Chapter 977

‘I had considered the possibility of contact through personal contact details, but they reached out using a press club account.’

Since I was a student reporter for the press club, I had publicly available contact information for tips or corrections.

This account was set up for legitimate journalistic purposes, but in reality, proper tips were rare.

Usually, the messages I received were advertisements or offers, and occasionally there were messages that seemed to praise the Unknown Rising Star or words of encouragement recently.

However, the message I received this time was quite different from any I had received through the press club account.

‘They openly revealed their name, affiliation, and even mentioned that they are one of the representatives of the Japanese team. I didn’t expect that.’

The message was entirely in Korean, and the greeting and self-introduction were so polite that they could be used as an example in an etiquette textbook.

The respectful request was to meet in person to talk.

The reason given was that, with the upcoming Korea-China-Japan exchange competition, they were intrigued by the Unknown Rising Star who had recently received their hearing at a faster rate than others of their age, and they wanted personal interaction.

“Hm, as expected, they used the name of someone who isn’t from the Hojo family to make contact.”

Of course, that was to be expected.

If things got bad, it would be easier to cut them off, but I couldn’t just present my tail as an offering instead of my head.

Anyway, since I had stirred things up by spreading that heartbreaking rumor about my discord with Ahn Da-in, I thought I’d contact the other party to test the waters.

I wanted to move forward immediately, but the tigers weren’t letting me.

“Jo Yi-shin, you aren’t planning to meet without prior investigation, are you?”

“Yi-shin hyung wouldn’t make such a foolish move. Now that Jeokho has completed his mission, it’s best to have him handle the investigation.”

“Exactly. If you do meet, make sure it’s at Hwangmyung Tower. The Japanese representatives are staying at a hotel in Eungwang-gu from this week to adjust to the local area, so you won’t be able to make an excuse about distance.”

This time, the tigers had set a few conditions before accepting my proposal.

These included making sure any messages exchanged were disclosed in full.

Since this involved not just me, but also Ahn Da-in, who was closely connected to the Hojo, I couldn’t refuse.

At this point, Baek Ho-gun, who had already seen into my mind and knew the contents of the message, had remained silent all along.

Perhaps frustrated by this silence, Eun Ho spoke up.

“Baek Ho-hyung, please watch over Yi-shin hyung to make sure he doesn’t do anything reckless.”

“Understood.”

“You can’t just watch. If necessary, you have to stop him.”

“......”

Instead of answering Eun Ho’s second question, Baek Ho-gun took a sip of tea.

I couldn’t just ignore his silence, but since Baek Ho-gun had promised not to interfere with me, I decided to leave it at that.

Eun Ho poured more tea and smiled.

“You’re not answering with a simple ‘understood’ this time.”

“I won’t leave Yi-shin hyung to his own devices if he’s in danger.”

“Well, that’s obviously what should happen.”

Eun Ho was smiling as usual, while Baek Ho-gun sat with a neutral expression, holding his teacup, but the room felt a little cooler as if the temperature had dropped.

Could there be some sort of problem between them?

If there was a problem between Baek Ho-gun and Eun Ho, it was likely due to Baek Ho-gun’s secretive nature, not Eun Ho’s kind-hearted approach.

It was rare to see Eun Ho, who was usually so wise and kind, act so respectfully toward Baek Ho-gun. If something was wrong, he should just apologize without hesitation.

As I silently supported Eun Ho in my thoughts, hoping that Baek Ho-gun would understand, I heard him speak again.

“Jeokho is back.”

Ignoring the tension between Baek Ho-gun and Eun Ho, Hwang Ji-ho greeted Jeokho.

Jeokho, who had just returned from a mission, looked drained from overusing his powers, but he still seemed full of energy.

It seemed that Jeokho had been briefed on the situation through Hwang Ji-ho’s proxy, and he was panting as he spoke.

“Is the person who sent that message the one who dared to spread such rumors about Ahn Da-in? Are they targeting the Hojo’s benefactor as well?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jeokho’s voice grew louder with each word, and the noise was enough to make my ears ring.

I had heard that Jeokho had gone through some rough experiences in China and gathered sensitive information, so it seemed his nerves were on edge.

Hwang Ji-ho, trying to calm Jeokho down, spoke.

“It’s not confirmed yet, but it’s true that the timing of Jo Yi-shin’s contact is suspicious.”

“If there’s even the slightest doubt, it’s best not to meet them.”

“I’d love to stop him, but if we act rashly, Jo Yi-shin will find a way to contact the other party secretly using underhanded means.”

“That’s true. It’s really complicated.”

Hwang Ji-ho and Jeokho made it sound like I was doing something dangerous.

From a distance, it just seemed like another student from a different school wanting to exchange greetings before the competition. What was so risky about that?

If there were enough people on the other side who could openly do something to me, they wouldn’t have initiated such a plot involving Ahn Da-in.

The only reason I was going through such convoluted means was for Ahn Da-in’s honor.

“The Korea-China-Japan exchange is only a few days away. We need to meet the other party and understand their strategies as soon as possible. Also, there’s no way I’m going to be caught off guard by someone who’s playing such tricky games.”

If Hwang Ji-ho had countered my argument by saying we should be cautious, I would’ve been a little upset, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything of the sort.

It seemed my persuasion had worked, as Hwang Ji-ho and the tigers nodded reluctantly, even though they weren’t entirely thrilled.

“Don’t worry, Jo Yi-shin. If you leave it to Jeokho, the investigation won’t take long. He’ll help you set up a meeting with the other party, probably by today or tomorrow.”

