Chapter 397 – Side Story 12   - Kim Gi-Gyu

“No!” Old Man Hwang slammed the desk and stood up. He glared from side to side as if he couldn’t accept this situation. “I object!”

Eden, Gi-Gyu’s organization that controlled the entire world, held regular meetings, and this was one such meeting. Every figure here was extraordinary. Any one of them could change the world on their own if they tried. Some were public figures, while others stayed hidden.

Many such meetings had taken place since Eden’s inception, but things rarely got this heated.

“I’m certain everyone here agrees with me!” When Old Man Hwang shouted, everyone nodded to show their support. It was also rare for everyone to agree unanimously on something.

“Hmm…” Gi-Gyu moaned. Old Man Hwang and the others were making a desperate appeal to him. Gi-Gyu had brought up a suggestion today, and to his surprise, it had caused an unexpected uproar.

Hal, now looking like a human, agreed, “Mr. Hwang is correct. I ask that you reconsider, Grandmaster.”

Yoo Suk-Woo, now Eden’s advisor, said, “Me too. You’re my friend, but I have to side with Mr. Hwang on this.”

Mammon, who ruled Eden’s underworld, added, “I feel the same way.”

Michael, who reigned over the sky, said, “I think so too. You must capitulate on this, Gi-Gyu.”

“...” Raphael and several others remained quiet, but their nods suggested that they agreed with Old Man Hwang.

All the decisions in Eden’s meetings were made through a vote. Naturally, Gi-Gyu’s opinion mattered much more than anyone else's, but this was the first time everyone disagreed with him.

Old Man Hwang sat back down and repeated seriously, “Please reconsider.”

Gi-Gyu touched his forehead. This situation had become unexpectedly complicated.

‘How did this happen?’?Gi-Gyu wondered, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t come up with an answer. He looked around, aware that at least one person supported him. Her support meant a lot to him, but she wasn’t present at the meeting.

‘El…’?Thinking about her made Gi-Gyu a little calmer.

“All right,” said Gi-Gyu. “Just as you asked, I will think about it.”

Everyone sighed in relief, but Gi-Gyu continued, “But! This is my wedding, so understand this—my opinion matters the most. So I hope you all will also reconsider.”

“...”

The meeting ended.

***

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed deeply. He never expected everyone to be against his idea.

“Are you okay?” a soft voice asked. Feeling her warm hand on his shoulder, Gi-Gyu felt much better.

“El,” Gi-Gyu said softly. When he turned his head, he saw that she was smiling brightly. “It’s our wedding, so how did it become this complicated?”

Eden’s top brass had been wanting this for a long time now. At some point, Gi-Gyu and El’s unspoken relationship became official, and everyone, quite strongly, shared an opinion: The couple needed an heir.

“We do need an heir.”

Gi-Gyu asked, “Because you think I’m going to die?”

“N-no, of course not… We just need an heir!” The need for an heir was just an excuse. Everyone just wanted Gi-Gyu and El to get married because they had been rooting for their love for a long time.

However, Gi-Gyu’s request at the meeting had upset everyone.

Gi-Gyu had stated, “I want a small wedding.”

He only wanted family members and close acquaintances to attend the ceremony. That alone would have made this “small wedding” quite grand, but everyone had adamantly opposed the idea.

Old Man Hwang had argued, “The memories of what you did for this world may have been erased, but… This wedding must be an international event!”

But this didn’t make sense to Gi-Gyu, as he was just a stranger to the world. Most people had never heard of the player who couldn’t level up but had fought and defeated the Creator. So, an international wedding sounded illogical to him.

El murmured, “I’m sure he meant that we should have a big wedding inside Eden.”

“But still…”

El’s calm voice helped Gi-Gyu relax a little. Even when they had first met, El’s voice had a healing power on Gi-Gyu.

‘But after that time, she became even more important to me,’?thought Gi-Gyu. After syncing with the Creator, Gi-Gyu had spent a long time inside his memory. He had been on the brink of insanity multiple times, but Lou, Jupiter, and El were there to help him.

El had essentially kept him from going insane. It was then that their relationship solidified into something much more.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed again.

“There is no need to feel rushed.” El’s calm voice reassured Gi-Gyu. “After all, there are other people’s weddings to take care of first.”

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed even deeper.

.

***

“It’s an honor to serve you like this,” said Suk-Woo.

A stylish man wearing a noticeably expensive outfit sat in the passenger seat and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Please take a seat.”

Gi-Gyu laughed and asked again, “What’s going on?”

