episode_0023

It was around the time when Hanyerwon and I started living together.

The whole world buzzed with the news that the third primordial stone had been discovered in India, known for having the most awakened individuals.

The place where the third stone was found was a hidden cave on the first floor of the tower.

It was found at the starting point of the tower, where it’s said to be dark under the lantern.

“The person who found it really hit the jackpot in life.”

The F-grade awakened individual who coincidentally found the stone became a national hero and reportedly gained tremendous honor and wealth.

As someone who didn’t even have the chance to find out whether it was a stone or not, I couldn’t help but feel envious.

“Wow… people really don’t know about life, do they?”

“Yeah… I wish I could find a stone like that too.”

That was when I absentmindedly watched TV and massaged Hanyerwon’s body.

Leaning against my back, she glanced at me and presented me with a choice.

“Finding the primordial stone vs. marrying Ryeowon. Which one?”

“Hmm.”

“Huh? Are you actually thinking about this?”

“Why can’t I find the primordial stone and marry Ryeowon?”

“In that case, you should say I’m better than the stone!”

“I’m greedy.”

“You…? Oh, wait! The sofa is getting wet…!”

“I’ll clean it up anyway. Spread it more.”

Since starting to live with Hanyerwon, we’ve become much closer than before.

Except when we’re apart, we’re together most of the time.

As soon as our eyes met, we’d start flirting.

Exaggerating a bit, there were more times when we were undressed at home than when we were wearing clothes.

“Should we order dinner…?”

“You said you’d make fried rice earlier. How come you’re not moving confidently now?”

“Because I’m still trembling because of someone…”

“Who’s bothering you again?”

“Sigh. I’m sorry. Please, sir, let’s order dinner.”

Usually, when you live together like this, there’s supposed to be at least one thing that doesn’t match.

But since both of us tend to accommodate each other, there weren’t any major issues in our daily lives.

…Except occasionally, unexpected shadows of my ex-girlfriend would pop up.

“Oh, it’s Mayeon.”

“…Yeah.”

Muyeon, who crossed over to the United States, was thriving by making contracts with higher beings from another dimension.

In the media, they call her a one-person army.

She and her summoned creatures were highly evaluated for their overwhelming firepower, even ranking first in the global power rankings.

Thanks to this, the domestic Awakened Individuals Association chairman resigned amidst severe criticism, much to Muyeon’s satisfaction.

Consequently, she began to appear quite frequently on domestic TV and in the media.

“I have something I’m curious about. Can I ask?”

“What is it?”

Whether it was a sense of competition or not, Hanrye-won would demand comparisons whenever Muyeon appeared on TV.

“Between her and me, who did you enjoy being with more?”

Most answers resulted in attempted assassinations, but…

“Well…”

Honestly, in terms of “satisfaction,” Muyeon’s side was slightly closer.

Really, just by a tiny margin, like the difference in chest size.

However, unable to express this straightforwardly, she always pretended to think for a moment before giving an answer that would please her.

“You are much better.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that on purpose?”

She looked at her suspiciously.

“To be honest, I don’t remember how it was with her now.”

“Lies.”

“Maybe I did more with her than with you?”

“Do you think I’d fall for such an obvious lie?”

“It’s true. There’s only you, Ryewon.”

Even with that obvious answer, Hanrye-won seemed secretly pleased.

There was something quite endearing about her.

‘Living together unexpectedly isn’t so bad.’

As I began to realize that we were a perfect match, I suddenly started to think more seriously about marriage with her.

“Marriage…”

From the time I was born and raised in an imperfect environment, there had always been a longing for a complete family.

Of course, my time living with my mother wasn’t unhappy, but the absence of a ‘father’ had a significant impact.

At one point, I even wondered what it would have been like if ‘Dad’ had truly been our father.

Well, thankfully, he wasn’t.

Anyway, for some reason, I strongly felt that I would be happy if I married Hanrye-won.

In order to do that, I needed to prepare first.

“Well, I should start by saving money.”

Objectively speaking, Hanyeorwon is a very overwhelming presence for me right now.

With a sophisticated and cute appearance, an excellent figure, and intelligence that excels in her major.

It felt too wasteful for someone like her to marry someone who only does part-time jobs or odd jobs.

At the very least, I needed to become someone she wouldn’t be ashamed of.

So, I decided to learn a skill.

A specialist in magical equipment management. It was a profession that could manage equipment related to magic, just as the name suggests.

“I’m sure this is okay.”

It seemed like a specific certification was necessary, and fortunately, “Mercury” had recently established a certification acquisition process in cooperation with the government.

The mobile phone that was famous for awakening user equipment was also a Mercury product, which was a gift from the Mayeonseo in the past.

“Lucky me.”

Perhaps because I was eager to apply before the deadline, I immediately confessed to Hanyeorwon that I was applying.

“Me. Getting a certification.”

Up until this point, I naturally thought she would support me.

“What…?”

Contrary to my expectations, she showed a lukewarm reaction.

“Isn’t it too early? It seems like you could take a little more time to think about it…”

It was as if she wanted me to continue working part-time.

