Chapter 115: It’s Not Something I Do for Just Anyone (Revised)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: It’s Not Something I Do for Just Anyone (Revised)
“How is it?”
Yeong-eun asked as she sliced into a premium steak served by a foreign waiter.
“It’s delicious.”
The moment the meat touched my tongue, it practically melted.
So this was what top-tier beef tasted like. The flavors seemed to dance inside my mouth.
“Hehe, try this piece too.”
Yeong-eun cut a morsel and held her fork out to me. Steam rose from the medium-well steak. I took the offering into my mouth.
“Well?”
“It’s incredible.”
“I put a lot of thought into choosing this place while you were working in the States. The food might not be as good as some other restaurants, but…”
Yeong-eun pointed toward the window, which offered an unobstructed view of the Han River.
“I brought you here because I love the view.”
We were on the 84th floor of Jeil Tower. It was a restaurant that offered a panoramic view of Seoul’s nightscape, including the winding Han River. It was a high-end establishment where it felt as though we were dining above the clouds.
Yeong-eun had booked this place in advance for me, knowing I’d worked hard in America. Eating while looking down at the sprawling city of Seoul certainly made the meal feel special.
Having seen the New York skyline recently, the visual impact might have been slightly diminished, but I was genuinely touched that someone had gone to such lengths to arrange this for me.
After feeding me, Yeong-eun stared at me blankly.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t you going to give me any?”
Her eyes sparkled as she opened her mouth slightly. “Ahhh~.”
“This is a bit embarrassing.”
But then again, hadn’t I just eaten from her fork? I stabbed a piece of the steak I had cut and placed it in her mouth.
“It tastes even better when you cut it and feed it to me yourself,” Yeong-eun said, savoring the meat while keeping her eyes fixed on me.
She didn’t look away for a second, as if trying to soak in every detail of my face.
“The work went well, right?”
“Of course.”
“So you don’t have to go back to America anymore?”
“Most likely, yeah.”
“That’s a relief.”
Clink, clink.
“I missed you.”
Yeong-eun murmured in a voice so faint it was barely audible.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You just said something.”
“You don’t need to know.”
Resting her chin on her hand, she avoided my gaze—a sharp contrast to how she had been trying to lock eyes with me just moments ago. She picked up her glass of fine wine.
“Shall we toast?”
A toast to change the subject. I raised my glass and clinked it against hers.
Chime.
“Did anything happen in America?”
After taking a sip of wine, Yeong-eun brought up a new topic. When I hesitated to answer while drinking my wine, she added an explanation as if making an excuse.
“I mean, you haven’t really talked about what happened over there.”
“Oh, about that.”
I debated for a moment whether I should tell her. But I figured it wasn’t something I needed to hide. In a way, the trip to America was only possible because of Yeong-eun’s help. I should at least tell her what happened. It was only right to share these things.
“It turns out Hyun-kyung has a separate sponsor.”
“A sponsor?”
“Yeah. Olivia Lawrence from Rhino Company…”
“Olivia Lawrence? The Olivia I know? The Investment Queen of Rhino Company?”
“That’s the one. That Olivia.”
The moment she heard Olivia’s name, the look in Yeong-eun’s eyes changed. The affectionate gaze she’d been giving me vanished, replaced by a slight furrow in her brow.
“That bitch—I mean, that woman is Hyun-kyung’s sponsor?”
She definitely just cursed, didn’t she? I’m sure I didn’t mishear that.
“You didn’t know?”
“I don’t know everything.”
“But what happened? Why do you hate her so much?”
“Was it that obvious?”
I answered with a nod.
“Sigh, sorry. I just had a bad run-in with her once.”
“A run-in?”
“Our families have known each other for a long time. We’re… acquainted.”
Yeong-eun ground her teeth as she spoke.
Grit!
Just what on earth happened between them?
“Hyun-kyung needs to be careful. If that woman is involved, things could get complicated.”
I could guess what Yeong-eun meant. One possibility flashed through my mind.
“Wait, did something happen because Olivia likes women?”
“Oh, did you notice too, Jae-ho?”
“It was a bit obvious.”
“She must have been wary of you. Hehe. Well, our Jae-ho is quite capable, after all.”
Yeong-eun playfully tapped my nose with her finger. The irritation she’d shown moments ago had vanished.
“I’ll have to give her a warning if I run into her in Korea later.”
With that, Yeong-eun popped another piece of meat into her mouth.
“Ah, you got something on you.”
I pulled out a tissue and wiped a bit of steak sauce from the corner of her mouth.
“You’re getting very natural with the skinship now, aren’t you?”
Yeong-eun grinned at me.
“It’s not something I do for just anyone.”
“What? Hahaha!”
Yeong-eun covered her mouth as she laughed.
“Why are you laughing? I’m serious.”
“No, it’s just… you’re cute. Hahaha. So you don’t do this kind of skinship for just anyone, huh?”
Smiling with her eyes, Yeong-eun nodded.
“I’m the same.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t bring just anyone to a place like this.”
Yeong-eun’s words hit me unexpectedly, tugging at my heart.
“I don’t buy plane tickets for just anyone, and I don’t buy clothes for just anyone. So…”
Yeong-eun reached out and grabbed my hand, the one holding the tissue.
“Don’t be like that with just anyone else, either.”
She spoke as if she knew exactly what had happened on the plane.
“Of course.”
I felt a slight pang of guilt.
*
“My ear is itchy.”
Olivia Lawrence, who was visiting various companies for corporate investment, scratched her ear.
“You don’t seem to be in a good mood today.”