“I’ll hurry. But, we’ll need the investigation regardless of how I move forward.”

After listening to Hwang Ji-ho’s words, Jeokho immediately got to work.

As soon as Jeokho left the room, I silently watched Baek Ho-gun and Eun Ho.

The last time Jeokho had returned from China, I had heard bits and pieces of information about the oath of the three knights, but I hadn’t heard the full story yet.

The most important issue, related to Cheong Ho’s physical form, remained unresolved.

Jeokho wouldn’t have returned without gaining any useful leads, but I still hadn’t received any reports about that matter.

“Yi-shin hyung, it might be better to meet with the person who contacted you first before thinking about the situation in China.”

Eun Ho, with concern in his voice, suggested, and I decided not to press any further.

Eventually, while Jeokho was conducting his investigation, I decided to gather my own information.

Although my research would only be through searching on my device and asking some contacts, I was fortunate enough to have access to some very reliable sources.

[Moon Sae-ron] Ah, that player has a lot of articles compared to other Japanese representatives. Their powers are excellent, and their parents are part of a professional player team.

Moon Sae-ron immediately sent me a collection of articles and a profile they had written themselves.

Though there were quite a few articles, they weren’t extensive.

The oldest article was from ten years ago, about a young player who had awakened their powers and protected children watching a movie in a cinema that was collapsing during an earthquake.

Since then, this player seemed to have continued using their abilities in combat.

‘If they performed such feats at such a young age, it wouldn’t be strange if they became a bigger celebrity with more articles written about them.’

Looking at the profile Moon Sae-ron had written, it seemed the player’s abilities had grown well, but their media presence had dwindled over time.

The media likely ignored them, focusing instead on other peer players from the Hojo, either by coincidence or design.

Moon Sae-ron seemed to think the same, leaving notes like, ‘This is real? This kid tackled an Otherworld instance by themselves at the school’s front gate? They just summed it up as a middle schooler clearing it? Why is this amazing feat only getting a single line in the article?’

While reading through the material quickly, Moon Sae-ron sent an additional message.

[Moon Sae-ron] Hey, is this really the right time to be worried about players from other countries?

[Moon Sae-ron] Could it be that the rumors started because you and Da-in were keeping your distance as I suggested?ㅠㅠ

Moon Sae-ron, being the information expert, must have heard some news about me from Japan.

But blaming Moon Sae-ron? That was completely out of the question.

It was better to be blamed by Moon Sae-ron than to have Joo Su-hyeok misunderstand and let things spiral out of control between us.

Moon Sae-ron had been a little down about it, but got excited when talking about trolls.

Even in his excitement, Moon Sae-ron made a sharp observation.

[Moon Sae-ron] The person who spread the rumors about Da-in must be one of those die-hard fans, right? There’s no real proof, but I get that feeling.

[Moon Sae-ron] They’ve been on our side, but now that they’ve turned into enemies, it’s becoming really annoying! No, they shouldn’t be spreading such rumors if it’s for Da-in’s sake!

It seemed that even Moon Sae-ron, with his level of insight, had figured out who was behind the rumors.

Gye I-dam had indeed been doing all of this for Da-in, but at the moment, it seemed like Moon Sae-ron couldn’t help but offer such an opinion.

As I tried to calm down Moon Sae-ron and we exchanged messages for information, a knock interrupted us.

Knock knock.

Considering the habit and sound of the knock, it seemed like it was Baek Ho-gun.

Before I even had a chance to say “come in,” he opened the door, seemingly having read my mind.

Being able to receive my thoughts like that at any time was convenient, but given that Baek Ho-gun had kept quiet so far, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“What is it?”

“Jeokho has finished the investigation.”

“Already?”

“It’s only natural to hurry since this involves your and Ahn Da-in’s honor.”

Baek Ho-gun smiled as he said it, but I could tell he had been criticized by Eun Ho for laughing too much lately.

“Eun Ho is probably...”

Baek Ho-gun stopped mid-sentence. Though I wanted to press him, his next words made it hard to argue back.

“Right now, we should check Jeokho’s investigation results first.”

Hwangmyung Tower, a 24-hour franchise cafe.

This cafe, which had a bright and casual atmosphere that made it easy for students to visit, was one of the places frequently used by Eun Gwang High students.

It was famous for its mint cafe mocha, and Eun Gwang students often avoided ordering that particular menu because whenever they saw that color, they thought of Yong Jegyeon, and unless they were true mint chocolate fans, they would opt for something else.

However, today, the person I was meeting didn’t seem to know about Yong Jegyeon, as they ordered that very item.

“Hello, I’m Hirano Seiji. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

The person I had an appointment with was Hirano Seiji.

His last name was Hirano (平野), and his first name was Seiji (誠次). He spoke Korean quite fluently.

Though the pronunciation with the final consonant was a bit awkward, overall, his tone was easy to understand and pleasant, almost textbook-like in politeness.

‘He looks even more harmless than in the photos. If I had met him casually without this situation, I wouldn't have been on guard like this.’

He was about the same height and age as me, but his polite speech made him seem more mature.

In contrast, his smiling face was refreshing and bright, which made him likable.

However, considering the current situation, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

“This is Jo Yi-shin. I’ve chosen this location for our meeting, hope that’s alright with you?”

“Yes, of course. Since we’re the same age, if it’s fine with you, we can drop the formalities...”

As he smiled and suggested dropping formal speech, Hirano Seiji wrote something on a napkin with water.

[Listening in.]