017 – The Joy of Parties Isn’t Just for the Extroverts #6
“Hey, Baek Yeo-ul. What nerve do you have to come back here? After all the chaos you caused last time. If you have a mouth, say something. If someone makes a mistake, they should apologize, right?”
“….”
Baek Yeo-ul tightly closed her mouth like a threatened clam.
As the atmosphere turned increasingly hostile, Chang-sik quietly explained to me.
“It’s a graduate. Jeon So-mi, who graduated last year from Yeongsa High School as an active explorer. She’s also an entertainer, but who would’ve thought we’d meet her here.”
Even if I didn’t know much, it seemed the person pushing Baek Yeo-ul to apologize was a famous woman.
A graduate means an adult, right? So adults can attend this party too?
“…I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“What?”
Bangdaengi’s small voice crumpled the beauty’s cool expression. Perhaps because of her well-defined features, the change in her expression was quite dramatic.
“…I…I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“What is this kid blabbering about? Hey, did you all hear what she said?”
The model turned around, laughing as if bemused, looking at the people nearby.
Bangdaengi’s face turned as red as if it might explode, and the growing murmur of the people around suggested that the situation wasn’t looking good.
On such a joyful day, why is Bangdaengi drawing all the attention?
This is the worst!
Today’s party star is me, you know!
I had hoped not to use this method.
“Yoojung, take a seat first. We didn’t come here today to hear Baek Yeo-ul’s apology but to gift everyone with the wedding invitation between me and Seugal. This is something I made myself.”
While waiting for Baek Yeo-ul in front of the school, I handed the self-drawn invitation on A4 paper to model Kim Yoojung. Receiving it, the model Kim Yoojung was greatly taken aback.
“Huh? Who are you marrying? An invitation? And I’m not Yoojung but Jeon So-mi… isn’t this actually real? Is this invitation…real?”
Why does she keep asking if it’s real? Is something about my invitation not to her liking?
Ah! There was something lacking, wasn’t there? I must be short on sensibility.
I pulled out a pen and drew my signature and the Sanel luxury brand logo on the invitation.
“Ta-da, complete. It’s now the luxury item you adore, right? You know, something you can’t buy even if you want to.”
“Wow…”
The model’s open-mouthed astonishment.
Baek Yeo-ul, who had been prepared to attack everyone like an angry raccoon, also stared wide-eyed, blinking repeatedly.
It was precisely at that moment when I successfully drew everyone’s attention to myself.
Grinding sound.
Someone gnashed their teeth and slammed the table, standing up abruptly.
“Ah, d*mn it, I really can’t bear with this.”
It was the guy who had been sitting next to Prince Juhyun since the special class earlier.
What’s his name?
Had a sharp face that resembled a grasshopper.
Though similar to Geum Tae-sung in the way of a delinquent vibe, while Tae-sung looked menacingly handsome, this guy had more of a cunning appearance.
And I was, after all, good at reading faces.
Anyway, this sly grasshopper-like figure came close to me, shoving his face close to mine.
“Hey, who the hell are you?”
“We attended classes together, and you still don’t remember my name? I’m Hanamjin, alright.”
“Wow…, how embarrassing.”
“Hey, Samajun, stop. Just stop.”
“Hold on. Hold on.”
A few male students grabbed the arms and shoulders of the guy called Samajun.
But Samajun, perhaps overwhelmed with self-contempt for failing to recall my name, shrugged off the restraining hands and started yelling.
“Hey, let go! Let go, d*mn it! Hey, who do you think you are? Please, stop acting so high and mighty. If you wear knock-off shoes, act like a d*mn nobody and know your place! Everyone’s disturbed by your behavior, do you not realize that?”
“Why is it disturbing for me to marry Seugal? The person who’s disturbing is you, ruining the atmosphere by cursing. Hey, do you think threatening with curses makes me scared?”
Fffft.
I grabbed the spot between the legs of the guy who had moved so close.
It felt thinner than expected, landing neatly in my palm, and the face of the one called Samajun instantly turned icy with tension.
