RG 87

The event venue extended from the front of Gyeongbokgung Palace all the way to the area around Geunjeongjeon Hall. Though I had reviewed the materials Kwon Taehyeok had prepared in advance and had a rough idea of the scale from looking at the event site from the roof of the council hall, it felt much larger than expected once I stepped inside and began walking around.

From now on, Eun Woojeong and I had to navigate this expansive venue naturally.

With a formally invited actor by my side, as long as we avoided unnecessary actions, we should be able to find Kwak Seunggyu.

“By the way, I didn’t get an answer earlier—about that number.”

“…”

“Is it really engraved on your body?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you answering? Did you engrave it in a spot that’s awkward to show others?”

The biggest issue was that this guy had to be the actor in question.

“You’re awfully interested in me, aren’t you, Eun Woojeong?”

Despite my irritated remark, Eun Woojeong only smiled faintly, ignoring my tone. It wasn’t a cheerful smile but more of a sneer.

“You seem more interesting the more I look at you.”

“Oh, I see. Sorry to disappoint, but as my acquaintance mentioned earlier, I only date women. I’ll accept the sentiment, though.”

“Did I just get rejected? That’s unfortunate, considering we’ll be carrying out an important mission together.” Eun Woojeong, spouting nonsense, took off his dark navy coat and handed it to me. “Wear this instead of your jacket.”

At the time, I was wearing a black jumper over a beige turtleneck sweater with black slacks. I had dressed modestly on purpose to create a clear transformation later when I changed into Cover. However, with Eun Woojeong’s suggestion, wearing the coat seemed to make my outfit more fitting for the event.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the coat without fuss and took a moment to examine Eun Woojeong’s attire. Dressed in a T-shirt under a black blazer, he exuded a casual yet refined air. The thick fabric of his outfit made it evident that he wouldn’t need to worry about the cold.

‘Not that an S-class like him would feel chilly in weather like this anyway.’

The fact that I couldn’t sense any energy from Eun Woojeong didn’t necessarily mean he was a non-Awakened individual. I had no idea how he managed to suppress his energy so perfectly, but I needed to stay alert regardless.

“Well, at least you know how to show proper manners.”

Ignoring Eun Woojeong’s snide comment, I stowed away my black jumper in my inventory and put on the coat. With our outfits now adjusted, we finally stepped into the bustling event hall.

‘The atmosphere here is way better than I expected.’

In front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, long banquet tables were set up, laden with food and champagne. Traditional decorations glittered beautifully under the night sky like stars, while period-drama-style music played softly in the background.

Walking among the mingling guests, laughing, chatting, and drinking, I felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity compared to when I’d observed from afar.

Famous celebrities I recognized even as an outsider to the entertainment world, as well as individuals who exuded undeniable wealth, were everywhere. Unsurprisingly, given the globally popular fashion show being held here, the crowd was full of remarkable figures.

‘If anything goes wrong here, it’ll be a disaster.’

Especially considering the venue was Gyeongbokgung Palace. Sure, Awakened individuals with restoration skills could rebuild any damaged structures, but the ensuing media frenzy and public attention would be unavoidable.

To prevent such a disaster, I needed to locate Kwak Seunggyu and leave as soon as possible. Scanning the crowd for his face, I suddenly sensed someone approaching.

“Oh, Eun Woojeong?”

Turning my head, I saw a woman in an elegant dress holding a champagne glass as she approached. Apparently recognizing her, Eun Woojeong greeted her with a smile, “Lee Chaeram.”

“Fancy meeting you here. I don’t think your name was on the guest list.”

“Haha, I decided to come since my schedule was canceled.”

No wonder she looked familiar—Lee Chaeram was a fairly well-known actress. If I recalled correctly, she won a Best Actress award at a ceremony last year.

After exchanging a light handshake and some small talk with Eun Woojeong, Lee Chaeram turned her attention to me. “And who might this be?”

“He’s my partner,” Eun Woojeong casually answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, while grabbing my shoulder and pulling me closer in an almost half-embrace.

Damn, this guy grabs my shoulder every chance he gets. It annoyed me to no end, but I forced a smile, unwilling to make a scene in front of others.

Looking slightly surprised, Lee Chaeram extended her elegant hand toward me. “Eun Woojeong actually brought a partner along? Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Chaeram.”

“Nice to meet you as well,” I replied politely.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you perhaps an idol about to debut? Or maybe a rookie actor?”

“No, I’m just an ordinary citizen.”

“Really? You have great style and good looks—I assumed you were an idol. Actually, no… you’re more on the pretty side than just handsome. You match well with Eun Woojeong.”

“…Thank you for the compliment,” I said, though I would’ve preferred it without that last remark.

While I internally grimaced, Eun Woojeong smiled knowingly, as if he could read my thoughts. What an infuriating guy.

“Well, I’ve got company, so I’ll be off. Let’s meet again if we get the chance,” Lee Chaeram said, winking playfully at me before walking away.

