CH 410

“Just die! You idiot!” Choi Yeon-Ha yelled in anger.

Humans had many ways to die. However, if she died today… Well, Choi Yeon-Ha would go down in history as humanity's first casualty of embarrassment. Death by humiliation, as it were.

And no, she wasn't joking here. Choi Yeon-Ha was being taught a dead-serious lesson right now that people could actually die from humiliation.

When she finally regained her wits, the horror from realizing what she had done flooded her like tsunami waves. Her face began burning up like crazy while sweat poured out of every pore in her body.

“Uwaaaaah! You… You insane woman!”

Pow! Pow!

Choi Yeon-Ha's blanket and sheets got kicked in the air. Lying down on the bed, hoping to forget the day's events through sleep, turned out to be a big mistake. No, make that a huuuge mistake!

As if she wanted to thoroughly dust her blankets today, Choi Yeon-Ha's legs powerfully kicked toward the ceiling again and again.

“And in front of those kids, too! Right! In! Front! Of them!”

Her brain recalled the sight of the orphanage kids dazedly staring back at her. And that memory was swiftly followed by the urge to rush to the bathroom and drown herself in the sink.

How pathetic she must've looked to those kids at that moment!

“Uwaaaah! Noooo! I… I deserve to diiiie!”

Pow! Pow! Pooow!

A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.

At this rate, Choi Yeon-Ha's neighbors might yell at her to stop dusting her sheets in the middle of the night!

However, her legs continued to kick and struggle without her brain's input. If someone happened to be nearby, they would've started worrying about her motor neurons at this sight!

“How can I show my face in the orphanage now?!”

Going there will be too embarrassing! You insane 'Gashina'! What have you done?! [1]

“Hah-ah…” Choi Yeon-Ha sighed after physical exhaustion finally took over. She lay flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. It felt like her vision was progressively getting cloudier with moisture.

'An actress of outstanding beauty, found dead mysteriously on her bed…’

If she died like this... Choi Yeon-Ha's death might be treated as 'suspicious'. Wouldn't that mean she could keep her dignity, at least? That might be better than dying of embarrassment, which would inevitably happen if she ran into the orphanage kids!

That was when…!

Vrrrrrrr!

Choi Yeon-Ha's phone buzzed uncaringly. Of course, she cleanly ignored the call. Besides, her mind was not in a state to answer the phone and hold a normal conversation, anyway.

Unfortunately, the caller turned out to be a stubborn mule, too.

Vrrrrr!

Vrrrrrrrrr!

Vrrr! Vrrrrrr!

Usually, people would drop the call after it went unanswered for five or more buzzes. However, this particular call continued on and on.

Choi Yeon-Ha raised her head, her expression distorted venomously. “Fine! I'm gonna make you regret this!”

I feel like crap anyway, so let's cause a massive scene today, shall we!

Choi Yeon-Ha swore to make the caller, regardless of who it was, regret bitterly for the rest of their lives for calling her. But, when she picked up the phone…

“...Uh?”

The phone's screen said, 'Precocious Brat'.

Choi Yeon-Ha's face reddened again after confirming those two words.

'Oh no, oh no, oh no!!!'

This phone, it's from...!

Vrrrrrr!

“Okay, okay! I'm gonna answer you! Wait!” Choi Yeon-Ha desperately sucked in a deep breath. Her trembling finger tapped on the green 'answer' icon, then she cautiously pressed the phone to her ear.

“...What is it, Jin-Seong?”

- Noona, you've been kicking your blankets like crazy, haven't you?

“Of course not! Haha… You think you're a comedian, huh? Why would I be kicking my own blankets? Don't you know who I am? Hah! Have you forgotten that I'm the one and only Choi Yeon-Ha?”

- Mm? Really? I think you were kicking stuff before I called, though?

“I, I'm telling you, you're wrong! I've never done that! Hah, I don't even own blankets at home! I don't need such things, see? I've got my boiler at full blast all the time, you know!”

...What the hell am I even saying here?

'I should just kill myself...!'

If she just quit this world without regrets, she might still get to keep the public image of a beautiful actress!

- Noona, you can relax now.

“...Ng?”

- Don't worry, because we'll take care of everything.

“...Say what?”

- So, you better buy us something delicious next time, okay?

“...Huuuuuh?”

- Have a good rest tonight, noona. And you should hear good news by tomorrow.

“W-wait a minute, Jin-Seong? J-Jin-Seong!”

Drop.

Despite her urgent cries, the line still went dead. And Choi Yeon-Ha could only shudder from anxiety.

