“…I’m sorry. Would it be alright if I thought it over a little longer?”

I cut my response short and said that instead. For a moment, Ahn Hyunggi’s face showed regret.

But then he nodded.

“Of course. I did say I’d hear your decision after the weekend. I let my impatience get the better of me.”

He rose from his seat.

“Then I’ll look forward to a positive answer. Have a good weekend. Chairman Riyu, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Mhm.”

Riyu nodded and stood as well.

“You may leave the room too. You’ve probably missed your meal during all this talking, so go get something to eat. There’s plenty of food left.”

“Yes, sir.”

We bowed, and the two men left first.

“Did you stop halfway on purpose?”

Meiling asked.

I nodded.

“I had no intention of accepting Crystal’s president’s offer outright. But if I acted like I was about to give in and then claimed circumstances forced me to hold back, it would frustrate him. That way, I might be able to pull a bit of the initiative to our side.”

Most likely, Ahn Hyunggi would ask why I refused him, what I really wanted, what this so-called ‘unfinished business at Gwangcheon’ was.

And if it were something within his power, he might even offer help himself.

Of course, there was another reason I felt confident about this.

“Crystal’s president doesn’t just want me to make Iris grow. There’s more to it, things he never said out loud.”

“Huh? Like what?”

Lumina asked, puzzled.

“First, the lie about us not needing to join Crystal. Just the four of our tuitions would cost billions, and he even promised to grant more if we wanted. No one spends that kind of money just to let us walk away. I’m sure he thinks if we’re at Crystal long enough, we’ll naturally end up in his hands.”

No matter how precious his daughter was, Ahn Hyunggi was a businessman—the head of Crystal.

And we were from Gwangcheon Academy, owned by Forward, Crystal’s rival.

Trying to snatch up HAUT’s top students so brazenly could only lead to friction with Forward.

And besides, Iris was already in her third year, only months away from graduation. Even if I transferred, I wouldn’t be with her for long.

So it wasn’t just about his daughter’s growth.

“He’s after the Mysterious Craftsman.”

“R-really!?”

Lumina’s eyes widened in shock. Meiling and Seo Yui both grew serious.

“Remember, he mentioned Elleanor earlier. He’s probably been watching me since the day I met her.”

After that meeting, Platinum Wing left Crystal Hunter Mall.

At the time, Elleanor had been in conflict with her father because I told her to hide the source of those precious rare items.

Even after leaving Crystal Mall, Platinum Wing continued selling hundreds of rare items with no traceable origin.

And I kept in contact with Elleanor all the while.

On top of that, I had delivered the Weight of Phase Fixation to the mayor. Of course Ahn Hyunggi would grow suspicious of me.

Back in summer break, Forward’s item division came after me. Now it’s Crystal’s turn.

If anything, it was surprising it had taken this long.

“So if Yein goes to Crystal, he probably thinks he can bring the Mysterious Craftsman over too.”

Seo Yui said.

Or maybe he’s even considering that I might be the Mysterious Craftsman myself.

Given Nam Yein’s age and background, it wasn’t a natural conclusion.

But Kim Hyeonseok had suspected me once, so I couldn’t be careless.

“What exactly is this ‘unfinished business’ you have at Gwangcheon?”

Meiling pressed.

“Jodie.”

At her name, all three of them widened their eyes.

“To help her to the end, our strength alone won’t be enough. The enemy is Forward.”

“So you’re thinking of telling Crystal’s president about Jodie and asking for his help?”

Seo Yui asked.

“Depending on how things go, yes.”

It was the same as with Valhall.

Jodie’s research was practically Forward’s Achilles’ heel.

If Crystal decided to dig into it, the situation could easily explode.

And if that happened, my plan to help Jodie completely and gain the full reward would collapse.

So if I sought cooperation, I’d have to tread very carefully.

“You really think deeply, Yein…”

Lumina whispered.

“I can see why Iris said there’s a snake hiding inside you.”

Meiling muttered, shaking her head.

“Then if Jodie’s matter is settled, will you go to Crystal?”

She asked again.

“If I end up taking Crystal’s help, then the chances are high.”

I admitted.

Suddenly, Meiling crossed her arms.

“I’m not going.”

“…What?”

“I’ll never go. Lumina, Seo Yui—you shouldn’t either.”

She was practically throwing a tantrum.

“Why not? Crystal’s conditions are better than Gwangcheon’s in every way. If we can study there for free, isn’t that a gain?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Why not?”

“….”

Meiling fell silent.

“Don’t tell me you’ve grown attached to Gwangcheon?”

“Are you crazy? As if I’d ever get attached to that dump.”

“Then why—”

I was about to press her when Seo Yui stepped to her side.

“Let’s save this discussion for later. We should sit down and talk it through properly.”

Huh.

Her unexpected response caught me off guard.

Then Lumina spoke up too.

“Yeah. I agree with senior.”

Lumina as well?

“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

“Alright.”

“Mhm.”

The three of them walked out together, almost in step, as if they’d formed some alliance without me.

What’s going on…

I was already rattled by Ahn Hyunggi’s proposal, something the game never had, and now my teammates were acting like this too. My head felt blank.

I thought about it for a moment, but no answers came.

Forget it. I’ll just eat.

I remembered seeing Peking duck among the dishes and left the room.

But, as it turned out, I wouldn’t be eating it.

“There you are.”

