Chapter 31
Unexpected Encounter
Edward made his way toward the receptionist desk in the lobby.
He wanted to ask about the manager's whereabouts. He could have easily called or messaged him — but he'd already been impolite once before, issuing commands like he owned the place. A direct visit felt like the least he could do to make up for it.
He wanted to apologize, and to give his proper thanks for their quick response earlier.
The lobby was spacious — a little too spacious, really, with a dedicated coffee service station staffed by its own baristas, and a guest rest area scattered with comfortable seating. A decent number of people were settled in, filling the space with quiet chatter.
Passing through the resting area, Edward overheard someone talking loudly on their phone.
"Father! I got kicked by an ungrateful woman last night! I politely asked her and even offered her a ton of money, but she actually dared to kick me in the groin!
"Father… if your son can't give you grandchildren, it's her fault! So please — teach her a lesson!"
Edward felt a strange surge of irritation hearing it. He didn't know this person. He didn't know the woman involved either. But it didn't take much to read between the lines — why would a girl suddenly kick someone in the groin without reason? And the mention of offering her money…
'Did this guy actually try to pay her for something? What a nutcase.'
Shaking his head, Edward chose to keep his distance and moved on toward the front desk.
He explained to the receptionist that he was looking for the manager. One of them picked up the desk phone immediately and made a call, then informed Edward that the manager would be with him shortly and asked him to wait in the lobby.
Edward sighed lightly.
He had come specifically to go to the manager — and now the manager was coming to him instead. A small irony.
Reluctantly, he found himself a seat. By some unfortunate coincidence, the closest available one was not far from the loud phone-caller from before — about ten meters away.
The man was off the phone now, smiling to himself in a way that made Edward's earlier impression of him even worse.
He shook his head again and looked away.
After about five minutes, the manager appeared from the direction of the lifts, walking briskly toward him.
Edward stood up to meet him.
But before the manager could close the distance, the man from before suddenly shot up from his seat and stepped into the manager's path with an enthusiastic wave.
"Sir Manager! What a coincidence running into you here!"
The manager stopped short, clearly caught off guard. Then he saw who it was — and his expression shifted immediately into one of open displeasure.
"Ranga… you again. What is it this time? Don't tell me you've gone and done something stupid again.
"Actually — before you answer that, let me say this: I am tired of your nonsense. Can you find somewhere else to spend your time? I don't get paid nearly enough to clean up after you."
Arms crossed, expression flat, the manager made no effort to soften any of it.
Ranga pouted.
'If this manager wasn't someone close to my dad — someone who helped him get where he is — I wouldn't put up with being spoken to like this for even a second.'
"Sir, please — it's just a small favor," Ranga said, flashing a foolish grin.
The manager sighed, then looked toward Edward with an apologetic expression.
"Sir Edward, I'm sorry about this. Please give me just a moment with him."
Edward smiled and nodded. But he didn't move far — he stayed on his feet nearby, well within earshot.
He was curious. And if this turned into something the manager couldn't easily shake off, he wasn't entirely opposed to stepping in.
"Alright, say what you want," the manager said flatly.
Ranga didn't waste any time.
"Sir, it's like this — last night, after a party with some friends, I was heading back to my room when I ran into a really beautiful girl in the corridor. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, honestly. I asked for her name, and she attacked me, just like that.
"I want the manager to track her down and bring her to see me. Help me get some justice here!"
Edward frowned immediately.
'This guy… he told a completely different story when he was talking to his father. If the manager actually helps him, the other party is going to get dragged into something.'
'Let's wait. Maybe the manager won't play along.'
"Ranga." The manager's voice was dry. "I'm already skeptical. Are you sure you're the innocent party here? Who is this girl? Describe her — I'll speak with her myself first. If your version checks out, I'll consider helping you. If it doesn't… well, expect a call from your father."
Ranga's grin flickered. A cold glint passed through his eyes for a split second before he forced the smile back.
"Haha, of course, of course. I'll tell you everything. She had really beautiful black hair — with this unique white streak on the left side. And her eyes it's different, what's the word for it…"
Edward stepped forward. His tone was cold.
"Heterochromia."
Ranga blinked at the person who had spoken, then frowned.
That expression. Cold, controlled, looking straight through him. He knew that kind of face — the kind that looked down on people without even trying. He hated it.
"Who are you?" His temper was close to the surface, but he held it — just long enough to size up the other party.
Edward stopped about a meter away. The height difference did the rest — it made the already-flat look on his face land even harder.
"Me? Just someone who knows that girl. So — what do you want?"
Ranga scoffed. The vein at his temple pulsed.
"Heh! Big guy, huh? So you want to cover for her? Be my guest!"
Without any further warning, he threw an uppercut with his right hand.
Edward had already seen it coming. He caught the fist.
The impact made a sharp sound that cut through the lobby noise.
Both of them went still for a fraction of a second — surprised by what they felt in that collision.
They were both awakened.
They separated quickly, putting distance between them.
Ranga clicked his tongue and let out a string of curses under his breath.
"You've actually got some power. Fine — don't you dare run, because I'm about to show you what real power looks like."
Edward's expression settled into something serious. He shifted his weight, taking a combat stance.
The commotion had already drawn attention. People around them had pulled back, forming a wide, instinctive ring of distance.
