Saturday, 7 PM.
Disguised as Kim Jinwoo, I arrived at the upscale Korean restaurant, Hansook, which Han Seyun had recommended.
For the record, Hansook was a renowned restaurant that had even appeared multiple times in the original work. I recall that Lee Seo-jun nearly passed out after taking just one bite.
‘Ah, I’m looking forward to this.’
By the way, I heard that getting a reservation at Hansook takes at least half a year. The fact that she secured a spot in just one day proves how powerful the Han family truly is.
Following the staff’s guidance, I arrived at a private dining room.
As I opened the door, a spacious area designed in a traditional Korean architectural style unfolded before me, radiating a natural and elegant aesthetic.
“Welcome.”
Han Se-yeon stood up from her seat and greeted me.
“It’s been a while.”
I sat down across from her.
“How do you like the atmosphere of the restaurant? Do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s nice. This place is famous, after all.”
“It sure is. And the food here is exceptional—I can personally guarantee it.”
Though she hadn’t cooked it herself, there was unmistakable pride in her voice.
At that moment, Han Se-yeon took out a envelope from her bag and handed it to me.
“This contains the information you requested on Jo Seong-hoon.”
I opened the envelope and checked the documents inside. They detailed his recent movements and basic personal information.
“As you can see, there’s a high-profile social gathering tomorrow for prominent business figures and mages, called The Night of the Pioneers. This man will be attending that event.”
I flipped through the pages.
Just as she had said, there was a social event scheduled for tomorrow.
The Night of the Pioneers.
It had been mentioned a few times in the original work. It was a gathering of high-ranking elites.
The event was hosted by Han Se-jin, and several incidents had taken place there in the original story.
‘…Wait.’
Come to think of it, something did happen at The Night of the Pioneers in the original work.
A renowned artifact maker who attended the event had gone missing.
Later, it was revealed that the culprit was none other than Jo Seong-hoon—the same man who had orchestrated the terrorist attacks in Incheon and Seoul.
“Thank you. You’ve done a much more thorough investigation than I expected. Oh, by the way, can you get me an invitation to The Night of the Pioneers?”
“Getting one isn’t difficult. My brother is one of the event’s organizers.”
“Then I’ll be counting on you.”
“But, on one condition—you need to tell me why you’re investigating this man.”
Han Se-yeon spoke in a serious tone.
Looking into her eyes, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to brush this off casually.
Well, it wasn’t exactly a secret. The truth would come out sooner or later, so I might as well tell her now.
“You know about the Incheon terrorist attack, right?”
“Yes, of course. But why do you ask?”
“This man is the culprit.”
“…What?”
As the rumors claimed, Hansook’s food was phenomenal.
The soft texture and rich, savoury flavours melted in my mouth, bringing me pure bliss.
It was so good that I found myself wondering if I would ever have the chance to eat something this delicious again.
“Wow. This is incredible.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Han Se-yeon smiled as she watched me.
“But seriously, is that man really the culprit behind the Incheon terror incident?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“There are ways of knowing.”
“Ugh. You’re being vague again.”
Ignoring her grumbling, I continued eating.
“So, what do you plan to do when you meet him?”
“I need to make sure he doesn’t commit any more crimes.”
At my response, Han Se-yeon gave me an exasperated look.
“Are you some kind of justice warrior? Wouldn’t it be better to report him to the association?”
“There’s no evidence, so it wouldn’t work. And by the time the association takes action, it’ll already be too late.”
Han Se-yeon nodded, seemingly convinced.
“I suppose that makes sense. But… you’re not planning to cause a scene at the event, are you?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll be attending as your acquaintance, so I wouldn’t want to tarnish your reputation.”
“Good to know you have some basic manners.”
At her remark, I smiled slightly.
Then, noticing her empty plate, I asked,
“You’re not eating? It’s seriously delicious.”
“Well, I eat here pretty often. You go ahead and enjoy it.”
“…Oh.”
After finishing the heavenly meal, we stepped outside.
The lingering taste of the exquisite dishes left me in a daze, as if I had just awoken from a blissful dream.
“Thanks to you, my taste buds have been spoiled.”
“It was about time I treated you to a meal.”
Han Se-yeon smiled as she spoke. Then, she glanced at me up and down.
“By the way, do you have proper attire?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean for tomorrow’s social gathering. You can’t show up dressed like that.”
Right. Now that I thought about it…
The Night of the Pioneers was a formal event attended by high society figures.
I couldn’t just wear whatever I wanted.
“I don’t have anything suitable… Should I go buy something now?”
Hearing this, Han Se-yeon let out a sigh and shook her head.
“No need. It’s too late to get anything tailored today. I’ll prepare a custom-fitted suit with magic enhancements for you tomorrow. No need to waste your energy.”
“Oh. Really?”
After parting ways with Kim Jinwoo, Han Se-yeon returned to one of her private residences—a luxury high-rise apartment.
As soon as she stepped inside, she threw herself onto the couch.
“…I’m exhausted.”
Closing her eyes, she recalled her conversation with Kim Jinwoo earlier that evening.
— You know about the Incheon terror attack, right? That man is the culprit.
What on earth was going on?
