New Friends (2)
The special lecture by the 96 explorers had ended. It was a fairly long segment, but time had flown by...
—Im Hae-jun: Ha-woon hyung~
There was still more footage left of their vacation.
It was a vacation vlog featuring Kang Hyun, Im Hae-jun, and Seol Ha-woon. The three of them, each holding a personal camera, met up at Jeongdongjin Beach.
• What's up with those three? lol
• haha they said they got close during the Cargo Labyrinth lol. Rumor has it they're always hanging out behind the scenes of LET. They're basically best friends??
• If you look at the photos released by the production team, they're always standing side-by-side haha
• Im Hae-jun brought a yacht; I guess he really is born with a silver spoon.
• His dad is a famous real estate mogul.
Im Hae-jun's yacht arrived at the dock.
—Im Hae-jun: Hurry up and get on~ We're leaving right away~
Im Hae-jun ran ahead, with Seol Ha-woon and Kang Hyun following closely behind.
—Im Hae-jun: Let's go~
Three completely different characters stood on the yacht, cutting through the waves and feeling the sea breeze.
Im Hae-jun gripped the steering wheel. Seol Ha-woon's long hair fluttered as he leaned against the deck railing, while Kang Hyun stood beside him, taking in the scenery. The sunlight sparkled on the sea foam splashing up between them.
It was a picture-perfect scene that instantly lifted one's mood.
• Wow...
• Whoa... holy crap
• omg my eyes are being blessed so hard, how am I gonna survive tomorrow?
• Are they shooting a pictorial or something?
• Ah, damn, when is Kate coming out?
• Kang Hyun is so insanely handsome; he looks like an AI.
• Im Hae-jun and Seol Ha-woon are pretty good-looking too haha
• Je-Mal-Olh's aura is insane. His face is one thing, but his vibe makes him a total heartthrob.
• The long hair styling was a stroke of genius, fr.
Suddenly, Kang Hyun casually asked Seol Ha-woon a question.
—Kang Hyun: Have you been on boats a lot?
—Seol Ha-woon: ...
Seol Ha-woon stared back with a dumbfounded, speechless expression. The live chat reacted similarly.
• He really is a total airhead.
• Zero common sense lol
• Asking a UDT operative if he's been on boats a lot, what is he thinking??
• fr, he's surprisingly clueless sometimes.
• lmao it's just cute, why are you guys like this.
• He's such a dummy lol
—Im Hae-jun: Alright~ Everyone, say cheese~
Im Hae-jun pointed the camera at them. Kang Hyun obediently made a peace sign, while Seol Ha-woon glared at the back of Im Hae-jun's head in annoyance. But the moment Hae-jun turned around, Ha-woon quickly flashed a peace sign.
—Seol Ha-woon: What? Why? I did it.
—Im Hae-jun: I didn't even say anything?
—Seol Ha-woon: Just drive.
Lee Si-ah smacked her lips. How many killing points were packed into this scene that wasn't even three minutes long? She could easily make ten GIFs out of this.
Their vlog vanished in an instant, and the scene transitioned with a caption indicating the passage of time.
—Yu Ji-in: Hello, everyone~ I'm back again today to explain the next labyrinth.
It was the stage set. The very place where Lee Si-ah had participated as a live audience member.
—Yu Ji-in: The next labyrinth raid will take place right here tomorrow. Along with our live audience.
—Yu Ji-in: You will be placed into a repeating scenario. However, this is not a team match.
—Yu Ji-in: Each of you must figure out the objective of this scenario on your own and act in a way that is advantageous to completing it. The themes you can choose from are as follows:
There were exactly eight themes. So that's how they chose them. She had assumed it was completely random. Lee Si-ah watched with bated breath.
—Lee Jong-su: Kang Hyun! Which one did you pick?
—Kang Hyun: I'm not sure yet.
—Kim Dong-ha: Let's team up this time~
The explorers conversed with one another, testing the waters. In a labyrinth like this, knowing who your teammates would be was crucial.
—Im Hae-jun: Hyung, where are you going?
—Seol Ha-woon: The Square. I'm heading out first.
But Seol Ha-woon moved immediately, completely bypassing any overthinking. He chose The Square without a moment's hesitation.
• lmao Je-Mal-Olh is the only one who literally doesn't even think about it?
• Congrats on the gold medal, Righty.
• Basically saying he doesn't care who else shows up.
Seol Ha-woon was teleported. The camera followed him.
[ The Square ]
The Square team's meeting room.
