Seo Joon raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the strange girl who stopped in front of him.
She had a beautiful face, with delicate and balanced features. Her short hair, barely reaching her neck, gave her a fresh and cheerful air. Looking at her more closely, Seo Joon felt a familiar sensation, as if he'd seen her before.
Seeing her rosy cheeks, Seo Joon thought to himself, "She looks like Suhyeon Kim."
At that moment, he remembered: That guy had a pretty cute sister.
While many readers preferred Baek Chaerin, Seo Joon was more drawn to Suhyeon's sister. After all, she was really cute in the manhwa, and now in person, she was even cuter than he remembered.
The girl, catching her breath, spoke to him in a soft, nervous voice:
"Um… Sunbae, my name is Dahyeon Kim." She paused, trying to see his expression under her hood. Could you tell me your name?
Seo Joon was a little surprised by such a bold move; these kinds of situations didn't usually happen. Before answering, he asked with genuine curiosity,
"You look exactly like that guy, Suhyeon Kim. Are you his sister or something?" Even though he already knew the answer, Seo Joon asked with interest.
Dahyeon's body stiffened for a moment. She remembered her brother's pathetic appearance a few moments ago and mentally cursed him. He always ruined her reputation wherever he went.
"Um… yes," she finally replied after a few brief seconds of silence.
Seo Joon continued,
"Aren't you upset about how I treated your brother?"
Dahyeon's eyes widened, surprised by the question. Then she quickly shook her head, blushing.
"N-not at all," she murmured. "I saw you earlier and… you didn't seem to have any bad intentions." "Besides… I saw you smiling when those two were talking," she whispered, embarrassed. After all, admitting you were looking at someone was really awkward, wasn't it? Even more embarrassing was when she spent the whole time staring at Seo Joon.
That answer did surprise Seo Joon a little. But he nodded gently. To be honest, he didn't have any ill intentions toward Suhyeon.
Seeing Dahyeon's cute and nervous demeanor, Seo Joon smiled slightly.
"I see. My name is Seo Joon. Nice to meet you."
He walked toward her and extended his hand.
Dahyeon snapped out of her embarrassment for a second and shook his hand.
"So big!" she thought, seeing how her hand was practically wrapped around his. Looking up, she also realized how incredibly tall he was.
Her cheeks flushed even more.
And right then, at that close distance, she could see Seo Joon's face clearly:
Sharp features. A strong jawline. Yellow hair. Tanned skin. Deep, black eyes, yet gentle.
"H-HIM REALLY HANDSOME!"
She felt as if an arrow had pierced her heart.
"Um… Joon oppa… c-could you give me your Instagram?" she whispered, not realizing she'd said it out loud.
The room fell silent.
Seo Joon blinked once.
Then again.
Not because he was surprised… but because he hadn't expected such a sudden question. For a moment, his brain went blank.
Instagram?
Just like that?
"Too bold!"
His expression remained the same as always, neutral and calm.
He slowly released her hand, gently, and casually pulled out his own phone.
"My Instagram?" he repeated, as if confirming the request.
Dahyeon nodded shyly, though very quickly, almost too quickly.
Seo Joon unlocked his phone.
"Okay."
That simple response almost made Dahyeon collapse internally.
He held the phone out to her.
"Look you up and I'll add you."
Dahyeon felt her heart race. She took the phone carefully and began to type.
As she typed, Seo Joon watched her for a moment. Curiously.
"You look a lot like your brother," he commented casually.
Dahyeon froze and almost dropped the phone.
"R-really?!" she said in pure panic.
Seo Joon nodded.
"But umm, more daring, let's say."
Dahyeon sighed in relief at this.
Then, she quickly added her username and returned it.
Seo Joon looked at it, pressed "follow," saved the contact, and said:
"Done."
Dahyeon bit her lip, trying not to smile too much.
"T-thank you, oppa..."
Seo Joon tilted his head in response, his usual gesture when he didn't know what emotion to show. And then, without thinking, he said: "Well, I have to go."
Dahyeon let out a nervous giggle and nodded. "Be careful, oppa."
Seo Joon nodded, took a step back, and turned away.
Dahyeon stood motionless for a few seconds, watching Seo Joon's back as he walked away. She smiled foolishly.
At that moment, her brain exploded like fireworks.
"He!"
"Hehe!"
"Hehehe!"
"He followed me…
He followed me on Instagram…
HE FOLLOWED ME ON INSTAGRAM."
