Invitation (1)

"You won't drown even if you get to the bottom, you know."

Her alluring presence aligned with the increasingly blurred images of that highly emotional and immersive dream, I thought.

"See, it's not that deep around here, so unless you were planning to play in the water, then..." Her voice faded toward the end.

As she watched me pick myself up off the ground and wipe my butt to get rid of the dirt, she continued with a question.

"Maybe you're Seol...?"

Looking at the condition of my clothes, it wouldn't make much difference to clean myself. A silent sigh escaped my heart.

Anyway, let's move on to find out if that dream was really a vision of the future or just that, a dream.

What was it that I said at that moment...? 

My brain, now with new and far superior hardware, was quick to find the answer I was looking for.

'Who are you?'

However, the figure in that dream did not represent me. So, with a smile, I commented, "It depends on who's asking."

And Kim Hannah, still with that playful aura that differs from her looks of a conventional, serious office woman, came over.

"This is me."

With an expert hand, she pulled out a business card and handed it to me; I took it and glanced at it with genuine interest.

Sinyoung Pharmaceutical Corporation, Director Kim Hannah.

"So...?" I looked away from the card, and asked what she was looking for with me, someone with zero relation to Sinyoung.

Not to mention my current identity as a gambling addict. A total basket case with several debts to settle.

"I've come today to tell you of some very important news," Kim Hannah said as she laughed with delight.

What was really important here, however, was that those were... The same words I heard in that dream.

'It's the same, for the moment.'

A feeling that I struggled to pinpoint pierced my heart for an instant, before I could even comprehend it.

"Really? Okay, tell me more. I'm very interested," I replied with a hint of sarcasm before taking a sip of my beer.

"Okay, now. How about...?"

Kim Hannah slowly lowered the leather bag from her right arm to the floor, while thinking, 'that attitude won't last long'.

Subsequently, the top opening opened "naturally," the contents spectacularly exposed before me.

The 50,000 won bills were neatly packed to the brim inside the bag. Undoubtedly, perfect bait.

But not attractive enough to catch this little fish, aware of the death trap hidden behind that money.

"... Do you take the money? What do you think?"

"It's certainly very good news..." I said before letting out a mischievous chuckle. "Although, I would prefer a proper dinner invitation." 

KIm Hannah's eyes widened briefly in surprise as she noticed how I had highlighted the word "invitation" in my sentence.

However, she didn't lose her composure, once again, and replied, "What do you mean...? I'm not available."

Ignoring the dangerous gleam that crossed his eyes for an instant, I tossed the now empty beer can to the floor and stretched.

"Okay, enough of this charade. I've stopped gambling, so I'm not interested. Oh, and about my debts, I'll take care of my own business, thanks."

The smile on my face widened.

"However, as long as it's not a contract, then, I'll listen to you. Of course, I won't complain if you still give me the money."

"!"

I didn't say much, but it was almost as if all of Kim Hannah's thought processes stopped; her mouth opened and closed several times.

"...Excuse me?"

I let out a chuckle at seeing her so dumbfounded. Then, I cleared my throat and repeated, "I'd like to receive the invitation, not the contract."

"You..."

As that final punch line, Kim Hannah got it all. With the circus over, she took off her glasses, her expression iced over and said:

"Who the hell are you?"

"Me? No one special," I said as I shrugged. "But you should know that by now, shouldn't you, Principal Kim Hannah?"

Kim Hannah ignored my gesture with her business card she had previously handed me and asked, "Do you belong on that side of the fence?"

"You of all people should know that's not the case."

Kim Hannah narrowed her eyes. 

About six months ago, Seol had been selected as a possible candidate and had not presented any suspicious behavior...until now.

"Don't forget, the unmistakable aura of the "Mark" is not with me," I advised kindly upon seeing Kim Hannah's hesitant state.

The person in question was deeply silent until she began to take a deep breath to calm herself and consider how to proceed. 

I would never have imagined this in a million years. This development was too far outside her expectations.

After a while, short for me, and long as it was exhausting for her. 

"You expect me to believe you, when you can clearly distinguish between a contract and an invitation?"

People like me were kept in the dark about many things, otherwise it would backfire.

In short, no one would agree to step into that other world with a contract that wasn't far from the chains of a slave.

"Does that even matter?" I blatantly ignored Kim Hannah's question as I wiped the match from my ear.

Contrary to my relaxed state, she clenched her fists angrily; her thoughts and emotions fluttering in complete chaos.

"Damn it. Don't you want to talk? Then don't. I'm curious, but that not means I have to know no matter what."

'A plus point for the teacher's outstanding student.'

"Full stop, explain to me why you want an invitation." The situation was strange enough to delve into.

Kim Hannah might walk away, scoffing and treating my words as air, but she was still here, standing, asking.

Got it, here goes! Crystal clear: 

"I have no intention of being a stupid slave in the middle of the 21st century, so a contract is not on my list of interests."

Kim Hannah's eyebrows quivered in anger, clearly unsatisfied with the self-proclaimed "crystal clear" answer.

"No, you'd better tell me why I should use my precious invitation on a worthless gambling addict like you."