Chapter 140 (2/2)
“It's been a while. Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“What's with the cold response? It's been several years since we last saw each other. ”
Seeing her subtly lean the upper half of her body against the table, Jang Maldong pushed her away while making a frown.
“Stay back, you're being burdensome. What do you think you're doing in front of others?”
“Aww. Can't a granddaughter act cute in front of her grandfather?”
'Granddaughter?'
Seol Jihu turned to stare at Jang Maldong with amazed eyes.
“You're misunderstanding!”
Jang Maldong shouted indignantly.
The lady giggled, unveiling a charming smile before glancing towards the dumbfounded youth. Then she leisurely walked over towards the seat next to him.
As Seol Jihu was about to get up, he felt a sensation of someone pus.h.i.+ng down on his neck. The lady had put her arms around his neck and was leaning forward.
“This is the person?”
He felt her lightly tap his head.
Bok Jungsik who had been sitting there, stunned, finally reacted.
“Y-You!”
“Me?”
“Sora! You, you!”
“What? Oh, you mean this?”
“Get away this instance!”
Sora blinked a few times after being shouted at and obediently took her arms off.
But she was still leaning on the back of Seol Jihu's chair, causing Jang Maldong to cover his face.
“Haah… I'm terribly sorry about this.”
Bok Jungsik apologized while Jang Maldong helplessly shook his head.
Seol Jihu slightly inhaled. The air still had a lingering fragrance of roses.
Then a hand abruptly appeared in front of his chest.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Phi Sora.”
The lady continued.
“It's an interesting last name, isn't it?”
Phi Sora waved her extended hand. Seol Jihu who unconsciously shook her hand was startled.
'It's rough.'
The texture of her palm was like sandpaper. Besides the rough calluses, Seol Jihu could see a lot of scars upon careful observation.
He could finally deduce the relations.h.i.+p between Jang Maldong and Phi Sora.
'She's strong.'
He instantly went on high alert.
“Let's see. How far have you discussed? I ran over as soon as I heard you arrived.”
Phi Sora drew back her hand and plopped herself down on the table. On top of the table, not the chair.
It was bewildering but Seol Jihu came to his senses thanks to the cool energy from his ice spear.
Counting numbers in his head, Seol Jihu calmly observed Phi Sora.
The first thing that came into his eyes was her stylish crimson uniform. And upon further observation, her hair that flowed down like waterfalls seemed to have a hint of red as well.
Adding her prideful stare and the way she sat on the table made her look flashy yet haughty like a red rose in full bloom.
Fed up with how she was acting, Bok Jungsik spoke.
“Are you really going to be like this?”
“What now?”
“Do you really not know…? Quickly sit properly! This is why I told you not to come!”
“Oh please. I'm close with my grandpa, okay?“
Phi Sora snorted and turned to Jang Maldong.
“Aren't we?”
Jang Maldong shut his eyes.
“S-Sir.”
“I stopped expecting anything ever since you told me she'd come.”
“I'm truly sorry.”
Bok Jungsik repeatedly bent his waist to apologize to Jang Maldong and Seol Jihu. As if she didn't care about her leader's back, Phi Sora spat grumpily.
“Enough already and get on with the discussion. Don't you know grandpa's personality?”
“You—”
Bok Jungsik who stared daggers at her took deep breaths before carefully addressing Jang Maldong.
“Sir, are you fine continuing like this…? If not, I will her chase her out by force.”
“Chase me out? Who? You?”
“No need for more trouble.”
“I apologize for today's mess.”
Bok Jungsik sat back down rubbing his temple.
“First.”
“Let's get straight to the point.”
“Alright. Firstly, may I take this meeting as a sign of you being interested in the recruitment?”
“Hmm.”
Jang Maldong secretly sent a look while nodding. Seol Jihu straightened his posture.
“Uh.”
“Then… huh? Yes, please speak.”
“Are Yi Seol-Ah and Yi Sungjin doing well?”
Seol Jihu asked with a beaming smile. Bok Jungsik blinked.
