[Chapter 162]
[Belonging Nowhere (3)]
Rewinding time to the 2nd day of the cultural festival.
Choi Eun-hyuk, who was somehow sold to Jin Seo-na for a winning bid of 5 million won, felt an indescribable sense of emptiness.
Regardless, Jin Seo-na was moving forward with an extremely triumphant face.
"Eun-hyuk, remember that I bought you so you can't defy me for the whole day today."
"Couldn't we have just promised to look around the cultural festival together without going this far? To even pay money to do this..."
"But someone didn't tell me anything. I deliberately cleared my schedule and waited for contact, but there was no contact at all."
"That's because I was busy with the competition... But if you had told me, I would have made time for you..."
"So no one said anything to not interfere, knowing that feeling. Instead, I decided to pay money and buy someone's time through legal means."
"..."
"Do you feel ashamed?"
"Yes, I really feel ashamed. I'm sorry."
"So don't defy me today."
"Okay, I will."
He who was reluctantly following her stopped at her passing words.
Jin Seo-na's cold gaze.
Choi Eun-hyuk met her gaze and couldn't make any excuses.
He hadn't been able to pay attention to other areas recently because he was preparing for the comprehensive division competition.
So he decided to faithfully carry out her orders to appease her anger.
"And this is all for you. I understand your mindset preparing for the competition, but how can a person live just swinging a sword all the time?"
"Thank you for worrying. But you know too, Seo-na. How important this competition is to me. This time, the captain..."
"Right, it's the competition where Eun-ha is participating. But so what?"
They look around the cultural festival.
But Choi Eun-hyuk didn't see the people laughing and chattering.
His gaze was on something further away.
The comprehensive division competition.
And Noh Eun-ha, who he calls captain and follows, participating in the competition for the first time this year.
To this, Jin Seo-na who bought food from a nearby booth quickly grasped where his thoughts were directed.
And she responded as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Isn't it just showing how much you've grown until now, Eun-hyuk? But from what I see, it seems like you're putting too much pressure on your shoulders."
"..."
Choi Eun-hyuk couldn't say anything.
He just walked as Seo-na led him, his hand held by her.
"─You're not going to fight Eun-ha. You're going to prove yourself to Eun-ha, that's what I think."
"..."
"So don't be so stiff."
Jin Seo-na's advice.
Eun-hyuk who heard her advice fell into quiet thought.
"..."
Actually, he had been thinking a lot recently.
He knew the reason why.
It was because of the rumor On Tae-yang spread.
He who lost his mother a few months ago impulsively spread some story to Eun-ha's friends.
To summarize the story, Eun-ha promised to give him an elixir but suddenly broke the promise and gave the elixir to Lee Yu-jeong, a direct descendant of Luminous Group.
'─Yes, that's right.'
Eun-ha didn't deny it then.
Rather, he affirmed it.
While not giving them any reason.
In the end, judgment on Eun-ha's breach of promise was left to each individual.
Though friends' reactions varied.
Nevertheless, they treated Eun-ha the same as usual, as if they hadn't heard anything.
It happened to be when Eun-ha was paying attention to his friends for some reason, so the friendship between friends deepened even more.
But Choi Eun-hyuk─.
─Is this really okay?
Is this the right thing to do?
He had such thoughts.
Like other friends, Eun-hyuk was also treating Eun-ha warmly, but.
On the other hand, he began to feel skeptical about the hero Noh Eun-ha who he believed in and followed.
Didn't the captain do something wrong?
To him, Noh Eun-ha's existence was no different from a hero of justice.
Now that time has passed and his head has hardened somewhat, he knew that the admiration he had for Noh Eun-ha when he was young was somewhat different from reality.
But Eun-ha was still a hero, and clearly someone who realized justice in the world to some extent.
But the story heard from On Tae-yang cracked Choi Eun-hyuk's admiration.
Wondering if Noh Eun-ha was really the object of his admiration.
"─Seo-na."
"What?"
What would his friends think?
Choi Eun-hyuk who refreshed his thoughts while looking around the cultural festival called Jin Seo-na.
She answered without turning around.
She was busy finding her way.
"After hearing On Tae-yang's story... Didn't you have any thoughts about the captain?"
"..."
Jin Seo-na who was looking around.
She who stopped moving turned around.
She looked at him silently.
Then she opened her mouth.
"─Ah, really? So what about it?"
"..."
"I had such thoughts."
Jin Seo-na's answer.
Choi Eun-hyuk doubted his ears.
To this, she smiled bitterly as if she expected this.
"I'm not particularly righteous, nor do I want to be such a person. Because even if I say I'm righteous, not everyone in the world will be righteous like me, or show me kindness."
"...Why do you think that way?"
Choi Eun-hyuk couldn't help but ask.
Then he realized while speaking.
Jin Seo-na had circumstances that warranted such thoughts.
She seemed to notice his thoughts too and didn't try to explain the reason.
Instead, she brought up something else.
"I'm not a superhuman person. I'm not generous enough to show kindness to others, and rather than that, I want to show more kindness to people who show kindness to me."
"..."
"In that category, On Tae-yang is not someone I need to show kindness to. What has he done for me?"
It's selfish.
But that was Jin Seo-na's existence.
Eun-hyuk understood why she came to have such thoughts.
So he couldn't deny it.
"People I'm close to are much more important to me. You guys who didn't abandon me until the end when I was struggling are much more important."
As if declaring.
She spoke looking at Choi Eun-hyuk.
Then she added.
"As long as Eun-ha shows kindness to me, I will do the same for Eun-ha. As long as Eun-ha doesn't betray my expectations, I will continue to do so, forever."
