Chapter 94

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 94

Chapter Title: Misfortune Detector

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[And... I want to sing a song for my grandmother.]

[My grandmother's wish is for me to sing for her again.]

Seo Ye-jin gave a wry smile, thinking it was a small dream she could never fulfill.

Because of a traffic accident, she had lost both her parents and her voice.

[Hehe, but I'm okay.]

[I can't talk with my mouth, but I can still communicate with sign language.]

[Just seeing my grandmother get healthier makes me happy.]

[I'm truly grateful to you, sir. The favor you've done us is so great, I don't know how to repay it.]

She felt endlessly grateful and thankful toward him.

"That's enough. Don't think of it as a favor. And don't even think about repaying it. It's fine just to accept the help."

[Why?]

[Isn't it natural to give back what you've received?]

"Where in the world is anything truly 'natural'? Well, even if it is, it's not for me at least. I only helped because my heart moved me to, not because I expected anything in return."

The grandmother was elderly and frail. Seo Ye-jin was still a minor. He had simply helped because they seemed so desperate. There was no deeper meaning to it.

[Thank you.]

Seo Ye-jin flashed a bright smile.

There was no trace of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wariness left in her.

"Did you eat something tasty yesterday?"

[Yes! I had toast!]

"Why not get something even tastier?"

[Toast is the best! Toast is yummy!]

"Hungry? Let's go eat."

[Yes! Let's eat toast!]

"Nah, I'm over it. Let's go for ribs."

He found his favorite rib joint.

Myeongnyun Jinsa Galbi—eat as much as you want.

'She's eating well.'

True to her age as a growing girl, Seo Ye-jin devoured her food heartily.

Every time he grilled the meat, she wrapped it in lettuce and polished it off.

"Tasty?"

Nod.

"Eat a lot."

Nod.

"Want some cola?"

Nod.

He fed her ribs to her heart's content.

He took her to a café and bought her dessert too. He ordered lemonade and chocolate cake, making her eat it all.

[I'm so happy. It's delicious.]

[I love lemonade! I love chocolate cake!]

Seo Ye-jin was over the moon.

"Here. Use this as pocket money."

[Thank you.]

He gave her 50,000 won as pocket money.

"Ye-jin, if there's anything you want to eat, or if you need something, or if any problems come up, contact me anytime."

[I feel bad...]

"It's fine. No need to feel bad. Contact me comfortably. If there's anything I can help with, I'll gladly do it."

[Thank you.]

He stood up from his seat.

[Are you leaving?]

"Yeah, time to go."

[Can't you stay longer?]

"Sorry. I've got a lot to do."

In truth, aside from reading, he had nothing else to do.

But for Jin-seong, reading was an extremely important task.

He escorted Seo Ye-jin back to the hospital and caught her a taxi.

'Once I make over 2 billion, I should buy an Avante. No, before that, I need to get my driver's license first.'

Once he made over 2 billion, he'd buy an Avante outright in cash.

He figured he could go on a trip to Japan and get his license there.

He arrived home.

Opened a book.

Before he knew it, Reading Achievement 48 had appeared.

'Today, finish Human Relations and move on to The Selfish Gene.'

He focused on the book.

His speed-reading ability had greatly improved.

Now, no word felt difficult. Whether sentences were long or short, he could understand them easily.

Flip!

He read an entire page in an instant. It took less than three minutes.

Flip!

Flip!

He concentrated fiercely.

KakaoTalk notifications rang out, and motorcycle noises echoed from outside, but his focus didn't break.

He read rapidly.

'Done.'

He finished the book. Closed it. Fell into contemplation. Recalled what he'd read. Various thoughts and questions arose.

He opened the shop.

Bought three Vitality Boost Pills and took them immediately.

He spent 4 points.

11 points left. Out of those, 10 for Mental Recovery Potion. Leave 1 point spare.

He ate the sweet Lucky Cookie.

Oh?! Jackpot! A jackpot hit!

+33.3 Luck was an incredibly high value.

'Might get a good item.'

What item would it be?

With anticipation, he checked the Small Happiness Random Box.

Misfortune Detector?

What kind of item was this?

He appraised the item.

Jin-seong furrowed his brow.

Misfortune Detector.

It was an item in the same vein as the Misfortune Diary.

Definitely a good item, but not entirely welcome.

'What a spine-chilling item...'

The Misfortune Detector took the form of a black tablet.

There was a small golden button at the bottom.

Press!

He pressed the button.

The words 'Seo Ye-jin' appeared in red letters in the center of the tablet.

He let out a sigh.

'Damn it!'

No helping it.

Books could wait. He had to deal with Seo Ye-jin's issue first.

Seo Ye-jin was happy.

'It's all thanks to sir.'

Thanks to Jin-seong, her sick grandmother could be hospitalized, get surgery, and receive treatment.

With the pocket money, she didn't have to go hungry. When she got hungry, she could buy bread, triangle kimbap, or ramen.

'I'll study hard.'

She hadn't told Jin-seong, but Seo Ye-jin had a goal.

'I want to succeed big.'

She wanted to make a lot of money. To live without money worries.

'I want to treat my grandmother well.'

She wanted to live with her grandmother in a nice house.

Buy her lots of delicious food.

