Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Wastrel Son Kim Geon-ho (1)
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"Huh?"
What is this? Where am I? Heaven?
I was definitely stabbed by that bastard Jang-seok's knife, closed my eyes, and died. So why does everything around me feel so damn familiar?
"Kim Geon-ho! What the hell are you doing?"
While I was still dazed, trying to figure out the situation, a familiar voice pierced my ears. A soft tone laced with unyielding resolve. It was Baek Na-eun, Jang-seok's wife and my mother on paper.
'Mom's dead, though?'
If I can hear my dead mom's voice, then yeah, this must be heaven. But even if Mom could make it to heaven, does it make sense for a piece of shit like me to be here too? After all the crap I pulled under Jang-seok?
"Let go of that hand right now!"
Her sharp shout snapped me back to reality, wiping away my stray thoughts. The servants fidgeting around me, Jang-seok with his face stiff as stone, and Mom fuming. Regardless of anything else, seeing that bastard Jang-seok meant this sure as hell wasn't heaven.
"H-Hyung, I-I was wrong..."
Because there was one more guy here who shouldn't exist in heaven besides Jang-seok. A man babbling apologies from under me, constantly slapping at my hand. Kim Seok-ho, the bastard classified as my little brother on paper. With that realization, I instantly grasped where I was and what was happening.
'It's this punk's birthday today.'
Jang-seok rarely ate with the family, and when he did, it was always for some major reason. Seeing the massive cake on the table and Seok-ho wearing a party hat confirmed it—this was definitely a birthday.
'But why was I about to beat the crap out of this punk?'
Memories from the first possession flooded back vividly. On his birthday, with everyone gathered, Kim Seok-ho boldly declared himself the family heir. Fine, up to that point, even the original owner of this body might've tolerated it.
But then he said, 'A bastard orphan with no family lineage can't inherit the house,' and I exploded, lunging at him. In the first round, I couldn't decide what to do and just let him go, as I recall.
But if I let this moment slide now, Kim Seok-ho would start seeing me as a total joke. A rabid dog who ultimately obeys his parents no matter how much he thrashes around—that perception had to be stamped out of his head. Mercy wasn't the answer here.
'Time for the historically proven medicine.'
That was the perfect solution for this situation.
"Why'd you do something wrong in the first place, huh?"
My pretty little Seok-ho bastard.
Crack!
One hit to the eye—for coming to respect and admire your big bro properly.
"H-Hyung! M-Mom!"
Crack!
Two hits to the eye—live your life watching for cues from now on.
"Kim Geon-ho! Stop this instant!"
"I want to stop, but Seok-ho keeps blocking my fist with his face!"
Crack!
Three hits to the lips—keep your mouth shut and only say good things from now on.
"Honey! Do something about him!"
"...Enough."
"Ah, yes sir."
I hadn't planned on a fourth, but since Jang-seok told me to stop, I obliged with one extra out of spite. This time, I smashed his low nose bridge, hoping it'd make him more handsome.
"Cough..."
Blood from Seok-ho splattered onto the piled-up cake. I dropped him, bowed politely to Mom, and slipped away from the table. I had a ton to sort out in my room—a whole damn lot.
+++++++
"I'm really back."
Back to exactly the time of my first possession. Does this even make sense? Sure, possession was one thing, but regression too? Whatever. I locked the door and rushed to my desk, flipping open a notebook.
"Write down everything I remember first."
Lessons from the first round, future knowledge, must-remember details, and so on. In case someone else saw it, I encrypted it using code words only I knew. First up: worldbuilding.
'Feels like the 21st century, but not driven by science—swords and magic rule the world...'
A 21st-century world with magic and monsters. Cops subdue criminals with spells, not guns; magic stones power cars, not oil.
Next: info on me.
'Name: Kim Geon-ho, discarded son and wastrel of Mountain Lords, one of Korea's leading conglomerates.'
No special talents, does anything for recognition, ends up tragically killed by his father.
In the first round, I flailed to return to my original world but gave up, lived passively, and got murdered.
I could've written more, but it felt like it'd just list flaws, so I stopped.
'...Relationships: start with the important ones.'
The killer who murdered me, one of the main villains driving this story—bastard Jang-seok; bastard junior Seok-ho; and angel Baek Na-eun.
I jotted the names and planned detailed notes later when suddenly the notebook started glowing.
"W-What the?"
Privilege :: 'Back to the Beginning' granted.
Your knowledge from Round 1 has been documented and stored in your mind. You can now retrieve relevant knowledge as needed.
"...There you are."
The privilege every unjust soul possessed in a novel had finally been granted. And it wasn't just useful—it was game-changing. Human memory has limits; I figured I couldn't use everything from Round 1. But this changed everything.
Recalling Round 1 knowledge brought up neatly categorized folders. That cut my immediate workload in half. So now, all I had to do was swivel my chair toward the door and wait leisurely.
Knock knock knock.
The knock came right as I turned. As expected from that scumbag.
"Kim Geon-ho, we need to talk."
"Yes, come in."
Jang-seok, come on in.
++++++++++
Creak.
The moment I spoke, Jang-seok twisted the doorknob and barged in. I'd locked it in case his temper from Round 1 acted up, but nothing had changed.
'Just rips the damn thing off.'
He tossed the broken knob into a corner and glared down at me in my chair, ice-cold. Same as Round 1.
'Back then, I didn't know not hitting Seok-ho was the problem.'
And I couldn't understand why he looked at his own son so coldly, so I acted like a fool. But this was Round 2. I met Jang-seok's gaze head-on.
"I thought you were utterly worthless trash, but apparently not."
"Maybe because the seed's no good."
"Crossed the line, have we?"
"You never drew it in the first place."
Thud.
Judging me unworthy of further talk, Jang-seok pulled a letter from his pocket and dropped it on the floor.
"I wasn't going to give it if you showed no talent at all, but I'll allow your enrollment."
The letter was an academy admission notice. In Round 1, I never got it—called talentless trash, I lived my life in Jang-seok's shadow. Blood ties or not, he punishes those who cross the line without mercy. That was Jang-seok's idea of 'useful.'
Hearing later that beating Seok-ho half to death was the right answer had me floored. Anyway, this time I nailed the first step.
"Isn't there more you should give me besides this?"
"You expect support too?"
His tone implied even allowing a worm like me into the academy was too much. His gaze treated me like an insect, his cold demeanor demanding real guts just to reply. No wonder I used to stammer like a nutcracker in front of him back then.
Jaw flapping uselessly, getting swatted like a bug. Bad memories bubbled up just having him here.
"Of course. From tuition onward, and since I'm on the Mountain Lords family register, some allowance to maintain dignity would be nice. Oh, and share some Tiger Clan Blood too."
"Greedy, aren't you?"
Rooooar—.
True to the Mountain Lords name, a tiger's roar emanated from around Jang-seok. The power of the Tiger Clan bloodline manifesting.
A stern warning to demand no more—or die. But this was also a test. He wanted to see if I'd put my neck on the block for what I desired.
'You want to see it? Fine.'
I hid my trembling hands in my pockets, crossed my shaking legs to mask the spasms. I lifted my head against fear-clouded eyes, struck a pose with hand in pocket and leg crossed, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly.
"Then I'll enroll and drag the Mountain Lords name through the mud."
"...What?"
"Shit in the hallways, grab some talentless bitch with no lineage and knock her up—that's what I mean."
If you don't want to see that, negotiate with me, Father.
In Round 1, you used me like a dog and tossed me away.
'This time, I'll use the shit out of you.'