Episode 85. Dinner Appointment

Liliana went into her room, saying she needed to sort out the ecology of the Underworld.

Is she contemplating what she’ll do in the Underworld ten years from now?

She’ll figure it out herself. Whatever.

I slowly checked my backlog of messages.

Contacts came pouring in, from guilds I’d never heard of to major ones I recognized.

Amidst them, one message stood out.

[YejiYomi : Student Hoyeon. You know I scouted and contacted you even before you became famous, right? Since I wasn’t getting a reply to the number you told me to contact, I’m sending it here again]

‘Huh?’

A message came?

I checked my smartwatch.

‘Ah… I had it on silent, so I didn’t see it.’

So many disaster alerts, spam messages, and weird notifications kept coming in that I’d turned off the alarms for messages from unsaved numbers, which is why I couldn’t check it.

[Hello. Student Lee Hoyeon^^ This is Min Yeji from the Ironblood Guild. Please reply at your convenience.]

This message arrived on the day she gave me her contact last week, and when I didn’t reply for two days, she sent another message.

[Student Lee Hoyeon, are you busy? It shows you’re logged into EveryDay, but there’s no reply.]

This was the message from Friday. After the weekend passed and I still hadn’t read it by Monday, another one came yesterday.

[This is my final contact. If you don’t reply by the end of today, we’ll assume you’re not interested in working with us. Please reply to this number or contact Min Yeji of the Ironblood Guild.]

And then, just now, another message arrived.

[This is Min Yeji. Please forget the message I sent yesterday. Could you please just give me a call? I was the first one to recognize Student Lee Hoyeon’s talent. Rather than moving to another guild just based on conditions, come to the Ironblood Guild, which can recognize and nurture your true skills….]

To summarize the long message, it meant: Come to our guild, the one that recognized you first.

I don’t really plan on joining a guild… but I should still reply out of courtesy, right?

[Hello, Ms. Min Yeji. I had my texts on silent, so I just saw this. I apologize, but I have no intention of joining any guild right now. I’m replying out of courtesy.]

As soon as I sent the message, a reply arrived.

[In that case, how about business?]

Business? What’s that supposed to mean?

I hadn’t heard of Min Yeji, but I had heard of the Ironblood Guild.

It’s one of the top five major guilds in Korea.

She must be quite accomplished if she’s part of such a place… but regardless of whether it’s the Ironblood Guild or any other, I can’t join right now.

My primary goal anyway is to woo the heroines at the academy… Who knows what kind of trouble could arise from signing a contract with a guild?

I don’t have time to spare for official matters, let alone personal ones, and there are various restrictions.

[What kind of business are you referring to?]

No reply came after that.

That’s a bummer.

I saved Min Yeji’s number and turned off my smartwatch.

Tiring-

‘Ah, crap, I just turned it off. Who is it?’

The sender was Surin noona.

As soon as I saw the name, I urgently opened the message.

– Surin noona: Hoyeon-ah, do you happen to have time this evening? I have something to talk about.

– Me: Of course! Should I head out right now??

– Surin noona: No ㅎㅎ. I need to get ready too, so I’ll contact you once I’m prepared.

– Me: Yes, understood!

It was obvious why Moon Surin contacted me at this hour.

The Chairman must have said, ‘I’ll send Surin next time,’ so she’s probably trying to give me a reward for bringing Baek Ahyoung to the academy.

I grabbed my discarded student uniform again and went to the sink to check my face.

‘Not bad.’

Of course, my face is always not bad.

I roughly tousled my hair and got ready to leave.

Anyway, the dinner appointment with Moon Surin had been postponed again and again, so it was fortunate that something came up.

After finishing my preparations, I was resting on the sofa when a message arrived.

– Surin noona: Are you ready?

– Me: Yes! Should we leave now?

– Surin noona: Yep, but I’d prefer somewhere not too crowded… I’ll send you the address, so please come there.

