# Chapter 8
“Gasp!”
I woke up with a start from a violent dream. Well, that figures. I went to sleep hoping desperately, but sure enough, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes wasn’t my own home.
My face felt tingly. Did someone stare at me intensely while I was sleeping? Well, it was probably just my imagination. More than my face, my stomach hurt worse. I still couldn’t believe I was trapped in this wretched book.
Fortunately, Cha Jaehyun gave me an answer, though it was vague. He said I could return. It’s something at least. As I got up from the bed, I noticed a phone and a small note on the bedside table.
[Young master. The initial password has been set to 1234.]
Even his handwriting was neat and tidy. Typical of the model student Han Woojin. As soon as I turned on the phone, I changed [bastard] to [Han Woojin]. It had been bothering me so much I wanted to change it quickly, and thanks to Woojin, I could change it earlier than expected.
When I strolled out to the living room, I saw a clean floor. It was so polished it sparkled brilliantly. Seems like Han Woojin had cleaned up before leaving.
He’s perfect at everything from studying to all kinds of chores. Though he was a character with almost no significance in the novel, he’s definitely an overpowered character. It’s an undeniable fact that I need to make good use of this Han Woojin person going forward.
Still, I feel a bit better than before dreaming. Before meeting Cha Jaehyun, I was overwhelmed by the situation—not knowing if I could return, or how to handle this predicament. But now I have quite a substantial hope. Yes, 1 year and 6 months. That’s manageable. I should be able to endure it, right?
‘I don’t know anything about Cha Jaehyun’s current situation…’
Now that I know the password, I should first search through this guy’s phone. Looking through the photo gallery, messenger apps, and such should give me a rough idea of what kind of person he is.
‘Let’s start with the photo gallery first?’
I clicked directly on the photo gallery.
‘…?’
When I opened the photo gallery, it was full of nothing but Seo Hanryul’s photos.
Seo Hanryul. When reading the novel, I was frankly annoyed by the excessive praise of his appearance. Well, looking at the photos, I understood 100% why those descriptions were so abundant. So a person can be both chillingly handsome and pretty at the same time. With such outstanding looks, he couldn’t help but be a top star even if he didn’t want to be.
And as expected, Cha Jaehyun was indeed a madman. From everyday photos of Seo Hanryul walking on the street or eating at a restaurant, to private life photos of him resting at home. As I scrolled down, shocking photos began to appear. Photos of Seo Hanryul injured, and even photos of him showering. Especially in the shower photos, Hanryul’s naked back was explicitly revealed.
‘Psycho stalker bastard…’
Disgusting. I could almost cry out of pity for Seo Hanryul, whom I’d never even met. Did Hanryul know that he was being stalked to this serious extent? It might be better if he didn’t know. Better than knowing but being unable to do anything about such a horrific situation. I thought I might find something useful, but I entered the photo gallery only to come out feeling sick without gaining anything.
‘Delete photos?’
YES! YES! I selected all photos related to Seo Hanryul and deleted them. Then I emptied the trash bin completely. Now there wasn’t a single photo left in the gallery. This crazy bastard literally lived only to look at Seo Hanryul.
The situation with the messaging app was similar. Apart from ordering Han Woojin around, there was nothing noteworthy. It became clear that Cha Jaehyun was definitely an “outcast” within the Daejin Group. Not even a trace of contact with Cha Taesan or Cha Taehan. Sighing, I threw the phone onto the bed.
[Ding-. Approximately 1km left until arrival at Red Entertainment.]
As soon as I threw the phone, a strange notification sound was heard.
What’s that sound? Did a navigation app malfunction or something? When I clicked on the unknown notification screen that appeared on the phone, a map popped up. On the map, an arrow-shaped icon was moving in real-time.
Seo Hanryul. That was the name written in the bubble above the icon.
