Chapter 15
“…….”
The sunset sky.
Lenea walked silently ahead of us, and Kim Yang and I followed behind her.
The meeting with Han Hyojae had failed.
No, calling it a failure would be a bit much.
We simply weren't meant to be.
You can't really divide encounters with people into success and failure.
"B-boss. Say something to comfort me."
Kim Yang jabbed my side, telling me to lighten the heavy mood.
But would anything I said right now really cheer Lenea up?
Sometimes, just staying quietly by someone's side is more comforting.
More than that, I decided to think a little more about Mr. Han Hyojae.
Just as Lenea is my customer, Mr. Han Hyojae is also my customer.
Even if he was only on the most basic 1-million-won plan, this meeting made it much clearer what kind of partner Han Hyojae wanted.
'Sometimes, seeing them in person like this isn't so bad.'
Deeper thoughts about a person that I couldn't have had if I'd just stayed at my desk and matched people up.
It was good that I came out here and saw it for myself today.
It's definitely broadened my perspective at work.
"E-excuse me—"
When I didn't respond, Kim Yang finally stepped in herself. She offered this and that, as if she wanted to do something.
"W-wanna go buy cosmetics with me? We can make you look m-much prettier."
"……아니다."
It was a firm refusal.
But the voice held no sense of defeat like resignation or discouragement.
Rather, her golden eyes glowed brilliantly in the sunset, as if she could clearly see the path she had to take.
"How should I put it? It feels like I now know how to approach the dream I wanted to achieve so badly."
"……."
"Yes, I learned a lot. Though it wasn't meant to be a marital match, it seems I did meet a good connection—"
Slowly turning around, Lenea looked at me with a bright smile.
"Thank you for giving me this realization through such a new meeting."
"You're exaggerating. It wasn't intentional, and you paid enough for it."
"Hmm! Well, 5 million won isn't a small amount!"
She said it with a self-important shrug, but Lenea definitely seemed to be in better spirits.
"S-so I won't get dressed up?"
"Hmm! Am I not already beautiful enough? So rather than that, I think we should pay more attention to something else."
"……."
Why was she saying that while looking at me?
"Answer me."
"……Well, you do look to be in your twenties."
"Hmph!"
Of all things, no one puts down elves for their looks. Unless they have a truly bizarre taste.
From taking over the giant tree at the amusement park to sleeping rough under park trees and calling it home.
Those are social problems that should have blown up far more than they did, but the reason they were swept under the rug was the elves' looks.
A cat is an easy comparison.
They don't listen worth a damn, and they don't even know to be grateful.
But just as cats survive on cuteness alone, elves are similar—they make a living off their looks.
"For now, I'd like to look for work. I also have the bounty from last time, so I was thinking of finding a small room to rent."
"That's a good idea."
"Th-there's an app for finding rooms. I'll install it on your phone."
She realizes how much she was chasing ideals and faces reality.
Some might call it compromise, but I'd rather call it growth.
"Right, if you find a room and a job, you should be able to rise from F-rank to E-rank."
"Ooh! Really?!"
So that she wouldn't forget a day like today. I should let her feel her own growth.
For some reason, I felt good.
Was it because I saw something nice?
As the owner of a matchmaking agency, I felt like I'd taken a step forward too.
"Ah, screw it, I'm in a good mood. Let's go to a sushi buffet today! It's on me!"
The moment I shouted with a smile, Kim Yang's eyes sparkled brightly.
"S-sushi buffet! B-boss, I love you! Sushiiii!"
I didn't know whether Yang liked fish, but I definitely didn't expect her to be this happy.
"Sushi?"
By contrast, Lenea tilted her head, as if she'd never eaten it before.
"Heh."
"Hah."
Seeing that, Kim Yang and I both curled up the corners of our mouths at the same time.
"Brace yourself, Elf Queen."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"P-prepare for your dentures to fall out. B-because it'll be so delicious."
"I don't wear dentures!"
That just meant it was that delicious.
* * *
"Yaaawn."
Early morning.
I was on my way to work as usual, but I'd run out of cigarettes.
I forgot to buy some yesterday.
Still, it's fine.
Because the first floor of the building right next door is a convenience store.
As I passed by, the auntie who ran the gukbap place on the first floor of our building was cleaning in front of the door.
"Young man, good morning."
"Good morning, ma'am."
"You've had a lot of customers these days, haven't you? Must be nice."
"Haha, that's because this building has good feng shui, I guess."
For the record, this lady owns the building.
"Come by for lunch. I'll put in lots of meat."
"I'll try convincing Kim Yang once. She doesn't do well with hot food, so she hates gukbap."
"The girl with the white hair? Well, that's a shame. I think my son secretly likes you, miss."
"Really?"
Now that was interesting.
"Well, my son's about at marrying age too, but... he's shy, and he's always busy with the shop, so he doesn't really have time to meet people."
"True, your gukbap is so good that it keeps you busy."
"My, aren't you sweet with your words?"
I told her that if her son signed up with the matchmaking agency, I'd give her an acquaintance discount, then headed to the convenience store.
'Come to think of it, doesn't Kim Yang date anyone?'
As a famous SNS influencer, she must be popular.
Even at the club she used to go to, it seemed like she got hit on fairly often.
