Chapter 65
The story continues off the page
Floaties for Everyone
Swim lesson at the water park, and she's demonstrating on you
The Meracle office is a little hectic today. Not because of work, but for an entirely personal reason.
“Hey, there’s no need to dress up this much just to go to a wedding.”
I grumble at Kim Yang, who is adjusting my tie. At my words, Kim Yang sighs.
“J-just... stay still.”
“...You should just be the boss.”
“W-want me to? Hand it over. Y-you’re an employee now.”
Kim Yang lets out a small laugh, then gives my tie one last playful tug before loosening it again.
I stare at them dumbfoundedly, but they slyly avoid my gaze while keeping an eye on Renea.
“How do I look? Not bad, right?”
“Y-yes, pretty.”
“Ahem.”
Renea is all dressed up.
That outfit was borrowed as part of the styling service, by the way.
There could be another opportunity to meet someone at someone else’s wedding, couldn’t there?
Thanks to that, I also stuffed my pockets with business cards and put on the suit I used to wear when I was first starting the business.
“I thought this last time we went to Cyber City too, but I think my clothes have gotten a little bigger.”
I don’t know if it’s because I started exercising again, but the clothes that used to fit perfectly are definitely loose now.
It means I’ve lost that much fat, but even so, this baggy feeling is a little troublesome.
‘It’d be a shame to buy another suit.’
I don’t wear it that often, either.
Kim Yang, who had been staring at me, nods as well.
“I-it is a little big.”
“Right? Sigh... Even if your body changes, it still costs money. Everything in this world costs money.”
I can only hope I won’t have to wear a suit very often.
* * *
I leave the office in Kim Yang’s care.
Renea and I, without having eaten lunch, are riding the bus together.
Today is Mr. Han Hyojae’s wedding.
I was originally going to go alone, but Renea said she had never seen a Third Floor wedding, so she came along.
It’s not as though she and Hyojae are strangers, either.
“Phew...”
Renea’s expression is stiff.
I wonder if she’s feeling carsick from the bus, but that doesn’t seem to be it.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m a little nervous.”
“Nervous? We’re just going to look around.”
“I know. But when you reach this age, going to someone else’s wedding is bound to make you nervous.”
“...”
I’ve never been 1,900 years old, so there’s nothing I can say about that.
Since I had the chance, I decide to ask her something I’ve been curious about.
“Have you often attended elf weddings?”
“Often? I was the elven queen. I spent over 1,000 years bringing elves together before the World Tree.”
“...”
“Sniff.”
Why are you crying after doing something so admirable?
When I pat her on the back, Renea looks up at me tearfully.
“Thank you for treating me so kindly.”
I immediately take my hand away.
“I’m the boss. You know that, right?”
“Your kindness really doesn’t last three seconds.”
Perhaps her tears have dried up thanks to that, because she grumbles while sitting there and swings her legs back and forth.
Returning to the subject.
“How are elf weddings held? No, how do elves date?”
Since elves are a long-lived race, they seem to prefer dating and marrying among themselves.
For us, dating someone for ten years would naturally lead to marriage, since that counts as a long-term relationship.
But I’ve heard that for elves, dating someone for ten years only means they’ve finally moved past the beginning of the relationship.
Renea puts a finger to her chin and searches her memory at my question.
“As far as I know, there wasn’t much difference. The dating period was a little longer, but it was getting shorter after the Tower appeared.”
“Really?”
“In any case, we aren’t the only long-lived race, are we? Some of the beastkin in the old martial world live for a long time too, even if they don’t live as long as we do.”
“That’s fascinating.”
It feels like listening to an old elven grandmother’s stories. Since elves are extremely rare among matchmaking-agency clients, information like this isn’t easy to obtain.
[This stop is Baekja White Hall. Baekja White Hall.]
“Let’s get off. This is our stop.”
“Hoo—! Haaah!”
When we get off the bus, we see a building that brings white porcelain to mind amid the still-cold air.
Baekja White Hall.
It was built after the Tower’s appearance caused numerous countries to vanish and displaced some refugees.
Present-day Neo Seoul had many local buildings and names like this, especially.
It was meant to ensure that we didn’t forget our culture and identity.
This wasn’t a social phenomenon limited to Seoul. The surviving regions, such as America and China, were similar.
The entrance is filled with people who look like office workers. Hyojae works in management at a company, while the woman is an assistant manager on the accounting team of a small or medium-sized business.
They both had calm, composed impressions, and I introduced them because they seemed like a good match. They turned out to be a perfect fit.