Ah, I see. It’s a location tracking app. I wasn’t even surprised anymore. He could be arrested by the police right now as a criminal caught in the act, and he’d have nothing to say in his defense. As soon as I realized what the notification was, I immediately deleted the location tracking app as well. What else should I delete? No need to worry. I have all day today, so I’ll figure things out gradually.
Anyway, I still have 1 year and 6 months left. There’s absolutely no reason to rush. Let’s have some tea and think slowly. In the kitchen, there was a wine bar, premium tea bags, and bottled drinks all neatly arranged. I grabbed one of the expensive-looking bottled drinks and sat at the bar table, where a view of the Han River spread out before me.
The sun is just setting. The red sun was going down while giving off its last intense glow. The reflection of the sun’s fiery light on the rippling Han River looked like a scene straight out of a movie.
Rich people can see scenes like this every day. I could never afford to live in a house like this even if I worked for my entire life, or even 500 years. Suddenly curious about the house price, I set the location and searched for real estate prices.
[7.4 billion won]
Insane. Absolutely insane. No traces of contact with Cha Taesan or Cha Taehan, yet living in a house like this. Even for a rogue illegitimate child, they provide unlimited financial support. I can’t understand the minds of rich people.
If I were Cha Taesan, I would have kicked Cha Jaehyun out of the house immediately. Yet he still lavishly provides money to his half-son. Not appreciating his own fortune and kicking it away himself, Cha Jaehyun is a fool.
‘If I just avoid causing trouble for 1 year and 6 months, can I return?’
Cha Jaehyun said “if I do well.” If I do well? Perhaps the “if I do well” referred not only to me but also to Cha Jaehyun’s life. Suicide during imprisonment. A miserable ending. If I make an effort from now on to prevent such an ending, doesn’t that mean I can return?
For 1 year and 6 months, I’ll live incredibly well and improve your life too, Cha Jaehyun. You won’t go to prison, and I’ll get to go home. Let’s both win. You should thank me. Suddenly, an inexplicable confidence welled up.
Let’s think. First, Han Woojin. Woojin has already endured all kinds of humiliation by Cha Jaehyun’s side for two years. It will be impossible to restore that relationship. In the novel’s ending, when Cha Jaehyun was sentenced to 15 years, Woojin showed the brightest smile of his life.
But Woojin is very capable. So I can’t distance myself from him right now. I must maintain a business relationship somehow. There’s no way to resolve his hatred, but Woojin is the only one who can be my informant in the current situation.
And then Seo Hanryul. This person is now a complete stranger to me. I can just pretend not to know him and live. At this point, Seo Hanryul and Lee Dojun don’t know each other. If I withdraw now, I won’t have to face Lee Dojun, and Seo Hanryul will become a top star on his own. And the two of them will naturally connect well.
The reason Cha Jaehyun was sentenced to a heavy 15-year term in the novel was ultimately because those two gathered all of Cha Jaehyun’s wrongdoings and exposed them at once. Although I’ve been tormenting Seo Hanryul until now, if I stop from this point forward, the 15-year sentence ending won’t happen.
The problem is Cha Taehan. He’s currently the biggest risk variable. Cha Taehan hates Cha Jaehyun to a brutal extent. Naturally, as an illegitimate child, I could be a thorn in his side. But Cha Taesan already said he would only pass the management rights to Cha Taehan and treated Cha Jaehyun as if he didn’t exist.
From the beginning, Cha Taehan and Cha Jaehyun had completely different starting points, and there’s no need to mention their positions within the Daejin Group. Cha Jaehyun posed no threat to Cha Taehan. He was an insignificant existence, as trivial as a speck of dust passing by. Yet Cha Taesan hated Cha Jaehyun to an extent that made one wonder if it was necessary, and he openly displayed that emotion.
I think there was a scene in the middle of the novel where Cha Taehan brutally beats up Cha Jaehyun… Anyway, it’s clear that Cha Taehan is the most threatening figure to me at this point. Even if I end my relationship with Seo Hanryul now and avoid the 15-year sentence, Cha Taehan could still send me to prison if he finds any excuse.
