Befitting the main character of the novel, he was indeed damn handsome. Han Hyeonseok had a tall stature exceeding 180cm, healthy skin tone, and thick eyebrows. He looked a bit older than 19, but that much more intimidating as well. It felt like if I got on his bad side, I’d be buried without anyone knowing.
“Do you know what’s going on right now?”
Fortunately, Han Hyeonseok didn’t seem to be in a bad mood. Rather, he seemed quite expectant. I understood why. He was probably flustered because this was his first transmigration, but unfortunately, this was also my first transmigration. Honestly, when I realized he was a transmigrator, I was as happy as seeing a Korean abroad. What’s more, from Han Hyeonseok’s perspective, his counterpart had just confessed with their own mouth that they were also a transmigrator. Really… Yeah. I was fucking delighted, but I had no intention of getting involved with him.
“Uh… Um… I don’t really know what you’re talking about…”
I played dumb, treating Han Hyeonseok like a strange person as if I had no idea what he was talking about. He narrowed his eyes at my words and glared at me. His gaze was like a beast eyeing its prey, making me wonder if I should beg for my life right now.
“Hmm…”
Nevertheless, as I persisted in playing dumb, Han Hyeonseok lowered the hand that had been gripping my shoulder. Did I fool him? Hiding my joy, I maintained an expression that said I had no idea what was going on and that I was just scared of him. Han Hyeonseok, who had been gauging whether to kill or spare me, placed his lowered hand on my cheek. Then he gently stroked it, which was terrifying enough to give me goosebumps all over my body.
Gulp.
In the continuing silence, I unknowingly swallowed my saliva. The sound of swallowing was so loud that Han Hyeonseok heard it and chuckled. Somehow, every single action he took was terrifying.
“You know.”
After we’d been silent for a while, Han Hyeonseok spoke first. The words came out of nowhere without context, so I had no idea what he was trying to say. I just tensely waited for his next words, but instead of continuing, he stopped the hand that had been gently stroking. Then he lightly tapped my cheek a couple of times. I felt like I might piss myself.
“Since ancient times, they say the cure for a bastard who doesn’t listen is a beating, right?”
“Oh my god, are you crazy?”
Hap.
At his insane words, harsh words reflexively burst out. I realized my mistake and covered my mouth with my hand, but the water had already been spilled. I shrank my body while reading the room as much as possible, and perhaps finding that sight quite amusing, Han Hyeonseok smiled with the corners of his mouth raised. He looked like a criminal. Come to think of it, Han Hyeonseok’s family was a political family. One that had decorated the news with unfavorable stories and received multiple police investigations. Oh dear. He already had criminal blood in him.
“What. Originally, if you get hit, everything comes out.”
I had no idea what he’d seen and learned to make such scary words sound natural, nor did I want to know. Fortunately, having learning ability, I managed to hold back what almost slipped out: ‘By any chance, is your dream job to be a gangster?’
“Then shall we go back to the beginning now?”
“…Yes.”
Fists were closer than the law. The choice of words that could come from my mouth, glancing at the large palm with prominent knuckles still placed on my cheek, included nothing other than ‘yes or yes.’
“What do you know?”
But I felt wronged. Because I truly knew nothing. I didn’t even properly know the contents of this novel. What I knew was merely that I had transmigrated into a novel my coworker had been reading, and that the content was about several men falling in love with one protagonist and all living together. The more I thought about it, I felt fucking wronged.
“But, I really don’t know anything either…”
“Don’t talk back.”
“I really don’t know anything.”
I didn’t know what his original age was, but we were both 19 now anyway, so I wondered why he was nitpicking every little thing, but using respectful speech wouldn’t kill me, so when I immediately switched to polite language, he nodded as if pleased. What a sight. This bastard was definitely an old fart in his thirties.
“Please really believe me.”
I looked up earnestly, hoping he would please believe me. My neck hurt because he was taller by about a head. Perhaps seeing the desperation and sincerity in me, with my hands clasped together and eyes glistening enough that it wouldn’t be strange if I cried right now, Han Hyeonseok looked at me with a half-doubting face this time.
Han Hyeonseok went “Hmm…” once more, then lowered the hand that had been on my cheek. Then with that hand, he grabbed my wrist and lifted it up. The hand that had been gripping lightly slowly applied more force, then soon gripped so strongly that a weak scream came out.
“If I catch you lying, your wrist flies off, got it?”
His cold gaze and monotone voice conveyed his sincerity. In reality, Han Hyeonseok had the background to cover up whether he killed or spared me. A wrist or so would be no problem. As I froze without being able to answer, he squeezed my wrist tightly as if telling me to snap out of it. An “Agh” sound came out naturally.
“Answer.”
“Yes.”
