The president of the Shinsung group. Kim SeokHan.
Shinsung was called the greatest chaebol in Korea, and he himself had a notorious iron grip over his business. Despite all of this, the man was completely wrapped around his granddaughter's finger.
"And how has my EunAh been acting? She must have taken such a huge shock! Especially since she personally went through… so much!"
Lee SuHyun found that side of Kim SeokHan fascinating.
'How can a man so strong-willed against others bend his back so far for his granddaughter?'
She kept those thoughts to herself. Instead, she respectfully bowed her head and began to respond.
"Miss seemed fine over the weekend while I was watching over her."
"I see… Of course. She's a smart young lass."
Only then did Kim SeokHan relax.
After doing research, it was discovered that the name of the hunter who had rescued her was Shin YuSung. Surprisingly, he was from the Shin-oh family.
'How intriguing, though. To think that the family would abandon someone skilled enough for the Fist King to take in as his disciple.'
Kim SeokHan began dissecting the situation with his sharp instincts.
If the rumors were true, YuSung was a hunter with an F-rank Trait.
It wasn't hard for the man to imagine the Shin-oh clan that he had met—that placed skill above all else—abandoning the F-rank Trait boy.
The problem lay in the fact that the abandoned boy had been chosen by the Fist King.
'Shin YuSung… He likely has some sort of talent that only the Fist King could see.'
Kim SeokHan smirked and clicked his tongue.
"In any case, how amusing. Don't you think so, too, Secretary Lee?"
"Hm? What part…"
"The Shin-oh clan pursues strength above all. And yet, they threw away a diamond in the rough. Looks like one shouldn't trust their eyes…"
SuHyun bowed her head to the man's words in lieu of an answer. Like Kim SeokHan had said, it was a critical error of the Shin-oh family, unbefitting the clan.
YuSung, despite being a student, was skilled enough to capture a Rebellion villain.
"…Which is why I've been thinking. Since he saved EunAh and all, we should look into bringing him to our side."
There were only a few hunters who would refuse the financial sponsorship of the Shinsung group, which was considered to be at the top of Korea's financial world.
But what piqued the man's interest was not YuSung's skills so much as his background.
"What do you think, Secretary Lee?"
SuHyun read between the lines and began to give her own analysis of the situation.
"It's true… a hunter abandoned by his family is picked up by the reclusive genius, the Fist King, then he becomes stronger—there is no better story out there to claim the favor of the masses."
"Right. And he would also get the support of his fellow F-rank Trait hunters, as well. Isn't he the perfect candidate to be marketed as a beacon of hope?"
Kim SeokHan's business sense truly was top-notch. He was trying to turn the crisis involving his granddaughter into an opportunity.
SuHyun, seeing that, cast her doubts regarding the man aside. No matter how much of a sucker he was for his granddaughter, Kim SeokHan was still the man whose business acumen had raised the Shinsung group to the top of the financial world.
'…Truly a terrifying individual.'
Her gaze was filled with respect and fear.
Kim SeokHan organized his thoughts.
"Okay, send out the PR team and try to recruit him. Give him a hefty reward for his work in this incident."
"Oh, er… regarding the reward… the young Miss asked us not to interfere with student Shin Yusung on that matter."
Kim SeokHan was bewildered by SuHyun's hurried recounting.
"Hm?! My EunAh requested this? Why?"
"Th-that's… I think she wanted to handle this matter on her own…"
"…By herself?"
He scrunched up his face in confusion.
'Personally reward him?'
Knowing his arrogant and lazy granddaughter's personality, that was impossible.
Even if Kim EunAh was his beloved granddaughter, he could admit that her personality wasn't anything to write home about.
"She said this… herself? That child?"
"Yes. She told me that she felt very grateful about this incident."
Kim SeokHan gained a serious expression on his face at those words. It all felt too weird for it to be passed off as nothing. It was obvious that one would express their gratitude if they were helped in some way, but the fact that EunAh was the one trying to do so bugged him.
"…Secretary Lee."
Kim SeokHan's voice rang solemnly throughout the room.
"Yes, Mr. President."
"My EunAh is the successor of the Shinsung group. You know this as well, correct?"
"Yes, I do."
The rightful heiress of the ShinSung group was Kim EunAh, owing to the fact that the eldest son, Kim JunHyuk, was in a coma.
Kim SeokHan looked at SuHyun with a sincere gaze.
