Chapter 4

<PUCKHWA> Roughly, the story is about an ex-girlfriend having dinner with another guy.

“Did this kid really borrow money from me?”

That was all that was on Yu-jin’s mind.

The girl across from him was so beautiful it made you want to gasp.

Why else would someone like her be in this situation?

“How much could she possibly owe?”

As far as Yu-jin knew, his current family was filthy rich.

Not just well-off, but suspiciously loaded.

So lending her money wouldn’t be unusual…

“Honestly, this is why you shouldn’t mess around with loan sharks.”

After finishing his random thoughts, Yu-jin nodded to himself.

Still, he couldn’t leave a classmate in this state.

“Hmm, are people looking at us strangely?”

If anything, it was eerily quiet.

In fact, there wasn’t a single person around.

Is this big hospital completely empty of patients?

Well, this otherworld certainly is mysterious.

“Get up already.”

“Yeah, hurry up.”

At Yu-jin’s words, the girl hesitantly stood up.

She kept her eyes downcast, glancing around nervously.

Even her nervousness looked cute, making him unconsciously tense up.

“You do realize what you did was a mistake, right?”

Her body twitched slightly.

The girl clenched her fists tightly.

He tensed up momentarily.

Was she going to hit him for lecturing her?

“Uhh…yeah…”

To his surprise, she simply nodded obediently.

Though tears were welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over any second.

‘Sigh, I’m getting too soft-hearted.’

He had been planning to give her a proper lecture as the older one…

But seeing her like this, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.

She seemed genuinely repentant enough.

“Don’t cry. I’ll just write off the debt.”

The girl’s head snapped up in surprise.

Of course she’d be shocked.

No matter the amount, he was completely forgiving the debt – something only a madman would do.

But Yu-jin had his own reasons.

“In exchange, how about we hang out at school and be friends?”

“Friends…?”

The girl’s eyes widened in confusion.

She clearly didn’t understand what he meant.

“It’s simple. We walk around together, have lunch, chat, go home together – that kind of thing?”

The hardest part of being a loner is definitely lunchtime.

Eating alone is more painful than you’d think.

But with a friend, problem solved!

Especially having lunch with such a pretty girl.

Isn’t that basically the definition of being popular?

‘Using her debt feels a bit dirty, but this will work out for her too.’

The person who lent her the money probably wasn’t him directly.

Even if it was, it must have been the family’s money.

Suggesting they just forgive it would likely get shot down.

But if it’s his friend…

Would any parent coldly reject their son’s friend?

‘Hmm, saving this girl from debt AND gaining a friend? Maybe my past life was Zhuge Liang?’

While Yu-jin was congratulating himself on his brilliant strategy…

The girl asked hesitantly:

“What about Chul-soo…?”

Why did Chul-soo come up now?

Oh, did they used to have lunch together?

“Hmm, things are pretty bad between you two right now. He still hates me.”

Given how Chul-soo broke his own arm…

And still dislikes him.

It’d be impossible to suggest they hang out right now.

“Chul-soo’s not ready.”

The girl’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Her eyes were filled with deep despair.

How long did they stay like that?

Finally, she nodded resignedly.

“…Alright. I’ll do it. But please… keep your promise.”

“Don’t worry, I never break promises.”

“Okay… Please… I’ll do my best…”

The light faded from the girl’s eyes.

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

Poor thing, how much emotional suffering must she have gone through?

Yu-jin reached out and patted her head gently.

“It’s okay, everything will be fine now.”

Young-hee silently accepted his comforting gesture.

Her tear-filled eyes just gazed up at him.

Watching this silently, Biseo Park got goosebumps.

‘What a cruel master!’

Right now, Chul-soo was completely crushed by money and power.

If he saw his girl fawning over their rival…

Wouldn’t that completely break his spirit?

All of this was Yu-jin’s meticulous calculation.

Yet he still pretends to be generous.

Even as his servant, it’s absolutely terrifying.

‘Maybe there was some doubt before, but this young master is truly the only one fit to lead our organization…’

Yu-jin may be young,

But already this level of cruelty…

What will he become when he fully steps into this world?

Biseo Park silently clenched his fist,

Gazing at the young mafia boss before him and imagining the future.

【Unspeakable evil deeds!】

【Your infamy is increasing!】

【The opponent thinks you’re a fitting boss!】

“Wha?! What the hell?!”

Yu-jin was genuinely outraged.

****

There’s one unwritten rule at Hero Academy:

Don’t mess with Kim Yu-jin, successor of Hwagcheon.

The infamy of Hwagcheon needs no explanation.

But even Kim Yu-jin isn’t someone to be trifled with.

What happens if you cross him?

The students were witnessing the consequences firsthand.

“Does it taste good?”

“Yes…”

“Just talk casually like friends.”

“Mm, okay…”

The girl sitting in front of Yu-jin was named Young-hee.

Her beauty was unmatched even in the academy.

