The much-talked-about 64-group preliminary matches wrapped up on July 20.
Compared to the first round, which saw few surprises, the second and third rounds were a whirlwind of upsets.
Due to the short intervals between matches, there were widespread criticisms that the players couldn’t truly showcase their skills.
Taking advantage of this confusion, the American media expressed dissatisfaction about the national exchange tournament’s barriers being too high, but it fell on deaf ears.
Anyway, the next match is set for the 26th, five days from now.
Taking a two-day break to recover my condition, I decided to spend the remaining three days doing a light training program with Love Unni.
“When is Yoon Si-hoo coming out? Is it still a long way to find my luggage?”
And here I was, wasting the golden first day of my vacation at the airport.
Today, it was planned that Seo Yu-na, Yoon Si-hoo, Professor Cheon, and I would go on a day trip together.
“Should I give him a call?”
“Tell him to hurry up!”
“Okay!”
Yu-na faithfully followed my orders.
In the meantime, I lay down resting my head on Professor Cheon’s lap, watching a rerun of the national exchange tournament.
“Dad, by the way…”
“What?”
“Are your legs not numb?”
“Not at all.”
“Then I’ll just lie here a little longer. It’s comfy. Yawn.”
Analyzing one or two more matches wouldn’t change the outcome much…
Not that I had much else to do here.
I wondered how much time had passed.
Just as boredom and hunger were about to turn into irritation, the gate opened, and passengers began to stream out.
Among them was a boy, fixated on looking at the floor, trailing closely behind his parents.
In the midst of the crowd, Yoon Si-hoo quickly spotted us and dragged his carrier over.
“Hello! You guys must have had a tough time coming all this way!”
“Haha, Na-me’s Father, is that you? How have you been?”
While my dad exchanged pleasantries with Si-hoo’s parents, I pulled my cap low and moved to greet him.
“Ugh. Why are you so late?”
“Our carrier came out dead last!”
“Ugh, lacking in common sense. Yu-na, keep an eye on your boyfriend.”
“Waaaa…! Are you going to blame me for this, NoName? It’s been a while since we last met, you’re too much!”
Si-hoo looked taken aback with a face full of disbelief.
“Too much? That sounds like something I should be saying! Why didn’t you come to see me during the school trip?”
“Well, of course, we were in different grade levels… I was at the academy then; how could I go to Jeju Island?”
“See? Told you, lacking in common sense. Right, Yu-na?”
“Yeah…! From now on, I’ll teach you how to have some sense! Si-hoo, in times like this, you should just ditch the academy and buy a plane ticket to see Na-me!”
“Uh… really?”
Yoon Si-hoo’s characteristic pouty eyebrows and his wronged expression were top-notch.
I was a bit worried that Yu-na understood this fun too early.
Anyway, we decided to kidnap our one and only only child, and smiles blossomed on our parents’ faces.
“I’ll treat you to dinner and make sure you’re back at the hotel at a reasonable hour.”
“Oh dear, I feel so bad. It might not be much, but we’ll give Si-hoo a card for food.”
“That’s fine. Our daughter insisted on taking care of all the trip costs herself, so she told me not to spend a single penny.”
Professor Cheon smiled brightly at me.
No, I said I would take care of the costs, but I didn’t tell him not to spend a single penny!
“Wow, Na-me is already doing filial piety to her father. I’m so envious, Mr. Father. When will our Si-hoo take us on a trip like this?”
“20 years from now. Yoon Si-hoo, you better enjoy yourself without being a burden, okay? Got it?”
“Yep.”
Si-hoo joined our party with just a light backpack.
To prevent any cuddly exchanges between Yu-na and Si-hoo in the backseat, I sat in the middle.
We drove through Paris, taking in the sights of the city.
In front of the Eiffel Tower, the long green park ‘Champ de Mars’ was packed with people sunbathing.
“Wow, it would be fun to play here!”
“Let’s go see the Eiffel Tower and find a place to have lunch nearby. Si-hoo, are there any foods you don’t eat?”
“No, I eat everything.”
We parked in a convenient lot and got out of the car.
Jjaeng-
The 35-degree heat beat down directly on us.
