"Special guest?" The sudden announcement by the host piqued my interest. It wasn't so much the word "special" that caught my attention, but the sudden hush that fell over the crowd and the buzz of excitement that followed.
"Oh my God, it's Park Nin Young!"
"You mean the new actress who just debuted recently?"
"My God, she's so beautiful!"
People were talking excitedly about her, and the crowd's energy seemed to revolve around her. She was with some other beautiful women who were likely fellow actresses, but even in that group, it was clear to everyone that she was the most impressive and outstanding of them all.
Even Lizzy and Ria couldn't contain their excitement. It was really obvious that she was quite famous. I hadn't been keeping up with the news recently, so I was unaware of her, but her name did sound somewhat familiar.
"Park...? Wait," a sudden recollection crossed my mind, and I opened my Special Mission board.
Just like that, the name "Park Nin Young" came into focus. She had a reward of 5 attribute points, which meant her mission might not be too difficult.
'What a bonus,' a sly smirk formed on my face as I laid eyes on her. She was dressed in a simple white short dress adorned with golden flower patterns along the sides.
She had hair that was a mix of brown and black, and her small, cute face had a tiny nose and petite lips. Her hair was styled in a bow hairstyle, which framed her face beautifully, emphasizing her attractive facial proportions.
In addition , her youthful appearance contrasted with her above-average height for a korean woman, standing at around 5'7", and with the heels she wore, she was truly a head-turner. It was no wonder she had risen to fame so quickly; she was very attractive.
Even without using my Mind Eye, I could tell that her charisma was probably around 15 or more points.
The atmosphere in the hall became more lively as everyone seemed captivated by Park Nin Young's presence. People approached her, taking photos and eagerly striking up conversations. Meanwhile, I sipped my wine, observing from a distance, acting nonchalant.
"You can sit..." Misa began to point towards our table but stopped when she noticed me.
Her face soured when she realized that the table was now monopolized by me, even though it had enough chairs for ten people. Currently, only the four of us were occupying it.
"Happy Birthday," I raised my glass, almost as if I were deliberately adding fuel to the fire.
"Thank you ," Misa managed to force a smile and guided her cousin to their table with a frustrated emotion. Despite her fake smile, her body language and the tension in the air revealed her displeasure.
Park Nin Young, on the other hand, had a rather different expression. She gave me a double-take as she settled at her table, almost as if she was trying to check me out.
And it wasn't just her. The other stunning women accompanying her also took notice of my presence. One by one, their eyes met mine, and they offered inviting smiles, a glint of curiosity evident in their gaze.
Their attention seemed to linger a bit longer on me than on others men in the room, hinting at a certain attraction .
"Hot guy advantage," I chuckled to myself. Thanks to the perks of my wealth and being attractive, I could essentially act like a human embodiment of douche bag , fully confident that nobody would dare to point it out.
If I were still the old, overweight, and unattractive me, I could be sharing food with the homeless and still receive disgusted looks from people.
"You're looking at her again," Ayumi squeezed my hand, clearly driven by jealousy.
'I need to figure out a way to handle Ayumi's jealousy later,' I sighed to myself. I could simply use my suggestion on her, but I wasn't particularly fond of that idea. It would become a habit, and I didn't want a girlfriend who couldn't think for herself.
She was essentially the anchor holding me to my humanity. If I lost her, I'd likely just devolve into a stereotypical villain with no depth, backstory, or character development. She was the one keeping me from becoming a cardboard cutout antagonist.
It was quite fascinating that the most ordinary girl, was the one keeping me grounded and sane. I'm not a cliche novel protagonist after all, that will chased after someone like Alice, who might be a powerful and dangerous individual with many secrets.
I am a real person with a functioning logical mind, and Ayumi was my best bet. She was safe and normal, and that's what made her invaluable to me.