Chapter 16

“Alright, that’s the end of today’s sparring! Everyone, return to your places for meditation! Meditation is important because it allows you to look deeply into your desires and set your direction!”

Doctor Wi Seon-ah clapped her hands and sent the children back to their respective spots.

Meditation?

Sounds boring.

Thinking that, I went back to my place, sat down cross-legged, and someone suddenly poked me in the side.

It was Baek Yeoul, the ‘Butt girl’.

With her face flushed red, she whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“Hey! You should stay on good terms with Wang Ja-hyun from Class F! Since you wrecked Wang Ja-hyun’s gang, you’re probably hated! It’s going to be a huge hassle!”

“But it’s not like I’m going to let them beat me to a pulp, right?”

“…”

Baek Yeoul couldn’t argue with my flawless logic and just moved her lips without saying anything.

Then, as if fueled by stubbornness, she barely managed to squeeze out a response.

“Wang Ja-hyun’s gang will also be at the party at the company branch. It’s going to be a disaster. If you go, you’ll just embarrass yourself and create a bunch of dark moments…”

“What kind of embarrassment and dark moments are you talking about? Worse than standing in your underwear in front of a crowd?”

“…Well, maybe not that bad.”

“So, it’s nothing then.”

“Maybe to you! But seriously, why do you keep taking your pants off all the time? It makes me embarrassed just watching!”

I’m the one who took my pants off, so why is Baek Yeoul the one getting embarrassed?

Is it for a similar reason as when Jang Geun-seong lost the sparring match, and I had to apologize to Wang Ja-hyun for it?

Anyway, after sparring, the meditation class proceeded without incident.

If you ask me now whether that “special class” was worth the 400,000 points, honestly, I’m not sure.

“Now, we’ll add some yoga poses along with meditation.”

As time passed, we started combining yoga with meditation.

Doctor Wi Seon-ah must have thought my posture was too stiff because she came over and pushed on my back, leaning her upper body toward me.

“Be flexible. Your body and mind both need to be flexible. Got it? The strengthening of your existing concepts and the blooming of new ones stem from imagination. And imagination relies on flexibility. Like this─.”

She pushed, pushed—.

The ‘flexibility’ pressing against my back was incredibly soft and warm, making it impressive.

This place really knows how to teach a special class!

I’ve got to save up 400,000 points again for the next one!

Hehehehe!

Tick, tock.

Time passed, and before I knew it, it was after school, and time to attend the party at the company branch.

“Really? You’re giving me the last invitation?”

I decided to give the invitation I had gotten from Muscleman Jang Geun-seong to my friend, Chang-sik, but he blinked in disbelief.

“You’re seriously inviting me to the ‘company branch party’? You know you could sell that invitation for a pretty penny, right?”

“Stop talking about money.”

I’m saying this because if we talk about money, I might change my mind.

Just think about how many ramen cups I could buy if I sold the invitation.

But!

I figured investing in Chang-sik, who could give me free candy for life, was more beneficial in the long run than the ramen I could eat right now.

No matter how much I earn points with this guy, it’s never enough.

“My friend, are you sure? I’ll ask you one last time. The company branch party is attended by incredible people, and many strive to build connections with them!”

According to Chang-sik, this “company branch party” was a networking event for amazing people.

So, just getting an invitation was like reaching for the stars.

Honestly, I didn’t know exactly who would be there or what would happen, but there was one thing I knew for sure.

“Whoever attends, no one will be more impressive than you, Chang-sik.”

“You’re exaggerating. All I can do is turn rocks into candy or paper into gum. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll even fit in with all those great people…”

Chang-sik’s face flushed with a mix of hope and expectation as he trailed off, embarrassed.

It seemed he was happy to have been invited, despite everything.

So where the heck is Butt girl?

We agreed to meet in front of the school by 5 o’clock, but there was no sign of her even though it was almost time.

She definitely said, “I have something to bring from home! I’ll be back soon!”

But apparently, Butt girl’s idea of ‘soon’ and mine were different.

“There’s a time zone difference between us.”

Thud, thud.

Just then, I heard someone running from a distance.

When I turned my head, I saw Baek Yeoul in her school uniform, waving her hand as she ran toward me from far away.