“Do I look that way?”
“Yes.”
At Clarice’s words, Olivia tilted her head. She didn’t look like she was in a good mood? That couldn’t be right.
Just this morning, she had spent a passionate night with Clarice. Not only that, she had called up several of her past ‘slaves’—women she usually used and discarded—and summoned them. She had spent a night several times more intense than usual.
She had slept longer over the past few days, so she felt more energetic than ever. The sports star she invested in, Hyun-kyung, had easily made it to the semifinals. At this rate, winning the championship was only a matter of time. Furthermore, the stock of a company she recently invested in had hit the upper limit yesterday and today, and its future outlook was bright.
Everything was going perfectly. So why would she look like she was in a bad mood?
“Clarice, it seems your intuition regarding your Master has dulled quite a bit.”
“I am sorry.”
Even though Clarice bowed deeply in apology, Olivia’s irritation didn’t subside. So, she decided to punish her.
“Stay like that until today’s meeting is over.”
Vroom!
“H-hyah…!”
Olivia turned the rotor she had inserted into Clarice’s pussy to its maximum setting. Clarice immediately began to break out in a cold sweat. Despite that, her expression remained unchanged.
“I… I understand… ahh…”
Shortly after, the door to her reception room opened.
“Haha! Miss Lawrence, it’s a pleasure! Hahaha!”
An elderly man walked in to see Olivia Lawrence.
“Senator Wilson, it’s been a while.”
“I can’t tell you how disappointed I’ve been not seeing Miss Lawrence for so long.”
Wilson, a Senator from the Republican Party. She had a meeting with him to lobby for one of her investment projects. Even though she was meeting a Senator from the current ruling party, Olivia didn’t bat an eye. To her, even Wilson was just one of the many connections she held.
However, the words Clarice had spoken kept echoing in her mind.
‘You don’t seem to be in a good mood today.’
I don’t look like I’m in a good mood? Ridiculous. I’m in peak condition. It’s been a perfect day.
There was only one reason her condition might not be perfect. It was the fact that she hadn’t received a massage from Jae-ho.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
There was no way. My condition is suffering just because of some man’s massage? Of course, his massage skills were excellent. But it certainly wasn’t enough to affect her overall well-being. It would be more believable to say that America was about to start a nuclear war.
“For some reason, Miss Lawrence, you don’t look very well today. Did something happen?”
…At least, that was what she thought until Senator Wilson said the exact same thing.
*
The trip to America felt like a week-long dream. And the date with Yeong-eun immediately upon my return was another happy day. I had enjoyed luxuries I normally never would have experienced.
“Get home safe.”
Yeong-eun said as Chief Park’s car dropped me off at my house.
“Are you sure it’s okay? Dropping me off like this?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’ve committed some grand crime. And the paparazzi have decreased significantly since that last incident. Don’t worry about being photographed.”
Look at that confidence. It made me feel like she could solve any problem that came her way.
“You said your school exams are coming up, right?”
“Yeah. It’ll probably be hard to stay in touch for a few days.”
“Hmm… I suppose so.”
Yeong-eun smacked her lips as if disappointed.
“Jae-ho, by the way.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you plan on continuing with school?”
What was this about?
“Your talents… they aren’t things you can learn at school. Your skill as a photographer, your ability as a trainer, your massage techniques—all of it.”
Yeong-eun looked into my eyes and continued.
“Computer Science. You’re attending for a degree right now. But with your current skills, I started wondering if you actually need it.”
Since I already had the skills to run a gym, did I really need a degree? Yeong-eun’s bold assertion was surprisingly persuasive.
“Of course, I’m not really one to talk since I only do the minimum attendance to get my own degree, but I see potential in you, Jae-ho.”
“Potential?”
“I’m certain you’ll be successful even without a university degree.”
I remained silent.
“I’ve given you something too difficult to think about right as we’re saying goodbye. Sorry. Don’t overthink it. I just said it because I want someone I care about to wander a little less.”
Yeong-eun gave a bashful smile and looked up at me.
“I’ll be going then. I had fun today. Let’s see each other after your exams.”
Yeong-eun’s car glided smoothly out of the alleyway.
“A university degree, huh.”
Back in my house, I lay on my bed and thought.
The reason I went to school.
I didn’t love computers. What I loved far more were photography and massage. However, following the advice that things become difficult once a hobby becomes a job, I chose a major that matched my grades.
The reason I went? It was to escape the pressure from my father and the expectations of my family, who pushed me to go to law school or med school. It was a refuge to escape the environment that stifled me.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable. Learning new things was interesting, and I found joy in it. And recently, I had formed new relationships there.
Miju and Ye-seul.
Walking around campus with them provided a different kind of fun. The fresh vitality of college life. It was an energy that wasn't easy to find elsewhere.
However.
‘Right now, running the gym is more fun.’
Welcoming new clients to the gym, placing them under hypnosis they weren't even aware of, and even the simple joy of training them—it all made me happier than I expected.
‘The hot nights with them are a bonus.’
If I hadn’t obtained the Gym System, this wouldn't even be a dilemma I could dream of having. The reason I could stand tall even when meeting big shots like Yeong-eun, Hyun-kyung, or Olivia was all thanks to the system.
“If I hadn’t gotten this system, I would have just kept going to school without a second thought.”
But now that my life had changed, the time had come for me to make a new choice. What would be the better path for me?
Tossed by the confusing thoughts in my head, I couldn't fall asleep.
“Jae-ho Oppa, did you study well for the exams?”
Miju’s voice snapped me back to reality.