Ch.597Chapter 23. Patriotic General Do Ji-hwan (1)

When too many things happen at once, people find it hard to keep up with the issues.

Even if the whole world is interested in an issue, there’s no particular reason to care if it doesn’t affect your livelihood.

But it’s different when it concerns your rice bowl.

-As the KOSPI continues to fall below the 2500 mark…

-With the depreciation of the Korean won…

-The Bank of Korea should raise the benchmark interest rate to 1.25%, taking a big step by raising it by 0.25%P…

Economic crisis.

The Korean economy, which had been enjoying unprecedented prosperity and a golden age, began to decline.

To the point where neighboring countries gossiped about Korea’s bubble bursting and its national pride disappearing.

Previously, one might have said “How dare you?”, but the “Haeguneul Shock” that struck the entire Korean economy is still ongoing.

-No, we need to proceed this way!

-If we do that now, it will only add to the confusion! From a more conservative perspective…

-Crisis is opportunity! If we just sit still, we’ll be devoured!

It all started with companies that erased Haeguneul and redesigned everything from their logos.

They did their best to erase Haeguneul, but ironically, everything in their companies still belonged to Haeguneul.

Even business cards—except for removing the Haeguneul name—still had the same names, numbers, and work email addresses from Haeguneul. Changing everything overnight was physically impossible due to time constraints.

-Damn, that Executive Director Hwang. Since becoming president, he’s been acting like a wild man.

-He thinks he got there on merit. You know who’s the most incompetent? Someone who’s just nice without any real ability.

-That man is more suited to being an executive director than a president.

No matter how many bad things the Choi family did, they weren’t lacking in management ability.

-So, are you going back to being Director Kim under the Choi family?

-Are you crazy? I’d rather give advice to the executive director. “Manage with a broader perspective!”

-What are you going to send? An anonymous letter? Or are you going to stab someone on Blind? Realizing it was spring only after the flowers withered? Come on. Rather than being a slave to the Choi family, I’d rather fry chicken outside.

However, that doesn’t mean people want the Haeguneul owners to return.

People are just uncomfortable with the warmth of spring because they’ve grown accustomed to the cold winter for so long. With time, they’ll surely adapt to spring.

The winter, when everyone felt like they were walking on thin ice, has ended.

The shadow of Haeguneul that covered the entire peninsula has disappeared, and gradually, warm sunshine is enveloping the Korean peninsula from the south.

Here, a man is at a library in Busan.

“……”

The black-haired man in a suit was wearing sunglasses despite being indoors.

Even if we overlook wearing sunglasses indoors, and even browsing “ability novels” at the new releases section…

The fact that none other than the S-class hero [Firefox] was sticking close to him like a bodyguard was a rare sight.

Everyone—those busy erasing traces of Haeguneul, those who had been lying low under Haeguneul and now stepping up to claim the industry’s top spot, and those who didn’t care about Haeguneul but were betting on which ability user would win in a fight—all scrutinized the man.

A man who didn’t seem to be an ability user, yet somehow did.

Rumored to have been given virility instead of magical power by God, Korea’s pride, the finest stud.

There is a man called ‘Do Ji-hwan.’

Although the gossip about him has decreased due to the chaos from the Haeguneul Shock, it hasn’t completely disappeared.

For instance—

“Excuse me.”

A female librarian in formal attire cautiously approached the man presumed to be Do Ji-hwan.

The fire fox behind him glared at the female librarian with fiery eyes, but she deliberately ignored that gaze and approached Do Ji-hwan.

“Are you perhaps Mr. Do Ji-hwan?”

“Ah, yes.”

The man readily admitted he was Do Ji-hwan.

As if he never intended to hide it, he looked exactly like what most people would imagine when thinking of Do Ji-hwan.

A young man in a black suit.

Though his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, his expression was surely smiling.

“May I ask if that rumor is true? Would that be rude?”

“It would be rude.”

The one who answered the librarian’s question was the fire fox behind him, Yoon Yi-seon.

“The gentleman came here to find materials related to abilities, not to discuss gossip.”

“But, well…”

The librarian pointed outside the library’s main entrance with a tearful face.

“I’m a civil servant too, and the director…”

“……”

Outside the window.

People packed in front of the library were excitedly pointing at the building and talking enthusiastically to cameras.

“We’re in front of Busan Central Library. Do Ji-hwan, the ‘patriotic person’ of hero Snow White, has visited the library, and the scene is filled with citizens who came to see him.”

“Hello, this is Heo Gi-woo from Ugi TV! I’m here to film the man escorted by S-class hero Firefox, Snow White’s patriotic person Do Ji-hwan! Please like, comment, and subscribe to support our video production…”

Both journalists and cyber tow trucks were everywhere.