The manager — realizing far too late how quickly things had escalated — moved to intervene, reaching for Ranga to pull him back.
But Ranga was already past caring. He shoved the manager aside without even looking at him — hard enough that the man stumbled backward and hit the floor with a heavy, audible impact.
The crowd gasped.
Several staff members rushed toward the manager immediately. The fall had been bad. He was clearly hurt.
Han Ji-An had joined the crowd from the moment Edward first confronted Ranga — but she held back, choosing to observe rather than act.
From what she could see, Edward wasn't at a disadvantage. The speed of his reaction to that sneak uppercut at close range told her enough — he had real skill in hand-to-hand combat.
'Even Edward isn't simple. He's an awakener too. Maybe he's special in his own way, like Lucia…'
She tilted her head slightly.
'Then why didn't he follow her and join the organization?'
The fight continued.
Edward's voice came out low and steady.
"If you keep this up, it won't end well for you."
He was already in stance — weight balanced, gaze locked on Ranga's body, reading every small shift in his posture.
Ranga didn't bother thinking it over. He closed the distance in one explosive motion, crossing nearly five meters in a single second.
He threw an overhead punch — a superman punch — driving his right fist down toward Edward's head.
Edward ducked right. His hand was already in position. A single, precisely measured punch drove into Ranga's stomach.
Ranga stumbled backward, nearly losing his footing. His hand flew to his gut, face twisting in pain. But he didn't go down.
He came in again — this time launching himself into the air, right leg cocked for a flying kick aimed at Edward's midsection.
The distance between them was too short.
Edward couldn't get clear in time. The kick caught his forearm instead, and the impact shunted him back a step.
He felt it. It hurt. But nothing gave way.
'As long as nothing breaks, it's fine.'
Edward shifted gears.
He moved to close the distance — but not head-on. He swept in from the side in a wide, crescent arc, posture slightly lowered, right hand already drawn back. The target this time was the face.
Ranga saw him coming and panicked, reflexively dropping his guard to cover his stomach.
He never saw the real target.
The punch landed clean — Edward's knuckle catching the left cheek with a controlled burst of force. Not full power. Calculated. But still well beyond what a normal person could throw.
Ranga's face snapped to the side. His eyes rolled back. Several teeth cracked and flew free along with a spray of blood and saliva.
He dropped backward and hit the floor unconscious.
The crowd went dead quiet for a moment.
Hotel staff moved in immediately to check his vitals. An awakener wouldn't die from a hit like that — but the confirmation still brought a visible wave of relief through the staff huddled around him.
They called for an ambulance anyway, not wanting to risk any damage that a professional needed to catch.
Edward stood where he was after the fight ended and let out a long, heavy sigh as he watched Ranga on the floor.
Then he looked to the side.
The manager was on his feet — barely — being steadied by a staff member. It was plain to see that the shove from an awakened person had done real damage to an ordinary body.
Edward felt that. This whole situation had partly escalated because of him.
He crossed over and apologized directly.
"I'm truly sorry for the mess I caused, sir. I'll cover all the damages from today. And for the inconvenience — I'd like to arrange an additional cut for the hotel restaurant on all ingredient purchases from our suppliers for the next month. That's a promise. Please accept this apology."
The manager smiled, though it looked a little tired around the edges.
"Sir Edward, honestly… that isn't necessary. Ranga is an acquaintance of mine — I know his father quite well. And Ranga himself is a well-known troublemaker in this city. It's partly our fault for continuing to accept him as a guest, and for allowing him to become a problem for other guests. You don't need to compensate us to this extent."
Edward stepped forward and quietly helped the manager find his footing more steadily.
"This isn't only for what happened just now, sir. It's also an apology for the manner of my call earlier — and a gesture of gratitude for your staff's fast response when my friend needed help. I hope you'll accept it as that."
The manager could see there was no winning this particular argument. He gave a gracious nod — making sure to do so with appropriate humility, the way one ought to when receiving something from someone like Edward.
After a little more back and forth, they parted. The manager was still in need of treatment himself, and the ambulance had arrived right on cue — the first responders already wheeling Ranga out on a stretcher as the crowd began to break apart and drift away.
As the lobby settled back into something resembling normalcy, Edward scanned the thinning crowd.
He found Han Ji-An near the edge of it, watching him with a quiet, unreadable smile.
He shook his head inwardly. Of all the people to witness that particular performance.
He walked over. She kept her gaze on him the whole way.
"Team Leader Han — did you catch the whole show?" He kept his tone light, testing the water.
"Hahaha. Yes, I caught it from the very beginning actually." Han Ji-An covered her smile with her hand in that gracious way of hers. "Quite the performance, Sir Edward."
"So." He studied her expression. "I'm guessing you have some questions for me, Team Leader Han?"
He had a feeling she hadn't ended up here by accident. She had come looking for him — probably right after he left the room.
"Aha~ You really are sharp, Sir Edward." She smiled again, then gestured toward the nearby seating area. "Shall we sit?"
They moved over together. As they settled into their seats, Han Ji-An spoke first.
"I hope this isn't too forward — but I'm curious. Would you be willing to answer some personal questions? About yourself, and about your friend Lucia?"
Edward was quiet for a couple of seconds, considering.
"I see." He leaned forward slightly, both hands resting on the table between them, a subtle smile on his face. "Let's hear the questions first."