âUrghhhhhhhhhâ
Starting from the waist, his entire body was aching along with a throbbing headache. At the sense of resilience that followed with the hangover, he forced himself out of the bed and looked down.
Scratches and teeth marks all over the body. He was horrified at the thought that if only a little more force was put, he wouldâve been flunked out like these marks.
âItâs so hardâ¦â¦ I canâtâ
He sipped water from a bottle beside and threw a cigarette between his lips.
Flick!
Smoke circulated faintly and when he looked around, he found a small piece of folded paper on the tabletop beside the bed.
When he opened it, elegant cursive handwriting appeared and he read it carefully.
[Since Iâve prepared all the funds you need, please use it as you wish. Weâve also got an S-class dungeon attack scheduled, you might love to witness it so please come. Looking forward to it.]
âLooking forward my assâ¦â¦â
Wrecking a person like this and wanting to meet again?
Though he got chills at that, he had no reason to refuse. No matter what, he was called because she wanted to meet him.
After his cigarette was all burned up, he left the bedroom after changing to new clothes that Ahn Seol-ah bought for him instead of the torn ones from yesterday.
A living room as wide as one at a palace. He walked towards the front door clicking his tongue after realizing the gap between S-class hunters and wealth.
âTadaa~â
Someone hugged him from the back.
ââ¦â¦â¦ Didnât you leave first?â
âHuhu. I was curious about your reaction if I had left first. Though it was a little rough-mouthedâ¦. itâs still a pass~â
He got chills down his spine at Ahn Seol-ha who was patting his body with one hand and poking his cheek with the other.
âThis bitchâ¦â¦â
Would she have heard him swearing from the inside? He felt her fingers patting his wounds on the body and winced at the slightly stinging sensation.
And what felt so good about it that Ahn Seol-ha was laughing like that and staring at him from top to bottom while standing opposite him.
âHmm~ Indeed this kind of style suits you more. Hereafter, please wear like this when you come to meet me.â
âYouâre going to tear it anyway.â
âThatâs because I was quite excited yesterday. I wonât e tearing it next time, so please donât worry about it.â
There hasnât been a time it didnât tear after she says so.
Since she wasnât going to keep her promise anyway, he didnât take it to his head. Ahn Seol-ha approached forward and hugged him while resting her chin on his shoulder.
âAndâ¦â¦ I have something to ask from you.â
âWhat is it this time?â
âThe S-class dungeon youâre going to this time. Letâs go together.â
His body turned stiff at Ahn Seol-haâs words. An S-class dungeon is a place youâd go crazy at even the basic surrounding of it.
And going to such a place with a person who isnât any different from a psycho? Heâd be swept to death by the surrounding, let alone monsters.
âYouâre kidding, arenât you?â
âIâm serious. This one isâ¦â¦ quite tricky. I need someone smart than someone with excellent skills.
âArenât there so many in the guild? Whyâd you want to take such a costly moron with you?â
âYouâre at it again! Iâm telling you that youâre good enough!â
Ahn Seol-ha smiled slightly and whispered in his ear.
âAnyways itâs a request. Once itâs over Iâll find that for you. The thing I told you about before.â
ââ¦â¦â¦â¦..â
Though she asks for the same thing always, she certainly gives the reward of it. Perhaps this skill is good enough to lead Monday-Tuesday and be the vice president of the 1000-day guild.
âSure, sure. I get it. Iâll do-â¦â¦.â
Slam!
He was pushed onto the wall even before he finished the sentence and he could see Ahn Seol-ahâs pale hand slammed right beside his face.
Wondering if this is whatâs happening, he looked ahead to find a pair of eyes staring at him quite dangerously.
âI thought you had to leave for work.â
âIt got delayed right now.â
ââ¦â¦.. by how many minutes?â
â3 hours.â
His eyes trembled at Ahn Seol-haâs words and he muttered desperately.
âLetâs go easyâ¦â¦â¦â
***
âUrghhhhhhhâ
Kang Yoo-sik who woke up in the passenger seat frowned slightly.
Why did he have to recall that as a dream out of all? Though it happened in the past, his entire body felt stiff for no reason.
âI need to be careful this time.â
Though he thought itâd be lesser this time since unlike back then, he wasnât injured and has better stats too, the opponent was a close-knit S-class hunter.
More like thereâs a bigger possibility that itâs going to be rougher without any force control since itâs non-committal. And there was no need to need to build such a relationship too.
âBack then since I met her with a subcontracting feelingâ¦.â
Though heâs lacking compared to Ahn Seol-ha even now, he didnât feel any inferiority. So, this time he has to maintain a business relationship with moderation.
That was the strangest relationship Kang Yoo-sik was thinking of with Ahn Seol-ha.
âToday is important.â
When Kang Yoo-sik was lost in thoughts, the car stopped and Lee Hyun-chang spoke cautiously.
