Chapter 25
The story continues off the page
Floaties for Everyone
Swim lesson at the water park, and she's demonstrating on you
5th Floor, Taeguk Yin-Yang Sect.
As one of the prestigious sects, it actively exchanged with the outside world, and by now it had become one of the 5th Floor’s famous tourist spots as well.
Of course, outsiders couldn’t enter the sect, but the sect buildings, set against the grand waterfall on the outskirts of the city, were a famous spot for getting a once-in-a-lifetime photo.
“Wow, amazing.”
“Look at this! They even sell uniforms here!”
A young couple visiting from the 3rd Floor laughed as they took photos.
Especially when touring the 5th Floor, what people sought out most was none other than a Polaroid camera.
Since there were no cell towers on the 5th Floor, smartphones were naturally useless.
Of course, you could still take pictures with a phone, but feeling that analog charm was precisely what made 5th Floor sightseeing special.
What if you get lost, or run into a band of robbers?
There’s nothing to worry about.
Compared with the other floors, the 5th Floor has the most developed tourism industry—
Swish!
The ‘guide’ (tour guide) who had been watching from a distance approached the couple using air stride.
Does martial skill put food on the table?
Those days are over.
It’s a world where even masters have to make money and survive.
As a sort of escort (travel guide), they were making quite a tidy sum.
“Do you see over there?”
When the guide came over and pointed it out, a woman could be seen in the building beside the waterfall.
Black hair with a bluish sheen. A refined, elegant face. A white dobok.
“That lady there is none other than the heroine Baek Yeonhwa of the Taeguk Yin-Yang Sect. She’s even ranked among the Top Ten Masters.”
“Wow!”
“One of the Top Ten Masters?”
Seeing the couple’s astonished reaction, the guide nodded with a smile.
“You’re in luck. The Taeguk Yin-Yang Sect values the harmony of yin and yang through balance, and places great importance on tranquility. She must be over there writing a verse to calm her mind.”
“Amazing, amazing!”
“Verses? Wow, I want to see that.”
“Ahem, this is a very rare experience. I’ll take the picture for you.”
At the guide’s words, the couple took a photo with the distant waterfall and Baek Yeonhwa as the backdrop.
Click!
Whirr!
Click!
Whirr!
“Wow, you take such great photos!”
“See? We really picked the right person. The reviews were amazing.”
“Haha, it’s because you two look so good together.”
Even after handing over the photos, the guide didn’t leave. The boyfriend pulled a bill from his pocket and handed it to the awkwardly standing man.
“Thanks to you, we even got a shot of one of the Top Ten Masters. Thank you.”
“Khhmm! Not at all! If I find another good spot, I’ll be sure to introduce it to you without fail!”
Once he got the tip, the guide promptly vanished again.
That was exactly their job.
To make travelers feel like they were on a free-and-easy trip while still keeping them safe from afar and making sure they didn’t miss the key spots.
“They said he really loved money, and they weren’t lying.”
“Aw, but I heard he’s almost top-class. He’s earning his keep.”
“Come to think of it, he really does take photos well, just like the reviews said.”
The couple whispered and looked back toward the waterfall. Baek Yeonhwa was still writing her lines with graceful poise—
“What kind of poem do you think she’s writing?”
“Beats me. It must be something that transcends the world and human emotion. Like an immortal!”
“That would be so cool!”
Unfortunately, she wasn’t writing verse like the couple thought.
Rather than transcendence, she was writing something deeply caught up in human emotion.
-----
Hero,
Today I’m sending my fifth letter.
You probably haven’t replied yet because you’re busy.
That’s what I believe.
It’s not because I’m being bothersome or anything, is it?
Since letters from the 3rd Floor take some time to reach the 5th Floor, I’ll consider the wait something to enjoy as well.
But, Hero.
You aren’t talking for too long with other women while I’m away, are you?
I’m not suspecting you.
I’m just curious.
Come to think of it, Hunter Yoo Ye-na came by.
She seemed to be talking with Lord Azure Dragon about all sorts of things, and every so often she’d say things like ‘our Jooseon.’
Jooseon.
You sure do call him by his name pretty casually, don’t you?
May I call him that too?
Jooseon?
Hehe. I’m joking.
I’m not the jealous type.
We share each other’s secrets, after all.
You don’t happen to know Yoo Ye-na too, do you?
I trust that I’m the only one who knows.
Still, Hero.
Half a year is truly a long time.
And yet only one week has passed.
Hero, please reply as quickly as possible.
At this rate, I might really come looking for you.
Just joking.
But please promise me one thing.
At the end of the day,
I want the last face you think of to be mine.
May you be at peace today as well.
Signed, your very own Baek Yeonhwa.
P.S.
I enclosed a photo of myself.
I heard there’s a very fascinating camera called a Polaroid.
I took it with that.
It’s our little secret.
If you’d like, I can send something a little more... daring.
If that’s what you desire, Hero—
By the way, Hero, what would you like to do first when we meet?
I want to see your face first.
Have a meal, hold hands, and then...
* * *
“I-I’ll tell you the rest when we meet in person. I-I’m embarrassed.”
Meracle’s office.
Kim Yang tilted his head as he looked at the letter and enclosed photo sent to Kim Jooseon.
“M-Ms. Baek Yeonhwa has already sent five letters today. L-look at the photo.”
Renea, who had been listening from the side, peeked her head in.
