The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess - Chapter 105



105 – My Victory for Surviving

105 – My Victory for Surviving

「Successful Subjugation Operation!」

「Brigadier General Nam Woo-joo Safely Retrieved─.」

「A Miracle Unfolds in the 21st Century.」

「Into the 20-Hour Operation─.」

TV and newspapers celebrated the success of the subjugation operation with great fanfare.

The subjugation team, organized to capture the demon Nam Woo-joo, succeeded in capturing him alive, which was certainly good news.

In a world filled with bad news such as the zombie crisis, martial law, demon disturbances, and unregistered awakeners, this was a rare piece of good news.

Even the media, which usually only chased after sensational stories, loudly trumpeted the achievements of the subjugation team as if they were celebrating rain after a drought.

「Title: Heard from an insider that Seo Ga-eul and Wang Ja-hyun played a big role

Content: I thought they were just lucky silver spoons, but they seem to get things done when it matters??」

└Is this Noblesse Oblige or what, lol

└All those who slandered the Seonam Group, come out, lol I unconditionally support Princess Seo Ga-eul

└└The ones slandering Seonam are the commie b*stards trying to shake Korea in the future.

「Title: Wang Ja-hyun, today you can date Girls’ Force’s Yumi

Content: I’m a Yumi fan, and I approve」

└I’m Yumi herself, and I’m already tired of dating.

└└Damn

└Wang Ja-hyun, you still managed to get one immunity card.

The internet was buzzing with posts about the subjugation squad’s work.

It seemed like everyone was thirsty for good news, as if they were trying to stir up excitement on purpose.

And so, a day passed.

Chairman Seo Do-cheol frowned at the unusually harsh sunlight as he came out of the prosecutor’s office.

“Chief Kim, what day is it today?”

The interrogations, which had gone on for days without allowing him to sleep, had left him mentally exhausted, but one thing was certain: he would not be investigated again in the future.

“Chairman, thanks to Gaeul, you have overcome a great crisis. Since Gaeul made a significant contribution in this operation, even the crow-like prosecutors won’t be able to peck at you anymore.”

On the way back in the car driven by Seo Do-cheol’s secretary, Chief Kim.

“So, is my daughter safe?”

“Yes. Let’s go meet her now.”

Seo Do-cheol headed to the old house where he had lived long ago.

Creak-.

As he crossed the rusty, squeaky gate and passed through the desolate yard into the living room, Seo Gaeul was pacing nervously from side to side.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seodo-cheol asked.

His gaze moved nervously as if inspecting Seo Ga-eul here and there, but apart from a slight scratch, his daughter seemed perfectly fine.

“No. Han Nam-jin protected me.”

“That guy, Han Nam-jin?”

Seodo-cheol had heard roughly how the subjugation squad’s work had progressed through Chief Kim.

An unexpected variable, Han Nam-jin had stayed behind alone so that everyone could escape from the rat man.

‘That guy really kept his promise to me.’

It was a surprising feeling.

Because Seodo-cheol hadn’t given him any money.

Except for kneeling, it was just a verbal promise without any evidence or record.

‘Why do I make money? Because people don’t keep their promises. People only try to keep their faith when money is involved.’

If it had been Seodo-cheol himself, he might have ignored it, saying it was a promise that didn’t exist, depending on the situation.

Because that’s how he had lived.

But Han Nam-jin didn’t do that.

He always kept his words and promises─.

What should you call such a person?

“That guy, he was a real man.”

From the first meeting, Han Nam-jin had been a bad relationship.

He had even been bitten on the arm by a mad dog-like guy.

But even if Seodo-cheol couldn’t call himself a real man, he wasn’t petty enough to hold a grudge against a boy who had died heroically.

“I misjudged him. Looking back now, he was an extraordinary guy. He wasn’t someone who should have died in a place like that. But still, I’m glad you’re safe.”

Seo Do-cheol decided to be happy that his daughter was safe for now.

But Seo Ga-eul was still pacing back and forth, clutching something tightly in her hand.

“Dad, I want to be alone.”

“Alright. Do that. You must be tired.”

Seo Ga-eul shut herself in her room.

‘He wouldn’t have died. He still hasn’t told me why he chose me. How am I supposed to live my life, always wondering, after he did that to me and then left so abruptly?’

He was a criminal who had kidnapped Seo Ga-eul, yet in the most dangerous moment, he had risked his life to save her.

He was an incomprehensible guy.

Seo Ga-eul clenched the strange ring she had received from Han Nam-jin in her palm.

Why on earth did he do that?

She wanted to find him and ask, but currently, access to the “Great Labyrinth” was strictly prohibited.

That night.

Seo Ga-eul arrived at a park with a panoramic view of D City.

She had an appointment.

Baek Yeoul, who had come out first and was waiting, spoke bluntly as soon as she saw Seo Ga-eul.

“Han Nam-jin isn’t dead yet! He’s alive! We have to go save him!”

Baek Yeoul’s eyes were swollen.

As if she had been crying a lot.

“The Great Labyrinth is completely off-limits, so how are we supposed to? Teacher Moon Hyun-ah, who overexerted herself, is in a coma, so there’s no way to get to the forest.”

“You are rich! There’s an entrance to the Great Labyrinth in the basement of the Seonam headquarters! If you sneak in there, you might be able to rescue him!”

