# Chapter 63
“What is it?”
“Since I received an invitation, it’s not difficult to bring one person as a plus-one, but it’s a bit awkward to bring both of you. Of course, we wouldn’t get kicked out, but if word gets back to my parents that I showed up with two men, it could get annoying… Ah!”
Her brightened face quickly turned to look at D.S. With an ominous feeling, D.S flinched and was about to step back when Sua grabbed both her hands.
“Deokseon unnie can come with us too!”
“…What?”
Bringing both men would put Sua in an awkward position. Though Hyegang could forge an invitation, it would be a risky approach at a social party of notable figures whose networks overlapped. If they could enter with someone whose identity was guaranteed, that would certainly be better.
Fortunately, there was one more person from a prestigious Chohosi family right here.
If D.S joined, the gender ratio would be 2:2, and since she seemed to be acquainted with the host, entering the party wouldn’t be difficult. Sua and D.S were also friends, so entering together wouldn’t be awkward. It was perfect, as if someone had planned it.
“No.”
If only they could persuade the person herself.
“Just this once. Please?”
D.S frowned deeply. She seemed to shudder at the mere thought.
“Why would I go back to that neighborhood when I left for a reason? You want me to walk back in there of my own accord?”
“Please. You just need to keep watch while we find the person selling the bracelets.”
Sua had a gentle and kind personality, but she wasn’t clingy. The fact that she was pleading this earnestly meant she was truly desperate.
D.S, who had known her since childhood, couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.
“We’ve already found the cause of your sister’s condition. There’s no problem treating her without going there.”
“Whoever sold that bracelet must have known what would happen.”
Sua’s eyes flashed with a momentary fierceness.
“That bastard deserves proper punishment.”
As Sua turned to Iyeon, he nodded in agreement. In fact, he was planning to go somehow even if Sua didn’t help. By coincidence, the person who recklessly sold such a dangerous item to civilians had a connection to the club laboratory, which had been conducting illegal superpower experiments on people.
A fascinating bracelet containing various superpowers. It was obvious what was happening to create such bracelets.
“Hah…”
D.S scratched her head vigorously.
“Do you know how annoying you guys are being?”
That statement carried implicit consent. Iyeon and Sua’s faces brightened.
Sua and D.S needed time to prepare, so they decided to part briefly and meet again in the evening. Sua suggested that Iyeon and Sano join her for shopping if they didn’t have suitable attire, but fortunately, Iyeon had recently acquired a suit. Sano also had no comment. Contacting Jonghee and Jongchan would likely solve any clothing issues without problems.
“See you this evening!”
Sua called out from a distance as she dragged along D.S, who was still dawdling despite having agreed. Iyeon, standing in front of the workshop, waved back. Sano, standing behind him, bluntly said:
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Home?”
At Iyeon’s casually dropped answer, Sano raised his eyebrow crookedly. It was as if he had heard something absurd.
“You’re not planning to go looking like that, are you?”
“No, I have a suit.”
“That funeral attire?”
“…It’s not funeral attire. Is that not acceptable?”
Silently, Sano pulled out his phone. Soon, a familiar sedan arrived in front of the workshop.
“Mr. Sano. Mr. Iyeon.”
The heavily tinted car window lowered, and Jonghee, wearing dark sunglasses, nodded slightly.
“Shall we go?”
After following them into some store, scenes straight out of a teen romance movie unfolded. The difference was that only Iyeon was changing clothes, and it was the staff who adjusted his appearance.
Iyeon had never known there were so many classifications of suits. The staff and manager were chattering about things full of foreign terms he didn’t understand. Bow ties like those he’d seen in movies, buttons with gold embroidery, vests with chains—these items entered the changing room without pause, and there were far more accessories with names he couldn’t keep straight.
“Movies and reality are different…”
In movies, people changed clothes energetically and smoothly, but in reality, he was exhausted after just five changes. And five was just a number—counting partial changes, it was well over ten. Each time Iyeon put on new clothes, he had to stand dumbly for a long time amid people having heated discussions about his outfit before he could finally escape.
