Chapter 268 – Yoo Jin Mania
───Click!
“Aigoo, everyone looks well. Have you all been doing well?”
“Polar bears, sharks, senior officers… the sub-commander, and Marcus, even Rapier. If anyone saw us, they might think we’re here for a strike operation. Have you all eaten?”
“I came right after the match, and I didn’t expect the room to be this lively. Laurentina, is this your doing?”
“Haha, who else could have arranged this but me?”
Madison Square Garden, 5th floor, VIP lounge.
The originally quiet lounge, occupied by only two people, suddenly became crowded as twice as many people poured in. Six individuals, seemingly having no commonality, found their places and sat down.
The lounge, reminiscent of a first-class airport lounge, was neatly arranged. Various snacks and finger foods were meticulously placed in containers to preserve their freshness, and the delicate lighting, designed not to be glaring, welcomed the newcomers.
With the New York night view as a backdrop, Logan collapsed into a chair.
“Goodness, how many Juggernauts did I fight? My shoulders are still aching.”
“Shall I give you a massage?”
“That would be nice, but… ow, not so hard!”
Laurentina’s slender fingers slid onto Logan’s shoulders, but they squeezed like a vise, causing Logan to jump up.
As they started a mock wrestling match, Sirkins, who had been pouring champagne, opened his mouth in disbelief.
“A person with a grip strength of 300kg offering a massage, really?”
“I still can’t get used to the standard unit of measure for Awakeners. A grip strength of 300kg?”
Of course, it wasn’t long before the proper massage began.
With Logan sinking further into the chair and receiving a massage, he began to melt into relaxation, but unfortunately, he wasn’t given the chance to rest much longer. His former teammates were already approaching with questions in mind.
Rapier, the only natural-born female of the Dagger team, was the first to sit in the chair opposite Logan. Her movements were graceful and refined.
“I have a few questions. Is that okay?”
“You’ll keep pestering me until I answer, right? It’s about ‘that person’ Yoo Jin cherishes, isn’t it? Ask away.”
“What was it like?”
“Are you asking what it was like to fight someone who managed to escape from me?”
That was all the explanation needed. Everyone present knew Logan’s prowess. There was no need to mention any other team member’s name, as she was an Awakener.
Of course, it was well known through Harmony’s acquaintance, Hotteok, that not all Awakeners could perform well in the Dark Zone. In other words, Logan’s skills were honed through hard-earned experience and bone-crushing effort.
The fact that Dice could even remotely keep up after only a few months of intense training was absurd.
Anyway,
“While I was wrestling with Juggernauts, that worthless shark was probably figuring out how to send his application to the U.S. Navy by fax, right, Senior Officer?”
“….”
Silence.
But even silence was enough of an answer.
Logan, who chuckled quietly, added.
“Wake up. Even if she soars in the Dark Zone, in reality, she’s just a civilian.”
“I wonder if she knows that PMCs use VR even more extensively than the U.S. military. She’d be quite skilled as a tactical advisor.”
“So, you’re trying to poach the protégé our youngest is personally training?”
“Just kidding.”
Susan Rapier, currently active as a headhunter for the international PMC ‘Blaze Company,’ often showed her personal desires but was strictly professional when it mattered.
Logan, with his sharp eyes, quickly realized she hadn’t changed much and dismissed the subject. Although there were still many questions awaiting her.
There was another reason he wasn’t too concerned.
‘…That must be the highest level her skills can reach.’
Dice had no more room to grow.
Despite being born without any relation to guns, purely on talent, she had reached the Final Championship last year. It was known that her talents blossomed when she met Yoo Jin around mid-to-late this year.
Of course, it seemed more like Yoo Jin forcibly broke through her limits than her talents blossoming.
Anyway.
“So, when is our youngest arriving?”
“Soon.”
───Knock, knock!
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.
The door clicked open, and just as everyone hoped, Yoo Jin entered.
However,
“…Huh?”
Behind Yoo Jin’s familiar figure, Logan noticed another person who seemed strangely familiar.
With long, flowing blonde hair and blue eyes just like Yoo Jin’s – the person scanned the lounge nervously and eventually made eye contact with Logan.
Startled.
‘…Why is she so scared?’
Logan’s sharp mind quickly realized who had brought Dice along.
“This crazy shark.”
Of course, the culprit showed no signs of remorse.
While it was a reunion for Yoo Jin with the Dagger team, for Dice, it was the start of a daunting forced attendance at a scary seniors’ gathering.
—
“…I was told I was meeting someone important. Why is Logan here?”
“Uh….”
Brain freeze.
The reality before me was a mixture of expected and unexpected scenarios. Holding Yoo Jin’s hand tightly out of tension or something else, I was grateful that the durability of an Awakener was beyond the reach of my feeble grip.
Anyway, the scene that greeted me when the door opened – guessing it was a lounge based on the name ‘VIP Lounge’ was accurate.
And my assumption didn’t change much even when I saw the people waiting inside.
‘…Who are these people?’
A well-dressed man and woman sat at a table with finger foods, and to their left, another well-dressed man and woman sat in plush chairs. The women had hair that looked like it was made of molten silver and had bright red eyes.
But as soon as I turned my gaze a bit further to the left – everything reset.
It was true.
Logan was there.
And then, Yoo Jin, noticing my unease, spoke up.
“…Now that we’re here, I should mention that my former colleagues were quite eager to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Maybe because of the skirmish at the high-value research facility a few hours ago….”
Then you should have told me in advance!
