The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess

Chapter 18

018 – Kidnapping, Like Angry Waves Crashing Against a Cliff #1

There is a type of man I hate the most in this world.

Men who tremble and die at the words of women.

Such men should not be called men.

I, Han Nam-jin, was a man who could say NO to a woman I loved, no matter how much I loved her.

“Hey, Seo Ga-eul. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“…What?”

When I, who had always been gentle, showed my unrestrained speech, Seo Ga-eul’s lips trembled as if she felt a reversal charm.

Baek Yeoul, who always glared at Seo Ga-eul like an angry raccoon, was also fluttered and pulled at my side.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong with you…?”

“Let go. Hey. What’s so fun about this party? Seo Ga-eul, do you really find this fun?”

“What do you mean?”

“I asked if you find it fun. Talking about money and cars among people you don’t even like. You’re not that kind of person.”

I vividly remembered when Seo Ga-eul came to my old cabin.

Sometimes that scene appeared in my dreams.

That day, she was covered in wounds and drenched in rain, but she was shining like a jewel.

Even though her face was scrunched up as she complained about my dirty house while taking off her stockings, she didn’t lose her vitality.

It was that Seo Ga-eul I fell in love with.

“You’re not being ‘Seo Ga-eul’ at all.”

The Seo Ga-eul of that day was already perfect on her own.

She didn’t seem to need anyone’s help anymore.

But the Seo Ga-eul of now was different from her of that day.

The Seo Ga-eul of now resembled me, who used to mutter to myself in the junkyard.

“Junkyard” and “ultra-luxury penthouse.”

“A lonely person muttering to themselves” and “the star of the party.”

Their situations were so different, but I could tell.

The Seo Ga-eul of now was lonely.

She wanted meaningless and noisy sounds to chatter around her.

Just like turning up the volume of an empty TV to drown out the loneliness when no one welcomes you home.

In other words, this party was like a TV.

Garnished with a bit of mischief and malice.

“Stop bothering Baek Yeoul. I don’t know what kind of relationship you had in the past or what happened, but it’s childish and disgusting. You orchestrated everything today, didn’t you?”

The reason the model could openly show hostility towards Baek Yeoul was because Seo Ga-eul, the host of today’s party, had tacitly agreed.

I thought that maybe Seo Ga-eul had instructed it.

Don’t provoke Baek Yeoul for no reason─.

That’s what I was telling Seo Ga-eul.

Because at today’s party, I had considered a few people as the “traitors of humanity” who might stab Seo Ga-eul in the stomach, and among them, Baek Yeoul had the highest potential score.

Both grudge and motive were sufficient.

Therefore, I had no choice but to hope that the relationship between Seo Ga-eul and Baek Yeoul would become harmonious.

“… … .”

Seo Ga-eul, who used to respond leisurely to any words, kept his mouth shut.

His expression was as cold as ice.

With this, our relationship had reached the worst.

“Can you handle what you just said?”

Seo Ga-eul asked me.

I wanted to ask back.

“You have to handle it. I was actually giving you a chance. Do you know? “The moon is really beautiful tonight.”

I looked at the sparkling moon far away through the wide windows of the penthouse over Seo Ga-eul’s shoulder.

It was a beautiful full moon.

The night when Seo Ga-eul was the weakest.

The reason I came to this office party in the first place was to see where Seo Ga-eul lived, to check the entrances and access routes, and so on.

Thanks to wandering around the office collecting bottle caps, I gathered quite satisfactory information.

The kidnapping of Seo Ga-eul is tonight.

“Then, have a vista!”

With a cool farewell, I was on my way home.

“Are you okay? “You said you liked Seo Ga-eul.”

Baek Yeoul, who had been silent for a long time, finally opened his mouth with difficulty.

“You must have been completely hated because of today’s incident. Honestly, it was a mess.”

Was he worried about my romantic business with Seo Ga-eul?

Even though we had signed a partner contract, he was quite a responsible guy.

“I don’t care if I’m hated. My feelings for Seo Ga-eul haven’t changed. Even if he hates me, it’s enough if I like him.”

“…Why?”

“Why?”

“What do you like so much about Seo Ga-eul? You know she has a bad personality now. She pretends to be fine in front of people but torments them behind their backs.”

“Why do I like her…”

“Seo Ga-eul has been popular for a long time. She used to be really nice. But she suddenly changed. I don’t know why, but I… I think I should speak up like you…”

Squeeze.

Baek Yeoul, holding her skirt tightly.

She kept opening and closing her lips as if something was stuck in her throat.

It’s hard to open up about one’s feelings.

While Baek Yeoul was contemplating, I thought deeply about why I liked Seo Ga-eul.

“Why do I like Seo Ga-eul? She’s pretty. Her eyes are as red as rubies. I like red.”

“……”

Did she not like my answer?

Baek Yeoul pressed her lips together and frowned.

# # #

Back home, Baek Yeoul buried her face in her bed and cried her heart out.

As a result, her makeup stained the pillow and her nose ran, but she didn’t care.

“I couldn’t say a single word in the end!”

She must have resolved to be strong when she decided to attend the company party.

No matter what happened, she must have decided to face it head-on and overcome it.

But when people’s gazes and criticisms were directed at her, old traumas resurfaced, and she couldn’t open her mouth.

The memories of being humiliated at the party because of Seo Ga-eul.

She wanted to get sweet revenge, but once again, Baek Yeoul just trembled.

Instead, it was Han Nam-jin, the boy who had been the worst since their first meeting, who said a little of what she wanted to say to everyone.

‘Why is he so confident?’

Isn’t he afraid of being hated by everyone?

Baek Yeoul fell into thought as she looked at the luxury bag she had borrowed from her mother with great determination.