“What… What are those kids thinking of doing?!”

She was now beset with a new kind of worry.

***

“I wanna go to a theme park!”

“...Calm yourselves,“ said Kang Jin-Ho.

“No! I wanna go!”

“Calm down, will you!”

Kang Jin-Ho desperately resisted. Unfortunately, the orphanage children surrounding him from every side had no thoughts of letting him go.

If only the kids were a bit older! Kang Jin-Ho could've gotten a little more physical to escape from this situation, but the surrounding children, some of them even clinging to his legs like leeches, were all elementary and preschool-aged. That meant he couldn't use his strength here.

“Hyung! Take me to a theme park!”

“Oppa! I wanna ride a drop tower!”

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes powerfully quaked.

'What is happening here?'

When Kang Jin-Ho opened the front door and stepped inside the orphanage, he thought the children's greetings today were a bit more exaggerated than usual. However, he was caught off-guard when they pushed him inside the living room. That was a terrible mistake on his part.

The orphanage kids had set up an impregnable barricade inside. And Kang Jin-Ho was caught in a net more airtight and cruel than anything he had experienced in his entire life!

“Waaaaaah! Let's go to a theme park!”

Kang Jin-Ho's head snapped to the side. “Jin-Seong, is that you?”

“...Eiii, I got found out.” Han Jin-Seong tutted unhappily.

He was sneakily trying to seize the opening by joining the chorus, but Kang Jin-Ho's sharp observational skill meant the boy had to beat a hasty retreat.

Unfortunately, the Elementary School Kids Squad's motto was no retreat, no surrender!

“All the other kids go to theme parks with their mommies and daddieeeeees!”

“And we've never been there befooooore!”

“...S-sure, we'll go, then,” Kang Jin-Ho involuntarily nodded in agreement.

The words 'mommy' and 'daddy' mercilessly shook Kang Jin-Ho up to the core. He knew these kids were already sad about not having parents to love them back. Even if they had no parents to take them there, shouldn't they still experience a fun day out in an amusement park at least once in their lives?

Kang Jin-Ho hesitated. “But, uh, I'm kind of busy lately, so…”

“If hyung's not going, we are not going, toooooo!”

Park Yu-Min watched this spectacle from afar with a content grin etched on his face.

“...What a shambolic mess this is.”

***

Kang Jin-Ho's head was drooping toward the ground as he sat on the bench outside the orphanage.

Park Yu-Min blinked his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“...I feel like throwing up.”

“Kekekeke…” Park Yu-Min couldn't hold his laughter back and began cackling loudly. He even genially slapped Kang Jin-Ho's shoulders. “Wow, Jin-Ho, you've changed so much! The past you would've just straight-up said no and ruined the kids' day.”

“...Really?”

“Yeah. In the past, kids wouldn't dare to go against your word, remember? But now, you even get this tired after the kids run rings around you. I have to say, man… You've finally become a normal human being. So normal that it's kind of scary now!”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow a little.

Park Yu-Min quickly waved his hand. “I'm not trying to say you've done something wrong. It's the opposite, actually. I'm glad things are turning out this way. Can't you tell that the kids like you more now?”

“...Really? It feels more like they are tricking me and tormenting me?”

“They are tormenting you because they feel close to you, you know? Why would anyone torment total strangers, anyway?”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “...Huh?”

“...Ah. That's bullying, isn't it...?” Realizing that the conversation had been derailed somewhat, Park Yu-Min tried to get back on track. “In any case...! Kids are only doing this because they like you, Jin-Ho. So, please don't take it the wrong way. And it seems they really want to go to an amusement park with you, too.”

“Hah-ah…” Kang Jin-Ho sighed loudly while shaking his head. “It'll be… inconvenient for the kids in a place that crowded, though.”

“Mm, I guess.”

“...Then, should I kick them all out?”

“...Eh?”

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin while frowning a little. “If not… By securing permission to use the park’s facilities after the closing hours, I think the children will get to have fun without being inconvenienced. What do you think? We can speak to Chief Jo and make that happen.”

“N-no, wait. Jin-Ho, that's not right.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head and stared at his friend in confusion.

However, Park Yu-Min remained adamant in his position. “Sure, doing that might make it less of a hassle for the kids, but… Would they have asked you to take them to an amusement park if their goal was to have fun while not being 'inconvenienced'?”

“...Hmm. I guess not.”

“That's right. It's not. The kids just want to have fun like everyone else. Getting pushed and shuffled around while walking past a crowd, standing in a boring queue for hours on end… To other kids, they can choose to not do that, but the orphanage kids can never experience those things unless someone takes time out of their schedule to help them out.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. “You're right.”

