Chapter 182 What About Mine? (2)
Noah’s face turned strange on hearing that I was going to visit Hyunjae Sung. He hesitated a moment before speaking.
“Maybe I won’t go to the party tonight.”
“Why? It’s said to be a good place to make friends. You’re going with Myeongwoo, right?”
While no S class hunter would be an idiot enough to pick on Myeongwoo, playing safe was the best. Therefore, Noah was to accompany Myeongwoo as I was going to stay home with Peace.
“I’m worried about sending Myeongwoo alone, but…”
From his attitude, I could see that his tone had become friendlier and informal than towards me.
“You know, you can treat me as a friend.”
Noah’s eyes shook at my words as he replied, “I want to, but…no. I really can’t.”
Was I that uncomfortable to him? Come to think of it, he may think of me as his superior in a firm. I should really not force myself upon him.
“Do whatever is comfortable for you.”
**
I took my present and sent a message to the receiver, saying that he should receive it himself or else. Hyunjae Sung replied that he would see me at his floating garden. It annoyed me a bit that he was amiable to receiving my gift even though he did not invite me to his birthday party, but it was too late now.
I flew to his garden on Noah and saw that he was wearing casual clothes.
“Let’s go up.”
Noah went up two meters above Hyunjae Sung’s head, and his hair was blue in the wind. As he looked up, I opened my inventory with a smile. It was filled with the same thing.
[Svein Lamb’s Wool]
I took all of them out and poured them on the ground. Soft hot pink wool rained as I had also filled Noah’s inventory with it. The wool rolled on its owner and poured down around him. I landed far from him as Noah’s wings may blow the wool away. I approached Hyunjae Sung, who now looked down at me.
“This is wool of the highest quality that won’t get dirty and will stay warm.”
Not only the wool was expensive, but I had rented the factory to dye the wool hot pink. During the process, I changed Yerim’s shawl to white too.
“Your hand?”
I placed a customized knitting needle set on his waiting hand.
“Happy birthday. Although I am not invited, I prepared something for your old age. Your uninvited guest will leave now and leave you to your busy day.”
“Don’t be so harsh.”
Hyunjae Sung grabbed my arm as I turned around, and I was forced to stand close to him as we met eye to eye.
“I’m not invited.”
“You have a free pass.”
“Let’s hear the real reason. Is it something that has to do with your foul mood?”
He would not be depressed without reason. Hyunjae Sung opened his mouth after a moment’s hesitation.
“I got bored.”
“…What?”
My heart chilled for a moment, and I might have felt fear. However, he was not talking about me now.
“It seemed I was doing the same thing over again with the same interior, same place, same menu, and the same presents.”
Hyunjae Sung sounded unusually depressed. His memories before the world set back may have gotten clear. It was true that up to now, the events that had happened were those that differed from my past life. My return drastically changed a lot of things, but not Hyunjae Sung’s birthday party. Things would be the same except for a few more guests. That may have been why he sensed déjà vu.
“It’s surprising you found hot pink wool not strange.”
“You’re an exception.”
That’s because I was an extra, which would have not affected Hyunjae Sung in any way. I thought that may be why Hyunjae Sung was more lenient to me as a person of interest. If I had not acted, he would have gone through the same thing over and over again, which would have been unbearable for someone who got gloomy for only a day. Was he welcoming me because I changed things?
“That was why I kept you out intentionally.”
Was he testing things because of his déjà vu? I remembered Yerim and Myeongwoo got their invitations later than others. Had he delayed his invitations to those he felt less repetitive? That meant it was logical I was not invited at all, as I had not even met Hyunjae Sung before in person.
He was really unnecessarily sharp.
“Thank you for saying I’m that special.”
“I should thank you, as your brother and Director Song have become more interesting.”
“Don’t treat my brother as your toy. Anyway, you knew Yoohyun before you met me. What’s up all of a sudden?”
“If Yoohyun wasn’t your brother, I would have not been interested much in the first place.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I knew that Yoohyun was someone who would be a lonely wanderer who played rough, perhaps even more than Riette. However, he bowed down and made his own nest, which puzzled me.”
“…You say it like you know him well.”
“While Yoohyun Han had not been one and only, he is unique as your brother. I wanted to know what made him act that way.”
Hyunjae Sung seemed to not value those born as S classes, and I remembered that he had treated Riette indifferently.
If I was not there…I placed Yoohyun alongside Riette in my mind, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth. He looked fine these days, but…
“I’m not going to pick on Yoohyun much since I know the reason now.”
“It’s not because picking on me is more effective?”
He did not answer and just smiled.
“Don’t pick on him, and on Director Song. He’s tired, you know.”
“Aren’t you going too far? I am nice to him. I even sent him a customized suit with my invitation, even though he immediately returned the former.”
“What are you doing when you know he can’t accept such gifts?”
“Don’t be jealous, as I prepared yours, too.”
I looked at Noah, and while I knew that it would be difficult for him to overhear our conversation since we had been nearly whispering inches apart, it bothered me. However, Noah only tapped his tail like he was sending me a sign that he was waiting well.
“Do you want white or black?”
“Black.”
Since he would not accept my refusal, I just chose one.
“Since you’re not greedy, how about the twenty that’s ready?”
“What? No. Just give me the invitation. I have a better present for you tonight.”
“I was going to take you there.”
He would have just checked on his déjà vu until the last moment.
“I will go there myself, as I cannot let the host do such things for me.”
I went back to Haeyeon. Yerim was in class, and Yoohyun oversawoversaw what to gain from MKC, as Haeyeon, Sesung, and Breaker were all working on it. Things were almost decided now.
“Why did you go to see the Sesung Guild Leader?”
Yoohyun asked me as he gave me juice while I sat on his office sofa. He did not seem angry but just annoyed a bit.
“I went to see why I did not get an invitation. He offered me an escort, but I’m going there myself tonight.”
“You don’t have to go. I’m not going.”
“I can’t send Yerim alone.”
“I had spoken to the Breaker Guild Leader, and also Hunter Sunghan Kim will go in my place.”
“…Why didn’t you say this to me earlier?”
“I was going to say this tonight at dinner, as you would have sent me there. Well, you would have to prepare then.”
“Yes…”
I stared at Yoohyun make a phone call that I was going to the party and wondered whether he felt stuffy in his position.
Yerim was happy with me tagging along, and I went with Myeongwoo, Noah, and Hyuna Moon, who had come here to go with us to the damn party.
