CH 400

“Okay, so…”

“Why…”

“Did that…”

“...Woooooork?!”

It didn't matter who they were, both the girls and boys were holding their heads while groaning loudly in anguish.

They felt ashamed for some reason!

The fact that they had to take an unwilling part in this cliched plot and see to its end left them in despair. Of course, the majority of the children involved were nothing more than 'victims' here.

Instead of a cliched plot of a direct-to-video movie, this was far closer to a hidden camera skit! And a way-too-obvious one at that!

So why...!

“Why is it working?!”

“Yeah, it's so humiliating that it's actually working!”

“I... My classmates actually bought me snacks today!”

“And me... I got back all the money they ripped off from me. Talk about being flabbergasted…”

“Uh-uh-buh, uh-uh...?”

Han Jin-Seong sighed and picked up a clueless child waddling toward him. “Duuude... I thought I was gonna die from shame today.”

“Yeah, me too, hyung.”

One of the boys cautiously raised his hand. “But, uh... I think it's only gonna get worse for us. My classmates asked me if they could come to the orphanage soon. They said they would work like slaves and clean the place up like new... They also said they don't care about filling the mandatory community service hours either.”

“...Huh. And my classmates used to order me to fake the community service documents for them, too…”

“That's why this is so...!” Han Jin-Seong groaned loudly and put the happy-go-lucky child down before lying flat on the floor, seemingly no longer in the mood to care.

“Isn't this just too much? You know what I mean?”

It all felt so empty right now. And... Hidden within his emptiness was the knowledge that his bullying problem had been largely dealt with.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

The bullying problem that left the orphanage kids so worried and in despair was dealt with so quickly through this cliched plot from some throwaway drama. Who would've guessed this outcome in their wildest dreams?

'Really now, we're living our lives in the Easy Mode, aren't we?'

So much so that Han Jin-Seong even felt ashamed about it!

Besides, Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha only needed to show their faces once to almost completely solve the bullying problem plaguing these kids. Sure, the bullying hadn't been resolved just yet, but the unfairness of life still weighed heavily on the orphanage kids' minds.

“Still... You know...?”

“I know what?” Han Jin-Seong raised his head.

“It kinda helped, right?”

“...”

“Besides, this is a hundred times better than going through Jin-Ho hyung's strict training…”

Han Jin-Seong shuddered when the 'training regime' was brought up.

'Oh, crap. I forgot about that.'

Their bullying problem hadn't been fully dealt with just yet. The children here would have to deal with the rest through their own strength. And Bang Jin-Hun would help them on that quest.

Unlike the threat of witnessing the depths of Hell, Bang Jin-Hun turned out to be a very reasonable man. So reasonable that he even explained the goal and the effectiveness of his 'education', too! Not stopping there, he even explained the short-term and long-term plans to the boys, then issued different training routines and personalized tasks to each one, too.

Best of all, he didn't torture the boys until they were on the brink of death like Kang Jin-Ho. As proof, Han Jin-Seong didn't feel like dying after the end of training but felt refreshed and eager instead!

'In that case, maybe we should...'

“Argh, it's so hot in here!” The door suddenly shoved open, and Choi Yeon-Ha making an annoyed face strode inside. “Someone bring me water! Make it cold, with ice cubes and everything! You guys don't have Americano or anything like that here, right?”

They were the same person. The 'Choi Yeon-Ha' currently acting like an entitled thug was the exact same person as the 'Choi Yeon-Ha' that visited Han Jin-Seong's class yesterday. That was what Han Jin-Seong kept telling himself!

“Don't you guys have an aircon?” Choi Yeon-Ha looked around while fanning herself.

“W-we do, but it's only for the living room…”

“Say what! How can there be only one aircon in a place this big! What was Mister Jin-Ho even thinking, installing only one aircon! And he's crazy rich, isn't he? I’m telling you, nothing will get done around here without me butting in! You are all so hopeless, you know that!”

As it turned out, some people in this world could make the idea of 'Let's install new aircon units!' sound so insulting and demeaning.

'...No, hang on a sec. Is her personality bad or good?'

Couldn't Choi Yeon-Ha stick to one? Instead of confusing people, couldn't she have just settled on one personality and run with it! Changing how she acted depending on the roles should belong in movie sets, no?!

So, please! Please stick to one personality! I beg you!

“Oh, right! Just who came up with that whole lunch box incident?!” Han Jin-Seong quickly sat up and cried out.

“That would be me,” Choi Yeon-Ha replied while taking a seat on one of the empty chairs.

Han Jin-Seong sourly shot back at her. “Isn't this plot way too… I dunno, too cliched?”

