Chapter 216
Chapter 216. UN (3)
“Nam Su-ji?”
“I’m really, really happy to see you!”
5 seconds, 6 seconds, 7 seconds…
Olivia clung to Yoo Ji-han for an astonishing 7 seconds after their hug.
As if that wasn’t enough, she brightly smiled while shaking his hand up and down vigorously.
‘How long are they going to stay like that?’
Min Yu-ri glared at Olivia, who was sticking to Yoo Ji-han like a leech.
It didn’t feel like they were just friends meeting up after a long time.
Olivia’s sudden approach and pretended familiarity didn’t sit well with her.
‘Click! The master is acting strange…!’
Chilla rolled his eyes, forgetting the discomfort of his suit as he watched Min Yu-ri’s reactions.
The moment Olivia appeared, the atmosphere around his master changed drastically.
At a glance, it seemed little had changed from merely a few seconds ago, but Chilla was more sensitive to Min Yu-ri’s shifts than anyone else.
“Isn’t that Nam Su-ji?”
“Yep! You can call me Olivia now, though, since I’ve changed my nationality!”
“Why are you here?”
“Because I’m a hero from the UN!”
Olivia grabbed her collar and revealed the badge granted only to heroes affiliated with the UN.
Other key figures were also wearing the same badge.
The chances of that being fake were almost nil.
“Haha, seems like you two know each other well!”
“Um… We’re from the same Hero Academy.”
Yoo Ji-han awkwardly smiled at the UN official’s question.
To simplify, Olivia was his ex-girlfriend.
But could he really say they’d been in a relationship when they hadn’t even held hands and had broken up just hours later?
However, Olivia seemed to have a different take on it.
“A bit sad, isn’t it? I was your girlfriend at one point, after all…”
“…!”
Min Yu-ri raised her eyebrows at hearing Olivia declare she was his ex-girlfriend.
Based on Olivia’s actions and mannerisms, it was clear she held more than a simple relationship with Yoo Ji-han.
‘Are those people Rank 1 heroes?’
Yoo Ji-han silently observed the group of men and women standing behind them.
Bexter Olson, Mason Spencer, James Malcolm, among others.
These were heroes who had reached Rank 1 with the agreement of various nations, supporting the UN.
‘…They must really be Rank 1 heroes, right?’
Yet, as he faced them, Yoo Ji-han tilted his head.
Unlike when he met Rank 1 heroes like Yoon Do-ha and Baek Cheon-gang, he didn’t feel overwhelmed or pressured by their aura at all.
“It would be best if we moved for now.”
A member of the Hero Department noticed the crowd gathering around them.
With gazes directed at Yoo Ji-han’s party, they couldn’t stand still for long.
“That way!”
The Hero Department and the UN delegation soon exited through Incheon Airport’s entrance.
In front of them, there were vehicles prepared for them, like a limousine.
“Ji-han, can’t I sit with you?”
“What?”
“I have so much to say since it’s been a while!”
Olivia pulled Yoo Ji-han’s left arm and brought it close to her chest.
Seeing this, Min Yu-ri narrowed her eyes.
It was clearly a deliberate and overt act of contact.
At that moment, Yoo Ji-han gently slid his arm out of Olivia’s grip and said, “I have my party with me, so let’s talk at the Hero Department.”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot!”
Olivia bowed her head toward Kim Si-hu, who was quietly waiting beside her.
Then she shifted her gaze to Min Yu-ri.
‘…Huh? What’s with that look?’
Detecting hostility from Min Yu-ri, she froze for a moment.
But then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled lightly and boarded the limousine with her party.
Yoo Ji-han’s party moved to Min Yu-ri’s vehicle, which was parked separately.
As Min Yu-ri started the engine with her lips sealed, Kim Si-hu spoke up.
“Hyung Ji-han, was that person your ex-girlfriend you mentioned before?”
“Yeah.”
“……!”
For Min Yu-ri, this was the first time hearing about Yoo Ji-han’s romantic history.
Her ears perked up at the conversation between the two men.
“Is she the one who dumped you after just one day?”
“Yep. But I didn’t expect her to change her nationality.”
“……She got dumped after just a day?”
Min Yu-ri wore a dumbfounded expression at the surprisingly anticlimactic past.
“Technically, it wasn’t even a day. It was less than 6 hours.”
“Wow! She’s claiming to have been your girlfriend over that?”
“I also don’t really get it.”
“Be careful. She might have a reason for approaching you.”
After years without contact, what could be Olivia’s motive for showing such friendliness?
The only thing that came to Yoo Ji-han’s mind was his recently skyrocketing recognition, and nothing beyond that.
‘She can’t be that foolish, right?’
In Yoo Ji-han’s memories, Nam Su-ji was a pretty sharp hero.
Accepting a sudden confession from her was also due to her being a decent person.
He couldn’t believe she would engage in such obvious behavior.
*
Returning to the Hero Department, Yoo Ji-han’s party faced the UN delegation once more.
Since they welcomed guests at the airport, technically their schedule for the day was over.
However, the other side wanted to talk with them.
“Chirp chirp! Nice to meet you!”
“You really can talk!”
“Chirp? Is it your first time seeing a talking chinchilla?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Actually, it’s my first time too! Chirp!”
The UN side couldn’t hide their amazement as they exchanged questions and answers with Chilla, whose abilities had gone unchecked at the busy airport.
The conversation flowed without interruption, showcasing Chilla’s language skills, which were at a middle and high school level.
Not to mention, he could learn and use simple English and slang right away.
Every one of them possessed intelligence that surpassed the limits of existing monsters.
“Can you communicate with other monsters too?”
