Reality Quest: Threshold System

"So, this is the place?"

"Y-yeah, " Dowan replied/. I noticed the sheer amount of people out, this late at night. But, I guess that's a given this is a commercial place.

"Jaemin told me to wait here, and…"

I bite onto my pocky, "We'll do exactly that," My eyes noticed the shivering, and I patted him.

"Don't be too tense," I said to him, making him close his eyes, "If worse goes to shit, you could just fight. You did beat ChulWoo…"

"T-that was just…" He looked to the side, "A-a fluke?"

"What was that?" I perked my ears at him.

"F-fluke…"

"Fluke? Damn, I don't think you could smash a guy's face with a fluke," I smiled, and Dowan turned to me with the expression of 'why," Got some freaky RNG, am I right?"

"..."

Oi, why are you looking at me like that!?

"You're both early!"

Dowan and I turned to see Jaemin walking up wearing a jacket. The dude looks punchable as before.

"H-hey Jaemin." Was Dowan's response, and mine a simple, "Sup."

"Yo usaid you can't come, what was it again, memorial service right?"

"Huh?..uh yeah! Grandpa's busy today so he can't come…"

I resisted the urge to slap my head. How can your grandpa miss his own Memorial service? Jeez, this kid really needs to put points in his intelligence stat – or that could just be Dowan's nerve. 

"Ah, really?~"

Jaemin glanced at me, and then turned away. Hmmm, ignoring me are you? Hmph.

Dowan is still a bundle of anxiety. The kid has a face that looks he just seen someone get ran over. I, on the other hand is thinking in how to deal with the coming situation.

"Dowan…"

His face contorts again, a smile befitting of a fox. The shadow around the crevices of his face darkens. Scary… if you're Dowan; kid really need something to get that fear off, if possible, I could bring him in the Cave… If I built trust with him enough.

Before he could do that bullshit with his phone, I lightly bump Dowan's head to break him out of the fear. I looked at Jaemin, who in turn lost that rancid vibe he's giving off.

"We're gonna have lots of fun, am I right Dowan?"

"O-oh?... y-yeah!" his face turns to stone.

"The girl's are here!"

Then, the two of us turned to the group of incoming girls. Two black haired, and brunette ones. They look exactly like they're depicted on the manhwa, clean and unblemish face, the same feature a Chinese would call a "Jade beauty." 

However, no matter how above average the two girls are, they are nothing compared to the beauty besides them. Si-Yeon, Boromae Dong member – and is currently scouting for a new representative.

I ain't gonna lie, she's a beauty. In an eastern lens, she's the standard of what a female look like. Perfect and without flaws, featureless skin, and small face. However, I'm very much still Eli, the hillbilly from taxes. Their faces to me, just have a strange perfection to it, I guess that's the cartoon nature talking. 

She's still pretty, I ain't denying that.

My eyes fell on Dowan, who is love-struck. I rolled my eyes, I guess someone doesn't disagree." 

….

….

Korean Karaoke bars, a sight to behold. 

The 6 of us are now sitting inside the box-room. On the table there's a lot food, to which I couldn't take my eyes away. Fried chicken, beer, cup-noodles, and hotdogs! The variety and how delicious it looked almost made me forget that a group of minors are drinking.

Jaemin and Dowan are talking to each other, ignoring my presence entirely. I guess this is part of his plan… who knows. Again, I'm too focused on the food, more than the girls – more than Si-Yeon who is looking bored on her seat.

And she, taking a good look, is really beautiful. But, I'm just repeating myself. Even with looking bored of her mind, she still looks good; the perks of an ice-beauty.

"Done staring?" 

Her eyes suddenly turned to me, and sent a cold glare. I sweated, it's really different in person.

"Honestly? Nah, " I said, and that made her even more disinterested, "But, it's weird. So, I'll stop."

And I did.

The door flipped open.

"It's about time my wallet arrives here~"

On the doorstep, is the familiar sight of Yoo Jihan. Bruise and dusty, just like in Chapter 2.

"Wallet Shuttle, Jihan… Huuuu," What an abhorrent nickname.

"I told them to give you guys another 2 hours, Jaemin…"

Dowan recognized him, and I merely drank from the can of beer. Hmmm, so this is how Asian alcohol tastes… it's not bad, what's its name? Iseuol Toktok, I might buy some after this place

"Ha… you think we came here just to play for 2 hours? Haha, " Jaemin chuckled darkly.

"You idiot."

Jihan stiffen at that.

Jihan apologizes, and the blonde-rat continues to berate him. And in between, Dowan is frozen in his seat. Looking at him, I was curious… would his reaction change somehow? Would he not fight, because of fear, or does because of my presence.

"So, that's the spearhead of the night?" I said, and the three of them looked. Dowan looked surprised, Jaemin confused, and Jihan looking to me and looked down.

"What's up with the down-vibes, though?" I drank from my can, and pointed at Jihan, "Yo, come here."

"M-me, " he pointed at himself.

"Who else am I pointing to?"

Jaemin looked confused, before having a dark-face. A grin forms, and he elbowed Jihan. Dowan looks at me, inquiring about what I'm doing. I didn't answer

"You heard him, you don't want to sour the mood, right Jihan?~"

So, he thinks I'm that kind of guy.

Jihan went to me, and his face was still looking down.

"?... what are you doing, sit down bro." I said, and he was surprised but followed nonetheless.

I opened another can, " So, you're the one who pays for all this stuff?"

"Y-yeah," Jihan slowly nodded.

A smile formed, "Fuyoo~" I turned to Jaemin, " Didn't you have a reach bro, I thought you were the one treating us?"

To diffuse a power-play, you have to wet the fuse itself. For the fire to not travel. From his wording, Jaemin is undermining both Dowan and Jihan, using his rat-like tendency to play with the situation. What I'm trying to tell is… he's a scumbag, a douche, and even worse, a social parasite. 

This type of people pray on the weak, and least cunning. And, while I mostly don't care. It is by principle to put people like this in their place.

"What are you trying to say, Si-Wool?"

His face is a solid-smile.

Jihan stared at me, with sweat rolling on his face. And Dowan is not any better, the girls are disinterested except for Si-Yeon. Who is observing this with interest?

 "Trying to lighten up the mood!" I chuckled, while I bit on the chicken leg, "Jihan over here, " I placed my hand on Jihan, making him flinch, "Clearly has a bad mood, as his guest we need to lighten the host's part, yeah?"

Dowan shifts on his seat wildly, "What are you doing!?"

"And your banter with him was a bit too harsh… A bit too demanding for a guest, don't you agree…" 

My teeth crushed the bone of the chicken.

"Jaemin Shin?"

That polished performative smile of yours is showing a crack… Huh, parasite.

"Is that so?" 

Jaemin looked at Jihan, who looked to the ground as he avoided his gaze. I was about to tap Jihan again, when suddenly Dowan stood up.

"H-huh? Dowan?"

"I-i'm going to the bathroom, my bladder is screaming!" he ran to the restroom.

"Yeah, I think I'll go to~" One of the girls said, "I drank a lot…"

The two-girls went out to the bathroom, leaving me, Jihan, Jaemin, and Si-Yeon alone.

And this sparked Jaemin, as he grabbed me by the collar.

"What do you think you're doing?"