Chapter 145: Date (1)
Chapter 145: Date (1)
Due to the gravity of the situation, Park Min-woo decided to handle the announcement himself rather than leaving it to the usual public relations staff.
Battles had broken out within two of Korea’s large clans.
The Geumwa Clan and the Goryeo Clan weren't located in some remote wasteland; they were right in the heart of Seoul. It was impossible for the public not to realize something significant had happened.
On the day of the incident, the Association had simply announced that issues had arisen within the two clans and an investigation was underway, promising more details later.
Now that a connection to demons had been uncovered, they had to investigate the cause and notify associations in other regions. They couldn't afford to be optimistic and assume that cases like the Goryeo and Geumwa Clans were unique to Korea.
As feared, clans similar to them already existed in other regions.
While those were technically foreign affairs, Park Min-woo was deeply concerned, as the situation could ultimately lead to demons crossing over to Earth. No matter how discreetly they tried to spread the word, he didn't believe the information would stay secret for long.
This was a concern shared not only by Park Min-woo but also by others in the Association and Han Shin’s party. They believed it was highly likely that other countries harbored large clans that had become pawns of the demons, and they suspected it wouldn't be as easy to handle them as it had been with the Goryeo and Geumwa Clans.
A crowd of reporters had gathered, and Park Min-woo was performing a final check on his prepared materials.
Regarding the cause of the incidents at the Goryeo and Geumwa Clans, Park Min-woo had heard from Wolyeong that artifacts were to blame, and he trusted her word implicitly.
The Association had taken possession of the gold metal necklace artifact from Wolyeong. Although it had turned into an ordinary necklace with no powers, experts confirmed that it had originally been an artifact, supporting the testimonies gathered from interrogating the Awakeners of the Geumwa and Goryeo Clans.
The fact that it was composed of metals and gemstones not found on Earth made it certain that the artifact was the problem.
After one last check to ensure there were no issues with the content, Park Min-woo stepped out to make the announcement.
*
Han Shin and the others were gathered in the living room, watching the broadcast on TV.
Han Shin sat in the middle of the sofa, flanked by Grace and Kang Yujin, while Laysia sat a short distance away.
Kang Yujin and Grace had been bickering over Han Shin since the beginning, naturally forming a bit of a rivalry.
Yujin, who always put Han Shin first and craved his affection, quickly claimed the spot to his right, clinging to his arm and pressing close. Her breezy outfit—a red sleeveless top and denim hot shorts—was a treat for Han Shin’s eyes, and the soft, supple warmth of her body heated his arm.
Seeing Yujin clinging to him with a bright smile, Grace, dressed in a sky-blue tank top and white leggings, refused to be outdone. She sat down demurely on his left side. She carefully reached out to interlock her fingers with Han Shin’s and scooted her hips closer until they were touching.
While Han Shin felt a bit flustered by their behavior, being loved like this made him feel good.
Laysia, wearing a khaki ribbed dress, sat in a single armchair with a gentle smile. In truth, she also wanted to cling to Han Shin and ask for affection, but she held back, fearing that joining in now would only make things more difficult for him.
She knew she was loved and wouldn't be abandoned, and she had no doubt her turn would come, so she could afford to be patient.
The four of them listened as Park Min-woo summarized and briefed the public on the events surrounding the Goryeo and Geumwa Clans. Since Park Min-woo had already told them what he planned to say, there were no major surprises in the briefing.
During the subsequent Q&A session with reporters, he emphasized the Moon Shadow Party's significant contribution—essentially singing the praises of Han Shin and his companions.
Feeling embarrassed, Han Shin picked up the remote and turned off the TV.
Kang Yujin found his reaction adorable and giggled.
‘Shin was always weak to this kind of thing.’
Han Shin tended to help others without making a fuss about it and felt shy when praised openly for his deeds.
"Well, nothing much has changed in the official story," Han Shin remarked.
Kang Yujin nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Now we just have to keep an eye on the situation in other countries."
"Until then, we can take a break for a while."
At Han Shin’s words, the three women each began to imagine what they wanted to do with him.
This wasn't the first time they’d had a bit of a rest period, but now, thanks to the Perception Distortion Artifact, they no longer had to limit their dates to empty places or the confines of the house. They could go out to crowded streets and enjoy a date freely without being recognized.
This was something all three had been thinking about, and they each had their own plans for how to spend time with Han Shin.
Naturally, glances were exchanged between the three as they felt each other out. They hadn't sat down to discuss this specifically yet. Until now, they had only talked about the incidents with the Geumwa and Goryeo Clans and their future plans.
"Shin, we're going to go talk for a second."
"Oh, okay."
Han Shin had a rough idea of what Yujin’s words meant. He was starting to develop some intuition and knew that as much as the three women loved him, they wanted to spend time and do things with him.
He also knew that using the Perception Distortion Artifact would allow them to date freely. Knowing they were going to decide on a turn order, he simply agreed and left the decision to them.
Thinking it might look unsightly to argue in front of Han Shin, the three women quietly went into a room. Once inside, they began a fierce but civil competition over who would get the first date.
One might argue that the order didn't matter since everyone would get a turn, but they each wanted the honor of the first official date.
As expected, Kang Yujin opened the floor.
"I want to be the first to go on a date with Shin."
Faced with Yujin’s bold declaration, Grace’s expression remained unchanged, but she was internally piqued and prepared to speak up. However, it was Laysia who unexpectedly protested first.
"Yujin. Don't you think you're being a bit too greedy?"
Yujin was taken aback; this was the first time Laysia had opposed her so directly. She had expected Grace, her usual bickering partner, to push back immediately, but she hadn't expected this from Laysia.
"Ah... well..."
Yujin couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. Grace was equally surprised.
Until now, Laysia had always taken a step back compared to the other two. Even earlier, while watching TV in the living room, Laysia had sat apart while the other two clung to Han Shin.
Laysia used to belittle herself, thinking she was a flawed woman because she had been married and then abandoned by a husband consumed by a lust for power. However, as she received love from Han Shin, she had begun to recover her self-esteem as a woman, and her affection for him had grown even stronger.
Because of that, she didn't want to miss the first opportunity to date him freely.
‘At least I want a fair chance to compete.’
"Let's draw straws to be fair."
Laysia knew she had no justification to simply demand the first date, so she suggested a fair method to at least give herself a chance.
Laysia’s proposal was the most equitable option, leaving no room for objection. Grace immediately nodded in agreement.
"Let's do that."
"Alright..."
With no reason to refuse, Yujin agreed, though her voice sounded a bit deflated.
To keep things fair, they decided to use a drawing app on a smartphone. The results came out instantly.
By a stroke of luck, Laysia was first.
Laysia, who hadn't expected to win, couldn't hide her immense joy. Kang Yujin, on the other hand, came in last. Since she was the one who had downloaded and run the app on her phone, she couldn't even complain.
"Ugh... well, at least I still get to go on a date with Shin..."
She quickly pivoted to a more positive mindset.
"Congratulations, Laysia."
"I'm so jealous..."
"Thank you."
After settling the logistics, the three women emerged from the room and informed Han Shin that they had decided on a fair order for their dates. Han Shin readily accepted.