Episode 102: Party (3)
Before I knew it, the sun had completely set.
The guild leader’s private limousine came to a quiet stop in front of the main gate.
I was already standing there, dressed in a suit.
I opened the car door first.
“Let’s go.”
I let Kang Arin enter first. Given the nature of her attire—or perhaps for some other reason—it just felt like the right thing to do.
“Thank you.”
Kang Arin smiled faintly, lightly placing her hand on mine as she stepped in. There was an air of confidence in her movements.
After closing the door, I also took my seat in the back.
In the front passenger seat sat an elderly chauffeur with a white beard.
“We’ll be departing now.”
A quiet voice.
The limousine smoothly set off.
The destination was the top floor of Seoul Sky Tower.
A venue reserved by the Hero Association.
Beyond the window, the nightscape of Seoul unfolded.
A floating highway cutting through the city.
Neon signs lined up in the sky whizzed past.
This was indeed the same Seoul I had once lived in.
But the Seoul of this world was far more dazzling, far more glamorous.
“……”
I lost myself in thought.
As we neared our destination, the night view grew taller and wider.
***
A short while later.
The limousine came to a gentle stop on the private driveway of the top-floor terrace.
As the door opened, the soft sounds of classical music, dazzling lights, and quiet chatter spilled out.
The party venue was an extravagant space, occupying the entire top floor.
Most of the guests had already arrived, gathered in small groups as they mingled.
The moment we stepped out of the limousine—
Countless eyes turned toward us.
Naturally, the focus was on Kang Arin.
Her black dress shimmered faintly under the lights.
To anyone looking, she was unmistakably the star of the evening.
She stood silently beside me.
“……”
“……?”
A brief silence.
“Ahem.”
Kang Arin lightly cleared her throat.
Then, with a cautious motion, she reached toward my arm.
Her lips moved as though whispering a ventriloquist’s words.
In a hushed voice, she murmured:
“Give me your arm.”
“Won’t people mistake us for a couple?”
I didn’t mind the misunderstanding, but Kang Arin, as the heir, might have.
“It’s fine.”
Her reply was firm.
I let out a quiet sigh before slowly offering my arm.
Her soft fingers lightly wrapped around it.
“Good.”
Kang Arin nodded in satisfaction, smiling.
The night air drifting through the window was slightly chilly, but the warmth of her touch against my arm made it strangely comforting.
“Shall we go?”
Kang Arin spoke first.
With her arm linked in mine, she took the lead.
I nodded and followed her.
The interior of the party was far more luxurious than I had imagined.
Among the crowd were Hero Association officials in suits, guild executives in dazzling dresses, and representatives of foreign corporations and organizations whose affiliations were unclear.
They all smiled and conversed, yet—
Maintained a careful distance, subtly sizing each other up.
“Arin-nim!”
“You look absolutely stunning tonight.”
A few guests greeted her warmly as we passed by.
Kang Arin acknowledged each with a polite nod, responding with a flawless, practiced smile—never breaking her stride.
Then, she began guiding me slowly around the venue.
“That person over there is the Association Chairman. The core of Korea’s hero society.”
“That’s the leader of Mugung Guild. A rather conservative figure, so be cautious around him.”
She explained each one in a quiet but clear voice.
“Chairman, it’s been a while.”
“How have you been?”
She even led me to personally greet some of them.
Honestly, when she first insisted on bringing me to this party, I suspected she had ulterior motives.
But contrary to expectations, she remained fully committed to her stated goal—cultivating the abilities of a team leader.
Familiarizing myself with key figures was something I definitely needed.
I already knew their faces and titles, but meeting them in person was an entirely different experience.
One by one, she introduced me to the major players, diligently pulling me into the heart of the party.
For the next several dozen minutes, we circled the venue like that.
For me, it was simply a valuable opportunity.
Before long, the Association Chairman—the host of the party—began his speech.
“To all the pillars of Korea who have graced this occasion…”
It wasn’t entertaining.
Nor was it particularly enlightening.
Beside me, Kang Arin stared at the Association Chairman with sharp, attentive eyes.
This, too, seemed like part of the political game to her.
I quietly spoke to her.
“Thanks.”
At that, Kang Arin’s eyes widened slightly.
Then, unexpectedly, her face flushed, and she turned away.
“…For what?”
“Just… I haven’t really done anything for you. But you keep doing things for me.”
It was especially true with her.
Among the main characters, I’d done almost nothing for Kang Arin.
Whenever I thought about looking out for her, she was already handling everything on her own—too sharp, too capable.
But I wouldn’t make excuses.
If I’d really wanted to, I could’ve done anything for her.
“…You think you haven’t done anything?”
Kang Arin turned back to me.
Her bright red eyes locked onto mine.
She took a deep breath, then slowly spoke.
“Don’t say that.”
Her voice was deliberately restrained.
“You’re someone I’ve marked.”
She muttered under her breath.
“I’m the kind of person who… gives everything to my people.”
Her tone was firm.
She wasn’t wrong.
That was just who she was.
Then, after lowering her head slightly, she looked back up and added:
“Now, I’ll teach you. From the beginning… to the end. Without missing a single thing.”
Kang Arin grinned.
“So…”
She turned to face me fully.
“Be good to me.”
The corners of her lips curled playfully.