Choi Yeon-Ha tutted loudly. “Oh? And you know how to write a better script, then?”

“...”

“Complicated plots will only bury their actors and not give them a chance to shine. This is what we in the industry call 'heightened realism'. Plots that feel way too simplistic and even a little quaint tend to give the actors more chances to shine, you see? Tell me, do you think a naturalistic development would've been better? Better than what we have started?”

Han Jin-Seong was rendered mute, unable to say anything back to Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Stop trying to show off when you don't know anything, okay? Obviously, we've already thought about the stuff you can think of. Brats shouldn't get ahead of themselves, or they'll get a good scolding later.”

“...Okay, Miss Yeon-Ha.”

Han Jin-Seong had no retort to that. However, even if he could think of one, Choi Yeon-Ha's forceful aura would've stopped him from voicing it, anyway!

“Besides!” Choi Yeon-Ha wagged her finger. “Do you think you're in any position to complain about the cliched plot?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

The orphanage kids began staring at Han Jin-Seong.

“A good actor would've done their absolute best regardless of the script they have to work with! But you! All you could say were, 'Eh?' 'Sorry?' and 'What?' Do you have any idea how stressed I was while trying to stay natural and in character! You're supposed to be the oldest here, so how could you be even worse than the other kids at playing along! Everyone else pretended we were close when I showed up with their lunch boxes, but you kept going, 'That's my first time hearing it? And who are you?' Gimme a break! You think I'm a miracle worker?”

The stares of the orphanage kids locked on Han Jin-Seong suddenly changed their intensity to become glares of criticism like LED bulbs changing color.

“W-wait a second!” Han Jin-Seong cried out at the injustice of this situation. “How do you expect me to play along like that! At least you could've told me earlier, you know!”

“If I did that, you'd be frozen stiff like a robot. You'd probably go, hello-Miss-Yeon-Ha-nice-to-see-you.”

Han Jin-Seong frowned, knowing he couldn't retort to that either. “P-please stop with the fact bombardment…”

“You're being noisy!” Choi Yeon-Ha started fanning her face while frowning deeply in irritation. “Argh! Look how red my cheeks have become! I try to avoid schedules this strenuous during film shoots, you know! I thought my feet might fall off trying to drive around all the different schools! If you have morals, you better not forget about this favor. You hear me!”

“Yes, unni!”

All the orphanage girls replied in perfect unison.

'What the hell! Boys were the ones getting humiliated today, so why are you lot answering her?!'

Han Jin-Seong had so many things to say but didn't dare voice his thoughts out loud. He didn't want to get killed by the girls' verbal bombing raid after carelessly running his mouth.

Choi Yeon-Ha must've done something in the brief time she was here since all the orphanage girls had united completely under her banner by now.

Choi Yeon-Ha shot a sharp glare at Han Jin-Seong. “Where's my water?”

“...M-me?”

Choi Yeon-Ha's brows quivered ominously. “You're the oldest here, yet you're already thinking of ordering other kids around? How can a little brat already get drunk on this tiny bit of authority?”

Uhmm, I'm only a second year in high school, you know? I'm not even that old, you know!

Also... I never tried to abuse any authority, you know!!!

“What are you doing? Go get my water already.”

“...Yes, I'm going.” Han Jin-Seong sighed and headed to the kitchen with slumped shoulders. While he poured a cup of water and dropped a couple of ice cubes into it...

'...Should I spit in it?'

He was being serious. This was a very serious dilemma, indeed! If only this drink had a slighter deeper hue, he'd have spat into it already!

Han Jin-Seong returned from the kitchen and opened the room's doorway, only to be greeted by a strange sight. Miss I'm-better-than-you Choi Yeon-Ha was no longer sitting on a chair, opting to sit on the floor instead while caressing the hair of the girls.

“So, did they compliment you for the change in your hairstyle?”

“They said I was pretty…”

“They did? Of course they did! Yup, yup. Su-Min, you have a really pretty face, after all! Just a little touch-up here and there is enough to bring life back to your face, you know! Indeed, with a foundation this nice, obviously people will respond nicely, too!”

Each word coming out of Choi Yeon-Ha's mouth was dripping with consideration. Meanwhile, her hand movements were also full of care and affection!

'What is this?'

What is going on here? Maybe that's a different Choi Yeon-Ha? Or... Maybe she suffers from an inherent hatred of men...?

“...Ah.” Han Jin-Seong finally realized why. Kang Jin-Ho was also inside the room.

'...I knew it. That dang crafty fox of a woman...!'

Didn't she nearly drive Han Jin-Seong into a mental breakdown only a minute ago?! How could she pretend to be so affectionate and stuff now?!

'A man cannot call himself a man if he remains silent on injustice!'

