The Mascot's Fall and the Dangerous Bet
The incident where a man had been assaulted in that whole "marry me or die" business. Even that alone would have caused an uproar if it ever got out. But the person on the receiving end made it an even bigger problem. The victim was none other than Yoo Duhak, the sole son of Samsung Group, Korea's top conglomerate.
Back then, the company had been thrown into chaos at the sight of their young master's bruised face. Thanks to the National Intelligence Service stepping in, the sparks never reached Shinwoo. Still, the aftermath lingered.
"Mom, send me abroad!"
Three days later, as if he could no longer stand living in the same country as the man who had beaten him, Yoo Duhak fled to the United States.
"...And that is how my older brother Yoo Duhak ended up leaving for America."
"Is that so?"
Shinwoo sat across from Yoo Chaerim at the tea table, listening to her story. He tilted his head in confusion. What did Yoo Duhak leaving Korea have to do with his senior asking him to marry her? He wanted to hear the main point.
Yoo Chaerim seemed to understand and immediately continued.
"The problem is that when my brother left for the States, he completely abandoned all corporate duties."
"Corporate duties...?"
"Yes. As the only son of Samsung Group, Yoo Duhak was practically our company's mascot. He was a character everyone recognized."
Yoo Chaerim pulled out her smartphone and showed the screen to Shinwoo, Elena, and Han Chaewon seated on either side of him. On the black-and-white display, Yoo Duhak appeared, saying, "Can you turn off the lights for me?" He wore a Samsung-branded smartwatch on his wrist as the thirty-second commercial ended.
"You've all seen this at least once, right? It caused quite a sensation in Korea."
"Oh, yes! I know this one. I ordered a Samsung smartwatch right after seeing the ad."
"Honestly... even spies probably know this commercial."
Wait, really? Shinwoo hadn't known about it. After reincarnating, he'd spent the past month doing nothing but working out. Still, with everyone looking at him, he nodded as if he understood.
"So you're saying that after getting beaten by me, he stopped filming commercials?"
"Exactly. Being a man, his head was naturally empty, so he was useless at actual corporate work anyway. The only valuable thing about him was his image as an attractive male..."
Yoo Chaerim took her phone back and began typing. The next screen left Shinwoo tilting his head since he didn't understand it well. But Elena beside him looked utterly shocked.
"W-what is this?!"
She snatched the phone and brought the screen right up to her face, her expression one of pure panic.
"This can't be..."
"Yes. As you can see, this is our Samsung headquarters' current stock price."
"Whoa. It's raining blue like crazy..."
Even major corporations didn't see their stock prices rise forever. With so many shares to manage, there were downturns and upturns. Maintaining that rhythm was simply how big companies operated. But this looked dangerous even to Han Chaewon, who knew little about stocks. There were no fluctuations; it was just plummeting straight down.
The initial drop had probably started when Yoo Duhak went into hiding after getting beaten by Shinwoo. Their massive mascot, popular even in overseas markets, had vanished without explanation. The fact that the mascot was the company's own son only made things worse. Trust in the company tanked along with him. It was a complete disaster.
"I hate to admit it... but my brother has been Samsung's mascot since he was a baby. When someone like that suddenly disappears, then causes trouble overseas, what can you do?"
"Trouble?"
Yoo Chaerim took the phone back from Elena. Her previously innocent, girl-like face darkened with clouds. She let out a deep sigh, searched for something else, and showed it to Shinwoo.
The article briefly detailed Yoo Duhak's activities after arriving in America. Because he was an Asian man walking around freely, American news had covered him almost daily for a while.
[Man dining outdoors.]
[Man who, despite being clumsy, can speak a foreign language (English).]
[The real Samsung mascot, met in person.]
These were all articles that appeared within a single day of his arrival. Up to that point, they had all been positive.
But the real problem started on his third day in the country. Naturally, as a man, Yoo Duhak enrolled at Harvard High School, America's most prestigious academy, regardless of grades or nationality. During lunch one day, while walking to the cafeteria with girls on both arms, he happened to encounter a male student in the hallway.
His name was Tom Bernie. Standing 160 centimeters tall and weighing just 40 kilograms, he was a frail, bony Asian-American. His popularity at school was naturally similar to Yoo Duhak's. After all, he was a man. The article described how the female students nearly had heart attacks at the sight of two males gathered in one place.
But the event that truly stopped hearts came next. Seeing the Asian male student triggered Yoo Duhak's PTSD. He suddenly charged at Tom, tackled him, and began beating him mercilessly. The reason was simple: looking at the boy reminded him of the one who had done this to him.
Thanks to this incident, both Korea, where Samsung headquarters was located, and the United States were thrown into an uproar. America, especially sensitive about its citizens, turned the event into a diplomatic issue with Korea.
...And that was how the article ended.
"......Wow."
"Is our country... really going to collapse because of that one pig...?"
Shinwoo and Han Chaewon looked at each other with grave expressions. As Shinwoo sat there somewhat dazed, Yoo Chaerim took her phone back. That was when it happened.
"...Han Shinwoo. If it looks like our nation's prestige is truly about to crumble, come with me to Russia."
Elena Barbachof, the Russian girl who had absolutely nothing to do with this incident, gently wrapped her warm hands around one of dazed Shinwoo's. Looking straight into his eyes, she casually suggested something incredibly serious.
