Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Penelope
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A short distance off Gangnam-daero stood a finely constructed seven-story building. Restaurant Penelope occupied the entire seventh floor.
The building itself wasn't overly spacious, but its interior was beautifully appointed. The underground parking lot was relatively large, with plenty of empty spots still available.
Shin Eun-ha stepped out of the car and said,
"This place is pretty famous. Have you heard of it?"
"Nope."
They headed first to the cafe on the second floor.
"This cafe draws a lot of young people too, but it looks like Gang-in oppa's never been on a date around here."
He had no recollection of ever going on a date at all. Still, he saw no need to mention it.
The fact that his resident registration was in the Korean government's database meant there might be everyday records of him just like anyone else.
'I still don't know why I'm here in this era, in this place, instead of with the 2082 Earth Union forces.'
Na Gang-in deliberately changed the subject.
"You planning to buy dinner here on the second floor?"
"Nah. We're here to sip coffee and chat until we get hungry. The restaurant we're aiming for is on the seventh floor. It's not easy to get a reservation there normally."
"When did you book it?"
"Last night."
"You said reservations are tough?"
Shin Eun-ha flicked her hair back with her left hand.
"Gang-in oppa. I'm an actress. A hot beauty actress these days."
"And?"
"Tch. No reaction. I did a variety show with the owner chef here before. Got his direct line then. Called him last night and asked if today worked—he said he could squeeze in a table for two."
She boasted,
"They only made room because it was me."
Na Gang-in nodded.
"So, cutting the line?"
"No. He specially added the reservation because I asked nicely."
"Sounds fishy."
"Everyone does it this way..."
Na Gang-in asked,
"But who were you planning to bring when you made that reservation yesterday?"
Shin Eun-ha beamed and pointed at Na Gang-in with her finger.
"Gang-in oppa?"
"You had this all planned out, huh?"
Shin Eun-ha grabbed her smartphone to change the subject.
"Oh! I should ask about a window seat while I'm at it!"
She made the call. The staff member picked up right away.
"Penelope speaking."
"This is Shin Eun-ha. Just confirming my dinner reservation for tonight."
While the staff checked the reservation info, she said to Na Gang-in,
"They only take one team per table for dinner. No set time or anythi—What? My reservation's gone? No, what do you mean?"
Na Gang-in stared straight at Shin Eun-ha.
She pressed harder, excited.
"I definitely booked it yesterday!"
"Yes, it shows up, but we had some circumstances..."
After a bit more back-and-forth, Shin Eun-ha hung up in a huff.
Na Gang-in asked,
"What happened?"
"Get this—someone more important showed up and bumped my reservation? If that's the case, why'd he brag about making a table for me!"
"Guess you were the easiest to bump from today's bookings."
"Whose side are you on right now!"
"Hmm... Yours, until the bill comes."
"And that chef should've at least texted if he was canceling my spot!"
Na Gang-in suggested,
"Fair point. Whatever. Let's go grab some gukbap. I'll edge the salt on it just right."
Shin Eun-ha threw her hair back with both hands and stood from her seat.
"No way. Gang-in oppa, you wait here with your coffee. I'll head up to the seventh floor and give them a piece of my mind. Gotta see what big-shot VIP's important enough to shove aside a rising star like me these days."
Shin Eun-ha stormed out of the cafe, battle aura cranked to max.
Na Gang-in sank deep into his chair and leisurely sipped his coffee.
"This coffee's good."
The moment Shin Eun-ha reached the seventh floor, she barged into Restaurant Penelope and lodged her complaint with head chef Oh Gyu-cheol.
"Chef Oh. How could you do this to me? You said there was space yesterday."
Oh Gyu-cheol apologized.
"Eun-ha. Sorry. A major reservation came up suddenly—couldn't be helped."
"But why cut mine first? I told you it was important too. How VIP are the others that their bookings stuck?"
"It's not that. You just made the latest reservation among the guests..."
"Huh?"
"And that spot? It was a temporary table we added just because you asked. So technically, not an official booking..."
"R-really? Then you should've at least told me it got canceled. I came all the way here."
"Assumed we'd notified you. Must've been a staff slip-up. Come back tomorrow—I'll treat you right proper."
"Tomorrow?"
She'd dragged Na Gang-in here today using the excuse of thanking him for installing the light switch.
"If I ask him to come tomorrow, he'll probably bail..."
THO Entertainment President Lee Tae-ho was also in the restaurant. Seated at his table, he was on the phone with his brother, Lee Tae-seong.
"Bro, you really doing this? You insisted I book here tonight, I barely snagged it last night, and now you can't make it?"
Iron Man Ki-gong headquarters chief Lee Tae-seong replied,
"Almost there, but emergency at the company—heading back. Totally unavoidable."
"So I eat alone?"
"Call your wife."
"She's on schedule."
"Sorry anyway. Talk later—busy now."
After hanging up, Lee Tae-ho grumbled,
"Solo dining's not my thing... Huh?"
