Overwhelming Gratitude
Overwhelming gratitude...!
The power struggle within Mirae Group came to an end just like that. The moment Musin Jeong Ilseok was defeated on the ring before tens of thousands of spectators, the last remnants of his faction crumbled like a sandcastle. His followers, left without a place to go, were naturally absorbed into the victor Jeong Areum's side. Even the executives who'd been sitting on the fence, watching and waiting, hurriedly reaffirmed their loyalty.
Jeong Ilseok, the former executive director once hailed as Korea's strongest, gracefully accepted his defeat, relinquished all his positions, and retreated into seclusion, or so I've heard. Looking purely at the results—this seemingly reckless succession duel had solidified Jeong Areum's position within the group several times over.
And Jeong Areum herself...
"Ta-da! This is the custom dessert room made by hounding the patissiers for our little Outer God! All for you~!"
Jeong Areum flung the door wide open with a proud grin, fan fully unfurled. The dreamlike scene unfolding behind her left me and the little mental images speechless for a moment.
She'd gifted me an entire room. Right in the center stood a massive mint chocolate fondue tower towering way over my head. Pale green mint chocolate cascaded down in three tiers like a fountain, surrounded by circular trays of colorful snacks. One wall was piled high with giant marshmallows on sticks. And next to them, a roaring fireplace.
Grill the marshmallows golden over the fire, dunk them in the mint chocolate fondue, or do both—whatever you want.
Mmm... There can't be a more perfect dessert paradise in this world.
I grabbed a marshmallow on a stick and tested it out by the fireplace. Sizzle. The surface bubbled up, then charred black in seconds. I pulled out the near-charcoal lump and dunked it into the bottom tier of the fondue. Crisp outside, gooey inside. Topped with that pale green mint chocolate coating—perfection.
Pop it in my mouth. Crunch. Mmm... This is it. A flavor no bagged snack could imitate. The smoky crunch of the char, the soft sweetness of the marshmallow core, the spicy coolness of the mint chocolate—all dancing separately on my tongue.
The little mental images in my mental world were losing their minds over this luxury snack.
They all love mint chocolate, huh. Let's have another.
—But then.
The other side erupted in chaos. This scene feels familiar. It was the same when we left Karen—the little mental images have developed their own tastes lately.
The pro-mint faction waved mint chocolate marshmallows at the anti-mint ones' mouths.
The anti-mint crew thrashed around, desperately fleeing. Everyone looks like they're having fun.
Meanwhile, with me perched on her lap, Jeong Areum went through a stack of fan letters brought by her secretary, one by one, sharing her thoughts.
"Oh my, this person sent a letter last month too. Such a loyal fan~."
"This one sat in the front row three matches in a row. The placard designs are always different."
Every time she fanned herself and opened an envelope, the corners of her mouth lifted higher in delight. Emotions poured from her—warm, sweet, like castella cake. A pro wrestler who genuinely loves her fans and the love they send her. Mmm, a true pro. Pro wrestlers don't exist without fans, after all.
Then, upon reaching one letter—the air around Jeong Areum shifted.
The envelope itself had an oddly antique feel, standing out from the other fan mail. When she unfolded the paper, two short lines appeared.
Your clowning has reached pro level. Congratulations.
Next match, let's see how long that clowning of yours holds up.
A thick vein throbbed on Jeong Areum's forehead. Her grip crushed the fan so hard that one of the delicate ribs snapped with a crack.
"Th... that Lee Sehee...!"
Ah, from Lee Sehee, huh. No name on it, but she knew instantly—shows how much this drill-haired girl has her rival on the brain.
"That frozen tuna woman...! Got cocky after a sudden two-win streak!"
Jeong Areum shot to her feet, grinding her teeth. Her elegant speech barely held, but the emotions boiling underneath erupted like a volcano. Oof, spicy. Like chili oil ground from habaneros. Just two lines, but it must've hit a nerve.
Poor thing. Attachment humans bickering among themselves.
But that bit about Lee Sehee's recent two-win streak over Jeong Areum was surprising. Jeong Areum's memory shelf only stocked her own dominant record. Probably super recent, or too sore to remember on purpose.
The reason for the sudden streak? Probably thanks to the immortal jellyfish and tardigrade genes I gifted Lee Sehee.
Frustrating for Jeong Areum, sure, but in a way, things are finally fair now. Their matches were always Awakener vs. non-Awakener. Impressive that Lee Sehee even held a 3:7 win-loss ratio.
Though Lee Sehee herself probably doesn't care about fair or unfair. For her, only tomorrow—stronger than today—matters.
"I can't just sit here! I need to call my coach right now~!"
Jeong Areum looked ready to bolt to the training ground and hurl herself at the squat rack. Time for me to make myself scarce.
And anyway, it's about time to head back to Jenika.
I'd forgotten amid the Mirae Group drama show, but my real goal in helping Jeong Areum was separate: Repay the poor attachment alien sobbing under her blankets for her Vice Camo stock losses.
Before leaving, I took one last look around the gifted room. Crimson firelight danced on the mint chocolate fondue's surface, making the pale green ripples shimmer. The marshmallow stick tower loomed like a precarious mountain. The oversized sofa by the window was bigger and fluffier than two or three beds combined, topped with character cushions begging me to dive in.
What a room. Gotta come back soon to demolish those marshmallows.
I quickly stuffed a handful into my body subspace and tottered to the window. As I leaped into the air and out of the mansion, Jeong Areum's shout chased after me.
"Come visit anytime~! Our little Outer God is always welcome as our top guest~!"
Such a kind attachment human. Her snack-provisioning skills rank top-tier among all I've met. Purely on hospitality, she's unmatched. I like her. Gotta drop by often.
Hee hee.
......
Cracking open Jenika's door revealed the same scene from days ago. A round blanket burrito on the bed. Gold hair and gray tracksuit poking out. Intermittent sniffles leaking from within.
Sob. This attachment alien gets depressed way too easily. Some racial trait, maybe?
But—this gloom ends here. I strode over, grabbed the blanket edge, and yanked it skyward.
Thwack. The blanket flapped through the air and landed in the bed's corner.
"Kyaa!? G-! G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G