episode_0074

… … … … …

We started to arrange the food on the cart one by one. I arranged the French toast, omelet, and mapo tofu that I had made, as well as the luxurious dishes that the president had ordered, in each seat as harmoniously as possible.

As I went around to each of the crescent-shaped tables and placed food, I imagined who would be sitting at each table. Coincidentally, all the acquaintances I had made this year were women, and my heart started pounding strangely at the thought of them all gathering here.

Finally, the president of the association spoke while placing food in front of me in the middle seat.

“Okay, we’re almost done. Your seat is here. They’ll be here soon, so get ready.

Oh, what I said today… …don’t forget to maintain a neutral attitude.”

“Yes.”

With this, all preparations were complete. I don’t know what will happen next, but since this is the first social gathering, I am sure it will be a very enjoyable and harmonious event.

The time appointed for the social gathering was fast approaching, and the door finally opened and the first guest came in. It was Ms. Seo-ah, dressed in a neat suit.

She entered the conference room with her usual reserved appearance. Looking at her face, I felt a little embarrassed as I remembered the recent time when Seo-ah, Yoo-ryung, and I slept together while holding hands.

“Hello, Autumn.”

“Yes, hello, Seo-ah.”

I responded to her gentle greeting with the most calm voice I could muster. After receiving the greeting, she smiled and headed to her seat.

It was my first time seeing Seo Ah in a suit outside, and she looked much more cool and calm outside than inside the secret base. As expected, she has a clear distinction between on and off.

Just thinking about how she used to smile so friendly when she spoke to me, I could guess that our relationship was very close. It was a proud thing to be close to such a wonderful and great woman as Seo-ah.

Not long after Ms. Seo-ah sat down, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Ah, hello, Autumn.”

I looked back in surprise, and Mr. Ghost was already sitting down. When on earth did he come in?

“Yes. Hello.”

I tried to hide my embarrassment as I greeted her. If she had entered the conference room while I was not paying attention, I would be very sorry. I didn’t even acknowledge her presence, let alone greet her.

Miss Ghost was wearing a light purple one-piece dress, which matched her purple hair and fair, soft skin.

The moment Seo-ah and Yoo-ryung, who had taken their seats a little further apart, looked at each other, a subtle tension filled the air. It seemed like it was the first time the two had met since that day, and they seemed a little more awkward than the last time they had met.

A moment later, the door opened again and Sun appeared, her blonde hair sparkling under the conference room lights.

“Hi, kiddo. Long time no see. You seem pretty busy lately?”

Her voice still carried confidence. But what did she mean when she said I was busy? I wondered, but since it was the right place, I greeted her politely.

“Yes, hello, Sun.”

Not long after she sat down, President Sky came in. He looked at me with his usual affectionate smile.

“Hello――Nice to meet you. How have you been?”

I felt my heart naturally relax as I heard the warm voice of the CEO.

“Yes, I’ve been doing well.”

Next, Professor Wol-hee entered the conference room. She was looking at me with gentle eyes.

“Boy, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, doctor. I received physical therapy after being discharged.”

After everyone was seated, the door opened finally. It was Seoyeon.

(Actually, it’s only been a few days since I’ve seen her) But when I saw Seoyeon, who was the last I saw among the women attending the meeting, my heart swelled with emotion without me realizing it.

“Sister!”

I opened my arms in joy and approached her to give her a hug, something I often did when I lived with her.

The moment I was about to hug Seoyeon, I suddenly felt a murderous gaze from behind me.

It felt as if several sharp daggers were pointed at my back. It was such a creepy feeling that the blood in my body ran cold.

I literally couldn’t breathe. Cold sweat ran down my spine, and I froze with my arms outstretched. I felt a pressure as if someone was grabbing my heart.

If I turned my head and looked back now, I might be able to see what that gaze was about, but I just didn’t have the courage to confirm it.

“Ah… … Hello, sister.”

I managed to squeeze out my voice and say, trying hard to hide the shaking in my hands as I finished greeting her by holding Seoyeon’s hands with both of my own.

At that moment, my sister’s expression turned to regret. But soon she opened her mouth with a meaningful smile.

“Yeah, Autumn. It’s only been a week.

… … Don’t worry, we can hug later. We used to do it every day, right? ”

There was a subtle note of triumph in her voice. She seemed to be subtly showing off her special status to the other attendees by saying things like “later” and “every day in the past.”

Still overwhelmed by the terrifying presence behind me, I could only nod my head. Seoyeon walked to her seat with an elegant gait, and her appearance gave off a strange sense of confidence.

And I… … slowly, very slowly looked back. My heart felt like it was going to burst from the stabbing murderous intent in my back.

“… … … .”

But when I actually checked with my own eyes, contrary to my expectations, no one was glaring at me.

The Sky boss was smiling broadly, and Ghost was avoiding my gaze. The others looked no different than usual. For example, Sun-nim was smiling fiercely, but that smile wasn’t to pick a fight, it was just his natural expression… … right?

Yeah, it was just a simple mistake.

When I thought about it that way, the scary stares I had felt just now felt like an illusion.

But even so, there was a sense of unspoken pressure from the women who were gathered here and there in the conference room. Each of their expressions seemed to hide complex emotions, and a subtle hostility that could not be expressed in words filled the space.

I felt the cold sweat running down my back and smiled awkwardly. Now that everyone was gathered, the social gathering was about to begin.

I don’t know what will happen, but I’m really glad that it started off in a peaceful atmosphere.

… … … … …

As everyone sat down, the president slowly stood up. His expression looked more solemn than usual. All eyes in the conference room were focused on him.

The president cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Everyone, I sincerely thank you all for taking the time to gather with us today.”

His voice echoed through the conference room. Unlike his usual, slightly playful and witty tone, it was now formal and weighty.

“Everyone here is a person with exceptional abilities in their respective fields. As an Awakened person, or as an extradimensional immigrant.”

The president paused for a moment and looked around at each of the attendees. When his gaze stopped at me, I flinched slightly.

“And the boy who can be said to be the key person here today, that is, Autumn… … .”

When the president of the association mentioned me, I felt quite uncomfortable because it seemed like everyone’s eyes were suddenly focused on me. Naturally, my body stiffened.

“… … Let me be honest about the purpose of this meeting.”

The president’s expression became even more serious.

“Coincidentally, it has been determined that there are several Awakened or extradimensional immigrants who have formed very… … intimate relationships with that boy. This is a very unusual situation, and at the same time, something we should pay attention to.”

At his words, the air in the conference room became even heavier. Mr. Sun crossed his arms, and Ms. Wolhee narrowed her eyes and looked around. Mr. Haneul looked calm, but he was tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

“I think everyone who knows already knows this, but we have arranged this event to get everyone together to acknowledge each other’s existence and discuss future cooperation plans.

I would like to think together about how your relationship with that child can affect us and how we can lead it in a positive direction.”

The association president continued speaking.

“Of course, this is just a simple social gathering. I hope this will be an opportunity to understand each other and build good relationships. If there are any unnecessary conflicts or misunderstandings, I hope we can resolve them here.”

I nodded as I listened to the president’s words. It was a bit burdensome for me to be the center of the gathering, but this gathering was really for a good cause. It was a chance for everyone to understand each other and become closer to each other. It couldn’t be better.