What should I do? It’s pretty tricky. Even if I avoid Seo Hanryul and Lee Dojun, Cha Taehan might still destroy me.
‘Oh?’
Suddenly an idea came to mind. Why hadn’t I thought of this until now?
Studying in America.
The heavy feeling suddenly lifted as if by magic. There was a scene early in the novel where Chairman Cha Taesan warned Cha Jaehyun. He’s no longer willing to tolerate his rogue lifestyle. Disappear from my sight. Leave Korea.
As soon as Cha Jaehyun heard this, he knelt before Cha Taesan. With tears streaming down, he said, “I will never do anything to incur the Chairman’s wrath again,” and begged to be allowed to stay in Korea. I don’t know why he wanted to stay in Korea so badly.
Out of sight, out of mind. If I leave for America entirely, wouldn’t Cha Taehan’s interest in me decrease, and along with it, his disgust towards me?
Studying in America. How much I dreamed of this during college. How envious I was of friends who could just fly off to America without worrying about money. Although I might be treated as an outcast within the Daejin Group, seeing how they let me live alone in a 7.4 billion won house, I should be able to study in America under the best conditions.
This is a dream opportunity. Although I’ve been possessed by a terrible human, I can turn crisis into opportunity. If I return to my body with the experience of having studied in America… Just thinking about it fills my heart with excitement.
The sun had set, and Seoul’s enchanting night view was beginning to emerge.
‘The night view in America must be even more beautiful than this?’
As I thought about studying in America, all negative thoughts vanished.
Wow, this feels amazing! I should meet Cha Taesan right away and tell him I want to study in America. Cha Taesan won’t object. He was the one who originally told me to leave Korea. When I meet Han Woojin tomorrow, I should first ask him about ways to meet Cha Taesan. I want to leave this place as soon as possible.
As my mind eased, I realized that I hadn’t properly explored this magnificent house yet. Instead of just sitting around, I should tour the house right now.
There’s an expensive audio system visible in the living room. When I turned it on, a trendy pop song played. Tonight, I’ll enjoy a party by myself all night long.
* * *
‘What kind of clothes do the rich wear?’
After enjoying the atmosphere alone in the spacious house, I suddenly became curious. I didn’t look properly earlier, but when I entered the dressing room again, a jaw-dropping sight unfolded. High-end clothes neatly hung on hangers. In the middle space was a transparent showcase with all kinds of accessories displayed inside.
Isn’t that a Rol*x? Wait, how many Rol*xes are there?
Is he really an abandoned child? Selling just three of the Rol*xes here would probably buy a small house in Seoul. Am I really allowed to use all the items here freely? It’s hard to believe. Is this how Cinderella felt overnight?
I should check the drawers too. If I look through the drawers, I’ll probably find underwear as well. What kind of underwear do rich people wear, underwear woven with gold thread? Smiling foolishly to myself, I opened the drawer. As I went through the drawers, I found the compartment storing underwear.
‘Ah… nothing special here.’
The underwear was more ordinary than I expected. Rich people wear underwear similar to mine. At least the underwear is familiar. The thought that both rich people and I wear similar underwear made me laugh, and I reached for the underwear.
“What’s this?”
As I reached out, I heard a crinkling sound. There’s no way clothes would make such a plastic sound. I pressed again and heard the same sound.
‘…?’
When I removed the neatly arranged underwear, three small plastic packs were clearly revealed. Each of the three packs contained a small amount of some unidentified powder.
“Holy shit…”
That’s right. This guy was a complete scum. As soon as I realized what the plastic packs were, my smile completely vanished. The elated feeling disappeared in an instant. What if I hadn’t discovered this today and had just gone to America? Without even needing to think, it would have been a hopeless ending.
‘Ah… there goes my sleep for the night.’
Sleep is truly gone. I need to search this house thoroughly. I must shake it down until not a single grain of rice remains.
