The Wicked Boss Who Stole My Heart
After that, Park Soyeong’s story continued.
One by one, the hazy facts I had vaguely known began to click into place through her mouth.
Lee Junho’s overseas transfer.
The gradual fading of contact after that.
The money I entrusted to him being steadily siphoned away.
“…Hah…”
So that was how it was.
Park Soyeong had been thoroughly used by Lee Junho.
*Lee Junho. That filthy bastard.*
I had disliked him from the very first time we met.
Slender and effeminate, like a leech.
…Of course, it wasn’t because he was actually more handsome than me. Really not.
Even in the original eroge, characters like me—solid, masculine, heavy-hitting visuals—would be either top-tier main villains or the protagonist’s reliable sidekicks.
In contrast, a slick, pretty-boy type like Lee Junho? Even among villains, he’d be the disposable extra, a hindrance to the protagonist even if he was a good guy.
People shouldn’t judge solely by appearance, but in this world, physiognomy still carried some weight.
*Should I have just fired him instead of sending him overseas?*
I briefly entertained the thought, then shook my head.
No, even if I had, the outcome wouldn’t have changed much.
A person determined to commit evil deeds—how exactly do you stop them?
But Park Soyeong seemed to see it differently.
“I…”
Her voice came out weak.
“It’s because I’m stupid.”
“…?”
“If I had just noticed something was off…”
Park Soyeong lowered her head.
She bowed as if every fault belonged to her.
I watched her for a moment.
Of course, coldly speaking, entrusting money to Lee Junho was Park Soyeong’s own choice.
But even so, for someone who had been scammed, why accuse her of being stupid?
Why make such a foolish decision?
That wouldn’t change anything anyway.
The damage was already done.
I didn’t need to add to her grief by chiding her further.
Right now, the important thing wasn’t to dissect right and wrong—it was figuring out how to get out of this situation.
“Do you have any plans?”
At my question, Park Soyeong’s expression hardened.
“…?”
She couldn’t answer.
There was no choice.
The money Lee Junho had stolen.
The sudden hospitalization bill for her mother.
The lease penalty from the broken contract.
Each one in isolation could probably be solved somehow.
But when they all hit at once, the story changed.
For an ordinary office worker, it was an overwhelming reality.
That was when.
A familiar notification sounded in my ears only.
Ding.
A blue window floated in front of me.
【NTR Chance Triggered!】
【Target: Park Soyeong】
【Conditions Met】
【Relationship Theft Opportunity!】
“…?”
The system was as reliable as ever.
Even in this situation, it still called it an NTR chance.
But ironically.
My thoughts and the system’s interpretation were almost identical.
Park Soyeong had already been abandoned by Lee Junho.
The people she trusted had used her.
The ones who should have taken responsibility had disappeared.
So the only remaining option was to step forward.
I wasn’t the type to throw money around thoughtlessly.
But considering my background as a Kang Taeseong—son of the chaebol, current president of KJ Group—the amount wasn’t a burden for me.
Of course, that didn’t mean the money wasn’t precious.
Still.
*Money can always be earned again.*
But NTR points were different.
A resource that couldn’t be obtained through normal means.
I valued NTR points even more than money.
Especially since the skill had saved my life during that crisis.
*Money can be earned somehow, but NTR points can’t be collected through normal methods.*
It was rarer.
When a chance to obtain such a resource appeared, I couldn’t just let it slip away.
I had already been considering whether to help or not.
Even if I did, Park Soyeong was a competent employee, and we had some closeness.
Giving NTR points on top of that left me no reason to hesitate.
*I’m basically stealing her boyfriend…*
Well, Lee Junho had abandoned her first.
So how should I explain it?
I decided and spoke softly.
“Miss Park Soyeong.”
Park Soyeong looked up.
“I have one dream.”
“…A dream?”
Park Soyeong asked blankly.
What was he even saying suddenly?
After pouring out my heart to President Kang, I felt a little lighter.
But my mind was still in chaos.
The money Lee Junho had taken.
The shattered lease contract.
And the diagnosis that my mother needed surgery.
The only thing I felt was the overwhelming uncertainty of what to do next.
Yet President Kang was talking about something entirely different.
“From a young age, I simply thought vaguely that I would one day lead a company.”
President Kang smiled faintly.
“But once I actually became president…”
He paused for a moment, then looked up.
“Ambition grew on me.”
His expression was serious.
It was a side of him I had never seen at the company.
Always cold and unshakable, radiating calm no matter the situation.
Yet right now, President Kang looked like a boy chasing a dream.
Before becoming president.