Her cheeks flushed, and her hands began to tremble with suppressed excitement as she held her face, laughing foolishly. If anyone saw this, they would undoubtedly be horrified.
As Seo Joon walked away, Dahyeon slowly turned around… and when she was sure he wasn't looking at her,
She burst out.
She covered her face with both hands and skipped a few times as she walked to the classroom.
"AAAAAHHH!!" she screamed internally, because her dignity still existed. "OPPA FOLLOWED ME, OPPA FOLLOWED ME, OPPA FOLLOWED ME!"
When he lowered his hands, her eyes sparkled like a fangirl's watching her favorite K-pop idol step off the stage.
"HIS HIS HAND WAS SO WARM…SO BIG! SO! BIG!"
"IS THIS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!?" Dahyeon thought, her cheeks flushed, remembering how she'd been instantly smitten the moment she saw his face and cool demeanor earlier.
"Oh my God…what do I do?" she whispered, red to her ears. "This is just like that K-drama I watched!"
She took a breath to calm herself…
But it didn't work. As a die-hard fan of romantic Korean dramas, Dahyeon's mind began to conjure countless fantasies.
"HIS VOICE IS SO DEEP!
HIS FACE IS SO PERFECT!
AND HIS HEIGHT!
WHY IS HE SO TALL?
IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?"
She looked at her phone and, seeing the new follow on her account, she was incredibly excited. She tapped Seo Joon's profile, which didn't have a picture. When she entered, she noticed it was private, so she quickly clicked "follow too."
Now all she needed was for HER oppa to accept her.
Dahyeon almost cried. She clutched her chest as if she couldn't bear so much emotion.
"Jeon oppa…" she whispered unconsciously. "I swear I'm going to th—"
She stopped abruptly, shaking her head internally.
"DON'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD, DAHYEON!" she scolded herself. "VERY FAST! VERY FAST!"
Fortunately, his brother and no one else saw this; otherwise, his dignity would have crumbled.
...
Seo Joon, walking with his phone in hand, checking messages, had no idea that he had left behind an SSS-level fangirl.
GOD DOG – GANGBUK IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Seeing the embarrassing name Jin Jiang had given the group chat, Seo Joon was speechless. But he didn't dwell on it.
Jin Jiang: Success.
Dominic Min: Success.
Ivan Park: Success.
The messages confirmed that everyone had completed their part of the plan. Seo Joon also typed his message as "Success."
All of Gangbuk's schools were practically under control; now it was just a matter of implementing the money-making plan. But Seo Joon didn't think about that; Jin Jiang would take care of the complicated logistics.
Upon seeing Ivan Park's name in the group chat, Seo Joon immediately thought of Haru Seong.
"Did they find him?"
As if the universe had heard him, a message arrived.
Ivan Park: Boss, we've found Haru Seong…
Ivan Park: But umm… well, there's a small problem.
Seo Joon raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Seo Joon: Tell me.
Ivan Park: This person is surrounded by two… very troublesome guys.
Seo Joon frowned, curious. With Ivan Park's strength and that brute Hope Park, taking North Gangbuk should have been a piece of cake. Especially since Yun Jo had practically not even shown up.
"Two troublesome guys…"
He thought for a moment, racking his brain, and remembered those two guys.
"Daniel and Sechan Kang… Haru Seong's two sycophantic dogs."
Then, another question crossed his mind without warning:
"Now that I think about it… Is Haru Seong a man or a woman?"
He clearly remembered the feminine headband that always held his hair back… but he also remembered Haru's absolute insistence on being a man.
Confused, Seo Joon shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Ding!
Another message.
Ivan Park: Those guys fought tooth and nail when they found out we wanted to take Haru Seong.
Ivan Park: They were like two rabid, hungry dogs.
Ivan Park: No matter how hard we hit them, they kept getting back up.
"They persisted that long? Are these guys really that strong? Or is it just the power of love?" Seo Joon thought with genuine amusement.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ivan Park stood with his arms crossed, staring at the two men in front of him. They were tied up, but their gaze was fiery.
A mixture of hatred, reluctance, and apathy was reflected in their pupils.
It was the kind of look that said, "If I could kill you, I would."
They were both completely motionless, but it seemed as if they were trying to kill him with their eyes.
Ivan Park sighed.
"Boss…" he muttered with annoyance, "Love is really complicated…" Two small tears escaped his eyes, causing all the members of God Dog to stare at him speechlessly.