All motivation to run around faded, and Yu-na panted like a puppy as we crossed the square.
We passed by women in bikinis, as if we were at the beach.
Yoon Si-hoo desperately turned his gaze elsewhere.
I poked him in the side and said,
“Why are you so shy? Is that your type?”
“Wha-! Yoon Si-hoo, is that true?”
“D-Don’t frame me! I didn’t see anything!”
“Claiming you didn’t see anything is even more suspicious! There’s no way you couldn’t see from the angle we passed. Why are you getting more aware now that I mentioned it?”
“Say it like it is!”
“No, I swear, ahhhhhh!”
Suddenly, Yoon Si-hoo began to sprint with his eyes closed.
As we got closer to the Eiffel Tower, illegal traders selling keychains appeared.
Running full speed ahead, Si-hoo accidentally bumped into a sturdy-looking African man thought to be around 190 cm tall.
“Whoa? What’s this?”
“Uh… ah… I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”
Si-hoo hurriedly activated his translation magic to apologize.
The man had a rough appearance with visible scars and a wild beard, loosened his collar and cracked his knuckles.
“Si-hoo’s in danger!”
Yuna yelled.
But suddenly, the keychain vendor began speaking fluent Korean without a translator.
“Korean boss! Boss, check this out! Isn’t this keychain shiny and pretty? While other people are selling for 1 or 2 euros, I’m giving a special deal just for you at 5 for 1 euro. Ah, so cheap! You wouldn’t want to miss this chance! Or would you prefer something bigger? Check out this big statue too! Feel free to take a look.”
“Uh?”
Jjalang-
Si-hoo handed over a coin and got five mini Eiffel Towers.
Beeep!
From far away, the sound of a whistle could be heard from the enforcement team.
Including the vendor who had just completed the transaction, all the hawkers who had been trying to sell things started running in the same direction.
“Wait, did you also buy something? You shouldn’t deal with those kids…! Go buy from a proper store; they’re cheaper there.”
The police clicked their tongues and rushed through the park again.
“I feel like I’ve walked into a comedy musical.”
Yuna’s monologue perfectly captured our feelings.
We decided against climbing the Eiffel Tower due to the long lines.
We headed to a pizzeria with an outdoor terrace and ordered Margherita and Four Seasons pizzas.
Of course, I prefer thin crust over thick crust.
In one corner of the park, we spotted con artists ripping off unsuspecting tourists.
France isn’t a place with particularly good public safety.
“Yoon Si-hoo, keep an eye on your backpack. If you leave it like that, someone could steal it.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Especially when it came to petty crimes like pickpocketing, individuals had no choice but to remain vigilant.
As the clouds blocked the sun, the weather became pleasantly cool again.
The temperature was warm enough, the wind refreshing, and my belly full.
Usually, I’d need to run to shake off sleepiness, but it felt awkward to run alone in this city.
This was all thanks to my habit of exercising with Saetbyeol.
“Anyone want to jog around the park to digest? Yoon Si-hoo?”
Shakes head-
“Seo Yu-na?”
Shakes head-
“What about Dad?”
“Hmm, I think it might rain; suddenly my back is aching…”
“Everyone’s being so lazy.”
Each of us rejected the idea for various reasons, whether it was the heat or some impending rain.
I pulled my cap low and strapped on my black sunglasses.
I took out the luxury coin purse I borrowed from Saetbyeol and loosely held it in my left hand.
I leaned my left hand against the restaurant fence and pretended to be lost in thought.
“What are you doing, NoName?”
“This way, people will flock to join me.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
If all went well, I might even learn parkour through this opportunity!
Yet, contrary to my wish of finding a running partner for my soul, I discovered that France is, in fact, a surprisingly warm-hearted country.
“Hey, traveler. You shouldn’t take your wallet out that carelessly in Paris. Hide it well in your pocket instead.”
“Miss? I’m just worried someone might steal your wallet, so I called out to let you know.”
“Just give your wallet to your dad, kid.”
That wasn’t the reaction I wanted.
I was hoping for something a little more clingy, greedy gazes.
‘The target looks like a feeble 10-year-old girl. Wouldn’t they still pickpocket her?’
