Despite a few twists and turns, I was able to complete today’s schedule.
Nam Hyun-ho, who had come to work earliest, was the first to leave, and about an hour later, Heavenly Yuah and I left the office.
In the locker room, I picked up my phone to find a message from an unknown number.
The message contained an address and it looked like it was from Nam Hyun-ho.
“I’ll be gone for a while.”
“Where to?”
“Well… a friend.”
Since Heavenly Yuah and I had a system where we came in and left together, it was impossible for me to just slip away without saying anything.
When I said I’d be back after going somewhere briefly, she asked where I was going.
Without much thought, I replied that I’d be meeting a friend, but her reaction was quite something.
“Friends? Does Mr. Siwoo have friends?”
“Then does that mean I don’t have any?”
“Not really, but you’re always locked up in your quarters…”
“I don’t particularly like wandering around, but I do have friends.”
“Really? Unexpected.”
And here she is, always locked up in the company claiming that others don’t have friends.
Of course, it’s true I don’t have any friends, but even if someone throws facts at me like that, anyone would feel bad about it, even me.
“How is it unexpected? Do you not have friends, Miss Yuah? You’re always stuck in the office, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Where?”
“…Just see your friend quietly and come back safely. It’s surprising that your friend is Mr. Nam Hyun-ho, but it seems men have some inexplicable connection.”
“…Did you know?”
“Who do you think Mr. Nam Hyun-ho got your number from?”
“Ah…”
So, I tried to counter that you don’t have friends either, but I didn’t even manage to get my money’s worth.
It seems this clumsy Nam Hyun-ho asked the company for my number.
But why would he bother contacting the company when Mr. Yoo Myung-woo is there?
It’s truly an unjust situation.
“Big Brother Cheolnam, can you drive this way please?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
I told Big Brother Cheolnam, my manager, the address Nam Hyun-ho sent me.
I said I’ll head right over.
Big Brother Cheolnam didn’t object even though I rarely leave my quarters.
Judging by his expression, it seemed he had received prior warning.
“This is the downside of living in company housing, my privacy is non-existent…”
Nevertheless, since this outing has been reported all the way to Heavenly Yuah, I need to meet Nam Hyun-ho quickly and have a clear and honest conversation.
Dealing with these meaningless skirmishes is less desirable than resolving things cleanly and starting fresh.
I don’t see any gain in dragging out a conversation with someone who tells me we’ll meet quietly, yet asks the company for my number.
“Still, this guy is consistent, isn’t he?”
Jade Faced Foolish Sword, Namgoong Hyun-ho, was one of the well-known patsies in the Martial Forest.
He might appear cold on the outside but once you get close, he is surprisingly soft.
The problem? He has no ability to read people, and he’s excessively simple-minded.
For someone in Namgoong Hyun-ho’s position, not being able to read people is quite a fatal flaw. And it ultimately led to his untimely demise.
A wandering swordsman approached him, claiming he wanted revenge on a demon master and asking for Namgoong Hyun-ho’s help. They joined forces, but the opponent was too strong, leading to Namgoong Hyun-ho’s immediate death.
In fact, the swordsman had misled them. The opponent wasn’t even a demon master but a low-ranking martial artist from the righteous sects. The swordsman fled from the scene when he saw Namgoong Hyun-ho die.
Clearly, the swordsman had used Namgoong Hyun-ho from the beginning, aiming for the wealthy spoils the martial artist possessed.
The swordsman might have been shocked too.
Even the foolish Namgoong Hyun-ho, being the rightful heir to the Namgoong Family, wouldn’t have expected to die so easily at the hands of some low-ranking righteous martial artist.
“It was a tragedy for everyone.”
In the end, all involved parties perished.
The victim, Namgoong Hyun-ho, died on the spot.
The perpetrator, the swordsman, was hunted down and killed by the high-level martial artists.
And the other victim, the martial artist, was pursued by the Namgoong Family and died as well.
The karma in the Martial Forest doesn’t distinguish right from wrong. Even someone without fault like the martial artist couldn’t escape the blade of the Namgoong Family.
Looking back now, it’s a rather bittersweet ending.
“To be deceived by a swordsman in the Martial Forest, and here to be deceived by Jo Yoo-shin — this character has somewhat earned my sympathy.”
No matter how I look at it, this guy seems destined to ruin his fortune by being deceived by others.
Perhaps this is an opportunity to put him back on the right path.
Indeed, someone like Nam Hyun-ho could make life difficult for me in many ways. He could use his background with the Changcheon Group or manipulate his connections to orchestrate covert tricks.
However, this guy has only ever faced me directly, head-on.
If he had resorted to other underhanded methods, I would have had no leniency. But since he has challenged me head-on as much as possible, I feel I should treat him with some degree of sincerity.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Ah, here? If this is the third floor…”
“It’s a gym. A boxing gym.”
“Ah… A boxing gym?”
Of course, Mr. Nam Hyun-ho.
To call me to a boxing gym when there’s not much time left until the drama’s filming begins is quite bold.
If I break a nose accidentally during a boxing fight, it will be a total disaster.
Yet, I have to admit the spunk and determination Nam Hyun-ho showed in inviting me here.
Indeed, this area’s fool is Nam Hyun-ho.