“Did you wait long?”

“Yeah. It’s exactly five. But at least you’re not late.”

What exactly had she been doing at home?

I quickly scanned Baek Yeoul from top to bottom but didn’t notice anything particularly different, leaving me full of questions.

“What’s changed?”

“My bag!”

Swoosh—.

Baek Yeoul held out a small handbag in front of me.

I didn’t know much about fashion, but it was small and soft, with a very impractical design.

“Do you know how much they’ll look down on you if you don’t have at least one luxury item?”

“R-Really?”

Chang-sik, clearly flustered by Baek Yeoul’s pretentious statement, trembled as if worried he might be looked down upon for not having a single luxury item himself.

I had no choice but to step in.

“Don’t worry, Chang-sik. I’ve got a solution.”

Swoosh—.

I pulled a pen from my bag and drew two overlapping C’s on the sneakers that Chang-sik and I were wearing, mimicking the logo of the Chanel brand.

A luxury item, instantly complete!

Now we had a pair of matching shoes, a one-of-a-kind ultra-luxury brand that no one else in the world owned.

“Well, what do you think? No one’s going to look down on us now, right?”

“…”

“…”

Chang-sik and Baek Yeoul both looked at me with strange expressions as I drew on the shoes.

I wasn’t sure, but they were probably impressed by my pioneering and innovative idea.

# # #

The “company branch” referred to the rooftop of Seonam Group’s headquarters.

The global enterprise Seonam Group had its headquarters in City D long before concepts like ‘abilities’ appeared in the world.

Now, with the discovery of the “Great Labyrinth,” which had raised the city’s prominence, Seonam Group was rising to new heights.

“There are a lot of guys in suits around.”

As the sky darkened, large men in suits were guarding the entrance of the building under the beautifully glowing skyline.

Vroom—.

Expensive cars began to pull up in front of the building, and men and women around my age stepped out from the back seats.

Seeing this, Chang-sik became excited.

“Look over there! Isn’t that Kim Byeol, the Million-Subscriber Youtuber? I subscribe and watch her videos every week! Do you think I could get a chance to talk to her?”

While Choi Chang-sik recognized many big names, I couldn’t tell who they were.

I guess they didn’t make a name for themselves in the world that had already gone to ruin.

“Here’s my invitation.”

Chang-sik, Baek Yeoul, and I showed our invitations to the guard at the entrance and took the elevator inside.

As the elevator climbed to the 30th, 40th floors, Baek Yeoul and Choi Chang-sik started breathing harder.

“Ugh, why did I come here? Should I leave now? I know this is a trap, but I came back anyway. I’m really stupid, aren’t I?”

Especially Baek Yeoul, who looked like a terrified person who couldn’t sit still.

I decided to comfort her.

“Butt girl, I’m impressed. You even know you’re an idiot.”

“…What did you say!?”

Ding—.

Before we knew it, we arrived at the top of the building.

Swoosh—.

As the elevator doors opened, a grand penthouse unfolded before us.

“Wow, this is impressive.”

It looked like the kind of place you’d see in Batman’s charity parties.

You know, the kind of place where rich people have a party and then a clown-faced villain shows up to terrorize everyone.

The only difference from the movies was that everyone here was young.

Many people had already gathered in groups, chatting or enjoying the party, and judging by my 《Emotion》 eyes, they were all around the same age as me.

It felt like a party exclusively for students─something like that?

Swoosh—.

As we stepped out of the elevator, some of the guests turned their gaze toward us.

They must’ve been curious about the new guests.

Or maybe they were amazed by my entrance, since I was clearly the main character of the night.

I’d been practicing my autograph for just such a moment.

“Hey, isn’t that Baek Yeoul?”

“Oh, wow! It really is Baek Yeoul.”

“Can’t believe she came to the company branch party.”

“I heard Ga-eul has been sending her invitations for a while now.”

What?

They’re paying more attention to Butt girl than to me?

Humiliation.

Total humiliation!

Butt girl seemed to feel proud to be the center of attention and cleared her throat confidently.

Such arrogance.

That Butt girl!

All she has going for her is a slightly bigger rear end!

I felt frustrated!