Seol Ha-woon sat down first. The camera captured a solo shot of him sitting alone. The vibe was striking. He looked like a mob boss or a cold-blooded killer.
Rather than just having a "charming aura," he now perfectly embodied the term "cold handsome."
• Man, his long hair is seriously a stroke of genius.
• But doesn't Seol Ha-woon keep getting handsomer? He looks different from Episode 1.
• Probably because he gained some healthy weight while doing this.
Before long, the other explorers who chose The Square arrived. One by one, Lee Jun-ho, Kate, Kim Woo-hyun, and Kim Du-gyeom entered...
—Kate: Hello. I'm Kate, an Archer.
Starting with Kate, the members of The Square team seated around the round table began introducing themselves.
—Lee Jun-ho: I'm Lee Jun-ho, a Warrior.
—Kim Du-gyeom: Ah, I'm Kim Du-gyeom. I'm also a Warrior.
—Kim Woo-hyun: I'm Kim Woo-hyun. I'm a Spellcaster, and it looks like I'm the youngest again, haha...
—Seol Ha-woon: I'm Seol Ha-woon, a Spellcaster.
Suddenly, the camera zoomed in on Seol Ha-woon's expression as he looked at Kim Du-gyeom. His gaze was subtle, carrying a distinct look of disapproval.
—Yu Ji-in: Everyone, please turn on the monitor in the meeting room.
—Kim Du-gyeom: I'll turn it on... Whoa!
Thud. Kim Du-gyeom tripped over Seol Ha-woon's cane and fell flat on his face. Seol Ha-woon looked down at him coldly and spoke.
—Seol Ha-woon: My apologies. I don't have much sensation in my leg.
—Kim Du-gyeom: ...It's fine.
An icy tension filled the room.
• Didn't he do that on purpose?
• He definitely tripped him on purpose.
• Seol Ha-woon has zero manners lol.
• But with two S-Tiers on that team, isn't it totally unbalanced? lol
—Yu Ji-in: Now, we will select the Scout first.
Selecting the Scout.
So there was a segment like this too.
—Yu Ji-in: Please select one Scout through a discussion. The Scout will experience the scenario alone for five minutes beforehand to gather information. One thing to keep in mind: the Scout will not be recorded by the cameras.
Experiencing it five minutes in advance. It was an incredibly important role.
—Kim Woo-hyun: ...How about Du-gyeom does it? You're fast on your feet too.
—Ryu Wei: I agree.
Everyone chimed in to recommend Kim Du-gyeom. Because of the condition that they wouldn't be filmed by the cameras, they couldn't easily trust just anyone.
• It makes sense for Kim Du-gyeom to do it lol.
• Du-gyeom is genuinely so nice; even his fans are super wholesome haha.
• I heard Kim Du-gyeom donates consistently too.
• Every rumor about Kim Du-gyeom is a heartwarming story.
Indeed, Kim Du-gyeom had the best reputation among the explorers and was seen as the most virtuous—or at least, he was portrayed that way.
—Kate: What do you think?
—Kim Du-gyeom: Ah, well... it's a bit of a burden, but if you entrust it to me, I'll do my absolute best!
Just as Kim Du-gyeom was about to accept.
—Seol Ha-woon: I object.
Seol Ha-woon stepped in. Lee Si-ah let out a dry chuckle.
• lmao I knew he wouldn't just let it slide.
• Je-Mal-Olh has arrived, let's gooooo LOOOL
• Why this time?? Isn't Kim Du-gyeom fine?
Kate's eyes narrowed.
—Kate: ...Is there someone else you would like to recommend, Seol Ha-woon?
—Seol Ha-woon: I will go in.
The camera zoomed in on everyone's faces one by one. Most of them looked displeased. Kim Woo-hyun rubbed the back of his neck in frustration, Kate bit her lower lip slightly, and Lee Jun-ho glanced down at Seol Ha-woon's leg.
Were they viewing his leg as a disqualifying factor for a Scout?
—Kim Du-gyeom: Um, I'll do a good job, Spellcaster Seol Ha-woon. I'm actually quite fast on my feet. I'll work really hard. If you could just trust me—
—Seol Ha-woon: No. It's not a matter of trust.
Cutting him off coldly, Seol Ha-woon glared at Kim Du-gyeom and muttered:
—Seol Ha-woon: I just don't like it. You going in there.
A reason without a reason. Simply because he disliked him.
"...What?"
Lee Si-ah blurted out without realizing it.
• ??
• ?
• ??
• Huh?
• What's going on?