– Me: Understood.

Moon Surin soon sent me a location pin in a commercial area outside the academy.

‘I’m heading out.’

‘Okay~.’

I said goodbye to Liliana and stepped out of the dormitory.

*

The air outside was quite cold.

Even though it was warm during the day, a late spring cold snap had arrived at night, making it hard to choose what to wear.

‘I should have dressed warmer.’

I regretted coming out wearing just a single sweatshirt, and of all places, it was quite far from the academy, meaning I had to walk a considerable distance.

‘Where on earth is this place, that it’s so far….’

I followed the map on my smartwatch to find the restaurant.

It was a building at the very end of the street in the commercial area.

There was no sign, so I wondered if I was in the right place, but once I went inside, it turned out to be an operating restaurant.

‘Um… Hello.’

I approached the nearest employee and greeted them.

‘Welcome. May I have the name for the reservation?’

‘Um, did Moon Surin make a reservation?’

‘Ah, you must be with Moon Surin-nim. I’ll guide you to room 205 on the second floor.’

‘Understood.’

The employee, dressed in Hanbok, led the way up to the second floor.

As I went up, I saw that all the seating areas were private rooms.

You couldn’t see who was inside from the outside. So that’s why she suggested coming here.

‘Enjoy your time.’

‘Thank you.’

Knock knock.

‘I’m here. Noona.’

Just in case, I didn’t even call out Moon Surin’s name.

‘Come in.’

I quickly opened the door, entered, and closed it.

Moon Surin was sitting in a room exuding an incredibly luxurious atmosphere.

‘You’re early? Did you leave as soon as I contacted you?’

‘Yep. I couldn’t possibly be late for a meal with Surin noona. I was getting ready and waiting… Huh?’

Moon Surin, dressed in casual clothes, was still beautiful.

Platinum blonde straight hair, neat features, and fair skin.

Her beautifully prominent chest, well-defined hip line, and firm thighs-she was radiating beauty all over, and… she wasn’t wearing her glasses.

Her beauty, hidden behind those unfashionable horn-rimmed glasses, was revealed, and I was momentarily speechless.

Her clear eyes met mine, and her cute lips curved into a slight smile.

‘Does it look strange…? I wore lenses to try and change my image.’

★ Heroine Status Window

[Moon Surin]

• [Affection: 63]

• [Lust: 25]

• [Appetite: 50]

• [Fatigue: 73]

Current Status: I guess I went overboard… I should have brought my glasses too.

‘No, no. You’re genuinely beautiful. Surin noona. This is huge.’

‘Sniff. Why are you exaggerating? Sit down quickly.’

‘Y-yes.’

My heart was pounding.

What is this foolishness?

I’d seen many beautiful people around, but Moon Surin had a different kind of charm.

It was a moment when I understood the Vice President’s feelings.

Who could resist confessing after seeing a face like that?

‘I just ordered food based on what I like… You don’t have any dietary restrictions, right?’

‘Of course… I eat everything well.’

If I were eating with Surin noona, I could eat even just scorched rice, staring at her face like a miser.

‘If I’m eating with you, noona, even just scorched rice would taste delicious.’

Oops, I said it by mistake.

‘Really? Thank you. For now, let me convey my grandfather’s thanks in person. Thanks to you, the Saintess gained a lot when she came to the academy. So, for you too….’

‘Surin noona.’

I cut off Moon Surin, who started talking about work before the food even arrived.

‘Hm?’

‘Didn’t we agree to have a meal together before? Let’s talk about work after we eat.’

‘…Shall we do that?’

I couldn’t bear to see that beautiful face filled with fatigue any longer.

Moon Surin seemed slightly moved by my words.

‘Of course. I had to go to the infirmary today after sparring. Professor Kim Jin-hyuk….’

‘Tsk. That professor is still at it?’

‘Exactly. And the professor for Modern Hunter Studies has changed to Dr. Kang Hyorin….’