“I’m so flattered that I get to drive such an important man, Sir,” Suk-Woo answered teasingly. He was now one of Eden's advisors and head of one of the world’s top three guilds, the Cain Guild.

“Haa… Why are you acting like that? It’s already annoying enough that everyone acts differently around me,” Gi-Gyu grumbled.

“I’m just teasing you. It has been a while, Gi-Gyu.”

Suk-Woo, a talented player who could form portals, and Gi-Gyu had been friends for a long time. But as Gi-Gyu became stronger, Suk-Woo faced his own troubles. Later on, while trying to save Gi-Gyu’s family, Suk-Woo had gotten dragged to Gehenna.

“We can just open a portal and get there in an instant, so why did you bother bringing a car?” asked Gi-Gyu, frustrated.

“Because someone hates traveling by portals.” When Suk-Woo replied, Gi-Gyu laughed quietly.

Suk-Woo asked, “You must be troubled by this whole wedding shenanigan, huh?”

“You voted against my idea, too, didn’t you?” When Gi-Gyu retorted, Suk-Woo laughed.

“It’s true, but this is your wedding we’re talking about. It needs to be big, and I…” With a wider smile, Suk-Woo continued, “I guess… All I want is for you to get married soon.”

“And I know exactly why you feel that way,” Gi-Gyu teased, and both burst into laughter.

The car stopped, and Suk-Woo announced, “We have arrived, Sir.” “Stop that already!”

They were in front of Gi-Gyu’s house. It looked the same as Eden, but Gi-Gyu’s family lived here. Gi-Gyu could hear laughter from inside.

“So you like her that much, huh?” Gi-Gyu asked Suk-Woo.

“What do you mean?” Suk-Woo shrugged with a grin. Gi-Gyu smirked and pressed the doorbell.

-Is that you, Son?

Gi-Gyu’s mother, Lee Su-Jin, asked through the intercom.

***

The dining table was already set neatly. The table wasn’t overly extravagant. There, Gi-Gyu’s mother, Lee Su-Jin, and sister, Yoo-Jung, were waiting for them.

“Son!”

“Oppa!”

A man sitting beside Lee Su-Jin said nonchalantly, “There you are.”

“Hello, Tae-Shik hyung.”

Su-Jin argued, “Gi-Gyu, why do you keep calling him ‘hyung?’”

Tae-Shik agreed, “Yeah, it feels strange, Gi-Gyu.”

Gi-Gyu pulled one of the chairs and sat down. Suk-Woo chose the seat next to Yoo-Jung and murmured, “Sorry we’re late. My work ran a little longer.”

“That’s okay, Oppa,” Yoo-Jung whispered.

Resting his chin on his hand, Gi-Gyu sighed deeply. El was also supposed to be here, but she was too busy again. Lou and El had an important role in Eden, and apparently, some urgent problem arose this morning. El had explained that she might be a little late, but there was a chance she might miss the dinner.

“How did this happen…?” Gi-Gyu mumbled to himself.

“What are you talking about?” asked Suk-Woo.

“Is there a problem?” Tae-Shik asked, concerned.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed again without explaining. He had known for a long time that Tae-Shik was in a relationship with his mother. Gi-Gyu actually rooted for them.

However, he never expected Suk-Woo and Yoo-Jung to be in a relationship too. Gi-Gyu turned to look at them, chatting and smiling.

‘Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.’?Gi-Gyu wasn’t opposed to the relationship. He was just still in shock despite them being together for a while now.

In the past, Tae-Shik and Suk-Woo had kept Su-Jin and Yoo-Jung safe. Tae-Shik had to leave them, so Suk-Woo had spent a lot more time with the two women and risked his life to protect them.

‘And Yoo-Jung fell for him during that time.’?

At first, Suk-Woo had pushed her away, but Yoo-Jung had chased him relentlessly.

With another sigh, Gi-Gyu muttered, “All the hardships are over now, and everyone is busy falling in love. Why is that?”

“I think everyone wanted to love, but they just didn’t have the energy for it. But now that we are safe, we can all follow our hearts.” Su-Jin smiled beautifully. With help from the elixir, she looked like a pretty girl in her 20s.

“I guess you’re right, Mother.” Gi-Gyu nodded with a smile.

Just then, El appeared. “Sorry, I’m late.”

She sat next to Gi-Gyu, and he finally raised his glass with a relaxed smile.

“I would like to congratulate my mother and Tae-Shik hyu—I mean, my stepfather, on their upcoming wedding.”

Gi-Gyu’s mother and Tae-Shik had been dating for a while now, and next week would be their long-awaited wedding.