"It's a very important time in EunAh's life at her current age… actually, don't many youths have the same problem of making a big deal out of trivial emotions? That is… Was she showing any symptoms of that?"
It was clear what the man was asking of her. SuHyun, who was quick on the uptake, nervously swallowed and began thinking to herself.
'Does Kim EunAh like Shin YuSung? How the hell am I supposed to know that…?'
It wasn't like she didn't have some idea of what the answer was, considering the emotional reactions EunAh had shown to the messages back at the mansion. If she brought it up to Kim SeokHan right then, though, in that atmosphere, there was no doubt that someone would pay dearly for it.
"From what I've seen, it d-definitely wasn't anything like that."
Kim SeokHan laughed out loud as if her answer had pleased him.
"Hahaha, true! There's no way it would happen! My EunAh is a girl of high standards—she grew up watching me, after all!"
SuHyun had a lot she wanted to say in response to that. However, she kept her mouth shut.
'…Seriously, what is he saying?'
Even so, she understood why the man was so concerned. On one side of the equation was the heiress to the Shinsung group; on the other side was an abandoned orphan.
'Not… the best-fitting combination, for sure.'
After leaving the bathroom, SuHyun called someone on her Pocket.
– Oh? What's the occasion?
But SuHyun stuck to only telling the friendly man his mission parameters.
"…Forget that. This is an order from the president. First-year student at Gaon Academy, Shin YuSung… Recruit him."
She ended the call right after. Kim EunAh's pleas stung, but at the end of the day, the request of the president, Kim SeokHan, took precedence.
* * *
* * *
The promised meeting on Monday...
A cool breeze was blowing on the rooftop of the Academy building.
Woosh–
EunAh's hair was being tossed to and fro by the wind. She calmly addressed YuSung as the boy arrived at the rooftop.
"So you're here."
—Her usual speech mannerisms. The same carefree expression.
EunAh turned her head to look beyond the chain-link fence down at the sprawling view of the academy grounds.
"You know why I called you out here, right?"
"…Because of what happened during the extracurricular?" YuSung replied.
EunAh turned back to the boy and stared him in the eye; then, she grinned as if pleased by his answer.
"Good, then our talk will be short."
She wore a confident expression on her face.
"I told you back then that I hate owing debts."
"You did."
—YuSung's composed reply. EunAh walked towards him until they were face-to-face.
"Go on, make your request. I have no intention of negotiating any terms—you saved my brother, after all."
EunAh's words were no bluff. She was the heiress of the Shinsung group, the number one financial power in Korea. She had wealth that ordinary people couldn't even dream of at her fingertips.
"…Hmm."
However, YuSung made no move to explicitly state his request.
"Really? You'll do anything?"
He instead asked for confirmation. EunAh, frustrated, grimaced slightly and nodded her head.
"I just told you I would, didn't I? I'm filthy rich! As soon as I give the word, anything is possible…"
YuSung smiled faintly at those words.
"Okay, then… Join my party."
EunAh was stunned into silence for three whole seconds after hearing his shocking request.
"Wh-what?" she asked. Her face was frozen in the same expression.
"You heard me right the first time, EunAh. Join my party."
"Me?! The class president of A Class? Join your party?!"
EunAh was speechless.
It was logically impossible to her that someone of her caliber would enter the party of YuSung, an F Class student.
If a person joined a party, it meant that they belonged to the party leader. In other words, YuSung would be acknowledged as being in a higher position than EunAh.
On top of everything, EunAh was second in the student rankings. She was one rank higher than YuSung in that aspect, as well.
"You, that's… you know what this would mean, right?"
"I do, but I really need you."
YuSung met the other girl's eyes, his own full of sincerity. The two were close enough that their noses could touch. Flustered, EunAh stepped back.
"I-I got it. Just back off a bit… W-we're too close.
She pondered YuSung's sudden proposal.
'I-I know I said anything, but… really, joining his party?'
—But only for a moment.
'This isn't it', she thought. EunAh vehemently denied YuSung's request.
"No way. Ask for something else. I'll pay as much money as you want…"
"I don't need money, EunAh. I need a teammate who's skilled… like you."
The corner of EunAh's mouth quirked up at the subtle praise he had given her. Still, her answer didn't change.
"Why do you want me in your party, anyways? For the International Competition? There'll be plenty of people who'll want to participate in it…"
She tried proposing a counterargument.
