Chapter 16

<Episode 17> NTR’s fine, but mind control or drugs are cheating. Let’s settle this fairly, man to man.

I’ve never felt lonely for not having parents.

Chul-soo is what you’d call a dirt spoon genius.

The adults around him feel sorry for the poor kid.

They praise his immense talent and say he’s amazing,

but when they hear he’s an orphan, they pity him.

On the other hand, there are people who envy Chul-soo.

“We don’t have any talent,” they say, “and with those sword skills, shouldn’t he be satisfied?”

“Isn’t that enough already?”

They’re right.

Even Chul-soo thought so.

After all, his life was pretty happy.

He has a sweetheart from childhood.

He has the strength to protect her.

With just these things, he thought it was enough.

That’s how he used to think…

Until *that guy* showed up.

Chul-soo has never doubted his own power.

Let me repeat: He’s a genius.

In swordsmanship, he’d confidently say he doesn’t lose to most heroes.

And yet, Yu-jin Kim easily knocked him down.

It makes no sense.

Why does a human trash like him have such power?

Didn’t they say great power comes with great responsibility?

What responsibility could that buffoon possibly bear?

‘To you, Young-hee is just one of the many girls passing by, right?’

Sure, Young-hee is beautiful, kind, and charming.

Girls as pretty as Young-hee are hard to find.

She’ll only get more radiant as she grows up.

But isn’t Yu-jin surrounded by countless women?

Being the successor of Hwagcheon, if he wanted to pick someone to date, he’d have a line forming, right?

‘And yet, you’re trying to take even my one-and-only Young-hee away?’

Even if you gave me thousands of beauties, none would compare to Young-hee.

Could that guy really love and desire Young-hee to that extent?

Absolutely not.

He’s just bored and wants to play with her for a while.

Just the idea of him touching Young-hee with such trivial feelings fills me with unbearable rage.

‘Getting angry won’t solve anything. The question is how to handle this.’

Yeah, worrying won’t do much good.

What matters is the power to get Young-hee back.

At least a force strong enough to match Yu-jin Kim.

‘How can I obtain such power?’

While pondering over various thoughts, Chul-soo was deeply immersed in training.

After finishing his practice and heading back, his steps halted.

‘What… is that?’

Chul-soo spotted Yu-jin.

Seeing him enter a hotel in broad daylight left him flabbergasted.

If that were all, he might’ve just cursed under his breath and turned away.

The problem was that the guy had Young-hee piggybacked on him.

And she appeared unconscious, asleep.

“That bastard!”

Chul-soo’s eyes flared with anger.

Losing all composure, he sprinted straight toward the hotel.

Yu-jin was genuinely perplexed.

Shouldn’t you drop some hints before starting a plot twist?

Did I miss something crucial here?

This is absurdly sudden. Did someone write this with their feet?

“I heard someone barged into the hotel unexpectedly. It caused quite a commotion.”

The manager quickly responded to Biseo Park’s words.

“Sorry! We guarantee our security is top-notch, but the intruder’s skills were extraordinary. Over ten staff members were taken down.”

Of course, these “staff” weren’t ordinary—they were skilled enough to hold their own against most mafia groups.

With proper weapons and training, they could serve as professional mercenaries.

Still, Chul-soo managed to single-handedly defeat them—his martial prowess was undeniably impressive.

However, failing to provide proper service to a VVIP remains a fact.

The manager anxiously observed, worried about triggering Yu-jin’s displeasure.

Anyway, despite being baffled about the situation…

‘Seriously, why did Chul-soo come here? This makes zero sense. What should I do?’

Rationally speaking, Chul-soo is a criminal.

Regardless of circumstances, he violently invaded an establishment.

Under normal conditions, he’d end up handcuffed without a word to defend himself.

Biseo must’ve informed me because Chul-soo is my friend.

Although, Biseo mistakenly assumed this was part of my plan and marveled at it, which Yu-jin didn’t bother correcting.

‘Even so, sending a friend to jail seems harsh.’

If I were my past self, there wouldn’t have been much I could do.

But now, I’m a filthy rich heir.

I can afford to book a whole hotel for just a short rest.

Money isn’t an issue for me anymore.

If I set my mind to it, covering this up wouldn’t be difficult.

‘We’re loaded, and money fixes everything!’

Helping a friend without hesitation—that’s my flex.

Though unintentionally, this action might push the rival further into despair.

Nevertheless, my intentions were good.

“How many are injured?”

The manager jolted upon hearing this.

Is he about to criticize our inadequate skills?

‘If he tells me to fire them, that’ll be quite a blow.’

They were precious talents.

Money might be easy to come by, but finding capable people is far harder.

But we’re talking about Hwagcheon here.

An excuse won’t cut it with them.

“There are ten severely injured and a few lightly wounded.”

