Chapter 88

“Must we go through all this trouble?”

“Apparently, there’s a reason for it.”

In the back seat of the luxury sedan.

Even though seated comfortably on the plush high-end seat, Lee Jun felt an odd sense of discomfort.

“Just wanted to have a casual drink, didn’t we?”

Former Champion Sol and current Champion Jeon Wooseung had invited him for a drink. While they occasionally met up to hang out, this was the first time with newcomer Sol included.

“Embarrassing.”

Any reasonable person could figure out why they wanted a sudden meeting. The involuntary tear shed when he got surpassed in ranking by Sol—right in the middle of a broadcast. It was preserved all over the internet.

Perhaps his body understood his emotions better than his mind. Lee Jun hadn’t realized he’d been that upset, yet his body reacted by crying, which left him feeling both flustered and ashamed.

He had brushed it off quickly, thinking it wasn’t a big deal to cry over something so trivial, but the situation made rejecting or accepting the drinking invitation awkward.

Rejecting might make them think he’s sulking.

Accepting would mean enduring the embarrassment either way.

Still, a frontal assault is better than running away.

With that thought, he accepted the invitation.

“To have a dedicated chauffeur…this feels strange.”

Not only Victor but also Wild earned enough to afford expensive cars and personal drivers, yet the concept was still unfamiliar to Lee Jun.

“Are we in a drama now?”

One might call it a rise in social status. Given that Lee Jun came from an average household and Jeon Wooseung from a modest one, this world was somewhat alien to them.

“To invite us to a villa—impressive.”

Driving for an hour and a half from Gangnam, they arrived in a secluded mountainous area of Gangwon-do. It held a villa owned by the legendary predecessor Da In.

It wasn’t a grand opulent villa. The building was old and not up to the latest standards.

However, the concept of a “villa” is still quite foreign to Korea’s middle-class, so even this ordinary building looked distinct and impressive.

“Hmph! Owning a place like this sure would be nice.”

Though it wasn’t the extravagant super-luxury villa commonly seen in internet pictures, there was undoubtedly something captivating about a villa nestled in a picturesque mountain and stream setting. It immediately invoked the desire to light up a barbecue in the yard.

“Hello!”

As they stretched out, two elderly individuals appeared from the villa. Both Lee Jun and Jeon Wooseung greeted them naturally. They appeared to be in their late 50s to early 60s.

“These must be the young lady’s friends. Welcome.”

Listening to the elderly couple’s tone, it became evident that they weren’t Seol Ah’s parents but villa caretakers.

“The young lady is waiting in the dining room.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Finally, they’d meet Sol. The anticipation of seeing who she was grew as each wondered about this gaming prodigy—someone remarkably talented, who was also a woman. Considering Jeon Wooseung heard the phrase “too beautiful to handle” so often, it was only natural to be curious.

Walking down the hallway and entering the dining room, both felt their hearts race.

“What’s making me so nervous?”

“Just don’t panic if a mini-gorilla is standing there—it’d be rude.”

As soon as the door to the dining room opened,

“Nice to meet you!”

The sight of her took their breath away.

A mesmerizing beauty that was almost unreal! The view of the mountains through the windows paled in comparison to the perfection of her beauty, which was akin to computer graphics. In clothing that blurred the line between formal attire and casual wear, she possessed a perfectly proportioned, tall figure.

“…Tall?”

It couldn’t be—common knowledge among viewers was that Sol was petite.

“I’m Seol Yun, Seol Ah’s older sister.”

Of course! Another person altogether. At least they didn’t have to worry about making embarrassing blunders.

“Hello. What about the other one?”

Seol Yun subtly shifted her position, revealing Seol Ah sitting hunched on a chair in blue track pants and a long-sleeved top, ready to go hiking.

“Hi,” she muttered awkwardly.

It was the result of about six hours of contemplation for their first meeting.

“What is this? Deadly cuteness overload?”

Does she know that her heart always maintains homeostasis? Homeostasis refers to the tendency to maintain a balanced and stable state. When emotions get too intense, the body tries to regulate by generating a compensatory response.

It aims to prevent the emotional imbalance from tipping over and spiraling out of control.

Examples include crying from joy, laughing from sadness, or wanting to tease something too cute.

This phenomenon is known as “cute aggression.”

Lee Jun’s face twisted from this phenomenon, startling Seol Ah.

“W-Why is he like that? Why is he like that?”

Seol Ah quickly hid behind Seol Yun, but the very action was irresistibly adorable!

“No, no,”

Lee Jun wanted to say something but couldn’t think clearly, so he raised his hands in a surrender gesture, indicating he wasn’t going to fight. However, someone else was even more shocked.

“Wait, wasn’t it said she had a big chest? Wasn’t she blond?”

Jeon Wooseung, only briefed on Sol’s disguised information, was completely stunned by the black hair, small but perfectly sculpted Seol Ah. She resembled Noksu from Magical Girl Chronicle.

Speechless, his mind went blank like staring at a whiteboard.

“Everyone, please take your seats.”

Uncle Caretaker took about 1 minute 30 seconds to ease the tense situation.

“Why are you guys so tall?”

‘You’re just short.’

Everyone in the dining room (except Seol Ah) shared this thought but didn’t voice it. However, Seol Ah was shorter than both the tall Seol Yun and Jeon Wooseung, making her appear even smaller comparatively—an unfair but undeniable fact.

The reason they went so far as to hold a drinking session in this remote area of Gangwon-do was twofold.

Victory and Wild were well-known personalities, and Sol, the current champion, couldn’t afford to be caught associating with anyone.

The second reason was discomfort. Jeon Wooseung felt uneasy being in a private room with only two men—every stranger felt like a potential criminal despite it sounding paranoid.

Bringing only Seol Yun wasn’t practical since dealing with two men could make her uneasy.

Hence, the driver Mr. Kim along with the caretaker couple ensured a safe atmosphere.

‘Not exaggerated at all.’

Of course, Jeon Wooseung knew nothing about women’s worlds, but if Seol Ah said she was “jealously envied for her beauty,” it would be entirely believable. Her tiny, perfectly shaped eyes and flawless skin—her face was textbook-perfect. If a cosmetic surgery manual existed, it should feature her.

“Help yourself.”

The caretaker couple were not professional chefs, but their culinary skills were impressive. They’d prepared specific dishes suitable for the occasion—where quality of ingredients outweighs preparation skills.

A mix of sashimi and hot pot. The dishes paired perfectly with alcohol.

“Rich people eat stuff like this?”

“Not quite. Pretty standard fare.”

With the food, the conversation began to flow better.

“Why are you staring so intently? Already smitten?”

“Gag!”

Jeon Wooseung choked on his drink, barely managing to defend himself.

“What else are you supposed to look at during a conversation?”

“The food, or the ceiling?”

“I’ll try to focus better.”

“As I said before, falling for me will cause problems.”

There had been such an agreement. Though unexpected, it now seemed completely sensible.

“Life must’ve been a nightmare.”

Listening from afar, it all sounded like exaggeration, but seeing her face brought the reality home. The power of looks was terrifying. It was hard to believe that his incredible rival, someone he played with all day, had this face and demeanor.

“Is this a dream?”

The heat of the hot pot confirmed it wasn’t a dream—a comforting meal in the slightly cold winter. The stunning scenery outside the window. Seated before were two celestial beings.

Is this paradise?

No, it feels like a bewitchment.

Wouldn’t want to have my liver eaten unknowingly.

They ventured too deep into the mountains. They were far removed from civilization.

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