Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Confessing to Her
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I gazed at Dokgo Hwayeon, speaking to her in a gentle tone.
"What if you lose? It's possible to lose."
"No... After all the support the clan has given me..."
We were originally supposed to gather in the broadcasting room here for the mid-checkpoint.
Not at the Dokgo Clan.
But the Dokgo Clan had generously lent us their training hall. And tomorrow, they were even lending us the grand training ground. All for the sake of my showdown with Kim Kang-rok.
That meant the Dokgo Clan was paying close attention to this matchup against a mage.
I slowly raised my hand upward. Then I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Is there anyone in the Dokgo Clan who could say anything to you?"
"Huh? Ah, no..."
Her parents might have something to say, probably. But aside from them, I didn't think so.
"What if you lose and your fans turn their backs on you?"
"No, they wouldn't do that."
The Etkungdan called her Captain and followed her to the bone. They would never betray her.
"So don't worry. Everyone knows how hard you've worked on this content. Even if you lose, no one will blame you."
"You think...?"
I calmly soothed her right down to her heart. Strangely, today I felt like the older one.
"Yeah. And don't worry. I'll win it all for you."
"Huh?"
"The championship too, and I'll beat Kim Kang-rok."
"Pfft, you think that's possible?"
"Hmm... I could pull it off, don't you think?"
"You're so full of yourself..."
I gave her a slightly confident look. And honestly, I wasn't lacking in confidence.
'If I win big and flashy, it'll work.'
I wondered if my comforting had worked.
I could see Dokgo Hwayeon back to her old self. Nobility, poise, and confidence started returning to her face.
Of course, her sharp tongue was back to normal too.
"But hey?"
"Yeah?"
"That confession you made to me during the last mid-checkpoint."
"C-confession? That was just a hidden camera prank..."
"It wasn't a prank, was it?"
That was too sharp.
I lost the initiative in an instant. Naturally, my face was full of embarrassment.
"Wh-why bring that up all of a sudden?"
"No matter how much I think about it, that look on your face didn't seem fake. So, was it true? Or not?"
She even thrust her face right up to mine.
Soon, her pretty face was right in front of my nose.
My face flushed red on its own. My breathing quickened, and my heart started pounding.
Even amid all that, I racked my brain. I was desperately searching for some way out.
But my once-sharp mind froze up again. It was as if my heart was telling me to just go with it this time.
I felt I had no choice.
And truthfully, I was tired of dodging it every time by blaming the stream.
Yeah.
I had special feelings for Dokgo Hwayeon.
It was a bit different from the admiration I had as a fan in the past.
Back then, Dokgo Hwayeon was someone I looked up to with longing.
But not anymore.
Her presence felt tangible now, within reach. And with that, my desire to be with her grew stronger.
I changed my expression.
It was a rare, serious face.
And with that face, I looked at Dokgo Hwayeon.
"......"
"......"
Did she sense it?
Dokgo Hwayeon fell silent too. And she looked at me.
I saw her shining eyes. They seemed a little flustered, but I could glimpse a hint of expectation.
Soon, my closed mouth opened. And from it flowed only the truth.
"Yeah, truth is, I like you."
"......!!"
"Not just as a teammate—I like you as a man."
Dokgo Hwayeon's eyes widened round. She probably hadn't expected me to be so direct.
I looked at her for a moment.
Her face was flushed red. I could sense a touch of shyness too.
It wasn't a face that hated it. If anything, it leaned toward liking it.
'As expected.'
Someone once said it.
A confession is like confirming mutual feelings.
That was the case now.
We liked each other. I could vaguely sense it too. That's why I'd confessed with such confidence.
Anyway, I boldly met her eyes.
Now it was right to wait for her response. I couldn't push it. That might backfire.
And after how long?
Her closed mouth opened.
I waited in anticipation. I was curious how she'd accept my confession.
But my expectations shattered spectacularly.
"......Sorry."
"What?"
Against my expectations, she'd voiced her refusal. I'd never even imagined this.
I thought she liked me too.
No, anyone could guess it from her actions.
Yet she rejected me.