He could understand the sentiment pretty well. Living an ordinary life while experiencing ordinary daily events… Kang Jin-Ho used to long for those things so much during his stay in Zhongyuan.

That was why he tried so hard initially to live an ordinary life after his return to the modern era. Of course, that dream was now as good as over.

That might be true for him, but he still wanted to make the orphanage kids' dreams come true. And, since he now knew what they wanted…

“...Right. That's what I should do,” Kang Jin-Ho smiled refreshingly.

'It seems I still need other people's help.'

In the past, Kang Jin-Ho believed he was helping Park Yu-Min out. Although friends, their relationship was closer to Park Yu-Min relying on Kang Jin-Ho one-sidedly. Of course, Kang Jin-Ho didn't feel superior or anything like that, even though he was aware of this reality.

However, it felt like Park Yu-Min was helping Kang Jin-Ho out more these days.

Truth be told, Park Yu-Min didn't need Kang Jin-Ho's help to survive now. He had already found his own way of living, and his finances weren't problematic, either. Even if he was on a break right now, he'd still find his footing in no time at all once he decided to get moving again. That's how much he had grown over the past few years.

However, Kang Jin-Ho still hadn't fully adjusted to the modern era. In fact, Park Yu-Min had matured more in that same period!

Sometimes, Kang Jin-Ho felt frustrated by his own sluggish pace of adapting to the modern way of life.

'It'd be even worse without Yu-Min around to help me…’

Knowing that he had a friend who stayed by his side to watch out for any mistakes he might make felt reassuring.

If Park Yu-Min hadn't entered his life… If Park Yu-Min hadn't become his friend, Kang Jin-Ho would've been living a very different life from the current one.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded while crossing his arms. “Right. Although it might get tiring, you'll be around to help me out, anyway. The two of us working together should be enough to chaperone the kids.”

Park Yu-Min tilted his head. “Eh?”

“...Mm? What's the matter?”

Park Yu-Min stared at Kang Jin-Ho in confusion. “You know I'm not going, right?”

“...Huh? Why not?”

“I'm busy.”

“...”

“And a bit tired, too. Plus, I have a test over the weekend, which means you're the only one available to chaperone the kids.”

“...Park Yu-Min?”

“Well, can't be helped since this is how things turned out. And I can't find any free time for the… next week or so. Plus, the kids don't seem to be in the mood to patiently wait, so… I guess you don't have a choice but to take them to the park by yourself. Ah… I better head back inside. I gotta practice.”

“Park Yu-Min?”

“Later!”

“Park Yu-Miiiin?!”

Unfortunately for Kang Jin-Ho, Park Yu-Min didn't even look back once as he raced back inside the orphanage.

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly took out a cigarette, mouthed it, and lit it.

“Hah-aaah…”

Kang Jin-Ho took a deep puff before muttering soullessly to the heavens above.

“Life…”

A man is supposed to live alone like a lone wolf, anyway...

Who cares about friends? Am I… right?

***

“So, this is South Korea?” The female foreigner muttered while brushing back her golden hair dancing in the soft breeze. She strode outside the airport's entrance and scanned the horizon.

The blonde woman silently took in the sight of a foreign country she had never seen before and burned it into her memories before frowning deeply.

“I already don't like this place.”

Dealing with an assignment in a foreign country was always annoying, especially more so when the assignment's contents seemed incomprehensible from her point of view!

However, the order from the organization she was affiliated with… was absolute. She simply had to do it.

The blonde woman glanced at the photograph attached to the top of the document and smirked a little.

“Pretty good-looking, aren't you? Considering you're an Asian…”

She put the documents away and began walking again. Her golden hair stylishly dancing in the air attracted the attention of all the passersby.

“Kang Jin-Ho, is it…? I hope monitoring you isn't a waste of my time.”

Just as she reached the roadside, a black sedan silently glided over to her position. The blonde woman opened the rear door and placed her wheeled luggage in the back seat before climbing into the front passenger seat as if this was her own car.

“Welcome to South Korea, Miss.”

“You can save your greetings. Instead, take me to the branch office first. I'd love to find out why I need to monitor some random Asian punk.”

“Of course.”

The blonde woman looked outside as the car slowly accelerated away.

'Right. They told me to eliminate the target if he seemed like a nobody, didn't they?'

While thinking that the assignment might end quicker than she initially planned, the woman slowly crumpled the documents.

1. 'Gashina' is a Southern Korean dialect for 'girl/lass'. ☜