A Man's Battle Armor
The next morning.
Hyung-jun and I were having a late brunch in a quiet corner of the hotel's executive lounge.
"Man, I really wanted to hit the breakfast buffet..."
As I grumbled, spreading butter across a sliced croissant, Hyung-jun scoffed.
"If you're going to a buffet, you go for dinner. Who cares about a breakfast buffet? There's nothing special anyway."
"Ah, yes. How enlightening to hear the privileged musings of the silver-spoon class."
To an ordinary peasant like me, a five-star hotel breakfast buffet held a kind of mythical nostalgia. It was the sort of thing you always dreamed of trying, only for your hands to tremble the second you saw the bill. And now I was missing out on a free breakfast buffet?
In my book, that was an emergency on par with martial law.
"Why the sob story when you're about to make enough money to wipe your ass with it without leaving a scratch?"
"That's tomorrow's me, or the day after's me. Today's me is still an ordinary commoner, got it? If it bothers you that much, transfer some cash into my account."
It wasn't like we missed it because we overslept. The instant we stepped off the elevator onto the buffet floor, hearts fluttering with anticipation—
"Could you say a few words regarding yesterday's demonstration?!"
"Nylon Musk posted on his social media that 'Today, I saw the future of humanity'! Do you have any comment on this...?!"
We panicked and bolted for our lives.
We considered ordering room service, but figured the executive lounge—where access was strictly checked at the entrance—would be safe enough, so we had headed down. It felt more like an assortment of finger food than an actual meal, but hey, beggars couldn't be choosers.
"Still, it's not like it's completely relaxing here either."
"Why?"
"I can feel everyone staring."
Perhaps because we were the center of the news cycle lately, quite a few people recognized us. Even at the table over there, a group of suited business types engaged in a meeting were casting blatant glances our way.
Hyung-jun popped a canapé into his mouth, unfazed. "That's just the price of fame. It was your choice to become famous. If you can't avoid it, grit your teeth and endure it."
"Isn't the saying 'enjoy it'?"
"Can you enjoy it?"
"Uh... no?"
"Then you endure."
"Fair point."
I let out a deep sigh and took a bite of my croissant, having layered ham over the butter and slathered it with strawberry jam.
Mmm. Delicious. Maybe because it was a luxury hotel, the pastry tasted far more refined than anything from the local neighborhood bakery.
To think I'll be able to eat like this every day from now on.
At the thought of a future brimming with hope and dreams, a loose grin spread across my lips.
"I wish I could live like this every day."
"You will," Hyung-jun replied casually.
"No offers yet, right?"
"Nope. Probably won't see any today either."
"Really?"
Hyung-jun held his coffee cup in one hand and leaned back against his chair with the most leisurely expression in the world. Doesn't this guy feel even a shred of nervousness?
"The playing field changed after yesterday's demonstration," Hyung-jun explained. "It's no longer just a technology license—it's industrial equipment now. That means everyone has to recalculate its value from scratch. On top of that, they're all playing a game of chicken, watching to see who bids what first. Naturally, it's going to take some time."
"Makes sense. So how much do you think it'll go for?"
At my question, Hyung-jun tilted his head slightly.
"It's not really something we should be discussing out in the open, but... there is a benchmark."
"A benchmark? Like what?"
"There's this company called AMSL that sells photolithography equipment. It's an absolute necessity for manufacturing high-performance semiconductors. Care to guess how much one costs?"
"How much?"
"Their top-of-the-line model goes for roughly three hundred and fifty million dollars. Per machine."
"Holy crap."
Five hundred billion won for a single machine?
"The scale just shot straight into outer space. You're telling me our resident wizard's market value is worth that much?"
"And that's just the baseline. Why do you think I shot down every single initial offer? There's a method to your big brother's madness."
"Big brother my ass. You're an old geezer."
"Sure, whatever you say, brat."
Right in the middle of our peaceful banter, trading pointless jabs—
I suddenly felt an intense prickle at the back of my neck.
Uh-oh.
I have a bad feeling about this.
Across from me, Hyung-jun's face petrified into stone. In this kind of place, at this exact moment, there was only one possible reason for Hyung-jun to look that horrified.
I cautiously glanced over my shoulder.
Long, slender legs. A crisp, tailored office suit. A high ponytail. While those sounded like descriptions fitting a classic beauty, reality couldn't be further from it. To the two of us, the figure standing there with hands planted firmly on her hips, glaring daggers, was nothing less than a vengeful demon incarnate.
"OPPAAAAAAAA—!"