When everyone mocked her for the bag being tacky, the boy had offered his fake shoes to save her.

Even when model Jeon So-mi attacked her, the boy had stepped in as if it were his own matter, taking on the shame and humiliation for her.

‘Why did he do that? Does he…like me?’

No, that wouldn’t happen.

The boy had openly declared that he liked Seo Ga-eul without any shame.

Seo Ga-eul was a bad girl, but she was popular among people.

A really bad girl.

Why on earth did Han Nam-jin like such a girl?

“Because she’s pretty? Is being pretty everything?”

Baek Yeoul was slightly angry, though he didn’t know at whom.

At himself? At Seo Ga-eul? At Han Nam-jin? He wasn’t sure exactly who he was angry at, but he thought he couldn’t stay like this any longer and stood up.

“I need to change too.”

But how could he change?

Baek Yeoul imagined what he should become.

Today, he remembered the boy who hadn’t been intimidated even in front of those confident VIP boys.

Honestly, Baek Yeoul didn’t think he could change that much, but─.

“Let’s start by changing my appearance.”

Baek Yeoul picked up a pen and drew a luxury logo on his worn-out school bag.

In an instant, a fake Chanel was completed.

It was crooked, but he liked it that way.

“Fake or real, it doesn’t matter. If I think it’s real, it becomes real, right? Everything depends on my mindset!”

The realization burst in his head like soda.

Now, he felt like he could get used to the concept of “bad luck” that he hadn’t been able to control before.

Sneak, sneak-.

Now, Baek Yeoul got up in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep and rummaged through his mother’s drawer.

What he took out was hair dye.

He didn’t even know what color it was.

Baek Yeoul squeezed the sticky, thick dye into a bowl and slathered it onto his hair in the dark room.

When the strong dye touched his scalp, it tingled, but it didn’t feel as bad as he thought.

He hoped his hair would turn red, like ruby red.

But after washing his hair and checking it─.

“Hiyaaak!”

# # #

“Hanamjin, my friend. Tell me I did nothing wrong. Tell me it was right to leave the comfort of those girls and escape the office party with you!”

Changsik couldn’t keep his mind straight, tormented by anguish and distress on his way home.

I had no choice but to awaken him to the harsh reality.

“All those girls sitting next to you had rings on their fingers. They all had boyfriends. They were having fun mocking you. You know that, right?”

“…Ugh.”

Changsik was truly heartbroken.

I knew all too well how painful it was to be rejected and ridiculed by girls, so I could sincerely console him.

“Hey, at least take this.”

Swoosh-.

I took out about ten bottle caps from the stash I had collected today and handed them to Changsik.

Mostly crown caps from beer bottles or delicious cola bottles.

Honestly, even for Changsik, it was a bit of a waste to give these away.

“No thanks. I have plenty of these at home.”

But Changsik declined my good will.

He had plenty of bottle caps at home?

I wanted to hear more about that, but Changsik trudged onto the bus.

Now, I was the only one left.

I blankly lifted my head and gazed at the night sky.

The full moon was still shining brightly.

The office party would end around midnight.

It would be best to execute the kidnapping plan when everyone had left and Seogaul was alone.

I had to make the most of my 《Leap》 ability.

I might have to risk my life.

Since we’re on the topic, should I do a practice run?

I went to a nearby park to loosen up a bit.

Today, during the “Special Class,” I thought about ways to enhance the level of my 《Leap》 through yoga and meditation, and I wanted to put it into practice.

“Leap isn’t really about running. It’s about jumping.”

Pop-.

As I lightly jumped into the air, my body soared nearly two meters high.

Honestly, I’m dissatisfied.

“Jump! Jump!”

I was jumping in the park like Mario hunting for mushrooms.

Thud, thud-.

I felt someone approaching me.

It was a woman wearing a hoodie and dolphin shorts.

Her long, slender legs and the chest area protruding under the hoodie stood out conspicuously.

“Are you, Yu Gireum…?”

“No.”

“Ah! Right! Yu Gureum! It was a name like a natural environment.”

“Yu Yeoreum.”

Yes, yes, that was the name.

Even in the elite group F, which scrutinizes even the background, she was called a genius. According to Taeseong’s explanation, even Seo Gaul, who was a step above, acknowledged her abilities.

Such Yu Yeoreum was scattering healthiness under the light.

Was she out for a jog? As I thought she was a diligent person, she asked me.

“What are you doing? I saw you jumping in the air.”

“Developing abilities.”

“Ah─. You’re trying to raise the level of your concept. Should I give you a tip?”

“Tip?”

“Concepts stem from strong desires. And the main fuel to use this power is emotions. Emotions like hatred, jealousy, envy, and fear are our sources.”

Swoosh-.

Yu Yeoreum scanned me from top to bottom under her hoodie.

“In your case, it seems to be ‘anger’. You draw power from anger every time you use your concept, right? There must have been something that made you extremely angry in your life. That’s when you acquired the concept.”

“Anger? Me?”

“I know because I’m the same. Whatever happened, it was enough to fill you with anger to acquire the concept. Reflect on the emotions of that day.”

Anger. Was the emotion I felt when I acquired the concept of 《Leap》 anger?

I didn’t even know myself.

Was I that angry that day?

“I train here in the ‘Central Park’ every late evening. If you have any questions about concept enhancement, come and ask.”

The hooded girl, Yoo Yeoreum, did me a great favor.

Suddenly, I wondered why she was doing so much for me.

I knew better than anyone that there was no such thing as a favor without a reason.

From noble mtl dot com

“Why are you trying to help me? Do you like me or something?”

At my question, Yoo Yeoreum took off her hood.