Chapter 495: Memories of That Day(3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 495: Memories of That Day(3)
Last night.
The group had left the cafe, ditching Kang Han-gang and Pyo Jin-ho.
"But it’ll be too conspicuous if we all walk into a hotel together. Why don't we just go to my place?"
Da-jeong, who was clinging to Jeong Chan-woo’s arm, made the suggestion, and the others immediately agreed.
"Oh, that sounds great! You said your place is close by, right?"
"I heard the air is really fresh there."
"It’ll be so cool if we go now. Last time I stayed at Da-jeong’s, I actually felt chilly even though it was midsummer."
"The vibe there is amazing. You can hear the crickets and everything."
Looking back, it’s obvious that this was a setup from the very beginning.
Neither I nor Jeong Chan-woo had even answered yet, but they were already giggling and chatting away amongst themselves. From the moment they started talking, it was clear they had no intention of going to a hotel.
"Ah, I... I have a girlfriend..."
I don't know how much I’d had to drink, but the Kim Woo-jin of that moment was 'Baby Woo-jin.' My pronunciation was slurring like crazy, so that must have been the case. Or maybe I was just getting some early practice in for communicating with our future children. I’m not entirely sure.
Regardless, at that moment, I didn't even have the strength to hold my own body up.
"S-should we?"
On the other hand, Jeong Chan-woo was surprisingly lucid. Unlike me, who hadn't drank in a while, it seemed like he had been secretly waiting for an opportunity like this. Plus, getting rid of three competitors who would’ve been vying for some action must have felt like a major victory for him.
He might have thought it was fine for me to be there since there were so many people. Or maybe he wanted to learn a thing or two from me, considering how many girlfriends I have.
Whatever the case, that bastard Jeong Chan-woo went along with the girls, hiding his own devious intentions.
"Let’s go, let’s go!"
"Whoa, Oppa, have you been working out? Your forearms are—"
"So sexy."
"Looking at this, you definitely have blessed genes from birth."
"Are you religious? You must have a lot of merit."
Normally, I would have snapped back with a "Stop trying to play me, you bitch," but I was so drunk that my brain wasn't functioning properly.
Even with a girl on each arm, I didn't feel much of anything. They had plastered on so much perfume that I felt like my nose was going to fall off.
"Ugh, smells like shit..."
"..."
"..."
To make matters worse, their chests were pathetic compared to Ye-rin’s, so it didn't even feel good.
What about Ah-rin? Of course, Ah-rin’s chest is much better, but there’s not enough space here to describe it, so I’ll skip that.
Anyway.
The place they led us to was a mountain path. To be precise, it was a walking trail, but as we veered off into the woods, a shady atmosphere began to settle in.
Jeong Chan-woo was the first to sense it.
"Wait... isn't this getting a bit too deep? You really live around here?"
"Of course. Didn't you know there’s a building up here?"
"A building? Up here...?"
Chan-woo looked flustered.
"I... gotta go back! The kids are waitin'!"
As I stumbled and mumbled, they must have decided they couldn't wait any longer. They started using their "honey trap" tactics a bit early. They began kissing Chan-woo and moving their hands toward his lower half. He looked surprised, but like a tyrant lost in lust, he went along with it.
They tried to do the same to me, but unfortunately for them, they touched my ultimate taboo.
The moment a hand reached for my crotch—
"Fuck. Freeze right there."
My mind suddenly snapped into focus.
Right, I remember now. I finally remember.
"Where do you think you're touching? You crazy bitches? This is sexual harassment, you pieces of shit."
"W-what are you saying?!"
"Oppa, you're being ridiculous!"
"Butler! Butleeeer!"
At that moment, a group of large men came rushing down from the mountain. At first, I thought they were gangsters, but the moment I heard them using words like "Butler," I knew exactly what was going on.
"You guys are a cult, aren't you?"
By then, Chan-woo had also snapped out of it and rushed to my side in shock.
"Now, let's just go quietly."
"Once you talk to the Leader, you'll realize you've come to a wonderful place."
"We aren't trying to do anything bad."
The men strode toward us. I thought to myself that people still actually do kidnappings these days, but they picked the wrong person to mess with.
"I'm going to count to three. Search 'Kim Woo-jin' on your phones."
I am Kim Woo-jin. A man with a certain level of fame. Some might call me an influencer or a celebrity. To use Yoo Ah-rin’s words, I have the fame level of a 'Master' appearing on Master of Living.
In other words, you might not recognize me at a glance, but you'll know who I am the moment you search for me.
"What kind of bull—"
The men tried to lung at us, ignoring me, but one of the women who had actually searched the name gasped in shock.
"T-t-the youngest son of Uju Group?!"
Their expressions could only be described as 'dazed.' As expected, money is king in this world. Realizing instinctively that they had touched someone they shouldn't have, they tried to run away.
