Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Furious Aunt Finally Goes Too Far After Biological Father's Appearance (2)
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Shin Jae-eun headed out to meet Yoo Yeon-ho. The Hero Tournament was in full swing at the stadium, but she didn't have a moment to spare for it.
To Shin Jae-eun, the only thing that mattered was Yoo Yeon-ho.
Both were famous heroes whose faces were known. Still, there was no need to book a private room. A hat and some glasses were enough to disguise them—no one would recognize them.
Unless they were real hero fanatics, anyway.
It was just like pro soccer players. Everyone knows the names of World Cup national team stars, but their faces? Not so much. Memorizing hero names didn't mean you could pick them out of a crowd.
If they weren't the entertainment-friendly type raking in the media buzz, their private lives stayed pretty comfortable.
A man strolled into a café near the stadium. He swaggered around like he owned the place, scanning the room until he spotted a familiar face—and smirked.
A mocking sneer.
"Hey there?"
His voice was annoyingly light. His build was scrawny, utterly lacking in charisma. That's how he struck Shin Jae-eun.
She just couldn't wrap her head around it. Why the hell had that woman gotten knocked up by a loser like this and stabbed her brother in the back? As a woman herself, it made zero sense.
"Hmm, Shin Jae-eun, right?"
Yoo Yeon-ho pulled out a chair and plopped down. He stared at the bare table and tsked.
"Want me to grab us some drinks? Or should we cut to the chase?"
"...Juyeon-woo is my nephew."
Shin Jae-eun glared daggers at Yoo Yeon-ho as she forced the words out. Thinking back on her own sins, it felt downright hypocritical to say it. But this creep sitting across from her? He was worse.
"Nephew? Hmm, nephew, huh..."
Yoo Yeon-ho's voice dripped with smug leisure, like he knew every dirty secret in the book.
On paper, sure—Juyeon-woo's her nephew. But his blood ran through the boy's veins. If Yoo Yeon-ho pressed his paternal rights, whose side would society take? Even Shin Jae-eun couldn't say for sure.
'What about Yeon-woo?'
If he learned who his real dad was, which way would he lean?
Wouldn't he pick his biological father over the aunt who'd raped him? The thought gnawed at her.
Shin Jae-eun's leg started shaking. That old nervous tic she'd spent years breaking—tap tap tap—bubbled back up without her realizing.
The more frantic she got, the more Yoo Yeon-ho's nonchalance shone. He knew he held the high ground. Blood ties weren't something you just shrugged off.
"On paper, yeah, he's your nephew, Shin Jae-eun. But my blood flows in Yeon-woo's body. How do you deny that?"
Confidence oozed from Yoo Yeon-ho's voice—the ease of a man backed by society.
Shin Jae-eun wrinkled her nose in disgust, but she was powerless here. She was on the back foot.
"Right? Yeon-woo's gotta be curious about his real dad someday."
Yoo Yeon-ho grinned slyly. She wanted to smash her fist into that smug face. But she couldn't.
Gritting her teeth, all she could do was endure.
Shin Jae-eun clung to her composure and shot back.
"Now? After not showing your face until the kid enrolled at the academy? Ha, playing daddy now, are we?"
"What if I had my reasons? Could the kid really turn his back on me? He seems like a real good boy."
"......"
Good boy. Family-oriented.
Shin Jae-eun knew that better than anyone.
If his bio dad showed up, Juyeon-woo would try to bond with him. His late father's memory was separate—she couldn't control his curiosity about his blood kin.
"That's exactly why you're freaking out like this, isn't it, Shin Jae-eun?"
Yoo Yeon-ho crossed his arms, shooting her a look like she'd been caught red-handed.
"...What matters is Yeon-woo's choice. If he hates you, you got no right to call yourself his dad."
"Come on, no rights? He's my seed."
Shin Jae-eun's eyes blazed. Murderous intent leaked out.
Yoo Yeon-ho flinched but held firm. He'd faced scarier shit on the battlefield.
A hero pissed off? He could brush it off.
"You didn't show up just to leech off him, did you?"
"Why look at me like I'm some parasite?"
He chuckled, denying nothing. He'd answered the summons precisely to sink his hooks into Juyeon-woo.
That pissed her off most of all.
'I've been the one raising him all this time!'
She'd given her twenties to it. While others partied and lived it up, Shin Jae-eun devoted herself to her country and family.
