Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 41: Let’s Get This Straight.

[‘Memory of Possibilities’ usage is complete!]

In front of Gaeul’s eyes appeared a message similar to the one she saw a year ago.

But it seemed like something was slightly different from that time.

‘…I think it said something like “You have been selected as a suitable candidate” back then?’

A familiar voice came to Gaeul, who was lost in thought.

“…Are you ignoring me like Gahyeon too?”

“…What?”

Startled, she looked around.

An unforgettable scene unfolded before her eyes.

Her father, looking at her with bloodshot eyes.

Gahyeon, looking at their father with resentful eyes, struggling to breathe because of the pain.

It was just before the worst tragedy in her life unfolded.

‘…Have I returned to the past?’

She couldn’t accept this miraculous situation within her common sense.

From Gaeul’s perspective, it felt like she had time-traveled without context.

But her father didn’t wait for Gaeul.

Just like she had seen before, he suddenly got up and started walking toward Gaeul.

With her trauma reenacted, Gaeul, engulfed in fear, screamed reflexively and threw nearby objects.

The object hit the window with a shattering sound, but that was all.

It did not stop her father’s steps.

She resisted with trembling hands against her father, trying to grab her neck, but she couldn’t stop him with her strength.

“Do you know how much I have given up?! If it weren’t for you… If it weren’t for you!”

Through her obstructed breath, she saw Gahyeon getting up painfully, clutching his stomach, and grabbing the dining table.

She forced words out through her choked breath,

“Gahyeon… don’t…”

But Gahyeon showed no sign of stopping.

It was just like that time.

Nothing had changed even after returning to the past.

The nightmare kept repeating.

Whoever granted this miracle clearly resented Gaeul greatly.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t give her this pain twice.

Gaeul despaired.

“Kids shouldn’t be holding such scary things.”

That was the moment.

A man swiftly released her father’s choking hands and performed a shoulder throw.

“Ugh!”

“I threw you onto a pile of blankets, so you shouldn’t be too hurt. Let’s not overreact.”

It was Seon Taeyang.

Seon Taeyang, clicking his tongue as he looked at Yoo Dae-cheol groaning in pain on the ground, turned his head and looked at Gaeul with a worried face and said.

“Are you okay, Gaeul? No, that’s a stupid question. Of course, you’re not okay. I called an ambulance, so hang in there for a bit.”

“Taeyang Oppa…”

“Yes, Gaeul. It’s Team Leader Seon. Do you have anything you want to say?”

Gaeul had a lot she wanted to say to him.

But the moment she saw her father lifting the dining table behind Taeyang, all those words disappeared from her mind.

Instead, what came out was almost a scream.

“…Behind you! Behind you!”

Even after seeing the swinging dining table behind him, Taeyang did not dodge.

Instead, he spread one arm and hugged Gaeul protectively.

Because of that, Gaeul realized why Taeyang didn’t dodge.

…It was because of her.

Even while protecting Gaeul, Taeyang tried to deflect the blow by shielding his head with one hand and tilting his body.

The dining table was swung at him.

A dull thud was heard.

It was a scene she had seen once before. She knew the result as well.

Gaeul felt like her heart stopped.

Her limbs went numb, and her breathing became very rapid.

“…Haa… Haa.”

She was hyperventilating.

Seeing Gaeul like that, Taeyang gave a light smile as if to reassure her.

Then, as if by magic, her breathing began to return to normal.

He got up as if nothing had happened and looked at Yoo Dae-cheol, saying.

“That dining table is a lethal weapon. If it hits wrong, it can kill someone.”

Blood ran down Taeyang’s forehead.

He casually wiped the blood off his forehead with his suit sleeve and said.

“Good thing I learned self-defense. What would I have done if I hadn’t?”

Yoo Dae-cheol, looking at Taeyang with drunken, unfocused eyes, said.

“…Are you ignoring me too, Team Leader Seon?”

Seon Taeyang said firmly.

“I’m not ignoring you.”

As if he didn’t hear Taeyang’s response, Yoo Dae-cheol shouted angrily to himself.

“Everyone’s fussing over losing a bit of money… No one knows the life I’ve lived!”

He lifted the dining table once more.

Looking at Yoo Dae-cheol, Taeyang said.

“I’m not interested in the life you’ve lived, Mr. Gaeul’s Father. What I’m interested in is how you affect Gaeul and Gahyeon.”

He kicked up the toy hammer lying on the floor and picked it up smoothly, saying.

“So, let’s take a beating for now.”

[Quest Complete! You have been awarded ‘Sword Saint’s Sense’ as a reward!]

…So this is how I get it.

I checked the ‘Sword Saint’s Sense’ that appeared in the reward window and reflected.

The fight was a melee.