“That entrance is now managed by Nambada, who has become the chairman of Seonam. It was also Nambada who issued the ban on entering the labyrinth. How are we supposed to get in there?”

Seoga-eul could only shake her head calmly.

Baek Yeoul glared at Seoga-eul.

“Then why didn’t you rescue Han Namjin! You were the last one left!”

“Are you saying I should have stayed instead of him?”

Seoga-eul was also angry.

The frustration was mutual.

As the rift between the two girls deepened, Baek Yeoul made up her mind.

She would rescue Han Namjin herself.

Baek Yeoul believed that Han Namjin couldn’t escape because of her.

If she hadn’t hesitated, if she hadn’t hesitated to gain strong power, none of this would have happened.

In Baek Yeoul’s hand, the unusually cold Concept Stone hummed.

# # #

“Ja-hyun, your severed arm has been reattached, but it will take some time before you can move it freely like before. You might feel some foreign sensation. Also…, your right eye’s vision will recover, but your left eye…”

Waking up in the hospital room, Wang Ja-hyun got up and looked in the mirror. When he removed the bandage and gauze from his left eye, there was nothing where it should have been, leaving an empty feeling.

“Wow, this is messed up.”

As soon as the vision in his right eye returned, Wang Ja-hyun picked up his phone.

When he searched his name on the internet, the search volume was more than twice the usual.

But─.

Title: Is Hanamjin’s Disappearance Real?

Content: Honestly, it’s been two days, shouldn’t we assume he’s dead?

└ They say he stayed behind to save his comrades until the end.

└ Is that true? The news didn’t mention it.

└└ My friend participated in this subjugation squad and told me. When everyone else fled, Hanamjin stayed behind until the very end.

Title: Hanamjin, even in death, you go out in style

Content: Honestly, I didn’t like Hanamjin because he was so arrogant, but I truly recognize you as a real man.

└ What’s the point of being recognized by you?

└ I don’t know, but if he comes back alive, I might consider dating him. I’m a beautiful girl.

“You b*stard.”

Receiving more attention and spotlight than Wang Jahyun, who even lost his left eye.

To think he would steal the coolest role.

‘Is that guy really dead?’

Wang Jahyun recalled the swarm of black rats and the fairy that controlled them.

It was terrifying even to think about it again.

To think he fought against such a guy until the end.

What if Wang Jahyun himself had been in that place?

“In the end, my survival is my victory.”

It was then.

Creak-.

From noble mtl dot com

The hospital room door opened, and his father walked in.

“Jahyeon Wang! My son! I heard you woke up today. How are you feeling? Hmm?”

“Father.”

“Quickly regain your strength and get up! Once you’re healthy, let’s throw a party with all the people you like! There are even girls who came to see you! Come on, everyone, come in!”

At Chairman Wang’s call, the female celebrities who had been waiting outside the hospital room entered, holding bouquets.

They flinched when they saw Jahyeon Wang, who had severely injured one eye, because a large scar had formed on his once handsome face.

‘Wow, he was an annoying guy except for being rich and handsome, but now his face is ruined too.’

‘Will he be able to fix it with plastic surgery?’

The women’s instant reactions upon seeing Jahyeon’s face.

Jahyeon, who had met many women, couldn’t have missed that. In the past, he would have been angry, but strangely, he felt nothing, which was even stranger.

His father’s concern was just annoying.

A party? What for?

That wasn’t what mattered.

What really mattered was that dangerous people, like a swarm of rats in the dark, were out there somewhere.

“Ahhh! It’s noisy! Did you rent out the whole hospital…!?”

Someone shouted from the next room.

The unknown doctor who had informed them of Jahyeon’s condition awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Chairman, I’m sorry. There’s a long-term patient in the next room, and they’re a bit sensitive…”

“Ahhh!”

The women’s expressions became subtle due to the continuous shouting from the next room.

Wang Ja-hyun thought it was a good thing.

“Everyone, get out. I want to be alone.”

“Got it, son!”

It was when Chairman Wang left the hospital room, proud of his son. Jeon Su-ho, who had been waiting in the lobby, spoke to Chairman Wang.

“I’m sorry. We adults should have protected your son.”

Jeon Su-ho felt ashamed that he hadn’t been injured.

He thought he should have been the one to stay until the end that day.

But he was too scared to do so.

When he was trapped in that pitch-black darkness.

When an unknown monster attacked, he was so scared that his body froze.

All he could think about was surviving.

Everyone must have felt the same as Jeon Su-ho.

But that shouldn’t have been the case.

Because he was an adult.

Shame comes late.

Jeon Su-ho wanted to find Han Nam-jin to make up for his shame.

If an expedition team were to be formed, he would definitely volunteer.

Even if it meant facing that ominous and eerie darkness.

‘Honestly, I don’t think he could have survived in a forest teeming with such monsters… But at the very least, I’ll retrieve your remains, Han Nam-jin. Because that’s the duty of the state and an adult.’

# # #

Rustle, rustle-.

I rummaged through the bag that the guy dropped when I kicked his butt. It was full of food, so I didn’t have to worry about meals.

Lucky me!

“The forest is quite livable.”

“Hehehe… Indeed it is…! The food of outsiders is quite appetizing…! Especially this thing called chocolate, it is very delicious…!”

Bao Noi, the nymph of the stream, nodded at my words.

Even the picky forest fairies seem to have a taste for 21st-century industrial products.

So, who is Bao Noi?