"I said I was counting to three. You're still here?"
"Y-you haven't started counting yet..."
"I counted in my head. In my head. Isn't this a place where you study the mind or whatever? You don't even know that, you fuckers?"
"..."
"Get on the ground, you shits. Before I drive a tank up here tomorrow and wipe this whole place out."
Logically, I couldn't actually bring a tank. But I do know a few people who have the combat power of a tank. Two people, to be exact.
The rest was history.
'Fuck! Do you have any idea who I am to be dragging me all the way out here, you bitches?!'
'A cult? Don't give me that bullshit! Everyone, get in the push-up position!'
'PT Exercise Number 8, begin!'
'Did I hear a shout on the last rep? Start over!'
Their actions yesterday were, quite literally, a martyrdom. Isn't it called martyrdom when you sacrifice yourself for your religion? Their efforts to protect their sanctuary and their Leader against the worldly power of money were almost worthy of applause.
For the record, Jeong Chan-woo ran away halfway through. He got swept up in it and was receiving the punishment drills with them, but I just let him be because it was funny, and then he bolted.
And then. After that...
"I fell asleep."
Finally. I remembered why I had fallen asleep on the walking trail. I had drunk a ton of alcohol and then spent all that energy screaming my head off, so it was only natural that I’d be exhausted. At some point, my lights just went out.
And those guys probably thanked God for escaping that hellish punishment and ran away. They knew that even if I was asleep, they’d be screwed if they laid a finger on me.
"...Woo-jin."
After hearing the whole story, Senior Ju-hee sighed and spoke.
"Thank your father. Thank him for letting you be born into such a good family."
"..."
"If it weren't for that, you would have been—"
She seemed to have more to say, but Ju-hee didn't finish the sentence.
Soon, a car arrived. A familiar face was in the driver's seat—it was the Security Team Leader who used to be in charge of my protection.
"Get in, Woo-jin. The girls are waiting."
"Huh? Right now? But I thought I was going to spend time with you, Senior."
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, I thought it would be nice to spend some time together. But she let out a deep sigh and glared at me with a pout.
"I have to settle this."
"Settle what?"
"Those bitches who tried to mess with you."
"..."
"I'll be back after I handle it."
"I-I'll go with you."
"No. Don't come."
You shouldn't see anything gruesome.
After saying that, she headed straight toward the walking trail where I had slept.
"..."
It was a moment that made the efforts of the guys who did those punishment drills yesterday seem utterly futile.
"Tsk, they really are a cult."
See? God didn't protect them.
* * *
— Following the arrest of Leader Im of the New Love Truth Church on the 19th... the first trial...
"..."
"..."
"..."
The idiots and I were staring blankly at the TV with drinks in our hands. We were back at the Gamjatang place, the first time we’d all gathered since the incident.
"Wow, she really took care of it."
"I told you, Ju-hee is terrifying."
It was a total sweep. Senior Ju-hee, who had gone alone and wiped the floor with them, laughed it off like it was nothing. But then she spent the whole day at home clinging to me, subtly asking for praise.
And now, here we were, gathered again to drink. Someone might misunderstand. 'Oh, look, these guys made up! Yeah, you just have to clear up misunderstandings! A man's friendship lasts forever!'
Let me be clear. We did not make up.
We just gathered. Because...
"Fuck... how is it that you guys are the only people I have to drink with?"
"Ha, what a joke."
Because we live such messy lives, we’re the only ones left who can stand each other. We were like a pair of testicles. Always stuck together, sweaty and annoying, but you can't exactly separate them because there's no one else to hang out with.
"Seriously, drink in moderation today."
Kang Han-gang made a declaration.
"Agreed. This time, let's just have a few drinks and go play a game of billiards."
Pyo Jin-ho nodded in agreement.
"Please, let's just hang out like normal human beings, okay?"
Jeong Chan-woo, who was arguably the least 'normal' of us all, let out a sigh.
"Yeah, Gyu-a. Look. It's just guys. Yeah, exactly, these idiots. We ended up meeting again."
That bastard Ahn Hyun-ho was still glued to a video call with Gyu-a.
"Ugh, a man’s gotta have some swagger."
As I was clicking my tongue and taking a sip, my phone rang.
— Seo Ye-rin —
"Oh, Ye-rin. Huh? Suddenly? No... what? The baby wants to hear it? Ah..."
I glanced around and whispered into the phone.
"I... I love you, my wifey."
— Hehehehe!
Click.
After hanging up, I took a sip of my drink and glared at the guys.
"What are you staring at? Is there a show going on?"
"Dumbass."
"What did you just say? 'A man's gotta have some swagger'?"
"I swear, Kim Woo-jin is the biggest pushover when you really look at him."
Those bastards.
As I huffed and held out my glass, the others' glasses slammed into mine as if they’d been waiting, letting out a clear, ringing sound.