The Transmigrated Author

[Seoul's Main IDS Station - Lounge Room]

"Hey, can't we go already?" Bazz approached Lan, who was seated in the lounge area.

"Well, sorry Bazz, we can't leave yet..." Lan glanced at his sheet. "We're missing one person."

Bazz rolled his eyes walking back to his luggage.

"If he overslept, he can just catch up later on," Louise chimed in, urging his cousin to go. "Right, Val?"

Valencia, who was napping on Lyra's shoulder, was nudged awake by Camila, who pointed towards Louise.

"Wuh... what is it now?" Valencia wiped her eyes.

"You think we should leave now, Val?" Louise looked at her, but Valencia struggled to keep her eyes open.

"It's warm here... me sleep."

Louise sighed, wondering when they were going to leave, and then... Jan noticed a figure in the distance, carrying luggage and a duffle bag.

Despite the distance, Jan could make out the person wearing glasses, with their hair tied up at the back of their head.

The individual appeared well put together, dressed in a hoodie and long coat, paired with all-black pants.

"Woah... he came prepared for this trip," Lyra and Camila turned to Jan's voice, watching him gaze at someone in the distance.

As Rel approached, he walked up to Lan and apologized, "I'm sorry for being late," bowing respectfully as he placed his luggage down.

Lan reassured him, shaking his hands, "It's okay! Our transport schedule isn't until half an hour later."

Alice and Jae Yoona, seated further away, glanced over at Rel.

Jae gave Alice a knowing look, commenting, "Heyyy... Alice look! he's got a new hairstyle, and he looks like he's a fashionista as well."

Alice blushed, stammering, "Stop it, Jae! I hate when you do that."

Jae shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "Okay then."

Lan made his way to the center of the couches, clapping his hands to get the club's attention. "Okay, everyone! We're all here!" His smile was infectious.

As everyone settled in, he continued in a more serious tone, "Before we head out, some quick logistics stuff. Since this is our first club trip and I'm officially in charge of keeping you all alive, we're going to buddy up for safety."

He gestured towards a box on the table.

"Every name is in there. Draw one, that's your partner for the whole trip. No swapping! And if you draw your own name, toss it back and try again."

Sighs echoed around the room, including one from Rel, but they all followed the rules.

"I'll go first."

Louise shot his hand up, already imagining drawing Valencia's name – maybe this could turn into a date!

He snatched a slip of paper without hesitation.

The name Louise had drawn was...

"Noah Davies."

Noah sighed beside him. "Guess that's alright. You're not too bad, I suppose."

Louise, trying to mask his disappointment, gave Noah a quick nod.

He muttered under his breath, "Should've waited till the end..."

The following names for partners have been drawn:

Louise De Villerion - Noah Davies

Jae Yoona - Alice Elizabeth

Bazz Wong - Lyra Anette

Miya Takeo - Lan Villerion

***

{Rel's POV}

Seeing the current draws, it was going according to the novel's progression.

But now that all my safe options were most likely gone, I felt an extreme wave of nervousness seeing the remaining names:

Jan, Valencia, and Camila.

I still believed there was a good chance I could get Jan or Camila, but those choices were unlikely to happen since the two were basically destined to be the focal point of this arc.

"I'll go next."

Jan announced, raising his hand and walking over to the box beside Lan.

Without much thought, he drew out a name, and his eyes suddenly darted towards Valencia.

"I guess you're my partner for the trip, Val!" Jan grinned, and Valencia, looking tired, simply nodded in response.

The tension I felt at that moment surpassed the thoughts of spending three days with Valencia.

I doubted she'd even let me near her.

Honestly, everything is normal, except Jan and Camila aren't partners anymore. But this doesn't affect the plot too much.

stare...

Valencia being Jan's support during the museum event would be more fitting, than a mage who can launch large-scale attacks on countless buildings.

stare...

Camila was practically rendered useless for that fight.

Now I can breathe easily. Jan's safer in any event, even if the system ups the difficulty to match that demon threat.

stare...

