Jiho’s unexpected action flipped Gangnam Station upside down. Rumors would’ve spread even if he had kissed Yiwon’s cheek in an empty neighborhood, but he did it in the middle of Gangnam Station on a national holiday.
It’s already too late to silence everyone; all Jiho can do is pray that this doesn’t make the news. It won’t… right?
They couldn’t run very far either with the crowd in such a frenzy. Thanks to that, they could only hide away somewhere nearby.
That’s how they ended up hiding in the staff room of <Heaven Shop>.
They would’ve never hid here. But when Jiho was looking for a place to escape the crowd, Hur Su Hyuk recognized them and offered to help. Jiho was in such a hurry that he followed him in without a second thought, but it feels like he’s in enemy territory.
“Please excuse us for a second. We’ll leave soon.”
“Yes, yes….”
Su Hyuk answered weakly, looking like his soul left his body for some reason. Jiho’s cheeks burned at the thought that his shameful behavior seems to have shocked a lot of people.
Just then, they heard someone knocking on the door from outside. Jiho was worried it was a member of the crowd or a reporter who followed them here, but the person who came in was completely unexpected.
Delta’s guildmaster, Adrian.
He stands out with his bright, blond hair slicked back with pomade as well as his neat, three-piece suit in August weather. Adrian bowed and politely greeted Jiho.
“Hello.”
“Ah, hello.”
Unlike Jiho, who reflexively greeted him back, Yiwon simply nodded his head. Although his attitude was so rude that Jiho felt anxious from the side, Adrian didn’t seem to mind at all.
“I was meant to appear as a guest on Hur Su Hyuk-gun’s MeTube, but something just happened that would render any guest unsurprising to viewers. I am stopping by to greet everyone here.”
“Ah, I see….”
Adrian explained himself on his own accord. So he’s not calm because he’s unaware of what just happened outside…. Strangely, it looks like he’s even enjoying it. Adrian spoke to Yiwon with a smile.
“It has been a while, Yiwon.”
Yiwon nodded indifferently again. Yiwon’s insolent attitude, which looks like he threw his respect for elders into a wrap and ate it, was driving Jiho crazy. Jiho stood between the two in order to mediate the situation.
“So, you both see each other often, right?”
“Yes. After all, Yiwon often works with Delta when he comes to America.”
Adrian showed a consistently friendly attitude. Joo Yiwon definitely built a solid relationship with Delta. People have even seen them sharing private meals together multiple times.
Then why did they join hands with Heaven?
“Are you curious as to why we signed a contract with Heaven instead of Yiwon’s Chungram?”
“No. Just….”
Jiho wondered if his expression gave him away and rubbed his face. Adrian smiled as if to tell him not to worry.
“Our decision was not to pick a side between Heaven and Chungram. Rather, since we are already working with Chungram–would it not be nice to work with multiple guilds?”
“That’s… true.”
“Our guild’s fundamental mission is to protect the citizens from disasters such as fissures. As Delta’s guildmaster, I simply move to achieve that mission.”
He spoke so clearly that Jiho couldn’t argue, and he subconsciously nodded. After all, although Adrian’s words are correct from a theoretical and moral standpoint, many guilds have corporatized, and they place their interests first.
Naturally, if another guild had announced their cooperation between two rival guilds at the same time, people might’ve suspected that they were trading secrets or measuring the guilds up to each other. But since Delta has always moved for the public good, Adrian’s words are persuasive.
Though Jiho shares the same idea… it’s impressive that this person is actually putting that into action. This person is close to the ideal guildmaster Jiho has in mind.
“On that note, let us all get along. Although a healthy amount of rivalry is beneficial, any more than that is detrimental.”
Adrian said lightly before pulling up a chair to sit down. Then he stuck close to Yiwon and whispered.
“And Yiwon, you must calm down.”
“Calm down?”
“There is no need to be so impatient. Have I not given this same piece of advice before?”
“Shut up.”
Yiwon responded with annoyance at Adrian’s sly advice. While Jiho doesn’t know what they’re talking about… it looks like they’re quite close.
Was it because of his trust in this matter that Yiwon wasn’t shocked by Heaven and Delta’s cooperation? Either way, as long as it isn’t going to be a big problem for Chungram.
“Excuse me, Guildmaster Shin Jiho-nim.”
Jiho turned to the person calling him. The person who brought them here, Hur Su Hyuk. Jiho smiled at Su Hyuk.
“Thank you again, for helping us. You saved us from trouble.”
“Ah, no. Of course I had to help, and… I am glad I was helpful. I was actually hoping to see you again so maybe you could say this is good timing….”
Su Hyuk, who looks somehow more bashful now than he did at their first meeting, looked at Jiho with obvious admiration in his eyes. Noticing a change in his attitude, Jiho checked Su Hyuk’s system window to see if there’s been a change, but it was similar to before.
Well, maybe he feels closer now that they raided a dungeon together.
Jiho grabbed Su Hyuk’s outstretched hand and squeezed it. Su Hyuk’s face instantly turned bright red.
“Ah, did I grab it too hard?”
“No, it wasn’t too strong….”
Before Su Hyuk could continue, Jiho was spun around. At some point, Yiwon had marched over and pulled Jiho with a dangerous look on his face. Then he glared at Adrian.
