Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: LOVE & PEACE(1)
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The day after my unforgettable first meeting with Princess Hina. Back at the kendo dojo.
-Thwack!
“Huh...?”
The moment I opened the door, Princess Hina charged at me, gripping a bamboo sword.
My palms stung from barely blocking the blow.
“What do you mean ‘huh’? Don’t block it!”
“Well, when someone swings at you, aren’t you supposed to block?”
“That’s only if they deserve it. Han Seo-jun, Chairman—you don’t.”
Dressed in a black kendo uniform, she thrust the bamboo sword toward my face.
It seemed like the aftermath of that avatar game. Her eyes narrowed as she continued.
“No wonder my first impression of you was oddly infuriating. Sneaking around, pulling strings from the shadows.”
“No, I didn’t—”
“I’ve noticed it before. The way you handle business—it’s similar. Painting the big picture all alone behind a curtain.”
“......”
Even with her wild streak, she was still a princess of a nation.
In just one day, she’d dug up quite a bit about me.
I shrugged my shoulders and pointed at the bamboo sword still aimed at me.
“You’ve already done the basic digging, it seems. So, how about wiping that first impression from your memory?”
“Whatever. From what I’ve gathered, debuting one celebrity like me is child’s play for you.”
“The conversation’s moving fast. Fine by me.”
She was right, actually.
Debuting some idol? With Ammunition Group’s funds, it was a given.
Hell, they could outright buy a mid-sized agency.
“But.”
Still, Princess Hina didn’t seem fully convinced.
She puffed out her cheeks like steamed buns and started grilling me.
“No details, no details. Come on.”
“Specific details? Up to debut?”
“Yeah. Don’t torture me with vague promises—my dad’s already expert at that.”
Then came the story of the imperial family.
The Emperor, playing suppressant to his wild-child daughter, reining her in as much as possible. Hearing his slumped father’s sad tale, a wave of pity welled up in me.
“Just what kind of battles has His Majesty fought at home?”
“Ahem, there are things others don’t know. Anyway, now that the guards are gone, this is perfect. Spill it now.”
She stuck out her hand like a debt collector come for payment.
Fair enough—if this was a debt, it was mine to pay. Sitting across from her, I began calmly.
“The details? Of course. So...”
* * * *
A few hours earlier, before coming here, I’d called Korea.
I agonized over who to entrust this to before even dialing.
She was a princess of a nation—hand it off to the wrong person, and the backlash would be massive.
‘Kim Won-cheol first—pass.’
Anything but entertainment. He had weird tastes there; he’d shove her toward some trot agency for sure. His ringtone was already that blaring trot beat.
‘VP Yang Taek-su’s straight out of late Joseon pansori era. Grandma...’
The ultimate traditionalist Confucian grandma—what did she care for clown shows? Lucky if she didn’t yell about it. If she saw entertainment as industry, that’d be a win.
I ran through other colorful options, but none fit.
‘Hmm... Michelle’s an overt engineer type. President Seong Won-sik’s pure old-school uncle.’
No way was I dumping it on Aide Yoo Se-na either. That’d be beating a man who’d already taken a bamboo thrashing.
Which left one choice.
‘Mom, please.’
Mom to the rescue.
‘With things like this, could you tap your old actress connections? I’ll set up an entertainment company for you—want to run it?’
After some convincing, she agreed.
Decision made: Acquire a talent-rich agency and beef up the staff.
Now, hearing this, Princess Hina nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“Hmm, mom to the rescue.”
“She retired long ago, but she’s still well-connected in Korean entertainment. Especially with the elder statesmen types.”
The details must’ve clicked—the tension eased from the bamboo sword aimed at me.
She plopped down cross-legged on the mat and asked.
“So, what do I have to do? Han Seo-jun, Chairman—what exactly do you want?”
What I wanted.
Averting the global disaster of Fukushima. And for that, the immediate task: improving Korea-Japan relations.
In this mess where Japan’s prime minister deliberately twisted the Dokdo symbol, there was one key to resolution.
Elections. Approval ratings.
And those ratings swayed like reeds in the wind of issues.
Bury the anti-Korean issue under a massive scandal.
“Do you know? These days, idol girl groups aren’t just about singing and dancing.”
