Geum Seong-muk's Memories - 3
The day Ye-bin had her first sleepover.
Naturally, the main house was turned upside down.
When she opened the door and stepped inside, there stood her father, Seo Mu-jin, the frontrunner to become the next Yujin Group chairman, fuming with rage.
“A sleepover?! Seo Ye-bin, have you lost your damn mind...!”
Seo Mu-jin bellowed.
Ye-bin responded as if it were no big deal.
“I was at a friend's house.”
“A friend? Which friend?”
“There's one. Her name's Min-ju. I'm tired, so I'm heading in first.”
Bang!
Ye-bin slammed the door shut behind her.
She'd never gotten along with her father, who drilled into her every day about being the model Yujin Group heiress.
So this wasn't anything new, but Seo Mu-jin sensed something off.
“Something feels weird...”
Normally, she'd snap back with more attitude, but today she dodged the whole conversation and vanished inside—like she was desperate to avoid giving him any leverage.
Drip, drip—
“Kim Manager.”
Yes, sir.
“Dig into Ye-bin's whereabouts. There's definitely something going on.”
Yes, sir. Understood.
It didn't take long to uncover the truth.
Of course, Ye-bin had played it smart up to a point, acting like she was hanging out with friends to shake off her escorts. But in the end, it all pointed to her meeting Seong-muk.
Photos of the two together were snapped and sent straight to Seo Mu-jin. In a surprisingly calm tone, he asked his secretary,
“Read it off. What kind of punk is this guy?”
“His name is Geum Seong-muk. He's a first-year at Bujeon High, on the baseball team.”
“Baseball team, huh...”
Seo Mu-jin tapped his forehead thoughtfully. Baseball held the highest status in the world, so plenty of elite families pushed their kids into it for physical development.
To confirm, he asked his secretary,
“Parents from which conglomerate? Or a doctor? Lawyer?”
“...None, apparently.”
“What the hell does that mean? No job?”
Seo Mu-jin shot back incredulously.
Sweating bullets, the secretary replied,
“No, sir. He has no parents. Abandoned at birth—basically an orphan...”
“...Hah, hahaha!”
Seo Mu-jin let out a hollow, chilling laugh.
The secretary felt goosebumps crawling up his skin at that eerie sound.
“Who the hell does this fatherless bastard think he is... eyeing my Ye-bin without knowing his place?”
To Seo Mu-jin, who'd walked the elite chaebol path since childhood, Geum Seong-muk looked like just another monkey climbing the family vine for a shot at climbing the social ladder.
“Can't have that. Absolutely not...”
He pushed up his glasses with a sinister grin.
He'd made up his mind. He'd confront Geum Seong-muk directly.
Gulp...
Geum Seong-muk sat tense in a high-end restaurant.
He'd gotten a message from someone.
...How'd he get my number?
He wondered at first, but as Yujin Group's next chairman, tracking down a number was child's play. Seong-muk accepted it quickly.
He'd arrived twenty minutes early, and every minute felt unbearably heavy as he wondered what this was about. As the clock struck exactly 5:00 p.m., the man appeared.
“You're early.”
“Hello, sir...!”
Seong-muk bowed deeply.
Seo Mu-jin sat without acknowledging the greeting, his expression impassive. Then he slid an envelope across the table.
“Take it.”
“What's... this?”
The thick envelope was stuffed with 50,000-won bills.
“Take that, and break up with my Ye-bin.”
“............!!”
Seong-muk's eyes widened in shock.
He bit his lip and pleaded,
“I really like Ye-bin. She feels the same.”
“I get it. You're at that age where everything's on fire. That's why it pains me.”
“Is this about money? If so, I'll make plenty! I'll succeed as a pro and make sure Ye-bin never lifts a finger...!”
“...You're misunderstanding something. Kim Manager, the file.”
“Yes, sir. Here.”
Seo Mu-jin flipped through the file and began reading aloud.
“Bujeon High first-year, Geum Seong-muk. Pitching ERA in the 5s. Batting average just over .200 as a hitter... These the stats of someone aiming for pro stardom?”
“That's...!”
Seong-muk was pierced right in the heart.
For the first time, his lazy past filled him with shame.
“Fine, let's say you're a late bloomer and make it big someday. Even then, that kind of money's pocket change to Yujin Group.”
“.........”
“Harsh truth, but you and Ye-bin live in different worlds.”
“What...!”
“Know why relationships with status gaps never last?”
Seo Mu-jin removed his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on before continuing.
“Chaebol daughters who run off and marry for love? Happens all the time.”
“But in most cases, the family cuts off all financial support. I'd do the same—if Ye-bin married you, no help from me.”
“...!”
“Sure, she'd think it's fine at first, blinded by love, dismissing money as trivial. But it's not.”
“Can a girl used to luxury penthouses and chauffeured Maybachs really hack a one-room and subways forever?”
“That's...”
Seong-muk swallowed hard.
Ye-bin tried not to flaunt it around him, but her untouchable heiress vibe still seeped through.
Could he even match half of that?
He'd vowed to succeed in baseball, but right now, he was barely scraping by as a Bujeon High regular. Coaches praised his potential, but surviving in the world's toughest league—Korea—was no guarantee.
What if he doesn't even get drafted...?
Things would get even bleaker.
A guy who'd fixated on baseball through school, suddenly thrust into society—could he even function as a normal adult?
Sure, some played in minor leagues in Japan or the US, but you needed Korean League draft and results first.
Nothing guaranteed Seong-muk's future. As these doubts swirled, Seo Mu-jin smirked—right on plan.
