Chapter 82: Everyone Has Secrets

Straight-billed bulbul. It's a bird mainly found in the three East Asian countries: Korea, China, and Japan. Of course, people aren't really curious about what the actual straight-billed bulbul looks like. They're just wondering what's inside the "Straight-Billed Bulbul" folder. Some folks even say that if asked, "If you were about to die, what would be your last words?" they'd reply, "Please delete the Straight-Billed Bulbul folder on my computer!" I doubt there are really people like that, but maybe there are more than you'd think?

What if someone saw my straight-billed bulbul folder after I died? Of course, I don't have one. My computer is filled with nothing but photos and videos of Hoya. But Go Yeon-ju's desktop has one. The problem is why it's on her desktop. Isn't the national rule to hide that kind of thing?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hands off!"

"Just so you know, I haven't touched it at all?"

I raised my hands and spoke calmly. Best not to provoke her in a situation like this. Reading my expression, perhaps, Go Yeon-ju's face turned red.

"I-I just like birds."

"I see."

"Yeah, especially this bird called the straight-billed bulbul."

"You know what it looks like, right?"

"Of course!"

"Straight-billed bulbuls are definitely charming birds. That white fur and red beak are super cute."

"Yeah, that's why I like straight-billed bulbuls."

"That's bullshit."

"Huh?"

"Straight-billed bulbuls aren't white."

"......You bastard!"

I must have hit Go Yeon-ju's berserk button again. Nyang. Hoya gave me a pitiful look. I must seem pathetic right now.

"Honestly, prying into someone else's straight-billed bulbul folder isn't polite. Don't worry."

"No, just don't imagine what's in there!"

"I wasn't imagining anything."

It's true. I don't really imagine stuff like that. I've actually seen Si-yeon's straight-billed bulbul folder before. Mostly text files, not videos. I'm not curious what it is. Everyone has secrets, and there's no need to drag them out.

The reason I brought up the straight-billed bulbul was...

"I just thought since it's on your desktop, maybe you should move it somewhere else."

"Th-that... Yeah. Earlier, I copied it from another gate owner... Eep!"

"Calm down."

"Okay."

"Now, answer my questions from here on."

"Sigh, alright."

Go Yeon-ju looked like she'd let something slip. I asked her.

"This gate owners' community. Have you ever met other gate owners here?"

"Huh?"

Go Yeon-ju gave me a baffled look.

"Why?"

"No... I don't pry into others' secrets. I'm just curious about things I need to know."

"Yeah... Come to think of it, a few people have come by."

"They came looking for you?"

"Yes, one said he was from the Guri Gate, and another from the Changwon Gate."

Guri and Changwon Gates. I'd heard there were gates there too. The issue is...

"How did you verify they were gate owners?"

"Huh? Well... You're right. Why did I believe them?"

As expected, without the Observation skill, gate owners couldn't recognize each other. Like how that Brann chicken farm lady didn't recognize me before. In short, if someone really wanted to deceive you, they could.

"Fake gate owner IDs."

"Could forge as many as they want, right?"

"Exactly."

"And imagine if they created a Forgery skill inside a gate. How perfect would that be?"

"Whoa, how do you even think of that?"

Go Yeon-ju stared at me like my idea was wild. I continued.

"I've seen someone turn hypnosis into a skill."

"You're joking, right?"

"No reason to joke. We're not close enough to trade jokes like that..."

Thwack! I was about to say we weren't that close when Hoya smacked the back of my head. That meant I was messing up.

"It'd be nice if we got that close. Haha."

Go Yeon-ju's expression softened a bit at my words.

"Anyway, what happened was..."

I told her about the company incident. She looked incredulous—not that she didn't believe me, but how could such a thing happen?

"There's a group like that?"

"Yeah. I think there's one other person in our country with Observation besides me, connected to that group."

They know I have Observation. And they know about the items from our gate. They'd have checked them with Observation. That's probably why they posted that on the gate owners' community. Now they think they can meet me? Full of confidence. Of course, they have no idea who I am. Though I don't know them either.

I'm a grand lord with levels beyond imagination.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"But I get to join the Shihu Guardians too, right?"

"I'm Shihu Guardian Red."

"Huh? Suddenly?"

"Ah, you were spacing out, and then Yeon-ju suddenly said something weird."