At that moment, Ivan Park, who was crying dramatically, stopped when he saw his phone screen light up again.
Seo Joon: Do you have Haru Seong there with you?
On the other end, Seo Joon didn't want to dwell any longer on the feelings of those two dogs licking each other and asked what interested him.
The screen lit up almost immediately, indicating Ivan Park's answer.
Ivan Park: Not yet.
Ivan Park: But according to the guys we beat up and interrogated, they said he'd be here soon.
Ivan Park: Apparently, he always meets up with these two guys after school.
Seo Joon paused for a moment to think. It made sense. From what he knew of Haru Seong, before Yun Jo's arrival and Sechan Kang's subsequent coma, those three were friends… although, it would be more accurate to say that Sechan Kang and Daniel were more like romantic rivals than friends.
After Sechan's coma, Daniel began to distance himself from Haru Seong. He always kept her repressed within the North Gangbuk hierarchy, making sure she remained at the bottom, with no chance of advancement.
Seo Joon surmised that perhaps he did this to protect her from Yun Jo. Apparently, Daniel knew a thing or two about the system, so he never allowed Yun Jo to discover that woman's true talent.
He checked the time. It was earlier than he expected.
Going to North Gangbuk to take a look… it didn't sound bad at all.
With that thought, Seo Joon typed a message letting them know he would go in person.
He wanted to test Haru Seong's abilities. After all, the talent for copying was extremely rare. Among all the characters in Questism, at least in the initial stages, Haru was the one who caught his attention the most.
Even if she didn't become as strong as the future Johan or as monstrous as the small-bodied Daniel, she would undoubtedly be a useful and capable subordinate.
On the other side, upon learning that the Big Boss was on his way, Ivan Park immediately began preparing everything.
If he managed to capture Haru before Seo Joon arrived, he would definitely earn his approval.
A SOME TIME LATER.
Ivan Park was truly impatient. The target hadn't arrived. And it seemed he had no intention of arriving; if that happened, the Big Boss would be disappointed when he did, right?
And with each passing minute, his frustration grew like a pressure cooker about to explode.
He looked at Daniel and Sechan Kang, who were still tied up, their faces swollen and covered in minor bruises. They were both staring at him with a mixture of contempt and defiance that was making his blood boil.
Ivan took a deep breath… or rather, tried to, because he was already trembling with fury.
"Bastards," he spat, "where the hell is Haru Seong?" Doesn't he always meet up with you guys after class?
Daniel slowly raised his head, a smug smile on his face that deeply irritated Ivan. He licked the dried blood from his lip and let out a nasal laugh.
"Hahaha… who knows, fatty?"
The ensuing silence lasted a second.
Then—
BANG.
Ivan's bald head seemed to swell.
The veins on his forehead popped out, his neck, as thick as a tree trunk, flushed red, and his friendly face contorted with fury.
Hope Park sat watching this, sipping a juice box with no intention of doing anything. Beside him, Taeho Cheon and Sigyeong Ryu watched with interest. Taeho Cheon stared more at Hope Park, his eyes wide with the stare of a nymphomaniac fangirl.
Hope Park really suppressed the urge to hit him. After all, this guy's face was truly ugly. If she were a girl, she'd gladly accept this, but unfortunately, Cheon wasn't.
Ivan Park, on the other side, was furious.
Absolutely furious.
Between short gasps, Ivan trembled all over, staring at Daniel as if he wanted to rip his head off.
"F-fatty...? Me?"
"You bastard, I only have a wide bone!" Ivan Park roared furiously. This provoked suppressed laughter from several people, but seeing that Ivan Park was truly angry, they stifled their laughter.
These guys were truly unbearable. Not only did they try to escape, but they also insulted him repeatedly. If Seo Joon hadn't been about to arrive, Ivan Park would have broken one or two of their bones.
"If you call me that again, I'm going to—" Ivan didn't finish the sentence; frustration left him breathless.
Sechan Kang, for his part, maintained his usual calm expression. He didn't speak, didn't laugh, didn't provoke... but inside he was celebrating.
Because, deep down, the only thing he truly wanted was one thing:
"Haru, please... don't come."
Although he didn't know why these guys were looking for Haru, Sechan didn't believe they had good intentions. He knew God Dog, and these guys were really strong. Remembering the previous battle, he let out a bitter laugh. Apparently, he had overestimated himself. These God Dog guys were in a different league.
Ivan Park was about to strike Daniel when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Turning around, he saw Seo Joon looking at him strangely.