How could I redirect all that attention to myself?

Fortunately, my sharp ears caught a clue.

“Hey, look at Baek Yeoul’s bag.”

“When is that brand from?”

“Did she borrow it from her mom or what?”

“Looks like the rumors about her family’s financial trouble are true.”

Everyone was focused on Baek Yeoul’s bag.

Baek Yeoul’s face was turning red, as if she were on the verge of either crying or laughing.

This wasn’t good.

I wanted to be the center of attention, whether it was good or bad.

“Well, looks like no one here has better shoes than me.”

Swoosh—.

I stretched out my leg in an exaggerated manner.

The limited-edition luxury shoes on my leg.

Everyone seemed to notice their value as the murmurs grew louder.

“What’s with that?”

“Whoa, did he seriously draw the Chanel logo on his shoes with a pen?”

“What’s up with that guy?”

Good, good.

All the attention was on me now!

I glanced at Baek Yeoul with a “How do you like that?” look.

She seemed deeply troubled by how I’d stolen all the attention from her and wore a complicated expression.

“Uh, um…”

Even our esteemed guest, Chang-sik, was at a loss for words, his awkward movements resembling a broken robot.

Just when I was convinced that I was the star of this party, someone approached us, their high heels clicking against the floor.

“Glad you made it just in time. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Heh heh.

Her smile was cool.

“It’s Seo Ga-eul! Friend, that’s really Seo Ga-eul!”

Unable to handle the positive energy Seo Ga-eul exuded, Choi Chang-sik quickly hid behind me.

But Baek Yeoul squared her shoulders, glaring at Seo Ga-eul as if she were a raccoon about to have its food stolen.

Seo Ga-eul didn’t seem to care at all about Baek Yeoul’s petty attitude.

Lowering her gaze, she glanced at my shoes.

“Wow, what’s with those shoes? They’re really unique.”

“Right? They’re a one-of-a-kind brand. Want me to draw one for you too?”

“That sounds fun. I’d like that. But let’s save it for later.”

Swoosh—.

Seo Ga-eul grabbed my wrist.

Even though we were supposed to announce our engagement today, wasn’t this a bit too bold to show affection in such a public place?

I couldn’t help feeling a bit proud!

“Nam-jin, and friends? Since you’re my special guests, let’s go to the VIP room. Everyone there is super cool and stylish, and I’m sure you’ll like them. They’ll like you too.”

The VIP room!

It was supposed to be the best room in this penthouse, filled with the most important people.

As we made our way there, Chang-sik exclaimed, “This must be a dream!” while Baek Yeoul’s face grew even more stiff.

The room we arrived in was a bit dim, with tacky lighting reminiscent of a cheap karaoke room.

A bunch of students in Yeongsa High uniforms or kids wearing clothes from unknown brands were sitting on the large sofa, laughing and chatting.

I recognized some familiar faces.

“So, once I graduate, my dad’s going to buy me a car─.”

“Seriously? That’s so cool. I get a family trip abroad every year instead of a car.”

It was Wang Ja-hyun and his crew.

They didn’t even notice I had arrived and continued laughing amongst themselves.

“Everyone, these are my guests. This is the one I mentioned, Han Nam-jin. And this one is…”

“I-I’m Choi Chang-sik… um, pleased to meet you.”

“His name is Chang-sik. And I’m sure you all know her. It’s Yeoul. Been a while, hasn’t it? The last time you came to a party was two years ago, right? Okay, wait here for a moment. I’ll go get some drinks for the guests.”

As Seo Ga-eul stepped away, everyone’s eyes turned to Baek Yeoul.

Again, they’re paying more attention to Baek Yeoul than to me?

Just as I was feeling unjust, someone clicked their tongue.

“Tsk, how annoying.”

Thud—.

Someone suddenly stood up and walked toward us, her tall figure commanding attention.

She looked like a student model.

With a refreshing and elegant face, I found myself watching her with interest as she brushed past me and stood in front of Baek Yeoul, poking her chest with her finger.

“Hey, Baek Yeoul. What kind of nerve do you have coming back here? After causing such a scene last time. Shouldn’t you apologize to all of us? Actually, did you even apologize to Ga-eul?”