Contract Complete
Contract Complete
A signing bonus of 20 billion won.
It wasn't as if I didn't understand the weight of that money.
Honestly, I was the kind of guy who'd jump for joy over a single billion, so why would I just pass up 20 billion?
I chose to donate it for precisely the opposite reason.
I understood the weight of money all too well.
"Actually, I'm about to sign a contract with a university hospital. Ten million won per hypnosis treatment. The condition is thirty patients a week."
"Hoh."
My father-in-law nodded gravely at the mention of treatment.
After a brief silence, the look in his eyes as he regarded me shifted completely.
"So that is it. I wondered why you were donating to the foundation. You want us to use the money to help cover patients' treatment costs."
"As expected of the Clan Head. You're exactly right."
"......? Wait, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Sia, on the other hand, looked utterly bewildered.
Matching smiles appeared on my father-in-law's face and mine.
They were the smiles of veteran players watching a clueless newbie.
"Think about it, Sia. If Yujin signs a contract with a hospital and takes ten million won per treatment, what do you think people will say?"
"They'd gladly pay, wouldn't they? If he can cure all sorts of conditions, ten million won is perfectly reasonable...."
"People—the masses—are not reasonable creatures."
"......? Ah."
After that short explanation, Sia seemed to be getting the gist of it.
Judging that she had understood enough, I gave her the answer.
'I wanted to explain it right away, but... Father-in-law was the type who treated everything as a lesson.'
"To everyone else, it will look as if I'm effortlessly making three hundred million won a week. Plenty of people will be jealous enough to seize on any excuse to attack me."
A twenty-billion-won signing bonus, followed by charging patients ten million won apiece?
It was a ridiculously low sum compared to what I was worth, but the public wouldn't see it that way.
No, even if they knew, they'd pretend not to. There's no shortage of people who live for the thrill of tearing down anyone who's doing well.
I had no intention of giving anyone ammunition to attack me or my wives.
"That's why I am donating it to the foundation—to subsidize patients' treatment costs."
To accomplish that, I would donate my entire signing bonus to the foundation.
The foundation would use it to subsidize part of the treatment costs for patients in financial difficulty.
And while I was at it, I'd put my name to good use.
I had borrowed the idea from celebrities who donated prize money after appearing in competitions...
This way, people could hardly accuse me of being obsessed with money. Yeah.
"You are already managing your image. You know how to invest wisely."
My father-in-law looked thoroughly satisfied as well.
Compared to the trillions I'd earn in the future, 20 billion was pocket change.
If I could lock in a good image right from the start, then 20 billion—even on the steep side—was a reasonable investment.
To a businessman's eyes, it must have looked quite savvy.
"Still, that doesn't mean it's not a waste...."
"......."
'Though it was not really a complete donation.'
There was another reason I couldn't reveal yet.
No matter what, I was going to marry Sia.
So what was the big deal about donating to the clan?
Father-in-law was bound to make Sia—an awakener—his successor anyway, so the clan was practically hers.
Sia was obviously mine.
By that syllogism, the clan was mine.
I was merely paying into a welfare budget I'd eventually have to fund anyway, so there was no reason to begrudge it.
Of course, once I donated it, I could not use the money immediately.
I had considered keeping part of the signing bonus for emergencies...
"You still could've kept at least a billion or so. You need to buy a car now, too...."
"You don't need to worry about that, Sia."
'If I needed money in a hurry, I could simply ask Master.'
Whenever I asked Master to buy me something, she did.
Just thinking about Master's deep pockets made me feel rich.
'Unlike Sia, she was big and soft in all sorts of ways. Surely she'd buy me a car.'
Actually, maybe I didn't need anything else; as long as I had Master, wasn't that enough?
The thought made my chest swell with grandeur.
* * *
Once all the additional conditions had been written down,
the rest of the contract was concluded quickly.
"Are there any other conditions you require?"
"Ah, one moment."
[Yoo Jeongcheol shall grant Seo Yujin one request in the future.]
"Why on a notepad rather than the contract itself... Hm. Do you have a request to make of me?"
"I wanted to bank a personal favor with the Clan Head I respect so much."
'When I declare my harem, I'm going to ask you to have a healer standing by before you beat me. You'll exhaust yourself hitting me, Father.'
"Pfft. How unmanly. I'll remember that."
I had discreetly laid some groundwork for later.
"Are these the only addenda? Something this simple will be ready in no ti— Wh-What!? A twenty-billion-won donation!?"
"I was the one who requested it, so please just proceed."
"I'll take care of it, but... were you hypnotized, Mr. Seo?"
The lawyer was appalled, but anyway.
With his help, we drafted the contract quickly.
It was finalized when I pressed my thumbprint in place of a seal.
"Congratulations. You are now part of Cheonhwa."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
"Now that we are family, feel free to call me Father."
Perhaps it was because he was now certain I'd entered his fold.
My father-in-law suddenly became much warmer.
"Yes, Father!!"
"......."
-Murmur, murmur.
"Sia. If your feelings are mutual, I can permit you a wholesome courtship."
"......!!!!!? What are you saying, you idiot, moron, hopeless—"
The fact that he openly whispered with Sia in front of me was clearly another sign of his trust.
He trusted me enough to let me see them bantering as father and daughter.
I was relieved, feeling I'd gotten off on the right foot.
"Ho-ho. Anyway, Sia, handle it as you see fit."
"I keep telling you, it is not like that......!!!"
-Shove, shove.
"And... Yujin?"
Just as I was feeling reassured, my father-in-law opened his mouth again.
