By Zephyria 
Two days of paid leave were granted, but Mu-hae went to work according to his existing schedule.
Since there were no Company requests he had accepted, all he would do was laze around at home if he rested.
Rest wasn’t bad, but he was more drawn to grasping the atmosphere within the defense force.
Rumors were easily distorted as they pleased, so he had to firmly hold his place to prevent unfounded evaluations from circulating.
Just as Park Young-chan had said, the Deputy Commander summoned him after a few days. He had caught a Class 1 Aberrant heading towards the city, so he would be given a low-grade medal as a reward for handling the emergency.
Everyone seemed to think it was a special favor for Park Young-chan, but only the Deputy Commander watched Jin Mu-hae’s mood.
The ceremonial defense force uniform that had not been given to the temporary instructor.
A sharply tailored suit jacket with a tiger embroidered in gold thread on the shoulder.
Jin Mu-hae in the black uniform was an unfamiliar sight even to himself.
He had worn all sorts of suits while working undercover, but this was the first time he had worn something so neat, immaculate, and imposing.
When he had tried on the outfit in Jaegang District, Joo-oh had almost passed out.
His chattering mouth had stopped, and he had been completely spaced out.
‘No. If you get it dirty, you won’t have anything to wear.’
‘Yeah… You can’t get this dirty.’
He had barely managed to answer and then sniffed and nuzzled so much. His face couldn’t even think of taking a picture.
After rubbing his cheek against it for a long time like someone intoxicated and making strange noises, Joo-oh also tried on the uniform given to him.
It wasn’t the same design as Mu-hae’s outfit. He was only an assistant hired by Mu-hae personally, not an official member of the defense force.
Despite the somewhat stingy treatment, he didn’t seem disappointed. He just grinned with a dazed smile at Mu-hae’s outfit.
For some reason, Mu-hae liked that face and pinched his cheeks and nibbled his earlobes a few times, and Joo-oh giggled and ran around the hideout with a flushed face.
Unable to contain his excitement, he kept saying, “Jin Mu-hae is the best. Jin Mu-hae is the best,” and hummed a tune.
It was such a powerful visual that it was no wonder Park Young-chan, whom he met at the entrance to the venue, was gaping.
The sight of him, completely different from his usual appearance in his combat uniform, caught the eye of the stiff man.
“Are your eyes… not so good?”
“My eyesight is fine. It’s just…”
According to an acquaintance at the Electronic Store, his impression wasn’t good. Mu-hae swallowed the rest of the words and waved his hand as if to tell him to stop looking.
Deciding to wear fake glasses with no prescription was a spur-of-the-moment decision he had made 30 minutes before leaving the house.
Joo-oh’s reaction was noticeably good every time he put this thing on his nose, and the image that had been filled with a dangerous aura had definitely changed to a somewhat more level-headed atmosphere.
If he could get the maximum effect with a simple accessory, he would put on glasses or a mustache. It was a much more lenient attitude compared to his past, when he hated anything bothersome.
In addition, Jin Mu-hae had grown a little more over the past few months. Unbelievably, he had grown about two centimeters taller at this point after his growth spurt had ended.
When that ferocious physique willingly put on the gilded shackles of society, it created the feeling of a greatsword forged by the hands of a master craftsman.
According to Joo-oh’s bizarre expression, he shone without being blinding. So, conversely, it attracted more attention. Everyone who passed by while coming here turned their heads at least once.
Mu-hae insisted that it was Joo-oh’s fault for not wearing a mask or glasses, but he felt that a significant portion of the gazes were also scanning him.
“I didn’t know this outfit felt like this. It’s all about the clothes rack…”
Park Young-chan, who had been muttering, suddenly came to his senses after hearing Joo-oh’s laughter.
The guy, embarrassed, scratched the back of his head and needlessly checked his own clothes before turning towards the inside of the venue.
“There’s still some time before the ceremony starts, so would you like to greet my father first, if you don’t mind?”
He wasn’t usually the type to show up early to these kinds of events, but it seemed to be because of the instructor, Park Young-chan recited without being asked.
Considering that he wasn’t usually a talkative person, he seemed nervous in his own way.
The defense force’s insignia and Goryeo City’s official emblem decorated the walls of the platform in the lavish interior. The wide hall was sparsely populated with only a few diligent attendees wandering around.
Park Young-chan’s father was sitting in the front seat, which was as good as the head seat.
He seemed quite old, and his white hair was impressive. Park Young-chan, noticing the probing gaze, quickly added an explanation.
“I’m the youngest. There’s quite a big age gap between me and my sisters.”
As a shadow fell behind him, his father slowly turned his head. The vitality that flickered in his aged eyes indicated that he immediately recognized who his son was about to introduce.
“I am Park Tae-sun. I heard that you saved my inadequate son.”
Mu-hae, hearing the greeting, was about to respond with a casual handshake but flinched.
This name, he had heard it somewhere before.
