Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Return of the Rival
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An unfamiliar yet somehow familiar voice.
But Kang Hyun knew exactly who it belonged to.
The person he had to be most wary of in this tournament. The one who had vanished without a trace to Japan, only to return.
It was Seok Ji-hoon.
He was gazing at Kang Hyun with an inscrutable expression.
“...”
Kang Hyun turned around, his own face complicated, and stared back at him silently.
Seok Ji-hoon was dressed in something like a uniform, with an “APU” emblem on his chest.
“Been well?”
“Hello, sunbae.”
“Hello...”
Yoon Chan-rim and Woo Si-hyung greeted him one after another, but Seok Ji-hoon showed no interest in them, fixing his gaze solely on Kang Hyun.
“Hello...”
Kang Hyun bowed his head politely in greeting and looked up at him.
“...”
But he remained silent, just staring at Kang Hyun. Kang Hyun met his eyes without flinching.
He hadn't wronged him, nor had Seok wronged him.
“...”
The silence stretched on.
Seok Ji-hoon pressed his lips together, his face cycling through a range of expressions, as if lost in thought.
In the end, Kang Hyun spoke first.
“I heard you went to Japan.”
“Yeah, I was at Ritsumeikan. Gave me a chance to study, thanks to that.”
“...”
“No need to spell out whose doing it was, right?”
“I wouldn't say it was thanks to me... but did it help, at least?”
“No.”
Seok Ji-hoon's eyes gleamed.
As if he'd been waiting for this, he fixed Kang Hyun with a look of hatred and spoke in a sharp voice.
“I saw your last performance. You really went wild.”
“I was disappointed, myself. I didn't get to see your performance, sunbae.”
“Ha, is that so?”
He spoke with clear irritation.
“What good is it when it's already checkmate? But this time will be different. I'll start every fight with my own hands and end them with my own hands.”
“I look forward to it. We've prepared pretty thoroughly ourselves.”
“Yeah, I could tell. But in the end, I'll be the one winning the finals.”
“Sounds like you're confident we'll meet in the finals. Guess I've earned some recognition.”
“Ha! Yeah, I acknowledge you. You're impressive. But someday you'll get crushed. Know why?”
Seok Ji-hoon looked down at Kang Hyun, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if to say, you're beneath me. There was unmistakable hostility in his gaze.
“You lack the burning hatred to rip someone apart and kill them to reach your goals. No raging fury. No desperation, no raw anguish. You're just relying on your brains, arrogantly climbing up.”
“...”
Kang Hyun listened and responded only with a smile.
It was clear Seok Ji-hoon didn't see him as just a junior or rival.
But he didn't know Kang Hyun well, either. No, he didn't know him at all.
No fury, no desperation, no anguish...
This guy's still the same. That arrogance. He didn't know the Kang Hyun who was desperate to pay off his family's debts while pretending to be ordinary. The Kang Hyun whose mind was filled with nothing but clawing his way out of hell's pit if even a sliver of opportunity arose. A time far from ordinary, shrouded in despair without dreams or hope. It was precisely because of that pain and wretched existence that, from the moment he received his gift of talent, Kang Hyun had charged ahead like a madman.
“Sunbae.”
He flinched at Kang Hyun's call. The voice had been too intimidating.
“You seem to have trouble grasping the situation.”
But contrary to his tone, Kang Hyun continued with a bright smile.
“You're the one challenging me, sunbae. I'm the one on top.”
“What?”
“Must be the time abroad that's got you confused. No metric says you're favored... Want me to share some data?”
Before he knew it, Seok Ji-hoon was the one bristling from his own sharp declaration of war.
“People around here are saying you're a sly, cunning genius who'll use any means for victory.”
“...”
“So give it your all, pour everything you've got into it. I'll be waiting for you from above.”
Seok Ji-hoon stared at Kang Hyun wordlessly. Tension hung between them, the air thick and heavy. Then, A smirk. Seok Ji-hoon, eyes mad with glee, his lips curling as he spoke coldly.
“Is that so? My evaluation's higher than I thought. And you? Don't tell me you think yours is all roses.”
He turned abruptly. Footsteps receding.
“See you at the matches.”
Kang Hyun watched him go for a moment, then looked away, a heaviness settling in his chest. Seok Ji-hoon. An enigma, but one thing was certain. In this tournament, right now, he had to crush him decisively. Fail, and he'd be the one trampled.
Meanwhile, Seok Ji-hoon headed to a dingy, rundown café near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.
Clang. He opened the door to find a woman waiting. The moment he sat down, she spoke sharply.
“After this tournament ends, return to Korea University immediately.”
