The Protagonist Is Indeed the Protagonist

Base Technology had made a grave mistake. They had picked a fight with Vanguard—the very same company that had been guarding them until just a few days ago. It was an incredibly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stupid move.

During the several months they had spent on protection duty, the people at Vanguard had learned the layout of Base Technology’s headquarters and research labs better than the company’s own employees. Provoking them now was practically the same as begging to be raided.

“Since the other side is acting completely irrational and is clearly out to tarnish Vanguard’s reputation, there’s no need for us to play fair either.”

“Then… when should we strike?”

“The sooner the better. Before the memories of the people who were on Base Technology’s security detail start to fade. Besides, they might change the interior layout or security points on their end.”

I answered Han Yugyeong’s question. In the game, the terrain changed over time, so it was best to attack early while the layout was still familiar.

“In that case… should we hit them right now?”

Han Yugyeong clenched her fists as she spoke. She was clearly trying to show her resolve, but to me it just looked incredibly cute.

“The employees are already furious at Base Technology for making such ridiculous claims. We should let them vent their anger.”

“You know how important security is, right?”

“Of course.”

It was a slightly disappointing decision for me. I had been looking forward to having sex with Han Yugyeong while she was still dressed in her career-woman outfit after eating spicy pig’s feet. Oh well. I could always dress her up again after the raid was over.

“Are you coming on the raid too, Yugyeong?”

“Yes. You said we’d need someone to evaluate the data. I’ll go in, assess everything, and then we can blackmail Park Mun-seok…!”

For the record, Park Mun-seok was the president of Base Technology. He was a classic example of someone who acted tough against the weak and weak against the strong. If you pressured him hard enough, he’d fold immediately. Trying to negotiate with him would only be a hassle.

“Then I’ll come along too.”

“Is that okay? Most of the security guards will be carrying guns…”

“You saw me beat armed opponents with my bare hands in Japan, didn’t you?”

“Actually, I told you to run to the bathroom back then, so I didn’t see it myself…”

Oh, right. I had told Han Yugyeong to hide in the bathroom and lie in the bathtub during that incident. What she had seen afterward was just the pile of defeated assassins, so it made sense that she didn’t know exactly how I had fought.

“Then I’ll stay right next to you as your bodyguard.”

“Okay. But promise me you won’t do anything dangerous?”

Han Yugyeong kept reminding me not to do anything risky as she dialed a number on her phone.

“Lee Yeon-ju? I need you to gather some people.”

Lee Yeon-ju… She was the daughter of Vanguard’s former president. When Vanguard had been put up for sale due to instability, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her father had been diagnosed with a disease that required extremely expensive treatment. The company had been listed for sale to cover those medical bills. If the timing had been off, the former president would have died, the medical costs would have vanished, and Lee Yeon-ju would have inherited the company and become its president.

In the game, if the protagonist bought Vanguard, the former president would receive treatment and survive. Lee Yeon-ju would then become the protagonist’s secretary and Vanguard’s vice president. Because her father had survived thanks to the protagonist’s money, her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠loyalty was extremely high from the beginning, making it easy to take full control of the company.

Lee Yeon-ju was a character with a short bob haircut that suited her well and outstanding combat ability. She had her own dedicated fanbase. Since she was a romanceable character, some players did pursue her route.

Thanks to a certain system created in America, it was possible to pursue multiple heroines at once. However, most gamers preferred to target characters who offered political or factional advantages.

“The reason is simple—we’re going to raid some annoying bastards. Gather the operators who can keep their mouths shut. Tell them the mission pay will be generous. And of course, I’ll give you a bonus too, Yeon-ju.”

The two seemed to get along well; Han Yugyeong was smiling as she spoke on the phone. As long as they were on good terms, that was all that mattered. I had even considered assassination if their relationship ever soured and made it difficult for Han Yugyeong to take over Vanguard. It was a relief that they were close.

“Oh, and please prepare one set of body armor and a helmet separately.”

She was probably asking for my share as well. I didn’t really need it, but since she was so worried, I should wear it out of courtesy. Han Yugyeong fiddled with her phone for a moment while seated, then stood up.

“Let’s go, Yongtae. The headquarters and research lab of Base Technology are right next to each other, so we’ll assemble nearby and launch the raid. We need to leave now.”

“Dixon isn’t coming?”

“He just contacted me saying he’s arrived. That’s why I said let’s go.”

I see. Dixon must live nearby. That explained how he got here so quickly. Han Yugyeong and I left the apartment and climbed into the sturdy-looking tactical vehicle Dixon was waiting in with the lights on. Since a battle was almost guaranteed, he had probably chosen the tactical vehicle instead of the usual luxurious sedan. The sedan had that “boss” feel to it, but it would likely get wrecked.

“Boss, here…”

“Thank you, Dixon.”

Dixon handed Han Yugyeong some techwear. After exchanging a quick glance with me, he started driving. Han Yugyeong pressed a button to raise a privacy screen that blocked the view from the back seat, then changed into the techwear. Hmm…! This wasn’t bad at all. The tight fit perfectly showcased her excellent figure. I’d have to ask her to wear this again later.

