What Kind of Insane Quest Is This?
What kind of insane quest is this again?
Episode 32
It was difficult to view Gaeul’s parents in a positive light. Considering her current situation, they had allowed their daughter to drop out of high school and work four part-time jobs a day without stopping her—instead submitting a legal guardian consent form to permit it. No matter how you looked at it, that wasn’t something proper parents would do. The context behind Gaeul describing her father as strange must have been rooted in that reality. I had a feeling that getting her to sign the contract would become significantly more complicated. But just because it was difficult didn’t mean I could give up. After coming this far, it would be ridiculous to fail because I couldn’t get parental approval. I steeled my resolve. No matter what kind of lunatic parents appeared, I would charm them somehow and make Yoo Gaeul a trainee.
“…You can’t drive any farther from here.”
“Then we’ll have to walk. I’ll park the car. Just wait a moment.”
The place where we got out of the car was what people called a shantytown. Gaeul and I walked through the back-alley streets and up a slope steep enough to be called a hike. She stopped in front of an old house marked with a red spray-painted X on the wall.
“…This is it.”
Her face flushed bright red as she showed me the house. She seemed embarrassed, as if it were a personal flaw. I kept a neutral expression and stepped slightly ahead of where she stood.
“Shall we go in?”
Gaeul glanced at my face, then made up her mind and led the way, opening the door. The old iron gate creaked as it swung open.
“Gaeul?”
A gaunt middle-aged man sitting in the simple living room and kitchen area greeted us. Judging by the atmosphere and his resemblance to Gaeul, he was likely her father. He gave Gaeul a weak smile, then noticed me following behind her.
“…Who’s this?”
“This is Team Leader Sun, the one I mentioned over the phone. He came to discuss the contract.”
“I’m Sun Taeyang, team leader at Toobear Entertainment. It’s an honor to meet Gaeul’s parents.”
“Ah… Team Leader Sun! It’s really nice to meet you. It’s a humble place, but please come in and have a seat.”
Gaeul’s father, who had been tilting his head weakly, brightened and welcomed me. It was fortunate that he seemed favorable toward the contract.
“…This won’t do. I should at least make some tea! Would you prefer coffee or green tea?”
His welcoming attitude was nice, but there was something overly burdensome about it. I smiled gently without showing my discomfort.
“Then, coffee would be great.”
“My coffee is actually quite excellent. Please wait just a moment.”
Gaeul’s father took out a stick of instant coffee, poured hot water into a paper cup, added the coffee powder, then folded the empty stick in half and used it to stir the coffee.
“Here you go!”
His hands trembled as he handed me the coffee, as if he had tremors. Worried the coffee might spill, I stood up to take it. Seeing this, Gaeul lowered her head so far it nearly touched the floor. She must have been mortified. Still, he seemed like a decent person—why was she reacting like that?
I took a sip of the coffee and spoke to her father, who was watching me expectantly.
“Wow, the water ratio is perfect. It’s really good.”
“Oh my, thank you so much for saying that even though the hospitality is lacking!”
Gaeul’s father cleared his throat slightly and said, “Then, could I see the contract?”
“Of course.”
I handed him the contract Seo Suyeon had prepared.
“We’ll pay a lump sum of 46 million won as the contract fee. Additionally, approximately 60 million won in art-related educational welfare, food, and daily necessities support has been confirmed.”
Gaeul’s father read the contract slowly. After about thirty minutes, he asked, “So if I sign this contract now, that money becomes mine immediately?”
For a moment, I couldn’t hide my reaction—my eyebrows twitched. The way he phrased it as “mine” rubbed me the wrong way. How is that your money? It’s Gaeul’s. But I maintained my composure and explained further.
“The contract fee will be treated as an investment and deducted from future settlements once Yoo Gaeul succeeds as an idol and accounting begins. It cannot be viewed as a complete gift, as you might be thinking.”
When I finished, Gaeul’s father glared at me with a mix of his previous subservient posture and barely concealed anger.
“…Isn’t that a bit different from what you said? Isn’t this a scam?”
“Dad, that’s not—”
I gave Gaeul a slight look to stop her from intervening. She held back her words. I nodded at her and continued.