I continued the conversation, bringing up everyday topics unrelated to work as much as possible.

A smile never left Moon Surin’s lips throughout the meal.

*

‘Wow… this is really delicious. This place.’

I had a rough idea when the employee in Hanbok arrived, but it was a Korean restaurant.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a bit difficult to make a reservation.’

‘Really? Well, it was certainly delicious enough to justify that.’

It was the first time in my life I had eaten such delicious Korean food.

It was so good that I felt a sense of doubt about all the meals I’d eaten until now.

‘So, shall we move on to work matters?’

‘Yep!’

I straightened my posture and prepared to listen attentively.

‘First, as I mentioned, the Saintess coming to the academy is thanks to you… So we decided to express our gratitude to you.’

‘Well, I did it all for you, noona, so I’d be grateful if you gave me a reward.’

‘Hehe, thank you just for saying that. Since we didn’t know what you might want, I brought a list we prepared. Would you like to take a look?’

Moon Surin handed me a piece of paper.

---

[Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng] One ‘geun’.

[Gongcheong Stone Oil]

[White Snake Powder] 100g

.

.

.

---

‘Wow….’

The list was filled with spirit herbs I’d only heard the names of.

‘This… I’ll think about it slowly.’

‘Okay. Sure. If you need anything else, feel free to tell me.’

‘Yes. Understood.’

We fell into a brief silence.

‘So, is that the end of the work talk? Noona?’

‘Yep. Right? Shall we get going soon?’

‘If it’s okay with you, noona, I don’t mind talking a bit longer.’

Moon Surin took off her glasses.

It was nice that her beautiful face was revealed, but this was actually a bad sign.

Moon Surin taking off her glasses was an event triggered either by very high affection towards Lee Hoyeon or by excessively stalker-like behavior…

★ Heroine Status Window

[Moon Surin]

• [Affection: 63]

• [Lust: 25]

• [Appetite: 50]

• [Fatigue: 73]

Current Status: Hoyeon is really kind.

My affection level was still in the low 60s. It meant she liked me, but wasn’t in love yet.

If that was the case, the cause of the event must have been the latter.

‘Is that so… Do you remember? What I said before about how it would be difficult if I became too famous.’

‘Of course, I remember.’

These were the words Moon Surin had spoken before, expressing concern as I grew closer to Professor Im Sol.

‘Now that you’ve become famous too… perhaps you can empathize with me a little?’

‘Noona…’

‘Sorry, doesn’t that sound like celebrity syndrome? Hehe.’

Moon Surin’s expression suggested she was lost in thought.

Regret, misery, disappointment, and depression. It seemed like she was experiencing all the negative emotions.

‘I always tell you, noona.’

I met Moon Surin’s gaze and stood up from my seat.

Standing in front of Moon Surin, I firmly grasped her delicate shoulders.

‘H-Hoyeon-ah? What are you doing?’

‘Noona. I’ve always told you, haven’t I? That I’m always on your side. Lee Hoyeon, the mage who will turn the world upside down, is on Moon Surin’s side. Don’t worry at all, and be confident. If anyone dares to bother you, I’ll beat them half to death.’

‘… S-suddenly doing this is… embarrassing….’

Moon Surin’s face turned red at my sudden action, and she darted her eyes around nervously.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Moon Surin]

• [Affection: 75]

• [Lust: 35]

• [Appetite: 50]

• [Fatigue: 73]

Current Status: D-does Hoyeon like me? Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad….

Affection 75. At this level, she’d accept a confession.

Her affection hadn’t risen enough for her to confess to me yet, but let’s be satisfied with this for now.

‘Noona. If things get tough, you absolutely must tell me. Okay?’

I said it one last time, like driving in a final nail.

‘Mhm… Okay.’

Moon Surin nodded as if mesmerized by my assertiveness.

When she’s truly struggling, I need to make her think of me before her family.

Slowly, it starts with making her dependent on me.