RG 85

‘This lunatic…’

I blinked several times, unwilling to accept the reality before me, but Kwon Seoyul standing in front of me didn’t disappear. He walked toward me, who was too dumbfounded by the unexpected situation to react. He smirked and tugged at my cheek.

“You look totally out of it. Cute.”

“…”

This lunatic.

As my initial confusion subsided, it was replaced by a deep irritation. Twisting my lips into a sneer, I slapped his hand away.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have orders to follow?”

“Well, the orders changed.” Kwon Seoyul shrugged, unaffected by the slap. “Father told me to help you get into the event. I was keeping an eye on you when I received the new orders.”

“He told you to help me? Him?”

“Who else would it be?” He answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

But it was anything but simple for me to accept. Just dealing with Kwon Seoyul’s sudden appearance was already troubling, but now even he had given orders for him to help me?

‘What the hell is going on?’

I wanted to head back to my sector to figure out the situation, but I knew that as soon as I stepped through that door, I’d be dragged straight to the top floor. The situation had grown complicated. Never in a million years did I expect Kwon Seoyul to reveal himself in front of others.

How on earth am I supposed to fix this? I massaged my forehead, feeling a headache brewing.

“Hunter Cha Seohu.” A low voice called from behind me. I turned around to see Kwon Taehyeok, his face frozen in a cold expression, speaking up, “Can you explain who this is?”

“Ah…”

Beside him stood Ryu Seonghyeon, smiling awkwardly but clearly wary, and Eun Woojeong, who looked entirely too amused.

‘This is just great.’

There was no way anyone would believe me if I brushed this off as some younger acquaintance, especially after Kwon Seoyul had gone on about orders and offering to help me. On top of that, the person who’d called me just before his sudden appearance was none other than Kwon Taehyeok.

All the trust I’d painstakingly built up was about to crumble. No, if I didn’t handle this right, it would crumble. And I’d only just gotten to a point where I could greet Ryu Seonghyeon without tension.

“This is, well…”

“I know this guy.”

Just as I was about to awkwardly attempt an explanation, Kwon Seoyul jumped in out of nowhere.

“We met on the staircase at your office building, didn’t we?”

“Kwon Seoyul,” I called his name to signal him to stop, but he ignored me, tilting his head with an exaggeratedly curious expression.

“Why pretend you don’t know me? I heard you even accessed our sector’s system.” His sly smile was sharp as a blade, the words laced with an unmistakable warning. Kwon Taehyeok raised an eyebrow, his gaze cooling further.

The fact that Kwon Taehyeok had accessed the sector’s system was news to me, but given that Hyeon Dowun had built the server, it wasn’t like he would have gained anything from it. The sector’s server was so secure even the government couldn’t touch it. He’d probably sensed something unusual from Kwon Seoyul and checked it out of caution. And, of course, he already knew I was from the sector. I could guess why this had happened.

“Enough.” I grabbed Kwon Seoyul’s arm, finally drawing his attention back to me.

“But, bro! He was even monitoring your office! Some boring-looking guys were lurking around the building. They were so annoying I almost killed them all.”

“…I said, that’s enough.”

I was learning a lot of new things today. I still couldn’t understand why Kwon Taehyeok had been keeping tabs on me, but now wasn’t the time to question it. Pressing down on the back of Kwon Seoyul’s head, I bowed deeply.

“My apologies, Guildmaster of Yesung. I’ll find a way to compensate for the phone number leak once this is over. You too—apologize. Now.”

“Why the hell should I?”

“Shut up and just do it.”

“Sorryyy.”

Kwon Taehyeok, alternating his gaze between me and Kwon Seoyul with a conflicted expression, sighed deeply. “No, it’s fine. Let’s end this matter here. I’m not entirely blameless either.”

The moment Kwon Taehyeok spoke, Kwon Seoyul straightened up eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this. Seriously, I don’t know what to do with this immature brat.

“Well then, since we’re all gathered here, how about we take some time for introductions?” Eun Woojeong, who had been observing with her arms crossed, spoke with a light smile. “I already know the Guildmaster of Yesung and Hunter Cha Seohu from before, but I’m meeting the other two for the first time. From what I’ve heard, it seems like the five of us will need to move together from now on.”

“…I agree introductions would be helpful, but isn’t it unnecessary for you to be involved, Eun Woojeong?” Frowning, I shot him a sharp look, but he only smiled more deeply, as if he had anticipated my resistance.

“That’s a bit harsh. I’m the one who shared the important update about the tightened security. Besides, wouldn’t I be the most helpful once we’re inside? I’m a formally invited guest, after all. If I’m with you, it’ll raise less suspicion.”

“…”

His excuses were thinly veiled, and his persistence was downright suspicious. He didn’t seem like the type to behave this way.

‘As the leader of the Spider’s Web, he must have figured out that Kwak Seunggyu is tied to the research lab.’

