Turning Crisis into Opportunity
The next evening, Yuria headed toward Shinopé with a complicated heart. Despite wearing ordinary clothes, her striking beauty drew every eye on the street. Normally she would have shot icy glares at anyone who stared, but today was different. Her mind was too tangled with thoughts of Jihyeok and Seunghyeon to notice anything around her.
“Haa…”
A heavy sigh escaped her as she wandered distractedly down the crowded alley. She felt pathetic for being drawn to both Yu Seunghyeon and Song Jihyeok at the same time.
First, there was Yu Seunghyeon. An ordinary face, a timid personality—someone she would never have spared a glance under normal circumstances. But her father had declared he was the reincarnation of Aaron. They had known each other since childhood, and he had once been the kingdom’s knight commander with whom she had sworn a lifetime together. Letting go was impossible.
And then there was Song Jihyeok. His everyday habits mirrored Aaron’s so closely that he actually felt more like Aaron than Seunghyeon did. If Jihyeok truly was Aaron’s reincarnation, she would have stolen him without a second thought for Sehwa’s feelings. In just a few days he had completely captured her mind—an irresistibly attractive man who had openly confessed his interest in her.
I’m going crazy.
Yuria’s decision was to build a relationship with both of them. She knew perfectly well how wrong it was to keep one foot in each boat. Yet Jihyeok had confessed his feelings for her while already dating Sehwa. If that was the case… surely he would understand her meeting with Seunghyeon.
Having rationalized it that way, Yuria pulled out her vibrating phone and tapped the call button.
“Yes, Seunghyeon. I’m almost there. A café? No, I’m fine without coffee. I’ll wait at the entrance.”
She ended the call and quickened her pace. Soon Shinopé came into view, and there was Seunghyeon in neat, modest clothes, waving at her with a bright smile. It was rather charming. But…
He doesn’t feel like Aaron at all.
Aaron would never wave with his arm raised so high. Like Jihyeok, he would tuck his elbow against his ribs, tilt it slightly, and offer a small, restrained wave. She had never paid close attention before because she hadn’t been interested in Jihyeok, but now that she thought about it, those gestures were quite rare—something most people simply didn’t do.
Could her father have been mistaken? Or had the lingering trace of Aaron at the café Jihyeok frequented been overwritten by Seunghyeon, causing confusion?
No… Father wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.
“Yuria, how have you been?”
Seunghyeon’s greeting pulled her from her thoughts. She flashed him a bright smile.
“Yes. And you, Seunghyeon?”
“Me? I’ve been… all right.”
He scratched the back of his head. His expression was far from cheerful. He had recently broken up with his girlfriend, and the sadness still clung to him. After a brief, gloomy pause, he asked, “Where would you like to eat? I’m sorry—I should have picked a place in advance, but you suggested we meet so suddenly…”
He didn’t need to apologize, yet the consideration was touching.
“Anywhere is fine with me.”
“Then how about some makgeolli? Ah, but you’re from abroad—it probably won’t suit your taste, right?”
Makgeolli on a first meal? How old-man was that? And he was already carrying preconceptions. So far, the things she disliked about Seunghyeon far outnumbered the things she liked.
Endure it. He’s Aaron’s reincarnation.
“No, alcohol is a bit much for me.”
“Then how about pasta? Something safe?”
That was acceptable. Yuria nodded immediately.
“Yes, I like pasta.”
“Great. I know a good place. Let’s go there.”
Seunghyeon gave a confident thumbs-up over his shoulder, but his shoulders soon slumped again. Watching him, Yuria thought, He must have gone there often with his girlfriend.
She resolved not to mention the ex-girlfriend at all and simply matched her stride to his.
The restaurant Seunghyeon chose had pleasant décor. They ordered a simple cream pasta and a bolognese, then chatted while waiting for the food. The main topic was how he had ended up working at the hotel. That was when Yuria heard something astonishing.
Fuck.
Swallowing a groan, I moved my feet. I had been watching Yuria and Yu Seunghyeon’s entire dinner through a monster’s eyes. The reason my blood was boiling was simple: Seunghyeon had spilled his entire past.
From the insurance scam after his traffic accident to the fact that I had helped him—he had laid everything bare, even mentioning my real name. He told her he was only alive thanks to a man named Song Jihyeok, but that working so much had sadly driven a wedge between him and his girlfriend.
Thanks to that conversation, Yuria now knew that I was the one who had helped Seunghyeon… and that his ex-girlfriend had been Sehwa.
Not bad, Seunghyeon.
Of course, it came from genuine gratitude toward me, but an unintended consequence had become a massive headache. I never expected him to open up about his past on their very first meal. I had taken a clean hit.
Right now I was on my way to the usual park after receiving a call from Yuria. Her voice had been ice-cold on the phone. This was fucking annoying—bad news piling on top of bad news.
Still, it was fine. As long as I didn’t let myself get dragged around, I could turn this crisis into an opportunity. If I handled the situation properly, our master-servant relationship would not only remain intact but grow even wider.