“Chirp. I can’t talk to those too dumb to understand.”
Since he couldn’t converse with most monsters who lacked communication skills, the UN side felt a hint of disappointment.
“I saw Min Yu-ri’s exploits in the movie <Ajesia>.”
“You used very unique attacks as a range dealer, didn’t you?”
“What’s your method for changing magic at a distance into the form you want?”
The ranged dealers from the delegation complimented Min Yu-ri and showed interest in her.
Despite being foreigners, they were all quite familiar with the Korean language and bombarded her with questions based on the publicly available movie.
Min Yu-ri kindly responded to them as much as she could.
“One of my friends is an elf working as a hero in the United States.”
“Hmm? I think I know who that is!”
“Recently, they were really happy to see you…”
While Kim Si-hu was having a leisurely chat with them based on their shared species.
Yoo Ji-han was facing Olivia directly.
‘Why’s the seating arrangement like this?’
Among the heroes in the delegation, the warriors had mysteriously disappeared.
Unlike the party members sitting together in similar groups, Yoo Ji-han found himself in a one-on-one conversation with Olivia, drawn in by her.
“Here, I brought this candy from the U.S. You should try it.”
Rustle!
When Olivia pulled a candy out of its wrapper, Yoo Ji-han reached out for it without much thought.
“Oh!”
“……?”
“Ah, do it. Ah!”
Olivia brought the candy towards Yoo Ji-han’s lips, signaling him to open up for her to feed him.
“Just give it here. I’ll eat it myself.”
“No, I….”
Thwack!
Yoo Ji-han snatched the candy from her hand and popped it into his mouth.
Olivia was left startled, empty-handed.
‘Why was he so fast?’
If it came down to Yoo Ji-han trying to take the candy from her, she had planned to playfully dodge him.
But his speed was so fast that she couldn’t react in time.
It felt like a gust of wind had whisked by in an instant.
‘Didn’t even see it happen.’
Not being able to respond when the opponent took action was virtually equivalent to a difference in basic physical abilities.
If that happened within a 1-meter radius, it suggested a significantly large gap.
‘Was their level just this high?’
Greatly impressed, Olivia gazed at Yoo Ji-han’s face.
Hero movies were nothing but flashy videos enhanced with CGI.
She thought he’d gained fame by chance due to the recent terror incident in Korea.
But it seemed the results weren’t merely a product of luck.
Yoo Ji-han was vastly different from the student she remembered.
“Nam Su-ji.”
“Call me Olivia!”
“Olivia.”
“Right. Why?”
Crack!
As Yoo Ji-han bit down on the candy resting on his tongue, he asked, “What’s your purpose?”
“…Purpose?”
“Given how you’re approaching me, there must be a reason behind it.”
“Oh, there’s nothing like that. When I meet old friends after living abroad, it’s always nice to see them!”
With a bright smile, Olivia shook her head.
But Yoo Ji-han didn’t let go of his suspicion.
“Do you remember when we were at Hero Academy together?”
“Yep! Back then, I wish we could’ve spent a bit more time together. I regret it when I think about it now!”
“……”
“I was such a fool back then….”
Olivia appeared nostalgic, reminiscing about the distant past.
Seeing her brought to mind Paras, the person from another world he had met in Yeosu.
‘That guy was quite the actor.’
The being who had infiltrated the survivors in a supermarket to play the role of a spy.
If he had been born on Earth, he would likely have become a highly qualified actor.
Was it merely a coincidence that his desperate acting came to mind right now?
‘It seems those who should’ve become actors never found their true calling.’
Having a job that doesn’t fully utilize one’s talent is genuinely unfortunate.
*
“How was the monster called Chilla?”
“It’s impressive, just as I heard. Not only is it smart, but it even cracks jokes occasionally.”
“The tone and pitch are accurate, and compared to the locals, the pronunciation was completely natural. It’s on a whole different level than a parrot mimicking human speech.”
The UN delegation was determined to bring Chilla to the UN.
They planned to study and dissect Chilla’s body to develop a surgical method enabling other chinchillas or monsters to speak.
If that allows for direct communication with various monsters.
The wars with monsters would decrease, drawing closer to the goal of world peace.
“Have you found that milk-like substance?”
“It won’t be easy to acquire.”
“I heard the person who developed the substance is detained here.”
“Hmm… If only we were able to take that guy with us too.”
The delegation leader clasped his hands together.
While he had been lost in thought, he turned to Olivia.
“Can you win over Yoo Ji-han?”
“…I need a little more time.”
Olivia slightly bit her lower lip.
Yoo Ji-han was a man who had once managed to capture her interest.
She thought she could easily sway him again this time.
However, he was now wary of her and didn’t easily let his guard down.
Things had changed since he had accepted her sudden confession without even having talked much back then.
“How about the other party members?”
“…”
“Seems challenging.”
Understanding her struggle, the delegation leader nodded in agreement.
“If we don’t win over Yoo Ji-han’s party within three days, we’ll forcibly take Chilla instead.”
“Do you think they’ll willingly part with Chilla?”
“They’re just a small guild with three members. If they don’t comply, then they’ll face consequences.”
Doing what’s good for the world.
The noise occurring in the process could be silenced with force.
But then—
—Hey, you guys!
“……?!”
—Who decided to take Chilla away, huh!?
The Sylph, who had been hiding close to the ground, flew up into the air.
Kaboom!
Following that, Yoo Ji-han burst through the tightly shut door, revealing himself.
The startled delegation jumped to their feet.
“Did I say I’d pay a price?”
“……!”
Creak!
The door frame crumbled to dust in Yoo Ji-han’s grip.
“Go on, make your move. You bastards.”
