episode_0058

If you want to self-reflect, do good deeds. If you want to earn money, do bad deeds.

It’s a saying that conveys a considerably biased notion.

But I remember a sudden realization hitting me when I first heard those words.

To my young mind, it seemed absolutely true.

Back then, even if I worked honestly until my bones wore out, I was barely scraping by. On top of that, it was a time when I endured many unfair situations.

Even now, when I think of it, my teeth automatically grind.

However, as those experiences accumulated, I was able to become someone not to be trifled with, and I could somewhat look out for myself and secure my share.

Looking out for myself means nothing special.

It was about fair treatment and compensation for myself.

That’s why, when I did something for someone, I demanded compensation and reciprocation.

When I couldn’t do this, I truly lived with a straw stuck in my spine, being completely drained.

And I was good prey for people blinded by profit.

Such people are everywhere.

I wonder which type Choi Junseong, the CEO proposing a deal right in front of me, is.

Whether we both gain a profit, or he gets crushed by my hand.

Since my interest has been piqued, I plan to hear him out.

Surely, after I fed him such a valuable meal, he won’t spout nonsense.

“Let’s hear it first.”

An attitude that, depending on how you hear it, might sound like a much younger punk being arrogant.

Nevertheless, CEO Choi Junseong is serious.

As if he had been waiting, he began to speak softly.

“I heard you will soon be leaving this place. I wish to join you.”

“Hmm…?”

“I heard from Jihyeok. About everything that has happened so far.”

“And?”

“To be honest with you, I believe if I follow Seonghan-ssi, I will survive.”

Not knowing what on earth he had said, I subtly glanced at Jihyeok hyung.

CEO Choi Junseong was still serious.

I don’t know what he heard about me—

“Not only from Jihyeok, but I also heard various things about what happened here from Sergeant Kang.”

‘…Is he really a mind reader or something?’

“More than anything, I saw firsthand what Seonghan-ssi is capable of.”

“Saw? What…Ah!”

It came to me.

He’s the man who drove the military truck when we escaped with the soldiers.

I had only seen him in passing, so I’d forgotten.

‘That person back then was this person?’

They were people I saved purely by chance, but now we’re connected like this.

Should I call it fate, or say it’s a small world?

While I was inwardly marveling, CEO Choi Junseong continued speaking.

“At the time, things were chaotic, and I missed the timing, so I’m late in telling you this. Thank you so much for saving us back then.”

“….”

While I was momentarily stunned, CEO Choi Junseong eventually bowed at the waist.

His sincerity felt heavy.

“I will accept your respectful greeting. Please rise.”

At my words, CEO Choi Junseong slowly straightened up, looking much lighter. As if he had finished one of his tasks.

“Not just me, but the soldiers who were with us then are also very grateful.”

“Soldiers…you mean?”

At the time, I ran around between the trucks without thinking, but that was due to the circumstances.

It was a dark night, and they would have been inside, so there’s no way they could have seen clearly.

“The soldiers who witnessed Seonghan-ssi all promised to keep quiet. Because even if they spoke, no one would believe them, and they don’t want to be at odds with their benefactor. Including myself.”

‘So that’s why…?’

I think I understand the reason behind the uncomfortable gazes of some of the soldiers.

It seems CEO Choi Junseong also saw me fighting amidst that dangerous situation.

For now, the promise to keep quiet is good news.

Because it means no unforeseen trouble will arise.

However, it’s questionable how long the soldiers’ mouths will remain closed.

Gossip isn’t a specialty unique to women.

I don’t know whether I can trust CEO Choi Junseong, who is right in front of me.

A gentle demeanor and the impression of a significant figure do not serve as ingredients for trust.

More than anything, the start itself is a bit… off.

Whether he knows my thoughts or not, he seems to see me only in a good light.

I feel sorry for Jihyeok hyung, who is nodding beside me and watching our conversation with a gentle expression, and for CEO Choi Junseong, who spoke with difficulty.

“That’s one thing, and this is another, isn’t it? Before discussing a deal, I think something should come first.”

“Se-Seonghan?”

Deals are usually made between equals.

Otherwise, one side will have to endure a unilateral loss.

I truly hate incurring losses.

But if the other party is willing to bear the loss, I’d welcome it with open arms.

“If you want to make a deal, you’ll first have to settle the price for your life. Pre-labor, post-payment, or credit are not accepted.”

The expressions of the two men stiffen slightly.

It seems they think I’ve crossed a line, no matter that I’m their benefactor…

In my opinion, CEO Choi Junseong crossed the line.

“If you had asked me as an acquaintance of Kim Jihyeok, leveraging that connection, I would have accepted. But CEO Choi Junseong, you proposed a deal before asking for a favor.”

“….”

“Not only do we not know each other, but our positions are not equal. I believe you, as a businessman, would know this well.”

As if realizing something, CEO Choi Junseong’s eyes twitched.

‘He’s not a thoughtless man.’

As for joining, there’s no reason I couldn’t allow it, given the pretext of him being a close acquaintance of Jihyeok hyung and Shia. But to propose a deal abruptly, while being aware that he owes me his life?

If it had been anyone else, I would have grabbed them by the collar and shaken them.

Nobles, powerful people, or those in a position of power.

The reason I don’t get along with them is because of these points.

This type of person believes they are in a superior position, regardless of the reason. So, arrogance and looking down on others are their default.

They are skilled at hiding their disadvantages or weaknesses behind bravado.

There are two ways to deal with this type of person.

Cut ties or give them a beating.

These two are the answers.