It wasn’t even a celebrity visit—just an ordinary person accompanied by an S-class hero—yet people were making a fuss.

No one was manipulating public opinion.

It wasn’t Haeguneul sending subcontracted employees to create buzz about Do Ji-hwan for their benefit.

Nor was it a specific group pretending to show fervent interest in Do Ji-hwan to craft his image.

“Let me ask this passing scholar. Why did you come here today?”

“I came to see Mr. Do Ji-hwan. After all, isn’t he the nation’s first designated ‘Patriotic Cultural Asset’?”

The responses from people wearing scholar hats were outrageous, and their voices filled the library with noise, seeping through the gaps of windows that had given up on ventilation.

“Did you come looking for me because of what was just said, Ms. Librarian?”

“…I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be sorry, and I know the library is a space open to all citizens…!”

The librarian was on the verge of tears, and Do Ji-hwan put down the book in his hand with a bitter smile.

“What would you like to ask?”

“Is it, is it true? That…”

The librarian blushed and looked back.

Those already in the reading room were silently pressuring the librarian, and even a middle-aged man with glasses who looked like the director had come down to the entrance.

“…That, so-called, becoming stronger through patriotic acts…”

“……”

“Sir. Let’s just go. We can come back later through association people on a closed day.”

“I think that’s best. I’m sorry, but that’s private.”

Do Ji-hwan politely declined to answer the librarian’s question and followed Yoon Yi-seon out of the library.

“Mr. Do Ji-hwan! Is it true?!”

As soon as they exited the reading room and headed to the parking lot behind the library, journalists rushed toward them.

“Excuse me.”

“The public wants to know!”

Yoon Yi-seon frowned as she scanned the surroundings, but even when the small-framed woman glared, the journalists extended their Taegeuk Watches forward, demanding answers from Do Ji-hwan.

“Is it true that patriotic acts with you significantly enhance ability users’ powers?”

“There are rumors that America’s hero ‘Red Rider’ who spent a night with you experienced [Awakening]! Similarly, Japanese media speculates that Japan’s hero ‘Nadeshiko’ also awakened thanks to you…!”

“Perhaps even the ‘resurrection’ of the Lord of Radiant Wings—”

“I’m sorry, but I’m just an ordinary citizen. Today I simply came to borrow books on management and self-improvement.”

Do Ji-hwan’s voice, calmly addressing the journalists, carried a slight hint of irritation.

“That’s nonsense. There’s no way someone’s abilities would strengthen just by having that kind of relationship with me.”

“But Snow White actually…”

“That’s because her desire to protect people manifested as her ability. It’s just speculation. Ms. Yoon Yi-seon? I’m sorry, but…”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Whoosh.

As pink flames spread around Yoon Yi-seon, she grew into a tall woman and grabbed Do Ji-hwan’s waist.

“Well then.”

Whoooosh.

As the two suddenly leaped into the sky and disappeared, journalists pointed their Taegeuk Watches at them and continued filming.

“Hmm.”

Citizens watched Yoon Yi-seon and Do Ji-hwan disappear from the crowd with her superior S-class physical abilities, tilting their heads suspiciously.

“It seems true…”

“Don’t you think so too? It must be Do Ji-hwan’s secret. Maybe the Thunder Empress got stronger because she did that with Do Ji-hwan?”

“So he really is a Patriotic Master Craftsman… worthy of being called the nation’s first Patriotic Cultural Asset.”

Flutter.

In front of the library, the Taegeuk flag, proving it’s a government building, flutters in the wind.

* * *

“I can’t even freely browse new arrivals at the library. I never thought I’d lose my everyday life like this.”

Though it feels strange, I, Do Ji-hwan, who became Snow White’s patriotic person, am no longer an ordinary citizen.

“What do you think, SS-class rated Snow White?”

“Not much.”

“Not much?”

“Whether people discover that Do Ji-hwan is a goblin or a scholar hat or whatever, it’s natural that normal life becomes impossible if you’re considered a special ability user without magical power.”

Snow White spoke calmly about me.

“When they asked what the secret was behind my SS-class specs that froze Haeguneul headquarters, I simply said my abilities and magic power advanced thanks to Do Ji-hwan’s patriotism. How could a hero lie to citizens?”

“True. But still…”

“This way, the ‘sluts’ will come out, as you said. Mr. Do Ji-hwan, Patriotic Master, Pleasure Master.”

I, Do Ji-hwan.

“Female ability users are lining up to get some national pride before the World Cup.”

I’ve become a nationally certified Patriotic Master.

In other words.

I’ve become “National Pride.”