Chapter 67
"Kang Moon-soo. You're being deceived by Park Han-hee. If you ignore my warning, you'll regret it."
Oh! How noble.
Worrying about some stranger's love life when he wasn't even family or a friend? Of course, the cowardly method of hiding his identity was enough to breed misunderstanding and distrust.
"What?! Deceived? Who the hell would do something like this...!"
Park Han-hee exploded in fury after reading the short letter.
"Han-hee."
"Please listen! I've never lied to you once!"
"Calm down."
"This has to be the work of some jealous creep who's after me! How well does he even know me to say I'll regret it? So petty and cowardly...!"
"Shh. People will hear."
"......"
The Player Village apartments weren't just for us. Realizing her voice was too loud, Park Han-hee clamped her lips shut.
I scanned the area around the front door where the letter had been wedged.
Is he spying on us?
If he'd slipped the letter in right after Park Han-hee arrived at my place and bolted, he couldn't have gone far. Time to look for him.
"Let's check the security office first. The surveillance cameras might have caught who it was."
"Hey, Moon-soo. You don't actually believe this letter, right?"
"Nah. If I did, I would've hidden it from you."
"Oh! Right! You would've!"
Her expression softened a bit at my reassurance, and she took the lead.
...This is ridiculous.
Approaching me out of pity rather than jealousy? What a bizarre situation.
His kids' published biography of Nam Hae-su described them as a happily married couple...
"Regret dating me? Just wait till I catch him! I'll make him regret it!"
"Yeah. Let's give him hell."
No sign of that happy future here.
* * *
"This is so stupid! If he wants to date me, write me a letter! Acting like a petty little man...!"
"Tell me about it."
"I'll never forgive him!"
Park Han-hee, who'd assumed the culprit was a woman, vented her irritation upon seeing the man on the surveillance footage.
His face was hidden by a cap and mask. With masks mandatory for everyone, he could move around without drawing suspicion.
Gonna be hard to catch...
Reporting to the police might work, but the evidence was too flimsy for a defamation charge.
"I'll catch him no matter what!"
"Eat something tasty and cool off. My treat."
The next day, she was still ranting about her "future husband." Regretting showing her the letter, I suggested going out to eat.
"Huh?! For real?!"
"Of course. Why?"
"But Moon-soo... Ah, never mind! Let's go out!"
"......"
Was she this thrilled just because I was buying? The free Player Village meals were a waste, but today we'd splurge.
It's not like I'm taking it back to reality.
Who'd overheard me mentioning emigration to the turtle and snitched to the higher-ups? The government immediately offered a contract and signing bonus.
They wanted me to compete in the Olympics as a national team rep for Korea. The media hype started right after I signed on.
"Let's run there."
"Okay!"
We skipped the bus and jogged downtown on our healthy legs. Even at a leisurely pace like a stroll, sweat beaded on Park Han-hee's forehead.
"We're here—let's walk the rest."
No point risking collisions in the crowded streets.
She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and asked,
"Not tired?"
"Not at all."
The mask was a bit annoying for breathing, though.
"You should be used to it by now, but your stamina is still cheat-level no matter how many times I see it. Seriously impressive."
"Nothing impressive. Just born with it."
Aptitude wasn't something to brag about.
"Were your parents athletic and fast like you?"
"Nah. Pretty average."
Thinking back, I was average too.
That's weird.
My body changed drastically after learning my aptitude? Scientifically impossible.
Song Seon-yeong, whose mom was a swimmer, had been great at swimming since childhood. P's Aptitude Test didn't miss the genes she inherited.
Same for everyone else. So P's Aptitude Test didn't dictate fate—it just pointed the way.
Anyway,
"Han-hee. What do you wanna eat?"
"How much can we spend?"
"...Price doesn't matter. As long as it's delicious."
Blame my time as a noble in the romance fantasy novel The Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family. My tongue got spoiled on gourmet food—couldn't go back to cheap convenience store instant or frozen meals! The aftereffects were brutal.
"Seafood?"
"I like it, but unless it's super fresh live fish straight from the ocean, the texture's off, so I skip it."
Sailing was boring and grueling, but I still craved the crew's fresh fish dishes. Even though I puked them up from seasickness before they digested!
"You're a real foodie, huh? Never knew. You always seemed to eat anything..."
"Free food? I don't discriminate."
"R-right!"
After pondering silently for a few seconds, Park Han-hee grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
"Decided?"
"Yeah. A spot couples go to a lot. Not my first choice since I went with a senior once."
"Not thrilled, but still...?"
"Cheap and tasty."
"Then let's go!"
"Molrang!"
No reason to refuse.
Screech—
The restaurant's dimly lit interior, styled like a medieval tavern and lit by small bulbs.
We filled out the contact tracing log per pandemic rules...
Oh! Tons of couples.
Plenty of two-tops with young guys and girls.
"How many in your party, sir?"
"Two."
"This table okay?"
"Sure."
After sitting where the server led us, I eyed the men entering the restaurant.
Nam Hae-su in disguise might slip in to spy on us.
"Moon-soo. Couple Set A, how's that sound?"
"Set A... Oh! Free soda and fries! Nice."
Not sure if I'd come back, but she'd introduced me to a solid spot.
Clink, clink.
The two main dishes to share in the table's center were ordinary. But the free soda came with blue and red straws labeled "share with your love," and the herbed fries with ketchup dish was heart-shaped?
That's why it's the couple set~
I chuckled, took off my mask, and dug in.
