Scanning the crowd of gamblers, there was a wide range—from people who looked shady at a glance to those with totally ordinary faces.
“Ott. Are you good at games?”
“You know my skills.”
“Oh? Of course, of course.”
Feigning familiarity with someone he didn’t recognize at all, Ho-eun casually played along while surveying the area.
There were Trump card games, the traditional Go-Stop familiar from holidays, and in the corners, a handful of machines and flashy, decorative roulette wheels.
The overall space had a stronger casino vibe than expected.
“Luca, that table over there looks fun.”
Do In-ho, draping an arm over Ho-eun’s shoulder, naturally turned his body. And just like that, the parents of Han Yeo-ul—whom they’d seen in photos—came into view before Ho-eun.
They looked anxious. The mother gnawed on her fingernails as she studied her cards, exchanging uneasy glances with her husband.
“Bet.”
As Ho-eun watched the woman place down some chips, an unfamiliar shadow loomed in front of him.
“That table is already mid-game, so I’m afraid you can’t join. Is there a specific game you’d like to play?”
The man in a dress shirt and vest seemed to be the floor manager of this level. Though his smile was laced with professional courtesy, his thinly slit eyes gleamed with snake-like slyness.
“Games are all about luck anyway. Guess we need to exchange chips first.”
It was a subtle way of saying “don’t follow us,” but the staff member disregarded it completely, trailing them persistently.
“You can exchange chips over here. If you’re new to this, blackjack is a simple game to start with. It’s played with a dealer, so you’ll catch on quickly.”
Tuning him out with a slight nod, Ho-eun followed In-ho to the exchange counter, where the latter handed over a check.
“We’ll just exchange this for now. Can we swap more at the table later?”
“Yes, you can. However, we’ll need to verify this check first. Please give us a moment.”
The cashier picked up the phone to confirm the check number.
“We’re not really looking for low-stakes games. We’d prefer something with higher bets.”
When Do In-ho said this after the chip exchange, the staff’s lips curved up in a knowing smirk—like he’d just spotted an easy mark.
Although Ho-eun had initially wanted to go straight to the table with Han Yeo-ul’s parents, Do In-ho deviated from that plan and agreed to the staff’s suggestion: blackjack first.
[Team 3 has entered.]
The small in-ear comms were practically invisible, letting Ho-eun discreetly brush his earlobe as he focused on the voice.
Team 1 referred to himself and Do In-ho, watching Han Yeo-ul’s parents.
Team 2 was Eom Tae-seok and Kang Him-chan.
And finally, Team 3 consisted of Nam Woon-soo and Bae Yeon-woo.
“Making 21 isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
Ho-eun tossed away a Queen-marked card. As he leaned back in his chair, he casually lifted his gaze. Over where Park Ki-hyun was, Eom Tae-seok and Kang Him-chan had taken position. Further up, coming down the stairs, were Nam Woon-soo and Bae Yeon-woo.
“If I’m going to lose anyway, I want to play something more exciting.”
Ho-eun’s eyes turned toward the VIP tables. The staff member who’d been loitering since their arrival now looked familiar—he might be one of the Dragons.
Perhaps sensing something from watching Do In-ho and Ho-eun lose money without concern, the staff eagerly jumped at the opportunity.
“In that case, how about poker? The early rounds might seem tricky, but I guarantee it’ll be worth your while.”
“What kind of worth are we talking about?”
“Well, the higher stakes you were hoping for, for one…”
The staff member laughed behind a gloved hand. His eyes sparkled dangerously.
“You might even witness someone’s downfall.”
“Really? That actually sounds fun.”
Ho-eun twisted his lips into the vilest smirk he could muster—like a scumbag who gets off on others’ misfortunes.
Internally shouting bingo, the staff led them to the VIP zone—its floor a different color from the rest.
The VIP table, set in a spacious hall visible to regular players, was already occupied by Han Yeo-ul’s parents.
“This game is only played here. Looks like the current round is about to wrap up—feel free to observe for now.”
At the staff’s prompting, Ho-eun checked the table. Each player had two cards in front of them, with four community cards face-up above. While he couldn’t recall the exact rules, this setup resembled a round of Texas Hold’em.
“River open.”
The dealer flipped over the fifth card.
The five cards on the table were: Spade 10, Heart 10, Heart Queen, Heart King, and Club Ace.
The parents’ faces were practically unrecognizable as human. Ho-eun was shocked to see how grotesque someone could look when utterly consumed by obsession.
“Bet.”
The man with his back turned pushed all his chips forward.
“Fold.”
Han Yeo-ul’s mother handed her two face-down cards to the dealer. Her husband hesitated, rubbing his nose with his fingers, but ultimately pushed forward his own chips.
“Bet.”
Their remaining chips were now few. Unless they won this round, they wouldn’t be able to continue playing.
Bringing in an audience meant the game was about to end.
The staff knew. He knew these two would lose.
“Showdown. Please reveal your cards.”
With long, straight fingers, the man flipped over his cards one by one.
“Heart Jack, Heart Ace.”
