Where Beans Are Planted, Beans Grow

Collecting information in the bathroom turned into a situation where Hong Ye-seong himself entered the stall next to Cha Eui-jae and started rustling around. The numerous footsteps and people waiting outside the bathroom must be his security detail.

Cha Eui-jae sighed silently. Despite his enemy being right next to him, he couldn't make a move.

'I just want to punch him once.'

Although it was nice that Hong Ye-seong had come to him, the entourage he brought along was not. Even if Cha Eui-jae ignored Hong Ye-seong and left as if nothing had happened, there was only one exit from the bathroom, so he would inevitably run into the security guards outside. Worse, they might even check tickets and IDs.

Ultimately, he had to wait until Hong Ye-seong left on his own. Feeling troubled, Cha Eui-jae automatically assumed the pose of Rodin's Thinker.

'If you come to the bathroom, just do your business quickly and leave…'

Though he was also doing other things instead of using the bathroom, he glared at the stall wall towards Hong Ye-seong. If this dragged on, he'd be worried about Lee Sa-young… No, he shook his head.

'Worried? No way.'

Cha Eui-jae corrected his thoughts. Anyway, if he was late, he'd cause a scene. In the worst case, he might come to the bathroom himself. Considering his previous behavior, it was a plausible scenario.

Lee Sa-young had a tendency to do strange and incomprehensible things sometimes. He had urged him to live quietly, yet he had dragged him to Songdo. This wasn't a date; he just wanted him to act as his lackey…

"Argh! Damn it!"

"Hong Ye-seong-ssi, are you okay?"

"Argh!"

"…He seems to be having trouble with his work. Keep waiting."

Cha Eui-jae's thoughts about Lee Sa-young were interrupted by Hong Ye-seong's desperate scream. Cha Eui-jae stared at the wall as if trying to bore a hole through it.

'Damn, do people make sounds like that?'

Hong Ye-seong alternated between rustling around and occasionally crying out like a deer. Fortunately, the guards seemed used to this and didn't storm in. Listening to his cries, Cha Eui-jae resumed his thoughts.

Hong Ye-seong and his equipment are the stars of this Artisan Exhibition. But why is the star cooped up in a bathroom like someone with nowhere to go? Surely, he has a dedicated waiting room.

"Argh!"

He should have known from the moment Hong Ye-seong posted the egg photo on InHeart while searching for the magic stone. Hong Ye-seong is not sane. Feeling anxious, Cha Eui-jae decided.

'If I can't avoid it, I might as well gather some information.'

He would love to knock out Hong Ye-seong and escape, but there was no clear escape route, and he would surely be caught quickly.

Cha Eui-jae chose the next best option. He leaned toward the next stall, straining to hear. Hong Ye-seong continued to rustle around and occasionally cry out. Strangely, it was easier to hear the hunters outside the bathroom.

"…But why did he go into the bathroom? He could test in the waiting room."

"He said the waiting room doesn't feel confined enough. He needs a smaller space."

"If that's the case, why not make a portable chest…"

"You're misusing the chest. It's for storing grain, not people."

"And he said something might explode if mishandled."

Cha Eui-jae's eyes widened. What? Still hearing the rustling sound of buttons being pressed in the next stall, he realized those noises were of someone handling explosives. As he pondered this, one of the hunters outside spoke in a low voice.

"Shouldn't we be more cautious? If something explodes here, it's serious."

Yes, hurry up and stop him. Drag him out. Are you going to let the building explode? Cha Eui-jae silently agreed, but the response was cold.

"As long as he's not attempting to evade the security detail or doing anything that endangers his own safety, we've been instructed to let him do as he pleases."

"Isn't what he's doing a threat to safety?"

"He's an S-grade, so he'd survive even if something exploded…"

"Besides, he wouldn't listen even if we tried to stop him."

"Even if the bathroom explodes?"

"He's a rich creator. He can easily fix a bathroom."

Apparently, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. The hunters outside remained nonchalant. The problem with hunters is that they trust only their power and have no sense of safety. They need a major accident to wake up.

Cha Eui-jae focused on the sounds from the next stall. After fiddling with something for a while, Hong Ye-seong exclaimed in satisfaction. A clear click was heard.

"It's done!"

And at that moment,

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep—

A shrill alarm rang out, piercing his ears!

Not only did the alarm blare, but a red light started flashing through the stall wall. The hunters waiting outside the bathroom quickly moved in. 

'Is it really going to explode?'