“Even if I win, I'm not going back to Korea University.” Slap! The hand that left his cheek bright red belonged to Gong Hyun-jeong.
“You little shit, I raised you soft, and this is how you repay me? With betrayal?”
“I've never betrayed you, Center Director.”
“You know what happens to my ties with Daijin Group if you don't return? Things are already a mess...”
“...”
“What's so important about that damn tournament! I'd drag you back right now if I could, but the foundation's spouting nonsense. Everyone's lost their minds... Tsk.”
Frustrated, she pulled out a cigarette to light it, then paused mid-motion and said to him.
“Your decision, so brace yourself. Fail this tournament too, and your bright future's over. Got it?”
“...”
“Got it?!”
“...Understood.”
“And.”
She crossed her legs, her face twisted in mockery.
“That noble Professor Cheon Ung-jae you admired so much? Wrote a recommendation for Kang Hyun this time, huh?”
“...”
“See? Told you. Raised a kid with no eye for people, and now he's rebelling... Dumbass.”
She sneered mockingly, but Seok Ji-hoon kept his mouth shut tight, frozen in place. The way Gong Hyun-jeong treated him was worlds apart from how she handled other students or Dan Cho-rok—overbearing, dismissive. Yet Seok Ji-hoon said nothing, just stood there.
“Go on. Play nice with your Japanese pals.”
“Goodbye, Center Director.” Click, clack. Long after her heels faded away, Seok Ji-hoon didn't move from his seat. His lip, bitten hard, was beaded with blood, sharp and bitter on his tongue.
The Bismuth schedule was hellish.
Written submissions, worth 50 percent, had to be prepared in advance, but tournament matches before the main rounds left only one or two days.
The structure had teams swapping venues immediately after one round, with the next match the following day.
Even mock trial experts trembled at the tightness; submissions were fixed at around 25 pages, making it all the more demanding.
But Kang Hyun's team showed no signs of struggling with the writings. If anything, they finished too quickly—that was the problem.
Early evening.
After morning feedback, the three gathered again at Standing Avenue, prompting Professor Park Min-ha to laugh in disbelief.
“Already done?”
“Yes, just need your review.”
“...”
Park Min-ha couldn't say more, simply nodding calmly.
She recalled Dean Kim Jong-hwan's tip when she first took this team.
No need to worry about them.
No need for heavy involvement—just manage the schedule like a manager, and it'd be a huge help.
It's true? But at the time, she'd brushed it off with a vague “Got it.”
She knew full well the critical role supervising professors played in prestigious mock trials, so the dean's words had sounded like “take it easy.”
But as they powered through the schedule, the absurd reality hit, leaving her stunned. In truth, her role grew even more vital at law school team levels. As cases got complex and time tighter, a director to set direction fast was essential. But... This team didn't need a director.
“Looks good.”
Nod.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
That didn't mean Kang Hyun and the others were arrogant or dismissive. Feedback flowed organically. They absorbed her expertise, debating differences actively. All for one goal. Victory. They were gunning straight for the Bismuth win. Undergrads winning Bismuth... They already had their first win. Overwhelmingly, powerfully crushing the opponents, shocking everyone. And the most absurd part? The taken-for-granted vibe at Korea University. At first, she hadn't adapted, flustered. Now she got it. They had the chops to beat any top university or law school team. Korea University mock court win, plus Bismuth. Two titles in a row... A chill ran down her spine. She was beyond surprised—verging on fear.
“One question.”
“Yes, Professor?”
She stopped Kang Hyun as he bowed and turned to leave.
“How do you see the tournament outcomes?”
“Tournament wins and losses?”
“Strategic approach. Schedule's brutal—no way to prep every match perfectly at 100 percent. Pick matches to concede, save time, extend prep...”
“I see.”
She felt off as she spoke. Kang Hyun looked genuinely puzzled. Hasn't thought that far? But that was her assumption. His next words left her aghast.
“Professor, has there ever been an undefeated run through the Bismuth tournament in history?”
“...Undefeated?”
Yes. Kang Hyun thought differently. He had no intention of conceding or losing a single match.
“Yes. We're aiming for an undefeated advance. Figured thinking about losses is riskier.”
“But that's impossible.”
“Why?”
“...Because it is.”
Her fluster showed plainly, but Kang Hyun spoke firmly.
“No, it's possible.”
His tone wasn't rude. Nor empty words. Calm, measured, with eyes promising to prove it. Seeing that gaze, Park Min-ha swallowed secretly. Then, unable to hold back, she closed her eyes briefly. Impossible. He's serious. Kang Hyun... It seemed the man she'd seen so far was just the tip of the iceberg. Only a fraction.