‘This makes me proud.’
But where am I supposed to put the wedding gift money?
I’m wondering whether putting money on both sides would be a bit much when Renea grabs my lapel and looks around in awe.
“Oooh... It’s so splendid. Elf weddings were only held beneath the World Tree.”
Wait a minute.
“Ms. Renea, did you bring the wedding gift money?”
“What’s that?”
“...You’re not going to eat, are you?”
“What are you talking about?! You said it was a buffet, so we were going to eat before we left!”
Oh, damn it.
I briefly explain wedding gift money, then point at the ATM.
“Y-you have a card, right? Go withdraw some money over there.”
“This queen has no card.”
“Why don’t you have a card?”
“This queen is an old lady. I don’t know how to use machines.”
“...”
“...”
A battle of wits begins as we stare at each other.
“It’s to congratulate them, you know?”
“This queen isn’t congratulating anyone. I wish everyone getting married except me would drop dead.”
When I stare at her in disbelief, Renea grumbles and eventually heads toward the ATM.
“My stomach hurts enough to kill me, and now I have to give them money too. What is this? Tch, I shouldn’t have come along. Ah, I want to get married.”
What is she even muttering about by herself?
A little while later, Renea returns with the money.
We decide to give 30,000 won together. I put it with the bride’s side, while Renea puts it with Hyojae’s.
After giving them the wedding gift money and receiving our meal tickets.
“I’m going to see the bride. Would you like to come?”
“...This queen doesn’t know who she is, does she? I’ll wait here.”
I’ve been thinking this since last time, but she really is quite shy around strangers.
* * *
After Kim Joo-seon leaves for the bridal waiting room.
Renea looks around with her mouth hanging open.
The high ceiling and lavish interior.
And the crowds of people.
Elf weddings were much quieter than this.
Because appearing before the World Tree was supposed to be a solemn occasion.
If you asked which was better, it would still be difficult to judge.
But her envy was unmistakable.
‘Did all these people come to congratulate the marriage?’
It wasn’t just the people, either.
The unease of having so many people here was something she never felt at elf weddings.
Everything here had been prepared solely to bless the marriage of two people.
Renea was truly, terribly envious.
Then—
“Ms. Renea?”
When she turns toward the voice calling her, Han Hyojae is standing there, greeting the guests who came to see him.
A handsome tuxedo and neatly styled hair.
His clean, polished appearance from before is especially striking.
“Long time no see.”
Renea greets him comfortably, and Han Hyojae approaches.
“I didn’t expect you to come.”
“I came with the boss.”
“So Boss Meracle came too.”
Han Hyojae smiles faintly.
The cold atmosphere I saw last time has softened somewhat.
“Actually, I considered sending you an invitation too, but I decided against it.”
“To me?”
“My conversations with you definitely changed my views on marriage.”
“I did?”
The voices of the people around them naturally fade away. Before long, Renea is staring up at Han Hyojae, focused on his story.
“I thought marriage was ultimately a business arrangement. But after hearing your views, Ms. Renea, I realized that I was wrong.”
“...”
“It shouldn’t be too romantic, but that doesn’t mean you should let go of romance entirely.”
Han Hyojae smiles faintly.
“If I hadn’t learned that, I wouldn’t have been able to marry this person.”
“I’m glad this queen was able to help.”
The jealousy that had welled up settles down. It doesn’t feel bad knowing that her conversation had helped Han Hyojae.
“How have you been lately, Ms. Renea...?”
Her mood immediately worsens.
“A-ahem! This queen is, well, w-working hard. Very hard!”
“...”
It’s obvious from the sound of it that things aren’t going well. Han Hyojae is silent for a moment, then speaks after thinking it over.
“May I be honest with you?”
“Hm?”
“I mean, what I’m about to say might hurt you.”
“Why all of a sudden?!”
Renea hesitates and takes a step backward.
Her conversation with Han Hyojae had definitely been educational, but learning was always bitter.
However, he was serious.
“You broke open the rigid way I thought. Your philosophy of pursuing romance was the exact opposite of my rational nature.”
“...”
“So I hope things go well for you too, Ms. Renea. If I’m not overstepping.”
“Nngh.”
Renea crosses her arms and makes an awkward sound. Honestly, it sounds like it would hurt, so she doesn’t want to hear it.
But her determination to do whatever it takes to get married ultimately makes her nod.
“Go ahead.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to quit the matchmaking agency?”
“Don’t punch me in the solar plexus out of nowhere!”