This time too, I obediently gave the answer he wanted. Rather than that, it was the truth, not a lie or anything. Perhaps because I answered too easily, Han Hyeonseok didn’t seem to completely believe me. But no, I mean, what am I supposed to do when I’m so fucking wrongfully confident?
“Your name, grade, class.”
“…Kim Hyeonmin, 3rd year Class 2…”
At the demand for my personal information, I had an ominous feeling, but as expected, there was nothing I could do this time either. Just as you crawl when told to crawl and bow when told to bow, answering questions well would be beneficial for my well-being. It was information Han Hyeonseok could find out anytime he wanted anyway. It would be better to cooperate obediently.
“Your original name?”
At his question asking for my original name, my eyes widened. I had transmigrated about half a year ago. In this world where I was dropped alone without anyone I knew, I had thought there would be no more occasions for my original name to be called or spoken.
“Seo Jiwoo… It’s Seo Jiwoo.”
“Seo Jiwoo.”
Han Hyeonseok repeated my name. He even nodded his head, slowly and heavily placing it in his mouth. That somehow made me feel like crying. The sentiment of introducing my name and the moment it was called for the first time in half a year was extraordinary. Somehow my chest seemed to swell and I felt a distant longing. The atmosphere suddenly became strange. I suddenly became curious about Han Hyeonseok’s, his original name. I was scared to ask him anything, but I decided to muster up courage.
“Ah, ahjussi… Ah. Hyung. Hyung. What’s hyung’s name?”
While contemplating what to call him, I remembered his old fart-like aspect and called him ahjussi. But as soon as the word ahjussi came out of my mouth, Han Hyeonseok glared at me with eyes like he would kill me. It seemed I’d hit the mark. Since life was precious, when I immediately corrected from ahjussi to hyung, only then did he relax his eyes.
“Will you know if you hear it?”
“Then did I ask because I would know if I heaaaard it!”
“Getting cocky, aren’t you?”
His nerve was truly excellent. He mocked my question, for which I had squeezed out every bit of courage I had and didn’t have, with a snorting remark that dismissed it. Whether my reason also shattered along with the awkward but slightly wistful atmosphere that crashed down, I also mocked him back.
But perhaps annoyed by that, Han Hyeonseok squeezed my wrist again with all his might, making me let out a loud scream. I would definitely bruise. Of course, whether I screamed or not, he only said what he wanted to say and sneered.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
I’ll say it many times, but there’s nothing bad about being obedient, and being servile doesn’t kill you either. I’m just a rational human being. As proof, hearing my apology, he smiled as if pleased and released the strength from his hand. I wished he would remove his hand from my wrist altogether, but worried about stirring up trouble for nothing, I didn’t say anything.
“Well, fine. Anyway, you’re the only one in the same situation as me. Better than nothing, I guess.”
“Very wise words.”
He looked at me with a somehow intrigued face and slowly opened his mouth. He seemed to be expecting my reaction.
“Lee Hyeonseok.”
“Lee Hyeonseok. …Lee Hyeonseok? Lee Hyeonseok, Lee Hyeonseok… Somehow it’s a name I think I’ve heard somewhere…?”
Unlike me, his name was the same except for the surname. Lee Hyeonseok. Just as he had heavily placed my name in his mouth, I also placed his name in my mouth. Then, tilting my head at the somehow familiar name, I called it again several times. Hmm. It feels like I’d remember if there was just a little something more.
“Were you perhaps a celebrity?”
“No.”
I asked once more in the end. I worried he might snap at me again this time, but fortunately, he answered right away. If it was a name I’d heard a lot, I thought maybe he was a celebrity, but the way he immediately said no seemed like he wasn’t lying. But I had a memory of hearing it in the media.
“I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere…”
“Looks like we came from the same place.”
“Pardon?”
Lee Hyeonseok’s eyes, narrowed to slits, were full of amusement. I wanted to be happy about the words that we came from the same place, but somehow the ominous feeling wouldn’t go away.
“The illegitimate son of TL Group, they say.”
“Ah. Illegitimate son. Ah… Aha? Ah. I see. Of TL Group, that, the person who appears in the media whenever you’re about to forget?”
“That’s right, that person.”
I rubbed my face with my free hand. Oh my, you didn’t have decent character originally either. I should have noticed from the way you threatened as naturally as breathing.
TL Group. A corporation that doesn’t exist in this place, but assuming he and I came from the same world, TL Group was a company that definitely ranked within the top 10 in domestic business rankings, centered on distribution, trade, and services. And that family’s illegitimate son, Lee Hyeonseok, went up and down in the media whenever you were about to forget about him. Of course, not in a good sense. It was for gambling, drugs, and assault.
“Please just spare my life.”
“Let’s do well, yeah?”
I’m saying this for the last time, but I’m not servile, just a rational human being. I’m just trying to use Lee Hyeonseok.
