Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Adaptation (3)
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"Hey, Ji-hyeok. How tall are you?"
"Out of nowhere?"
"Quick, how tall?"
I raised an eyebrow at Kim Jun-hyeong's sudden question first thing in the morning but answered anyway.
"182. But why the height thing? You setting me up with someone?"
"182... and those intense eyes..."
Kim Jun-hyeong glanced back and forth between his phone and me, like he was confirming something.
"You dating Im A-rin or what?"
He blurted out the weirdest thing.
"What bullshit is that?"
"No, seriously...! You got nothing going on with Im A-rin? For real?"
I figured it was just dumb nonsense, but Kim Jun-hyeong was staring at me with bulging eyes, grilling me like crazy.
There was a strange sincerity in his gaze that made it hard to dismiss as a joke.
"...What's this about?"
He pulled a face like he couldn't believe it, fiddled urgently with his phone, and shoved a video in my face.
"Midnight Date?"
"Just watch."
What Kim Jun-hyeong showed me was a clip from the famous talk show Midnight Date featuring the Queens.
They filmed this too?
I silently watched the video while inwardly cursing Cheonhwa Guild for working the Queens so hard.
Intense eyes, a manly face. 182cm tall, looks a bit cold but...
"...Huh?"
I jolted in surprise at the part where Im A-rin described her ideal type.
Is that me?
No matter how I thought about it, it was me.
"That's you, right? Admit it."
"...Maybe..."
"You bastard, how do you land a girl like Im A-rin and still bug me about introductions?! You're in deep shit!"
Kim Jun-hyeong laid into me like it was a given we were dating.
"Hey! I saw it with my own eyes. If I catch you messing around, I'm telling Im A-rin everything!"
"Snitch on what? It's not like that with her..."
"Not like that my ass! Im A-rin clearly has a thing for you. Why else would she go out of her way to contact me?"
"...Contact you how?"
I narrowed my eyes at Kim Jun-hyeong without thinking.
He confessed straight up that he'd gotten a message from Im A-rin a few days ago.
"She said take good care of you and even sent gift icons as a bribe."
Not just a message—she'd sent actual bribes.
"Hanwoo sets, no less..."
"Crazy... Why didn't you tell me sooner?! And you just accepted it?"
"Dude, I refused at first, obviously! Look!"
I checked the messages and call logs Kim Jun-hyeong showed me.
And...
"!"
The content was even worse than I'd imagined.
Jun-hyeong, please take good care of Ji-hyeok! I beg you!
Of course! Don't worry about it!
Nothing special about the overall exchange.
Just her asking him to look after me, to let her know if anything happened, and to tell her if I needed anything.
But...
The real issue was elsewhere.
Truth is, I've been worried because Ji-hyeok's so popular... ㅠㅠ
Jun-hyeong, please keep an eye on him for me...!
She was talking like she was already my girlfriend.
*
In the past few days, Im A-rin's ideal type comment had become the hottest topic.
Who is the Queens Archmage's Lover?
(Exclusive) Cheonhwa Guild Insider: "It's Definitely That Guy"
Did the Other Queens Members Know Already?
The media dragged in anyone vaguely matching Im A-rin's description to grab attention.
And among them, my name as the producer popped up too.
"Producer, uh... how tall are you, by the way?"
"Why height?"
"Um... just curious."
"...180."
"For real? Not taller?"
"...No."
Thanks to that, I had to lie through my teeth to shut down the random rumors popping up out of nowhere.
The culprit herself? Still no chance to talk.
[A-rin: I'm free Sunday. Can we meet then...?]
I'd set up a time with Im A-rin separately via messages.
I wanted to confront her right away, but our schedules didn't match, and she casually suggested grabbing a meal, so we settled on the weekend.
How do I handle this...?
Truthfully, Im A-rin's affection was a huge headache for me.
More precisely, the Queens' affection.
I'd noticed ages ago that they all had subtle crushes on me.
After spending a decade with them, it'd be weirder if I hadn't.
The problem was...
I couldn't reciprocate any of them.
My ultimate goal—past or present—was to change this world's ending.