I looked at her with a mix of confusion. It was a face demanding an explanation.
"......I thought you'd wriggle out with another joke this time too. I didn't expect such a serious confession. Sorry."
"No, more importantly, why reject my confession?"
"That's..."
She made a troubled face. Then she just told me the truth.
"As you know, I'm direct lineage of the Dokgo Clan. My father's the one leading it."
"So?"
"That's why I can't just date whoever. No, I can't even marry freely. I can only marry the partner the clan chooses."
I felt like I'd been clubbed over the head.
Yeah.
Truth was, she was like nobility in this world. One of Korea's top noble houses, even.
And such nobles didn't marry for love. They couldn't.
Even chaebols mostly did political marriages. That was true in my old world too.
But the martial world was even more closed-off than chaebol families.
Of course, given her status, free love was nothing but a pipe dream.
"Even streaming was something I begged and pleaded for just to do. I can't go beyond that. Sorry."
Deep sadness filled her eyes. She looked like a frail bird stripped of its freedom.
I pondered as I looked into her eyes.
Part of me wanted to run off with her like in some drama, live secretly just the two of us.
But that wouldn't be good for either of us.
"Not even casual dating?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"......I see."
But I didn't get discouraged.
Instead, I asked her.
"Then, what do I need to do to date you? No, how do I win over your clan?"
"Huh?"
My words made her eyes widen. She looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Just what I said. What do I need to do for an arranged marriage with you?"
"Th-that...!"
Me, Park Jae-ho.
A man who didn't know the word quit.
Something this small(?) couldn't break my resolve.
Though, I'd gotten so worked up I blurted out marriage talk. I wasn't thinking marriage yet. Dating neither. My goal was something like what I had with An Young or Heyni.
And I asked her about the conditions. Specifically, what it would take for the clan not to interfere with us.
I wondered if I was the first to say something like this.
Tears glistened slightly in her eyes. She seemed touched.
But touched was touched, and soon realistic conditions started spilling from her mouth.
"First, you need peerless martial prowess among your peers."
"And?"
"Your fame has to soar too. The highest, most overwhelming among those around your age."
"Got it."
"And you need a lot of money."
"Money too?"
"Yeah. But you don't need to be the richest. Our family has plenty."
"R-really?"
"Plus, you need your own faction. If not, then martial force equivalent to one."
The more I heard, the more I regretted bringing it up.
The conditions were absurd.
'Is that why she hasn't dated anyone?'
That thought crossed my mind.
No guy would meet criteria like that easily. Almost none, really.
'As expected of Korea's top clan's precious flower.'
In game terms, she was the one with the toughest conquest conditions.
But they weren't impossible.
Martial skill? Master Fist King Fist to the extreme. No peer my age could stand against me then.
Fame?
Build it through streaming. Nothing raised fame faster.
Money?
Earn it streaming too.
Blade, the world's top Newtuber, made hundreds of billions a year. Not impossible for me.
'Faction's the issue... But I can cover it with martial skill.'
Learning martial arts confirmed it. My talent wasn't ordinary. It was extraordinary.
In my eyes, beyond even Dokgo Hwayeon, who was called a genius.
So I could overcome it. I had that hunch.
I quietly listened to Dokgo Hwayeon's conditions.
Then I spoke calmly.
"It's tough... but not impossible."
"......You!"
She'd probably listed them hoping I'd give up.
But as I said, I was a man who didn't know quit.
For a woman like her, these conditions weren't too much.
"Then this showdown's pretty important to meet them. First chance to show my martial skill."
"Haa... You're really..."
She looked at me like she couldn't handle it. But it wasn't dislike. Closer to fondness. Her flushed face gave it away.
"Alright, check my swordplay. I'm feeling motivated now."
"......Okay."
I had to showcase my talent properly in this showdown. That way, I could catch the eye of the Dokgo Clan's higher-ups.
'Then advance one step at a time.'
I gripped my sword with a confident face.
Lucky I had martial talent.
Never been more grateful for it than now.
"Alright, hold my hand and teach me closely."
"What?"
"Come on, teaching martial arts, holding hands is fine, right?"
"Y-you think?"