I wanted to say that, but Yoo Jin didn’t relieve my curiosity and introduced me directly to Logan. Logan was a bit taller than me, similar to Yoo Jin, but naturally had the unique intimidation of an Awakener… if I could call it that. Actually, all I could see were the fluffy, adorable polar bear ears on top of his head.
Anyway, although it was quite a sudden opportunity… facing him now, Logan was completely different from the image I had built in my mind. How should I put it, he seemed cuter than I had imagined?
In appearance, he looked much gentler than Yoo Jin.
Of course, I quickly realized that my thought was misguided.
The aura he emitted as he walked towards me was no joke.
“Ah, um, nice to meet you…”
“Nice to meet you. Is this our first time meeting in person?”
“Y-Yes.”
“No need to be so nervous.”
How should I describe it? When I shook his hand, it felt like gripping a warm steel H-beam. Like Yoo Jin, the unique, unimaginable density of Awakeners couldn’t be helped.
After the awkward handshake, Logan, Yoo Jin, and I sat at a suitable table.
“Wow, those eyes…”
“Many people are interested in you because of the skirmish at the high-value research facility.”
Then Logan glanced at Yoo Jin and added while patting her shoulder.
“Rapier, Sirkins, and Marcus came here at this hour just to see you. Go and greet them. I’ll chat with this friend.”
“Y-Yoo Jin! How can you leave me here alone?”
“If you don’t go over there, those people who are waiting for a chance to talk to you will come over here. If that’s okay with you, then stay.”
“Ah.”
Indeed, upon reflection, that made more sense.
Yoo Jin did say her colleagues were waiting for me, and considering that, it seemed like most of them wanted to have some conversation with me for some reason.
…Well. If it was a strange place, Yoo Jin wouldn’t have brought me here in the first place!
Similarly, Logan wouldn’t have introduced me if he were a strange person!
And naturally, Logan was quite sensible.
“Surely, our youngest has talked about me a lot, advising you to avoid me as much as possible.”
“…”
“Looks like she also gave you a rough idea of how to deal with me… but only the basics, as she doesn’t have overwhelming skills to teach you in detail.”
“Uh, yeah, something like that.”
“Well, the point is, you’re quite impressive.”
A brief silence.
Then Logan glanced back.
“Those guys over there want to suggest something other than being a pro gamer to you.”
“Something else?”
“Do you want to know?”
At the same time, there was a silence.
He was smiling with his mouth, but his eyes weren’t. Considering that the person speaking was Yoo Jin’s senior, it meant what I was doing would no longer just be about games.
But that was out of the question.
“Unfortunately, smelling gunpowder in real life is a bit much.”
“No reason to regret. They’re not seriously suggesting it, and I’m not happy about it either.”
“Aha.”
Sip.
Logan took a sip of the chocolate latte on the table. For some reason, that relaxed me a bit. It showed he was similar to Yoo Jin.
Then he continued.
“Honestly, I don’t have many questions for you. Since we’ve fought directly, I know the intentions behind your every move.”
“But why?”
“There’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t invite you here. Rather…”
Swoosh.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
A strange sweet scent filled the air, and silver hair appeared in front of me. I carefully looked up, and unlike Logan, a very elegant-looking beauty had approached me.
…I didn’t sense her at all.
“…My role is to cut off uninvited guests who want to intrude and ask questions.”
“Oh my, how cold.”
“What do you have to say, inviting a civilian who didn’t need to be here?”
“May I sit for a moment?”
“Uh…”
A chaotic flow.
The woman, whose name I didn’t know yet, carefully pulled up a chair and sat beside me – our eyes met. Her bright red eyes were like jewels, no, more like blood. She was smiling, but her eyes were not.
An unstable atmosphere hidden within elegance. Her presence alone added tension to the room, creating an unsettling feeling that I shouldn’t confront her.
However, without paying any mind, she took something out and showed it to Logan – it looked like a message on a cell phone. As soon as Logan saw it, the hidden tension in his smile resolved into seriousness.
“…That’s quite a troublesome matter. Laurentina, did you plan for this?”
“Now you realize, huh… Judging by that expression, you’re saying I should have told you in advance.”
“Don’t you think so?”
They were bickering, but the flow didn’t seem bad.
At this point, I felt it was time for an explanation – and then Logan spoke.
“It’s nothing special. It’s kind of… putting out a fire. The fact that you defeated Logan is a bigger deal than you think. So, before this becomes a bigger issue, we intercepted it and arranged this meeting.”
“…Is it that big of a deal?”
“This year, more important people are watching than you think. Mostly because of us, though.”
Then she added softly.
“So, don’t feel too burdened here. We have no reason or intention to harm Yoo Jin or her acquaintance.”
“Uh, thank you.”
But one question lingered.
If the term ‘youngest’ referred to Yoo Jin…
“…Do you two care a lot about Yoo Jin?”
A brief silence.
The room was filled with the sounds of Yoo Jin chatting with others, but that too was almost inaudible. Logan and… Laurentina? She hadn’t formally introduced herself, but I guessed her name. Both of them sank into thought.
And I realized once again that I didn’t know much about Yoo Jin’s past. She had mentioned being in a special unit, so I didn’t expect to hear specific stories.
But maybe I could hear about Yoo Jin’s past through these two.
With a bit of hope, I looked at them.
“Our youngest, huh? Where should I start?”
“It seems like it’s going to be a long story…”
An unexpected answer.
But one thing became clear.
‘Ah, these people are Yoo Jin’s uncle fans.’
And that instinct was spot on.
I wouldn’t be able to leave this spot until Yoo Jin finished her conversations and came to pick me up.
The world was indeed strange.