Immediate retribution followed Yoon Changdae’s crossed line.

Pajijijik!

Lightning erupted from Park Soyul’s hand, surging straight toward Yoon Changdae.

Kwagwang!

But Yoon Changdae vanished in an instant, and the bolt struck the innocent solid wood table instead.

Hwareureureuk!

Being wood, it caught fire immediately.

Shin Jungho swiftly grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed the table down.

Pusyusyusyut!

While Jungho put out the fire, Soyul and Changdae remained locked in a standoff, glaring at each other.

Exclusive Skills were supposed to be usable only inside the Tower.

However, high-level superhumans like the two of them, who had extensively enhanced their skills, could use Exclusive Skills in the real world under certain restrictions.

Naturally, the usage count was equally limited, so spamming them recklessly was out of the question.

But the two had deployed such precious skills merely for a contest of wills.

“Get out.”

At Soyul’s icy response, Changdae flashed a shameless grin.

“Is making customers work out before ordering coffee the concept of this café? Gotta admit, it’s pretty creative.”

Soyul was about to unleash another bolt but hesitated.

Changdae had repositioned himself next to Jungho.

“Wow, this one’s definitely impressive too. You weren’t startled?”

At Changdae’s banter, Jungho rested a hand over his heart for a moment before answering.

“I was sufficiently startled.”

Changdae burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Now this is a real character, a real character! No wonder that lightning-struck woman dotes on you!”

Madness began to gather in Soyul’s smile.

“What a shame. Looks like the Tower’s deceased list will have a new entry today—Iron Heart. Should I order funeral flowers in advance?”

Realizing he had nearly reached the point of no return, Changdae dropped the grin.

“Alright, alright, let’s dial it back. And you do realize, don’t you? I could have come at any other time, but I deliberately chose now.”

Soyul wasn’t unaware of that either.

She simply couldn’t stand the sight of his face.

Sigh, Jungho is here too. I should hold back.

But then again, is our Jungho actually scared of this pretty lady?

Only then did she tear her gaze from Changdae and look at Jungho.

His expression was……

Utterly unbothered.

He even seemed to be silently suggesting that if they were going to keep causing a ruckus, they should take it outside.

Soyul barely suppressed a chuckle.

Seriously……

How could anyone not fall for a man like this?

“Jungho. Take his order.”

“Yes, understood.”

His voice, too, carried not the slightest tremor.

The 2nd and 3rd-ranked superhumans of Seoul Tower were fighting right before his eyes.

Most people would have cowered in fear or at least watched with reverent eyes.

Truly, Shin Jungho was like an onion—every layer peeled back revealed something new.

No, actually, he had never shown a different side. Was he more like a radish, identical inside and out?

Hmm…… a radish is too boring. A carrot? Or maybe…… kohlrabi?

While Soyul lost herself in this profound deliberation, Jungho guided Changdae to the counter.

“What would you like?”

“Hmm…… let’s see……”

At that moment, Soyul snapped out of her reverie.

“Jungho, raise the prices of everything on the café menu by a hundredfold. Right now.”

“……A hundredfold?”

“Or should I make it ten thousandfold?”

“……A hundredfold it is.”

Changdae let out a dry chuckle at Soyul’s response.

How much could coffee possibly cost that she’d go to such lengths?

So, like a true tough guy, he rose magnificently to her provocation.

“What’s the most expensive coffee you have here?”

At that, Jungho, who had maintained an impassive expression all this time, asked back with visible hesitation.

“Um…… are you sure about this?”

Behind them, Soyul giggled.

……What?

What’s so funny?

But asking why or how much at this point would be the most uncool move imaginable.

So he charged straight ahead without a second thought.

“I’ll take the most expensive coffee you’ve got.”

Jungho answered with a grimace.

“Very well…… I’ll serve you the Jeonjeon Café’s signature menu item…… Jungho’s Special.”

Hearing the name of the drink, Changdae finally cracked a smile.

I thought this guy had no emotions at all.

But it seems he does have a sense of shame?

He glanced sideways and saw Soyul grinning at Jungho’s discomfort.

And he realized once more.

Why Soyul had taken an interest in Jungho.

Honestly speaking.

Even he found Jungho’s unusual reactions oddly entertaining.

He had only come to ruffle some feathers.

Now he was worried he might actually start enjoying this.

“I’ll help you with the payment.”

Jungho requested, his composure fully restored.

Changdae flashed a confident grin and offered his card.

“Jungho’s Special. Nice name. I’m looking forward to seeing how good this coffee is.”

“I’ll do my best.”

It had been a calculated jab, but Jungho, having already collected himself, showed not the slightest waver.

Changdae felt a twinge of disappointment, yet at the same time, he understood once more.

……Ah!

So this is why Soyul kept this man close!

The more he learned, the more he wanted to tease out fresh reactions from this man.

Ppibik-

“Sir, there’s a payment error.”

“Hmm? That can’t be right.”

“It says the charge exceeds your card’s limit.”

At this point, the question was unavoidable.

“Limit exceeded? How much is this coffee?”

“Two hundred million won.”

For a moment, Changdae wondered if he had misheard.

“……What?”

Jungho repeated without changing a single syllable.

“Two hundred million won.”

Soyul’s mockery drifted from behind.

“What’s this? You can’t even afford a single cup of coffee? You should have said so earlier. I could give you a beggar’s discount of about ten percent.”

Only then did Changdae properly examine the menu board.

……What? An iced americano is 50,000 won?

……What? A café latte is 300,000 won?

……What? Jungho’s Special is 2 million won?

What in the world are these insane prices?

Are they messing with food prices right now?

“Does this place actually…… make any money?”

To Changdae’s incredulous question, Jungho answered with an awkward smile.