“In that poverty, she'd blame you first. 'My life's ruined because I fell for you.'”
“...”
“If you truly love Ye-bin, think hard. What's really best for her future?”
“...Give me some time to think.”
“One month. Decide by then.”
With that, Seo Mu-jin and his entourage left.
Seong-muk let out a deep sigh.
The next day,
After school, Seong-muk headed straight to team practice.
“................”
His mind wandered more than ever.
It tanked his focus, driving the coaches insane.
“Hah, what a screw-up...!”
“Hey, Geum Seong-muk! What the hell's wrong with you lately?!”
“Nothing.”
Bujeon High had top-tier coaches as befitting a powerhouse, including ones who'd spotted Seong-muk's rare talent early.
They'd invested extra effort, thinking it was finally paying off—only for him to derail again.
After practice, he headed home.
Ye-bin, of course, came along.
“...”
“...”
Cuddled up on the sofa watching TV.
Seong-muk stared at her silently until she glanced up shyly.
“Mmm, what?”
“Nothing.”
A bitter expression crossed Seong-muk's face.
This happiness felt perfect now.
But could it last 10 years? 20? Forever?
Look at my own parents, damn it...
He'd been born from that mess.
High school fling, no precautions—then his birth parents dumped him and vanished.
He'd struggled as their byproduct, but their lives were probably trash too.
No reason it wouldn't repeat.
Without him, Ye-bin could live happily as a rich heiress.
All he had to do was let go.
That thought consumed him.
...I have to set her free.
After hundreds of agonizing loops, that was his conclusion.
His chest burned.
Of course, breaking up wouldn't be easy.
...She's not the type to just accept it.
Ye-bin had fire.
A straightforward breakup would spark chaos—she'd sense something fishy and tear her family apart investigating.
So how?
Seong-muk's plan was simple.
Act like a total asshole until she falls out of love.
“Roll call! Geum Seong-muk!”
“What? Seong-muk's skipping again...?”
Ditching school was step one.
Reports flooded in of him tearing up Gwangalli roads at dawn with biker gangs.
And after-parties were mandatory.
He crashed every booze-up with female delinquents, word inevitably reaching Ye-bin.
“Geum Seong-muk, what the hell?”
“Just hung with friends. Don't overreact.”
“You... ugh.”
Ye-bin sighed in disgust.
He figured it'd wear her down—but,
“...Just don't come home too late, okay?”
“............”
Not enough.
Time to escalate.
“Hey, Geum Seong-muk...!”
“What.”
“You're insane...! How could you cheat on me with some other girl...!”
A female delinquent scrambled into her clothes and bolted from Seong-muk's place. The implications were obvious.
Sizzle, flick!
Seong-muk lit a cigarette inside.
He'd quit after dating Ye-bin, who hated the smell—but now he puffed away indifferently.
“Exhale. See that?”
“I saw it?! You bastard...!!”
“What? You knew what I was when we started. I'm a thug—the kind you hate.”
“...!”
“I played nice for fun while dating a rich girl. Now? My way or the highway. Can't handle it? Hit the road.”
Seong-muk waved her off dismissively.
Trembling, tears streamed down Ye-bin's cheeks.
Pat pat—!
She fled like she was running for her life.
Seong-muk thought that was it.
But the next day,
Ye-bin showed up again.
“I know this isn't the real you.”
“...”
“I believe you'll snap out of it. I'll stick by you and fix this.”
Her eyes were puffy from crying as she said it. Seong-muk couldn't bring himself to hurl harsher words.
“Sigh, fuck...”
He just chain-smoked behind her, gut churning.
Ye-bin gave her all afterward.
Cold and cynical on the outside, but for the man she loved, no one was more devoted.
Did her efforts work?
Lately, Seong-muk seemed softer than before—treating her better, almost like old times.
“What about...?”
Judging by his recent vibe, maybe he'd admit his mistakes and promise to do better, Ye-bin hoped.
Rain poured down.
But heading to the meetup, her face lit up with a smile for the first time in ages.
“You came?”
Seong-muk stood under an umbrella, smoking.
Ye-bin sensed it instinctively from his expression.
This wasn't for good news.
“Let's break up.”
Thud!
It hit like a boulder in her chest.
Hands shaking, Ye-bin stammered,
“...Seong-muk, why?”
“Need a reason?”
“Yes. Why...?”
“......”
Seong-muk took a deep drag.
Exhaled a cloud, then spoke.
“I'm sick of your body.”
“What...?”
“Want me to say it again? I'm sick of your body.”
“............”
Ye-bin went blank, like she'd been clubbed over the head.
No shock in her life compared.
Hearing the man she loved say she held no value as a woman—it was brutally cruel.
“Sob, hic, ugh... you bastard...”
She burst into sobs.
Tears flowed so hard, even the rain couldn't wash them away.
“Sob, you jerk. You said I was pretty first...”
“...”
“Fucking gorgeous, you said. That's why we dated. Hic, how could you do this to me...?”
Seong-muk desperately averted his eyes.
One glance, and his resolve might crumble again.
He flicked the cigarette to the ground and turned away coldly.
“I'm out. Don't look for me. Next time, find a nice guy—not trash like me.”
Leaving Ye-bin collapsed and crying, Seong-muk walked away.
“...”
He looked up at the pouring sky.
It had rained that day too.
Sudden downpour, her laughing innocently as she came to his place, the happy times, whispering eternity together.
Once far enough from Ye-bin, Seong-muk tossed his umbrella aside and ran into the rain.
“Fuuuuck...!!”
Pain like half his soul ripped away.
He ran like a madman.
Hours on end, hour after hour.