa had seemed reluctant to embrace him on the street. He quickly shook the thought away. After all, they had rarely hugged in public before, and he assumed the monster incident had left her stressed.
“Alright. Can I at least hold your hand? You’re carrying an umbrella—rain in the forecast?”
“They said it might rain this evening.”
“I see. Well… let’s go.”
Yu Seunghyeon held out his hand confidently. Sehwa stared at it, then glanced around as though searching for someone. Yu Seunghyeon simply assumed she was feeling shy.
In the end, Sehwa took his hand. Grinning so widely his mouth nearly split, Yu Seunghyeon exaggerated his movements a little as he walked with her toward the pajeon restaurant.
Inside the crowded shop, Yu Seunghyeon let out an impressed whistle.
“Wow… why are there so many people?”
“It’s Friday, plus it’s a famous spot… You’ve lived nearby and never noticed?”
“I barely go outside except for errands. And customers don’t usually order pajeon as takeout for someone else.”
“That’s true. Table for two, please.”
After telling the server the headcount and being seated, Sehwa pulled out the menu from beside the lacquered wooden table and offered it to him.
“Want to pick?”
“Have you been here before?”
“Once. I tried the seafood pajeon last time. They said it’s the most popular.”
“Then let’s get that. Should we order makgeolli too? You okay with drinking?”
“I was actually craving some. Just a little, though.”
They placed their order and fell into easy conversation. Watching Sehwa smile at him as she spoke, Yu Seunghyeon felt relieved. Meeting him seemed to be healing at least some of the turmoil in her heart. Even if her smile was still a little weak, he vowed to make her laugh brightly today. With that determination, he listened attentively and reacted to every word.
Before long the pajeon arrived. Sehwa licked her lips and rubbed her chopsticks together in anticipation. Then she glanced toward the counter, where a man was speaking with a female employee, and froze in surprise.
“The customer who ordered two seafood pajeon to go five minutes ago? Could I have the last four digits of your phone number and your name?”
“It’s 4444. Name’s Song Jihyeok.”
“Ah, 4444! I remembered it. The food isn’t quite ready yet… Please wait just a moment and I’ll bring it right out.”
“Thank you.”
“Though that phone number… it feels a little ominous.”
“Haha, it does, doesn’t it? But I like it.”
It was none other than Jihyeok. After exchanging pleasant laughter with the employee, he scanned the restaurant and his eyes met Sehwa’s.
“Huh? Sehwa?”
His voice carried clearly, and the mention of her name made Yu Seunghyeon turn around. Curiosity written across his face, he asked Sehwa,
“Who is that? A classmate?”
Sehwa gave no answer. She simply stared at the smiling Jihyeok with trembling pupils. This was all by Jihyeok’s design. Having tracked her every movement, he had deliberately arranged this encounter.
Jihyeok reached their table and smiled brightly.
“What are you doing here? I don’t recognize your friend… Is he your boyfriend?”