Ken's fast life, Ryu introduced to fame and pretty women

Ken felt at home in the LA nightlife scene.

He was a regular at nightclubs and bars, where he enjoyed socializing and meeting women. He had a reputation as a skilled partygoer and a frequent pick-up artist.

At least, according to him.

For a brief moment on the way to downtown Los Angeles, Ryu had no idea the extent of his insignificant and meaningless fame... For a brief moment only... And it wasn't such meaningless fame...

It seemed to have an advantage with a specific gender, who couldn't get enough of Ken's attractive face.

Ken appeared to be somewhat "infamous", according to his own words…

Ken's family wasn't exactly poor, and his father's company was well-known, so it was a given. He had also taken part in the Hunger Games, which were broadcast all over the world that year, so it was only natural.

Speaking of fame.

Before coming to America from his shrunken and withdrawn island, Ryu had no idea about his own fame; he had heard about it from Ken over the years, but he also seemed to be somewhat well-known as well.

Despite the passage of time, he appeared to have retained some notoriety from his first and only appearance on the most popular reality television show.

On the way to their destination, passing by nearby cars in their roofless jeep, Ryu quickly realized that his face had a lot more fame attached to it than he had previously assumed.

Some of the girls who recognized him waved enthusiastically or temptingly at him.

Some men were about to leave their cars in traffic to approach him and ask for his autograph.

Ryu quickly understood how all of this explained why he was easily granted permission to appear on the reality TV show in which he and Ken were both scheduled to appear.

He was becoming increasingly curious, so before they parked the car, he asked Ken for more information.

The producers of the Singles Inferno dating show specifically suggested Ryu's inclusion because his prior involvement in the Hunger Games had the potential to attract a larger audience and generate higher viewership.

Also, Ken and Ryu were more recognizable when they were standing together than when they were apart.

It was a win for them to have Ken and Ryu participate in the launch of the crossover version of their show between America and Korea.

Speaking about the show.

Ken now appeared to have an agent and his own team of television representatives.

Some of whom Ryu was about to meet because the TV agency had called Ken and people from it were coming to watch over him tonight to make sure he didn't do anything stupid before the filming for the show begins in a few days.

His brand-new agent was already opposed to him still remaining in LA these days.

However, Ken had always been stubborn, so he didn't listen or care. He simply chuckled and stated over the phone that it didn't matter to him who came to monitor him.

Whatever they said, he was going to have a good time with Ryu tonight.

"Oh, speaking of which, there's some chic pretty girl coming tonight." Ken was walking into the nightclub with Ryu when he abruptly turned to say, as if recalling something. "If I'm not mistaken, she appears to be very interested in you... She doesn't seem to hide it on social media and mentioned you after learning you were also in the cast."

"A girl? Who?" Ryu inquired. He wasn't as dressed up as Ken tonight, opting for jeans and a white top.

He was intrigued when he heard that a chic girl was unexpectedly showing up at this location for him.

"An up-and-coming Korean actress from my new agency." Ken grinned. "She's also taking part in the premiere of this crossover show."

"Do you know how public relations and branding work?" Ken asked, since Ryu was from a backwater place.

"Of course not." Ryu chuckled as he walked past the bouncer and into the nightclub, aware of his own ignorance, having only practiced martial arts and eaten a lot thus far in this life.

He knew what he needed to know about communication, marketing, and business from his previous life, but he needed to maintain an air of ignorance in front of his best friend for the time being.

"I thought so." Ken mockingly smiled.

"It's not an issue. You will educate me." Ryu told, cracking two of his fingers, "I will also teach you a few things I learned these years; I seem to feel that you have gone lax on the martial arts training… Perhaps you, too, need to refresh and update your knowledge?"

"..." Ken's expression changed as he coughed slightly and said, feeling Ryu's superior power, "We're not in a hurry, are we? Come on, let's have some fun tonight."

He was usually very eager to fight Ryu each time he could, but he wasn't an idiot and could feel some gap now.

Ken was deviant in this world.

Ryu's keen eye quickly noticed that Ken had been a little lax in his martial arts training and participation in tournaments and martial competitions.

His body, which was still in good shape, told the story of his recent past.

He and Ryu shared a harrowing childhood and an even more traumatic adolescence. Each, however, had taken a different approach to overcoming the mental health issues that come with having a torturing past.

Even though Ken did not appear to have been lazy, he appeared to have enjoyed the perks of being a young adult in the big city a bit too much.

Ryu felt insufficient pain in his body.

Some imperfectness, not to say weakness, had found its way into Ken's bones.

*********************************

A couple of hours passed inside the nightclub. In the VIP section.

The music was too loud, but the atmosphere was too good.

"It's so nice to live in the city..." Ryu muttered, drinking and watching Ken dance with a hot blonde girl he had met at the bar.

She had now moved into their large VIP subdivision of the club with her hot friends…

Ken was born wealthy and did not cut ties with his parents. He just left the house. He could now afford some luxuries now that he had found work.

He didn't mind spending that much money on VIP seats and a lot of drinks.

"That's Los Angeles for you, babe! Where are you from?" A hot girl with black hair and big fake boobs approached Ryu and asked him a question. She was the one sitting closest to him in the large seating and private dancing area.

"I doubt you'd know even if I told you." Ryu responded to her advances with a mild interest, "Ever been to Japan and its smaller islands?"

"No, but my friend here has been there to participate in some reality show." The girl replied, pointing to the attractive woman Ken was currently kissing.

"Has she? What show?" Ryu asked curiously.

"Heart signal. Ever heard of it?" The woman beside him responded while picking up her cocktail glass.

"Yeah." Ryu nodded.

The conversation continued in this vein, with Ryu making no romantic advances.

After a few minutes, Ken's funny and hardworking TV-relations team finally got to the club and went straight to their VIP room. Ryu didn't feel bad about not making a move on the girl next to him when he saw the beautiful Korean celebrity who was there with them.

Kim Ji-Won was the girl who came here specifically to meet him. She was best known in this world, as in the other, for her roles in the dramas Descendants of the Sun and Fight for My Way.

Ryu recognized her right away and wondered when she started doing reality television. He was obviously going to ask.