Though I couldn't help it... but why do I feel like someone was watching me?

For a moment, I turned to see Jan approaching Valencia... or was I imagining it?

But Valencia was she?

Ah... maybe I'm just overthinking it.

haah...

Well, at least I got Camila as my partner, which is also good. She's less bothersome than Valencia anyway.

"Now that we have the pairs sorted, everyone packs up your belongings, and I'll let one of the employees know that we're ready."

Everyone nodded, and I quickly gathered my things and followed.

"no...ah...why?"

As I turned my head towards Camila, I could see her face was devastated by the fact that Jan was taken.

heh... well, it's not my fault of course. Valencia was just luckier than her.

***

[Country: France, City: Paris, IDS Station: Gare du Soleil (Station Of The Sun)]

Landing in Paris, the capital of France, our group stumbled through endless procedures before entering.

Luggage searches galore... but thankfully Lan flashed his school ID, saving us from nosy guards from some rival mercenary group.

Finally stepping outside the IDS station, I found myself on the main street, right near the Louvre!

The main street near the Louvre, known as the Rue de Rivoli, is a bustling area that stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the edge of the Marais district.

It's lined with shops, cafes, and historic buildings, it is one of the most famous streets in Paris.

I just couldn't help it... remembering this feeling... the air was alive with the usual sounds you'd hear in the main city—the honking of cars, the chatter of people in various languages, and the distant notes of street musicians.

It made me wonder if football existed in this novel; then, I would've become a professional footballer instead of a hero, lol.

Exiting the IDS station, a voice echoed, "Everyone over here!" Lan waved his hand towards us as we emerged.

Shortly after, we ended up at Café RUC, a place popular with locals and tourists alike.

I had been here quite a few times in my previous life, and the coffee they made was something to remember.

Would it be crazy if the same people who worked here appeared at this place just like in my life back then? I hoped so.

As we settled around a corner of the café that accommodated up to 11 seats, everyone was able to get free food through Lan's membership card, which basically meant:

"Oh, I'm a Villerion, and everything here is free."

Judging by the waiter's reaction, he was very familiar with his name and took our orders without much thought.

I ordered the croque monsieur, a classic French ham and cheese sandwich, grilled to perfection.

Everyone else went crazy ordering everything on the menu for breakfast.

...

...

...

"Okay, now that everyone's eaten, I've arranged for rides from my family's guild. We'll be heading to the hotel to drop off our things. They should be here in a few minutes, so grab your things, and we'll be on our way out."

A hand shot up, and Lan, noticing, responded, "Yes, Valencia?"

"What hotel are we staying at? Because if my father finds out we're at a bad hotel, he'll probably complain."

Lan sighed, "Don't worry. I've planned in advance. The hotel we're staying at is Hôtel Plaza Athénée."

pffttt!!!

spitting out my coffee I heard 'Plaza Athénée'

It was one of the dream hotels on my bucket list.

Now that it was becoming a reality, I couldn't wait any longer to head towards the building.

Exiting Café RUC, I saw a bodyguard in all black waiting for us on the street.

Right behind him? A limo that looked like it could fit half the city inside.

Lan approached, and the bodyguard opened the door in one smooth motion.

"Come on guys! Leave your luggage, our handy bodyguard will handle everything."

Dropping my bags, I followed everyone inside, sticking close to Jan for safety.

There was no way I was risking a seat next to someone noisy (Bazz) or grumpy (Valencia).

____________

Authors Notes:

- When it comes to student club activities Pinnacle allows a 3-day weekend once a month,(Friday - Sunday) for clubs to go on trips or excursions to help with mental health and to ensure students still have the privilege of living normal lives.

- Louise is highly resistant to cold weather due to his elemental attribute.

- Rel's a huge Paris Saint Germain fan.

- Rel is fluent in French.

Characters Clothing:

Jan's clothes: Nike Hoodie, Black pants, and Converse shoes.

Valencia's clothes: Streetwear outfit: baggy sweater and baggy pants

Louise: Long black compression sleeves, and grey sweatpants