Take her to the hospital if she got sick.

And.

One more reason to succeed.

She wanted to repay Jin-seong's kindness with lots of money.

Resentments should be repaid tenfold, and kindness too.

[Me: Sir]

[Yoo Jin-seong: ? What's up? Something happen? Did something bad occur?]

[Me: Just... Hehe, I was thinking of you on the way to school, so I messaged.]

[Me: Thank you.]

[Yoo Jin-seong: If anything happens, contact me right away.]

[Yoo Jin-seong: Actually, message me after school. I'll treat you to dinner.]

[Me: Okay.]

She tilted her head. Sir had seemed anxious since last night.

Why was he so uneasy?

'Yummy!'

On her way to school, Seo Ye-jin stopped at a convenience store and ate pizza bread and milk.

Her gentle, deer-like eyes curved into crescents.

Seo Ye-jin went to school and became unhappy.

"Beggar."

"Mute bitch."

Seo Ye-jin had no friends. Her classmates were busy ostracizing her. She endured minor bullying.

'I... don't even like Yong-jun...'

Actually, until first year, she had friends. But starting second year, she drifted apart from them.

Transfer student Kim Yong-jun.

Ever since the handsome, celebrity-like Kim Yong-jun confessed to her, her friends' envy, jealousy, and bullying began.

Fortunately amid the misfortune.

Seo Ye-jin was top of the school. Because she excelled in studies, the bullying stayed minor rather than severe.

'Sigh... I miss Grandma...'

To Seo Ye-jin, school was more than a prison—tedious, painful, and lonely.

"Ye-jin, come with me."

Nod.

Seo Ye-jin followed behind her homeroom teacher.

Looking at the teacher's back, she thought 'evil person'.

'Using my difficult situation... Pretending to help me... Demanding sex from me... Immoral person...'

The homeroom teacher's name was Jang Min-hyeok. Age 41. Youthful for his age. Featured a kind, warm impression.

"Ye-jin, is your grandmother still not well?"

Jang Min-hyeok asked with concern.

"Have you thought about the offer I made last time?"

Seo Ye-jin felt chills instantly.

His expression was kind, his tone gentle, but his eyes were sinister.

A cruel demon lurked in the gaze scanning her up and down.

Shake shake.

Seo Ye-jin shook her head vigorously.

[I'm sorry. No. I refuse your offer.]

"You sure? Your grandmother's really not well, right?"

[It's okay. Grandma had heart surgery. Somehow, the hospital bills and living expenses got sorted out. I'm truly grateful.]

Twitch.

Jang Min-hyeok's eyes narrowed.

Soon, regret clouded his gaze.

He had planned to use her grandmother as an excuse to prey on Seo Ye-jin, but that chance had slipped away.

Before long, the regret turned to worry.

If Seo Ye-jin went around exposing him, his position would become extremely precarious.

"I'd appreciate it if you forgot about my proposal."

[I will. I won't tell anyone.]

"Good. I trust you."

Despite his words, distrust lingered in Teacher Jang Min-hyeok's eyes.

She attended class.

'Boring...'

It was all content she already knew. For the top student, it was yawn-inducingly dull.

Class ended.

[Yoo Jin-seong: Ye-jin—school over?]

[Yoo Jin-seong: Message when it's done.]

[Me: Sir hehe, class is over.]

[Yoo Jin-seong: OK, heading there now. Wait for me.]

[Yoo Jin-seong: Anything you wanna eat?]

[Me: Pizza toast!]

[Yoo Jin-seong: Let's get pizza.]

She waited at the school gate for Jin-seong.

How long did she wait?

A taxi pulled up in front of the gate.

The door opened, and Jin-seong got out.

'Nice to see you.'

Seo Ye-jin's face lit up.

"Ye-jin, hi. Wait long?"

Shake.

"Hungry? I'll buy you something tasty."

Nod.

They found a pizza place.

"Ye-jin, has anyone been trying to harm you by any chance?"

Someone trying to harm her?

[No]

She shook her head.

[But...]

"But?"

Seo Ye-jin hesitated.

Should she tell him about Teacher Jang Min-hyeok or not?

After agonizing, she spilled the truth.

He felt around in his pocket for the Wish Fruit.

He stopped by the mart. Filled a basket with ingredients Seo Ye-jin might like. Planned to buy and deliver them.

'The world has many good people, but plenty of bad ones too.'

Prime example of good: Lee Myeong-ho hyung. Of evil: Teacher Jang Min-hyeok.

'Sigh... Seems right to resolve the Jang Min-hyeok issue somehow... But no idea how.'

He left the mart.

Walking with light steps.

'Hm?'

Jin-seong's steps halted. He couldn't help furrowing his brow. Teacher Jang Min-hyeok was entering Seo Ye-jin's home.

He bit his lip. A raging fire surged from within.

'This fucking bastard?!'

He wanted to rush in and beat him senseless right then.

But he held onto his rationality. Tried to stay as calm as possible.

'Stay calm. Follow the manual.'

He set down his bags. Took out his phone. Called the police station.

'Report first. Report a rapist to the police. Request they come as fast as possible.'

He reported swiftly. Urgently requested immediate response. Got confirmation they'd arrive within 3 minutes.