“Please don’t kill me,” Doha whispered as they arrived in front of yet another expensive-looking establishment.
“Give me one good reason,” Zeno said, massaging the bridge of his nose.
“Well, first—I am one of your best friends.”
“That’s not a good enough reason.”
“Your bestest friend in the entire universe really wants to befriend famous people,” Doha said without shame. “Especially Misha Choi. I can’t believe we’ll be in the same room soon.”
Zeno massaged the bridge of his nose.
“Come on, Zeno. Please! Besides, do you know where we are right now?”
Zeno looked around. “A bar.”
“Not just a bar!” Doha exclaimed. “It’s the hardest bar to get into in Seoul.”
“It’s called Saliva,” Zeno deadpanned.
“Yeah, it’s cool and niche, and it’s my first time here. Probably the last time, too.”
Zeno sighed. “I’m leaving.”
However, just as Zeno stepped back, he bumped into someone—the unfamiliar woman that Doha referred to as Misha.
Misha merely looked at him with a deadpan expression before moving to the side, not bothering to speak. Then, she walked away.
Zeno was surprised at first, but he nodded in approval. That was the kind of humans he really enjoyed interacting with.
As Zeno turned back to Doha, it appeared he was silently hyperventilating.
“I’m not taking you to the hospital if you die here,” Zeno said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“M-Misha Choi,” Doha stammered. “You bumped into Misha Choi.”
“Yeah, and I’m still leaving,” Zeno sighed.
“Zeno, please, please, please! I can’t be alone there. I need you, man. Yuan is going to be disappointed that you won’t be there, too!”
Zeno began walking with Doha trailing behind him, talking his ear off.
However, just as he was about to reach the door, there it was again.
The faint scent of a Rennis.
He stopped in his tracks and turned back around. “Alright, let’s go.”
Doha stopped yapping before scratching the back of his neck out of confusion. So suddenly?
Still, he didn’t bother questioning Zeno’s sudden change of mind and just followed behind him without saying another word.
“Right here!” Yuan exclaimed when they reached the second floor.
Zeno and Doha went inside, and as they entered, Zeno realized this didn’t seem like an ordinary bar. For a place for drunk people, it appeared far too pristine.
It seemed Doha was right when he said it was the hardest bar to get into in Seoul.
Zeno took a seat away from the bulk of the crowd, settling on a corner where he wouldn’t be noticed. He was here for one thing only—to confirm the presence of a Rennis.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming here!” Billy said, opening a bottle of champagne, some splattering onto the nearby people.
“We may not be close, but I’m glad you all decided to celebrate this milestone with me.”
“Of course!” an influencer exclaimed. “Congratulations on being signed as an actor under Daebak!”
“I can’t believe this,” Yuan muttered, nudging Zeno’s shoulder. “How can he be signed with Daebak before you?”
Zeno shrugged. He could care less about where Billy was signed.
Billy turned to Zeno for a moment before smiling. “I know. It’s unbelievable! Right after Lucy’s Game ended, I was given an offer by Mr. Kim himself.”
“That’s also the reason why we’re here today! He provided us with this room despite the bar still being closed!”
Cheers were heard across the room, some already appearing to be drunk despite the party only having started.
Zeno narrowed his eyes. Is it him? Billy was the only person in here who was also in Lucy’s Mansion.
But Zeno felt it wasn’t him.
Another person came to his mind at that moment.
Yuan then?
He turned his head. Yuan was in the middle of scooping the olive from his dirty martini. “This is so salty. Are these olives supposed to taste like that?”
Yuan poked the thing with a toothpick. “Zeno, question. Are the olives they put in olive oil the same olives we eat?”
“What?”
Yuan shrugged. “Like, are they twins? Or are they different species with the same name?”
Zeno stared at him for a solid three seconds before shaking his head.
Right.
Yuan had the IQ of a celery stalk when he was like this. There was absolutely no way he was a Rennis.
Zeno’s eyes drifted across the room before they landed on her.
Misha Choi.
Even in a crowded room full of people who thought they were the main character, she stood out effortlessly. Her black silk blouse flowed like ink, tucked into tailored pants with sharp creases. Her earrings were small diamonds, barely catching the light.
She sat by herself, swirling a drink that looked expensive, even from across the room.
And then she looked up—straight at him.
Their eyes locked before she glared.
Zeno raised a brow, mildly confused.
Yuan leaned in. “You two met before?”
“No.”
“She just glared at you.”
“Don’t care,” Zeno muttered. With her demeanor, she was now a candidate.
He shifted forward slightly, scanning again.
However, amidst his search, a man suddenly stood before him.
The man wore simple clothes with a black cap, making Zeno feel that he wasn’t part of the entertainment circle, or at least those who were under the spotlight.
When Zeno looked up, the man removed his cap slowly, revealing a mop of unruly wavy hair and a kind smile. He appeared to be in his mid-30s, and his eyes sparkled out of interest.
Yuan and Doha gasped right by his side, so Zeno inferred this man had some sort of important influence.
“Good day,” the man said. “Sorry to bother you.”
Zeno straightened instinctively. Who was this man?
His question was answered soon when he finally introduced himself.
“My name’s Devon Yoon,” the man continued, bowing slightly. “I am a loyal customer of the dance studio. I was a former dancer and still enjoy it, but now I’m on a different path.”
Zeno waited patiently despite the man already reciting his autobiography to him.
“Right now, I am the assistant director for The Ninth Circle.”