"You just said something weird, Red."

Under Go Yeon-ju's counterattack, I had to defend.

"Straight-billed bulbul."

"Eek! Red!"

"Straight-billed bulbul!"

"Red!"

"Straight-billed bulbul!"

"Red!"

Nyaang. Woof woof! Hoya and Yeppe gave us pitiful looks and made sounds. That ended our embarrassment battle.

"And welcome, Pink member."

Go Yeon-ju's face stiffened at my words. Victory is mine. And an ominous thought struck me: I'd be living with Hoya forever like this.

Chin. Hoya's paw rested on my shoulder. Hoya was currently sitting on Yeppe's head. With me in the chair and Hoya atop Yeppe, it was perfect for draping a paw over my shoulder.

"What? Why?"

Hoya sighed, and Yeppe shot a contemptuous glare.

"Dad says he'd be happy with just our Hoya in the world."

Nyaang!

"Noisy. How dare you talk like that to Dad."

Woof woof. I was speechless at Yeppe's words. What Yeppe said to me sounded like, "Are you crazy?" And instinctively, I looked at Hoya. Then, I blacked out.

Looking at Hoya must have touched her reverse scale with that "crazy" remark.

"Hoya, even so, you can't hit Dad like that. Even if Dad's a bit off, you have to take care of him."

What the hell? As I came to after briefly passing out, I heard Go Yeon-ju earnestly advising Hoya.

"Hey, I'm awake now?"

"Oh, so you are."

"Yeah, right?"

"Oh, about what I was going to say earlier. The other person in our country with Observation. I know who it is."

"Their identity?"

"Yeah. Jeong San Group's third generation."

Jeong San Group is one of the top three conglomerates in Korea, a chaebol family. Their third-gen heir is a gate owner with Observation.

"No way, the chaebol youngest son we've only heard rumors about?"

"No, the eldest grandson."

"Ah, okay."

"Chaebol third-gen, and the eldest grandson. Gate owner with that rare Observation skill. Jeong San Group will probably go to him."

Barring issues, yeah, that makes sense. Owning a gate resource trove, and with Observation to instantly check resources. What's the value of that gate? Whatever comes out, he'll wield immense power. And if he uses that to subjugate other gates as vassal territories or conquer them?

Chaebols are terrifying in Korean society. Why? Politicians have term limits, but chaebols reign until they collapse. They also have insane information networks, using it to grow their wealth aggressively.

The scary part about them is this.

Hiss! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hoya reacted ominously. Not because the opponent was threatening, but because they irked her nerves?

Go Yeon-ju checked the intercom and saw a sharply dressed man with several escorts standing by.

"That's him."

"The chaebol youngest... no, eldest grandson?"

"Yes."

I checked if I could Observe through the intercom. No luck.

"What do we do?"

"Might as well go out and see."

"Those guys..."

"Don't worry. Even if all of them rushed us, our Hoya could handle them alone."

Pfft! Go Yeon-ju thought I was joking. But it's a fact.

"Let's go out together."

"Okay."

I didn't want to let them in. It's not my house, but this gate is firmly under my territory. We stepped outside.

A friendly-looking man around my age smiled and spoke.

"Nice to meet you, Go Yeon-ju. I'm a fan."

I quietly examined him.

Yeah.

Rough info appeared. Name Jeong Gi-hoon, two-way gate owner, grand lord. Six vassal territories. I could dig deeper, but no need. Oh, and his Observation level is 4.

"Wh-what."

Jeong Gi-hoon panicked. Makes sense. I'd blocked his Observation. Not that he can't use it anymore, but I'd blocked it on my territory and people. So he'd probably tried it on Go Yeon-ju and failed, hence the freakout. He must have targeted her, not me.

"Grand Lord, what brings you here?"

Whoa, calling me that outright—aren't you embarrassed?

"Ah, no. Go Yeon-ju, would you consider joining me?"

"Suddenly?"

Go Yeon-ju sounded baffled, and Jeong Gi-hoon smiled again.

"Someone like you could even be my partner."

"I already have a partner right here."

Jeong Gi-hoon's face hardened. Her "partner" was probably Yeppe next to me, but he mistook it for me. Only then did he look at me in surprise.

"Choi Si-woo?"

Yep, he knew who I was.