Cha Eui-jae moved to the other side of his stall, wondering if he should escape immediately. While he wouldn't be harmed, his expensive suit might get ruined, and he couldn't afford to replace it.

But the creator of this chaos, Hong Ye-seong, seemed unfazed.

"Oh, it's so loud. What's going on? Is it a malfunction?"

"Hong Ye-seong-ssi, are you okay?"

The once quiet bathroom was now filled with alarms and the movement of hunters. The red light continued to flash, and Hong Ye-seong called out loudly.

"Oh, it's fine! I must've touched something wrong. It's no big deal."

"For safety verification, please step outside."

"Just a moment."

Hong Ye-seong unlocked and opened his stall door, presumably taking the device with him, making the entire bathroom flash red. Cha Eui-jae sighed silently, watching the flashing lights. Hong Ye-seong continued.

"Oh, really, it's nothing! It's a detector for unregistered tickets to prevent theft, but it suddenly went off."

"Can't it be turned off?"

"No. It won't stop… Maybe if I remove the magic stone?"

Once Hong Ye-seong's safety was confirmed, the tense hunters seemed to relax a bit. One of them joked.

"Maybe someone here has an unregistered ticket?"

"Oh, come on, everyone should have a ticket with blue text by now."

'…Wait.'

Cha Eui-jae suddenly realized. Blue text? He remembered the scene at the convention center entrance.

A small device scanning the tickets, with blue light forming letters on the black surface

[Yìxīng]

If that device did more than confirm authentic tickets, if it also registered them, then… Cha Eui-jae's neck felt cold. He opened his inventory in a hurry.

Hong Ye-seong's devices were probably created using his Awakening Skill, following the system's rules. The inventory also followed the system's rules. The unpleasant premonition was spot on.

The tickets they used to enter were both held by Lee Sa-young, meaning his ticket was still in its original state, unregistered. Therefore,

'Is the sensor really that sensitive?'

The device must be detecting the unregistered black tickets in his inventory, causing all this commotion. This mad level of craftsmanship was something Cha Eui-jae didn't need confirmation of.

'He should make more equipment instead of this stuff.'

As Cha Eui-jae stared daggers at Hong Ye-seong, he overheard a low voice from outside.

"…Wait."

One hunter spoke in a hushed tone.

"…I think there's someone in the stall next to Hong Ye-seong's. The door's closed."

"Huh? I don't sense anyone."

"Could it be a cleaning supply closet?"

"Do people lock cleaning supply closets from the inside?"

Cha Eui-jae faced a dilemma. Should he trust his 'Soundless Steps' skill and stay put, or pretend to be an innocent bystander? Hearing a hunter approach the door, he decided to act confused and nervous, like a goat.

"Ah, there's someone in here…"

The hunter's demeanor sharpened. He spoke firmly.

"…Please step outside."

Cha Eui-jae recalled the zombies he saw at the hangover soup restaurant. Their disheveled appearance from facing the world's hardships. He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt slightly, and unfastened his jacket to look disheveled. Making sure his ID badge was visible, he unlocked the door and staggered out, like a man desperately clinging to a hangover.

"…"

"…"

Amidst the blaring alarm and flashing red lights, a disheveled man in a suit emerged from the far stall, his legs and arms trembling. The hunters' expressions turned puzzled at the sight of this mismatched human.

Cha Eui-jae clutched the bathroom door handle and whispered shakily.

"I'm sorry. I was just so nervous."

"Which organization are you from…?"

"Pa-Pado Guild… Secretary Team…"

"Pado Guild?"

"Yes, I came to assist Guild Leader Lee Sa-young… but I got too nervous."

Cha Eui-jae feigned dry heaving into his gas mask's filter.

Lee Sa-young of the Pado Guild. If he was here alone to assist his… It made sense to be nervous. The hunters' gazes softened with pity. The Pado Guild ID hanging around his neck looked pitiful.

At that moment, a familiar, menacing presence approached silently. The next moment, a low, mocking voice broke the silence.

"Looks like the bodyguards have a close bond…"

The hunters' gazes shifted from Cha Eui-jae to the speaker. Lee Sa-young, hands in his pockets, walked straight toward Cha Eui-jae without looking at anyone else.

"Even going to the bathroom together."

Thud. The black boots stopped in front of Cha Eui-jae. Under the flickering red light and the ear-piercing alarm blaring in the background, an imposing shadow loomed over Cha Eui-jae. He slightly tilted his head.

"Have you finished preparing yourself, Secretary?"

It was the first time he was glad to hear that sarcastic tone.