Exhausted, Iyeon staggered over to the sofa where Sano was sitting and slumped down. Sano, the instigator of all this trouble, briefly glanced at him while flipping through a magazine, sitting with crossed legs as if in another world.
Sano was exactly the same as usual. Leisurely, indifferent. He would probably maintain the same attitude even if he were entering a garbage dump.
“What movie.”
“…Do you not even watch movies?”
“Seems like you’ve enjoyed quite a rich cultural life.”
The store, with an interior so luxurious that wallpapering with money might have been cheaper, was much more extravagant than where Jongchan and Jonghee had previously tailored a suit for him. The previous store was by no means inexpensive, so this place was… better not to think about it. They wouldn’t make me pay, would they? Iyeon quickly shook off the ominous thought and continued grumbling.
“Hey, compared to other people, I’m completely mild. I’ve just been lucky to experience a few things, but I’m full of ignorance.”
“Why.”
Flip. An indifferent voice was tossed between the sound of turning pages. What do you mean why? Not understanding the true intention of the question, Iyeon raised his gaze with confusion, only to see a sculpture-like jawline and cheek gleaming smoothly in the light. Lips slightly raised in the middle moved elegantly.
“Since you’re doing it, why not do as much as others do?”
“…But you called me dissolute before.”
“If you’re going to be criticized anyway, it’s better not to feel wronged.”
“Can’t you just admit that I’m not dissolute?”
Sano answered with a snort. So he wants to criticize me… What an amazing personality.
“Aren’t you trying on clothes?”
“I have many.”
“That’s a bit unexpected…”
Since his everyday fashion was quite consistent, Iyeon had thought he’d only have a basic selection of formal attire. When Iyeon muttered this, Sano responded as if dumbfounded:
“You have a tendency to underestimate me.”
“Huh?”
“Being Mugunghwa Tier 5 means I can attend any event in this country.”
“…Really?”
Well, you’d only know that if you’ve been a Tier 5… Then you should have said so when persuading D.S. As Iyeon grumbled, Sano retorted:
“I thought there would be a limit to stupidity.”
“…”
No matter how much closer I’ve gotten to Je Sano, if I flick his forehead here, he’ll kill me, right? Iyeon secretly clenched his fist.
“Mr. Iyeon, could you come here for a moment?”
Fortunately, thanks to Jonghee’s call, the life-or-death conflict could end without bloodshed.
After bickering for quite a while longer, the two were finally able to leave the store. When they had parted with Sua earlier, they had worried about how to spend the excess time until their meeting, but after buying just one outfit, it was already dark outside.
As a result, both men’s appearances had completely changed from their usual style. With their hair slicked back with wax to reveal their foreheads, wearing suits with ties, they looked different due to the tailoring that accommodated their different body types, but overall, their style was extravagant. If one had to define it, they looked more like young masters from extremely wealthy families or hosts than businessmen or company employees.
Is this what early 1990s America was like? Iyeon raised his arm to examine himself from various angles. The shiny fabric clung softly to his body with every movement.
“Is this right?”
Wearing both a vest and a jacket made it much more stuffy and uncomfortable than his usual attire. As Iyeon fiddled with his tie knot, Jongchan swatted his hand down and nagged:
“Can you fix the knot if it gets messed up? Don’t touch it unnecessarily. Not if you don’t want to look like a hooligan.”
…You become a hooligan just because your knot is slightly messed up? That’s what Iyeon thought, but since he didn’t know much about suits, he kept his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Sano reached out and straightened Iyeon’s slightly crooked tie.
“Let’s go.”
After lightly adjusting his appearance, Sano swiftly turned and got into the car. Momentarily frozen, Iyeon only came to his senses and followed when Jongchan patted his back, urging him to hurry up and get in.
W-why suddenly touching and making a fuss… The area near his collarbone where Sano’s fingers had touched, separated only by a thin fabric, felt strangely itchy.