His voice wavered slightly as Sia smacked him on the back, but I could still understand him.
"I assume you realize this, but to outsiders, your contract will look unfair. People will have plenty to say."
"Yes."
"So we'll be doing a bit of media play on our end... would you be all right with us glamorizing you slightly?"
"......?"
They wanted to polish my image for the publicity campaign?
Wait, why even bother asking something like that?
Wasn't that the entire point of publicity?
"If you say nice things about me, I'll be nothing but grateful."
"Good. I was worried you might get embarrassed and ask me to keep it quiet, which would've been troublesome. That is a relief."
So that was it. He'd been worried I might try to act like an anonymous do-gooder.
I shook my head nonchalantly.
"Nah, I'm not that kind of guy. I'm just saying I don't like being insulted, not that I dislike compliments."
"———Oh-ho. In that case, would it be all right if we glamorized you a lot, instead of just a little?"
"Of course. I'd prefer that, actually."
"Understood. I'll make you into a veritable saint."
'He was making quite a fuss when all he would do was run a few articles.'
The smile on my father-in-law's lips deepened just a little, and with that, even the truly last matter of business was settled.
Afterward, I looked around the clan for a while before heading back.
"Oh, Sia and... Seo Yujin!?"
"Perfect timing. Hey, mister, look this way for a second."
-Fidget, fidget.
"......Hah, it really will not work."
"Hm?"
"I-It's nothing, so hurry up and go!! I have to show him around the clan!!"
Sia even brusquely chased off an A-rank awakener and did her best to show me around, but...
I had already seen it all in the First Round, so it did nothing for me.
Anyway. That concluded my business at the clan.
"I've returned, Chairwoman."
"Good... Just in case, did you happen to see a bottle of red-ginseng wine? It turned exactly five years old today, and I planned to get properly drunk on it tonight, but I can't find it."
"Ah, Haru broke that."
"Is that so? Tch. Can't be helped, then."
Back at the academy, I also dealt with the trouble Haru had caused.
[Yujin? They say the contract is ready. Can you come today? My senior keeps hurrying me... I'll buy you something delicious.]
"Sorry, but if I don't work out soon, I will start losing muscle... Cheonhwa will send a representative for me. Please speak with them."
[You already signed with Cheonhwa... Ahem. That is a shame. A reservation happened to open up at a lovely restaurant, and I was going to take you there.]
"Go enjoy a quiet meal with Hayoung for the first time in a while. A mother and daughter should spend time like that together."
[......Okay. I'm hanging up.]
'Hayoung, Big Bro gave that up for you, so enjoy your meal~.'
I also spoke with Big Sis Suyeon about the hospital contract.
"Yujin!! Look at this, look!!"
"What's up?"
"The Outstar post I made today—the company that produces Pine-Needle Snow commented on it themselves!! They thanked me for liking it!!"
"......."
'After all that talk about twenty billion won, hearing something like this was... adorable.'
I also had a pleasant conversation with Alice when I happened to run into her.
After taking care of all that, I stopped by my room...
'Time to change into my gym clothes and head to the Training Room.'
-Creeeak.
"I'm ba—"
"Ah, you're finally back."
"......!!!!!?"
I was struck by an eight-ton truck that had not used its turn signal.
Master was in a bathrobe, steam practically billowing off her whole body as though she'd just gotten out.
The soft scent of shampoo, mingling with the humid air, slammed into me all at once...
What was with this surprise attack? She was not even a ninja.
I had nearly drawn my sword at full length without warning.
"Forgive my appearance. I grew tired of waiting and just returned from enjoying a half-body bath."
"M-M-Master. Your cleavage is showing...."
"...? ......!!!!? Wh-What kind of man gets this embarrassed over so little!!"
-Swoop.
Fortunately, she quickly drew the front of her robe closed.
The only problem was that my face had already gone absolutely beet-red.
'I barely managed to stop myself from drawing my sword with hypnosis, but... this was so awkward.'
"Really now... h-hmph...."
Thanks to that, a brief spell of awkwardness passed between us.
I hurriedly fanned my face with both hands to cool it.
Master, apparently embarrassed as well, fidgeted while holding her robe closed.
...And yet, she kept stealing glances my way, as if expecting me to be the one to break the silence first.
I decided to live up to her expectation at once.
"Ahem. Master, you'll get cold. Please go and change."
"......."
—Stare. Mutter, mutter.
"You're surprisingly composed today, aren't you? Hmm."
Thanks to my consideration, Master regained her composure as well.
As for whatever she was muttering in Japanese...
Well, she hadn't been in Korea long. Her stray thoughts probably still came out in Japanese.
As I waited quietly, Master's downcast eyes rose to meet mine again.
"That aside, my disciple."
"Yes?"
"My secretary stopped by a moment ago."
".........!!!"
Then she dropped the bombshell.
My eyes went as wide as lanterns.
I'd been desperately waiting for this news.
"You mean...."
"Indeed."
A smile spread across Master's lips as well.
She even released the hand holding her robe closed and proudly thrust out her chest.
"The only one of its kind in the world—the prize I personally obtained by slaying a Divine Dragon. The Heaven-Sent Spring Water. I bestow it upon you."
"O-Ohhh...!!!"
The supreme elixir that had elevated me all the way to S-rank No. 1 during the First Round.
The Heaven-Sent Spring Water.
No wonder she looked so proud when she was giving me that.
"Please hurry and change! I'll—"
"I've no desire to wait. Follow me at once."
"......? Yes, Master."
I wasn't sure why she meant to give it to me while still in her bathrobe, but...