NOVEL WEB Chapter 51 - Chicken?
Chapter 51: Chicken?
TL: Aniea
‘…Really, an unpredictable guy.’
Seeing Kang Woo-ju suddenly bow towards him, Kang Dae-ho inwardly clicked his tongue.
Given that it was related to Kim Eun-ha’s safety, everything about him was thoroughly investigated down to the smallest detail.
From just his profile, Kang Woo-ju didn’t seem to have a particularly unique or flawed personality, nor did he have any standout traits.
Perhaps because of his special family background, he was extremely diligent and wholesome compared to his peers. In other words, that was all there was to him.
‘…This is why you have to see people with your own eyes.’
There are many things about a person that you can’t know just from documents. Even if you were to compare the profiles of Park Ji-hoon and Baek Do-young side by side.
Even if Kang Woo-ju included all his part-time job experiences in his specs, he couldn’t match even half of the two.
‘In the end, specs aren’t everything.’
Swoosh-
Kang Dae-ho subtly shifted his gaze to check Kim Eun-ha’s expression. She too was clearly flustered.
This meant that the current situation was not prearranged. It was something Kang Woo-ju had decided and acted upon independently.
This matched the reports from the subordinates assigned to monitor Kang Woo-ju. Even when Baek Do-young suddenly approached him, he handled it without panic and responded optimally.
‘Overall, he’s quick-witted and adapts well.’
Even now, it was evident. Who could have predicted that someone who seemed fully immersed in playing the role of a chaebol would suddenly bow?
‘…A clever guy.’
As an employee of the Mirae Group, he was tasked with maintaining a strictly professional relationship with Kim Eun-ha. But after all, he was also human.
Kim Eun-ha, who lost her parents at a young age and was left alone. How could one not be moved when such a child has looked up to him as a parent for over a decade?
‘It would be a lie to say there was no affection.’
However, he had to maintain the boundaries of an employee. Kim Eun-ha knew this and only played appropriate pranks.
But Kang Woo-ju, understanding this ambiguous relationship in an instant, had suddenly bowed to him. A guy who rarely bowed to anyone else.
Interpretations may vary, but this meant he saw him as a parent figure to Kim Eun-ha.
“Haha…”
At that thought, Kang Dae-ho couldn’t help but laugh a little.
With the rapidly changing circumstances around him recently, he found himself reflecting on how easily his guarded heart was softened by just one bow.
‘…Is this why?’
Even though it was a shield to avoid an arranged marriage, he could somewhat understand why Kim Eun-ha had specifically chosen Kang Woo-ju among many candidates.
Given her near perfectionist nature, unpredictable variables are a significant source of stress.
Naturally, she should hate sudden actions like now. But the variables Kang Woo-ju created surprisingly made people feel good.
‘It’s a curious thing.’
Kim Eun-ha’s face, glanced at briefly, also had a hint of a smile like his.
If possible, he wanted to capture it in a photo. It was a very rare scene, even for Kang Dae-ho, who had been with her for many years.
It was not a mocking or fabricated smile.
A smile born from pure joy.
It seemed to appear more frequently these days.
‘…Quite a complicated feeling.’
Kang Woo-ju.
A person you couldn’t just simply like or dislike. Of course, Kang Dae-ho did not show his conflicted feelings outwardly.
“Young master. It would be problematic if you bow to just anyone. Especially to an employee like me, it could damage the young miss’s honor.”
Kang Woo-ju finally straightened his back after Kang Dae-ho finished speaking. However, his eyes were more serious than ever, and his voice that followed was unwavering.
“I will take your words to heart. But I never think of you, Team Leader-nim, as ‘just anyone.’”
“…?”
“I don’t know the detailed circumstances. However, having personally experienced other chaebols and Eun-ha ssi, her character was entirely different. This must be largely due to your influence, Team Leader-nim.”
“…”
Such flattering words could have seemed like sycophancy, but combined with Kang Woo-ju’s sincere expression, it didn’t feel that way at all.
Kang Dae-ho struggled to keep his lips from curling up uncontrollably. However, Kang Woo-ju was the persistent type who wouldn’t let go once he saw an opportunity.
“If both of you would permit, I would also like to learn martial arts from you, Team Leader-nim.”
“Martial arts from me…?”
“Yes. In fact, after being hit several times by Eun-ha ssi… Ugh!”
Kim Eun-ha struck his side, as if to tell him to stop saying unnecessary things. To Kang Dae-ho, it seemed like a perfectly executed original punch.
But what surprised him even more was that, in that brief moment, Kang Woo-ju had reacted to Kim Eun-ha’s attack, minimizing the impact.
‘Sure enough… He’s got a natural sense for it.’
Following in the footsteps of his martial artist father, Kang Dae-ho had endured rigorous training from a very young age.
Before being scouted by the Mirae Group, he ran a private dojo, and afterward, he was responsible for training the group’s bodyguards.
Given that the Mirae Group directly paid their bodyguards, he had seen many top fighters in the field. However, few had impressed him.
‘It could be fun to train him.’
Even Kang Dae-ho was impressed by Kang Woo-ju’s reflexes and sense. Despite having no experience in other martial arts, not even in common Taekwondo, he was like a blank canvas.
If trained well, he could grow much faster than someone who had learned martial arts clumsily.