âWeâve arrived.â
âAh, thank you. Also, I told you that you can talk comfortably with me, didnât I?â
âUhm. When itâs just us twoâ¦â¦ I feel this is comfortable soâ¦â¦â
Lee Hyun-chang became polite after his debt rose and changed to A-grade. Though the sign that he was afraid was still there, there were lesser attempts to escape.
âShould I just hire you as the driver in the future?â
At the look of it, it was not like he couldnât fight, but he couldnât tell if heâd be of any help.
Kang Yoo-sik chuckled at Lee Hyun-chang who gave it a thought while staring and sneakily avoided his eyes.
âIâll call you when Iâm going back again.â
âSure.â
After sending away Lee Hyun-chang. Kang Yoo-sik entered the dazzling New Sky Building and got into the elevator, pressing the button to go to the top floor lounge.
The elevator reached the top floor in the blink of an eye, and the doors opened to a fancy lounge ornate with a white marble floor.
An entrance to a special floor where only VIPs can come and go. As it was a place Kang Yoo-sik visited several times before regression, he walked towards the familiar information desk.
âIâm Kang Yoo-sik whoâs here at the invitation of Ms. Ahn Seol-ha.â
âPlease wait a moment.â
The staff at the desk nodded and passed on the message through a certain radio and a moment later, another staff approached.
âPlease come this way.â
Kang Yoo-sik followed the staff and went inside to enter a restaurant situated on the special floor.
A restaurant with subtle lighting and huge windows overlooking the night view.
Though there were many other guests as well. Perhaps because they had some kind of power too that their outfits looked quite fancy.
âShould I have worn something a little bit expensive too?â
A black dress shirt and suit pants of Ahn Seol-haâs taste and a moderately medium-low price. Though itâs not bad, it was a perfect one to get ignored for wearing cheap.
Was it because of that? He could feel all eyes on him and his sensitive hearing caught the whispering from here and there.
âIâve seen him somewhereâ¦. No way, is that Kang Yoo-sik?â
âHuh. He became a VIP at that ageâ¦.?â
âIâm certain he could be so at that age. But still, itâs amazing.â
âLooks like a very different kind of spirit. He could give off such a vibe while still being a cadetâ¦.?â
ââ¦â¦â¦â
Kang Yoo-sik gave a sour expression at the assessments coming from here and there. Since he was ignored before the regression, he thought itâd be the same this time too, but it was the total opposite.
âI mean, though Iâm known for something good this time unlike before the regressionâ¦â¦â
He didnât expect it to be this far apart from back then!
While Kang Yoo-sik was giving a dazed look, Ahn Seol-ha who had already arrived and sat by the familiar window seat, waved her hand at him.
âOver here~â
She wore a black dress with a white jacket sitting on her shoulder. Wondering what makes her smile so much, Kang Yoo-sik felt a tingling sensation and sat on the opposite seat.
âIâm a bit late, arenât I?â
âNope. You came right on time.â
As Ahn Seol-ha smiled and looked at Kang Yoo-sikâs outfit, her eyes were slightly sparkling.
âThe outfit, did you pick it?â
âYes. Is it okay?â
âItâs nice. It suits you. Reallyâ¦.â
At Ahn Seol-haâs muttering as if appetizing, Kang Yoo-sik thanked her while pretending not to hear and looked towards the window beside.
Lights that illuminate the heart of the city. And the huge crevices that are alienating inside the walls beyond it.
Kang Yoo-sik looked vacantly at the sight of the gate thatâs illuminating even more mysteriously thanks to the huge lights in the surrounding.
âItâs pretty, isnât it?â
Ahn Seol-ha asked while smiling to which Kang Yoo-sik nodded.
âYes. It has an amazing charm.â
âIâm glad you like it. Many people hate this seat because they can see just the gate so clearly.â
In reality, it was Ahn Seol-haâs favorite spot even before the regression.
Thatâs because Ahn Seol-ha had so much interest to a point she supported research on it when most people are reluctant about the gate.
âThanks to that, the 1000-day guild was a master in that topic.â
It was the 1000-day guild that pushed the gate research department to the very end, which had been neglected in other places due to lack of performance, and thanks to that, it became a guild that was known more to this area.
It was to a point that if someone said that the 1000-day guild will be interfering with an attack, it will be known that they will be the ones getting attacked. Therefore, thereâs no need for more explanation on their fame.
âIâve been having this feeling for a while like you truly get along with me. Should I put it as a feeling as if Iâm seeing my longtime loverâ¦â¦?â
âI-, Is that so? Thatâs quite interesting.â
ââ¦â¦ You just thought I was kidding, werenât you? I was talking sincerely though?â
Kang Yoo-sikâs eyes quivered looking at Ahn Seol-ha sulking. As if he doesnât know that itâs sincere. He was just scared because he knew that.
