Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: When Is Life's Golden Age?
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Life's golden age—when is it?
Some say it's the teens.
When all possibilities lie open.
Others claim it's the twenties.
When your body peaks and your mind sharpens.
Still others argue it's the thirties.
When you finally claim your place in society.
Like that, everyone's golden age is different. If you ace your exams and get into Korea's top university, your prime is obviously your twenties.
Even if you're scraping by on a low salary, drowning in loans, and missing out on the marriage most people try at least once—as long as you have fond school memories, your golden age was your teens.
I stared into the mirror.
My skin, meticulously maintained with a fortune, gleamed with a healthy sheen.
On my wrist sat a Richard Mille worth over a billion won, and the subtle fragrance wafting from my body came from a perfume that cost 2.4 million won per ounce.
I spritzed it on just right and headed to the parking lot where my beloved steed slumbered.
'Not the LaFerrari today. Let's take the Cullinan.'
All the windows were coated in deep tint, blocking any outside view—a luxury any rich person would covet.
I slid into the driver's seat and let out a sigh.
Why get all dressed up today?
It wasn't for a date with Kang So-yeon like last time.
'A bodyguard, huh...'
Jin Seol-hwa had insisted strongly.
Your body isn't just yours, she'd said—it's the company's.
There must've been that school shooting in Georgia, USA. Some ordinary high school where a 17-year-old boy, dumped by his girlfriend, grabbed a semi-automatic rifle and opened fire on his friends and teachers.
Result: 14 dead, 56 injured.
The state's entire police force mobilized, and even Homeland Security held a rambling press conference about thoroughly investigating why these tragedies kept happening.
Jin Seol-hwa heard about it and checked with her old military contacts.
And that bodyguard had just arrived in Korea today.
'Sigh...'
I arrived at Incheon Airport and spotted a woman hauling a massive carry-on suitcase.
Another woman?
With this, I realized my life's golden age had arrived in my thirties, welcoming the new year.
Any male's instinct is to be surrounded by females for breeding.
I had overwhelming wealth compared to others—and call me arrogant, but I prided myself on my warm heart, too.
In other words, I had everything to attract the ladies.
Of course, my personality was pure Hannam-dong normie.
God doesn't give anyone everything.
"Uh, hello?"
Stumbling over my words again today.
My voice sounded like it was missing a battery as it reached her ears.
"?"
She tilted her head and pointed at herself with a finger.
Oh man, what an embarrassment.
All my efforts with the fancy car and luxury brands went down the drain in an instant.
"I-I'm Kim Do-jun."
"Are you the new employer that 'Seolhwa' was talking about?"
"...Pardon?"
Realizing I didn't get it, she remembered this was Korea, not America.
"Sorry. I got my time zones mixed up for a second..."
Time zones? More like countries.
Whatever, minor details.
I could tell the woman in the black coat was no ordinary person. Probably cut from the same cloth as Jin Seol-hwa.
The way she casually brushed off her collar, her scanning gaze around the area.
When she walked, one hand stayed fixed at her waist—a telltale sign of long life in gun-happy America.
'This woman's the real deal!'
I had no choice but to think it.
A man from the land of Eastern etiquette, Korea, must escort a lady properly.
I popped the trunk and neatly loaded all her bags.
She bowed her head in thanks.
"My name is Ember. Ah! This is Korea, right... My Korean name is Im Yun-ah."
"Korean-American?"
"Yes. I immigrated to the US in second grade, then did middle and high school in California."
"I, I see."
Jin Seol-hwa's resume on her.
Reading it had made me break out in a cold sweat.
She was way more elite than I'd imagined.
'USSOCOM?'
Commonly known as the US Special Operations Command.
Hard to even get in, let alone build a career.
It meant only the top 1% of America's elite competed for spots there.
A group of monsters who transcended human limits—enough said.
'Discharged from Special Ops Command, four years with LAPD... and like Jin Seol-hwa, a year with a PMC traveling the world.'
Age 32, same as Jin Seol-hwa.
New Year had aged us all by one.
"Um, Miss Im Yun-ah?"
"Just call me Yun-ah."
"R-Really? Haha..."
This is something.
Im Yun-ah, with her short bob and well-toned muscles everywhere, was stoic as they come.
Just like you'd expect from special forces.