“Whoa, she’s got a seductive vibe... Maybe I should try it too?”
There was a subtle sensuality to Baek Yeonhwa, posing as though it were a secret.
“So, did the boss reply?”
“Y-yes, he did.”
“Oh? What did he say?”
“That there seems to be a misunderstanding, and that I can introduce you to an even better husband candidate.”
“...I think it’d be better not to go up to the 5th Floor for a while.”
“I-I told her that too.”
The two women nodded and glanced toward the boss’s seat.
An empty seat.
Kim Jooseon hadn’t come to work for two days now.
“Huh, did he go there again today?”
“Y-yeah. Look at this.”
Kim Yang held out a calendar.
Marked on it was payday, now only three days away.
“I-if they don’t pay the salary—”
“If they don’t?”
“T-the beef we ate last time was delicious.”
“......”
“I-I’m going to turn the boss into beef.”
Kim Yang issued a menacing warning.
* * *
It wasn’t bad.
No, it was definitely good.
There are times when money comes in.
I was definitely riding that wave.
That is, until that fucking bastard Azure Dragon appeared.
“Insincere management! Compensate us for the stock plunge!”
“The security team made the mistake, and shareholders bear the loss? What kind of nonsense is that!”
“Take responsibility for canceling the performance! Fans are not a joke!”
A stock market-wide plunge caused by a natural disaster.
Among them, the one I’d invested in, ‘Wolfguard Tactical Solutions,’ was taking a particularly hard hit.
A company that made equipment for beastfolk and also handled security.
The problem was the security detail for the famous beastfolk singer, ‘Owl.’
This time, Azure Dragon’s lightning strike was passed off as a natural disaster caused by sudden climate change, but there was still fallout.
The place struck by lightning just happened to be the building where Owl was.
And just by chance, the electrical equipment was damaged, causing a fire.
And, by some further chance, the smoke from the fire damaged Owl’s throat.
And then, to top it off, Owl had a tour concert scheduled.
Wolfguard Tactical Solutions’ stock had crashed due to its inadequate security response.
The stock I’d bought at 9,800 won had fallen to 2,100 won now.
I couldn’t just sit in the deserted office, so I ran over and joined the protest.
Of course, that had been true until yesterday.
The reason I came here today was a little different.
“Please eat this while you’re at it. It’s cold out.”
With a friendly capitalist smile, I diligently handed out instant coffee to the shareholders.
“Oh my, thank you.”
“Such a kind young man, coming all the way here.”
Though it was a protest, there were breaks too. And during those breaks, people gathered and talked about their lives.
“These days, my son—”
“Sigh, my daughter too—”
“The thing is, people are so hard to trust—”
In the middle of all sorts of conversation, I cut in right away with a smile.
“Your son is thirty? What does he do for a living?”
“My son? He’s just a civil servant. We were thrilled when he passed, but it’s not like the salary is that good. He has no time, so he can’t even meet anyone.”
“If he has a stable job at thirty, that’s fine, isn’t it? Do you have a photo?”
“A photo? A photo of my son—”
“Wow! At this level, he’d get an A-rank from my company. With A-rank, I can even match him with a hunter making up to 300 million won a year.”
“Huh? My son? No, more importantly, Jooseon-ssi. Do you run a business?”
A-rank was a bit of a stretch.
But that was something to figure out later, one step at a time.
At the very least, he seemed like B-rank, so I rated him one grade higher.
“Ah, this is the kind of person I am.”
<We find your miracle across countless worlds.>
Hunter-exclusive matchmaking agency, Meracle.
I handed over a business card right away.
“If your son can’t get married, give me a call. I’ll find you a good daughter-in-law candidate at a bargain price.”
“But... can you really match him with a hunter making 300 million won a year?”
“Aigoo! Sis! He’s a hunter! You never know when he’ll die outside the city!”
That auntie?
I cut that auntie’s momentum short.
“A lot of people misunderstand us. We’re a hunter-specialized agency. We don’t just judge by profit—we grade hunters by profit, stability, temperament, hunting grounds, and so on. In fact, now, when hunters have such a bad public image, is when the real opportunity comes—.”
“No, Jooseon-ssi. Could you take a look at our son too?”
“Our daughter—”
Don’t worry.
I brought a whole stack of business cards.
“Oh my, yes, yes. Please, everyone, show me.”
As we were chatting for quite a while.
“It’s Owl!”
“I’m a fan! Oppa!”
The shout from Owl’s fan club rang out from afar. He was entering Wolfguard Tactical Solutions’ headquarters himself.
Then the crowd split into two factions.
“Shouldn’t you be taking better care of your throat?!”
“What kind of singer are you?!”
“Come on—just say it’s fine and save us!”
The people who had come to protest because Wolfguard Tactical Solutions’ stock had fallen were criticizing Owl.
“What? What did our oppa do wrong?”
“The one who did something wrong is the security guard!”
“Look at these old fogeys, taking aim at anyone and everyone!”
Owl’s fan club shouted back at the protesters.
As things looked like they were getting even rowdier, I quietly slipped away.
“Hm?”
The face of the woman assigned to Owl’s escort was far too familiar.
“Ryu Seoram?”
At my call, one of the Seven Extremes, Ryu Seoram, tilted her head and looked this way.
“Hm? Why are you here, Kim Jooseon?”
What are you doing here.