Chapter 102: Party (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102: Party (3)
Before I knew it, the sun had completely set.
The Maengju's private limousine pulled to a silent stop in front of the main gate.
I was already standing there, dressed in a suit.
I opened the car door first.
"After you."
I let Kang A-rin get in first.
Perhaps it was because of her dress, but for some reason, it just felt like the right thing to do.
"Thank you."
Kang A-rin smiled, lightly placing her hand on mine as she climbed in.
Her movements were filled with a natural confidence.
I closed the door and got into the back seat as well.
A white-bearded knight was sitting in the driver's seat.
"We're departing."
His voice was quiet.
The limousine pulled away smoothly.
Our destination: the top floor of the Seoul Sky Tower.
The venue had been rented out by the Hero Association.
The nightscape of Seoul unfolded beyond the car window.
The Floating Stone Highway cut across the city center.
Rows of glowing signs, suspended in the air, flashed past.
It was definitely the Seoul I used to live in.
But the Seoul of this world was far brighter, far more dazzling.
“...”
I was lost in the view.
As we neared our destination, the night view grew higher and wider.
*
A short while later.
The limousine came to a gentle stop on a private roadway on the top-floor terrace.
When the door opened, the faint sound of classical music, brilliant lights, and the quiet hum of conversation drifted out.
The party was an extravagant affair, occupying the entire top floor.
Most of the guests had already arrived and were gathered in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.
As we stepped out of the limousine.
Countless eyes turned in our direction.
The center of attention was, of course, Kang A-rin.
Her black dress shimmered faintly under the lights.
Anyone could see she was the star of the evening.
She stood beside me without a word.
“...”
“...?”
A moment of silence.
"Ahem."
Kang A-rin cleared her throat lightly.
Then, with a very deliberate motion, she reached for my arm.
Her lips barely moved, almost as if she were a ventriloquist.
She whispered in a small voice.
"Your arm. Give it here."
"What if people mistake us for a couple?"
I didn't mind if they did, but for Kang A-rin, the successor, it was a different story.
"That's fine."
She answered firmly.
I sighed and slowly offered her my arm.
Her soft fingertips wrapped lightly around my arm.
"Good."
Kang A-rin nodded, smiling in satisfaction.
The night air drifting in through the windows was surprisingly cool, but perhaps because I could feel her warmth through my arm, it felt strangely warm.
"Shall we?"
Kang A-rin said.
With her arm linked through mine, she took the first step forward.
I nodded and followed her.
The inside of the venue was even more glamorous than I had expected.
Mingling about were Association officials in suits, guild affiliates in dazzling dresses, and even representatives from mysterious foreign corporations and organizations.
They were all smiling and talking.
But everyone was sizing each other up from a safe distance.
"Lady A-rin!"
"You look so beautiful today."
A few passing dignitaries greeted her warmly.
Kang A-rin gave each of them a polite nod, responding with a formal yet flawless smile.
Even so, she didn't stop walking.
Instead, she began to slowly guide me around the party.
"That person over there is the Association President. The center of South Korea's hero society."
"Over there is the Mu-gung Guild Leader. He's quite conservative, so you need to be careful."
She pointed them out one by one, her voice quiet yet clear.
"Mr. President, it's been a while."
"I hope you've been well."
She even went up to them and had me introduce myself.
To be honest, when she first asked me to come to the party, I thought she had some ulterior motive.
But contrary to my expectations, she was faithfully committed to the goal of 'cultivating the team leader's abilities.'
This time to familiarize myself with the key figures was something I definitely needed.
I already knew their faces and titles, but meeting them in person like this was a completely different matter.
She diligently introduced me to the key figures one after another, steadily drawing me into the center of the party.
And so, we spent the next half hour or so making the rounds.
For me, it was simply a good opportunity.
Soon after, the host of the party, the Association President, began his speech.
"To the pillars of South Korea who have graced us with your presence..."
It wasn't interesting.
Nor was it particularly informative.
Beside me, Kang A-rin watched the President with bright, attentive eyes.
She seemed to think that this, too, was a part of politics.
I spoke quietly to her.
"Thank you."
At my words, her eyes widened slightly.
Then, unexpectedly, she blushed and turned her head away.
"...For what."
"It's just... I haven't really done anything for you, but you're always doing things for me."
It was especially true in her case.
Among the main characters, there was almost nothing I had done for Kang A-rin.
Whenever I tried to help her with something, she was always fine on her own—too capable, in fact.
But I won't make excuses.
If I had really wanted to, I could have done anything for her.
"...Done nothing for me?"
Kang A-rin turned her head back.
Her wide, red eyes met mine directly.
She took a deep breath, then slowly opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't say that."
Her voice was strained, as if she were holding something back.
"You're the one I chose."
Kang A-rin murmured.
"And I'm the type to give everything... to my people."
She said in a firm tone.
She was right.
That was her personality.
And then, she lowered her head for a moment before looking up again.
"From now on, I'll be the one to teach you. From the beginning... to the end. Everything, without missing a single thing."
Kang A-rin grinned.
"So..."
She turned her head to look at me.
"Treat me well."
The corners of her mouth turned up playfully.
Then, with her arm still linked in mine, she leaned against me slightly, very gently.
*
A woman in a navy blue dress sat quietly at a table on the rooftop, just outside the party.