If this was information Kwon Taehyeok and Hyeon Dowun had uncovered, there was no way Eun Woojeong, a leader of an intelligence group, wouldn’t know. I had assumed he wasn’t involved when he hadn’t reached out to me, so I joined Kwon Taehyeok’s side. But if he had also come to this fashion show to meet Kwak Seunggyu…

‘…Fine. I might as well keep him within my line of sight.’

At least I wouldn’t have to worry about what he might be up to, and in a pinch, I could always use his secrets as leverage.

“I sincerely hope you’ll be helpful.”

“Haha, Hunter Cha Seohu is always so cold to me. So, does everyone agree to a quick round of introductions? Let’s wrap it up and move on.”

“Hmm… I think it’s enough if it’s just me and the newcomer.” Ryu Seonghyeon, speaking softly, continued in a slightly awkward tone, “I’m Ryu Seonghyeon, vicemaster of the Circle Guild. I’m here to assist Hunters Kwon Taehyeok and Cha Seohu.”

Classic Ryu Seonghyeon. His smooth, calm introduction was as pleasant as ever. I felt proud just standing next to him as Kwon Seoyul made his own introduction.

“I’m Kwon Seoyul, Big Bro Seohu’s younger brother!”

“…”

Not a shred of sincerity. If he’s going to throw my name around, he could at least show some basic manners. Then again, it’s Kwon Seoyul—what more could I expect?

While I stewed, Eun Woojeong and Ryu Seonghyeon shook hands.

“Vicemaster of the Circle Guild, it’s an honor to meet you. Congratulations on your recent tournament victory. I’m a fan of Cover and never miss a broadcast. You were amazing.”

“Thank you. I’ve heard so much about you as well, Eun Woojeong. You’re incredibly famous.”

Can he stop mentioning that he’s a fan of Cover?

“Let’s get back to the plan.”

I cut off their conversation before Eun Woojeong could keep rambling about Cover. With all the time wasted on Kwon Seoyul’s antics, it was about time we got moving.

***

The method Kwon Seoyul brought to the table was simple: entering through Yeongchumun Gate. Yeongchumun, the west gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, was on the opposite side of the National Folk Museum entrance, where we currently were.

“I’ve already notified the guards stationed there, so we can just walk in,” he said.

“Hah…”

His explanation was simple, but the underlying implications were anything but.

The influence of that man wasn’t confined to Zone C-281. People born and raised in the sector had long since spread across the country. Even those who lived outside the sector but still followed him and obeyed his commands were everywhere. One such group was the security firm staffed with various Awakened individuals.

Honestly, even I don’t know the full extent of his network. It’s too vast to track.

“For now, let’s head to Yeongchumun Gate. There’s nothing more we can do here.”

“Can it be trusted?” Kwon Taehyeok’s voice was steady as he asked, looking directly at me.

I looked up to meet Kwon Taehyeok’s gaze, and there wasn’t any hint of blame or accusation in his expression. It was simply a question, seeking confirmation. The realization gave me a strange feeling. If I said it was worth trusting… would he actually take my word for it? Even if the person in question was Kwon Seoyul?

Suppressing the fleeting doubt, I nodded. “It might be hard to believe, but it’s worth verifying. He’s here to help me, after all.”

“Understood.”

To my surprise, Kwon Taehyeok accepted my response without a single word of complaint. It was unexpected, even refreshing.

Did he still have some trust in me? If so, it was a relief.

With our destination decided, we moved along the least crowded paths we could find. Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon led the way, while Eun Woojeong, Kwon Seoyul, and I followed behind.

“Hey, bro.” For once, Kwon Seoyul had been quietly trailing me, but he couldn’t resist opening his mouth. “I have a question.”

“What is it?” I replied indifferently, but he seemed to deliberate for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth as if carefully choosing his words.

“Did your taste change or something?”

“…What?”

I’d been prepared to brush off whatever nonsense he wanted to spout, but his question completely threw me off. Dumbfounded, I turned to look at him. He was staring at me with genuine confusion. “You used to like the pretty and sexy type, right?”

The bombshell words ‘pretty and sexy’ came out of nowhere, causing the three people ahead of us to whip around instantly. Suppressing a scream, I lunged to cover Kwon Seoyul’s mouth, but he was faster.

“Then why are you hanging out with him? He’s totally not your type.”

The person he was pointing at, to my utter horror, was none other than Kwon Taehyeok. Ryu Seonghyeon and Eun Woojeong’s gazes flickered between me and Kwon Taehyeok, who, realizing he was the subject of this bizarre accusation, wore a rare expression of discomfort.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine. I quickly stepped in front of Kwon Seoyul to block him. “Are you insane? We’re not like that, so put your hand down right now.”

“You’re not? Hmm… He gave me this intense glare back on the stairs, so I thought you two were a thing.”

“Stop adding nonsense and shut up.”

“Then again, bro, you’ve never dated a guy, right? You’ve always been into wom—”

Before he could finish, I slapped a hand over his mouth, silencing him completely. I squeezed my hand so tightly that my knuckles turned white, the veins in my arm bulging. Grinding my teeth, I leaned in close and hissed in a low voice, “Shut. Your. Mouth.”