.

So far, there was no problem. The two were too closely attached as for the same gender, which might look quite suspicious, but that didn’t seem to matter for Yi Ruda at the time I saw her.

That was because Yi Ruda was perfectly dressed as a gorgeous young lady. She had a beautiful waist-length blond hair with a glossy purple dress on her slender body.

Linking her arms affectionately with a gentleman I had never seen before, Yi Ruda softly chuckled at his face close to her and spoke a few words with the staff guarding the narrow hallway on the second floor. They both then walked across the hallway and disappeared from my sight.

I mean, but…

I shook my head from side to side.

That wouldn’t be her, right? Why would Yi Ruda show up here even linking her arms with a guy while revealing her real gender? She seemed to hide herself in a boy’s uniform at school, so she had no reason to come to this dangerous place with those outfits!

That was when I tried to deny all the assumptions popping inside my head. I heard familiar voices coming from a distance.

When I turned around to look into that direction, I burst into a fit of giggles while forgetting the things I had in mind just until now. The Kim twins, beside me, also began to laugh at the sight in front of us.

As they had predicted earlier, what they said turned out to be perfectly true. Eun Jiho and Yoon Jung In, walking across the hall to get back to us, looked like good old friends quarrelling with each other.

‘Those two… it would be their first encounter since Eun Jiho couldn’t come to the courage test from having a severe cold…’ while I thought that way, Yoon Jung In, who came closer to us, grumbled in a loud voice.

“So, why did you talk like that? I just delivered the truth!”

Eun Jiho also struck a retort like a roar, “You didn’t have to call him in front of us, huh?”

“I’m the only one who can say to Ham Donnie she’s ugly–”

“Gosh, would you please stop?!”

When Eun Jiho responded like that, the two boys, at last, approached where we were standing. As they stopped their steps at the same time, the two boys scowled at each other for quite a while. Eun Jiho then turned his head to look at me and suddenly flung a question.

“Hey, Ham Donnie. Although I’m not right beside you, who has said to get along with this asshole?”

Um, I guess you guys are both the same…

While I thought like that, I heard the Kim twins murmuring from behind one after another.

“Eun Jiho, you surely have keen insight into the nature of Yoon Jung In.”

“Nope, not only Eun Jiho but everyone can get that with ease.”

Meanwhile, I looked back and forth between Eun Jiho and Yoon Jung In then said to the boys.

“Excuse me, you guys look like a perfect match right now. At least like soul twins…”

On the other hand, I thought about whether the development of this novel was proceeding in the right direction or not, especially the character of the male protagonist.

Eun Jiho then asked me back with a frown, “What?”

“Hey, that’s too much, isn’t it?”

To make matters worse, Yoon Jung In also began to complain about what I just said, which stiffened Eun Jiho’s face even more. Earlier, they had shared so many heated arguments, but Eun Jiho and Yoon Jung In looked as if they were about to pick another fight.

Eun Jiho grumbled, “Hey, Ham Donnie. We have known each other for years. Don’t you think you’re too cruel to me?”

“Geez, it’s me who’s involved in this harsh situation!”

Looking at Yoon Jung In making a response without hesitation, I thought, ‘They are indeed a perfect match.’

Watching the two boys in silence, the Kim twins, again, exchanged words with each other from behind.

“They are neck-and-neck.”

“Is that part of Eun Jiho’s character? Or as Shin Suh Hyun said before, does everyone get influenced by Yoon Jung In when they stay next to him?”

“Maybe, both?”

‘Yes, I think so, too,’ as I said those words to myself rather than letting them out, the quarrel between the two boys grew louder.

“Hey, you seem to think that Kwon Eun Hyung will take your side once he gets here, but he has been my best friend for years! We’ve known each other for so long.”

“We got along quite recently; however, we are super close! Do you know how kind Eun Hyung is to me, huh?”

Eun Jiho then sniffed at what Yoon Jung In just said.

