AWARD CEREMONY - 01

...

Two days later...

.

.

.

South Korean Hero Association - Seoul

The heart of Korea's, and possibly the world's, greatest power pulsed with unusual intensity on that sunny morning. In the Tower Association's Garden, a space between carefully arranged flowers and polished stone paths, the movement was constant.

Agents, journalists and heroes walked purposefully toward the large outdoor stage, where, in a few moments, the Award Ceremony would begin.

It was 6 a.m. on a clear Friday, with small clouds hovering in the sky.

Today, those involved in the confrontation at the National Arms Museum, where a Djinn was defeated, would be officially honored.

Their deeds would be immortalized in the Association's records, and their stories would echo as legends for future generations.

Among those present, cadets who, until recently, were just students at the beginning of their training, were now seen as heroes...

"Uhm... What did they want with you?"

The question came from Nayun, as she adjusted herself in the chair near the main stage, casting a sidelong glance at Theo, who had just returned after taking a call.

He sat down beside her, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Nothing much."

Theo replied with a shrug.

"They just called to let me know they managed to arrest the person who leaked the information about my family."

As the area filled up more and more, Nayun leaned in close, lowering her voice to a whisper:

"So? Who was it?"

Theo shook his head, laughing discreetly at her curiosity.

"Some guy named Nathan..."

Joining Nayun, Theo leaned in and began to speak softly in her ear.

"He was an acquaintance from the orphanage where this world's 'me' lived. The guy worked for a second-rate guild... It was an information guild, if I recall correctly."

"Oh... wait."

Nayun frowned, squinting her eyes suspiciously.

"If he was from such a... low-tier guild, how did that information end up in his hands?"

"From what I understood during the call... The source was the American Association itself. Someone in there, some agent, executive, I don't know, took the data, which was supposed to be confidential, and sold it to that guild..."

For a moment, Nayun was silent. Even without fully understanding the details of this underworld of information, connections, and corporate espionage, she understood enough to piece together the big picture.

"So this Nathan guy was just in the right place at the right time."

She murmured, a bit thoughtfully.

"By working in that guild, he ended up getting his hands on that data, somehow."

Theo confirmed with a slow, unpretentious nod, as if the matter no longer held much importance to him.

"Anyway... that's in the past. It's up to them now.

Theo said, returning to his position, resting his arm on the back of the chair and settling in with indifference.

Nayun watched him for a few seconds. She sighed, shaking her head, and, in the end, just agreed:

"Yeah... you're right."

Indeed, even though the days following the leak had been slightly, or almost, tiring, nothing truly serious happened in Theo's life.

Of course, there were askance, suspicious looks, and sometimes, looks filled with pure malice.

People who had treated him normally until then began to whisper behind his back. Some, more daring or foolish, even went so far as to call him a demon, albeit in a whisper.

But, other than that, life went on, if we disregard the "lesson" he taught Shin Jonghak right after.

A lesson that echoed through the halls of Cube, on online forums, in private cadet groups, and even reached the ears of outside guilds.

It was a spectacle.

The day Theo, with a coldness that frightened many and captivated others, took down Jonghak, breaking not only his arrogant posture but also his untouchable status.

And the result of all this?

His popularity simply exploded, almost completely extinguishing the sparks of hatred that were beginning to grow more than usual.

"Waah... What time is this supposed to start anyway?"

Nayun sighed, leaning against Theo's shoulder, looking at the chairs set up in the garden, which, despite being already full, still felt empty.

Theo shifted his body, letting her get more comfortable.

"I'd say in about... thirty minutes, if nothing happens."

Theo replied, after checking the time.

"Aah!"

She let out a long sigh, puffing her cheeks before releasing the air slowly and lazily.

'Of course... That's if that guy shows up on time.'

Theo thought, looking beyond the flowers and the enormous skyscraper in front of him.

The "guy" in question was none other than Nayun's former master.

Yoo Sihyuk - Wolf of Valhalla.

A legendary hero. Not just for his feats, but also for being notoriously uninterested in almost everything. Arriving late? Almost certain. Being absent? Probable. Completely ignoring the event? Highly possible, if not for the orders that came directly from the top.