“Yes… they're doing fine.”
An awkward laugh rang out. It was a half-hearted laugh no matter who heard it.
Before arriving at Scheherazade, Jang Maldong had given him two instructions.
First, Seol Jihu had to act like he was interested in how the Yi siblings were doing. It was to make it evident that they were only here because of their friends.h.i.+p.
Second, unless the White Rose first spoke out, he was to never ask the reason why they were trying to send away the siblings.
Seol Jihu smiled brightly.
“That's a big relief. If it's not a problem, can I see their faces? It's fine even if it's just for a bit.”
“Huh?”
“We haven't seen each other ever since we left the Neutral zone. It's been a while so I'd like to chat with them over dinner… is that not okay?”
Bok Jungsik was startled by the earnest request.
“Well, go ahead. But after our discussion…”
He quickly switched the subject.
“Sir, you must also be aware, but isn't money the most trustworthy thing in the transfer market?”
And so the conversation subject was switched.
“But as you've mentioned before, you currently don't have much in terms of funding.”
He continued after glancing at Seol Jihu.
“So I was wondering if you could show us any items of value that you might have. For example, the Wish you received at the Banquet.”
Seol Jihu realized what Bok Jungsik was hinting at.
“The Harmonious Wish isn't something that can be traded, so that'd be difficult.”
“Of course, the Dissonant Wish is also fine. The Banquet rewards are known to be of high quality. They can't be bought even if one had money.”
Having delivered his request, Bok Jungsik laughed heartily.
“I don't have the Dissonant Wish either. I've already used them all.”
The laughter stopped.
“You've used them all?”
“Yes. I only received one in the first place, not to mention it was a consumable item.”
“Oh…”
Bok Jungsik was stunned. Or at least it seemed like he had a.s.sumed Seol Jihu came out with multiple Dissonant Wishes.
“What to do…”
But due to his pre-established prejudice, it looked like he was only keeping an act up.
“I've heard you found a lot of success at the Banquet, so I had a.s.sumed that you'd have some leftover harvest… It seems like it was my miscalculation.”
Seol Jihu stopped himself from snorting with everything he had.
“To be honest, Yi Seol-Ah and Yi Sungjin missed you very much.”
“They must have talked about me a lot.”
“Yes. But Yi Seol-Ah seemed to be interested in a lot of places, so I wanted to try to send her to where she wanted… “
It was then…
“Fuu.”
A snort was heard. It wasn't Seol Jihu but Phi Sora.
“How long are you going to keep this up for?”
Staring at Bok Jungsik, Phi Sora continued with a bored expression.
“Just when do you plan to stop going around in circles? Just get it over with. They already know.”
“S-Sora…”
Though Seol Jihu didn't express it, he was very much shocked inside.
'Weren't they from the same group?'
It felt like Bok Jungsik was desperately leading the conversation to a certain place before Phi Sora unexpectedly intruded.
Moreover, was it a misunderstanding to think that Phi Sora's authority looked higher than the leader, Bok Jungsik?
“It's fine. I'll start talking instead. What nonsense are you spouting in front of my grandpa?”
Phi Sora shook her hand in disapproval and elegantly got off the table.
“Unlike him, I…”
She walked around the table in a serious manner.
“…can't talk in circles or hide anything. Neither do I ever want to.”
Then she suddenly intently gazed at Seol Jihu.
“Dear, I heard you were a problem-solver.”
'What was she saying now?'
While Seol Jihu was wondering whether to retort to why he was her 'dear' or why he suddenly was this 'problem-solver,' a clear voice rang out.
“Or at least, that's what people say. That you've never once failed a job.”
The clicking of heels stopped.
“And that once you've even struck the Parasites a good blow?”
Seol Jihu stared at Phi Sora who was licking her upper lip.
He had already listened to their impossible request.
That meant…
It was time for their 'special' request to be revealed.
Phi Sora's two hands leisurely gripped the table.
“Dear.”
And she spoke.
“Won't you work with me once?”