Chapter 96: A Single "Drop" of Concentrate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: A Single "Drop" of Concentrate
'Melanie is still nowhere to be seen.'
When I checked the guestbook, Melanie’s name was written there in plain sight.
But the fact that she wasn't visible meant that, given her personality, she clearly didn't enjoy these kinds of gatherings.
'It makes sense that she’s bored since she hasn't run into me yet.'
How could anyone enjoy a party properly without Kim Min-su, the ultimate life of the party?
My heart was filled with the sweet desire to find her as soon as possible, sit by her side, and soothe her boredom.
Of course, it would be rude in its own right to fail to enjoy the party just because I was busy looking for her.
Kim Min-su looked around, searching for the most beautiful woman he could find.
'Just in case, for later... if by some one-in-a-million chance I need to make Melanie jealous.'
Since he was wearing a mask, she certainly wouldn't recognize him, but it might actually be better if she felt jealous in that state.
What if she found out that the mysterious stranger was actually the Indomitable Hero, Kim Min-su?
What if she saw another side of Kim Min-su—the mega-celebrity cadet who had cleared two S-Class Gates despite his student status—in a social setting?
Any woman would be bound to fall head over heels.
In the past, he would have been too passive and overthink things to come up with such an idea.
This was all thanks to the Pure Love Diary Writer.
'But the way people are looking at me has changed strangely since a moment ago.'
Just a few minutes ago, the women looking at him couldn't even meet his eyes, casting them down in bashfulness.
But now, they were holding their heads high, staring as if they wanted to catch even one more glimpse of him.
'Have they finally gotten over their shyness?'
I suppose the aura radiating from me can't be hidden, even behind a mask.
Min-su chuckled and rubbed under his nose over the mask.
Looking around, it wasn't just a few people; every woman in the vicinity was in the same state.
They were staring with their heads tilted up as if possessed, to the point where he could guess what expressions were behind their masks.
Since it wasn't the way of a gentleman to reject women who came flocking to him, Min-su opened his mouth.
"Now, now, ladies. I'm always open, so feel free to talk to me anytime..."
"Excuse me, are you with the person behind you?"
"Pardon?"
At the words of a woman who cut him off mid-sentence, Min-su turned around.
Flashy blond hair and bronzed skin.
He had a muscular physique that was rare even among Awakeners.
A body that looked solid and powerful, like a professional bodybuilder's.
Judging by his height, build, and dyed hair, he was likely a foreign Hunter.
'They weren't looking at me?'
Only then did Min-su clearly perceive the eyes of the masked women.
His face flushed hot in an instant.
It was a relief he was wearing a mask; otherwise, he would have been utterly humiliated.
Min-su calmly took two steps back and pressed his body against the man behind him.
It was a ploy to look as close as possible.
Normally, he would have naturally linked arms, but the difference in shoulder height was too great for that.
"Ah, well..."
He just needed to say they were together, but he felt strangely self-conscious.
'I need to answer quickly so this woman doesn't leave.'
Just then, a voice naturally drifted from behind him.
A thick bass with a heavy resonance that sounded like it was echoing in a cave.
"Yes, that's right. We're together."
It reminded him of Baek Tae-yang, but it was a bit lower and more serious.
'He's Korean.'
Min-su felt a sense of kinship, and the blond man suddenly felt a bit more familiar.
Moreover, the man had even played along with such a cool response, saving him from a potentially awkward situation.
Min-su reflected on his own attitude for a moment, regretting that he had compared the man to Baek Tae-yang.
"Wow, then since there are two of us as well, would you like to have a drink together? If your friend is uncomfortable, just you coming along would be fine..."
The woman who spoke immediately clung to the blond man and began an aggressive approach.
Her voluptuous body, dressed in a low-cut T-shirt and short hot pants, stuck to the blond man like glue.
Min-su stared intently at her cleavage and gulped.
"No. I'm going too, so you don't have to worry about me. Lay-ree."
"Ah... yes..."
That was incredibly cool just now.
Especially the skill of not saying "Lady" clearly, but letting the end of the word trail off as "Lay-ree"!
Min-su sent infinite silent thanks to the Pure Love Diary Writer who had taught him all of this.
The woman seemed impressed as well, as she kept exchanging glances with her friend and checking him out from the corner of her eye.
Presumably, both of them had fallen for him and were deciding who wanted to be with him.
'The little cuties... how sly.'
Min-su gave the blond man a very light nudge in the ribs with his elbow and sent him a wink.
Wink.
He hadn't realized social parties were this much fun.
'I'm going to come every time one is held from now on.'
Min-su made that vow and focused on the conversation again.