So, I should recognize him and deal with him seriously.
“Are you here to meet Mr. Nam Hyun-ho?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Nam Hyun-ho took boxing lessons for three years during his school days.”
“Ah, you knew that?”
“It’s a special note passed down from the company.”
“Indeed, Flame…”
Apparently, Nam Hyun-ho studied boxing for quite a long time when he was young.
So, he has some level of confidence in this situation.
Rather, that’s good.
The First Heavenly Demon once said, “If you get hit, everything will be fine.”
I’m not sure if the First Heavenly Demon really said that, but the New Religion does take corporal education quite seriously.
I also believe corporal punishment is the best form of education.
In this situation, instead of trying to convince Nam Hyun-ho with words, it might be better to teach him a lesson through boxing, his main forte.
The life lesson being: if you blindly believe others and criticize, you might end up paying a heavy price.
“This is all a desperate measure for your own good. Just grit your teeth and endure.”
After vowing to guide Nam Hyun-ho onto the right path, I entered the boxing gym.
The gym was rented out entirely, it seems, because Nam Hyun-ho was already waiting with his gloves on, accompanied by his manager.
Looking at the manager shaking his head seriously, it seemed he was also dissatisfied with the situation.
“Uh…”
Nam Hyun-ho, who was warming himself up in the ring, beckoned me with his gloves, urging me to step into the ring.
Indeed, Nam Hyun-ho was ready to settle things decisively today.
“…Actor, this isn’t something to laugh at…”
“Ah, am I laughing right now? That would be strange. Laughing in such a serious situation?”
Though I was nodding in admiration at Nam Hyun-ho’s spirit, Brother Cheolnam from the side was trying to pull me back.
This was an unfounded accusation.
Who would laugh in such a serious situation like this?
But Brother Cheolnam seemed sincere and was clearly trying to stop me.
“If the actor has a conflict with Mr. Nam Hyun-ho, I’ll have to report it to the company.”
“…Yes, that’s Brother Cheolnam’s duty.”
Of course, Brother Cheolnam has his own stance, which I fully understand.
“But there are times when a man must never avoid a situation.”
“…This doesn’t seem like something that can be avoided.”
“Relax, nothing will happen.”
“I’m not worried about the actor, but…”
“Sure, don’t worry,”
I shook off Brother Cheolnam, who tried to stop me, and climbed into the ring immediately.
“…Damn it, Actor, at least wear some gloves!”
(Nam Hyun-ho)
What is this?
Something seems off.
I heard about White Siu from Yoo-shin.
This rookie seems to be very savvy in political maneuvers, eventually leading to the lead actor being excluded from the scene.
Yes, there are those types sometimes.
I dislike the kind who just gossip behind the scenes the most.
This seemed a bit off, so I tried to establish order. But then, I ended up on the receiving end.
During an action rehearsal, he suddenly charged at me and threw an elbow into my ribs.
I started to think there was something strange from that moment on.
For someone who is known to scheme behind the scenes, he was overly aggressive.
Out of suspicion, I summoned him to the gym.
It was a kind of bluff.
It was natural for anyone seeing my gloved hands to be intimidated, and I planned to calm him down a bit and start talking.
However, the moment this guy saw me, he smirked and climbed into the ring.
His hurriedly arrived manager handed him gloves, and he donned them with a sinister smile.
Honestly, until now, I couldn’t believe he would don gloves right in this situation with filming starting soon.
Yes, this is a game of chicken.
We both know we need to be careful now.
Therefore, it’s impossible to fight in the ring.
That means neither of us can retreat first.
If we lose the momentum, we’ll only continue to lose.
“Phew, here I go, senior.”
“…What? This… this lunatic!”
The guy, wearing gloves, shook his head, warmed up a little, and then charged at me.
What a lunatic.
With so little time left for filming, how can you charge at me like this?
I was baffled by the thought that such crazy people existed, but I decided to deal with him.
During the action rehearsals, he seemed to have pretty light movement, but he is still just an amateur.
I am a professional trained in boxing.
In fact, the gym master even suggested that I could turn pro, so you could say I’m at a quasi-pro level.
Then, this son of a…
“Kh…”
Unbelievably strong.
Titles like pro or not are meaningless here.
He easily dodges my punches, ducks in, and starts hitting my abdomen with relentless attacks.
No matter how much I move, his punches stick to me like magnets, and I can’t avoid them.
What kind of guy is this?
The most astonishing part is that he completely ignores my face, which would show the effects of a hit instantly.
Only the abdomen.
Thanks to that, I gritted my teeth and tried to defend my abdomen alone, but he hits so cunningly and relentlessly that I can’t stop him.
“…What a lunatic.”
Yoo-shin, what’s going on?
Didn’t you say this guy was into political scheming?
How can someone who beats up a senior as reckless as this be into politics?
This guy… is the real deal.
White Siu’s New Religion punch hits Nam Hyun-ho square on, and he collapses.
One thing became clear.
Politics work within the boundaries of common sense among people.
For someone drenched in this much madness, it’s evident they won’t be indulging in any underhanded political scheming from the sidelines.
The fact that Jo Yoo-shin, someone I thought was always honest, lied to me became clear as well.