Naturally, the live chat was flooded with question marks.
"Oh, boy." Lee Si-ah placed a hand on the back of her neck.
—Kate: In that case, let's put it to a vote.
Since Seol Ha-woon showed no signs of backing down, Kate proposed a democratic solution.
—Seol Ha-woon: I object to a vote.
Seol Ha-woon, of course, refused.
—Kate: ...Let's vote on whether to vote.
—Seol Ha-woon: I decline. I will be the one entering as the Scout.
—Kate: ...
At that, Kate glared intensely at Seol Ha-woon. Seol Ha-woon did not break eye contact.
Kate's expressionless face was colder than ice, while Seol Ha-woon's eyes gleamed as sharp and piercing as a bird of prey.
• Holy crap lol look at this battle of nerves.
• Seriously, Seol Ha-woon's mental strength is insane;;
• Even Kate is losing ground to Je-Mal-Olh LOOOL
• Je-Mal-Olh, holy shit LOOL I swear, things always get entertaining the moment he shows up.
• lol clash of titans.
Surprisingly, the viewers' reactions weren't bad.
• Kate needs to be taken down a notch too. Everyone, male or female, treats her with kid gloves.
• Tomorrow, her simp 'butlers' are gonna swarm the forums crying about how dare he speak to their princess like that.
• How do you like a taste of Je-Mal-Olh~?
Kate was a well-known noble. She possessed a global fandom, and her domestic support was nothing to scoff at either. It was practically an open secret that the weekly and profile voting had been restricted to "domestic residents only" specifically because of her.
—Kate: There are eight people on this team. If the majority agrees, we must follow that decision.
Kate spoke of basic principles. She maintained an elegant posture, speaking in Korean with a pronunciation so flawless it sounded more natural than a native speaker's.
She was also famous for her unyielding personality. Throughout all the aired episodes of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, she had never once backed down from her stance.
She had taken absolute command in the Cargo Labyrinth, and in the Survival Labyrinth, she had formed a small elite squad centered entirely around herself.
The only difference between her and Je-Mal-Olh was that absolutely no one had ever dared to oppose Kate.
—Seol Ha-woon: Did you not hear Mentor Yu Ji-in? This labyrinth is not a team match. It is explicitly an individual match.
But Seol Ha-woon was different.
He willingly clashed even with Kate, whom everyone else either feared or revered. He rebelled with an attitude of "who cares who you are." He refused to surrender the initiative under any circumstances.
He would sooner break than bend.
—Kate: ...In that case, we will have no choice but to exclude you from our plans in the labyrinth. Are you fine with that?
Kate's aggressive remark played over a chilling background track.
• Heol, holy shit LOOL
• Damn LOOL
• He's screwed LOOL
• LOOL I love Seol Ha-woon. Who else would dare talk to Kate like that?
• He's a total lone wolf lmao.
• Damn, I'm rooting for him this time. Tell that yellow-paint girl to get lost.
• Je-Mal-Olh really doesn't care about social status... Wow... I have to respect that, seriously...
• He's the most egalitarian guy on the show. Totally agree.
To be honest, Lee Si-ah felt a rush of catharsis as well.
Almost every other explorer in Labyrinth Exploration NaN shrank back when dealing with Kate. They readily accepted whatever she proposed and always treated her with smiling, obsequious kindness.
Because Kate was a Haleford.
—Seol Ha-woon: Yes. Go ahead.
Seol Ha-woon seemed to readily accept his exclusion, but—
—Kate: Fine. Then—
—Seol Ha-woon: But in return, I will actively sabotage you. With everything I've got.
"...Whoa?"
He truly did not care who his opponent was. This scene was living proof of that.
• He's a literal madman LOOL
• Ah, shit, this is so entertaining LOOOL
• Peak entertainment LOOOOL
• A real psycho, a real psycho
The only person who dared to raise a middle finger to a Haleford.
Unyielding to the strong, unyielding to the weak.
—Seol Ha-woon: Whether you exclude me or not, I don't care.
Seol Ha-woon glared at Kate. Kate clenched her jaw so hard it made a grinding sound.
Everyone around the round table fell silent. Their eyes darted back and forth, nervously reading the room. The viewers watching the live broadcast were likely doing the same—and even Lee Jun-ho, an S-Tier just like Kate, held his breath.
Amidst that suffocating tension... Seol Ha-woon uttered a single line.
—Seol Ha-woon: Because this time, too, I will be absolutely right.
The live chat exploded. Quite literally, the real-time chat server crashed.