Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Leisure in the City
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I sat there in a daze, resting while watching crowds of people crossing the crosswalk.
As a famous tourist spot, there were plenty of foreigners around.
Even so, my eyes kept drifting toward the Koreans, who made up a notably high proportion among them.
"...Is it because I'm Korean myself?"
I could tell them apart.
There was something subtly different about Koreans, starting with their outfits.
It was like the fashion I knew so well.
As I gazed out the window, taking it easy, someone knocked on my door.
When I opened it, Hanna was standing there with a bright smile.
"I'm here."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, the floor they were on was women-only.
My room, on the other hand, was open to anyone.
Hanna must have hurried up here out of curiosity about what I was doing.
"Where's Jian?"
"Oh, she's fixing her clothes and makeup..."
"...I see."
I nodded vaguely and asked Hanna about the next part of the itinerary.
"Looks like we'll stick around near the hotel today."
She stretched a little as she spoke. Even someone as well-traveled as Hanna was feeling the fatigue of the first day.
Near the hotel, huh.
It was a bit past lunchtime, and I'd been worried if that alone would fill the day.
But from what Hanna said, it sounded like it would.
She confidently assured me there was everything from shopping to entertainment nearby.
No wonder it's such a tourist spot.
"So, what do you think?"
"Hm? About what?"
Her sudden question came with a sly little smile.
"Jian. You like her?"
"Ah..."
If I had to pick like or dislike, she definitely fell into the like category.
She appealed to me so much that I was even thinking of pursuing her outside of any quest.
I gave a light nod, and Hanna smiled too.
"Glad to hear it. I'll be in touch."
With that, she headed out.
Winning over Jian wouldn't actually be that hard.
As long as Hanna lent a hand, things would go smoothly.
So for now, I'd focus on enjoying the trip.
I changed into more comfortable clothes for walking around and checked the yen in my wallet.
I'd exchanged more than enough to cover whatever.
[Come down to the first floor.]
After getting the message, I took my time heading down. There they were, still drawing eyes from every direction.
Honestly, as first-time travel companions, they were a bit overwhelming.
Feeling those envious stares was nice enough...
But enjoying things at a leisurely pace seemed impossible with them around.
"Oppa, you're here?"
Now that we weren't alone, Hanna slipped back into her casual tone.
She was a natural actress.
No wonder she could hide her darker intentions and bring Jian to me like this.
First things first: food.
We headed to a restaurant she'd researched beforehand.
But—
"So many people..."
"Let's try somewhere else."
True to its reputation, there was a long line snaking out the door.
I'd usually wait it out, but after watching for about five minutes with no progress, it looked hopeless.
Hanna, prepared for this, suggested other spots she'd scouted and we moved on quickly.
The next place had a line.
And the one after that too.
"..."
"..."
As our list of options dwindled, the two of them gradually fell silent.
Though it wasn't just that.
"Hmm... getting a little hot, isn't it?"
Not just Hanna and Jian—even the passersby were dressed lightly.
Come to think of it, I'd heard the weather was starting to warm up.
Ever since picking up martial arts, I'd grown pretty resistant to heat and cold, so I barely noticed.
But they were different.
With all the walking, the first-day exhaustion, and the uncooperative weather, they looked wiped out.
In the end, we ducked into the nearest ramen joint we spotted.
A few customers inside, but no line—good enough.
As we entered, a server asked how many. I naturally replied, "Three."
After proving I could speak Japanese, all the talking and ordering fell to me.
The ramen that arrived after we ordered...
Was salty.
Like, suspiciously so—maybe intentional to push drinks and booze.
If that was the play, it worked on us.
We ended up ordering three drinks without thinking.
One sip, and we all had the same verdict.
The drinks were amazing.
Against the ramen's saltiness and our heat-dried mouths, they hit like a revelation.
"What next?"
"Jian and I are going shopping."
She drew a line, implying our plans diverged.
Truth be told, I wasn't keen on tagging along for their shopping today either.
I doubted I'd enjoy it properly, and since I'd come all the way to Japan, I wanted to roam free.
"Sounds good. Catch you later."
"Ah..."
Hanna shot me a reluctant look, but the trip wasn't just one day.
After the meal, we split up to do our own thing.
Once apart from them, the trip felt refreshingly pleasant.
It hadn't been unpleasant with them, exactly—the stares were the real drag.
Without that pressure, my mind eased right up.
Only then did the surroundings sink in.
Japanese signs, people passing by.
Every now and then, signs that screamed the difference from Korea caught my eye.
Anime shops, cosplay spots,
And ones reeking of outright adult vibes.
"A place like this?"
It was sandwiched casually between eateries, which surprised me.
The name: Mirror Room.
No clue what it was, but the suggestive woman on the sign, the lewdly curved hearts—no mistaking it for anything respectable.
I wandered in like I was hypnotized.
And I knew exactly what kind of place it was right away.
They ushered me into a narrow room.
Tight, but big enough to stretch my legs. Straight ahead: a sheet of glass.
Beyond it, a large open space with a handful of women inside.
Dressed in all sorts of concept outfits.
They couldn't see me, apparently—chatting among themselves.
"Just make your nomination and order from here."
The woman who'd guided me handed over what looked like a menu and pointed to an intercom.
It listed names of women you could nominate and the services available.
"...Whoa."
Way more explicit than I'd expected.
A bit much, even for the middle of a busy street.
Even as I thought that, I slowly scanned the women beyond the glass.
One in particular caught my eye—seeming a bit shy, standoffish.
At least on the surface.
I picked up the intercom and made my choice.
[Number 14. Got it.]
The nominated woman glanced over in surprise.
She couldn't see inside, so our eyes didn't meet, but I could tell she was pleased.
She approached the glass and whispered to my unseen side.
"Thanks for picking me. Anything you want, just ask..."
Looks like I can make the most of my time here.
"Hoo..."
"Let's rest over there."
Jian spoke up to her.
Her face was a perfect picture of exhaustion.
She shook her head as she looked at Jian.
Couldn't she have seen this coming?
The biggest reason their trip had gone so smoothly so far was none other than Seonghan.
Not just his fluent Japanese, but his presence played a role too.
Put nicely, he was a bodyguard. Less nicely, his rugged looks kept guys at bay—they could only gawk from afar.
But now that Seonghan was gone, men were swarming them out of nowhere.
Asking for numbers, snapping unauthorized photos, even aggressive touts latching on relentlessly.
Even in the department store for shopping, pushy staff had worn them down until they bailed early.
And now, stamina critically low, they were at a café.
"Haa..."
Another sigh escaped her.
Truth be told, she wanted Jian to fall for him sooner rather than later.
That way, they could satisfy Seonghan together.
She knew Jian disliked men.
But that wouldn't matter in front of Seonghan.
Even she, who'd been numb to pleasure, had melted in his arms.
Jian would be no different.
Eventually—
"What're you thinking about?"
"Oh... just wondering what oppa's up to."
She really was curious.
What could he be doing right now?
Maybe already off enjoying some other woman.
Seonghan had seen her and Jian—no ordinary girl would satisfy him now, but she couldn't let her guard down.
"Haa... having that boyfriend around made things easier, huh..."
When she brought up Seonghan, Jian finally admitted it, however grudgingly.
Her pride stung as she hung her head, but acknowledging him like that was commendable.
"Then let's stick together tomorrow."
"...Sure."
Jian nodded reluctantly.