“Wha—Heyy! Ah! Let go! Let go! Aaaaaaah!”
「Name: Samajun
State:《Shock》 – He’s shocked by an unforeseen situation where his weakness has been exposed.」
“Threatening isn’t about a scared dog barking. Real intimidation is when someone can completely crush an opponent and then shows mercy. So, say goodbye to your marbles.”
“Hey! Heyyy! Aaaargh! Ughhh! Argh!”
As I tightened my grip, Samajun flailed, dripping with cold sweat. The swagger from earlier, yelling and threatening me, was completely gone; his voice had turned soprano.
“You, you fool! Do you know who I am? If you touch me, the Imperial Group won’t stand for it! My father is the executive vice president of the Imperial Group!”
“Do I need to know that? Now, I’ll give you five seconds. Apologize to me and my invitation. If not, starting today, you’re a woman. Got it?”
“Aaaah…!”
“3. 2—.”
“Stop calling me crazy! You said five seconds! Alright! Sorry! I’m sorry! I was wrong! It was all just to look tough! I was wrong! Hanamjin! I’ll apologize!”
The apology didn’t sit well with me.
I seriously considered crushing it right there, but decided to give him a special pardon this time.
From afar, I could see Seugal approaching us with a glass of beverage.
I can’t let Seugal see me holding this man’s private parts. Don’t misunderstand me as gay, alright.
Fffft.
As soon as I loosened my grip, Samajun lost his balance and collapsed on the floor, checking his groin in a state of exhaustion. He looked quite funny.
“Huh? What happened?”
Seugal, back in the VIP room, chuckled as she looked around after bowing.
With Seugal’s laughter, even Prince Juhyun, who had kept his mouth shut till now, smiled faintly.
“Nothing happened.”
With those words from Prince Juhyun, the chatty Samajun and the model yelling at Baek Yeo-ul both shut their mouths.
Truly, these people are so fickle.
“Ho? What’s this?”
Seugal bent down and picked up the invitation that had fallen on the floor.
The invitation made with my utmost care.
It was the moment when I eagerly awaited Seugal’s, my love and goddess’s, reaction.
Was this what it felt like for Samajun when he had his weakness exposed?
“Hooh, this is fun. Namjin, did you make this yourself?”
“Of course.”
“I have received many gifts, but this kind of thing is a first for me. Born this way. I will definitely keep this. It’s really funny.”
Puhaahaha!
Seugal burst into laughter. Thanks to her laughter, the somber atmosphere of the VIP room, like a dog having eaten rat poison, lightened a bit.
Truly, the laughter of a beauty is great.
# # #
The party continued as if nothing had happened a moment ago. Everyone sat in small groups, chatting. I, however, felt restless because my friend, my stock Choi Chang-sik, was getting along with those rich little brats.
“Candy can be made, you say?”
“Is flavor change possible?”
“Y-yeah.”
“That shoe, what brand is that? You’re wearing the same as that guy earlier, right?”
“Seems like you’re a pretty special kid too. Like Hanamjin a while ago.”
Thanks to the designer shoes I drew for him, it seemed Chang-sik was also scoring points.
Though Chang-sik seemed a little shy as some female students gave him something.
“Uh, this extra slipper is mine. Do you want it? I’ll give it to you.”
“Huh? Isn’t this a Hermes slipper?”
Looking around, Chang-sik seemed to check his surroundings, then took off the shoes he was wearing and slipped on the luxury slippers instead. This annoyed me.
Everyone’s realizing how great Chang-sik is with his ability to produce infinite candies. Some people sure have their eyes.
Clang.
At that moment, someone dropped and broke a cup.
The model from earlier, who had acted like a runaway chihuahua.
“Ah, look, another cup’s broken. How many times has that happened? Clearly, someone being here causes bad luck.”
“Right. Earlier, my stockings ripped unexpectedly, and I was so embarrassed. Completely unlucky.”
“Honestly, if you think about it, someone like that shouldn’t be in a place with so many people. Clearly disturbing others, not being able to control their abilities.”
They were sharp words.