Base Technology was located between Geumdan Mountain and Paldang Dam, east of Hanam City. As a secret subsidiary of the BS Group, it possessed considerable advanced technology. To protect that technology, they had maintained a large security force. But now that Vanguard—the company that handled most of their outsourced security—had withdrawn due to this dispute, the mission would be surprisingly easy.

I stared at the passing lights outside the window and thought about what would come next. The success of the Base Technology raid was a given. What mattered now was planning the next step.

“Kuaaaaagh!!”

Park Sang-beom woke up screaming from his bed. He had been having a nightmare in which a massive hand folded a steel plate in half and then came rushing toward him to do the same to his spine. It was all because of Jin Yongtae.

Ever since meeting Jin Yongtae, Park Sang-beom had been having nightmares frequently. The killing intent the man had emitted while folding a coin in front of him had left a deep psychological scar. It was the first time in his life he had ever felt such murderous aura, and it haunted his dreams. So Park Sang-beom had spent a considerable amount of money to start digging up information on Jin Yongtae.

He believed it was better to know his enemy clearly than to leave him as a mysterious figure that only grew more terrifying in the unknown.

“Did you get the information, Secretary Kim?”

“Yes, sir. I obtained several pieces of information through a detective agency in Japan.”

Park Sang-beom had ordered Secretary Kim—assigned to him by his father, the president of BS Planning—to gather intel. The results had finally come in today. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t use the BS Group’s official Japan connections yet, since they were still under the control of his uncle Park Il-man rather than his father. Still, they had paid a lot of money, so the information should be reasonably accurate. Park Sang-beom nodded and looked at Secretary Kim, signaling him to continue.

“Jin Yongtae. His Japanese name is Hata Ryuta. He is twenty years old.”

“Hmm, same age as Han Yugyeong. That little bastard… Go on.”

Learning that the guy who had directed killing intent at him was a whole year younger than him made Park Sang-beom angry all over again.

“He is a third-generation Korean resident in Japan. He grew up without a father. Originally, he was supposed to graduate high school and immediately join a small-to-medium company called Edogawa Industries, but for some reason he ended up joining a subsidiary of the Taira Group. After that, it became impossible to gather any more information.”

“No father and only a high school graduate? Hahaha! What a lowly bastard!”

The moment he heard the second piece of information, a sneer spread across Park Sang-beom’s face. As a third-generation chaebol with a strong sense of class hierarchy, learning that Jin Yongtae had grown up without a father and hadn’t even attended university made the trauma he had suffered feel slightly lighter.

“Keep going. And how did that fatherless bastard get into the Taira Group?”

“There are testimonies that he possesses exceptional combat ability. When Han Yugyeong visited Japan, several armed assassins approached her—whether due to a management succession dispute or for other reasons is unclear—but Jin Yongtae reportedly repelled all of them. Perhaps that’s why he caught the Taira Group’s attention and was assigned security duties?”

Aside from the claims about his combat prowess and repelling assassins, the rest was pure speculation. Nevertheless, Park Sang-beom nodded in satisfaction at Secretary Kim’s guess.

“Hehehe. I wonder if Han Yugyeong knows about this? That she’s dating a mere fatherless high-school-grad security guard.”

Having mocked even Han Yugyeong, Park Sang-beom fell into deep thought.

“He’ll definitely come to Korea again. To see Han Yugyeong. Our airline should be able to obtain the passenger manifest, right? The moment Jin Yongtae boards a plane, contact me immediately.”

“Understood. What should we do after that?”

“Hire some people and bring him before me. I’ll kill him myself.”

Park Sang-beom believed that to end ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his nightmares, he had to be the one to kill Jin Yongtae personally. Only by ending the man’s life with his own hands could he completely erase the memory of having been terrified by that killing intent.

A few weeks later, Secretary Kim rushed over to Park Sang-beom in a hurry.

“Young master! Jin Yongtae is coming to Korea in a few days.”

“Really? Hehehehe. Hire people right now. Since they said his combat ability is strong, spend generously and get real professionals… Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

Park Sang-beom was in a good mood. The plan to tarnish Vanguard’s reputation that he was overseeing had been progressing smoothly, and now he had received word that Jin Yongtae—the man he had been meaning to deal with—was coming to Korea. He felt incredibly lucky.

“Hehehehe… Jin Yongtae, you bastard… It wouldn’t be bad if you died right in front of Han Yugyeong. Then I could approach her to comfort her.”

Park Sang-beom sneered. Even though he had lost the bet with Han Yugyeong, he had no intention of honoring the promise. He had continued to hover around her and speak to her. In his mind, Han Yugyeong was already his. He told himself that she simply couldn’t meet him right now because of Jin Yongtae. While part of his desire to kill the man was to regain his confidence, the main reason was his belief that once Jin Yongtae was gone, Han Yugyeong would become his.

Yukiko striking a cat pose and Ha Juyun winking.

Wouldn’t “Mom’s covered rice bowl” be nice?

I’m uploading this illustration because I really like the composition. Ha Juyun-mom’s butt is so good, and the space between Yukiko-mom’s thighs is insanely good too lol.

I tried to make her a bit sharper and more luxurious than the characters I’ve made so far lol.

Haa, auntie~!!