Combined with the five table cards, the man’s hand crushed any need to see Han Yeo-ul’s father’s cards.
“Royal straight flush. Mr. Sun wins.”
“T-That’s impossible! My hand wasn’t bad either… A royal straight?! You bastards rigged this!!”
Flipping over the cards in a frenzy, Han Yeo-ul’s father caused a scene. The waiting guards immediately moved in.
“Let go!! I said LET GO!! Do you know how much I blew in this place?! You’re treating me like this?! You bastards, I’ll report every one of you!!”
People stared at the shouting man like he was a spectacle. Ho-eun was no different.
Using the money your daughter earned in a place like this…
“You really should’ve used that money properly. For something good.”
“??”
For a moment, Ho-eun thought he’d spoken out loud. But it wasn’t his voice—the words came from someone else nearby.
“…and yet, here you are, feeding your vanity.”
The earlier part was drowned out by the father’s yelling.
Ho-eun felt a strange unease. He stepped closer to get a better look at the man who had echoed his inner thoughts.
“Huh?”
The man called “Sun,” the one who’d just won the game—it was the same guy who’d asked for his autograph at the last shoot. Gone were the thick horn-rimmed glasses; with his bare face exposed, his eyes looked empty—like a corpse.
Ho-eun instinctively stepped aside, even though he knew the man wouldn’t recognize him.
For some reason, it felt wrong to be seen. Maybe this was what they called a celebrity complex. Running into a fan in a place like this just felt… wrong.
“Take them away.”
“Kyaa!! Let go! I said LET GO!”
Startled out of his thoughts by Han Yeo-ul’s mother’s scream, Ho-eun saw the guards dragging the two into a tightly shut room.
“……”
Ho-eun and Do In-ho exchanged looks. According to plan, Do In-ho was supposed to follow the parents, while Ho-eun monitored the rest of the floor during the game.
“You know that guy?”
Noticing Ho-eun’s unease, Do In-ho whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
“The guy who asked for an autograph at the shoot.”
“…Ah, him.”
In-ho’s voice instantly turned cold. Oblivious to the change in tone, Ho-eun alternated glances between the man seated at the table and the now-closed metal door. Thankfully, there were no guards blocking the entrance.
“Things got a little chaotic, didn’t they? Well, now that it’s settled, shall we proceed with the poker game?”
Wearing his best customer service smile, the staff returned to them.
“Is that guy playing too?”
Do In-ho glanced down at the man called Sun.
The staff exchanged a look with the dealer and nodded.
“It’s rare to see such a good hand. He’s agreed to play another round.”
“Ott… I…”
Just then, Ho-eun hesitated, his face uneasy.
[Wonsin has entered the premises.]
Paul’s voice came through the earpiece from his position outside.
[Team 3, moving in close.]
Then came Bae Yeon-woo’s voice.
Do In-ho, having heard this, paused in thought.
Wonsin’s Esper ability was mental domination. If he was going to activate it, he’d probably stay in the basement levels filled with civilians. But there was still a chance he’d approach Han Yeo-ul’s parents.
Which was more likely?
“I’ll handle things here. You go in and just observe. Don’t do anything else. If it looks dangerous, report it immediately.”
“Got it.”
The two whispered close, their postures intimate enough to make the staff awkwardly comment.
“You two seem very close.”
“Do we? I’m just having bad luck today, so I’ll pass.”
Ho-eun brushed off the comment casually and stepped back.
Muttering to himself about wandering around to check out the other tables, he eyed the staff before slipping away in another direction.
“Looks like fun, so I’m in. Let’s bring in more players too. Bigger pots make better games.”
As Ho-eun disappeared from view, Do In-ho took a seat at the table. Two others who had been observing also joined—likely Dragon operatives posing as guests.
So was this guy affiliated with the Dragons? Or just a guest?
Unclear what the man’s true identity was, but the fact that he’d seen Ho-eun filming without Ho-eun knowing had already earned him a spot on Do In-ho’s blacklist.
He gave the man known as Sun a slow, deliberate once-over.
“Staring at someone’s face while smiling is rude, you know.”
“Oh. My bad.”
Do In-ho flashed a relaxed smile as he casually toyed with his chips and tossed out the words like they were nothing.
He’d never asked Ho-eun about his ideal type, but he was damn sure it wasn’t someone who looked like that.
“You speak informally.”
Sun leaned forward with a sour expression, unable to hide his irritation at the hostility.
“So do you.”
“Hmph. What’s this? Did I beat you at something once? Can’t hide your dislike for me.”
Though they’d just met, the tension between them was palpable. They were already in direct competition before a single card was dealt.
***
Ho-eun pretended to inspect nearby tables as he edged closer to the steel door. The guard who had taken Han Yeo-ul’s parents soon exited.
So no Dragon staff inside?
Loitering beside the door, trying to act natural, Ho-eun caught a glimpse of something unusual—the Dragon employees all simultaneously looked upward.
Lucky!
Even though the games were going terribly, luck was finally turning in his favor.
