Boarding the New Kali
The street in Cheongdam-dong was lined with a dazzling array of luxury boutiques.
Jinhyeok swallowed hard as the car slid into that district.
So I actually get to come to a place like this.
Beyond not having money, he had never been interested in luxury brands to begin with.
Because of that, he'd thought he would never have any reason to come here in his life—but you really never knew what would happen if you lived long enough.
The car stopped in front of a high-end tailor shop that was flashy from the entrance alone.
As if they had been waiting, people came rushing out in a group.
The moment the door opened, more than a dozen of them bent at the waist in unison.
"Welcome, VVIP customer Jin Seohee. Thank you sincerely for visiting our store today."
Two whole Vs.
Once again, he was reminded how extraordinary a chaebol heiress really was.
Jin Seohee, apparently accustomed to such treatment, gave a light nod and walked into the shop.
Jinhyeok followed behind her.
Did they clear out the entire store?
Despite how spacious it was, there wasn't a single customer besides the two of them.
When the manager who had greeted them outside approached, Jin Seohee spoke up.
"We're here to get this man a suit. We're going to an event on the New Kali tonight."
"Yes. We'll have everything ready in time. Please come this way."
"Okay."
They arrived in front of a full-length mirror, and the staff immediately sprang into action.
"Could you raise your arms, please?"
"Please step forward."
They brought over measuring tools and checked his dimensions from every angle.
Jin Seohee sat on a sofa that looked unbelievably plush, watching the scene with her arms folded.
This is overwhelming!
Of course, he did his best not to show it.
After all, it wouldn't be polite to Jin Seohee, who had brought him here.
Still, one thing became clear.
No matter how much money you had, it would be hard to ever truly belong to a life like this.
After some time, the intense measuring session finally ended.
"That's everything. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Thank you."
Just as he thought he was finally free—
Jin Seohee rose from the sofa and walked over to the mirror.
"Manager, I'll choose the color and fabric myself."
"Yes, understood. Please wait just a moment."
At the manager's signal, the employees rushed off somewhere.
"Mr. Yoo Jinhyeok, if you don't like the color or fabric, please say so. Everyone has different tastes."
"I'll leave it entirely up to you, Seohee. I have absolutely no sense for this kind of thing."
Jin Seohee looked at Jinhyeok.
He's honest.
In a world where people pretend to know when they don't, and act like they have when they don't—
that part of him was actually a little appealing.
Though she was still annoyed that he'd taken Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
"We've brought the fabrics our store recommends, in every available color."
So that's where they'd all rushed off to.
Each employee was holding a fabric that looked luxurious at a glance.
They lined up in a row.
Every time Jin Seohee shook her head, one person stepped out and another fabric replaced it.
Finally, she picked one and stepped closer to him.
She held it up near his face and shoulders, checking different angles.
With a flat expression, she spoke.
"Your skin is really pale. Not a blemish in sight."
"I'm a homebody. I'm basically locked in my room all the time. I never see the sun."
Just slightly, the corner of Jin Seohee's mouth twitched.
But she didn't smile.
She took another fabric and held it up.
"What do you think, Manager? They all seem to suit him, so I can't decide."
The manager, who had been observing from behind, smiled.
"I agree. His skin tone is bright and his proportions are excellent, so whatever you choose will suit him well."
"Hm. Then let's go with this dark navy. What do you think, Mr. Yoo Jinhyeok? Do you like it?"
"I love it."
"Let's go with this, then."
"Understood. We'll begin tailoring right away."
Jinhyeok let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Now I can finally go sit on that sofa and—
"Could you come this way? We'll check your watch size and then head to the hair salon."
So this was just the beginning.
With a polite smile, Jinhyeok followed the manager.
He decided to think positively.
When else would he ever get an experience like this?
And, well… it would all end eventually.
"We're here."
After parking the car, Jin Seohee looked over at the passenger seat.
Jinhyeok looked as though his soul had left his body.
"Mr. Yoo Jinhyeok, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"Haha… I'm just not used to things like this."
Starting with the tailor shop, he'd been dragged around here and there for four or five hours.
They hadn't even boarded the New Kali yet, and he already felt exhausted.
"I skipped the makeup because you looked tired. And honestly, I didn't think you needed it anyway."
"Thank you."
"Let's get out for now."
He stepped out of the car and stretched.
Then he met Jin Seohee's steady gaze.
She slowly looked him up and down, then nodded with a peculiar expression.
Not bad.
By now, she couldn't deny it.
He might not dress up usually, but this man had excellent raw material.
"Thank you for today."
"For what?"
"For everything. It was a refreshing experience, and I enjoyed it. But… is it really okay for me to accept all this? It's so expensive."
The suit, the watch, and the tie pin.
He'd glanced at the price tags—just those three items alone came to tens of millions of won.
More than all the clothes he'd ever bought in his entire life combined.
Jin Seohee smiled slightly.
"Think of it as a gift of apology."
"Apology?"
"Yes. You haven't forgotten, have you? Before we get off the boat, I'm taking Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. Of course, separate from the gift, I'll pay a fair price."
"Oh. That."