Whether nobles or knights, congressmen or gangsters.

They are all the same kind of food [an idiom meaning they are all the same].

Didn’t a beating work very well on Lee Deokgyu and the gangsters just recently?

The only reason CEO Choi Junseong, who is right in front of me, can remain unharmed while failing to grasp the situation and calculating profits and losses, is one thing.

That he is an acquaintance of Kim Jihyeok and Lee Shia.

If it weren’t for that, he would have followed Lee Deokgyu’s path long ago.

It might seem like I’m overreacting.

But in truth, I’ve experienced too many bitter and painful lessons from similar incidents.

In that process, my life was almost taken several times.

That’s why my actions are decisive, and I leave no lingering regrets.

It’s a costly practical lesson learned with my life as collateral.

My companions are not a threat to me.

Rather, they are connections that began pleasantly.

However, CEO Choi Junseong is now trying to become a type of threat.

Bringing up the story of the battle during the escape or the soldiers’ reactions as a topic.

I felt it was an attempt to entangle me in something.

If not, it would have ended with just a thank you.

These thoughts might seem unreasonable from CEO Choi Junseong’s perspective, but from my perspective, this is only natural, and I’m already being quite lenient.

That’s why, when he first brought up the word ‘deal’, my interest was piqued.

I was curious to see what he would say.

The result, as expected, is his current appearance.

He’s a person whose perceptiveness is nearly mind-reading level, so he seems to have noticed.

That my mood is very uncomfortable right now.

Choi Junseong’s eyes slowly widened, and he began to panic.

It seems he realized how his words were perceived.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he spoke urgently.

“…It’s a misunderstanding. I am—”

“It’s fine. I was just curious. And you don’t need to apologize.”

I smiled coldly at CEO Choi Junseong.

“Because I have no intention of accepting it.”

Without another glance, I turned my back on them and walked away.

***

The moment Choi Junseong saw Seonghan coldly turn away, he instinctively knew.

That this was the moment he had utterly screwed up.

‘I gravely misjudged.’

Choi Junseong had made mistakes before that ruined outcomes.

But now, he felt that something was truly, greatly wrong.

He had misjudged based on Seonghan’s youthful appearance.

Choi Junseong never intended to be at odds with Seonghan.

His gratitude towards Seonghan was genuine.

His dedication shown to the companions, and how he stepped forward to save everyone, including the soldiers. Since he himself was included, Seonghan was indeed a grateful benefactor.

However, Kim Jihyeok and Lee Shia were precious and cherished people to Choi Junseong, with whom he had shared joys and sorrows.

Hearing about what had happened so far, he judged that they were bound together in the form of a deal.

A suspicion that was always active due to the nature of his profession.

Just in case, he only wanted to know what kind of person Seonghan was.

Choi Junseong himself came from a somewhat special background.

He held the top position in the entertainment industry, which was akin to a primeval forest.

Choi Junseong had encountered all sorts of human types throughout his life.

He needed to know if Seonghan was someone his cherished people could rely on.

He needed to find out what kind of person Seonghan was.

That’s why he had approached through Kim Jihyeok, but…

‘He is exactly as he appears. He is a person who can be endlessly cold and rational about relationships.’

One thing Choi Junseong had forgotten.

That in the current situation, neither his background nor his title as CEO held any meaning.

He should have just presented himself as he was, but he forgot his own position.

No, it had been so natural throughout his life that he hadn’t even recognized it.

Thanks to that, he had messed up from the very beginning.

Seonghan had merely been curious about how Choi Junseong would react.

Simple curiosity.

Just curious about Choi Junseong, the person.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Even mentioning the incident with the soldiers was groundwork to create a bond with Seonghan.

In other words, his intention was to build common ground.

‘It shouldn’t have been about keeping quiet or anything like that.’

That one unnecessary remark had become a fatal blow.

From Seonghan’s perspective, it was natural to feel that Choi Junseong was trying to find a weakness.

Seeing him talk about deals and equal positions, he seemed to have a deep mind beyond his age. If it had been a business negotiation, it was as if he had experienced the worst beginning and end simultaneously.

Seonghan’s simple remark made him snap to attention.

Realizing his mistake belatedly, Choi Junseong was greatly flustered.

He realized that Seonghan possessed deeper experience and decisiveness than his appearance suggested. As a result, the bond with Seonghan that might have gently formed instead plummeted into an abyss.

A person who possesses both altruistic and cold aspects simultaneously.

Seonghan was a person who, if things went wrong, could even turn his back on Kim Jihyeok and the others.

‘Absolutely not!’

Choi Junseong did not want his companions to be in danger because of him.

He could not lose Seonghan, who was like a guiding light.

His thoughts were instantaneous, and his actions were swift.

“I apologize!”

No need for lengthy explanations or excuses.

Short, simple, clear, and true.

That was all that was needed right now.

Having judged so, Choi Junseong’s mouth moved quickly.

He desperately conveyed the truth as it was.

There would be no more foolish choices of adding unnecessary remarks.

Explanations about himself could be made later, if possible.

Seeing Seonghan stop walking and listen, he spoke only the words that needed to be said.

“…So.”

Seeing Seonghan react by scratching his chin, he felt that there was still a chance.

“Are you saying there’s a place suitable to use as a base?”

Seonghan soon turned around, showing interest.

At Seonghan’s reaction, indicating he would at least hear him out, Choi Junseong sharpened his mind.

A precarious conversation began.

Choi Junseong, who had almost fallen into an abyss with a single word.

He became more focused and calm than ever before.

And he regained the humility he had forgotten.