Chapter 107
As I pushed my body to its limits, utilizing only the most efficient movements of the Sword Master’s sense, my joints creaked with pain.
Especially my right hand, the center of impact, was throbbing painfully despite having wrapped my hand.
But I pretended not to feel any of that pain and walked casually towards Ban Seong-cheol.
“…Don’t come any closer.”
I sneered at him.
“Seong-cheol, weren’t you told to not act tough?”
Thanks to the Sword Master’s sense, most of the situation was under control, and soon Cheon Aram and Yeoreum would arrive, so all I had to do was stall for time.
However, my only remaining concern was that bastard harming Oh Yoori and Seo Eunbyeol out of despair.
“So what’s with this result? Aren’t you embarrassed?”
I approached him, drawing his attention towards me and slowly closing the distance between myself, Ban Seong-cheol, Oh Yoori, and Seo Eunbyeol.
“…I said don’t come any closer.”
With her legs trembling, Seo Eunbyeol could only look at me anxiously, while Oh Yoori, clutching her stomach and gasping for breath, cleverly caught my eye, nodded, and began to crawl slowly towards me without making a sound.
I hoped Ban Seong-cheol wouldn’t be able to divert his gaze towards them and used provocative words to draw his attention.
“Anyway, unlike you, I have consideration and tolerance, so if you kneel and put your hands up now, I won’t hit you…”
“Don’t come any closer!”
Suddenly, the trembling Ban Seong-cheol pulled a knife from his pocket and charged toward the kids.
“What the hell.”
I instinctively charged forward to protect the children, but he was closer.
Just as I thought I had to at least protect the somewhat nearer Oh Yoori, she, who had been watching me, Ban Seong-cheol, and Seo Eunbyeol, held onto her shaking legs and got up, heading in the opposite direction towards Ban Seong-cheol. At the moment when it would have been certain that she would receive protection from me.
Her intentions were clear.
Oh Yoori chose to become the hostage instead of Seo Eunbyeol, who couldn’t move.
Thus, Ban Seong-cheol grabbed Oh Yoori instead of the closer Seo Eunbyeol, and I ended up protecting Seo Eunbyeol instead of Oh Yoori, who was closer to me.
“Haah, haah,”
Ban Seong-cheol, panting heavily, gripped Oh Yoori with a shaky hand, pressing the knife against her neck.
I tried to calm the heat surging to the top of my head and spoke calmly.
I continued speaking calmly while cooling off.
“Seong-cheol, let’s just calm down for now. What are you thinking, threatening to hurt Oh Yoori, who’s going to be a top idol?”
“Hah… If you want to get rid of this, step back ten paces.”
I followed his words.
“Okay, I’ve stepped back ten paces like you said, so let’s put down that knife now. You don’t want to do something extreme to Oh Yoori, right? Think about all the support you’ve given her. You’re not a fool who loses just to gain, are you?”
“Shut up. The moment that girl caused this mess, our peaceful investment relationship ended. …No, heh, I was planning to slowly associate Yoori with sponsorship once she became an A-class celebrity, so the result is the same. It’s just a bit faster. Nothing has really changed.”
This bastard, seriously.
“…Alright, if you don’t want to see her neck sliced, then tie her hands with that tie. Make sure it’s ‘tight’ so it doesn’t come off until those idiots get up. Seo Eunbyeol! You tie her!”
That was a dangerous request. If I followed through, I’d end up being the world’s biggest idiot, putting not just myself but also Oh Yoori and Seo Eunbyeol at risk. I was immobilized, and there was no way Ban Seong-cheol and those idiots would just sit still.
Seo Eunbyeol seemed to grasp that as well, looking at me with trembling eyes.
I patted her head like I did in the last round, hoping it would reassure her. Then, filled more with anger than tension about the situation, I glared at him and spoke.
“But what do you want me to do if I rush in giving up Oh Yoori’s safety? I’m really pissed off because of your ridiculously rude demands and feel like turning everything upside down… To be honest, I wouldn’t really care if Oh Yoori got hurt. ‘It would be good if I could protect her.’ That’s about it.”
Ban Seong-cheol forced a smile, trying to look confident, and said through gritted teeth.
“Haha… you think so? Whether she promised to play the lead role or offered you money, you’re here throwing a fit, right? You think you can just stand by while your client gets hurt?”
“….You bastard. Let’s not think that everyone in the world is like you. Neither Oh Yoori nor I are like that.”
“You’re delusional. Everyone living in this world covers their ugly desires with hypocrisy. Do you think you or she is any different?”
“You’re just being hypocritical. Do you think you’re any different from her?”
“….”
