The evening news crackled to life on the grand, wall-mounted screen in the Kang family dining hall. A polished mahogany table stretched the length of the room, laden with steaming dishes of exotic monster meats and meticulously arranged side dishes. Kang Dae-hyun sat at the head of the table, his expression impassive as he surveyed the spread. Kang Min-seo sat beside him, her posture impeccable, her gaze fixed on the news report.
Kang Min-ah, now five years old, sat opposite his parents, his small legs swinging idly beneath the table. He scooped a generous portion of braised wyvern tail onto his plate, his eyes glued to the screen.
The news anchor, a woman with a perfectly coiffed hairstyle and a voice that could cut glass, was in the midst of a tirade. "…and to think," she spat, her tone dripping with disdain, "that the youngest son of the Kang family, the great Kang family, the family that saved us all, has the audacity to be… F-rank!"
Her voice rose in disbelief. "F-rank! Can you imagine? The shame! The disgrace! What a waste of a perfectly good Kang bloodline!"
Min-ah, unfazed, continued to shovel wyvern tail into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's. He swallowed, then let out a loud, satisfied burp.
"Disgusting," his mother said, her voice flat. "Manners, Min-ah."
Min-ah shrugged, reaching for a crystal goblet filled with chilled nectar. "But Mom," he whined, his voice muffled by a mouthful of wyvern, "the lady on the TV is being mean."
Dae-hyun grunted, his eyes still fixed on the news report. "Ignore her," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "She seeks attention. Nothing more."
The news anchor continued her rant, her voice growing increasingly shrill. "…and what does this say about the future of the Kang family? What hope do we have if their youngest son is nothing but a lazy, good-for-nothing F-rank?"
Min-ah, finally tearing his eyes away from the screen, looked at his parents. "Am I lazy, Dad?" he asked, his voice innocent.
Dae-hyun considered this for a moment, then replied, "You are efficient in your leisure."
Min-ah pondered this. "Efficient?"
"Yes," Dae-hyun said, taking a sip of his wine. "You achieve maximum relaxation with minimal effort. That is a form of efficiency."
Min-ah beamed. "So, I'm not lazy. I'm efficient!"
Min-seo sighed. "Semantics, Min-ah. You are what you are."
The news anchor's voice reached a fever pitch. "…this is a travesty! A betrayal of the trust we placed in the Kang family! They owe us an explanation! They owe us…"
Dae-hyun reached for the remote and switched off the screen, plunging the dining hall into relative silence. The only sound was the clinking of silverware against porcelain and Min-ah's occasional satisfied grunt.
"More wyvern, Min-ah?" Min-seo asked, gesturing towards the platter.
Min-ah nodded enthusiastically. "Please, Mom."
As he continued his feast, oblivious to the world's outrage, Min-ah couldn't help but feel a sense of smug satisfaction. Let them rant and rave. Let them curse his F-rank. He knew the truth. He knew the power that lay dormant within him. And he knew that, in the end, he would have the last laugh.
He was Kang Min-ah, the efficient master of leisure, and he was exactly where he wanted to be.