Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Cha Hee-ra
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"So, you're saying that the childhood friend boy you used to play so well with when you were little, and his friends, keep bullying you?"
"Yeah..."
I couldn't hide my bewilderment upon hearing Hee-ra sis's words.
Before entering school, they used to hang out together regardless of her ugly appearance, but after starting school,
as the kids who teased her for her looks gradually increased and it started affecting him too, he not only distanced himself but even sided with the bullies tormenting Hee-ra sis. That fact left me speechless.
I just couldn't understand how a person could change so drastically in an instant.
Even though they were supposedly close friends.
And to top it off, unluckily, even after graduation, they kept ending up in the same school and class for 6 years, 3 years, and still ongoing, getting bullied almost daily by that vicious group that included his once-close childhood friend.
The sand grains filling Hee-ra sis's hair and the footprints on her uniform—it was impossible to believe that vicious delinquents, or rather her past childhood friend, were responsible.
Naturally, for Hee-ra sis herself, this had to be an enormous shock.
Especially since, from the way she continued speaking, it seemed like she used to have feelings for that boy.
No wonder the stress from the bullying was beyond imagination.
No matter how much they offered 100 million won, the stress that had piled up to its limit had already surpassed what sheer willpower alone could endure.
That's probably why she kept unconsciously shoving random things into her mouth.
Because without eating, she wouldn't have been able to survive it.
"Then sis, how about transferring schools... Oh..."
I belatedly recalled that her family situation wasn't great either.
I stopped speaking and glanced at Hee-ra sis, but she just gave a bitter smile.
"I can't transfer..."
"Why, unnie?"
I could guess the reason and clamped my mouth shut, but Na-young, who had the same question, urgently tried to stop her.
"Haha. Well... I don't get along with my family."
"Oh... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, Na-young. You didn't know."
Na-young, who understood that feeling better than anyone, bowed her head as if she had committed a grave sin against Hee-ra sis, who was in a similar situation.
"Unnie... I'm similar too."
"What?"
"My family wasn't good either."
"Huh?"
Na-young's sudden confession.
Na-young continued, meeting Hee-ra sis's eyes.
"I told you I used to be like you before."
"R-Really...?"
Even hearing the truth, she still couldn't believe that such a pretty girl had once had a similar build and ugly face.
"The root cause was with my family at the time..."
A fact she had only confided to me and Mom and Dad, who were now her family, just like with Hee-ra sis.
She slowly unraveled it all.
"I see... We really are similar."
At an age where everything looked cute no matter what, the pimples covering her face weren't adorable but only made her look repulsive, so from childhood, she was ignored by her family and spent her time eating.
Her already gross face got even worse as fat piled on.
In the end, they shared the common experience of being almost completely shunned by their families, and both girls' eyes welled up.
"You've been through a lot..."
"You too, unnie..."
They comforted each other.
"But I'm okay now. I have a new family, and Ji-hoon too."
"That's a relief."
"You'll be too soon, unnie."
"No, I think I'm already okay. I've been suffering alone, but opening up like this has lightened my heart a bit."
She forced a bright smile.
Though her eyes were lifeless.
"Sis."
"Yeah?"
"Just six months. Really commit to the diet for six months."
"Why? Do you want me that badly?"
Unlike my serious tone, she hugged her body with a playful expression full of mischief.
Still going on with this. Doesn't she get tired?
"Yes. Pretty much."
I answered dryly.
Several ways to help Hee-ra sis right now came to mind.
Using my wealth to help her transfer, or get her an apartment and support her living expenses so she could prepare for the high school equivalency exam.
If not that, there was the extreme option of turning the school upside down.
The latter would feel the most satisfying, but it would only be temporary.
Instead, it would be more refreshing if she used her own strength to indirectly get revenge on the delinquents who tormented her and leave an indelible regret on that person who was no longer even a childhood friend.
To do that, she had no choice but to become more beautiful than anyone else.
For men or women, beautiful and handsome looks are a tremendous power and authority.
It's true in society, but even more so in school.
"Right now you're like this, but show them you're a hidden gem and crush their noses."
"What...? 'Right now you're like this'? T-That's true, but it kinda hurts my feelings."
"Don't mind it. When you get pretty, it'll be good for you and good for me."
"Pfft. So I'll become your woman if I get pretty?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Got it. I'll... really give it my all now."
