CHAPTER 81: REBOOT

Cheon Areum didn’t know how long he was zoning out, but there was a chance Yoon Seoyul might still be outside. He spread his energy through the whole house and the front road of the house, but Yoon Seoyul’s energy couldn’t be detected. Sighing feebly, he called Yoon Seoyul on the phone.

"Hello?"

The call was instantly answered.

"Yoon Seoyul, can you send me Lee Nari’s number?"

"I’m driving right now. I’ll call you back when the meeting’s over."

Before Cheon Areum could get another word out of his still-hanging-open mouth, Yoon Seoyul cut the call on him. Resigning to his fate of not being able to get Lee Nari’s number, he casually opened the online battle game and played that for the next three hours. Ending the game with a win, he called Yoon Seoyul again, and the number was unavailable.

"What kind of damn meeting is it that it’s taking so long?!"

Grumbling to himself, Cheon Areum got ready and snatched a taxi, heading straight to the guild building.

"Didn’t he say he’ll try to come home early? Liar!"

"Is everything okay back there?"

Forgetting the taxi driver could hear him, Cheon Areum quickly smiled behind the face mask and waved his hands, assuring him it was nothing.

Wearing the same high-end brand that Kim Ryung endorsed, Cheon Areum felt like he had finally stepped into his element. His days of poverty seemingly over. He entered the guild building, and confidently, he made his way to the reception desk, drawing a few curious glances as he approached like he owned the place.

"Make an announcement—I’ll be paying for everyone’s coffee today, as long as they get it from the third-floor cafeteria."

The receptionist blinked, momentarily surprised, before her eyes lit up in recognition. A warm smile spread across her face as she nodded.

"Of course, Mr. Cheon. I’ll make sure the message goes out right away."

Cheon Areum leaned in slightly, lowering his voice with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Oh, and one more thing—keep it a secret from Yoon Seoyul and his secretary, will you? I’m here to surprise him, you see."

The receptionist gave a knowing smile, placing a finger to her lips.

"My lips are sealed, sir."

Cheon Areum smiled back, and the lady readily agreed. From now on, he had to be on everyone’s good side. A villain only in name. Even if, by some twist of fate, he ended up kidnapping Lee Nari one day, no one would believe he did it. Not if he played this right. He needed a reputation like Shin Jia’s—someone so angelic, so well-liked, that even if she did commit a crime, people would shake their heads and say, "No way, it can’t be her." Not even Cheon Areum would ever believe Shin Jia could kidnap anyone. Even if she did, that’s why he needed to build his reputation—that of an angel.

A young man, seemingly in his twenties and shorter than him, stood frozen as if time had stopped. His eyes widened in disbelief, one hand flying up to cover his mouth. He had just stepped out of the elevator—only to see Cheon Areum standing there, waiting to get on the very same one.

"Oh my goodness. You’re Cheon Areum, right?!"

"I am Cheon Areum. Nice to meet you."

Flashing the young man a radiantly blinding smile, Cheon Areum responded in a voice as soft as velvet. Up close, it was easy to tell—the smooth jawline, delicate bone structure, and the subtle but overly sweet scent in the air—this young man was definitely an omega too.

"It’s my first day of work today! I joined the guild just because of you. I can’t believe it. On my first day, I’m so lucky."

The young man, blocking his way to the elevator, dramatically shook his head in disbelief, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe his luck. For a second, Cheon Areum genuinely thought he might shed a tear—but he didn’t. All he wanted was to see Yoon Seoyul, but fan service mattered too much. He couldn’t afford to let even one admirer walk away disappointed. So he kept smiling until his cheeks were stuck in the same acclivity.

"I’m Jung Wooyoung. Sorry for the late introduction, but can I get a selfie or an autograph?"

Jung Wooyoung’s eyes were brimming with anticipation. Cheon Areum, unable to bring himself to decline, quickly made up a signature on the spot and scrawled it across the paper before snapping a quick selfie with him and getting in the elevator. Cheon Areum’s cheeks only deflated when he saw Joon sitting behind his desk while walking to the office door. He needed to get Joon on his side too, somehow...

"Thank you for the mega pack, Joon. It came in handy."

Cheon Areum tried to smile again, but his lips only twitched awkwardly, the gesture falling apart before it could fully form. Joon’s eyes followed his every step, his glare sharpening, expression darkening with each movement Cheon Areum made toward the office.

"I could have lived all my life without knowing this information."

"The more you know, the better. Get used to it. I’ll be haunting this office for years to come."

Cheon Areum spoke as he was about to open the office door, his hand still on the handle, when he heard a loud and familiar voice that didn’t belong to Yoon Seoyul. It sounded something like Lee Nari had said his name, but it wasn’t clear. Cheon Areum quietly removed his hand from the handle and turned to Joon.

"I’ll give you a million won right now if you tell me what they’re saying inside the office."

Joon frowned upon his offer. Thinking the amount wasn’t enough, Cheon Areum doubled it.

"Two million won."

Not getting the response he wanted, Cheon Areum contemplated raising the amount. If it was the old him, he would throw a billion won without a blink at Joon. Maybe his days of poverty weren’t over yet.

"It’s Lee Nari. She’s talking about you."