To achieve that, I'd formed the ultimate team: Queens.
Queens wasn't some casual group; it was meticulously calculated.
Tailored for Seol Ju-hee, who always fought alone in the original story, with Hong Yu-ra and Im A-rin as the perfect complements.
Now that I'd finally forged that team, all three developing feelings for me was the worst timing.
They were all stunning women, way out of my league, so it wasn't unwelcome per se...
But what if I accepted one?
Seol Ju-hee? It'd hurt Hong Yu-ra and Im A-rin.
Hong Yu-ra? Seol Ju-hee and Im A-rin suffer.
Im A-rin? Seol Ju-hee and Hong Yu-ra suffer.
All that hard-built teamwork crumbles over a romance.
And I couldn't take them all—that's not how it works, even with family-like bonds.
It was a total dilemma, but luckily, none crossed the line, so we'd made it this far.
Of course, now that I'd left them, it was all moot...
I couldn't accept Im A-rin's feelings.
"...Producer."
Just then, Jin Seo-won, mid-run on the treadmill, approached quietly.
"...Dinner at home tonight."
"Huh?"
"...Food."
"Oh."
She was inviting me to eat at home.
"Sure. Home-cooked meal it is."
"...Okay."
I nodded without a second thought.
Plop—
Jin Seo-won casually took the spot next to me and started wiping her sweat.
Huh? Done already?
Her natural move caught me off guard. I glanced at the empty treadmill ahead and prodded gently.
"...Seo-won. You finished?"
Then.
"......"
Jin Seo-won ignored me completely and chugged her drink shamelessly.
Slacking again, huh?
"...Want me to get Han-na?"
"...!"
Jin Seo-won hated training with Bang Han-na.
The enthusiastic girl wouldn't let her slack like this.
"I'll make something tasty tonight, so go run."
"......"
She stood without a word, like protesting, dragging her feet to the treadmill while radiating reluctance.
Cute.
After wrapping up afternoon training.
I finished dinner with Jin Seo-won as usual, left the hotel, and drove not home—but to Itaewon.
"Where was it...?"
Itaewon, full of foreigners, had spots selling imported or smuggled items.
Back when Queens had no sponsors, I'd snag cost-effective overseas gear here.
"Found it."
The place was a small bar tucked in an Itaewon alley.
I parked in a tight spot and headed down to the basement entrance.
At the bottom, a bookshelf wall with warm lights. Pull one book, and the shelf slid aside.
Vrrrrm...
A lavish bar interior emerged.
High-end decor, but cozy somehow.
"Welcome."
A staffer greeted me right away.
"Party of how many?"
"One."
"Seating preference?"
"VIP."
She glanced at me, nodded knowingly, and led me to the "VIP."
"Enjoy your time."
The VIP corner by the counter had no chair despite the name.
But I wasn't here to sit.
"Hello, sir."
A bartender sidled up next.
"Looking for a specific drink?"
"Nightcap, chilled."
"Spirit?"
"Wine."
Cold Nightcap, with Wine.
The black market passphrase.
"This way."
Behind the counter, another staircase down.
Push aside the curtain at the end...
A vast space opened up.
Buzz buzz— buzz buzz—
Itaewon's underground black market, holding item auctions daily.
Crowded today.
I came to buy an item for Jin Seo-won.
The [Gauntlet of the Dark Dragon], rated D-grade.
D-grade, so affordable, right?
In the original novel, it was an S-rank item.
Without proper mastery, it only performed at D-level—perfect for Jin Seo-won, so I was here to bid.
"Let's see..."
Grabbing a pamphlet for today's auction order, I wandered the market.
"Oh?"
Someone grabbed me from behind, acting familiar.
"Never thought I'd see you here... Long time."
I turned reflexively from the pamphlet.
"...!"
An unexpected face shocked me.
Long purple hair to her waist, paired with a seductive allure.
Her voluptuous figure in sleek office wear exuded restrained charm.
"...Lee Hye-ri?"
Sejin Guild Leader and one of my close alumni.
"Long time. How've you been?"
It was Lee Hye-ri.