Weekend (2)
"Guild master! It's the Iron Blood Guild and Blue Dragon Guild this time! More interviews keep popping up!"
"Block them! Mobilize every connection we have and shut this down somehow!"
Shin Yeong-man, the guild master of Shin Yeong Guild, had to fend off the sudden barrage of attacks targeting his guild. Rumors were swirling that his son, Shin Dong-min, was connected to the Mines.
Just as public interest in the fraternity party terror attack was starting to fade, journalists had unearthed fresh fuel to stoke the flames. Shin Yeong Guild tried flooding the media with counter-stories to bury them, but now major guilds were issuing official statements of their own.
It was like a rigged game of go-stop. Out of nowhere, articles poured in from Victoria Academy and guilds friendly with it. Shin Yeong Guild had cozy media ties too, but even those outlets were running the stories. It was driving him insane.
While his guild members handled the fallout, Shin Yeong-man made calls of his own.
"Yes, President. This is Shin Yeong-man. Shin Yeong-man of Shin Yeong Guild. You can't just pull this out of nowhere. We've built a relationship over the years, haven't we?!"
- I'm sorry, Guild Master. But the external pressure is strangely intense. Unbelievably so.
"That's why we have you... to handle this...!!!"
- The Association can't ignore it anymore. Watch your back. I think young Shin Dong-min pissed off the Academy... This is beyond our level to block.
Shin Yeong-man gritted his teeth at the mention of his son. It reminded him of the boy who hadn't left his room since the terror attack.
- Sorry, Guild Master.
Click.
"President! Wait—damn these money-grubbing bastards, how much did they take?!"
Bam! He hurled the phone across the room, panting as he turned to a guild member nearby.
"What’s Dong-min up to?"
"Still holed up in his room."
"Haa... You guys hold the line as best you can. I'll go check on him."
Shin Yeong-man headed to Shin Dong-min's room to see for himself. Truth be told, his son's odd state wasn't new. It had started after losing to first-year Lee Ho-yeon at the Heavenly Selection Tournament. But getting tangled with Mines? He prayed it was a lie as he reached the door.
Knock knock.
"I'm coming in."
He opened the door without waiting. But the room was empty. Pitch black in the unlit space, with an unsettling air hanging heavy.
"...What's that?"
On the desk in the center sat a single, eerie skull mask.
*
Saturday afternoon.
After Baek Ayoung left post-lunch, Moon Sulin messaged about visiting. She must've wrapped up her investigation, judging by the timing.
"Should've sent one more myself?"
No reply to my last message, so I hadn't followed up. Might've hurt her feelings. I checked my smartwatch while waiting.
"What the hell."
Everyday was blowing up. Shin Yeong Guild and Shin Dong-min dominated the top searches. Articles everywhere.
"...Mines?"
This wasn't in the original story. Shin Dong-min just used his guild's power to stalk Moon Sulin. Now he was linked to Mines—and caught red-handed.
Communities and news showed Victoria Academy and major guilds issuing statements. With my game knowledge, I could tell.
"...The Academy's behind this."
Victoria Academy had mobilized. Most guilds issuing statements were Academy allies.
'The chairman maybe?'
No way. I'd asked him to run a defense piece for me, but that old man wouldn't go beyond that. Hell, even I thought I was a dick back then.
'Coincidence?'
Maybe. The Academy, probing the fraternity party terror, stumbled on Shin Dong-min's trail and cut ties fast since he was student council VP.
"This is too good... Or is it bad?"
Cleared a headache, sure, but Shin Dong-min was the stalker culprit. Our entanglements delayed that plotline, but he was still key to conquering Moon Sulin. If he got nabbed like this... wasn't that a problem?
Knock knock.
Familiar knock—I knew it was the head nurse just from the rhythm.
"Yes? Who's there."
"Patient Lee Ho-yeon. A Moon Sulin is here to visit. Shall I send her up?"
"Please do."
Time flew. I prepped for Moon Sulin and closed the smartwatch.
...Hold up. Moon Sulin?
Her personal investigation clicked.
"Even for Moon Sulin, mobilizing this scale seems tough."
Game lore gave the chairman's granddaughter clout, but not this much.
Knock knock.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes, come on in."