Just moments before, she had been exchanging greetings with various dignitaries, offering up a polite and elegant smile dozens of times.
A brief lull came after the Association President's speech ended.
Yu Serin had quietly slipped away to the rooftop.
She kicked off her high heels and tapped her bare feet against the leg of a chair.
"Hee."
With a light laugh, she pulled two cans of beer from her pocket.
She preferred cheap, familiar beer to fancy wine.
Her fingertips idly traced the condensation on the beer can.
"So tiring~"
The corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile, but her voice was weary.
This whole act.
She was getting sick of it.
Yu Serin.
The Sub-Guild Leader of Lotus and, for all intents and purposes, its acting manager.
Normally, she would be back at the guild headquarters right now, measuring and organizing student data.
She was the Sub-Guild Master. She was in charge of scouting.
Events and parties like this were usually the Guild Leader's responsibility.
However.
'The face of the guild should go, right?'
That's what Maengju had said.
He had swiftly excluded her from her scouting duties.
'Have a good time.'
But she was the type to perfectly carry out any new mission she was given.
Even so.
The party wasn't much fun.
Yu Serin.
The things she enjoyed were usually...
Beyond the party.
Beyond this dreary world.
In a world that was a little clearer, a little more vivid.
But now, the data and analysis of the students visiting Lotus no longer passed through her hands.
Instead of her reports, letters of introduction from someone else would take their place.
Ability was secondary.
Connections. Money. Strings.
And just like that.
The flower known as Lotus was slowly beginning to rot.
Surpass Maengju? Only students who want to be the best should come?
It was laughable.
"No wonder he wouldn't come..."
Yu Serin quietly rested her head against the beer can.
'I'm not going.'
As expected, Jung Hae-in had refused the interview.
Her secretary had offered to ask again.
But Yu Serin had shaken her head.
Not coming was the right answer in the first place.
When did things get like this?
Her position as number two felt like an illusion.
Yu Serin brought the beer can to her lips.
The flat, cheap taste slid over her tongue and down her throat.
But.
At least this wasn't fake.
– Crash!
"Agh, seriously! This is so frustrating!!"
She finally exploded.
Kicking the chair in front of her, she chugged the beer in one go.
She was seething inside.
For someone who rarely showed her emotions, it was an even more unusual sight.
But just then.
– Creeak!
"Pfft!"
The rooftop door swung open violently.
Startled, Yu Serin spat out the mouthful of beer she'd just taken.
"Whoa, it was so stuffy in there I thought I was going to die."
Yu Serin hurriedly put on her high heels and straightened her appearance.
She was sick of herself for tidying her appearance even in a moment like this.
She looked up.
And there, to her surprise, stood the very man she had been looking for.
His tie was half-loosened.
Her eyes met with the man who was catching his breath, the top button of his suit undone.
Jung Hae-in.
"Huh?"
She wasn't the only one who was surprised.
Jung Hae-in also froze, at a loss for words.
"...I didn't think anyone would be out here."
He scratched his head briefly and gave an awkward laugh.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his face as he tried to figure out how to react to the scene before him.
Yu Serin's appearance came into Jung Hae-in's view.
Her half-worn high heels.
The hem of her dress, which had slipped down around her knees.
The cheap beer can in her hand.
And the toppled chair.
It was obvious there was a story behind it all.
He'd just come up for a breather, and this was the scene he'd walked into.
"W-Wait a moment...!"
Yu Serin reflexively set the beer can on the table and hurriedly slipped on her other high heel.
She paused in the middle of straightening her dress and swallowed once.
'Of all the times...'
A beautiful face, immaculate attire, calculated words and actions.
That was her default setting.
But right now, everything was a mess.
She absolutely could not have met that student in a situation like this.
An elegant, composed atmosphere.
He was a talent who deserved to be treated with such respect.
Where on earth did he come from?
Yu Serin hadn't even seen his face at the party.
And for good reason.
Kang A-rin had been careful to keep Jung Hae-in far away from Yu Serin.
It was Kang A-rin's intuition.
A woman's intuition, you could call it, telling her that the two of them should never meet.
But despite Kang A-rin's efforts, they had met after all.
Yu Serin's mind was a jumble.
No, if she wasn't going to see him at the party, he could have at least shown up before she started screaming.
She could have at least played the part of the beautiful Sub-Guild Master on the rooftop, creating a mysterious atmosphere...
It was a complete disaster.
Cursing inwardly, she awkwardly reached for the fallen chair.
But before she could, Jung Hae-in strode toward her.
– Pshht.
The untouched beer can on the table was opened.
Not by a delicate hand, but by the large, firm hand of a man.
Jung Hae-in.
He held the can in one hand, and with the other, he righted the fallen chair and spoke.
"That interview I turned down today."
His tone was calm, but there was no hesitation.
He turned the chair slightly toward Yu Serin, then plopped down comfortably.
He took a sip of beer.
Then, with a slight smile, he said.
"How about we do it now?"
At those words, Yu Serin felt her breath catch in her throat.
She had always lived by a certain code, and she was ashamed of herself for breaking it.
But Jung Hae-in.
He was someone who didn't care about any of that.
"Just three questions, quick."
Appearance, atmosphere, even formalities.
He didn't seem to think any of it was important.