Kim Jinwoo had confidently declared that Jo Seong-hoon—a man he had never even met—was the mastermind behind the Incheon terror attack.
And he had done so without providing a shred of evidence.
But what was even more baffling…
She had believed him.
Without even realizing it, she had accepted his words as truth.
“…Haah.”
Han Se-yeon was a cautious and analytical person, especially as a corporate executive.
She never believed anything without concrete evidence.
Yet today, for some reason, she hadn’t been able to remain skeptical. She had instinctively accepted Kim Jinwoo’s words as fact.
“…Just who is he?”
No matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t figure it out.
There had to be some secret behind him, yet she had no way of uncovering it.
She had even tried investigating his background separately, but that was a dead end.
It was as if Kim Jinwoo had simply appeared out of nowhere.
“…Right.”
She suddenly remembered—she needed to prepare his suit for tomorrow.
Han Se-yeon picked up her smartphone and dialled her secretary’s number.
It was quite late, but considering how well she compensated her staff, she figured it wouldn’t be an issue.
— Yes, Miss. I’m here.
“I have a request. I need a men’s suit prepared for tomorrow morning. It’s a gift.”
— Understood. What age group is the recipient?
“He’s in his twenties. Oh, and make sure it’s of the highest quality. I don’t want him to be disappointed.”
— Yes, ma’am. By the way… is this for your boyfriend?
At that moment, Han Se-yeon’s mouth fell open.
She doubted her own ears, unsure of what she had just heard.
“W-What are you talking about? That’s not it!”
As a result, her assistant had to endure a 30-minute lecture from her.
I sat on the sofa, savouring the lingering taste of the meal I had earlier. It was as if the food had been drugged—I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Ah, I want to eat it again.”
Now I understood why Lee Seo-jun nearly passed out after just one plate in the original story. I had heard that magic was involved in the cooking process…
As I sat there blankly, my smart student planner chimed with an alert.
[Sun-woo junior, what did you do today?]
The sender was Jang Ye.
“What’s she up to now?”
Lately, Jang Ye had been acting much friendlier.
If it were any other male student, he’d be grinning like an idiot after receiving her message, but I knew she was a demon. She had to have some kind of agenda.
And to think she found me annoying before—now that her attitude had changed, it felt even more off-putting.
I needed to deal with her as soon as possible.
[I had plans today, so I took a quick trip to Seoul.]
[Wow. That sounds nice, haha. I just asked because I didn’t see you at the training room today.]
“…What the heck?”
Just as I was staring at the message in confusion, another one arrived.
[Do you have time tomorrow?]
She was asking if I was free—like she was about to ask me out on a date or something.
“…Seriously, what is this?”
[Why do you ask?]
[Let’s hang out, haha.]
I was curious about what she had in mind, but I had plans with Jo Seong-hoon tomorrow, so I had no choice.
[Sorry, I’m busy tomorrow.]
[Character ‘Jang Ye’ is dumbfounded by your response.]
[You have earned 500 points as a reward.]
“…Huh?”
Then another message came in.
[Oh well. How about next Sunday, then?]
…Next Sunday, I had plans to go dungeon-diving with Yoon Hayoung.
[Sorry, I won’t be available next weekend either.]
[Character ‘Jang Ye’ feels deeply humiliated by your rejection.]
[You have earned 500 points as a reward.]
Three minutes passed without a reply.
I wondered if she had just left me on read and was about to put my smart student planner down when another message arrived.
[Haha… Oh well.]
The next day, at 3 PM.
Summoned by Han Se-yeon, I arrived at a luxury office hotel in Seoul.
This place was one of Han Se-yeon’s privately owned residences, purchased with her own money, and she apparently used it for occasional rest.
“Welcome.”
As I stepped inside, Han Se-yeon greeted me with a gentle smile.
I was used to seeing her in stiff, formal suits, but today, she wore a soft knit top and short shorts—a much more relaxed look.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“No, it’s just… You look different from usual. More comfortable, I guess.”
At my words, Han Se-yeon chuckled.
“I can’t exactly wear a suit in my private space, can I? Anyway, here. Take this.”
She handed me a square box. On the top, the letters ‘YKH’ were engraved.
YKH.
It was the name of the world’s top luxury suit brand.
“…It’s just for one event, do I really need something this expensive?”
“It’s not like you’ll only wear a suit once in your life, right? I’m sure you’ll have more occasions to wear it. Now, open it.”
Following her words, I opened the box. Inside was a sleek black suit. As soon as I saw it, information about the outfit appeared in my vision.
━━
[YKH Classic Men’s Suit (A)]
Category: Clothing
Description: A men’s suit by YKH.
[Passive Effects]
▶ Custom Fit
Adjusts to fit the wearer’s body perfectly.
Durability: A
━━
“Oh.”
For something that wasn’t even armor, its durability was rated A. And it even had a custom-fit effect.
Luxury brands really were on another level.
“Thanks. I’ll wear it well.”
“Try it on now.”
At Han Se-yeon’s urging, I was about to change into it when—
“Wait a minute!”
She suddenly shouted.
I turned to look at her, puzzled.
She pointed toward a small room to the left.
“Go change in there.”
“…Oh, right.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I hurried into the room.
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