‘His innate physique is also good.’
The basic genetic foundation was so excellent that he should bow to his parents several times in gratitude.
If professionally honed, his body would literally become like a sculpture, and he wouldn’t be easily overpowered in terms of strength unless facing an exceptionally sturdy opponent.
‘It’s tempting, but…’
Sigh-
Kang Dae-ho, realizing his position, swallowed his drool as he snapped back to reality.
“I’m sorry, but I must decline.”
“May I ask why?”
“I am here solely as Kim Eun-ha agassi’s bodyguard. I do not have the leisure to spend personal time.”
“What if it also benefits Eun-ha ssi?”
“…?”
Everyone tilted their heads at his subsequent words. How could learning martial arts benefit their security?
“Of course, personal reasons are significant. It would certainly help me in future stunt actions. And I could survive longer… against Eun-ha ssi’s attacks.”
This time, prepared, Kang Woo-ju dodged Kim Eun-ha’s incoming attack and continued speaking naturally.
Heh—
Seeing him, Kim Eun-ha let out a faint laugh as if she couldn’t believe it, and Kang Dae-ho, feeling more intrigued, felt his lips twitch.
“Those are purely personal reasons. That’s not enough justification for me to make time.”
Not enough justification.
This implied that if the justification were sufficient, he would be willing to teach martial arts himself.
Kang Woo-ju, realizing this, continued more seriously than before. The sudden shift in atmosphere made the other two suppress their smiles.
“Although you and the other bodyguards are always nearby, you can’t stay right next to Eun-ha ssi like I can.”
It wasn’t wrong.
Ideally, he would want to stick close to Kim Eun-ha and provide close protection. However, doing so would hinder her social relationships.
Therefore, disguising themselves as ordinary people and watching over her from a distance was the best they could do.
‘While it’s relatively easy to control situations in the office or at specific events…’
The problem was when she walked around densely populated places like inside the department store or traveled by car.
They did their best to clear out potential threats (drunkards or suspicious individuals) around the path she was taking, but there were clear limitations.
‘It’s practically impossible to control.’
If an attacker disguised as a regular citizen suddenly rushed at her, realistically, their response would inevitably be delayed.
Of course, Kim Eun-ha was aware of this fact, and she avoided entering crowds whenever possible, but there were many unavoidable situations.
‘But what if close protection became possible?’
Unlike them, Kang Woo-ju could stick close to Kim Eun-ha without raising any suspicion.
Moreover, he had been frequently visiting crowded places recently for showmanship dates.
Each time, they had to rack their brains to plan the security routes and response measures. What if he could share their workload?
‘Just holding out for five seconds would be enough.’
If Kang Woo-ju could buy just five seconds in an emergency, the standby bodyguards could sufficiently join in.
‘Above all, he has the will to protect young miss.’
When the bodyguards, who had received the signal, rushed in earlier, Kang Woo-ju instinctively moved Kim Eun-ha behind his back.
It was too short a time to act calculatedly. It could only be considered an instinctive judgment.
Whatever the reason, it was clear that Kang Woo-ju sincerely tried to protect Kim Eun-ha. This was sufficient justification to move Kang Dae-ho’s heart.
“…”
Swoosh-
Kang Dae-ho, finally making up his mind, turned his gaze to Kim Eun-ha. Although the reasons mentioned earlier were important, ultimately, everything depended on her permission.
Kim Eun-ha, who quickly noticed his feelings, looked at the two men and shook her head as if they were incorrigible.
“There is a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Start after <Peaceful Chaebol Life> ends. It’s almost like a live broadcast drama now, and you can’t even sleep properly because of the filming.”
“Hmm… I understand.”
Kang Woo-ju looked momentarily disappointed, but Kim Eun-ha was adamant about not compromising on this point.
“And the second.”
“Huh? There’s more?”
“Now it’s three conditions.”
“…Go ahead.”
“Let’s have a 1:1 match, Woo-ju ssi. If I win, we’ll consider it unnecessary for you to protect me, and all previous talks will be nullified.”
“…!?”
Both men simultaneously widened their eyes at Kim Eun-ha’s sudden declaration. Especially Kang Woo-ju, who shook his head in disbelief.
“No way, that’s a bit…”
“Hmm. Not confident?”
“It’s not that. How could a humble person like me dare to lay a hand on Eun-ha ssi’s noble body?”
“So you’re not confident?”
Swoosh-
Kim Eun-ha deliberately raised one corner of her mouth, provoking him. Seeing this, Kang Woo-ju’s playful expression slightly hardened.
“Then how about a shooting rematch instead? That would be the fairest…”
“Chicken?”
Fwoosh-!
It seemed as if the sound of flames igniting could be heard from Kang Woo-ju’s eyes. His brows began to twitch upon hearing the magic word.
“You’ll regret it.”
“Too much talk.”
“…”
Kang Woo-ju received back the words he once said at the shooting range. He tightly closed his mouth, but the fiery gaze conveyed his determination.
Kim Eun-ha, not avoiding his gaze, leisurely raised the corner of her mouth, her confidence in her victory clearly reflected on her face.
‘…Hmm. I thought they were like water and fire, completely different, but that’s not entirely true.’
From a step back, Kang Dae-ho watched the two quietly. A gentle smile, unlike any he had shown before, appeared on his lips.
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