"Even so, there isn't anyone out there with as much hidden potential as you, EunAh."
However, YuSung immediately threw another compliment towards her in response.
"Well, that's true… but I'm the class president. Becoming a member of another person's party is a little…"
Much of her enthusiasm had already been curbed.
EunAh, unexpectedly, was the type of person who was weak to compliments. On top of that, she happily accepted the ones that YuSung had given her. That meant that she acknowledged him in some way.
"I don't have any other requests."
YuSung laid all of his cards on the table to emphasize his point.
EunAh narrowed her eyes at his determined response.
"…Do you really think I'll accept an offer like this?"
YuSung gave her a lighthearted smile in reply.
"Yes, I do. Because you always repay your debts, EunAh."
The girl in question placed her hand to her forehead as if staving off a headache. It's true. The debt she owed YuSung was enormous. He had not only saved her from Cheat but also saved JunHyuk's life.
—A savior like no other.
EunAh's personality made it impossible for her to brush a life debt off and then just go about her merry way.
She pondered over the issue for a while longer, her hand still gripping her forehead.
Eventually, she finished. EunAh looked at YuSung, having to crane her neck up due to the difference in height.
"You… the International competition isn't the end for you, right? What are your goals for the end of this school year?"
EunAh could tell it was the case—judging by his personality. She knew that he wasn't the type of person to be satisfied with just that.
She conveyed her seriousness with her face.
"The Tower," Was YuSung's short response.
"…The Tower? Up to what floor?' she asked, incredulous.
The Tower, challenged by the entire world, had its danger level decided by the height of the 'floor' in question.
The 1st floor could be cleared easily by even a novice hunter. The 50th floor and onwards, however, was unknown territory that was untouched by even the greatest hunters like the Fist King and the Sword God.
YuSung had already decided on his answer, however. A long time ago, he had made a promise with the Fist King on the topic of conquering the Tower.
[YuSung-ah! Conquer at least up to the 20th floor of the Tower by the end of your first year at Gaon. You need to make headway through it when you're comparatively less busy. Got it?]
[Yes, Master. I understand.]
The standards that YuSung was taught were, ultimately, the Fist King's.
"Um…around 20 floors?"
EunAh blanched at his outrageous declaration.
"Tw-twenty floors?! You're insane! Even an active duty hunter'd die from one mistake at that level!"
She knew that YuSung was an outrageous individual himself, but she didn't know he was that bad until now.
Suddenly tired, EunAh let out a large sigh before turning her head back towards the chain-link fence.
"…Hey."
She began muttering to the boy in a low voice.
"I'll do it."
But immediately after, she shifted to a stern tone and gave YuSung a warning.
"…But only until the International Competition. I'll only join your party until it ends. Got it?"
It was quite a compromise, considering her prideful attitude. YuSung walked up to EunAh until they were side-to-side, then also looked beyond the fence down below.
The spacious academy grounds were spread out before them. He could see various students living their lives at Gaon in their own ways.
While YuSung's end goal hadn't changed since his time at the Martial Spirits' Mountain, the outside world was different to him. Out there, he could achieve a plethora of goals, but unlike the mountain, YuSung wasn't alone.
Skill alone wasn't enough to convince someone or win them over to a person's side.
'But this opportunity has given me some time.'
Now it was YuSung's job to use the time given to him to turn his party members, including Kim EunAh, into genuine comrades.
It was his sole responsibility to learn how to be with others and not just be on his own.
"Okay, that works. Congratulations on joining my party."
YuSung, after making his decision, held out his hand to seal the deal, and EunAh accepted the handshake without hesitation.
"Oh, and just letting you know. If you ever go soft, I'm out. Got it?"
"…Mhm. Trust in me."
YuSung smiled good-naturedly while looking down at EunAh.
He gave her the schedule right after.
"Oh, and our party is scheduled to meet up tomorrow."
"Huh? What do you mean, scheduled?"
"We have a boss subjugation request. All you need to do is be at Academy City by tomorrow with some essentials."
"Huh?!" was EunAh's shout of surprise.
But YuSung didn't care. As long as EunAh was in his party, he planned to squeeze every ounce of manpower he could from her.
EunAH, who had been treated like a princess up to that point due to her status as the heiress to a chaebol group, would be saying goodbye to her glamorous lifestyle during her stint as YuSung's party member.
.
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