“Surprisingly…… it does.”

It was enough to drive anyone mad.

Wait, there are actually people who buy coffee at these prices?

Are they missing about ten screws in their heads?

Is the world going completely insane?

“How long are you going to keep bothering our Jungho when you can’t even pay? Was your financial situation really that bad? My…… tsk tsk.”

With his pride being scraped raw from behind, Changdae immediately requested an alternative payment.

“Fifty million won each. Process it four times.”

“Understood.”

Ppik-

Ppik-

Ppik-

Ppik-

Four payment beeps in total.

It had indeed been charged four times at fifty million won each.

Changdae smiled bitterly to himself and thought:

That’s right……

Let’s see you deal with a tax bomb after this!

It’d be even better if it triggers a tax audit!

While Jungho prepared the coffee, Changdae dropped into the seat across from Soyul.

“Amusing.”

The coffee prices.

And the man named Jungho.

“Could you shove that coffee-ruining mug of yours into that corner over there?”

“Tch. I came here to talk about Mirinae, you know. Can you tone it down?”

At the mention of Mirinae, Soyul stood down from her combat stance for the moment.

“What is it?”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

When Changdae gestured toward Jungho, Soyul smiled sweetly.

“Yes. There’s nothing Jungho and I don’t share.”

“……Good grief. Is this really the Electric Empress Park Soyul?”

Soyul wiped all traces of amusement from her face and asked again.

“So what is it?”

Changdae glanced toward Jungho once more before answering.

“Mirinae. The United States is looking for him.”

Perhaps because she hadn’t expected those words.

Every ounce of Soyul’s attention focused on Changdae and the truth behind what he had just said.

And so, she missed it.

The slight tremor in Jungho’s hand as he crafted 3D latte art on the coffee.

“What are you talking about? Explain.”

“You already know. ……Finding Nemo. America took him too, didn’t they?”

Finding Nemo.

Once a promising superhuman of Seoul Tower, he had suddenly vanished after clearing the 30th floor.

Then, three months later.

The name ‘Finding Nemo’ appeared on the New York Tower’s deceased list, and the truth came to light.

America had scouted him.

“He only managed 10 floors?”

“Well, he must have been quite spectacular.”

Changdae fell silent, giving her a moment to process.

In truth, this had been coordinated with Kim Taemin.

He wanted to search the northern part of Seoul first, but Soyul would never stand idly by for that. So the plan was to pressure her under the pretense that an outside force had infiltrated.

Changdae smiled bitterly inwardly and continued.

“They’ve hired every private detective available and are searching from northern Seoul.”

This part was true.

Though it was Kim Taemin who had hired those detectives.

The detectives only knew they had been commissioned by the American side.

“……Tch.”

Judging by her expression, she had bought it.

“So let’s form an alliance here, at least for now. We’re compatriots, after all. We can’t let another country snatch him away, can we?”

Soyul spat out with evident displeasure.

“Just confirm his identity.”

Changdae revealed his white teeth in a grin.

“Okay. Even if I find him, I’ll share a Return Ticket, so don’t worry. Ah, should I not have said that?”

“You spill everything yourself and then talk like a sly fox? I know more details anyway.”

“Wow…… you’re really in deep, aren’t you?”

“Yes, so get lost.”

The coffee arrived at that moment.

“Here you go.”

Jungho’s Special.

Atop the dark brown coffee sat the body of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle.

“Huh? What’s this? Why is there a griffin here?”

It was a Griffin, a monster from the 30th-floor zone.

“The boss ordered it.”

It was nothing special.

Soyul, wanting to see the limits of Jungho’s 3D latte art, had ordered various designs.

And the culmination of those requests was this griffin.

“……It is well-crafted, I’ll give it that.”

To achieve such intricate detail, as if carving wood, using nothing but milk foam.

It felt almost wasteful to simply drink it and be done.

No wonder it took so long.

“But the griffin’s head…… is that a dragon?”

For a griffin, the head was slightly too large and elongated.

Not an eagle’s head, but a dragon’s?

“……I tried a slightly different creative challenge.”

“Pfft! Well done, Jungho! It would have been even better if you’d completely chopped off the head!”

Fortunately, Soyul brushed off Jungho’s sheepish excuse without a second thought.

Well, what did latte art matter when drinking coffee?

Changdae opened his mouth wide like a macho man and swallowed the griffin along with the coffee.

And……

His eyes flew wide open.

What—what is this?

How could coffee aroma be this mellow yet sweet?

The sweet and bittersweet taste of the coffee swirling in his mouth.

And the rich, deep fragrance, nutty and weighty, formed an exquisite balance.

It was, quite literally, the coffee of a lifetime.

What is this?

How is it this delicious?

Hororok-

Hororok-

“……Huh?”

When he came to his senses, the bottom of the coffee cup was already visible.

……When did I finish it all?

Soyul, sitting across from him, smirked as if she had expected exactly this.

“Get out.”

Now that you’ve finished.

Soyul herself had experienced this more times than she could count.

At first, she had simply thought she’d found a decent part-timer.

But Jungho’s skill had improved day by day, until she had become utterly incapable of going without his coffee.

Seriously, he’s a terrifying man.

“No, how…… how is this even possible?”

Though he was not one to regularly seek out coffee.

It was an extraordinary experience that could genuinely be called a taste of heaven without exaggeration.

Honestly, 200 million won was unreasonable.

But at the original price of 2 million won……

Maybe once a month……

No, maybe even once a week would be acceptable……

Soyul, smiling with only her lips, enunciated each word deliberately.

“I. Said. Get. Out.”

Changdae leapt to his feet.

But instead of leaving, he looked down at Jungho and asked with absolute conviction.

“You…… you’re an Awakener, aren’t you?”