“But, if we’re going to get married later, we should start preparing from now on, right?”

“Huh…. Marriage?”

“Even so, it’s once in a lifetime, shouldn’t you at least try on a diamond ring?”

“D-Diamond…?!”

She hesitated like a broken doll at the subtly brought up marriage topic.

“Why, don’t you want to marry me?”

As I playfully teased her with a smile, she responded by clapping her hands as if to cheer herself up.

“Oh, no! It’s not that I don’t want to…! I just didn’t expect you to have that kind of thought…”

Hanyeorwon, blushing slightly, bit her lip with a hesitant voice, trying to suppress the rising laughter.

I’ve felt it before, but she really can’t tell a lie.

“So, what do you think? About getting the certification. If it goes well, great, if not, it’s okay, right?”

“Wow, that sounds great…! I’ll support you! I hope it goes well! Really!”

Hanrye-won, who changed her stance like turning over the palm of her hand, wholeheartedly supported my plan.

“Let’s work hard.”

With determination, I took steps toward the future.

*

At the time when Kang Yoo-chan was leaping toward a new future,

In a luxury hotel in the United States,

“You were so cool today! You nailed it as ‘The Hand of Sigil’ in one go! Haha…! You should have seen the other awakened individuals around, gawking at you…!”

A lightly dressed woman, visibly excited, gestured enthusiastically while throwing punches.

And beside her, there was someone silently listening to her story.

With moist black hair and a seemingly cold appearance, and a perfect figure visible beyond the thick coat.

It was Ma Yeon-seo.

“The association is watching, the U.S. is courting, and Korea is on tenterhooks!”

“……”

Ma Yeon-seo tied her loosely draped bathrobe tightly, ignoring the chatter of her manager, Lee Ye-na, and quietly made her way to the reception room.

Lee Ye-na, who naturally followed behind her, continued to rave about Ma Yeon-seo’s performance.

“I’m sure she’ll take the top spot in the next power rankings!”

Without a word, Ma Yeon-seo suddenly sat down on the sofa, filled a crystal glass with whiskey, and spoke softly.

“What about this month’s report?”

In response, Lee Ye-na handed her the tablet she had been holding, calming her excitement.

“It’s prepared while you were in the bathroom. It’s 11 pages in total, and the attached photos are organized separately.”

This was why Ma Yeon-seo kept Lee Ye-na as her manager.

She could be noisy when excited, but when it came to what needed to be done, she did it properly.

“…Applied for an educational program?”

As she sipped her drink and checked the tablet, Ma Yeon-seo narrowed her eyes and looked at Lee Ye-na.

Then, Lee Ye-na briefly summarized the information she had already grasped.

“Yes. Kang Yoo-chan applied for the certification process established by Mercury Korea’s business division.”

It was none other than information about Kang Yoo-chan in Korea.

“The part-time job you are currently working at still hasn’t given any news, but it seems like you applied with that in mind.”

Mayeonseo looked at Kang Yoo-chan’s application on the tablet and felt a strange emotion.

‘…Yoo-chan is applying to our company….’

Mercury Corp, the major multinational corporation her grandfather personally brought over and nurtured from the United States.

She couldn’t help but be surprised by the fact that Kang Yoo-chan was once again related to her.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a fateful relationship.

‘Surely Yoo-chan is my destined match.’

Mayeonseo recalled the day she broke up with Yoo-chan a few years ago.

The dreadful shock that shattered her entire body, the conversation with the self-proclaimed “goddess of luck” she had faced at the threshold of death.

– Strengthen yourself. Then, naturally, your destined match will come to you someday.

– It may be hard to believe, but destiny works that way.

She exuded the scent of a swindler and truly helped Mayeonseo overcome death.

Having experienced death in this way, Mayeonseo gained the opportunity to make a contract with a higher being at the cost of sacrificing her life for a purpose.

From then on, Mayeonseo ran tirelessly, believing that Kang Yoo-chan was her one and only destined match.

Her move to the United States was solely for that reason, to become stronger even faster.

She also used her exceptional American intelligence to regularly hear news about Kang Yoo-chan.

“Make sure Yoo-chan gets accepted.”

“Understood. Should I prepare a place in advance?”

“Do it discreetly. Not too difficult a position… just so no one bothers him unnecessarily.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Giving instructions, Mayeonseo brushed away her excited heart and checked the remaining report on Kang Yoo-chan.

However.

-Estimated 82 times in 15 days.

Except for certification-related content, it was filled with repulsive details about how much he flirted with Han Ryewon, how many times they had relations, and where they went for fun.

The feeling that Yoo-chan had been tarnished tore her heart to pieces.

“Damn it.”

With a click, Mayeonseo, who had unconsciously ground her teeth, returned the tablet, suppressing her anger with burning vengeance.

“Discard it.”

And then, she quickly swallowed the prepared sleeping pills and whiskey in one gulp, exhaling a deep breath as she buried herself deeply into the sofa.

“Yoo-chan… just wait a little longer…”

Her love was still ongoing.