When I closed the distance to prevent him from swinging the dining table and engaged in infighting, Gaeul’s father dropped the table and started pinching, scratching, and biting me.

Honestly, it was more like holding on until Gaeul’s father got exhausted from his hangover and fell asleep rather than beating him up properly. I still hit him with the toy hammer as much as possible to complete the quest.

As a result, Gaeul’s father appeared to be in good condition outwardly, while I was left with torn clothes and scratch marks all over. Anyone seeing my appearance would definitely point to me as the loser.

It was a bit humiliating to look like I had been overpowered by a middle-aged man when I had the body of a healthy person in my twenties.

Yeah, to hell with pride. I’ll take the practical gains.

Apart from the shoulder throw, I didn’t cause any significant harm.

So I won’t be sued or taken away by the police.

Even so, I managed to prevent the worst situation and got the reward for a tricky quest.

Where could there be a more perfect conclusion than this?

“Oh my, Team Leader Seon! What happened to you?”

But it didn’t seem that way to Cheon Aram and Seo Soo-yeon.

Cheon Aram fussed as she searched for first aid tools.

Seo Soo-yeon was taking pictures of each wound, saying evidence needed to be preserved.

Both were reassuring in their own ways.

I felt grateful to my colleagues who ran out here as soon as they heard the news of the incident, and I made a light-hearted joke.

“It’s nothing serious. No major injuries.”

“Nothing serious? Blood is flowing down your forehead!”

Cheon Aram, who had started disinfecting the wound with an unknown first aid kit, spoke in disbelief.

Wow, when did she learn this?

Seo Soo-yeon stopped Cheon Aram, saying.

“The paramedics are here; wouldn’t it be better to leave it to them?”

“Right, what was I thinking? I just started treating it, remembering my time in the military.”

Military? Did I hear that wrong?

As Cheon Aram stepped back, the paramedics who had finished attending to Gaeul, Gahyeon, and Gaeul’s father, started to treat me.

One of the paramedics checking my wounds said in admiration.

“…The treatment was done very well. You should go straight to the hospital. Is the person who treated you a medical professional?”

“No, she’s the agency president.”

“…? Then how is the treatment so skillful?”

“…I don’t know either.”

The paramedic looked at me as if wondering why I didn’t know.

I mean, I could not know.

Sometimes even I get confused, but in fact, it had only been two weeks since I joined TwoBear and met Cheon Aram and Seo Soo-yeon.

…Even so, it felt like I’d experienced too many incidents.

After the paramedics roughly finished, the police stepped in.

The police asked me and Gaeul about the situation and details, then separated Gaeul’s father, who was presumed to be the suspect, from us.

It was only then that I could talk to Gaeul. Right after the subjugation, the police and paramedics had rushed in, leaving no room for conversation.

“Gaeul, can we talk for a moment?”

When I called her, she crawled over, barely holding on to her weakened legs, without any chance to stop.

She looked so desperate, even pitiful.

…I didn’t want her to go that far.

She gently touched my face, trying to avoid my wounds as much as possible, and said.

“…What happened to your appearance?”

Gaeul seemed to be feeling a strong burden.

I answered as cheerfully as possible so she wouldn’t worry too much.

“Gaeul. I may look like this, but I won. You saw it too, right? I was swinging the toy hammer three times per second?”

After saying it, I realized that, from a daughter’s perspective, winning a fight against her own father wouldn’t sound good.

“Uh… But thinking about it, it feels like a loss on points. …Your father is strong. His movements were surprisingly nimble for his age. I’ll admit I was outmatched in technique.”

I said it half-jokingly to make her smile a little, but Gaeul’s tears only seemed to intensify.

Considering a similar incident with Gyeoul, it seemed likely that my sense of humor was off.

I’d have to restrain myself in the future.

“Sorry for the silly talk.”

Acknowledging my mistake, I quickly apologized.

“Actually, that’s not what I wanted to say. I just wanted to ask one thing.”

“…I’ll tell you anything.”

“Gaeul, are you okay?”

“….”

Hearing my question, Gaeul cried even more instead of answering.

It was almost sobbing.

What was it? Did I make a mistake again?

…Or was she hurt somewhere?

“I’m… I’m okay. So…”

Oh, thank goodness.

Hearing Gaeul say she was okay, I collapsed in relief.

“…Taeyang Oppa?”

Honestly, it felt like I might have a concussion; my head kept spinning.

I thought I blocked it well, but I guess I couldn’t deflect all the damage from the full swing of the dining table.

“Taeyang Oppa! No… No!”

With my hazy mind, I felt like I could fall asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

I wanted to let everything go and lie down.

But I held on. I had to see Gaeul safe to feel relieved.

“Please, can someone from the medical team come here?! Please! Please, I’m begging you!”

And now, I felt like I could finally sleep a little.