And then, with her arm still linked in mine, she leaned in—just a little, ever so carefully.
***
A woman in a navy-blue dress sat quietly at a rooftop table outside the party venue.
Just moments ago, she had exchanged polite greetings with numerous guests, offering elegant smiles dozens of times.
Now, in the brief lull after the Association Chairman’s speech, Yu Serin had slipped away to the rooftop.
She kicked off her high heels and tapped her bare feet against the chair legs.
“Heh.”
With a light laugh, she pulled two beer cans from her pocket.
She preferred cheap, familiar beer over fancy wine any day.
Her fingertips idly traced the condensation on the cans.
“So exhausting~”
Her lips were smiling, but her voice was drained.
This act…
She was getting sick of it.
Yu Serin.
Vice Guild Leader of Lotus—and, in practice, its de facto operational head.
Normally, she should’ve been back at the guild office by now, measuring and organizing student data.
She was the Vice Guild Leader. The head of scouting.
Events like these were usually the Guild Leader’s responsibility.
But.
“Shouldn’t the face of the guild be the one to go?”
The Guild Leader had disagreed.
In an instant, he had sidelined her from scouting duties.
“Have a good time.”
But Yu Serin was the type to flawlessly carry out any task assigned to her.
Even so.
The party wasn’t enjoyable.
For Yu Serin,
What truly brought her joy lay—
Beyond parties.
Beyond this stifling world.
In a place far clearer and brighter.
But now, the data and analysis of students visiting Lotus would no longer pass through her hands.
In place of her reports, someone else’s referrals would fill that space.
Skill didn’t matter.
Connections. Money. Favors.
And so,
Little by little,
The flower that was Lotus was rotting from within.
“Surpass the Guild Leader? Only students who want to be the best should come?”
What a joke.
“It’s been a while…”
Yu Serin rested her head quietly against the beer can.
“I won’t be going.”
As expected, Jung Haein had refused the interview.
Her secretary said they’d try again.
But Yu Serin shook her head.
From the start, not coming would have been the right choice.
When did things turn out like this?
Her position as the second-ranked felt like an illusion.
Yu Serin brought the beer can to her lips.
The cheap, bitter taste spread across her tongue and down her throat.
But—
At least this wasn’t fake.
—BANG!
“Ugh, damn it! I’m so pissed!!”
She finally exploded.
Kicking the chair in front of her, she downed the beer in one gulp.
Her insides were boiling.
For someone who rarely showed her emotions, this was an exceptionally rare sight.
But then—
—CREAK!
“Pfft—!”
The rooftop door swung open violently.
The sudden gust of wind caused Yu Serin to spit out the beer she had just sipped.
“Wow, I almost suffocated in there.”
Yu Serin hurriedly slipped on her high heels and straightened her appearance.
Even now, she couldn’t stand how reflexively she was tidying herself up.
Then she lifted her head.
And there, standing before her, was the very man she had been looking for.
His tie was half undone.
Their eyes met as he adjusted his suit jacket, catching his breath.
Jung Haein.
“Huh?”
She wasn’t the only one surprised.
Jung Haein also froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
“…Didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
He scratched his head awkwardly and laughed.
For a brief moment, he seemed unsure how to react to the scene before him.
Jung Haein took in Yu Serin’s appearance.
A half-worn high heel.
The hem of her dress slipping past her knees.
A cheap beer can in her hand.
And the overturned chair.
It was obvious something had happened.
He’d just come up for some air—he hadn’t expected this.
“J-Just a second…!”
Yu Serin reflexively set the beer can down on the table and hastily put on her other heel.
She tried to smooth out her dress but ended up swallowing hard instead.
‘Of all times…’
A beautiful face, immaculate attire, calculated speech—
That was her default setting.
But right now, everything was a mess.
She never should have met him like this.
Elegance. Poise.
That was how someone like him deserved to be treated.
Where the hell had he even come from?
She hadn’t even seen him at the party.
Of course not.
Kang Arin had made sure to keep Jung Haein far away from Yu Serin.
It was Kang Arin’s intuition.
A woman’s intuition that these two absolutely shouldn’t meet.
But despite her efforts, they’d crossed paths anyway.
Yu Serin’s mind was in chaos.
'Damn it, if I wasn’t going to see him at the party, couldn’t he have shown up before I started yelling?'
She could’ve at least played the mysterious, beautiful vice guild leader on the rooftop…
Now it was completely ruined.
Muttering curses under her breath, she reached out to steady the fallen chair—
But Jung Haein was already striding toward her.
—FSSHT!
The untouched beer can on the table cracked open.
Not by her delicate hands, but by his large, firm ones.
Jung Haein.
Holding the can in one hand, he righted the chair with the other and spoke.
“That interview I turned down earlier.”
His tone was calm, but there was no hesitation.
He nudged the chair toward her before plopping down comfortably.
Then, after taking a sip of beer, he tilted the corner of his lips and said:
“Should we do it now?”
That one sentence made Yu Serin’s breath hitch.
She had always lived within a carefully constructed frame—and she was ashamed of the version of herself that existed outside of it.
But Jung Haein?
He didn’t care about any of that.
“Just three questions. Quick and simple.”
Appearances. Atmosphere. Formality.
None of it mattered to him.