The moment I stepped out, what I saw was my three companions caught by the principal.

“Please come with me for a moment.”

Im Seongyeon said stiffly.

We exchanged quick glances, then followed her.

She led us to a corner and asked quietly,

“What did President Oh Seongcheon say to you?”

So that’s what was bothering her.

“He invited us to join the Black Hounds.”

“And your answer?”

“We refused.”

After replying, I glanced at the others’ faces.

All three looked tense.

“And his reaction?”

Huh.

At her question, I felt something strange.

“How exactly did he react?”

“To be honest, he seemed angry. He gave me a chance to take it back, but I still refused. And before leaving the room, he glared at me.”

It felt like tattling, but I told her the truth anyway.

“I see. Understood.”

“……”

Hearing Im Seongyeon’s reply, I realized I couldn’t ignore the sense of unease any longer.

“Then what kind of contract did Crystal’s president propose?”

“Not really a contract. He wanted to transfer us to Crystal Academy.”

“…That’s not something I can just overlook.”

For the first time, a flicker of unease crossed her face.

A natural reaction for the principal.

“So, did you accept?”

I hesitated, then decided to toss out some bait.

“For now, I said we’d think about it.”

Her face stiffened instantly.

So did the faces of my teammates.

And I could hear my own heartbeat pounding as I waited for her response.

“…We’ll discuss this matter again later. Until then, don’t tell anyone else that such an offer was made. Understood?”

“……”

I didn’t answer, just watched her expression.

Her face darkened further.

“I asked if you understood.”

“Yes. We’ll do as you say, Principal.”

“…Good. Then go eat something—you must be hungry. Once the ceremony ends, we’ll return to Gwangcheon together.”

With that, she left us.

Great.

I licked my dry lips.

Three unexpected twists in a row.

About thirty minutes later—

“With this, we conclude HAUT’s graduation and awards ceremony. Once again, I’d like to thank our distinguished guests for attending, and I wish all candidates a bright future.”

Applause filled the hall.

As the crowd moved toward the exits, someone approached me.

“Yein.”

I turned and found Toby standing there.

Not just him—Ao, Jin Cheongryong, Rune, Zen, Rio, and Jang Taeil.

Representatives from each academy’s candidates had gathered.

“This month, we’re holding a get-together for all HAUT candidates. We’d like Gwangcheon to come too.”

A get-together.

The intention might be different, but this was exactly what I had hoped for.

“Of course, we’ll attend. That’s fine, right?”

I looked back at my three teammates.

“Yeah.”

Lumina answered, Seo Yui nodded, and Meiling… said nothing.

I decided to take her silence as consent.

“Then I’ll be in touch. Good work today.”

Toby held out his hand, and I shook it firmly.

“Meeting you all has taught me a lot. Let’s meet again.”

Jang Taeil also shook my hand.

“See you next time.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Ao and Jin Cheongryong each spoke in turn.

“You’d better come to the party!”

Zen waved with a grin.

Rune glanced at Meiling before leaving with him.

“Yein, if you ever want to join Ucheon, just say the word. I’ll recommend you to the principal as an exceptional talent.”

Rio said with a broad smile.

“Don’t talk nonsense! I’ll never go to Ucheon!”

Meiling grabbed my sleeve and shouted, glaring at him.

Rio smirked.

“Just kidding. I already know your answer. See you at the party.”

With him gone, the other candidates all left the hall.

“Let’s head back too.”

Im Seongyeon reappeared, her face cold and rigid, as if the earlier flicker of unease had never existed. It was the expression I knew well.

—

We returned to Gwangcheon Academy in her car, the chauffeur waiting as always.

What awaited us there was a welcome ceremony.

A banner hung above the gate congratulating our victory, and inside the auditorium, every student and staff member had gathered.

The moment we entered, applause thundered through the hall.

What followed was a textbook celebration.

Principal Im recounted our accomplishments, and footage from HAUT’s training program was played.

When scenes of us overwhelming other academies’ candidates appeared—especially our victory over Crystal—the students in the front rows audibly gasped.

Even though they must have seen it on TV, they leaned forward with sparkling eyes, watching with fascination.

When the video ended, Principal Im spoke into the microphone.

“Let’s give another round of applause for our proud representatives who brought honor to Gwangcheon!”

The applause this time was even louder, rattling the ceiling of the auditorium.

After the ceremony, we were surrounded by teachers showering us with congratulations.

“You kids… you’re just so wonderful and amazing… sniff…”

Our homeroom teacher, Jeong Yeongyeong, actually cried in front of us.

“Teacher…”

Lumina looked deeply moved.

Seo Yui was receiving her teacher’s congratulations as well.

Meiling, on the other hand, crossed her arms and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the excessive display of emotion.

Strange.

I glanced around again.

Maybe he was busy with something else.

But no matter how I looked, he wasn’t there.

“Teacher.”

“Huh? Sniffle.”

Jeong Yeongyeong looked at me with teary eyes.

“Is Teacher Kim Sang-sik not here today?”

“Ah… well…”

She hesitated, looking troubled.

“Teacher Kim hasn’t come to school for the past few days.”

The moment I heard that, a bad feeling washed over me.

“Did something happen to him?”

“I’m not sure… we haven’t been able to reach him. That’s not like him at all…”

Damn.

My bad feeling was right.

Has Jodie’s quest started on its own?

(End of Chapter)