“You see why?”
“I understand.”
“…”
What are they talking about? The two continued to talk about things Jiho didn’t understand.
It’s already been two months since Park Geon Ho started tracking Ipeulis Guild.
Although he has a strong suspicion, he has yet to find any direct evidence. Park Geon Ho was extremely fired up to grab hold of anything.
From what he’s observed over the last two months, Ipeulis’s operations are definitely secretive. So much so that he’s not sure who’s behind it. But today, Park Geon Ho is certain that he’ll find a thread.
Park Geon Ho’s target today is a person negotiating directly with Ipeulis’s guildmaster. Park Geon Ho quickly stuck Fluffy on their clothes.
‘Good luck, Fluffy.’
Park Geon Ho’s A-rank skill and partner, Fluffy, is a small, cottonball-shaped familiar. Fluffy can relay everything it sees and hears to its owner, Park Geon Ho.
He attached Fluffy to the target and the target entered Dream Road Entertainment Agency 30 minutes ago. Though he feels Fluffy’s unease, there’s nothing he can do.
‘It has to be safe.’
Even if Fluffy receives a fatal wound, it won’t die and can be revived once unsummoned. However, because it loses all of its memory once unsummoned, its efforts will be rendered useless. If he misses this opportunity, who knows when the next one will come.
‘It’s not usually this scared.’
Park Geon Ho was anxious, but unfortunately, there’s nothing he can do.
Actually, although Fluffy comforted him before he joined No Name, it wasn’t as meaningful to him as it is now.
After he joined No Name, Park Geon Ho could finally breathe. He even picked up an injured stray cat and started raising it.
Had he joined another guild, he probably wouldn’t be this comfortable.
Working by him, Shin Jiho is truly a good guildmaster. He’s someone who grew up receiving love and knows how to pour it back out to others. Even Shin Jiho’s skill, which works only on others and not himself, fits perfectly with his personality.
Park Geon Ho would like to do everything he can to help the guildmaster who brought peace to his life that was previously filled with him on the run.
After waiting anxiously for Fluffy, the target finally left Dream Road in one piece. Fluffy fell off the target at an appropriate time and returned to Park Geon Ho.
Park Geon Ho pet Fluffy, which had expanded to the size of a baseball and was rubbing its body all over his hand.
“You’ve returned safely.”
Geon Ho whispered warmly and focused. Then, as Fluffy shared everything it had seen and heard, Park Geon Ho’s expression grew serious.
Inside an office in Dream Road, Lee Ha Yeon’s management agency.
After sending the guest out, Lee Ha Yeon cleared away the empty glass in front of her and poured another cup of tea. Although Lee Ha Yeon is often described as absent-minded and slow outside of acting, right now, she was moving with the agility and precision of an experienced soldier.
Lee Ha Yeon pushed the other glass to the opposite side of the table and looked in midair.
“Is it really okay to send him off like that?”
Shouldn’t they take care of the rat that eavesdrops on others’ conversations? This guild that they’ve been running in secret for the last three years is about to be uncovered.
As if to respond, someone appeared out of thin air.
It was none other than Joo Yiwon.
“It’s a dog Jiho cares about, of course we can’t hurt it.”
Yiwon muttered darkly. It was surprising; Ha Yeon thought Yiwon would be in a good mood thanks to the news this afternoon. Since a lot of people took photos of Shin Jiho kissing Joo Yiwon on the cheek, he had to be in a good mood. Ha Yeon asked more carefully than usual.
“We can wipe his memory instead of killing him.”
“Forget it. Would Jiho give up just because we erased his memory? This place will eventually be discovered anyway. Since that was part of the plan.”
“That is true, but… is this not too soon?”
“Of course it’s soon. There were a lot of variables. Jiho awakening as the administrator should’ve been delayed longer…. Well, that thing probably didn’t have a choice either since Jiho looked like he was going to die.”
Yiwon scowled at the mention of “that thing.” Lee Ha Yeon bowed in submission.
“I apologize that I have yet to catch it.”
“Sure. That you should be sorry for. You still haven’t caught that nameless thing in a cat’s body yet.”
The so-called “nameless thing in a cat’s body” is a being that holds absolute influence over this world. A being that’s more familiar with the system than Shin Jiho, who hasn’t fully awakened as an administrator yet.
But Lee Ha Yeon didn’t make an excuse.
“…I sincerely apologize.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t have high hopes in the first place.”
Yiwon’s indifferent words and attitude are the reason why Lee Ha Yeon doesn’t need to explain herself.
Joo Yiwon doesn’t expect anything from anyone except Shin Jiho.
If you were to pick someone Yiwon “cares” about besides Shin Jiho, maybe That Person… but even he hasn’t fully earned Yiwon’s trust. Even though he’s been by Joo Yiwon’s side for much, much longer than even Ha Yeon has.
Truthfully, Lee Ha Yeon didn’t like Shin Jiho at first. She couldn’t understand why Joo Yiwon was so desperate to hold on to his past and return.
He was only with Shin Jiho for 20 years. He’s spent much more time with us; why does he only chase after Shin Jiho in the past?
LaZ Bird Corner
So Ipeulis really was Yiwon’s guild….
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