I shall bravely blow the whistle on this farce and...!

“...?”

That was when all the girls in the room glared murderously at Han Jin-Seong. Kang Jin-Ho was behind them, so he couldn't witness the glare barrage. Only Han Jin-Seong had the misfortune of withstanding all the glares.

Now imagine you were being subjected to murderous glares implying that one wrong word uttered would result in you getting ripped apart.

“...”

Han Jin-Seong promptly zipped his lips shut.

'Say something, and I'm dead!'

These girls... No, these members of the Royal Choi Yeon-Ha Guard Corps were expressing their clear intent to boil Han Jin-Seong alive and devour him if he dared to blab his mouth to Kang Jin-Ho.

Among the members was the little Min-Ju, a third-year elementary school girl. Didn't that girl say she'd marry Han Jin-Seong once she was old enough?

The corners of Han Jin-Seong's eyes began stinging from his manly tears.

'A witch! That woman is a witch!'

What was a witch, anyway? A woman who pretended to be kind on the outside but possessed a heart darker than darkness itself and seduced people to control them to her whims! That was a witch!

Unfortunately, they weren't living in the Middle Ages. Rather than being burned at the stake, this particular witch appeared in TV shows to become the idol of people instead! Han Jin-Seong was overcome with sorrow, but what could he do about it? Nothing, that was what!

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly got up and walked up to Han Jin-Seong before taking the cup of water.

'Huh. At least she'll say thanks now, right?'

This despicable woman, I've already seen through your behavioral pattern... Eh?

Contrary to his expectations, however... Choi Yeon-Ha didn't say anything and walked away from Han Jin-Seong before pushing the cup of water to Kang Jin-Ho. “Here, please drink it.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “For me?”

“Yes. I thought you might be thirsty.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Han Jin-Seong blinked his eyes.

Wow, I didn't see that coming. I really didn't.

Han Jin-Seong finally accepted that he had been underestimating Choi Yeon-Ha until now, then weakly stumbled toward the corner of the room. He plopped down and wordlessly hugged his knees.

'I... I want to be alone today for some reason...'

Uncontrollable sorrow washed over him just then. Meanwhile...

“...I'm not sure how things have played out so far for you,” Kang Jin-Ho awkwardly addressed the children. “Although we had been trying our best, I'm still not sure how helpful we actually were…”

“No, Jin-Ho oppa, you helped us out a lot.”

“Thank you for caring about us.”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “If I thought getting plaudits for merely caring about you was enough, we wouldn't have started helping you in the first place. Just a little more… Let us search for ways to make your lives a little better than this. I'm obviously unsuitable for tasks like this, but… I've been thinking about this all day, and what we've been failing at with you is actually talking to you. To hear what you have to say.”

“...”

“Instead of us adults trying blindly to solve everything, we should've listened to your opinions first. And it feels like we disrespected your wishes by charging headlong first. I… am sorry about that.”

Kang Jin-Ho had been doing a lot of reflecting today.

Sister Yi, the former orphanage director, would've listened to the children first and shared their sorrow before starting the counter-offensive. Even if Kang Jin-Ho couldn't replace Sister Yi, he should've tried his best to listen first, at the very least.

The mood in the room grew heavier from Kang Jin-Ho's apology. Some kids even wiped the corners of their eyes, too.

Kang Jin-Ho was about to say something else, but his efforts were thwarted by the loud bang of the door opening behind him.

“Everyone, it's still too early to get emotional!” Jo Gyu-Min stepped into the room and declared in no uncertain terms. “The main event hasn't started yet, you see! The time to end this situation is around the corner, everyone! Then, you can start your round of apologies!”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “...Is there something else you want me to do?”

“Eiiii! What you did wasn't impactful enough to fix the bullying issue in one go. It seems you've grown too confident of your looks, Mister Jin-Ho.”

'But, didn’t you make me do that morning drive thing?!'

For the first time in a long, long while, Kang Jin-Ho expressed his chagrin with his entire face while trying to voice his grievances, but Jo Gyu-Min was faster.

He raised his index finger and stopped Kang Jin-Ho from speaking. “Mister Jin-Ho, do you know what the high school freshmen fear the most?”

“...Exams?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Jo Gyu-Min started wagging that index finger. “Wrong. It's the high school second years.”

“...Sorry?”

“Don't worry, Mister Jin-Ho. You will understand soon enough.”

Just as Jo Gyu-Min ended his sentence, a man with a considerable physique walked through the open doorway.

“So, is it my turn now?”

Bang Jin-Hun smiled like an evil villain.

Kang Jin-Ho and the orphanage children witnessing that smile shuddered from this inexplicable chill.