The blow comes out of nowhere, and even though she hasn’t actually been hit, her back bends on its own.
An oddly searing pain shoots through her.
The person who delivered the blow remains perfectly calm.
“Ultimately, what you want is a romantic relationship, Ms. Renea. Romantic love and emotional exchange. An elf like you doesn’t want marriage as a career goal, the way I did in the past.”
“R-right.”
“Then what you want isn’t marriage.”
“...Huh?”
Then what is it—?
“You want love.”
At the matter-of-fact declaration, Renea stares blankly before shouting.
“You say that so casually?! I just got goosebumps!”
“It’s difficult to express it any other way.”
Han Hyojae himself doesn’t seem particularly shaken.
If anything, that calmness causes Renea’s emotions to settle as well.
“Matchmaking agencies are calculating places. Of course, Meracle is different from other matchmaking agencies, but that’s because the boss is different, not because the customers are. Customers all look at conditions and ranks and act as coldly as I did.”
“...”
“Is there a man around you?”
“One—no, two.”
One of them is the boss of Meracle, Kim Joo-seon.
The other is the convenience-store owner.
A pleasant-looking married man with two children and a protruding belly.
He wasn’t really a man worth counting, but leaving him out would make it look like there was only one, so she included him.
“Of those men, is there someone you feel comfortable and happy being with?”
“There is someone I feel comfortable with.”
“Do you have feelings for him?”
“Feelings...? I-I don’t know.”
“You haven’t felt those emotions in such a long time, so that’s understandable.”
“Do you happen to have a counselor’s license?”
“I’m a married man. This is my specialty.”
With a sharp click, Han Hyojae pushes up his glasses and shrugs.
‘What an arrogant show-off.’
Unaware that Renea is cursing him inwardly, Han Hyojae continues.
“Instead of going through a matchmaking agency, it might be good for you to try meeting someone naturally. Spend time together with someone who seems nice, just the two of you. That’s what I did.”
“...”
Maybe it’s because he’s a married man.
His words are strangely persuasive.
Han Hyojae bows his head and brings his words to a close.
“This is probably the last advice I can give you. I hope you find someone good too, Ms. Renea.”
“...Later.”
As Han Hyojae is about to leave, Renea gives a wry smile and speaks.
“You must come see my wedding.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
And so Han Hyojae leaves—
A little while later, Kim Joo-seon returns.
“Ms. Renea, are you enjoying the sights?”
“Mm! It was very meaningful. The people, the place, the atmosphere. Everything here is blessing those two, so I’m terribly envious.”
“...”
Kim Joo-seon glances at Renea.
Her expression looks fine, but it seems she can’t help being jealous.
He pats her on the back.
“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely be able to get married too. I’ll be sure to introduce you to a good person.”
“I think I’ll pass on introductions for a while.”
“Pardon?”
He naturally assumed she would start accepting every introduction she could get, so the opposite request leaves him bewildered.
“I think I need some time to reflect on myself.”
“...Are you running a fever?”
Renea glares at Kim Joo-seon as he presses a hand to her forehead, then crosses her arms and grumbles.
“Enough. Let’s go eat.”
“Sure. You got the meal ticket, right? That thing from earlier—”
The meal ticket.
The small scrap of paper in my pocket brushes against the back of my hand.
But—
“Was that the meal ticket? I threw it away earlier.”
“...What?”
“Oh no! We can’t eat now that we’ve lost the meal ticket.”
“We can just go ask for another one.”
“That would be shameless. How could we do that? Let’s just go. We’ll eat outside.”
“Tsk, have you developed dementia too? I have mine, so I’ll eat and—”
Kraaak!
Renea grabs Kim Joo-seon’s suit and starts dragging him outside.
“Fooood! Let’s gooo! Let’s eaaat! Just the two of us—!”
“I said no! We came to a wedding, so even if we don’t watch the ceremony, we should at least eat at the buffet before we leave!”
“Fooood! Just us—!”
“Wait! You’re tearing my suit! Ah, damn it! Fine! I said fine, so let go!”
In the end, unable to overcome Renea’s tantrum, Kim Joo-seon sighs and throws the meal ticket into the trash.
“That was such a damn waste. It was 30,000 won.”
“Why are you making such a fuss over that? I greeted Han Hyojae, so let’s go.”
Renea smiles brightly and hooks her arm through his.
Though he wonders what has gotten into her, Kim Joo-seon sighs and leaves the wedding hall with her.
What is going on with her?