Party Preparations Are Tough (3)
“Yes, I’d like to join the party.”
Inside the student council room at Victoria Academy, Moon Soorin’s voice resonated through the quiet space. She finally applied to participate in the party she had been postponing and settled into a chair, burdened by the accumulated fatigue from her work.
Although this should have been a moment to relish some rest before concluding her tasks, there seemed to be no such opportunity.
“Hoyeon...”
Baek Ahyeong’s interview played on the smartwatch in Moon Soorin’s hand. While nervously biting her nails, she felt a sense of unease.
“I should’ve made a move a bit quicker...!”
Thankfully, they’re not officially together, but I know how people perceive things. Baek Ahyeong seemed eager to project that they were a couple to anyone watching. But if that’s not the case, it means the saint is my rival... I need to put in effort to avoid falling behind.
Raising the smartwatch, Moon Soorin tapped the file labeled [Lee Hoyeon Love]. This compilation was a result of discreetly recording and editing each encounter with Lee Hoyeon.
[Noona, I... love you. I really do.]
The meticulously adjusted voice file, complete with pitch variations, sounded remarkably natural.
“Hmm... Hoyeon.” Listening to his voice, Moon Soorin reassured her racing heart.
My rival may have taken a step ahead, but I can somehow catch up. Somehow.
***
After spending time with the Lucy and Lumi, I returned to my dorm. For dinner tonight, chicken was naturally the chosen menu.
“Scarlett.”
“Yes, Hoyeon?”
Setting aside Liliana, who was enthusiastically indulging in the chicken, I turned to Scarlett.
“If you were given the order to extract information from the Buyers Guild, how would you go about it?”
My curiosity sparked for no particular reason, wondering about the methods employed in this industry.
It’s been three days since Kang Hyorin decided to save Nam Daehee, the younger sister of Nam Daeun. With little time left and still no updates, I’m contemplating whether I should pay a visit tomorrow.
“Hmm... the last time I saw it, the security seemed formidable, making it a challenging breach. In situations like this, a long-term approach is needed. For instance, undercover employment or disguising as an existing employee.”
“Oh... how long do you think it would take if it were you?”
Scarlett suddenly became sharper when discussing work matters.
“If it were me, I think it would take about a month. Such methods require that much time to avoid suspicion. I’m not sure how the Korean branch leader will investigate, she might be more skilled than me. She could even opt for a direct approach, potentially shortening the time.”
“Don’t you all share information with each other?”
Despite being in the same guild, Scarlett seems to possess less information than me.
“I knew nothing about her. I didn’t even know there was someone called Kang Hyorin.”
“Hmm, interesting.”
I may not comprehend it fully, but there must be some rules within Iris, the information guild. Anyway, my concern lies here. Scarlett is undoubtedly capable, but can Kang hyorin handle a task estimated to take a month in just a week?
I initially wasn’t worried, but as Thursday night approached with still no contact, my concerns grew.
“Would it be a bother if someone comes to check how the work you assigned is progressing?”
“It might not be pleasant, but it’s not a bother. It’s the customer’s right, after all.”
Okay. I should go check tomorrow. Although I don’t want to rush like an impatient customer, the urgency of the matter took precedence.
“Scout, I thought of something you could do!” Liliana, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly raised a chicken leg and exclaimed.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Go around the chicken joints near here and find out which one is the most hygienic. Then, we can just order from there.”
“Oh... that’s an interesting approach.”
“Can’t we stop the whole chicken thing now?”
Until when are they planning to stick to this chicken idea? But contrary to my expectations, Liliana seemed genuinely serious. She and Scarlett started checking chicken places on the map.
Sure. Have fun on your own. If you’re happy with it, I don’t mind, Liliana.
“I should go and pester her tomorrow.”
Nam Daeun is still holed up in the dorm, and there’s no way to contact her. All I could do is to pester Kang Hyorin. I should at least do that diligently.
***
Finally, Friday had arrived. Despite the approaching party, there was still no word from Kang Hyorin.
“Due to personal reasons, Dr. Kang Hyorin won’t be able to conduct today’s class. I’ll be covering Dungeon Research in her place.”
With even the class canceled, she must be occupied. Is it possible she ran away? Did I set the deadline too tight?
But there’s no turning back. I invoked the request token as soon as the grades were out; I couldn’t have acted faster. If I can’t save Nam Daeun, it’s more her fault than mine. If she hadn’t assured me it could be done, I would’ve devised a different plan.
After the class, I headed straight to Dr. Kang Hyorin’s research lab.
Knock-knock—
“Come in.”
Luckily, there was someone inside. Upon entering, I found Kang Hyorin seated.
“Hello, I came to discuss the progress of the task.”
“Um... sure. Have a seat.”
Kang Hyorin seemed somewhat uneasy, and my anxiety grew inexplicably.
“The party is tomorrow... Are we good?”
“Honestly, the defense is more severe than I anticipated. It’s worse than it looks on the outside. It’ll take some time, but I’ll break through. I’m staking my position as the leader of the Iris Korea branch, so don’t worry.”
“...”
I couldn’t argue with someone so confident.
“I might have set the deadline too short... Please hang in there.”
“No, I won’t make excuses. I underestimated my opponent. Even if the opponent is strong, I’ll break through in no time... Wait a moment.” Kang Hyorin furrowed her brows, then started tapping her smartwatch. After waiting quietly for about a minute, she spoke again, “Just now, Nam Daeun left the dormitory.”
“Now?”
If she stayed holed up in the dorm for a few days and just came out, it’s likely related to the party.
“Yes, she’s probably heading to the Buyers Guild.”
“...”
She’s likely summoned by the guild leader. I considered potential unexpected situations—Park Mingyu attacking Nam Daeun.
“This is an opportunity. With Nam Daeun going there, the opening for me to dig deeper will widen. I’ll go deal with the matter right away. I’ll make sure to compensate for this mistake after it’s all done, so don’t worry.”
“Can I make an additional request for that compensation?”
Before, I was just watching passively, but now, if I can stop it, I must.
“An additional request?”
“If, by any chance, Nam Daeun goes berserk and starts killing people from the Buyers Guild, please find a way to stop her, somehow.”
Anyway, there’s no fear of Nam Daeun being sexually assaulted or physically harmed. In such a situation, she would go berserk and annihilate everyone. The real issue arises afterward.
The Buyers Guild itself lacks strength, but Nam Daeun alone doesn’t wield enough power to wipe them out completely. Several major guilds outsourcing tasks to the Buyers Guild are unstoppable, they operate on a different scale of power, with a significant manpower advantage.
To prevent retaliation, we need to extract Nam Dahee.
“Usually, additional compensation would be necessary, but I understand. Also, when I rescue Nam Dahee, can I hide her with me?”
“Uh...”
While it would be safer if Kang Hyorin hides her, it’s difficult for me to take proactive measures in handling the situation. The Buyers Guild is unaware of my existence, so they wouldn’t suspect me if Nam Dahee disappeared.
“No, please bring her to my dorm.”
For now, keeping Daeun’s sister close to me is the best option. Plus, with Scarlett and Liliana around, she should be relatively safe even when I attend the party.
“Got it. And make sure to lock up when you leave the lab.”
Swoosh—
Kang Hyorin wrapped up her talk and smoothly vanished through the floor.
“Wow.”
That must be her ability. Judging by the urgency, it must have been an incredibly urgent matter.
I should head back quickly.
After securing the lab door, I headed to the dormitory.