When I arrived at the park, Yuria was already there with her arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face. I approached with a bright, innocent smile, pretending I knew nothing.
“Why did you want to meet here?”
Yuria bit her lip hard. I wondered what she was thinking of me right now. The world’s biggest piece of trash? A womanizer?
“Jihyeok.”
Her tone was as cold as the peak of Everest.
“Yes?”
“I’m truly disappointed. I never imagined you were that kind of person…”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I had dinner today with someone named Yu Seunghyeon.”
“Yu Seunghyeon? How do you know him, Yuria?”
“Ha!”
Yuria let out a hollow laugh at my surprised tone.
“That’s not what matters. Seunghyeon told me he was scammed by an insurance company after a traffic accident. He said that if it hadn’t been for a man named Song Jihyeok, things would have gone very badly.”
“I did help him. His situation seemed pitiful. What about it?”
“What about it…? You’re the one who stole Sehwa from him!”
“Why do you think that?”
My calm rebuttal only fueled her anger.
“You stole another man’s woman and you’re acting this brazen about it?”
This bitch… You were trying to two-time both me and Seunghyeon, you know. Where do you get off acting all pure? Of course I was the one who had set it up that way, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
“What exactly did Seunghyeon say?”
“He said he felt grateful to you! That he had to pay back a huge amount but thanks to your help he only owed twenty million won!”
“And?”
“And…? He didn’t even know Sehwa was dating you! He was completely in the dark—”
Yuria swallowed the rest of the sentence and rolled her eyes, clearly thinking of the second half of the proverb. It was almost funny.
“Got your nose cut off?”
“Yes! That! I almost told him everything, but I stayed quiet out of consideration for you. Don’t you have any conscience at all?”
I nodded slowly and asked in return, “What exactly are you angry about, Yuria?”
“You stole Sehwa! Even though you knew she had a boyfriend! And they only broke up a few days ago! That means while you were cheating with Sehwa, Seunghyeon was being played for a fool the entire time! Am I wrong?”
Yuria was practically panting with rage. When her breathing finally calmed, I spoke again.
“You seem calmer now. May I explain?”
“Go ahead.”
“First of all, I’m disappointed in you too, Yuria.”
“What?”
“Why are you so certain that I stole Sehwa?”
“Well…”
She was at a loss for words. It must have been too embarrassing to say, Because of how you’re acting toward me! How could I not suspect something?
“I did help Yu Seunghyeon. Back in college, Sehwa told me about his situation, so I introduced him to a professional lawyer out of pure goodwill. After that, my relationship with Sehwa developed rapidly—but only because she approached me first.”
“Do you honestly think that sounds believable? Sehwa isn’t the type of person who—”
“Ask her yourself. You can call her right now if you want.”
“…..”
“And I gave her a choice so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. I told her to pick one of us—me or Seunghyeon—once her heart was certain. A few days ago, Sehwa finally made up her mind. If anyone should be disappointed, it should be Sehwa, not me. After all, she tried to seduce me even though she had a boyfriend.”
Yuria clenched her fists tightly. Was she reluctant to be disappointed in a fellow Beast Slayer?
I continued, “Of course, the fact that I fell for it even while knowing the truth was wrong on my part. But this is funny. Aren’t you in a similar situation with Seunghyeon, Yuria? You know I’m with Sehwa, yet you’re still trying to meet me.”
“T-that’s…”
Yuria stammered. I seized the opening and took a deliberate step closer. She instinctively retreated half a step. Fortunately, she had no idea I had intentionally caused Seunghyeon’s accident.
“Are you finished talking?”
“…. You approached me on purpose, didn’t you?! You enjoy stealing other people’s partners, don’t you?!”
Yes. I fucking love it.
“What kind of nonsense is that…? You don’t have a boyfriend, Yuria. Why are you talking as if you do?”
Yuria’s expression flickered with realization. Song Jihyeok wasn’t supposed to know that Yu Seunghyeon was Aaron’s reincarnation. Mentioning anything related had flustered her.
“That’s true, but…”
“Or were you in that kind of relationship with Seunghyeon? If so, I can understand why you’re so angry. It would mean the person you like got stabbed in the back by Sehwa.”
“N-no, that’s not it!”
“Then I really don’t understand. You’re in practically the same position as me. When I do it, it’s romance. When others do it, it’s an affair… Is that the logic here?”
“…..”
“Are you joking with me right now?”
I brought my face so close our noses nearly touched. Yuria’s momentum died instantly and she averted her eyes.
“I’m asking if you’re joking with me.”
My voice dropped low. Yuria flinched.
“Jihyeok… you… ah!”
Yuria jumped in surprise as I grabbed both her cheeks with one hand. I furrowed my brows deeply and pressed her.
“Hey.”
“…. What did you just call me? Did you just say ‘hey’?”
“What exactly is your relationship with Seunghyeon?”
My eyes burned with intensity. Yuria swallowed hard.