Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

“What a weirdo.”

 

Did they really think I’d be scared if they came looking for me? The person probably thought I was the fake Kang Eu-jin and made those threats, but good luck trying to find this workshop. There was no way they could. 

 

The only thing I was worried about was the possibility that rumors might start circulating that the fake was the one who created the Guiding Potion. I’d love for people to know I made it, but seeing that imposter smugly taking credit would be unbearable.

 

Just as I was lying on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, a sudden knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

 

“Ho-hyun ssi!”

 

“Noona? What brings you here?”

 

I quickly got up and opened the door for her, noticing Seong San-ha’s car parked behind her. An Song-ah smiled and nodded back at the car.

 

“What do you mean, what brings me here? It’s time to renew our contract, right?”

 

“Seung-yeon’s not here right now.”

 

“I know, that’s why I came. I thought you might be bored all by yourself. The contract is just an excuse. We’re here to take you out for a nice meal and some fresh air. The Guild Leader said he’ll treat us to something fancy. Come with us.”

 

“I mean, sure…”

 

It seemed like Seong San-ha was in the car as well. Despite An Song-ah’s words, I hadn’t been bored at all, thanks to the research on the Guiding Potion, but it was still a tempting offer. I followed her to the car, opened the door, and saw Seong San-ha casually wave his hand. Despite the fact that this was the first time we’d spoken in a week, he acted as if we were close.

 

“Good morning.”

 

“It’s past eleven, how is that still morning?”

 

“I was just saying out of courtesy. Why the hell is he taking it seriously?” 

 

I cursed under my breath as I got into the car.

 

We chatted about trivial things as we made our way to the restaurant. When I looked out the window, I couldn’t hide my surprise at the sight of the building in front of us. Seong San-ha had brought us to a Korean fine dining restaurant that was one of Tae Jae-hun’s regular spots. I had naturally been here quite a few times as well.

 

‘Of all places… why here?’

 

It was only natural that I was worried about running into Tae Jae-heon. He had just reappeared after being out of sight for a while, which made me even more anxious. When I hesitated to get out of the car, Seong San-ha and Song-ah noona looked at me curiously.

 

“Aren’t you coming?”

 

“Ho-hyun ssi, what’s wrong?”

 

“Uh, you guys go ahead. My shoelace came undone.”

 

Since I was dressed casually, I didn’t have anything to cover my face with. After a quick look around, I kept my head down and quickly followed them into the private room. Only then did I feel a bit more at ease.

 

Despite my initial nervousness, the sight of the table laden with delicious food brought back fond memories. I’d always liked this place for its great food. Plus, with Tae Jae-heon nowhere in sight, I felt relaxed enough to eat as much as I wanted—probably even enough for ten people!

 

As I was happily focused on eating, An Song-ah clasped her hands together, looking impressed.

 

“Wow, Ho-hyun, you eat so beautifully!”

 

“Beautiful? I’m a guy, you know.”

 

Seong San-ha, who was sitting next to me, laughed. “Yeah, our Ho-hyun is a real man’s man.”

 

“Of course I know Ho-hyun is handsome. I just meant he looks beautiful when he eats.”

 

“By the way, you’ve been here before, haven’t you? You seem pretty familiar with the place,” Seong San-ha asked, looking at me.

 

I froze, my spoon mid-air.

 

‘…How did he know?’

 

I hadn’t even considered that this might be something I should hide. I didn’t realize it would be that obvious. I took a sip of water, trying to play it cool, and shook my head.

 

“I just have a good sense for these things.”

 

As we were finishing our meal, Song-ah noona received an urgent call and had to leave, leaving just the two of us. Seong San-ha checked his phone for his schedule and then looked over at me.

 

“I’ve got about two hours free. Do you want to check out the promotional event if you’re not busy?”

 

“Why would I go there? Are you participating?” I asked, my tone skeptical, knowing that it was more of a press conference for fake Kang Eui-jin’s return rather than a real promotional event.

 

Getting up from his seat, Seong San-ha ruffled my hair with his hand and grinned. “It’s like a date invitation.”

 

“Get lost.”

 

I retorted, swatting his hand away. He just chuckled and walked off, as if he was sure I’d follow him. His confidence was infuriating. But, on the other hand, I was curious about what that fake Kang Eui-jin would say at the press conference, and what he was planning to do…

 

“Damn it.”

 

I muttered under my breath before jumping up to follow him.

 

“Hey! Wait up! I’m coming with you!”

 

***

 

I watched Seong San-ha with a sour expression as he stood surrounded by an array of colorful flowers. The nearby flower shop staff murmured softly in admiration.

 

“I think this one might suit them… or maybe they’d prefer this one,” Seong San-ha mused aloud, considering two different bouquets.

 

“They both look absolutely perfect on you,” one of the staff members chimed in.

 

“That’s kind of you to say, but it’s a gift, so it has to suit the person who’s receiving it,” Seong San-ha replied with a smile.

 

I stood there, arms crossed, watching them with a mix of annoyance and disbelief. A date? Yeah, right. That bastard Seong San-ha had dragged me here just to buy a bouquet for that fake Kang Eui-jin!

 

“If the gentleman in question is truly refined, he might even appreciate wildflowers picked from the roadside,” the flower shop owner suggested.