Yu-jin turned to Biseo.

“Ensure they receive proper medical compensation and fair settlement payments. Make sure this matter doesn’t resurface.”

“Understood.”

The manager’s eyes widened.

Wait, medical expenses and settlements?

Even if the cause originated from Yu-jin himself, once paid, guarding the hotel remains their duty.

……

Yet, he’s willing to take responsibility instead?

The Hwagcheon heir?!

‘I’ve heard rumors that the current successor is different. But I never imagined someone from that organization could show such magnanimity.’

The manager revised his assessment of Yu-jin internally.

Though whispers suggested his position as successor wasn’t secure,

this clearly indicated he wasn’t corrupt.

“I apologize for causing trouble! Measures will be taken to prevent such incidents, ensuring no further issues arise. I swear again to Mr. Kim Yu-jin.”

Choosing to pledge loyalty to Yu-jin rather than Hwagcheon itself symbolized personal allegiance.

Yu-jin nodded approvingly.

“Thank you. And I wish to speak privately with this young man. Please leave us.”

“Eh? But…?”

“There’s no need to question Lord’s judgment.”

Biseo interrupted the nervous manager.

“He’s several steps ahead of us. Just follow his orders.”

“But this guy isn’t someone to underestimate. Even though he’s weakened, attacking now would still be futile. If he harms Lord, I’d lose face forever.”

“Our Lord? Even your entire guard team couldn’t harm him. Don’t worry.”

There was nothing to retort after that snarky reply.

Is the current Hwagcheon heir truly that strong?

Strong enough for his dedicated secretary to vouch for him like this?

‘Whatever the specifics, I better latch onto this connection tightly.’

With a nod from the manager, the guards released Chul-soo.

Whether from exhaustion or realizing resistance would be futile,

Chul-soo refrained from immediate attack.

“Then we shall take our leave.”

Once everyone exited, only Yu-jin and Chul-soo remained in the hotel room.

Yu-jin walked over and sat casually.

“Care to sit?”

Chul-soo glared fiercely at Yu-jin before stepping closer.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Yu-jin felt slightly wronged inside.

‘What did I do wrong?!’

At worst, I just broke his arm,

didn’t visit him properly after he got sick,

and promised help during class but ended up shooting bullets everywhere.

Thinking about it, I’ve done quite a bit.

Hmm, I’d probably be mad too.

Still, I covered for you just now; let’s call it even, alright?

“Here, drink this.”

Yu-jin offered the mysterious liquid he was about to sip himself.

Judging by his heavy breathing, he seemed pretty exhausted.

Chul-soo chugged it in one go then slammed it down roughly.

“Where’s Young-hee?”

Young-hee? Why is he suddenly asking about her?

‘By the way, how did he know she was with me?’

As he pondered, the slime in his head chimed in.

-Are you serious? That dude obviously likes her.

‘Huh? You mean… Chul-soo likes Young-hee?’

Well, it’s not entirely implausible.

Chul-soo’s pretty handsome, and Young-hee’s gorgeous too.

Plus, their names are literally Chul-soo and Young-hee.

Maybe fate drew them together.

‘Come to think of it, during the Ogre incident, Chul-soo said something like “take Young-hee even if you leave me behind.”’

If that’s true, everything makes sense.

From Chul-soo’s perspective, the girl he likes ended up in a hotel.

Needless to say, imagining certain adult scenes unfolding next would drive anyone insane.

‘Hmm, given the hormonal teenage mindset, it’s understandable for his brain to fry.’

Who would’ve guessed such a situation existed?

Still, I’m not that trashy.

Though, bringing a girl to a hotel does kinda ruin trust, huh?

Even a decade-long friendship wouldn’t survive walking into a hotel together.

Yu-jin pointed to the bedroom where Young-hee slept.

“Young-hee’s resting in that room.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chul-soo bolted toward it.

Phew, he’s passionate, alright.

‘Does Young-hee know about his feelings…? Probably not.’

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked me to meet with both of them, right?

Seems like unrequited love.

Interfering in a friend’s romance is as childish as it gets.

So Yu-jin shrugged it off and changed clothes.

You can’t stay in a bathrobe forever, right?

Just as he was about to sip another potion,

“Haa! Uuuugh! Haaa!”

“What? Chul-soo? Wait! Ah!”

Suddenly, strange noises erupted.

Walking over, Yu-jin almost doubted his eyes.

What the actual hell?

“Yo, Young-hee! Sorry, but I can’t hold back anymore!”

“No, stop it! Get a grip, Chul-soo! Aah…”

Damn, you crazy fool!

Even if you’re a hormone-driven teenager, there are lines you shouldn’t cross!

Fuming, Yu-jin marched over and whacked Chul-soo hard on the back of his head.

---