The child who had decided long ago that he would lead his own company.
That pure ambition still lingered.
“K J Group.”
President Kang opened his mouth slowly.
“To turn it into a top-tier conglomerate that everyone recognizes.”
From the President Kang who was speaking of his dream, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“And to realize that dream…”
President Kang paused.
“Excellent employees are necessary.”
In that moment, President Kang’s gaze turned to me.
“…?”
Park Soyeong blinked.
Why was he looking at me all of a sudden?
Only then did the following words click.
“Miss Park Soyeong.”
“…Yes?”
“I need Miss Park Soyeong.”
No.
It wasn’t that meaning.
What the president was saying right now… was a lie.
It wasn’t because President Kang sincerely believed it.
It was just a way to give me a little strength because he saw I was falling apart.
Repaying an employee’s private debt because they were needed? That made sense?
Park Soyeong knew the subject well.
Even if she worked well, she wasn’t paid that much as a salary.
*Because of me… on purpose?*
It was clearly meant to care for her.
Because he was a man more delicate than he appeared.
When she was struggling so much, he wanted to ease her burden even a little.
That was why he brought up the dream.
I had no choice but to think that.
“No, President.”
Park Soyeong shook her head.
“This is my problem.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“I made the mistake, and I have to fix it.”
President Kang simply looked at her in silence for a moment.
Park Soyeong avoided his gaze.
It was embarrassing.
*Just thank him and feel better.*
*No way.*
*Then how am I supposed to solve this problem?*
A weak voice kept echoing in the corner of my heart.
Only in front of President Kang did I ever feel like this.
A voice that said it was all right.
An unshakable attitude.
A steadfastness that would protect me no matter what.
I kept wanting to nestle against that broad chest, those firm arms, just like before.
A strange feeling of being able to feel at ease without a single worry wrapped around me.
Park Soyeong bit her lip.
“I can’t burden you with this anymore, President.”
“Miss Park Soyeong.”
“…”
President Kang looked at her quietly.
“This matter isn’t something Miss Park Soyeong has to handle alone.”
“But…”
“Mr. Lee Junho was the one who did it.”
Park Soyeong’s eyes wavered.
“You don’t have to take responsibility for everything—including being used by the person you trusted.”
“…?”
“Asking for help when you need it takes courage.”
The words wouldn’t come out properly.
How long had it been since someone had said something like that to me?
No, it was probably the first time.
Ultimately, the suppressed emotion burst out.
“President…”
Fresh tears fell from Park Soyeong’s eyes.
This time, for a different reason.
“I… actually…”
President Kang looked at her.
“I hated President.”
“…?”
An unexpected confession.
“Eh?”
Park Soyeong wiped her tears and said.
“I even cursed at you to the people at work.”
Park Soyeong was saying she was such a bad person.
That she didn’t deserve help.
“That you were a bad person who threw himself at someone with a boyfriend.”
Park Soyeong lowered her head.
“I’m really sorry.”
Her voice shook.
“I didn’t know any of this…”
“…?”
President Kang couldn’t say anything.
Honestly, he was startled.
*No… how did she know?*
It wasn’t even a complete misunderstanding.
The original Kang Taeseong really was that kind of person.
Park Soyeong’s intuition had hit the mark perfectly.
“…?”
Park Soyeong finished speaking and still kept her head bowed.
Like a criminal awaiting judgment.
Watching her, President Kang let out a short sigh.
“Cursing at the president is normal for most office workers, isn’t it?”
“…Yes?”
“If you don’t like your boss, a lot of people curse behind their backs.”
Of course, that wasn’t exactly a good thing—.
President Kang scratched his head.
“Hah, but I…”
“No, that part’s over now.”
“Eh?”
Park Soyeong stared at him blankly.
“Instead, work hard to repay it.”
“…?”
“Work twice as hard as you would have bad-mouthed me.”
In the end, it was a pardon.
Forgive the employee who bad-mouthed you and repay the debt instead.
That was what this man was saying.
“P-Pres… President… h-hic… uuu…”
“Prepare yourself. I’m going to make you work like hell from now on.”
Watching Park Soyeong stifle her sobs, President Kang smiled faintly.
“Even though I look like this, I’m still a wicked boss.”
The situation was undoubtedly difficult.
Lee Junho hadn’t returned the money he stole.
The mother’s surgery.
The lease penalty.
There were still problems ahead that needed solving.
Instead of dousing the fire, I had borrowed debt from President Kang.
There were still many things to resolve.
Yet it felt as if I had finally set down the heavy burden I had been carrying in my chest.