Of course, she said she turns them all down by using my name as an excuse and claiming she already has a boyfriend.
'If her third-floor speech improved just a little, she'd probably be dating someone in no time.'
But it hardly improves at all.
Maybe stuttering has become a habit.
Jingle-jingle.
I stood at the convenience store counter, but there was no clerk. Judging by the sounds from the storeroom, she seemed to be sorting stock.
I tapped on the counter like a knock.
"Excuse me, could you ring me up?"
"J-just wait a moment!"
"......Huh?"
What was with this familiar way of speaking?
What felt familiar wasn't just the speech. Coming out of the storeroom was Meracle's premium customer, Lenea.
"Ah, boss! Perfect timing. Buy me one strawberry milk!"
What was this shamelessness?
Was this what age and experience were?
"Are you working part-time here?"
"Hmm! I thought I should get some real-world experience! And I need to get up to E-rank, don't I!"
Then she let her true intentions slip with a sly smile.
"Even when I was F-rank, I met someone at B-rank, so if I become E-rank, then maybe someone at A-rank—!"
That's not how the math works, but well, dreams are free, so I decided to let it slide.
"For the record, part-time work counts as unemployed. Keep that in mind."
"Huh? Why?! I-I am earning money too!"
"Psh, who counts a spouse's part-time job as a real profession? That doesn't count."
"……."
Lenea pouted and glared at me. I decided to pretend not to see it and just buy my cigarettes.
"One Marlboro, please."
"Oh? Customer! You have to bring it to the register!"
Lenea puffed herself up, pleased she'd delivered the line she'd practiced. That would be right for other goods, but this was convenience-store cigarettes.
"Ha, it's cigarettes. You have to get them from behind the counter."
"Oh, it was cigarettes? You should've said so."
Well, whatever.
It was clearly her first day on the job.
"Maaaalbooooro—"
The way she hummed it really did sound like a grandma.
"It's right there. No, left. A bit higher. No, lower than that. One shelf up. No, up—why are you going right—ah, shit."
"What?! Shit?!"
"Ahem, no. Sorry. But it's frustrating, isn't it? Is it really okay to make customers this uncomfortable?"
"I'll make sure you properly experience how I make a scene at Meracle when I'm off work."
Ah, shit.
Should I lock the office door?
"You'll see that I haven't lived 1,901 years for nothing."
Does she mean she'll be 1,901 years old and still throw a tantrum by lying on the floor?
In the end, we compromised by buying both the Marlboro and the strawberry milk and putting them in her hands.
"Sigh."
What a rough morning.
After smoking one cigarette and stepping into the office, a gust of wind blew from inside.
"Gah?!"
My hair whipped around, and the cigarette smell clinging to my body vanished all at once.
When I opened my eyes, squeezed shut against the sharp wind, a woman I'd never seen before was standing there.
"I apologize. I simply hate foul smells."
The black-haired woman was wearing a white martial robe. She had a neat, pure beauty.
She gave a martial salute, bowed, and immediately introduced herself.
"I am Baek Yeonhwa from the Taeguk Yin-Yang Sect. I may be lacking in skill, but I am also known as the Yin-Yang Dual Pulse, one of the top ten experts of the martial world."
A confident smile.
She was a guest from the old martial world on the fifth floor.
Kim Yang peeked out from behind Baek Yeonhwa and gestured to me.
"B-boss. She's that one."
"That one?"
"I came here because I heard Meracle was the best matchmaker on the third floor. There is only one thing I want."
The way she just blurted out what she wanted proved she was definitely from the old martial world.
Especially if she's one of the top ten experts of the martial world, that means she's a fairly high-ranking figure—
"A man who can beat me. Yes, that's enough! I want to become the wife of a man who fights me and wins!"
A majestic declaration.
The moment I heard it, I understood why Kim Yang had called her 'that one.'
"Ah, I see. Just a moment."
"Yes?"
I immediately went to my desk, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out one of the documents from the stack.
"Here, write your name here."
"Hmm? This is—"
"It's a list. Simply put, it's a marriage-by-duel list."
"Pardon?"
I handed her a pen and pointed to the very bottom of the list as she stared at me blankly.
"Write it here. Oh, can you write the letters used on the third floor? If not, should I write it for you? What was it again, Yin-Yang Dual Pulse Baek Yeonhwa?"
Another one added to this list.
"[Marriage-by-Duel List]"
"- The Grand Duchess of the Night, Lumiere."
"- The Infinite Library, Beloa."
"- The Impassive Sword Maiden, Namgung Hwaryeong."
"- The Neon Valkyrie, Mosko Bychakos."
"- The Yasha, Ryu Seoram."
"- The Clearwind Martial Queen, Peng Sorin."
"- The Elf Queen, Lenea."
I never expected the space beneath Lenea, who had asked to be included on a whim, to be filled so quickly.
"- Yin-Yang Dual Pulse, Baek Yeonhwa."
"I've written it down for now. When a challenger appears, you'll decide the deposit and membership tier then."
"Th-then, could this list be—"
"Yes, it's the waiting list for marriage-by-duel applicants."
"……."
"But it doesn't come off easily. Has it even come off once in the past year? Even then, it honestly looked like they let her win—"