"Then shall we go to our table?"
"I think that sounds good."
"No, well... not that person, but here... what should I call you?"
"Since I'm wearing a mask, revealing my name is a bit..."
"Oh, right! Oh, look at me. I completely forgot. Then, your age...?"
"Twenty-seven."
"Heol, no way! You look so young. Can I call you Oppa? I can, right, Oppa?"
"It sounds like you're already calling me that."
"Ahn~ I wanna call you Oppaaa~"
"Call me whatever's comfortable, then."
There was only one reason the women were only asking the blond man questions.
'They're probably too shy to ask me directly.'
In the first place, when they approached, they must have asked if he had a companion because they wanted to sit with him.
Since they were too shy to talk to him alone, they wanted to handle it as a pair.
Having had a timid past himself, he understood that feeling all too well.
In times like this, one had to step up and break the ice.
Min-su squeezed in between the blond man and the woman.
His sweet baritone joined the fray.
"I am twenty. Lay-rees."
"Ah... I see. Right, right."
The flow of conversation wasn't bad, and the banter was going perfectly.
Min-su sent a silent apology to Melanie and changed his plan to enjoy himself intensely with these women for a while.
'I was only going to use this as a warm-up, but man... they're really hanging on my every word.'
Right now, they might be crazy for the blond man and pressing their breasts against him, but it was only a matter of time.
Once they exchanged a few more words, they would surely be clinging to him and acting cute!
"Then, instead of standing here talking, how about we head to a table? I've already secured a spot. Allow me to escort you. Huhut."
"Ah... yes... well... um... what do you think, Oppa?"
"I think that would be good too. Let's sit down and talk."
"If Oppa likes it, I like it too, hehe..."
"Me too... actually, I was going to be the one to talk first, but I lost at rock-paper-scissors..."
"Oppa, don't believe her, she's lying."
"Haha, then shall we head to the table first? Will you lead the way?"
"Of course. By the way, what are your aliases? I've decided on 'Darkness Warrior.' You can just call me Warrior."
This is it. It's working.
Min-su clapped inwardly and started walking to lead them to the table.
'There aren't many people who wouldn't be blown away by the name Darkness Warrior.'
For the record, this was an alias he had spent days and nights agonizing over.
It was a good thing he had prepared in advance for the possibility of operating under a secret identity.
Since it was a masked party where using real names could be problematic, an alias was essential.
In times like this, a cool alias was bound to shine.
"Ah... I see... I'm Yujin."
"Right, right... you can call me Min-jeong."
"Please call me Tae-ok."
"Oppa, even your alias is so cool."
"I thought so too, Oppa."
Wait, no compliments for my alias?
Is it because it's at the level of a phoenix, something ordinary people find hard to grasp?
Min-su pushed his disappointment aside and sat in the seat closest to the food as soon as they reached the table.
Since it was shared food and the quantity was limited, the one who ate the most was the winner.
'Tae-ok, was it? Even if you're acting all high and mighty because of your looks right now, you're no match for me and my strategies.'
It was now time for Kim Min-su, the King of the Drinking Table, to reveal himself.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Exactly thirty minutes after the drinking session began at the table Kim Min-su had led them to.
"But, uh... Yujin-ssi and Min-jeong-ssi, what are your sex fantasies?"
"Pardon? What did you say?"
"I didn't mishear that, did I?"
"Yeah, sex-fans. You know, like fetishes and stuff. Isn't this the kind of stuff people talk about for fun when they're drinking?"
Every word out of Min-su's mouth froze the air and shattered the atmosphere.
"Warrior-ssi, you seem a bit drunk... why don't you go get some fresh air for a moment?"
"Ahyee, seriously, look here, Tae-ok-ssi. I've been putting up with you for a while now, but really, hic! I can't tell you who I am... but if you knew, you'd be shocked. Honestly, just being here with me might be a huge honor for you. Want me to tell you? Should I tell you? Ehehe, I'm not gonna tell you~"
Min-su was clearly having the time of his life, pointing his finger here and there while amusing himself by playing a guessing game with his own identity.
There were four people at the table, but only one voice was laughing and shouting.
Min-su was the god of the drinking table, but in a very different sense.
'This is getting difficult.'
I was going to play along and act as a wingman to lead him to Melanie.
But I've unexpectedly ended up having to babysit a drunkard.
'I can't have that.'
I was going to let it slide out of pity for our past acquaintance, but this crossed the line.
"Hey."
"Heyy? Tae-ok-ssi, did you just call me 'hey'? Seriously, if you knew who I was, you'd be the most surprised of all, ha..."
A harsh lesson was inevitable.