Beyond Hero Island
"Then let's head to the boat soon."
"That sounds good!"
When I extended my hand, Yee Eun-chae took it and stood up, looking genuinely pleased. Even though this wasn't exactly a joyful occasion, she was happy to have invited a friend to her home for the first time—and to have been invited somewhere herself for the first time as well. I didn't let go of her hand, and neither did she.
People will probably think we're lovers rather than friends.
And once we returned to Hero Island, Yee Eun-chae wouldn't just be my friend anymore. She would be my real lover. The chances of that happening were quite high.
The ferry leaving for Hero Island ran on a regular schedule every day. At the harbor, there were different types of ships, and the one Seo Moon-jin and Yee Eun-chae chose was the most expensive among the soonest departures. Since the trip to Incheon didn't take long, the price difference was only about twice as much, and the main distinction was the superior facilities.
Because this particular ferry was expensive and departed early in the morning, there weren't many passengers leaving Hero Island, allowing for a comfortable ride.
"I never thought I'd be leaving Hero Island this early."
Sitting in a chair inside the ferry, Yee Eun-chae still couldn't believe she was heading back to the main Yee family estate on only her second weekend since enrolling at the National Hero Academy.
"Yeah, leaving after just two weeks. I'm worried about what comes next."
"Surely it won't get that chaotic, will it?"
"You never know. It feels like something big could happen at any moment."
Just this past Monday, there had been the unprecedented attack by villains. Yee Eun-chae figured nothing louder than that was likely to occur. The National Hero Academy was on high alert, and Seo Moon-jin had stationed Levia, president of Yucheon Group, on Hero Island as a precaution. With Yucheon Group's combat units steadily being deployed there as well, Hero Island had become one of the most difficult places in the world for villains to operate.
"Eun-chae, when we get to the Yee family estate, act with confidence."
"What do you mean?"
"Haha, isn't it obvious? You brought me along as your friend, and I'm the heir to Yucheon Group with enormous real power. Bringing someone like me is all thanks to you, right? I'm saying you should make a show of it and put yourself in a position where the Yee family can't interfere with you."
Yee Eun-chae understood what Seo Moon-jin was saying. He was telling her that if the Yee family ever tried to give her orders, she could use him as her backing to maintain her freedom. She wouldn't have to blindly obey their commands anymore; instead, the family would have to watch their step around her.
"Will that really be all right?"
"What could possibly go wrong? I said it's fine."
Yee Eun-chae felt uneasy about using her friend like this, but Seo Moon-jin looked completely unconcerned. She also noticed his gaze repeatedly sweeping over her.
"Cheon, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you're beautiful."
"W-what? W-what are you suddenly saying?"
Yee Eun-chae's face flushed red with embarrassment at the sudden compliment about her appearance. Her heart was pounding like crazy. No—getting this worked up over a simple compliment was abnormal in itself.
"I'm just stating a fact. Eun-chae, even on a global scale, your looks are top-tier."
"Ugh! Cheon, my heart feels like it's going to fall out! Don't suddenly say things like that."
Yee Eun-chae was confused about why such praise made her heart race this way. At the same time, the memory of their kiss and the moments when his hands had kneaded her hips and thighs resurfaced in her mind, leading to even stranger thoughts.
What if the Yee family arranged an engagement between her and Seo Moon-jin, just as they wanted? She could already picture herself in his arms, kissing him while his hands roamed over her hips.
Why… why am I thinking things like this?
She couldn't understand why she was imagining herself engaged to Seo Moon-jin. No—she was afraid that if she understood, something inside her would change. That was probably why she avoided confirming it.
"Eun-chae."
At that moment, Seo Moon-jin's hand tapped lightly on her thigh.
"W-what is it?"
"We should get ready to disembark. The ferry has arrived."
"Ah…"
Yee Eun-chae realized she had been so lost in her fantasies that she hadn't noticed the ferry docking. She felt incredibly embarrassed that she had been daydreaming like that and hadn't even noticed time passing.
"Let's go."
She quietly let Seo Moon-jin take her hand and lead her off the ferry.
Yee Eun-chae was being gently pulled along by my hand. Watching her black hair with its violet sheen flutter as she followed me, I could tell she had developed strong romantic feelings for me.
If I confess, Yee Eun-chae will be flustered at first, but she'll accept and become my woman.
And even if I took her straight to bed tonight, she wouldn't resist—she would obediently follow my lead. The thought made her seem so lovable that I wanted to kiss those pretty lips right away.
Calm down.
Suppressing my emotions, I stepped off the ferry with Yee Eun-chae.
"Now that we've left a record of taking the ferry, we can use Yucheon Group's portal from here."
In truth, there was no need to take the ferry at all—we could have traveled directly from Hero Island to the Yee family estate using a portal. However, creating one myself would draw unwanted attention from the National Hero Academy, and I hadn't asked Levia to do it either because I wanted to use the ferry.
The Academy wants us to leave a clear travel record by using the ferry.
That was why we had to travel this way instead of going straight through a portal.
The main Yee family estate was located near Bukhansan Mountain in northern Seoul, but the Yee family's businesses were spread throughout Korea, so the main house near Bukhansan was little more than a residence and headquarters. Still, for a family like the Yees, the main house was both the head and the center of everything.
"Ah, right…"
"Let's use Yucheon Group's portal to head toward Bukhansan."
Yucheon Group had bases all over Korea, including here. Even if there hadn't been one, I could simply summon a subordinate to open a portal.
"There are a lot of people."
The problem was that the harbor was currently crowded.
"Huh? That person…"
"Seo Moon-jin! Isn't that the heir to Yucheon Group?"
"Nah, no way. He's probably at the Academy right now."
Quite a few people were already recognizing me. Yee Eun-chae, standing beside me, was also drawing a lot of attention—purely because of her beauty. Even without knowing anything about her, countless eyes were drawn to her stunning appearance and her violently alluring figure.
"It looks like things are going to get noisy, so let's hurry."
"Yeah."
Yee Eun-chae, who had finally come back to her senses, agreed and quickly walked with me, still holding my hand, toward the Yucheon Group building.
"Welcome, young master. We've been expecting you."
Even though this was a Yucheon Group-owned building, it was different from the other business-related properties in Incheon—it was my personal property. The employees here had already received instructions through Baalzebul from Yucheon Group, so they had been waiting for my arrival.
"Good. I'm planning to head toward Bukhansan with Eun-chae here. Prepare the portal right away."
"Understood."
Yee Eun-chae seemed impressed by how the employee asked no unnecessary questions and simply carried out his duties.
"Cheon, the people at Yucheon Group seem rather remarkable."
"Remarkable?"
"Mm! Yes. Levia is the same way—they all follow your orders well and seem devoted only to their own work."
When she voiced her question, I explained.
"Anyone who helps me with work receives a bonus equivalent to at least a month's salary."
"Ah."
Yee Eun-chae nodded, immediately understanding. The reason the employees were so focused on their tasks was because that substantial bonus would be paid out the very same day. They couldn't afford to make mistakes and lose it, so they avoided unnecessary actions and concentrated solely on their work.
"I see. So that's the reason. I understand now."
Just as I finished explaining to Yee Eun-chae, the employee spoke up.
"The portal device bound for the area near Bukhansan has finished activating. If you enter this room, the portal will be right there."
"Good work."
I led Yee Eun-chae into the room containing the portal.
Today, after leaving Hero Island… I'll begin seriously pursuing Yee Eun-chae.
By tomorrow at the latest, the moment would come when Yee Eun-chae became my woman.