Restarting from the Happy Ending
Lee Seo-yeon stared at the three of us in disbelief.
"Why are you guys suddenly acting like this... You're a grand mage, a hero, and an assassin."
Is she seriously asking that when she knows full well? Our levels are just on different planes. You could take all my abilities and I'd still trade to be the president's son. I always thought chaebol heirs were just drama tropes, but here she is—the daughter of a rising mega food conglomerate CEO. No wonder she's reacting this way. From her earlier response, the two standing next to me probably fall into what most people would call an "ordinary" family bracket.
Speaking on behalf of us three average Joes, I said,
"You're that famous chaebol second-gen. The kind that shows up in dramas and movies."
"Haa... First off, that's wrong from the start—no one calls us chaebol. The term itself..."
Lee Seo-yeon let out a small sigh and started explaining, but the three of us had already latched onto something else.
"I didn't mishear that, right?"
"Whoa... Our party. That's so cool."
"The way it just slips out so naturally... Us common folk could never pull that off."
Of course, we were genuinely shocked to learn Lee Seo-yeon's identity, but we weren't about to pass up a chance to tease her—the one who never takes hits and always dishes them out. We'd teamed up for this. But the saintess has always been at the top of our party's food chain. One word from her, and we all caved.
"Guys, don't you want delicious shabu-shabu?"
"No, sorry!"
"Please make it super tasty..."
"How good could shabu-shabu from someone with the golden touch be? Or does she use tongs instead of her hands?"
Unable to hold back at the president's last remark, Lee Seo-yeon shot him a glare and continued.
"From the start, chaebol only applies if high positions are handed down by blood ties—but our company doesn't do that at all. My parents have no intention of passing anything to me, so they told me to prove myself through results or give up."
"That's impressive."
Suddenly, a scene from some game where a king passes down the throne flashed in my mind. Their promo and branding had a surprisingly youthful vibe for such a massive company—must be the CEO's influence.
"And I don't really crave a position anyway. My parents said to do whatever I want, so in high school I prepped for voice acting, but I also love cooking, and my grades were too good to waste, so I came here."
"...Your grades were too good to waste on Korea University?"
"Everyone here is from Korea University—what's the big deal? Our high school isn't one of those no-study places."
"Where'd you go? Does Korea even have high schools for voice acting?"
"No school just does voice acting, but I went to Korea Performing Arts High School, theater and film department."
I'm not big into K-pop idols, but I know that school's practically a holy site for fans—it pumps out tons of idols and celebs. Tuition's sky-high from what I've heard, but for someone like Lee Seo-yeon, that's no issue.
As expected from a girl, Yoo Seol-ah tossed out an idol-related question.
"So, do you know any idols?"
"My class had a bunch, so yeah, I know a few. Why, want me to hook you up with some guy idols?"
"No. Just curious. Honestly, I don't care much about real-life idols. There aren't many guy idols these days hotter than these two anyway."
Idol diss or compliment to us? Hard to tell. But her casual "real-life idols" line just screams hardcore otaku. Not the kind of phrasing that comes naturally otherwise. No one calls her out on it, though.
"I'm more curious about your voice acting prep than idols."
"Let's grab booze first. Standing here too long feels weird. I'll tell you all about it at the party room."
Plenty to hear once we get there. We wheeled the cart to the liquor aisle.
"You guys can all handle your drinks okay? You're freshmen, so you've probably tried some."
Different answers to the president's question. Lee Seo-yeon says she's good; Yoo Seol-ah says she's not... Turns out, I might've been the only one sober at drinking parties. Was I the coward?
"I'll grab a variety, so if you can't handle strong stuff, stick to low-proof. Or just drink soda."
We loaded up on fruit wines and sodas before heading to self-checkout. The cart was packed—price tag had to be huge, so we figured Dutch pay, but Lee Seo-yeon whipped out a black card and paid.
"Gotta hit the minimum anyway."
We gazed at her with sparkling admiration, but she banned it as "too much pressure." Four bags total, and Yoo Seol-ah grabbed the two heaviest—full of booze. She hates walking, so no way she'd volunteer...
I had a hunch and told her,
"Yoo Seol-ah, let go of the bag."
"...If I do, the booze'll crash. Idiot?"
"I'll buy more if it breaks. Let go."
Finally, she averted her eyes and released her hands. As expected—the plastic bag stayed floating mid-air. Just pretending to hold it with magic.
"Knew it."
"Hey, this much is fine, right?!"
"Didn't say not to. Just knew you'd do it."
"Ugh... You piss me off saying stuff like that..."
Honestly, no one would notice, no harm done. No reason not to use your powers.
"...You two really like each other, huh?"
"No, not at all."
"Really? Well, kids these days kiss and more without feelings anyway."
The wedding story's always in my favor. Yoo Seol-ah tried kicking my shin on reflex, but I casually lifted one leg to dodge. No way I'd take a slow kick like that.
The petty bickering ended when our app-called taxi arrived. Too much stuff for bus or subway—unavoidable.
We each grabbed a bag and piled in. A pretty young-looking driver in his 40s greeted us.
"I'll plug in the address on the GPS."
"Thanks. You all look like fine young folks... Off to some event?"
Before I could say college club meetup, the president jumped in.
"Yeah, we're old party members."
...Out of us four, he's got zero shame. But the driver didn't bat an eye.
"Ah~ I used to run a guild back in the day too. Kids might not know, but I was guild master—collected real taxes in the castle. Games like that still around?"
Classic RPG gen driver, right on cue.
"And now I'm a cabbie, but in-game I was a knight too. Fate, huh..."
"Pfft..."
That classic dad-joke flow from his age group—and Yoo Seol-ah next to me stifled a laugh. She likes this stuff? The hyped driver made the ride fly by.
Taxi got us to the party room quicker than expected. Lee Seo-yeon, up front, paid, and we hustled inside to prep shabu-shabu.
Under the pro's lead, the table filled fast. She washed up, filled the pot, boiled it, and chopped veggies—all seamless.
"No need to help; faster alone." Her knife skills killed any argument, so we watched like obedient baby birds waiting for mom.
"Now just add what you want and eat. Don't overcook the beef—toughens up. Small batches."
Perfect timing as hunger hit. Meat and veggies in the broth released an irresistible aroma—rich beef umami teasing without heaviness, thanks to greens like watercress and cabbage. Don't love booze taste, but this is what makes you crave a drink.
"Pick your drinks."
I grabbed a tolerable beer can.
"All set? Toast?"
We raised various drinks, waiting for the president—club head and eldest.
"Couldn't meet right away but tried finding each other anyway. Great to reunite like this. Demon king's down, happy ending done—now let's chill."
I clinked my can forward. Not the crispest sound from cans and paper cups, but the vibe rang clear. I slowly gulped the cool beer.
No need for my usual pre-drink detox with these folks. A few sips in, I set it down—everyone smiling. But why's Yoo Seol-ah's face already pink? That's 3% fruit soda. She's not weak—she's wrecked.
"So, wanna kick off some real club activities?"
"Sounds good~"
"Hell yeah."
Yoo Seol-ah even polite-spoke in excitement—rare. Makes sense: tight-knit already, shared interests, endless stories. Booze party bliss. Somehow, the drinks taste sweet.