A screech that sounded like the physical embodiment of public nuisance reverberated through the entire lounge. Every single pair of eyes in the room snapped toward us in unison.
Hyung-jun's face curdled in real time.
"Hey, Kim Da-hye! What are you doing making a scene in front of all these people?!"
"You think I care about making a scene right now?! What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?!"
"It's not a mess, it's a business!"
"I don't care whether it's a mess or a business! Dad's completely lost his mind with rage and told me to drag you back by the ears right this instant!"
"Ah."
Even the unflappable Hyung-jun couldn't brush off the mention of his father. Clutching his face as if a migraine had just struck, Hyung-jun spoke in a voice that sounded like he was carrying the weight of the entire world's misery.
"Let's talk upstairs. Up in the room."
"Why is Dad mad again?" Hyung-jun demanded the second we sat down on the sofa in our room.
Even if she's his sister, this guy doesn't even think to offer a guest a drink. Guess it's up to me.
"What would you like to drink? Hot? Cold?"
"Anything cold, please. I'm practically boiling over right now."
I stood up and pulled three cans of Zero Cider from the mini-fridge.
Hmm. Not cold enough.
While I subtly manipulated the mana inside the cans to chill the cider to frosty perfection, the sibling squabble commenced beside me.
"Ever since yesterday, the office phones haven't stopped ringing off the hook! We can't get any actual work done! At first, I had no idea what was going on, but then everyone said it was because of you. That's why I came looking for you!"
"Is that so? How did you even know I was here?"
"Pretty much the entire country knows! Did you honestly think you could cause this massive commotion and keep it a secret?"
"Just how mad is Dad?"
"Nuclear. He said the ungrateful son who crawled out of the company because he didn't want to work there is now bringing nothing but chaos down on their heads, and that I had to drag you back immediately."
"Haaah..."
Hyung-jun let out a groan heavy enough to cave the floor in. Honestly, I hadn't seen that coming. The stray shrapnel from our demo ricocheted all the way to Hyung-jun's father's company?
Handing out the chilled cans of cider, I took a seat. "Alright, alright. Let's cool off a bit before talking."
"Thank you, Ji-hyuk oppa."
Da-hye snatched the can and chugged it down.
Kim Da-hye, twenty-four years old. She was Hyung-jun's younger sister, with quite an age gap between them. Since Hyung-jun and I had known each other for about ten years, I had known Da-hye for just as long.
Ever since she was a little girl, she had been an absolute tomboy and troublemaker, and clearly, that personality hadn't gone anywhere. Today, right from her entrance, she was already turning the room upside down. Currently, she seemed to be working in the executive secretariat at their father's company.
Stepping in for Hyung-jun, who was rendered speechless, I spoke up.
"Da-hye. If you drag this guy away right now, I'm going to be in serious trouble."
"Why?"
"We've got something to sell for a very high price, and I need him here to make sure we get every penny it's worth."
"Really? How expensive is it?"
I glanced sideways at Hyung-jun. Can I tell her?
Noticing my look, Hyung-jun merely shrugged. Right, do whatever you want.
"Roughly... tens of trillions of won?"
"That much?!"
Da-hye's eyes went wide as saucers.
"I saw on the news that lots of famous people showed up, but is that new technology you guys made really worth that much?"
"Pretty much. So could you hold off on dragging him away? There are trillions of won hanging in the balance here."
"Phew."
Da-hye let out a deep sigh. Then, glaring daggers at Hyung-jun, she huffed.
"You'd better know I'm only letting you off the hook because of Ji-hyuk oppa."
"As if you'd take responsibility if we took a loss. Let me off the hook? Bullshit. I wasn't going with you anyway, no matter what you said."
True to their sibling bond, Hyung-jun refused to yield an inch.
"Go back to the office and do your job. Tell them I'll properly repay whatever trouble I caused today later on."
"I'm not going back."
"What?"
Hyung-jun stared at her as if he had just bitten into an unripe persimmon.
"Even if I go back, the office is half-paralyzed, so I can't get any work done anyway. Since I had to step out because of you in the first place, I might as well stay here and flex on your dime."
"Hey, Kim Da-hye, haah..."
Hyung-jun clutched his head in despair. All his previous composure and leisure had vanished without a trace. Da-hye, on the other hand, was utterly unfazed. Flipping open the room service menu, she muttered, "Wonder what I should order~," blending seamlessly into the suite as if she owned the place.
Then, snapping the menu shut, she turned to Hyung-jun.