Her expression seemed a bit brighter than before.
"But let's start the serious diet tomorrow. I've already eaten today, so can I eat just a little more today?"
Hee-ra sis opened her mouth like she was grasping at straws, but
"No."
She was firmly rejected.
"Hiiing..."
Even acting pitiful wouldn't change no to yes.
By the way,
Among the kids bullying Hee-ra sis, there were girls, but quite a few boys too, she said.
'How much will they regret it?'
I was curious about the reactions of the boys who bullied her when they saw Hee-ra sis blossoming into goddess-like beauty.
The boys in the group who led the bullying, including her actual childhood friend from way back, would probably beat the ground in regret.
Or they might shamelessly hit on her.
That's when I'd step in and block them.
Kuh... Just imagining being the male lead from a shoujo manga made me feel giddy already.
"Alright. Let's start exercising right now!"
My motivation was overflowing.
In contrast, the two girls' enthusiasm had hit rock bottom.
"Ugh..."
"Ah! Ji-hoon, our hamburgers...!"
The ones we took earlier weren't enough. Na-young looked at me with pleading eyes.
Come to think of it, we came here to eat burgers.
Hmm. If we eat, we'd have to let Hee-ra sis eat too.
"Just hold out today."
"Waaang...!"
She made a tearful face, but I hoped she'd endure just this once.
For me, and for Hee-ra sis too.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After opening up to us and gaining some realization, Hee-ra sis truly dove into dieting with full effort this time.
As expected, she was bullied at school, so sometimes her hair had sand grains, and her uniform was covered in marks from being dragged on the ground or stepped on.
Whenever that happened, I'd ask if she needed help, but she vigorously shook her head.
Since things had come to this, she wanted to earn the 100 million, stand proudly before the delinquents who tormented her with her beautiful new self, just like I said.
And as promised, become my woman.
But she didn't seem to expect much from becoming beautiful or my woman.
It felt like she just wanted to earn the 100 million and run off somewhere.
But once I'd decided to make her mine, I had no intention of letting her go easily.
Though she hadn't even entered my pond yet.
"Now at 110kg... Sigh..."
Hee-ra sis's cheeks had definitely slimmed down a bit, and I could feel she'd lost weight.
However, she felt regretful and empty about only losing a mere 10kg.
"That's a ton. What are you talking about?"
"Still... it feels too slow."
"10kg in two weeks is incredible."
They say you get double the experience points when you first start exercising, so the initial results are always great.
But apparently even that wasn't enough for her; she grabbed her protruding belly fat and sighed.
"How long did it take Na-young roughly?"
"Hmm... Quite a while. Na-young kept sneaking snacks in between like you, sis, so the weight didn't come off easily."
"Heh... So how did you decide to lose it properly?"
"Honestly, I don't really know either."
I was just immersed in US stocks and FX, and before I knew it, Na-young had gone on a serious diet alone, shed all the weight, become gorgeous, and appeared before me.
"Impressive... Na-young."
"Right? But sis."
"Yeah."
"Don't change the subject. Look at me."
"Eek...!"
This person kept trying to divert the topic.
Where did she think she was slipping away to?
"N-No... Can't I skip putting it on?"
"No. You have to apply this to get pretty."
The cream I was about to apply to Hee-ra sis's face.
Having spotted the description that it was for feet, she desperately tried to change the subject to avoid it, but there was no escape.
"That's not for the face!"
"It is for the face."
Of course, right now it was obviously for feet, but later on, people would go crazy and pay premium prices to apply it to their faces.
"Na-young got pretty from this too."
"I can't believe that at all!"
No matter what, a foot cream of all things?
Hee-ra sis's resistance was fierce.
At this rate, I couldn't apply it thoroughly.
So, the card I pulled out.
"30,000 won."
"50,000... won..."
"Okay."
"Ugh."
She raised it again, so we settled on 50,000 won and applied the cream.
It needed to be applied consistently for a whole month, and 50,000 per day would be 1.5 million. Compared to the current hourly wage, that was an incredibly high rate.
And the work intensity was low compared to the pay.
"There. All done."
"My money...!"
"It's on credit. You can buy whatever with it once you succeed in dieting."
"Where does that kind of thing exist?!"
Ignoring Hee-ra sis's shout, I went to the public restroom in the park to wash my hands.