A shirt begging for mercy from her generous chest, a slim waist,

Porcelain white skin and large, pitch-black eyes.

She looked like a manga heroine come to life.

Beautiful enough to make you question if someone like that could actually exist.

Even his childhood genius friend Chul-soo…

She should have had a perfect, rosy school life.

“Ah, looks like Young-hee fell too.”

“There was nothing to be done. She broke her boyfriend’s arm.”

“Poor Young-hee…”

Everyone watched her with pitying eyes.

But none dared approach her.

Because the Yu-jin sitting in front of her was truly terrifying.

Meanwhile, Yu-jin was enthusiastically devouring the cafeteria food.

“Woah, this is heaven!”

To Yu-jin, the academy cafeteria was a whole new world.

First of all, it was buffet style!

And the quality of the food was top-notch, not cheap stuff at all.

Some dishes you’d expect to see in fancy hotels.

Plus, you could eat as many plates as you wanted freely.

Even grabbing expensive sushi or exotic fruits didn’t draw any complaints.

‘Thought this world might be different, but in terms of food, it’s definitely superior to reality.’

And to top it off, he had a pretty girl sitting across from him.

‘Eating gourmet food with a girl. Could I already be part of the cool crowd?’

Just this alone was a luxury beyond his previous life’s imagination.

Yu-jin enjoyed his lunch contentedly.

On the other hand, Young-hee was barely picking at her food.

She hadn’t even taken much to begin with.

And what little she had barely decreased.

“Why aren’t you eating? Don’t you like it?”

“Huh? No, it’s delicious.”

Young-hee forced a smile.

But Yu-jin wasn’t pleased with that.

‘You’re in your prime! Eating properly is important!’

Balanced nutrition and proper exercise!

That’s the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

Of course, he understood her concerns as a girl.

Naturally she’d worry about her figure.

But extreme dieting only harms your body.

Proper meals are essential.

Yu-jin speared a cherry tomato and offered it to her.

“Here, at least eat this.”

Young-hee flinched.

Her eyes darted anxiously.

She bit her lip, seemingly conflicted.

Like a wife unable to refuse her husband’s superior’s advances.

But her hesitation didn’t last long.

She closed her eyes tightly, opened her mouth…

“Ahhh…”

Yu-jin was more surprised by her actions.

‘I just wanted to offer it to her!’

Even as friends, feeding someone felt a bit embarrassing.

It felt too much like a romantic couple.

‘Hmm! Maybe among the cool kids, this is normal?’

To become part of the cool crowd, you need to understand their behavior.

This was the moment to take a bold step forward!

Yu-jin carefully placed the tomato in her small mouth.

Her tongue moved as she chewed the tomato.

“Is it good?”

“Mm, sweet…”

Thankfully, he received a positive response to his awkward question.

Relieved, Yu-jin let out a mental sigh.

‘Phew, thought I messed up there.’

Just as he was about to continue his meal…

BOOM!

Something landed heavily on the table.

It was a black box.

The latch clicked open, revealing stacks of cash inside.

“Chul-soo…”

Young-hee murmured faintly.

Looking up late, there stood Chul-soo.

Glaring at him with fiery eyes.

“I don’t need this kind of money.” Money?

Yu-jin belatedly remembered what he told Biseo Park.

‘Wait, I just said to settle the hospital bill and give him a reasonable amount. Didn’t mean for him to give cash!’

Still, maybe it was better to accept it first.

Clearly his arm wasn’t fully healed yet with the cast.

It might be burdensome, but

It would give him peace of mind too.

“Just take it. Life’s tough.”

Chul-soo gritted his teeth.

His gaze shifted to Young-hee sitting beside him.

He closed his eyes briefly to calm his anger before reopening them.

“I’ll definitely come back to reclaim this someday.”

Huh? Reclaim the money later?

Why bother? Just use it.

“If you’re gonna do that, might as well take it now, right?”

Chul-soo clenched his fists tightly.

So hard his muscles were visibly trembling.

‘Hmm, looks like this kid’s been through a lot. Must be tough recovering from that injury.’

Refusing money too?

What a good kid.

Breaking this friend’s bones feels even worse now.

Deep down, guilt started to creep in.

Just as Chul-soo was about to leave…

“Hey, I’ve got a proposal.”

“What?”

Yu-jin looked at Chul-soo’s casted arm.

‘With these classes being like fighting monsters… Pushing yourself with that arm could result in permanent damage.’

Given his clear responsibility for that injury…

He needed to take responsibility.

“How about we sit together during class?”

“That way I can help you out.”

Chul-soo remained silent, furrowing his brows unhappily.

‘Oh right! If I’m around while he’s angry, it’d be awkward.’

Yu-jin quickly gestured to Young-hee beside him.

“Of course, this girl will join too.”

Chul-soo ground his teeth together.

This was clearly provocation.

‘Damn brat.’

There was no way he was letting this slide so easily.

“Fine, I accept.”

Yu-jin nodded satisfactorily.

Let’s become friends again, Chul-soo!

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