And now this deadbeat dad pops up, claiming blood rights to reap the rewards?
Her hands trembled with rage.
Worse still, she had no way to stop him.
He was the bio dad. Real blood family.
Even if Juyeon-woo had no memories of him from childhood, kin was kin for a reason.
That was why Shin Jae-eun felt so insecure. What if Juyeon-woo chose him? Her own crimes left her on shaky ground.
"Anyway, that's all I came to say. Don't sweat it if I chat up my son or not. You don't have the right to interfere."
He didn't know the full story between Juyeon-woo and Shin Jae-eun.
Don't try controlling him just 'cause you raised him—that was the vibe.
But to her, it hit different. Knowing her own guilt, she glared at him like he'd stabbed her in the heart.
"Whatever. Yeon-woo will decide."
Yoo Yeon-ho gave her one last glance and stood up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The first-year Hero Tournament Round of 32, Group B matches were underway.
Juyeon-woo cruised to an easy win, and C Class basked in the festival vibes. Since they were already here, they secretly rooted for their classmates to take the W.
"Infinite! Infinite! Infinite!"
The roaring cheers from the crowd had them all pumped. And that sense of pride—watching a fellow Infinite Academy cadet crush the competition and advance. It electrified the group.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Round of 16 bracket is complete! With Group B wrapped up, the Round of 16 matchups were set. Tournament style—winners from the 32 bracket facing off.
"If Mi wins here, she faces Han-seol."
"Think she can pull it off?"
"Honestly, Han-seol's on another level. She's already getting clan offers."
Unlike her plain looks, Han-seol was the real deal. And she worked her ass off too.
A talented girl who actually grinded? No normal person could keep up.
Eum Ji-hye shot a glance at the C Class cadets already writing off Class President Mi's chances.
"We still gotta cheer her on. Our support might carry her through."
"Nah, no way. Our voices won't even reach up there."
C Class's mood was solid regardless. Win or lose for Mi, they were soaking up the Hero Tournament vibes.
Eum Ji-hye swept her gaze over the kids and burst out laughing.
'As long as you're having fun, that's what counts.'
Chances like this wouldn't come often. Soon, they'd be grinding to become better heroes. So she wanted them to enjoy this pure festival while it lasted.
Win or lose. Same for cadets from other academies—they'd all end up in the same industry someday.
While keeping tabs on C Class, Eum Ji-hye scanned for Juyeon-woo. Fresh off his Group B match, he'd retreated to the waiting room for a breather before the Round of 16 kicked off.
'Wonder when his match starts...'
Sorry, Mi, but Eum Ji-hye was laser-focused on Juyeon-woo's fights. She knew it was unprofessional as a teacher, but instincts won out.
'Win this one, Yeon-woo.'
Didn't care if Mi won or lost. But for Juyeon-woo, she hoped he'd climb as high as possible.
Double standards unworthy of a C Class homeroom teacher. Eum Ji-hye felt ridiculous about it.
Class President Mi stepped into the arena.
"Class President Mi! Fighting!"
Like she was shaking off a guilty conscience, Eum Ji-hye bellowed at the top of her lungs. Then she snuck a peek around.
"Teacher, you can yell too?"
"That was so awkward!"
The C Class cadets cracked up at her sudden shout, teasing her mercilessly. Eum Ji-hye flushed red and averted her eyes.
Now that she thought about it, yeah—she'd overdone it. Embarrassing.
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ Round of 16—Match 3! Infinite Academy's Class President Mi! Versus High Mountain Academy's Lee Soo-ji! High Mountain Academy—located in Gangwon Province.
Lee Soo-ji was their sole rep in the Hero Tournament, High Mountain's great hope.
Her schoolmates had gathered en masse just to cheer her on.
"Soo-ji! You gotta win!"
"You're our only shot! If you drop, we're out!"
"Lee Soo-ji! Lee Soo-ji! Tear Infinite Academy apart!"
Their chants echoed across the stadium—fierce and unrelenting.
But sadly, the cheers didn't last.
Lee Soo-ji couldn't beat Class President Mi. She slammed into Infinite's wall and fell.
"......"
Silence. High Mountain's crew went quiet.
Faces full of disappointment.
Infinite Academy's C Class cadets felt a pang of misplaced guilt. Even though it wasn't their fault.