Ban Seong-cheol menacingly pressed the back of the knife against Oh Yoori’s neck.
“Shut up and tie your hands. If you don’t, you’ll really witness someone get killed… Do you think I can’t do it?”
With eyes bloodshot and hands trembling, Ban Seong-cheol seemed like he could easily act without considering the consequences. I didn’t want to gamble Oh Yoori’s life on the assumption that his bravado was just for show.
“Eunbyeol, could you tie her up?”
“What? Then…”
“Please.”
“….”
There was no choice.
It seemed we had to follow Ban Seong-cheol’s wishes and endure until Cheon Aram, Seo Soo-yeon, Jin Yeoreum, and Seok Hyun-woo arrived.
I loosened the tie around my neck and handed it to her. Seo Eunbyeol took the tie and started to think seriously while looking at it.
I gave her a small reassuring smile and said, “Please tie her up.”
“Don’t do that, Team Leader Seon.”
It was Oh Yoori.
“I’m fine, so please don’t listen to Ban Seong-cheol. Just take Eunbyeol unnie and run away. That’s the only solution.”
“This damn girl just won’t shut up!”
“…Cough, …cough.”
Ban Seong-cheol pressed down hard against Oh Yoori’s neck with the back of the knife to silence her.
Seeing that made my rising anger cloud my mind.
“….”
Logically thinking, Oh Yoori’s suggestion was the most viable option. If I didn’t threaten him, Ban Seong-cheol likely wouldn’t make any extreme choices. Plus, help was on the way, so Oh Yoori had a higher chance of being safe.
It would actually be safer for everyone if we escaped with Seo Eunbyeol, who we could definitely save.
But I didn’t want to turn my back and run away from that girl.
Absolutely not.
Just then, a message appeared before my eyes.
[“In front of the owner of ‘The Swordsman’s Sense,’ no sword can unsheathe without permission.”]
…Huh?
Reading the text slowly and understanding its content, I stared blankly at the knife in Ban Seong-cheol’s hand. I felt as if that knife was physically connected to me.
It seemed like I could move. Like a cat hiding its claws…
I decided to bet on that sensation.
“Seong-cheol, I just had a sudden thought. Isn’t that a fake knife? Pressing down like that without causing any harm seems odd, don’t you think?”
“Isn’t that a knife? It’s weird that you’re pressing down so hard and not getting hurt, right?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Of course, it’s because I’m pressing with the back of the knife, you idiot!”
“No, in this distance, I can’t tell if that’s the back of the knife or the blade. How am I supposed to know if you’re threatening me with a toy knife or not? It’s so embarrassing to fall for that! …So, just show me a little proof, and I’ll follow all your requests unconditionally.”
“What proof?”
I swallowed hard, feeling the tension.
“How about you just lightly cut the hooded sweatshirt Oh Yoori is wearing with that knife? If it cuts, then it means it’s not a fake knife, right?”
“….”
“If you prove that, not only will I passively accept what you say, but I’ll also wake up those big guys over there right now. Aren’t you worried about waiting until they wake up?”
“….”
With a skeptical look, Ban Seong-cheol finally started to slice the neck part of Oh Yoori’s hoodie with the knife.
“What the heck is this? Why isn’t it cutting? …Ah.”
“….”
The knife couldn’t cut the cloth. Not even a single thread.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile.
“…It’s not cutting, is it?”
Realizing the knife was a fake, Ban Seong-cheol abandoned Oh Yoori and fled.
What excellent judgment and speed! But he couldn’t be faster than me, who was already anticipating his move.
I got ahead of him and blocked Ban Seong-cheol’s escape route. He reflexively thrust the knife at me, but with a spinning kick, I struck his wrist, effortlessly sending the knife flying.
The knife clattered to the ground with a ‘clang’ sound.
Ban Seong-cheol, alternating between looking at the knife and me with his trembling right hand, spoke in a cowardly tone.
“Wait a sec, Taeyang… I mean, Mr. Taeyang, just calm down a little…”
Calm down? What a joke.
“Seong-cheol, you know I controlled my strength when I was hitting those big guys so there wouldn’t be any aftereffects. They probably didn’t feel much pain. When they wake up, they won’t really have any serious injuries. I can manage that.”
The sense of a Sword Master allowed for such skills.
“Re… really? That’s impressive. But why are you telling me this…”
“But you’re going to feel a lot of pain. This time, it’s going to be the opposite.”
“…Huh?”
I didn’t bother with any more explanations.
“Bite down hard.”
With all my accumulated negative feelings from before, I started Ban Seong-cheol’s lesson.
“AAAHHHHHHH!”
Of course, it was a lesson of physical consequences.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