Jin Seo-na was someone who valued her personal relationships much more than justice.
Choi Eun-hyuk who newly realized this fact couldn't say anything more to her.
Instead─.
─Is it okay for me to rely on the captain like before?
Choi Eun-hyuk's thoughts deepened.
☆
[─100 million. I think it's worth 100 million to hire for 6 hours...]
Han Seo-hyun's bombshell statement.
The voice transmitted through the microphone caused a stir among the people in the hall.
"100 million?"
"Did I hear that wrong?"
"Even so, 100 million..."
"Isn't this going too far?"
People all let out sighs.
They were all dumbfounded at the words that 6 hours of an academy student who wasn't even a player yet was worth 100 million.
Moreover, this place was in some ways a place to set the future price of academy students.
In other words, if Noh Eun-ha was valued at 100 million, it meant that clans would have to bring several times, tens of times, or hundreds of times that amount to recruit him in the future.
That's why industry officials were strongly showing reluctance.
Fortunately─.
[─I'm sorry but I'd like to inform you that to prevent speculation, the amount that can be used in Nodongso is limited to 30 million won including all transactions.]
Jin Seo-na mediated the situation.
She quickly spread telepathy to inform people.
To this, Han Seo-hyun frowned.
Why is that noona suddenly appearing without saying anything and throwing money around?
Eun-ha standing on stage couldn't take his eyes off her at all.
She could spend time with him whenever she wanted without having to pay money.
So Eun-ha was dumbfounded.
On the other hand, he could understand her purpose.
As mentioned above, she─.
─Seems to be trying to raise my price, but 100 million is too much.
Han Seo-hyun is trying to inflate the value of the name Noh Eun-ha by throwing out the large sum of 100 million.
It was that effective as a marketing tool.
The problem was that it went too far.
Nevertheless, Han Seo-hyun didn't panic and spoke into the microphone.
[I don't think Noh Eun-ha is worth just 30 million won.]
[I agree with that, but to create a wholesome cultural festival...]
[200 million.]
""""..."""""
Han Seo-hyun's rebuttal.
Jin Seo-na tried to speak again but.
Han Seo-hyun didn't even give her the chance and threw out another large sum.
At the words 200 million, people in the hall including Eun-ha fell silent.
That noona really...
Eun-ha clicked his tongue inwardly.
Seo-na was now even sending telepathy to him, hinting to try to stop Han Seo-hyun.
But there was no way Noh Eun-ha who was put up for auction in Nodongso could do anything.
Eun-ha could only watch the situation from the stage.
In the end, the role of resolving the situation fell to Han Seo-hyun herself or the hosts.
Therefore─.
[─A big spender has come today. Can we say she recognized the value of our Nodongso that much?]
Han Seo-hyun who seemed to have no intention of backing down.
Jin Seo-na who couldn't stop her.
The only person who could intervene between the two was Yoo Do-jun.
He turned on the microphone on the podium and joined the conversation.
[I agree as well. I also think Noh Eun-ha's value can't be set at 30 million.]
[It seems we agree for the first time.]
[It seems I'm being praised for the first time.]
Yoo Do-jun responded.
Han Seo-hyun agreed.
The two were raising the corners of their mouths as if they were so pleased.
[But still, since we're students, we have to follow the academy's rules. The maximum amount you can pay in Nodongso is limited to 30 million won. However─.]
Then Yoo Do-jun trailed off.
Everyone focused on him.
Yoo Do-jun whose eyes seemed to have turned into bundles of money continued speaking with a grin.
[─There's no limit on the amount that can be donated to the academy.]
[Hooh...]
""""..."""""
People looked at each other.
Eun-ha felt the same way.
Eun-ha couldn't understand what the two were saying to each other.
He could only understand when they said it directly soon after.
[So how about this? Instead of buying Noh Eun-ha for 200 million, pay only 30 million to Nodongso, and donate the remaining 170 million to the academy.]
[That sounds good. But then there will be people here with 30 million too.]
[It's a donation that will be used for good purposes at the academy. The seniors who graduated from the academy will surely praise Client Han Seo-hyun, and never think badly. They're all people who know how to see the 'future'.]
""""...!!""""
Furthermore, the two seemed to be in sync as they indirectly threatened the people here.
Those who realized the true meaning of the conversation all withdrew their disapproving gazes at Han Seo-hyun.
They even applauded.
Clap clap clap
Applause befitting the closing of Nodongso.
From beginning to end.
Nodongso started with good meaning and ended with good meaning.
No one expressed opposition to Han Seo-hyun hiring Noh Eun-ha.
"What is this..."
Only Eun-ha looked at the applauding people with a dumbfounded face.
When he turned his head, he saw Jin Seo-na and Yoo Do-jun.
The eyes of the two looking at Eun-ha were sparkling.
Eun-ha could read the gaze they were sending.
Eun-ha! We hit it big! Not just big, but super super big! Han Seo-hyun noona is really generous!
[Congratulations on being sold for 200 million. I knew you'd be sold for an expensive price, but I didn't know you'd be sold for 200 million. Thanks to you, we can have a high-class after-party!]
They were eyes steeped in capitalism.
Eun-ha clicked his tongue.
Then he turned his gaze to the person who would now hire him.
His eyes met Han Seo-hyun's.
She was smiling at him.
Eun-ha smiled back at her.
But this noona...
Didn't she say I was worth 0 won last time?
Noh Eun-ha tilted his head.
But what's good is good.
For him who had worried about being hired by industry officials and receiving annoying recruitment offers, it was all good.