"Let's... just run away together."
"R-run... away?"
"Yes."
"Hey now, running away?!"
"A child shouldn't say such things so casually."
But then a hand chop flew down from above. What had been a nice atmosphere ended abruptly with Elena fainting with a dramatic "thud." When the startled Shinwoo turned around, the two seniors were glaring fiercely at each other.
"So... what exactly does any of this have to do with you marrying my little brother?"
"Can't you tell just by looking? The Samsung mascot known as Yoo Duhak has already collapsed. And there is no one left who can replace him... or so everyone thought."
As she spoke, Yoo Chaerim's eyes scanned Shinwoo with a strange, seductive gleam. Shinwoo flinched for a moment under that gaze. But Yoo Chaerim didn't stop licking her lips.
"And honestly, it's not as if you're completely without responsibility for this situation. Isn't that right, Junior Shinwoo?"
"That is..."
Seeing the article had made him feel a twinge of guilt. Of course, Yoo Duhak had been a terrible person. Even if he went back in time, he would have hit him harder, not less. He had no regrets. That was why he sighed even more deeply. There was no escaping it.
"Junior Shinwoo. Let's get married. And as my partner, I'd like you to help me with my business from my side. If the world learns that I married someone like you, the stock price will rise again on its own."
Yoo Chaerim set down her teacup and stood up. She walked over to stand in front of Shinwoo. Her eyes still held that seductive, hungry look as she gazed at him. It was beautiful. Perhaps because of her natural looks, her current succubus-like expression seemed even more captivating.
Without another word, she sat down on Shinwoo's lap. Pressing her face against his chest to feel his heartbeat, she continued in a voice as sweet as if she were licking candy.
"Just think about it. You possess even better genes than my brother despite being a man. And I am the leading candidate to become Samsung Group's next successor. If we had a child together, just how brilliant would they be?"
Unable to watch any longer, Han Chaewon stood up and raised her hand, ready to split the chaebol daughter's skull in two. But she stopped, shocked. Shinwoo was waving his hand at her. Could he really be considering marriage? The possibility made tears well up in Han Chaewon's eyes.
But what her little brother said next was completely unexpected.
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"...Pardon?"
"Marrying someone you don't even want just for a reason like that."
What on earth was this boy saying? Of course, the marriage had been planned because of the company's falling stock price. But from the very first moment she saw Shinwoo, Yoo Chaerim had genuinely fallen for his impossibly handsome appearance. Her female instincts were screaming at her to reach the finish line called marriage. Like something out of an old fairy tale, she had fallen in love at first sight.
In this world, Shinwoo was that kind of existence.
But Shinwoo, judging from his previous life's standards, saw only a pitiful girl sacrificing herself for her company.
"If you marry me, you'll definitely regret it."
"N-no?! That's not true at all!"
"Even while saying that, you can't hide the tremble in your voice that comes from not wanting this."
"No! I mean, yes, there's the company, but I really asked you to marry me because I like you!"
Yoo Chaerim had transformed from an innocent girl to a succubus, and now into an eighteen-year-old girl throwing a tantrum. Regardless, Shinwoo's misunderstanding was firm. He helped the senior sitting on his lap to her feet, then bowed deeply before her.
"I'm sorry about what happened last time. I'll somehow resolve this matter on my own."
"...Hah! Resolve it? What can you do when the only advantage you have is being a man?"
Shinwoo lifted his head. The expression on Senior Chaerim's face before him had turned bright red with humiliation. How absurd, embarrassing, and mortifying it must have felt. She was one of the next-generation leaders of a global conglomerate. Unlike ordinary women who trembled at the mere sight of a man, she was different. Thanks to her brother, she had developed both resistance to men and a discerning eye for them. Her mother was an extraordinary figure invited to the World Assembly. In a world where marriage was nearly impossible, she had even been on three blind dates with men.
Yoo Chaerim had always considered herself among the top one percent of women. And she was right. Yet this man was rejecting her? It was the first time in her life she had been turned down by someone who wasn't even family. Unable to contain her anger, Yoo Chaerim pointed fiercely at Shinwoo. Then, huffing with indignation, she proposed a bet.
"Fine. Then let's make a bet!"
"A bet, you say?"
"Yes! Since you seem so confident, try solving this situation within one week!"
Her bet was as follows:
"If you manage to resolve it, I'll give you ten percent of my shares in Samsung Group. However, if you fail, you will marry me immediately. And whenever I call for you, no matter the time, you must come to my bedroom that very evening. Understood?"
Yoo Chaerim smiled triumphantly. But Han Chaewon let out a small snort of laughter at the proposal. Who would agree to such a bet? Only later did she realize it was her own little brother agreeing.
"Well... if it means I don't have to marry, then sure, let's do it."
"Huh? ...H-huh? Huuuuuh?"
"Good. I'll start looking at wedding venues in advance. And don't even think about running away to Russia. If you do, I'll contact the Americans and have them drag you back somehow."
"I had no such intentions to begin with."
The two smiled confidently at each other. A short while later, when Elena regained consciousness and sat up, she tilted her head at the sight of a tearful Han Chaewon.
Why does she look like that...?