After about 15 minutes of fishing, I thought it was time to get up.
While my dad went inside the restaurant to get water, the incident happened in the blink of an eye.
Swish-
A filthy hand reached out and slapped my wrist.
In this sweltering heat, I wasn’t the only one wearing a black mask.
The pickpocket took Saetbyeol’s—no, my wallet—and took off at full speed.
“I’ll be right back.”
I leapt into action, planting my hands and effortlessly vaulting over the fence.
The thief, graciously, dashed towards the grassy park where there were no cars.
Did he think the police presence on the road would make it too risky to catch him?
He wrapped his legs in aura and sprinted across the grass.
Is he going for broke on this?
I released my own aura and picked up speed to follow him.
The wind whipped against my skin, and dust rose from the path I passed.
“Ugh, dust… Cough cough…!”
I narrowed the distance but couldn’t stop his sprint.
He would run out of steam soon enough.
“Cough… hack. Haahh. Cough…!”
As expected, the thief started to weep, mucus, and spit dripping down as he staggered.
“Cough cough cough cough cough cough!”
He must have been running for his life, as a handful of blood mixed with the phlegm he coughed up.
This guy was genuinely serious about his running.
I picked up the fallen coin purse, looking at the thief with a mix of admiration and pity.
“Wow, you’re fast. In my frantic running, I made it all the way to the military academy. You’ve done well, but since you did something wrong, I think I’ll have to report this. Why don’t you sit in the shade for a bit and catch your breath?”
“Hoo… who the hell are you, you piece of trash! Cough!”
The man seemed to have strained his vocal cords with that scream.
I answered by lowering my mask to my chin.
Did the pickpocket get to enjoy the national exchange tournament after all?
His face turned pale, and he eventually dropped his behind onto the ground.
He repeatedly wailed the common French curse word “Mehde” and began tearing at his hair.
In less than a minute, an armed police officer appeared nearby.
I waved cheerfully, letting them know over here.
As they approached, initially sneaking up in a line, the police broke into warm smiles upon seeing my face.
“Well, what a surprise to meet NoName here! What’s the report about?”
“This guy is a pickpocket who stole my wallet and ran off!”
“Anyone can see that you’re the one who was tempting him with that posture!”
“Criminals always come up with pitiful excuses.”
“Ugh…!”
The officer scribbled in his notebook and then took out a device that looked like a barcode scanner to scan the man’s body.
Is it a device that automatically checks identities?
With wide eyes as if they might pop out, the officer slapped handcuffs onto the man’s wrists.
“This is 138-10. We have secured a suspect in the Nantes armed robbery case. No weapons, minimal offensive ability; requesting one support from headquarters.”
Hearing this, I asked the officer.
His serious expression prevented me from letting it slide.
“Is this guy a repeat offender? I heard about an armed robbery…”
“This guy? He’s not just a petty criminal; he’s a particularly vile armed robber. A few weeks ago, he and his gang stole 30 million euros from a cash transport vehicle. I was wondering where he was hiding, and then he had the audacity to steal in holy Paris?”
What could make someone who got away with 500 million euros resort to pickpocketing?
I turned my coin purse upside down to show what I had left.
Three 1-euro coins, worth only about 5,000 won in Korean money, was all I had.
The pickpocket’s face immediately twisted with disappointment.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to find so little…
Scratching my head, I remarked to the man.
“On the bright side, this 3 euros might be worth more than the 30 million euros.”
“Ahhh!”
The pickpocket shrieked, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the now-dubbed armed robber.
Well, he should have fixed his kleptomania, huh?
I already did long ago.
*
[French President awards top-grade medal to NoName who subdued cash transport armored robbery case]
French President Charles Victor Dubré announced that NoName Wizard would be awarded the highest honor in France, the ‘Légion d’honneur,’ at a future ceremony. (To be continued)
└ Yesterday I was a community terrorist, today I’m a guardian of justice?
└ What on earth has Na-me been doing to subdue a wanted armed robber?
└ Just meeting was already absurd.
└ They’re all in cahoots!
└ The national exchange tournament doesn’t resolve issues in other countries.
└ It seems like every place I go, an incident gets resolved.
└ Reverse Conan LOL!
