This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 275

Dogun’s Perspective

“How about giving it a shot?” I suggested, and Bora nodded in agreement before I dashed back to my room.

Once seated in front of my computer, I dove headfirst into searching for competitions that Bora could enter.

‘Which one would suit Bora…’

Is it just me, or were there a surprising number of competitions popping up everywhere once I actually looked? When I didn’t care, it seemed like these events didn’t even exist; now that I was on a mission, they were cropping up like weeds!

One webtoon competition I found was relatively standard, but the rest were a mixed bag. From local cultural contests to competitions organized by companies to promote their products, they were coming at me from every angle.

Choosing something suitable for Bora turned out to be a challenge in itself.

So, I decided to rule out any corporate or municipal competitions aimed at self-promotion. It’s not that they were bad, but that’s not what Bora was likely looking for.

I also excluded any competitions from sites I had never heard of before. Bora had never gotten proper feedback on her work, so she might think any chance to show off her comics was enough, but I wasn’t going to let her aim too high too soon.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for people who saw her comics to think she ought to be starting small first.

And anyway, starting strong really is crucial, right?

It’s not like there was anything wrong with beginning from a reasonable website and gradually building a name before making it big, but considering the circumstances surrounding Bora…?

It would be best for her to leverage her immense talent to make a splash early on and gather attention, using that momentum to catapult her to fame swiftly.

That way, if the Association Chairman happened to catch wind of her success later, I could preemptively block any manipulative hand that might reach for her.

‘No matter what, she’ll have to be aware of other people’s gazes…’

Once Bora gains fame, would anyone dare to control her like before?

How can I be so sure?

Because I’m living proof of that!

If I hadn’t accompanied Chae-rim to the press conference right after returning to this world, I would probably be embroiled in some drawn-out fight with the Association over my situation by now.

Of course, even in that scenario, Chae-rim wouldn’t have sat idly by… but it would have been significantly harder than it is now.

Any attempt to spin the narrative would be met with resistance from the Association, who had long seized the media as their megaphone.

Looking back, I can’t help but respect Chae-rim’s judgment in choosing to go straight for the Association’s weaknesses with that press conference right after my return… but anyway, what I want to emphasize is that once you gain a certain level of fame, you can block most of the scheming the Association might employ in advance.

‘Maybe an online serialization would generate more buzz?’

Just as I was sifting through ideas…

A gentle knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.

At first, I naturally assumed it was Bora. I mean, she had just been here a moment ago.

Could she have something else to ask for?

That thought lingered in my mind, so I called for her to come in. When the door swung open, though, it wasn’t Bora standing there…

“…Senior?”

To my surprise, it was the Senior instead of Bora.

“Are you busy…?”

“No, not really…”

I had already finished sorting through the competitions, and all that remained on the list were the well-known ones.

I figured it was more appropriate to let Bora make the final choices rather than me, so honestly, I wasn’t busy.

But not busy…

“Is there something you need?”

I wondered if she was here to ask for something.

After a brief pause, the Senior finally spoke up.

“Well, it’s nothing major…but we have training tomorrow.”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if we could change the location. Would that be alright?”

“The location?”

“Yeah, I feel kind of stuck training at home all the time lately.”

“Ah…”

After hearing that, I realized it did make sense.

After all, her talent is one that’s greatly affected by the environment.

Not in the sense that she suddenly becomes weak or anything, but the way she controls her talent does change based on her surroundings.

So naturally, she’s been feeling confined training only at home lately because she’s been considerate of me.

That sigh I let out seemed to give her a boost of courage.

“So I want to train somewhere spacious for a change. What do you think? Is it okay?”

“Well, I’m okay with anywhere.”

Without any reason to refuse her request, I nodded immediately, partly because I felt pity for the Senior, who awkwardly seemed to be reading my mind.

‘That aside…’

A spacious location, huh.

From the way she spoke, it sounded like she already had a place in mind, but where could it be?

“By the way, where are we training?”

Curious, I asked the Senior, who had a slightly relieved expression, but her response was—

“Um… it’s a secret.”

What a strangely enigmatic smile she gave me.

Caught off guard, I found myself staring blankly at her, making her chuckle lightly.

“Alright, see you tomorrow?”

After flashing me a playful wink, the Senior slipped out of my room.

Thanks to that unexpected encounter, the remaining day passed in a slight daze.

Before I knew it, the Sunday I had agreed to help with her training arrived.

And as soon as Sunday morning greeted me, I was awakened by—

“Dogun…? Wake up…”

The gentle whisper of the Senior drifted into my ear.

I blinked awake, and the first thing I saw was the Senior, who stood beside my bed, looking down at me.

Was it still early, or was it just that the spot where she stood didn’t catch much light?

I couldn’t tell for sure, but something about her gaze felt… different.

“Senior…?”

It was almost like the eyes of a predator hunting its prey lurking in the shadows.

“Huh? Why?”

When I called out without thinking, and then looked again, any signs of that previous expression had vanished, so it must have been my imagination.

“Uh… what brought you to my room so early?”

“Oh, I wanted to let you sleep, but you should be waking up soon to keep on schedule.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, the Senior was an early riser when it came to training.

“By the way, Dogun…?”

“Yes?”

“Your hair looks super messy in the back.”

I guess my disheveled appearance struck her funny bone, as she burst into laughter.

Now my face was flushed, and I was scrambling to fix my hair when she leaned in close.

“No, not there—here.”

With that, she reached out and gently poked the back of my messy hair before stepping back.

“I’ll go wash up downstairs, so you hurry and get ready too.”

With that, she left my room.

The thought of finally training in a proper place instead of home had me buzzing with excitement.

Her somewhat cheerful demeanor as she left left quite an impression.

‘Seriously…’

What a training maniac.

If only Yoonseo could learn a thing or two from her spirit.

But considering how much she hates moving her body, that seems unlikely.

With those thoughts occupying my mind, I wrapped up my shower, threw on some decent clothes, and went downstairs.

There, I met the Senior, who seemed to have finished preparing to leave already.

“Huh? Are we heading out right away? What about breakfast?”

“Oh, I’m grateful just for your help, so I figured I shouldn’t ask for anything more… I was planning to treat you today.”

Honestly, it felt a bit burdensome to be asked to wake up early for breakfast, but since it worked out, I didn’t mind.

“If that’s how it is, I won’t refuse.”

So I accepted her kind gesture.

“Yeah, and don’t hesitate to ask for anything you want to eat. I’m more than happy to treat you, Dogun.”

Just as we were about to leave the house together—

“Hey… where are you two off to?”

With a loud yawn, Chae-rim’s voice echoed from the staircase.