Once she disappeared into the crowd, I swatted Eun Woojeong’s hand off my shoulder.

“Cold-hearted, aren’t you?”

“From now on, please ask for permission before touching me.”

“That’s such a motivating thing to say to someone who’s been helping you so diligently.”

“I clearly said I didn’t need your help and that we should go our separate ways.”

Eun Woojeong and I bickered, both smiling broadly, as we searched for Kwak Seunggyu. To an outsider, we probably looked like close companions.

“You’re wandering around like this thanks to me, aren’t you? You’re surprisingly shameless, Hunter Cha Seohu.”

“I couldn’t possibly be more shameless than someone.”

“Is someone me, by any chance?”

“Feeling guilty, are you?”

“A little.” With a casual reply, Eun Woojeong picked up a champagne glass from a nearby table and handed it to me. “Even if you don’t drink, hold it. If you can’t act, at least make use of props.”

It was almost impressive how every word out of his mouth managed to grate on my nerves. With a sigh, I accepted the glass, only for a cheerful voice to interrupt.

“Wow, Senior Eun Woojeong! Long time no see!”

A group of flamboyantly dressed men swarmed over, greeting Eun Woojeong excitedly.

Judging by how they called him “senior”, they were likely fellow actors. Since I happened to be standing with him, I got swept up into the introductions, exchanging handshakes with strangers.

The real problem was that it didn’t end there. As the actors flocked around Eun Woojeong, their commotion caught the attention of others nearby, drawing even more people toward him. Soon, people were coming up to greet him with every step we took.

Just how fake can a life get? Everyone who interacted with him seemed to think Eun Woojeong was the epitome of charm and kindness.

Knowing what kind of person he truly was, I found it absurd. I’m the only one who knows his real nature…

As his “partner,” I forced myself to smile and greet people alongside him, but after over 30 minutes, my patience was wearing thin.

“This isn’t going to work,” I muttered to myself.

We were wasting too much time. The event would soon end, and the guests would move to the hotel. I hadn’t even finished scouting the venue.

I finally distanced myself from Eun Woojeong and said, “I’ll look around on my own. There’s only 20 minutes left before the event ends.”

“Hmm… Alright. Sorry about this,” he said, surprisingly without protest, likely realizing he hadn’t expected this level of attention either. “I’ll keep a reasonable distance and follow. If anything happens, come straight to me.”

“Fine.”

I was relieved to separate from Eun Woojeong—it had been exhausting enough walking around with him. Champagne glass in hand, I turned and walked away without hesitation.

Having already scouted the area around Geunjeongjeon Hall, I decided to check the path between Geunjeongmun and Heungnyemun Gates, crossing Yeongjegyo Bridge. Guards were stationed near Geunjeongmun, but they opened the gate without question when they saw me walking from within the venue.

Following the decorations that led to Yeongjegyo Bridge, I noticed a few people strolling about, likely having stepped away from the main event.

‘I should’ve done this earlier.’

Without Eun Woojeong around, my mind felt much clearer, making it easier to focus. Pretending to be another guest out for a casual walk, I carefully scanned the faces of the people I passed.

“Hmm?”

It happened then. In a dimly lit corner untouched by the event lighting, I noticed the back of a man standing with his face turned away.

Despite his seemingly unremarkable gray suit, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. A strange sense of unease welled up inside me, causing me to frown. Just as I was grappling with that feeling, the man turned his head.

“…!”

For a fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of his profile—and that was all I needed. I immediately recognized him as Kwak Seunggyu. The face I had practically memorized from the documents Kwon Taehyeok had sent was unmistakable.

Finally. A crooked smile tugged at my lips as I instinctively tightened my grip on the champagne glass in my hand. So that’s why he was so hard to find—hiding out in a place like this. What a pain in the neck, all the way to the bitter end.

I stepped forward quickly, ready to grab him, but just then, he pulled something out from inside his jacket.

‘What is that?’

It was too dark to discern properly, and whatever it was, it was incredibly small. Kwak Seunggyu then let the object fall to the ground. The tiny, round item hit the dirt floor with a faint clattering sound, as though he were scattering seeds.

After ensuring it had landed as intended, Kwak Seunggyu turned away without hesitation, as if his job there was done. Just as I prepared to lunge after him—

BOOM!

The ground suddenly trembled violently, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap that echoed from the sky. Struggling to regain my balance as the earth shifted beneath me, I heard screams erupt from all around.

“What the—?!”

“An earthquake?”

Amid the panicked murmurs, a dreadful realization struck me. This wasn’t a mere earthquake.

A chill ran down my spine. Looking up, I saw the unmistakable signs of a terrifying phenomenon unfolding in the sky.

The air seemed to shatter like glass, with streaks of blue light branching outward. At the center, a crack was rapidly expanding.

No doubt about it—that’s a rift.