"By the way, if you had something that amazing, why didn't you just do it at Dad's company instead of breaking out on your own like this? Wouldn't it have been way easier with Dad's backing?"
This time, Hyung-jun shot me a glance. A silent conversation passed between our eyes.
Hey, can I tell her?
Up to you.
When I shrugged, Hyung-jun gave a nod.
"He's the real deal. I'm just the salaried CEO."
"Really?!"
Da-hye looked at me in shock. Having known each other for a decade, Da-hye and I understood each other's circumstances well. She knew full well that I was never in a position, let alone had the financial leeway, to develop groundbreaking new technology, which explained her sheer disbelief.
"When on earth did you make all that? If a single deal is worth tens of trillions, doesn't that make Ji-hyuk oppa the richest man in the country?"
"It's only a matter of time. So you'd better get on his good side," Hyung-jun teased.
"Whatever. It's not like you're the one getting rich."
If she knew Hyung-jun holds a ten percent stake in our company, she'd faint on the spot. Seeing the smirk on Hyung-jun's face, he was clearly thinking the exact same thing. Well, that wasn't something to bring up in front of an outsider, so we let it slide.
Just then, Da-hye suddenly scanned the two of us from head to toe. The look she directed at me in particular was... distinctly disapproving, her face contorting into an undisguised scowl.
"Hey, Ji-hyuk oppa."
"Huh? What?"
"Don't tell me... you're planning on heading into negotiations looking like that?"
"...Huh? Me? What's wrong with how I look?"
I looked down at my clothes. A suit that had been buried in the back of my closet for ages. It wasn't violating any dress codes, but... yeah, truthfully speaking, it looked pretty shabby. When was the last time I bought new clothes, anyway? I could barely even remember.
"It's a little old, but... I'm properly dressed up, aren't I?"
"Aaargh... I can't deal with this."
Da-hye clutched her head as if a fresh headache had blossomed. Then, suddenly shifting targets, she unleashed a rapid-fire tirade on Hyung-jun.
"Fine, Ji-hyuk oppa has always been like this, so maybe he didn't think twice about it, but what were you doing?! If someone's about to step into a crucial meeting, you should be the one looking after him! If he shows up at a multi-trillion-won negotiating table looking like a total slob, how do you think the other side will view him?!"
Terrifying. Even that shameless Hyung-jun couldn't utter a peep. He was notoriously weak against cold, hard facts, which made it impossible for him to argue back. Should I step in and help him out a little?
"No, really, I'm fine—"
"Quiet, you!"
"Yes, ma'am."
I promptly shut my mouth. Wait, 'always been like this'? Is that really how you've seen me all these years, Da-hye?
Da-hye turned her sharp gaze back toward me, raking her eyes over me from head to toe once more.
"There isn't a single thing that doesn't need fixing... Ideally, I'd want to take you to a styling salon and overhaul you from head to toe, but there are reporters swarming outside, so you can't leave, right? Ji-hyuk oppa, give me your suit measurements and shoe size."
"Uh, why?"
"So I can go out and buy them for you."
When I awkwardly scratched my cheek, Da-hye laid down the law.
"Haven't you ever heard that a suit is a man's battle armor? Who goes into battle wearing armor like that?! Hurry up and spit it out so I can pick out a few sets that actually suit you."
Completely overpowered by Da-hye's sheer momentum, I recited my sizes. At once, Da-hye held out an open palm toward Hyung-jun.
"What? What is it?"
"Corporate card."
"Here."
Hyung-jun pulled out the card without a word of complaint and slapped it into her hand.
"I'll be right back, so don't you dare move an inch from this room, got it? If they don't look good once you try them on, I'll have to go exchange them immediately."
Leaving those parting words, Da-hye snatched up her purse and swept out of the suite like a gust of wind.
Click.
The moment the door shut, Hyung-jun slumped into the sofa.
"I feel like I just aged ten years."
"Agreed."
I slumped down as well. It felt as if a hurricane had just torn through the room.
"'A suit is a man's battle armor,' huh..."
"She's not wrong. We are heading into a battlefield across that table, after all."
"In that sense, I guess we should be thankful. I'll have to get her something nice later."
"Don't you dare. Just buy her a meal and leave it at that. If you buy her a gift, she'll start comparing it with what I got her, whining about 'Ji-hyuk oppa did this, why didn't you do that,' and my life won't know peace for three generations."
"What a tragedy... By the way, when is she going home?"
"When the time comes, I suppose."
"And when would that be?"
"Who knows? Maybe whenever I go home?"
Hyung-jun and I let out a heavy sigh in perfect unison.