“Dude, that proves you guys are still not close yet! Kwon Eun Hyung is now just pretending to be innocent while being different inside. Do you know how terrifying Kwon Eun Hyung actually is?”

“Isn’t he treating only you in that way?”

“What the F did you say?”

Listening to their silly conversations was getting me a headache that I quietly touched my forehead.

Not a female protagonist but two boys were now fighting over Kwon Eun Hyung while quarreling about who was closer to him… therefore, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is this novel developing into the right track?’ Anyway, I should stop their fight for the sake of Eun Jiho’s public image.

I lifted my head. That was when I came up with the thought of Yi Ruda’s disappearance from the hallway through the stairs.

Holding my hand, I asked, “Um, excuse me?”

The two boys then turned around and directed their eyes on me.

“What’s up?” asked Eun Jiho.

“Um, the… upper floor.”

When I pointed at the staircase as well as the hallway upstairs out of the blue, not only the two boys but the Kim twins also stared at me in wonder.

I asked, “What’s upstairs?”

“Oh, there?”

Throwing a glance in that direction, Eun Jiho opened his mouth nonchalantly. Since several uniformed staff was guarding the place, I thought if there was a big secret, but the answer came out, unexpectedly, as simply as possible.

“Those are just rooms and suites. You know, there isn’t a place to sit down here as this is a stand-up party. Only we can take a seat on the terrace or so.”

Eun Jiho then switched his gaze to the party hall. I nodded my head as a response. Eun Jiho continued his remark.

“Since there isn’t any place to take a break or share some long conversations, some invitees book a room there like a hotel. It’s by appointment only, but we can use it at any time if you want, so let me know.”

“Wow!”

I didn’t make any response yet, but those around me were struck with admiration. Blinking swiftly, I turned my head. Yoon Jung In and the Kim twins were talking while touching their chins.

“Whoa, you’re indeed the only heir of Hanwool Group. So, this is your hotel, huh?”

“Suites sound so sweet!”

“I hate standing like this…”

With Yoon Jung In in the lead, Kim Hye Woo and Kim Hye Hill also uttered those comments. I flickered my eyes in surprise. When I turned my head back, I saw Eun Jiho putting that naughty look on his face–which he usually showed to only his close friends–asking them, ‘Do you guys want a room?’

I thought to myself, ‘Hmm, anyway, what’s upstairs is just a hallway with rooms…’

My face then suddenly tinged pale, thinking, ‘Does that mean Yi Ruda is now upstairs with a stranger while being dressed up so gorgeously? Hold on… Yi Ruda, isn’t that quite dangerous?’

At that moment, someone aside from me snatched my arm which made me startled. When I took a look, the Kim twins came into my sight. Holding my arms from each side one after another, they flung a question.

“Well, that’s so nice of you, Eun Jiho, but we’re leaving soon. Hey, Donnie, are you gonna go upstairs?”

“H…uh?”

I asked back with a blink. To tell the truth, I was thinking about going upstairs to check what Yi Ruda was doing; however, as soon as I had that in my mind, Kim Hye Hill spoke to me whiningly.

“Can you not go? Let’s stay here with us. It’s boring in here. Nothing’s happening. No fun.”

“Eek? No fun?”

“Huh? Yeah…”

Kim Hye Hill, who opened her eyes wide after my question, soon nodded her head and continued her words.

“What would be so fun here? It’s just a party, which is indeed boring.”

I fell into thought while feeling perplexed.

‘Are those parties like Great Gatsby only available in novels…?’

It was true that I kind of expected, at least, something would happen today.

Hmm, the overall event was going quite normal than I anticipated, which was a good thing and a little bummer at the same time.

That was when I rambled those thoughts in my head while staring at the banquet hall entrance. Someone seemed to enter the hall and stir up the crowd over there. Groups of people near that place were busy sharing their topics; however, as they turned around to look near the entrance, they began to approach in that direction with awestruck faces.