The door opened, revealing straight platinum blonde hair. Striking features, porcelain skin—Victoria Academy's student council president, Moon Sulin. Even in uniform, her bust and hips were unreal. Our Sulin-noona defied logic.
She smiled faintly at me, approached, and sat.
"Ho-yeon-ah. You okay? Sorry I'm late."
"Just you coming is plenty. Thanks, Sulin-noona."
"Yeah? Could've at least replied once."
"...Sorry. Thought you were swamped."
Hurt feelings confirmed. Heroines or not, I was still a romance noob. I bowed my head.
"Nah, my bad too—no contact from me. Oh, right. Got these for you while you're stuck here."
Moon Sulin set drinks on the desk. And that wasn't all—plastic bags and boxes trailed her path, telekinetically carried.
"Snacks, drinks, handheld game for boredom, massager, vitamins..."
"Whoa, noona—hold up. I'm discharging soon. Heart's enough."
I waved frantically. Who levitates hauls like that?
"Oh, really? When?"
"Next week maybe. Feeling better by the day."
"Good... Dinner to celebrate discharge, then."
"My treat, obviously."
Host paying for his own discharge bash? Eh, I'd mooched enough. With sugar mama Ellis locked in, time to splash.
"Thanks. Feels like my hard work paid off."
"Hard work?"
"Remember this?"
She handed over a photo. A chilling skull mask.
"That's... the mask the Mine who attacked me wore."
Skull mask. The bastard who wrecked me. Pissed me off just looking.
"That's what I was investigating. The skull mask that hit you."
Files poured from her bag. Skull mask probe, solo party venue search snagging the brooch, linking it to Shin Dong-min and Mines. Neatly compiled.
"Noona... you did all this? The media too...?"
"Find evidence, strike fast. As VP, had to cut him loose quick from Victoria. But started 'cause you got hit. Shin Dong-min came up after."
Whoa. Moon Sulin's head sparkled like a halo.
"Noona. Love you."
"Marry me then?"
"Sorry. Too soon for marriage."
She grinned playfully; I chuckled awkwardly. Overwhelmed with gratitude.
★
Auto-conquest was blessing enough, but clearing pests too? Couldn't ask for more. Kinda scary to think about... but it'd be fine.
"One meal won't cut it, noona. Name anything you want."
"Hmm, nothing now. I'll let you know."
"Anytime."
I nodded at her cute smile.
*
Cough cough—
Unlike her assumption it'd pass with rest, Lumi suffered a full cold. It hit right after visiting Lee Ho-yeon.
"...What if you actually caught my cold, Lumi."
"Lucky me. Hehe. I'll be fine soon. Ah... achoo!"
"Haa..."
Miraculously, Lucy recovered while Lumi crashed. Felt guilty, like her little sis stole her illness.
Body fine, but chest still heavy. Still, she wrung out a damp cloth and placed it on Lumi's forehead.
"Lucy... you seeing Ho-yeon tomorrow?"
"...Why?"
"Can't go, so... won't he get bored?"
Lucy hesitated. Could she face Lee Ho-yeon? Thinking of him post-that day throbbed her head. But avoidance wasn't forever. As her sister's boyfriend, inevitable.
"...You messaged him about the cold?"
"Smartwatch broke... couldn't."
"Ah..."
Lumi sensed Lucy's reluctance toward Lee Ho-yeon. Reason unknown, but she was involved. Twins knew—hand twitches read minds.
"Lucy."
"Yeah? Need something?"
Lucy fretted over Lumi, but Lumi fretted too. Bad timing with her health, but now or never.
"You like Ho-yeon too, right?"
"Wh-what?! Sudden nonsense. Head hurt bad, huh. Lemme change the cloth. Wait. Whoa, hot. Or want porridge?"
Caught off-guard, Lucy flailed, swapping the cloth and fetching warmed porridge. But Lumi pressed.
"Lucy. I like Ho-yeon. You?"
"..."
Lucy couldn't fathom Lumi saying this, but no prank. She listened.
"...Yeah. Think I do too."
First time voicing it. Face burned; wanted to dive under Lumi's covers.
"Let's share Ho-yeon. With you—no, us—it's doable."
"Share...?"
Taboo for lovers, but Lumi was dead serious.
"Literal. He already agreed."
Lucy started truly hearing her out.