Lee Tae-ho spotted Shin Eun-ha bickering with head chef Oh Gyu-cheol.
He jumped up from his seat and headed over.
"Eun-ha?"
"Oh. President Lee?"
"Eun-ha, you here by yourself?"
"No. Was gonna treat Gang-in oppa for once, but they cut my reservation."
"Perfect timing."
Shin Eun-ha unconsciously scowled.
"Pardon?"
"Ah. Was just thinking I'd be eating solo, but we can share the table."
"No, that's..."
"Three's better than two, right? Haha."
Shin Eun-ha thought two was better than three. But she had no other options.
She asked Oh Gyu-cheol,
"Chef Oh. That okay?"
Oh Gyu-cheol grinned wide.
"Of course. It's Eun-ha's spot anyway."
"Huh?"
"Ah, nothing."
Na Gang-in quickly drained his iced Americano. Only ice remained in the cup.
Shin Eun-ha's coffee was mostly untouched. Na Gang-in picked up her cup and took a sip.
"Waste to leave it."
"This coffee's seriously good. Do a chemical analysis—figure out what makes it different from PC bang stuff."
"My tongue's too dull to tell the difference, so just shut it and let me drink?"
"That 'exactly' part sounded emotional."
Na Gang-in sipped Shin Eun-ha's coffee while firing off a message on his smartphone.
AI Jeon Ji-in asked,
"Nah. Just being polite."
"Think you got a bug. My adjutant's acting up today?"
Shin Eun-ha checked the message and snickered.
"Gukbap? Yeah right. Looks like she secured a seat, so I should tell him to come up..."
Suddenly, the restaurant door flew open with a bang. The staff member by the entrance stumbled backward.
Following the staffer, a swarm of masked thugs poured into the restaurant.
Shin Eun-ha didn't grasp the situation at first. Neither did the other guests.
The leader of the masked thugs swept his gaze over the crowd, then drew a pistol fitted with a silencer. He thrust it forward and squeezed the trigger repeatedly.
Bullets thudded into the decorative pieces on the wall.
A few guests realized what was happening and let out short screams.
"Kyaa!"
"Gasp!"
The armed masked leader raised the pistol barrel to his lips in a shushing gesture and said,
"Shh. Anyone yells from now on gets shot. Shut your mouths, stand quietly where you are, and move to the corner over there."
Terrified by the gun, the people shuffled to the corner as ordered.
Na Gang-in had sent Shin Eun-ha a message, but no reply came.
He grumbled,
"Knew it—probably failed to snag a seat. Might actually head out for gukbap at this rate."
"Yeah, me too. Missing out on that super delicious food."
Anomalous situation detected.
Be cautious.
Na Gang-in's eyes sharpened instantly as he scanned his surroundings and asked,
"Report."
Smartphones could flicker out of range briefly for all sorts of reasons.
"Any other anomalies?"
Lee Tae-ho whispered to Shin Eun-ha,
"Phones aren't connecting. Looks like those guys have a signal jammer."
Her eyes went wide.
"That stuff exists? Like spy agency gear?"
"Nah. Throw money at it, you can get one in Korea no problem. Illegal for civilians without a permit, obviously."
Na Gang-in asked,
"Any other anomalies?"
Na Gang-in glanced at the cafe floor. Concrete slab—no direct view of 1F, naturally.
Instead, his AR lens projected a semi-transparent holographic recreation of the first floor. The fire shutter was rolling down in the feed.
"Amplify the shutter noise."
Jeon Ji-in isolated and boosted the specific sound from what Na Gang-in had heard. Definitely the shutter mechanism grinding down.
"Let's hear what the 1F folks are saying too."
Jeon Ji-in parsed the sounds reaching Na Gang-in's ears, extracted voices, and amplified them. Forced amp on faint audio meant less than crystal clarity.
The formerly noisy audio sharpened into clarity.
Na Gang-in said,
"Gotta head down to 1F and check."
Armed personnel detected on 2F!
Three human outlines materialized outside the second-floor cafe.
"Enemy armament status? Three with knives—I could take 'em easy."
"Guns? In modern-day Korea?"
Retreat immediately. Enemy breach in 10 seconds!
"Retreat where? Only exit's the entrance."
Shin Eun-ha whispered softly,
"But... I came here with Gang-in. He's on the second floor right now."
Lee Tae-ho swallowed hard.
"He's in this building right now?"
"Yeah. If he finds out those guys nabbed me, Gang-in won't sit still. He fights really well."
Lee Tae-ho's face turned grave.
"Even the strongest guy's equal before a gun. If Na Gang-in comes charging in to save you, he'll die."
Shin Eun-ha went pale.
"He... he won't come, right? Won't come to save me? He shouldn't come?"
"Obviously. I'd bolt from this building in a heartbeat."
Na Gang-in said,
"Civilian rescue is basic Earth Union protocol."
"No such thing as retreat."