“I understand your disappointment, but explaining the flow of funds to investors is a basic requirement we must go through.”
This was something I had to handle.
“The company isn’t scamming Gaeul. On the contrary, we’re treating her very favorably.”
I elaborated on this exceptional treatment.
“Even if settlements take a long time—up to five years—we won’t charge interest during that period. Furthermore, even if Gaeul fails and can’t generate profits to settle, she won’t have to repay the money. The amount paid as the contract fee is treated purely as an investment.”
While it couldn’t be called a pure gift, it was close enough to one.
“…Then, to settle, we’d have to repay 100 million won first?”
“Not necessarily. The roughly 60 million won in support isn’t even counted as an investment. That means it won’t be deducted during settlement.”
Because of this, replacing some cash with support and educational expenses wasn’t entirely a loss for Gaeul. Recalling how Seo Suyeon had gone out of her way to expand the scope and quality of the support, it was even more beneficial.
“Originally, promising this kind of treatment to a trainee during contract negotiations is extremely rare… In fact, it’s safe to say it doesn’t happen at all.”
This was an extravagant contract for a mere trainee. Gaeul’s father, perhaps realizing this, voiced his doubt.
“Then why go this far…?”
“Because Gaeul has the talent to succeed without fail. She’s someone who deserves this kind of treatment.”
Gaeul’s father looked bewildered. I wanted to reassure him.
“I promise you. I’ll make her so successful that 50 or 60 million won will seem like pocket change. I hope you’ll allow Gaeul to join Toobear with us.”
I bowed my head. Gaeul’s father looked at me, his hands trembling as his eyes darted around nervously, then spoke.
“…But, could we lower the amount and deduct it from future settlements instead? Is it possible to pay in cash rather than welfare support?”
It was a disconcerting request.
“Even 40 million—or 20 million—would be fine. Can’t it be arranged somehow?”
Since the company’s policy was already set, it wouldn’t be easy. But I didn’t want to lose Gaeul over 20 million won. I hardened my resolve.
“In that case, I could personally cover about 20 million…”
“Don’t you dare agree to that!”
At that moment, a boy who looked like a middle schooler suddenly appeared and shouted. Not just me—Gaeul and her father also looked startled.
“Gahyeon! Didn’t I tell you to stay outside? This isn’t a conversation you should be involved in.”
Gaeul’s father snapped in anger. From his reaction, this was likely Gaeul’s younger brother, the one studying art.
“I have a reason to participate in this conversation. I’m also part of my sister’s family.”
Gahyeon stared straight at his father and asked, “What are you going to do with that money if you receive it?”
Gaeul’s father glanced at me and Gaeul before replying, “…Of course, I’ll use it for you and Gaeul.”
“Liar.”
Gahyeon smiled bitterly, far too mature for a middle schooler.
“Then just accept the support items. That’s all we need anyway, right?”
“You’re too young to understand. If outside organizations get involved, the money will inevitably be spent inefficiently!”
I stepped in at this point.
“I’d like to assure you of one thing. The details of fund usage will be disclosed with complete transparency. Moreover, since it’s handled by a large-scale organization, more efficient transactions are possible. There won’t be any inefficient spending like you’re worried about.”
Gaeul’s father waved his hands dismissively.
“Ah, that wasn’t directed at you, Team Leader Sun. I was just giving a slightly extreme example because the child seems too naive about the world!”
His overly subservient attitude made him seem almost pitiful. Gahyeon looked at me and said, “Mister, if you give that money directly to our father, he’ll definitely use it for gambling. You absolutely can’t give it to him like that.”
“You little bastard!”
Gaeul’s father stood up, clenching his fists. It was impossible to tell whether his hands were shaking from tremors or rage. The situation looked like it was about to explode. I stood up to stop Gaeul’s father. Then, out of nowhere, a quest window appeared.
[Weak to the Strong: Beat up Yu Daecheol, who suffers from anger management issues, and etch the fear of violence into his brain!]
What kind of insane quest is this again? Has Jjoktaechang gone crazy? While I stood there stunned by the ridiculous content, the reward information appeared half a beat late.
[Reward – Sword Saint’s Sense]
Staring blankly at the text, I thought, …Tsk, the hostage is too strong, huh?