Her emotionless voice made her seem like an amoeba without feelings.
'Do all special forces types act like this?'
No, not really.
YouTube ex-special forces guys overflowed with jokes and banter.
"Let's grab a meal at least. Gotta have a welcome party."
"?"
No such custom in America?
Screw it.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—or in Korea, follow Korean ways.
"Let's go! Fill our stomachs first!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Chomp! Chomp!
Slurp! Slurp!
I gaped at her, mouth open.
The passing manager dropped his tray of cutlery.
She devoured her food like combat rations, vacuuming up everything around her in a whirlwind.
'My god...'
Was that really human?
I'd picked a fancy restaurant for the welcome.
80,000 won per steak.
Add wine or extra courses, and hundreds of thousands vanish easy.
Patrons here had class.
Yet Im Yun-ah, evoking a caveman amid them, ignored the stares.
"Y-You must've been hungry..."
"Ah! Sorry. I have a habit of eating fast."
"N-No problem. T-Take your time."
"Alright!"
Chomp! Chomp!
Slurp! Slurp!
Round two.
She crammed in enough for five people.
"President. That was delicious."
"......"
The table looked like a battlefield.
Everyone gawked at us.
"Sh-Shall we go?"
"Sir."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ New addition: Im Yun-ah.
Finding her lodging was top priority.
A young man and woman couldn't live under one roof. Since this was official business from Jin Seol-hwa, not personal, I'd offered to book a hotel.
"No need."
What Im Yun-ah wanted was one thing.
My safety.
"I'll stay here."
"...Here? You mean...?"
"Yes. I came here for President Do-jun's safety. From here, you can't go out without passing me."
"S-Still, this place is a bit much, no?"
"Doesn't matter. In the Middle East, I slept through sandstorms in the desert."
What kind of life has she lived?
I'd planned to book a hotel. Seoul had 5-stars everywhere; pick one.
She refused.
One simple request.
She'd stay here for a while.
And "here" meant my front door.
This woman planned to live at the house's only exit.
"You'll stay and sleep here?"
"Yes. With the recent US shooting, I was told to prioritize the president's safety."
"Wait, this is South Korea! Guns aren't legal like in America!"
No gun incidents here, ever.
Occasional news of illegally modded guns, sure.
But those were survival-game toys with weak pellets, not real bullets.
Overreacting like this in a country without them wasn't good.
This was Hannam-dong, where the rich lived.
Everyone else here was chaebol-level, except me.
Sharp eyes scanning everywhere could spark misunderstandings.
"At least stay in the living room."
"I can't share space with the president. It's disrespectful."
Ah, my normie side acting up again.
Keep this up, and I might cry.
"...This is an order as president."
"!"
"Stay here. If it's for my safety, close by is best."
In the end, I ended up living under one roof with this sturdy fresh-off-the-plane woman.
Damn it...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A dim room barely big enough for one.
A woman there gnashed her teeth at her computer.
"Bukppudeupppu, you traitor bastard... Ditching me for some other girl?"
The woman's identity: streamer Choa.
She'd once had big spender "New York," living lavishly. All shattered by that Bukppudeupppu guy.
Now crammed in a tiny one-room.
Unacceptable for someone who'd blown millions daily.
"I'll get revenge. Revenge!"
She spat venom, forgetting how she'd swallowed her pride before—lost to pure rage.
📰 Breaking News 'Bukppudeupppu' Exposed A post on the community board.
Bukppudeupppu was a notorious big spender in Internet Broadcasting circles.
People couldn't resist curiosity about an exposé on such a whale.
Hello? I'm a Female Cam streamer. Today, I muster the courage to expose someone. The big spender 'Bukppudeupppu' used Bubble Gifts to lure an innocent woman into a private meetup, then dragged her to a hotel by force. Streamers live off those bubbles, so we can't ignore a whale. I fell for his dinner date invite... Turns out he's a total nobody. Your 'Bukppudeupppu' is a dangerous guy faking it with bank loans and loan sharks. He promised ongoing support, then sexually assaulted an innocent woman. Sob sob sob... Be careful, everyone. There isn't a single decent whale out there. The sensational title.
The explosive content.
The community ignited instantly.
Malicious users turned their arrows toward uncovering Bukppudeupppu's identity.
Unaware of the storm it would unleash later.