The thorny remarks were precisely targeted at someone who had been sitting quietly in the corner. Partygoer Bangdaengi Baek Yeo-ul couldn’t retort with even a word, trembling silently.
I am usually quick to catch things.
I clearly knew that Bangdaengi and everyone else in this VIP room had some kind of past and something went wrong between them.
Just their roundabout complaints were irksome to me.
Let me show them how it’s done.
“Enough. If you want to say something, just spit it out. I slightly considered you as a candidate for my girlfriend because of your pretty face but now it’s clear you’re not fit. Your heart is ugly.”
“Hm? What?”
The model sprang to her feet, incensed by my words.
Her face flushed, either from drinking or anger. It was quite unattractive when she furrowed her eyebrows.
“How dare you call me ugly! Take that back, now!”
“Taken back.”
“…What?”
As if stepping in dog poop, the model couldn’t find the words.
Then, maybe incensed by realizing her own place, she reached her hand out toward me and slapped my cheek.
Slap!
With that loud sound, everyone’s eyes turned to me.
At that moment, my vision briefly went white. It felt like being struck by a volleyball player’s spike. More surprised than in pain.
However, my reaction was as fast as light.
Slap Slap!
I returned the favor by slapping her cheeks, alternating the left and right.
“Kyyaaa!”
“Didn’t you hear that good words in equals good words out? I always return what I receive, doubled. Don’t expect leniency just because you’re a woman.”
The model couldn’t have expected to get struck by me, so she swayed badly and slipped on the puddle of drink spilled on the floor, fumbling around.
“Eyaa! Eyaaaa!”
She slipped around wearing high heels over the puddle, making her movements look quite funny. It resembled a bizarre dance, or a newborn fawn faltering.
“Kyaah!”
In the end, the model fell with a “kwa-thud”.
Her legs spread wide, revealing her underwear.
It was black with lace.
「Name: Jeon So-mi
State: 《Anger and Embarrassment》 – She is completely overwhelmed having lost face in front of her crush Prince Juhyun.」
“Ah d*mn it, so unlucky! Unlucky, I say!”
In the end, the model lost her temper.
Still, I wanted to stress this one thing clearly.
“Don’t casually say you’re unlucky. Do you even know what real bad luck is? Real misfortune isn’t this kind of thing—it’s when you’re trapped in a burning house and can’t even scream.”
I alone knew that this world had only one year left.
It was only painful that I couldn’t tell everyone about this fact.
“It’s sad that you all cling to what will one day vanish in fire and strut around as if proud. Luxe goods? Money? All this is meaningless. What truly matters is this. This.”
Swish.
A bottle cap.
As I held it up, everyone’s eyes followed.
“This is truly precious.”
No joke, bottle caps would soon be valued even more than gold.
Though the reason for it was hilariously ironic—I’ll explain it later. But since the topic came up, I might as well start gathering some caps now.
And so, I gathered well over a hundred bottle caps as I moved around the party venue!
The best part of the party!
Now, I’ve gathered everything I want, let’s get going.
“The party was fun to expect, but it’s really boring. It’s better to go home and catch up on ‘Game of Thrones’. Alright kids, I’m heading out. Play more if you want.”
“Are you leaving already?”
Anxious, Choi Chang-sik was deeply startled.
The boy apparently wanted to play more.
“Chang-sik, are you going too? Stay a bit more.”
“Yeah, let’s talk more about making sweets.”
Chang-sik looked between me and the female students.
After what seemed like deep contemplation, the boy slipped off his designer slippers and put back on the sneakers I personally drew the logo on.
“I… I guess I should get up too. It’s getting late, after all…”
“Then I’m leaving too.”
Baek Yeo-ul also stood up.
With that, we slipped out of the VIP room and headed toward the elevator. Right around when we were about to leave through this office building, Seugal called out to us with her gentle voice.
“Already leaving? Why? The party is just getting fun. Stay a little longer.”
It was an angelic question.
Anyone hearing such a question would surely fall madly in love, even if their heart had grown cold as an ancient glacier.
However, that wasn’t the case.
“Seugal, do I look like an idiot to you?”