At his guileless response, Jin Seohee narrowed her eyes.
"I'm serious. I really want Gan Jiang and Mo Ye."
"I know."
"You don't look even a little regretful."
"That's because they're not getting taken from me, right?"
She started to reply, then stopped and let out a strange little laugh.
To be honest, he was a type of man she had never met before.
He seemed gentle and soft to the world… but if you looked deeper, he wasn't like that at all.
Deep inside him, there was something absolutely unshakable.
And because he believed in 그것 without a doubt, he could afford to be easygoing about everything else.
"Since you've been honest with me all day, I'll be honest with you about one thing too."
Jin Seohee took a step closer to Jinhyeok.
"I've had a bad disposition since I was a kid. A real contrarian. If someone says I can't cross a line, I want to cross it. If they say something can never be shaken, I want to shake it. So I guess…" Her lips curved slightly. "I want to try shaking whatever it is that you believe in."
"Go ahead and shake it as much as you like."
"Because it won't budge no matter what?"
"Precisely."
With an amused expression, Jin Seohee spun lightly on her heel.
"Let's go in. At this rate, we won't even make it on board."
"Let's go."
As they walked, he took in the surroundings.
This clearly wasn't an event just anyone could attend.
Just looking at the cars parked nearby, every single one of them seemed absurdly expensive.
Among the people boarding the New Kali, there were many influencers he recognized from TV or online videos.
"Bear with it even if you're uncomfortable."
Uncomfortable with what? Before he could ask, Jin Seohee linked her arm through his.
"We're entering on one invitation—I don't want it to look like we're on bad terms. If you really hate it, just say so."
She flashed an easy smile, as if it were nothing.
In contrast, cold sweat was already running down his back.
Wasn't linking arms something you did with someone you were dating?
Guess not.
Everyone standing in front of the New Kali was holding hands or linking arms.
Even people who didn't look like married couples or lovers were doing it.
Must be some kind of party-partner culture.
Another thing learned today by a shut-in.
"Invitation confirmed. It's an honor to have you with us. We'll do our best to provide you with the best experience possible tonight."
"Thank you. We're counting on you."
After a polite bow, they proceeded toward the New Kali.
Jinhyeok inhaled quietly.
Today alone, he'd received 300 million won from Yeon Sanghoe—bringing his bank balance up to 600 million.
He planned to win something inside this place.
The raw crystal of Sirius.
The key to advancing to the next floor.
The headquarters of the steel company Genex.
After returning from dinner, An Miyeyoung looked around.
Once she confirmed there was no one there, she stretched freely.
She was on night duty and had to man the front desk until late, but her face was bright.
Thanks to Jinhyeok, who had visited a few days earlier, she'd received an absurd number of bonus points in her performance evaluation.
Who was he, really?
She thought of Jinhyeok's face.
If she ever met him again, she wanted to repay him no matter what.
Not only had she gotten bonus points, but the senior who used to bully her every day had also been sent far away.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet lobby.
"Hello, welcome to Genex. How may I help you?"
A black trench coat, and sunglasses even at night.
It was an unusual outfit, not something you saw every day.
When the woman reached the front desk, she handed over a small envelope.
"This is…?"
"Could you please deliver it to Chairman Jin Taegon of Genex?"
"Tomorrow morning, we can have it checked through the HR department and deliver it after confirmation. May I tell them who it's from? There's no sender listed."
"You don't need to know. It's not important. But…" She tilted her head slightly. "Are you sure that'll be okay?"
"Excuse me?"
"By tomorrow morning, it'll be too late."
Leaving behind those cryptic words, the woman turned away.
An Miyeyoung called after her several times, but the woman never looked back and disappeared.
With a troubled expression, An Miyeyoung examined the envelope.
By procedure, she should've waited until tomorrow, but the woman's words left her with a bad feeling.
"Team Leader! I'm sorry to call so late!"
She immediately contacted the HR department and explained what had just happened.
The chairman hasn't left yet, so I'll inform him. He should be coming down shortly.
How much time passed after she hung up?
Ding.
The private elevator doors opened, and Jin Taegon emerged with his aides.
"Good evening! Chairman!"
"You're working late. You said there was a letter for me?"
"Yes, sir. Here it is."
"May I inspect it first, just in case?"
"It's not a package. Don't worry about it."
Jin Taegon took the envelope.
It was unusual these days—a letter sealed with red wax and a stamp.
There was no sender listed.
He broke the seal and pulled out the contents.
Seconds later, Jin Taegon's eyes went wide.
"Contact the New Kali. Check whether they've already set sail."
"Yes, sir."
The head of HR returned quickly after making the call, frowning.
"The New Kali departed from the Han River an hour ago. But… we can't make contact with them right now."
Jin Taegon nodded and looked at his aides.
"Keep trying to reach the New Kali, and immediately contact the Player Hunters Bureau. Tell them something may be wrong with the New Kali."
The aides scattered to follow his orders.
Frowning deeply, Jin Taegon looked down at the letter again.
The message was short.
Jin Taegon, Chairman of Genex. How much are you willing to pay to save your granddaughter?
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T/N:
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