Amidst the sinking feeling that gnawed at his insides, he did his best to feign composure and shook his hand. The appropriate strength, the disciplined shaking. Park Tae-sun’s lips spread into a faint smile, as if he liked the practiced handshake.
“I was also able to lead the situation to my advantage with your son’s help.”
“Your tongue is smoother than I expected.”
It was a statement that could have been heard as sarcasm, but it felt strangely like a declaration of approval.
Mu-hae guessed that was probably the case.
Teacher Jung was not from Central, nor had he ever held an important position in the past, but he knew more than he thought and remembered it until now.
He had even repeatedly updated some of the data in his own way and had Mu-hae memorize it a few months ago.
‘Park Tae-sun. A businessman with ties to Goryeo City’s political circles and a representative financier of the Councilors faction.’
This old man was in the political power relationship chart that Teacher Jung had told him about.
An old man who was enthusiastic about recruiting talent and even used his own children as pawns for profit, putting the eldest in the company and the second in politics.
That data must not have been updated for at least two years. The unmentioned youngest had become a defense force member who could attest to his loyalty to the city.
“I haven’t just been living by taking requests to catch dangerous creatures.”
Despite the unexpected meeting, Mu-hae’s mind quickly seized the opportunity. The fact that such a person was interested in him was not just because he had saved his son’s life.
He was paying attention to the titles Mu-hae had built up. A decent young man who grew up in disadvantaged circumstances but was helpful to the city, a hero who prevented accidents and saved people in Goryeo City.
And now, he had even hunted down an Aberrant that could have rushed into the city. Since the only way for citizens to hear the news was through the media, it was an achievement that could be used to Central’s advantage if packaged well.
No matter how civilized society became, people were always enthusiastic about underdog sagas and primal solutions. Park Tae-sun knew that fact better than anyone else here.
“There will be a fundraising event soon. Support for urban technology research and defense line construction is never enough. It’s not much of a gesture, but I’m thinking of showing generous sincerity to the defense force in Jin Instructor’s name at that time.”
“It’s an honor to be mentioned alongside someone who is a role model for the city.”
“We communicate well, better than my own sons.”
After throwing the best compliment in the old man’s own way, he subtly lowered his voice.
“My second daughter is past her prime for marriage, but she is the smartest and has the brightest future of the three. Besides, I think the two young men and women want similar things… What do you think? If you’re interested, I’ll arrange a meeting as soon as possible.”
The fact that he readily offered his second daughter, who had entered the political arena, seemed to indicate that he valued Mu-hae’s worth more than he had thought.
Park Tae-sun’s eyes were unmistakably those of a businessman judging a product. A man who had left behind several notable achievements in Goryeo City, where differential treatment was commonplace, young, good-looking, robust, unlikely to cause trouble, quick-witted, with a promising future, and with no family or foundation to rely on in case of emergency…
“Thank you for your kind words, but I’m not ready to settle down yet.”
But this was a proposal that was only possible because he only knew Mu-hae’s background superficially.
If Park Tae-sun realized that Jin Mu-hae’s father was the head of the Return flight that had turned Goryeo City upside down in the past, he would tremble with his wrinkled face and try to distance himself in any way possible.
Well, Mu-hae had no intention of assuming a marriage with someone he didn’t even know. The old man clicked his tongue in disappointment at the polite but firm refusal.
“Jin Instructor. The award ceremony will begin soon.”
Then, Joo-oh, who had been munching on finger food a little further away, approached and poked him in the side.
It was so strong that he almost cried out. The face he glanced at was smiling smoothly, but his red eyes had an ominous glint.
“Our seats are over there.”
“……”
“I’m going to get hungry.”
It was a threat that only Mu-hae could understand. Even though the act of pulling on his sleeve seemed somewhat lacking, he was still sane as his pupils didn’t waver.
“You’re going to drool.”
Park Tae-sun’s eyes flickered with embarrassment at the outrageous words and actions. He was now doing crazy things with clear reason.
Whack! Joo-oh suddenly raised his hand and messed up his well-groomed hair.
He was a guy with exceptionally good hearing, so he must have heard Park Tae-sun’s proposal.
“I’ll leave my companion to rest for a bit.”
After walking some distance to the corner, Mu-hae glanced back at the place he had left. Fortunately, the old man’s gaze was fixed on Park Young-chan.
He carefully removed the hand pulling on his sleeve. He took him behind a large decoration, blocked the view with his body, and tidied up his disheveled hair.
“I told you not to do anything weird.”
“Hmph. Tch. Tch.”
“I know you’re sane.”
“……”
Joo-oh made a grumbling sound at the confident warning. He pouted his lips slightly and put his hand in Mu-hae’s pants pocket.
The rustling sound of plastic meant it was candy without even looking.
Was he going to give him this so he wouldn’t go over there? The absurd request for a deal was so funny that he almost forgot to pretend to be angry.