 

‘Isn’t that the last thing a flower shop owner should say?’ 

 

Seong San-ha turned to me with that annoyingly pleasant smile.

 

“What do you think? Which one would suit Kang Eui-jin better?” he asked.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Oh, come on, help me pick one.”

 

Dragging me along for his personal errands was one thing, but now he wanted me to pick out a bouquet for that fake Kang Eui-jin? If anything, I should be thinking of ways to beat that guy up, not picking out flowers for him.

 

As much as I wanted to curse him out, the sight of Seong San-ha standing there with that smile, surrounded by flowers, somehow kept me from going all out on him.

 

“Kang Eui-jin doesn’t like flowers. In fact, I’m pretty sure Kang Eui-jin doesn’t like you at all. So stop wasting your time and let’s go.”

 

“Oh my…” the flower shop owner gasped, covering her mouth, clearly shocked by my bluntness. She looked at me like I was some kind of thug. I turned away from her judgmental gaze, while Seong San-ha, unaffected as ever, just kept smiling.

 

“That stings, you know. But hey, you never know—he might actually like it if he gets them.”

 

“He won’t.”

 

“Are you saying that because you’re jealous? I’d actually be flattered if you were.”

 

“That’s bullshit—” 

 

I was about to snap at him when the staff member returned from the back with a bouquet of pale purple flowers.

 

“How about this one? The lisianthus are particularly large and fresh today,” she said.

 

“Let’s have a look. Can you hold this for a moment?” 

 

Seong San-ha handed me the bouquet he was holding and approached the staff member. Caught off guard, I found myself holding the bouquet, its soft fragrance wafting up to me. I unknowingly pouted, staring down at the bundle of flowers.

 

I had given bouquets as gifts a few times, but they were always just a decorative wrap for the real gift or card inside—nothing more, nothing less. Flowers never held my interest unless they were ingredients for a potion. 

 

But now, holding this bouquet in my arms, I was struck by the surprising weight of it. Despite being just a bunch of flowers tied together, it looked twice as stunning as a single bloom, and the gentle mingling of scents wasn’t so bad either.

 

‘So this is why people like receiving bouquets.’

 

I had been so sure that Kang Eui-jin wouldn’t care for flowers, but now, after experiencing a bouquet firsthand, I wasn’t so certain. That fake might actually enjoy receiving one, which only added to my frustration. I tapped my foot against the floor in annoyance.

 

‘Then I shouldn’t let him have it. He’s a fake, after all.’

 

Is this why Seong San-ha thinks I’m jealous? No way. It’s not the flowers that are pissing me off—it’s the fact that my name’s been stolen. And the more I think about how this idiot has been stalking me all this time, only to be completely duped by a fake, the more infuriated I get. It’s beyond frustrating to see him act so clueless.

 

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. At least the scent of the flowers was calming. I buried my face in the bouquet and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

 

‘Just let it go. It doesn’t concern me. In fact, I hope he gets caught by Tae Jae-heon and meets his end. Yeah… I’ll just ignore it. And when I get back, I’ll stop watching the news for a while…’  

 

Click.  

 

The sound in front of me made my eyes snap open. Seong San-ha had suddenly appeared, and the satisfied smile plastered across his face sent a chill down my spine. I instinctively stepped back, but he didn’t seem to notice, too busy grinning at his phone.  

 

“You look good with that. I think I’ll give that one to my little puppy.”  

 

“What? No way. Who would even like this… this thing?” 

 

I hesitated, almost throwing the bouquet away, but something about the carefully arranged flowers made me stop.

 

“I don’t need it.”  

 

“I’ll take this one and the other one, too,” Seong San-ha said, ignoring my protests.  

 

“You’ve got a great eye for these. I was thinking they looked so good that I should give them as a gift. By the way, would you mind if I took a photo of you two for our store’s social media?”  

 

“No, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Just the wrapping, please.”  

 

“Oh, well, I understand. I’ll make sure they’re wrapped up beautifully.”

 

“What? How am I supposed to carry this around without feeling embarrassed? I don’t even have a place to put it in the workshop!”  

 

“Don’t worry, we offer delivery service. Just write down the address here,” the employee said with a warm smile, handing me a pen.  

 

While the shop assistant started wrapping the fake Kang Ei-jin’s bouquet, Seong San-ha, pressured by the shop owner, began debating what to write on a small card. The sight was so ridiculous that I decided to wait outside, but just as I grabbed the door handle, Seong San-ha turned to me.  

 

“Where are you going? I’ll be done soon, so wait a bit.”  

 

“It’s hot in here. I’ll be just outside, so it won’t matter, right? I’ll be quick.”  

 

“Don’t wander too far,”

 

I nodded half-heartedly at it before stepping out of the flower shop.  

 

The shop was located in a quiet, upscale residential area not far from the restaurant. Now that I had come out, I realized that there was nowhere really to go. I decided to head back to the car and took a shortcut through a narrow alley. 

 

As I walked, I suddenly felt a strange presence behind me. The sound of labored breathing and a faint shuffling brought a sense of déjà vu, and I slowly turned around.

 

A large black dog stood in the middle of the alley, blocking my path. The sight of it made my blood run cold.

 

“Shit…” 

 

It was Tae Jae-heon’s fcking dog.

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