That's how he was portrayed in the original.

Nayun took Theo's hand and intertwined her fingers with his, letting them rest on her lap.

"I wonder if they're coming too?"

"Hajin and Suho? Yeah, they should be here any minute."

If even he was summoned to come, it was almost impossible they wouldn't be as well.

"Mm."

With a murmur, she closed her eyes, ready to take a short nap while waiting for the award ceremony to begin.

A few minutes later, Theo, who was fiddling with his smartwatch, noticed a small commotion at the garden entrance.

'Heh! A protagonist's life is really complicated, huh!'

There, amidst reporters and guild agents, Kim Suho was struggling to make his way through. It was clear he was trying to stay calm as a barrage of questions, flashes, and interview requests surrounded him. Even though most of them were just civilians and journalists, it was suffocating.

'...I really can't be like him. That level of patience is enviable.'

And that was true. One only had to look at Theo and Nayun; they were only sitting peacefully in their chairs because of the magic Theo always cast around them. If it weren't for that, it was clear they would also be targeted by the crowd's unwelcome attention.

After a few more seconds of continuous struggle, Suho, with his natural charisma and gentleness, finally managed to escape the clutches of those blocking his path.

As he walked further into the garden, Theo discreetly reduced the magical interference around him, allowing Suho to finally spot them among the other guests.

"Oh! You guys are here too. Good morning."

Suho said upon recognizing them.

He approached, still a little out of breath, running a hand through his hair in a tired yet good-humored gesture.

Theo responded with a slight nod, while Nayun, waking from her nap at his approach.

"Hah! The good boy has arrived."

Nayun said, her voice still a bit slurred with sleep.

"Huh!?"

Suho tilted his head, confused by the comment.

"Sit down there."

Patting Nayun's head, Theo said, pointing to the chair next to him.

"Nayun is just talking nonsense."

He then brought a hand to the side of his mouth, as if sharing a secret:

"She was dragged out of bed very early for the summons."

"Ah... right."

Suho chuckled softly, still not quite sure if he should be worried or just let it go. He sat down carefully, adjusting his Cube uniform.

Nayun just huffed and leaned back against Theo's shoulder, her eyes still half-closed.

"Hajin hasn't arrived yet, apparently."

Suho said after noticing Hajin didn't seem to have arrived.

"Mhm. But he should be around any minute now."

Theo replied calmly, but his mind held the same complaint Hajin was likely having on his way.

'He's probably coming in that state... full of bitterness for having to come to something that, honestly, could very well have been delivered to his home...'

Suho looked at the sky, adjusting the sleeves of his uniform, and after a few seconds of silence, he brought up a new topic:

"Ah... have you guys started reviewing for the mid-term exams yet?"

At that very moment, Nayun's eyes widened and she practically jumped in her seat.

"For God's sake, Suho!"

She groaned, throwing her head back.

"I was doing just fine pretending that didn't exist, and you have to come and remind me!?"

Suho laughed, a little sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry... but it's coming up, you know. And as you know, written exams are always pretty tough."

Theo raised an eyebrow, as if he had just remembered that was actually a thing.

"Hm... True." Theo commented, placing a hand on his chin, thoughtfully.

"Time flew by, it's been almost two months since we started attending Cube."

"Flew by?"

Nayun turned, incredulous.

"You've got to be kidding! I haven't even started reviewing anything yet!"

"Eh, weren't you keeping up with the classes?"

Theo asked, blinking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Her eyes widened even more, then she let go of his hand, crossed her arms, and turned her face away.

"Hmph. That has nothing to do with it. It's one thing to keep up with classes, it's another to... review everything, organize notebooks, make summaries, memorize formulas, practice simulations... aaahhh..."

Nayun practically sank into the back of her chair, in a mixture of frustration and despair.

"You'd better start planning for it, a month goes by fast."

"Ugh..."

She huffed.

"I know, I know Theo... Wait. You, you're going to be my tutor."

"Huh?"

....