“I’m pretty cute myself. Not as much as that sister from yesterday, though.”
“Not looks—charisma. Like... acting.”
Acting.
Princess Hina, sitting before me, performing soon in the media spotlight. Picturing it, it felt plausible.
“Acting...?”
“His Majesty—er, your father—doesn’t exactly love the idea of you going into entertainment, right?”
“True. But what’s that got to do with acting?”
Just one catch.
“So...”
The heroine, Princess Hina, unleashing that epic performance—problem was, I’d have to act opposite her as the male lead.
“Let’s do some grand-scale romance acting. The kind that fools your father and all 130 million Japanese into falling for it hook, line, and sinker.”
* * * *
Oddly, Aide Yoo Se-na had goggle eyes today. With a slight frown.
“Screwed the pooch on that one.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself, Chairman.”
Something bugged her—leaking through despite her efforts to hide it.
“Hmm, Aide Yoo Se-na must really get under your skin.”
“Huh? How’d you notice...?”
No direct answer—just me tying a headband tight across my forehead.
My reflection in the mirror: A Taegeuk pattern smack in the center, bursting with nationalist pride. Striking.
“Doing this in front of the anti-Korean protesters might be too aggressive.”
“Huh? No, that’s not what I...”
Our chat kept missing the mark.
Pinching her brow a few times, she finally snapped to and refocused. Must’ve hit a pressure point.
“Yeah. That does nag a bit. In a different way.”
“Security’s sorted, so no big issues. Rather.”
I swept open the hotel curtains.
Outside, tattooed pigs swarmed in massive anti-Korean protests as usual.
Those guys would lose their jobs soon.
No matter how loud they barked on-site, one massive issue crashing like a tsunami would wash them away.
“Princess Hina has to nail her follow-up performance.”
“Your acting’s what worries me...”
“Don’t sweat it.”
Korean and Japanese flags in hand. Opening the hotel door, I took a deep breath and stepped out slowly.
“Let’s go. To the embassy.”
* * * *
-Takeshima is Japan’s! Koreans poisoned the Japanese well of fascism!
Koreans are spineless! Koreans are spineless!
In front of the Korean embassy, mindless rants blared from speakers.
Yakuza self-styling as anti-Korean forces. Crowds of reporters swarmed their protest trucks, as always.
Japan’s politics were dull anyway—this was manna from heaven.
And behind these protests: Yakuza Kaneyama. His media cronies were thick on the ground here. Perfect.
“A, ah. Mic test. One, two, three. One, two, three.”
Right now.
Parked next to their truck, I’d brought my own similar vehicle and set up an instant podium.
Korean and Japanese flags side by side, dove sculpture and laurel leaves for a peaceful vibe.
“Hey, kimchi breath next door—quit the dog barking. What do you mean Dokdo’s Japanese land?”
My clumsy Japanese speech kicked off.
Reporters’ eyes locked on instantly.
“What’s this?”
“His Japanese is off... Wait, hold on. Isn’t that guy...?”
A sharp-eyed one among them. Doubts turning to certainty.
Seeing it, I belted louder, all showy.
“Too much nationalist fever is lethal! Enough already—let’s love our neighbors and live in peace! LOVE & PEACE!”
LOVE & PEACE.
The slogan dropped, and one reporter’s face changed.
Eyes bulging, he bellowed my identity.
“Han Seo-jun! Ammunition Group Chairman Han Seo-jun!”
“Huh...? That money ghost and secret playboy? What’s he doing here?”
“He’s always been an attention hog. Lately, he loves the spotlight.”
Wrong. Everything except Ammunition Group Chairman was false. Money ghost? Playboy? Attention whore? All lies.
“I get the PEACE part from what he’s saying, but what’s LOVE?”
Love and peace.
My throat-shredding peace cries seemed effective. Interest was building.
Timing... perfect. Cameras galore, no escape.
“Feels contrived... Wait, hold up. Senior, that woman heading to the podium—is she...?”
I winked and signaled her below the podium.
In this moment, shining brighter than any starlet.
“LOVE & PEACE! With my love, Chairman Han Seo-jun, for love and peace!”
Camera flashes exploded. Crowds surged like clouds.
The real acting starts now. Genre: romantic comedy.
“Princess Hina...! No way, why’s Princess Hina there?!”