Three Hours of Chaos
Yuseong Group was currently divided into three major factions.
The eldest son, Yoo Hanseong.
The second daughter, Yoo Hyewon.
And the youngest, Yoo Jihye.
There were also a second and third son, plus an eldest daughter, but they had already been devoured, chewed, and spat out in the company wars and had disappeared from the scene in Korea.
They had only gone abroad under the guise of study, but in reality they had fled, abandoned the throne, or done something very similar.
Right now, with the eldest son at the top, the second and youngest daughters were holding hands and locked in a power struggle, according to reports.
And as it had been in every era, the most effective way to grow your body in such a power struggle was...
**Recruiting trainees.**
**One month of free use available.**
**Unleash your full potential.**
“Hmm…”
In ancient and modern times alike, the strongest power was the one that was always closest.
Because the fist that is right in front of you is scarier than a distant punch.
Especially since the Awakened were already acting wildly, the importance of power could only keep increasing with every passing day.
“You… wait, shouldn’t it be ‘you all’?”
“Not yet. I’m still preparing, though.”
You’re about to swallow up Yuseong Group.
It was crystal clear in my eyes that they were gathering people as a basic step toward that.
*But does something like this even have any real meaning?*
Recruitment like this was an effective maintenance method in every era.
But it was only maintenance. To get results beyond that, time and money were inevitably spent.
And even after wasting that much time and money, you might not get the desired outcome.
Despite all of that, doing it anyway meant…
“…What exactly are you after?”
“……”
With both hands gripping the steering wheel, Hyewon never turned her head.
She simply sat quietly, staring straight ahead in silence.
Even so, that trembling expression refused to leave her face.
“Are you trying to fight me?”
“…You’re saying some strange things. It’s a training facility, after all.”
“A training facility isn’t necessarily only for fighting.”
“What do you even mean by a training facility not being for fighting?”
“Don’t beat around the bush. Just say it.”
“…Did I let something slip?”
“It really was?”
“Ah!”
I had no intention of conducting any kind of guided interrogation.
Still, my daughter’s inability to control her expression was worrying.
She seemed fine in public and in front of reporters, with her poker face locked in place.
I leaned back against the seat and stared out the window at the passing advertisements.
“…At least you’ve already noticed the hint, right?”
Where did you pick up that hint?
With a small exhale in response to Hyewon’s gaze, I answered.
“I figured it was a training facility and you were gathering your full strength. But that’s nonsense. It doesn’t make sense anywhere.”
Why? Because the youngest has the **Hero**.
With an S-rank party called the **Hero**, no matter how many people you gather, they would just be a bunch of nobodies.
In the end, the people you gather aren’t for fighting.
“So if it’s not for gathering strength, then it must be a facility for people?”
It could be for people.
But a facility created solely for that can’t be the whole story.
Why?
“Because in the end, you can’t become the leader of a company just by rallying the common people?”
In the end, you had to take the reins of power.
In that sense, Hyewon would never be able to overcome the eldest son’s monopoly of power.
So what remained was…
“…What could it be?”
“Colck!”
**Screeech!** The car suddenly slammed to a halt.
“You were driving perfectly fine. Why slam on the brakes all of a sudden? Slamming on the brakes is a bad habit.”
“…Why are you suddenly bringing that up, oppa?”
Are you picking a fight with me right now?
Is this the silent threat that I have to pay the counseling fee?
Her eyes burned as they glared at me, but the words I could give her were none at all.
“I’m not familiar with internal affairs, and I’m basically just guessing anyway. How am I supposed to know everything?”
“No, that’s… it’s just that…”
“So what are you planning to do?”
“…It’s a secret, but…”
Hyewon tightened her eyes and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.
She was deep in thought.
Straight ahead. And me.
The alternating gazes finally settled on herself.
“It’s an attachment that’s continued for ten years.”
“Ten years? We’ve only known each other nine.”
“I rounded it up to ten!”
No matter what! It’s an attachment that’s continued for ten years!
…And.
“The only one person who has stayed by my side the whole time.”
“Huh?”
There was something strangely tense in the air.
Hyewon turned her head toward me and slowly began walking toward me.
“Because you promised you wouldn’t leave me and would stay by my side the whole time…!”
“I never actually said that… w-wait…!”
Hey.
Hey, hey!
The distance between us was closing.
If it had been before, what would I have done?
I would have run.
Of course I would have run.
I was someone who believed there should always be a clear line between men and women.
If the party members found out, it would only cause more trouble.
But I had already seen the party members—women who had fallen and were preparing to marry—so I had to change my heart too.
Pure-hearted Kim Sunwoo had died a long time ago in the academy.
Then the Kim Sunwoo of today had to shed the cherry-boy persona of the past and face Hyewon as a man.
**BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!**
“Hic?!”
“Hup?!”
**BANG!** **SMACK!** **BAM!** **BANG BANG BANG!!!**
The rough honking sounded from behind.
Hyewon hurriedly pressed the gas and sped forward.
“............…”
**Vroom.** The engine hummed quietly.
And beneath that, the heartbeats thundered so loudly they drowned out the engine entirely—**thump thump thump thump**—like they were about to explode.