"Thanks for the food!"
"Eat up."
When I went to the fancy restaurant "Parnaru" with Song Seon-yeong, other patrons kept glancing our way. Her future-model looks turned heads everywhere.
Same here.
"No way..."
"That couple..."
Not just the customers—even the staff showed keen interest. Their whispers were too soft to catch, but probably appraising Park Han-hee's looks?
She sensed it too.
"Moon-soo. Feels like people are staring at us."
"Not us. Just you."
I corrected her misconception.
"W-well... I know I'm pretty, but not this level of attention."
"You've gotten even prettier lately."
"...You say lines that make a girl's heart flutter so casually. It'll backfire, you know?"
"Didn't realize."
"It's important. Burn it into your brain."
"Yes, ma'am!"
I replied briskly to her advice, not brushing it off.
"Where'd you learn to be such a smooth talker?"
"No idea~"
"Molrang molrang~"
Wisdom from dating Song Seon-yeong.
Clink.
Then the server set fresh fruit juice on our table.
"We didn't order fresh juice."
"On the house."
"Ah!"
Free is always right.
"Are you Kang Moon-soo the athlete? You look just like the news photos..."
"That's me."
There was no such thing as a free lunch!
"Whoa! If it's not too much trouble, could we take one photo for our restaurant promo?"
"Sure, but..."
Would a medal-less Olympian help their promo? As if mocking my doubt, chaos erupted around us.
"What?! Superboy's here?!"
"It's Kang Moon-soo for real!"
"Should we ask for a pic?"
"Whoa! It is him! The real deal!"
Customers and staff who'd overheard swarmed us.
Click!
Some snapped quick shots with their phone cameras.
This is...
I was used to public attention as "Count Amolrang." Having navigated the noble society of The Youngest Daughter of the Count's Family, I handled it smoothly.
"Everyone! Please follow pandemic rules! I'll scold you!"
"Molrang!"
"Can't take off masks, but how about a group photo with the restaurant as backdrop?"
"Oh! Great idea!"
"I'm in!"
"Me too!"
Under my lead, the group shot wrapped up fast.
Me in the center, Park Han-hee at my right like a girlfriend, the beaming owner at my left...
"Say cheese! One, two, three!"
Click!
I ended it quickly, citing pandemic rules.
"Thanks!"
"No, thank you. That was fun. Free juice... Ahem! Good luck!"
"Come again!"
Slipping our masks back on post-meal made us unrecognizable again.
Still, this popularity? Honestly surprising.
"That was cool."
Hidden by the dim lights and her mask earlier, I now saw Park Han-hee's face flushed pink.
"What was?"
"You."
"It's the media hype."
Not me being great.
"Nah. When we got surrounded, I froze up, brain blank. But you didn't flinch—smiled easy, talked smooth... Like a celeb."
"What..."
Hey, I'd been a count in a great empire.
"It was seriously cool."
"No big deal. You saw it firsthand today. Next time it happens, you'll handle it like me."
No sign of the suspicious Nam Hae-su type.
"Doubt it..."
"Ready to run?"
"Right now, I wanna walk slow and chat with you."
She slyly laced her fingers with mine and squeezed.
Felt like our relationship leveled up a step.
"...Okay."
I pretended not to notice her linked right hand and let her do as she pleased.
Swing, swing~ Our clasped hands swung back and forth like a pendulum.
"Hey... Moon-soo. Can I ask one thing?"
"Shoot."
"Why'd you break up with your girlfriend? I heard a bit before, but not the details..."
"Ouch, sore spot."
"S-sorry! Bad question! You don't have to answer!"
"She dumped me."
"What?! You? No way!"
I gave a wry smile to my fake girlfriend, who looked incredulous.
"We naturally started dating alone on that deserted island. But the second we escaped, boom—dumped."
"Right away?"
"Yup."
"That's awful! And you still like her?"
"Her circle filled with hot guys once we got back. Natural outcome."
I didn't resent Song Seon-yeong for waking from the dream.
"You're the same."
"Huh?"
"After escaping that island, hot girls probably swarmed you too."
"Sharp observation... But I just broke up with that hot girl recently."
"Again?!"
"Border walls got in the way."
The wall between novel and reality couldn't be overcome by love.
"Ah... So you still keep in touch?"
"Nah. Lost her contact."
Kim Eun-jeong waking up made Valentine vanish too.
"I-I see."
"Just healing the breakup wounds now."
"I could heal you..."
"Only free stuff."
No intention of seriously dating as payment for healing.
"Installments okay."
"Politely decline."
"Tch!"
Feeling bad for only sharing my tragic love history? Park Han-hee spoke up.
"I was super popular in high school."
"Coach told me."
"Nah, she only knows a little. Didn't tell her school stuff—knew she'd be jealous."
"Ah."
Sweet little sister.
"Guys approached me everywhere... Oh! One was hilariously weird."
"......"
Not interested in her history, I just listened quietly.
"Met at cram school. Said I'd be unhappy a year later if I didn't date him."
"...Huh?"
"A year later, some creepy senior did fixate on me and cause trouble, but anyone could've said that, right?"
"Sure."
No life without bumps.
Was I overthinking?
"But why do you think it stuck with me? He told me to quit sports and become a singer. Without knowing a thing about me!"
"What a weirdo."
"Right?"
"No way he could've known."
"Known what?"
"Talent."
Nam Hae-su's wife Park Han-hee became a model, but her aptitude was "opera singer."