âNever mind. Though itâs very sudden, it can be burdensome too. Iâll just stop at that for now.â
âUhm, thank you.â
âThen, letâs get to eating, shall we?â
Ahn Seol-ha gave a smile and called the staff to place the order and a moment later, the course meal arrived one after the other.
The food standards were just as excellent before his regression and the non-alcoholic champagne they had together was good too, but he was slightly creeped out when they received the one with alcohol at first.
âItâs probably a mistakeâ¦â¦ isnât it?â
Once they finished their meals after such twists & turns. Both of them moved to the lounge on the 2nd floor through the stairway connected to the restaurant.
This time they sat on an outdoor terrace but it was a peculiar feeling again when they sat in a place overlooking the gate.
Whoooshâ
Mana thatâs slightly circulating though it was just an ordinary wind. Kang Yoo-sik looked at the gate with a strange expression at the feeling he couldnât feel before the regression.
âIs it because of the cognitive maximizationâ¦â¦.. It feels so strange.â
If itâs like this from this far away, what would happen if he goes close to it. When Kang Yoo-sik was looking amazed, Ahn Seol-ha smiled from beside.
âA while ago, I thought that you were just trying pretending for meâ¦â¦ but it looks like you seriously like it.â
âItâs because Iâm feeling many things. Indeed, thereâs a difference between learning by studying and seeing it for myself, isnât it?â
âEverything is like that, right? You wouldnât know anything until you experience it yourself. Be it a thing, or a person.â
Ahn Seol-ha twisted the corners of her lips and sipped her cocktail. Though it was something that had several meanings, Kang Yoo-sik didnât question any of them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was because he hated to get deep into it, and also because he kind of knew what kind of person Ahn Seol-ha was before his regression.
âIs it time alreadyâ¦â
Kang Yoo-sik lowered his head when he felt like it was the right time.
âIâm sorry for what happened last time. No matter how urgent, I shouldnât have used Ms. Ahn S-â¦..â
âAhn Seol-ha. Miss is too formal.â
âYou, Ahn Seol-haâs favor like that. Iâm very sorry.â
Ahn Seol-ha stared at the sight of Kang Yoo-sikâs apology and raised her hand giving a tap on his nose.
âItâs bad to give a serious apology like that in such a good ambiance.â
âBut still, I wanted to make sure to say it.â
Honestly, he apologized at that time since it was a moment that was most efficient, but it was good to be showing just his innocent side for now.
Ahn Seol-ha chuckled at Kang Yoo-sik and replied while sipping her cocktail.
âItâs alright. Anyways, I did that to help you expand your connections and maybe I could have benefited out of it too you know. Wonât you even let that happen when weâre supposedly being a mutual aid?â
âIâm glad you think that way.â
âOf course, itâd be that way in public, but privately I still canât forgive you. You donât know how much I was anticipating that dayâ¦â¦..â
Looking at Ahn Seol-haâs sulky expression, Kang Yoo-sik asked again realizing that it was the time to initiate a negotiation.
âWhat can I do to make you feel better?â
âHmmâ¦â¦..â
Ahn Seol-ha thought for a moment and smiled as if she thought of something good.
âAt the end of July, thereâs a party where many influential people from each guild gather regularly. It just happens that I needed a partner for itâ¦.. What do you think?â
âA partyâ¦.â
Heâs familiar with this one too since he has attended a few of them with Ahn Seol-ha before his regression.
Just that back then, he saw several things he hasnât seen before, but he doesnât know if it would be okay this time.
âAnd if itâs going to be influential people, itâs not bad to go and get to know them, right.â
Perhaps Ahn Seol-ha recommended that considering all of them too. Kang Yoo-sik nodded as he had no reason to refuse.
âSure. Then Iâll go together with you.â
âHuhu. Great. In case you break this promise too, Iâll get mad for real this time okay?â
âPlease donât wo-â¦â¦..â
Right when Kang Yoo-sik was about to answer confidently. The door to the terrace opened and the sound of footsteps heading towards this way was heard.
If it was just that, he wouldâve ignored it, but it was specifically approaching his way.
At that clear feeling, Kang Yoo-sik turned his head and looked at the figure approaching them.
A fine suit in that fair face that anyone would mistake for a model. And fierce eyes looking his way.
Kang Yoo-sik was surprised at the familiar face while the guy scanned him with his eyes and frowned.
âIs he that bastard you meet so often?â
A guy who doesnât show emotions outright to a stranger. At that, Kang Yoo-sik looked at the memory map that popped up beside him.
(Noblesse Guild) (Ahn Seol-haâs fiancé) (Sponsor of the Enhanced Human Plan)
He was the successor of the Noblesse Guild which is still powerful as ever, though it descended from the Worldâs Top 10 Guilds. And Ahn Seol-haâs future fiancé.
âThis guy had been like that ever sinceâ¦.â
And the one who introduced him to Ahn Seol-ha before the regression.