I pressed my chest hard without making a sound and turned my head toward the window.
“…I thought you were still a virgin.”
“Is that what you’re saying right now?!!”
“I can’t tell lies.”
You’re a virgin or whatever, but you even imagined the grandchildren!
It was basically a confession, but I didn’t care much.
I had said it before—after ten years of a relationship, I just felt like a friend rather than a lover…
**——,──,───**
“……Hah.”
A faint ripple rose inside my chest.
The question about whether sex friends are friends or not had come up, and I had no idea where she had learned that.
***
“First of all, you were right, oppa.”
Hyewon’s newly expanded training facility, the **Star Way Training Center**, began to come into view.
It looked completely separate from the old company—not an expansion but a brand-new build.
“We’re not planning to fight head-on. We tried that before, but…”
“The **Hero** is the strongest and unbeatable.”
“You can’t oppose the **Hero**.”
At least within the Yuseong Group, that was common sense.
With that being common sense, Hyewon had no more paths left.
“The leadership is monopolized by the eldest son, and power has been taken by the youngest.”
She had tried to find a substitute for the **Hero**.
But nothing appeared.
More precisely, she had shown interest only in the **Hero** and worked solely to approach the **Hero**.
As a result, even the people who could become the seeds of a substitute for the **Hero** had all fallen into the youngest’s hands.
“Finally, we’re stuck with no clear path either way.”
Ambiguity.
And that inevitably meant defeat.
In the end, to climb to the top, you needed an unstoppable ‘one thing’.
That was why Hyewon had thought of something.
“If the problem is ambiguity, then just use that ambiguity to conquer it.”
“…?”
“Instead of giving up a head-on battle, I’ll pour all my strength into another battle.”
“……”
So what did that ‘battle’ mean?
As Hyewon’s words went unfinished, I stared in silence. Hyewon shrugged her shoulders lightly.
“Is it a job disease? Even so, you’re being much more direct than usual.”
“Who are you calling a disease?”
Then just say it already.
Yoo Hyewon. The one move you were preparing to swallow up Yuseong Group with was…
“We’re going to create an idol group.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door handle.
“Wait, oppa! We’re still inside the car!”
“A-rank Awakener can handle this much.”
If it’s too much, I’ll just ask the spirits for help.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this? You said you’d help with training!”
“I can’t dance or sing. And originally, since the **Hero** has everything in Korea anyway, I’m meaningless alone?”
“Who told you to get on stage, oppa?!”
You said you were making a girl group! A girl group!
Oppa was only brought along for training!
“…If it’s a girl group, you should have said girl group from the beginning. I got confused.”
“I actually think oppa’s mental world that thought I was going to become an idol is even more horrifying…”
“What’s wrong with that? When I appear in the newspapers, everyone says I’m handsome?”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
Why.
Look at this.
There are even comments like this over here…
**Well-built.** **Youthful.**
“Look at this!”
“You’re turning that into roasting, aren’t you?”
“Aigoo. You’re getting all coy because you’re getting good comments?”
“You’re staring into the mirror… no. Switch between looking at that ‘Hero’ photo and the mirror.”
“……Ah.”
Indeed. I finally understood what she meant.
My face that had never known shame.
Eyes, nose, and mouth—all there, but unfortunately, no narrative justification.
“Still, I like oppa’s face.”
“Hyewon-ah…”
“A man’s face is a skill, after all.”
“Hyewon Hyewon-ah!”
That was true.
Whether it was praise or roasting, it was confusing.
“Both.”
“Really?”
Something felt drained from me.
I thought I was pretty handsome.
And besides, there were people who got prettier after becoming Awakened.
Plus, as a Spirit Contractor, my skin correction was good enough to make me look presentable…
*But there was no narrative justification.*
It was like being called handsome just because you looked like a mannequin.
Having charisma that actually stood out was an entirely different meaning.
Finally, as I was silently sighing, a voice suddenly spoke.
“…Idiot.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“……You heard that again?”
“The wind keeps telling me those words.”
I knew it was for me, but it should tone it down.
I raised my fingers and gently stroked the wind. The wind wrapped itself around my finger once and passed by as if pleased.
“By the way, what exactly do you need help with for training?”
“I’m going to kill you—I’m going to kill you—I’m going to kill you—I’m going to kill you—eh? What did you say?”
“Please save me……”
“I’ll save you.”
So, what exactly did you say earlier?
With my eyes slightly unfocused from the intense moment, I made up my mind not to joke around anymore and said,
“Training… I don’t know what I can help you with…”
“Ah, that? That’s simple.”
Simple?
Why was it simple?
Hyewon had not revealed the training content until we reached the training room, and when we arrived, I finally understood her words.
**Fzzt!**
“Kyahhh! Nitro! Stop! Stop it already!!!”
The woman being grilled like meat on a grill
**Fwoosh!**
“Hot hot hot! Wait, hey! You said you’d adjust it properly, right?!”
The woman whose curly hair was burned by the flames
……
“...You brought snacks, didn’t you? …Yeah? Today only, help unnie…”
Even the spirit who had been punched during a strike.
“Wow…”
This was not a training facility. It was a golden consultation room.
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