The Villainous Director Is Raising a Child!

I turned to find a man built like a bandit, planted there, radiating threat.

The sides of his head shaved down to bare scalp, and a leopard-print shirt loud enough to sting the eyes.

Anyone would have taken him for a back-alley thug before they'd take him for a Hunter.

"Ai, you little pest. You should be over there sucking up to the Guild Master like usual — the hell are you buzzing around out here for?"

Open mockery, aimed at Kang San.

But Kang San didn't back down — he shot right back.

"Hyung-nim, aren't you the one who's busy cleaning up after your young master? What brings you all the way out here to commit fashion crimes? My eyes are rotting."

"What? Fashion crimes? You uncultured little bastard! This is what's called vintage! You don't know shit about style, where do you get off lecturing me?"

The guy's pride was clearly stung — his face went red, then purple, and he flew off the handle.

"And fuck it! I told you not to call him young master! Huh?! I'll rip your filthy mouth open!"

His crude, saucepan-lid of a palm shot up like it was going to come down on Kang San's cheek any second.

But Kang San didn't so much as blink and stared him down.

Too many eyes around — he couldn't actually swing.

The arrow of his misdirected rage flew, of all places, at me.

"And who the hell are you? What are you glaring at? You gonna drop those eyes or what?"

"This person is the Guild Master's guest. Show a little manners, would you?"

The man snorted and gave a smirk with an edge to it.

"Guest, my ass."

He tilted his head at me, contemptuous, and clicked his tongue like I was pathetic.

"No matter how hard you kiss up to that sad excuse for a Guild Master, it's not getting you anywhere. Think something's going to fall in your lap, do you... you picked the wrong side, buddy."

Brave, or just stupid?

The nerve of it — mouthing off like that about Korea's Rank 1?

Having seen Han Jewoon's monstrous strength up close, I almost had to admire this guy's ignorant swagger.

As if he'd read my thoughts—

"H-hey, watch how you're talking..."

A voice barely above a whisper, but with a strange edge of nerve in it, came from behind me.

Lee Jinwoo.

"You're... Bawi Guild yourself, aren't you? How can you talk about your own boss like—"

The guy's eyes lit up.

Like a predator spotting prey — the look of someone who'd been bored and just found something interesting.

"Ha! Boss?"

He stalked over and, before Lee Jinwoo could get another word out, swung that saucepan-lid palm in a wide arc.

"Who exactly is my boss?! Huh?!!"

Yank—!!

"Kh, khk...!"

Lee Jinwoo's feet came off the floor and he dangled, kicking, like a piece of luggage.

"Let him go! Put him down, now!"

But the guy acted like he hadn't heard Kang San at all.

If anything, he gripped the collar harder — making a show of it — and shook the dangling Lee Jinwoo around, rough.

"Say it again, huh? Who's the Guild Master?"

"Kuhk, khk...!"

"Skinny little rat, where'd you crawl in from. I'll stomp you flat!"

I couldn't watch any more.

I was just about to yell at him — that exact moment.

Thwack—!!

Along with a dull impact, something hit the back of his head like a lightning strike.

"Guh?!"

The huge body staggered, tipping like it was about to pitch forward.

The object that had struck him spun in the air as if it were alive.

A blood-red jewel.

The brilliant, gleaming jewel traced a graceful arc and settled, delicate, onto the palm of someone stepping out of the darkness.

"Haah... Gu Sangmin."

A languid voice, sticky in a way that clung to you, echoed down the corridor.

"What the hell are you doing? Bringing the level down."

Tak, tak.

Along with the slow, measured sound of dress-shoe heels, a man stepped out from the darkness.

A wolf cut, the back trailing long.

The jet-black hair dyed white at the tips — a distinctive look that brought to mind an orca.

"Number One! Are you okay?"

I rushed over to Lee Jinwoo, who'd dropped to the floor.

"Khehk, kekh...! Y-yes, I'm fine..."

The oaf's crude grip had left his neck red where it had been throttled, but thankfully he didn't look seriously hurt.

While I was letting out a breath of relief, the man was nudging the fallen thug with the toe of his shoe and snapping, cold.

"When did I ever teach you to treat a guest like this?"

"S-sorry, boss! I lost my head for a second—!"

Gu Sangmin flattened himself against the floor and begged forgiveness.

But the man treated him like he was invisible and just walked straight over to me, casually slinging an arm around my shoulder.

A cloud of dense, sweet cologne hit my nose, dizzying.

"Junhyeok, sorry. Kid works for me — his loyalty runs a little strong. Startled you, huh?"

He kneaded my shoulder and whined like this was the great injustice of the age.

His speech felt like sticky mucus dripping off every word.

"Why've you been so out of touch lately? I've been waiting on a call from you like my life depended on it."

"..."

"Not showing up at Icarus either... is that all we were to each other? Really hurts, you know."

He even pantomimed crying, watching for my reaction.

Who is this?

When I stayed still, unsure how I was supposed to respond, his eyes narrowed by degrees.

"Hmm? Weird. Our Junhyeok isn't like this..."

He tilted his head and looked me up and down.

A clinging gaze, the way a snake studies prey.

"There's a rumor going around that you've changed a bit lately — don't tell me it's actually true? Come to think of it... you're dressed properly. Standing up straight..."

Someone who could treat a total stranger with this much familiarity.

Anyone could see it — this guy knew the old Chae Junhyeok very well.

Wait... a friend of the original Chae Junhyeok? A running buddy?

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

The only thing I knew about the pre-transmigration Chae Junhyeok was what the original text laid out — the layabout villain.

I realized, only now, that I knew nothing about the man's personal connections.

If we were close... he'll figure out I'm not Chae Junhyeok in a heartbeat.

I was still standing there, unable to answer.

Krrk—!

"Aaaaargh—!!"

Along with a horrific crunching sound, a scream ripped out of Gu Sangmin.

The heel of his dress shoe had come down on the back of Gu Sangmin's hand — the one splayed on the floor — and crushed it.

"Because of you, Junhyeok can't answer."

The man's eyes were fixed on me, obsessive, and me alone.

He couldn't have cared less that someone was screaming at his feet.

"You're making things awkward."

Trying to stop any more violence, I answered, off-balance.

"...Yeah. Been a while."

Only then did the corner of his mouth curl up, smooth and satisfied.

"Mm. Been a while. So what brings you all the way here? Don't tell me you came to see me?"

"No, I have an appointment with Guild Master Han Jewoon."

At my answer, his eyes curved, subtle.

"Ah... Guild Master, huh."

He rolled the word on the tip of his tongue and let out a nasty little smile.

"Because you're in someone else's turf, you're giving him the honorific and everything? Cute, Chae Junhyeok."

He reached out as if to ruffle my hair, and when I flinched he pulled his hand back, chuckling.

"Feels like yesterday you were sulking, all worked up from getting beat down like a dog by him. Our Junhyeok's all grown up, huh? Using honorifics and everything."

"..."

"Speaking of, my father's been saying he'd like to see you sometime. Make time later."

He clapped my shoulder as casually as if he owned the place.

"Don't tell me you'll be calling my dad former Guild Master every time too. Huh?"

The moment he said it, the pieces in my head clicked into place with a snap.

Oh Manseok, former Guild Master of Bawi Guild.

And Oh Manseok's son, Oh Taejin.

Right — now I remembered.

Chae Junhyeok's friend.

The traitor who would, in time, raise a flag against Han Jewoon.

And... the man who, at the critical moment, sold Chae Junhyeok out.

Back when Cha Yul had been coming after Chae Junhyeok for revenge, this guy had readily offered up his own safe house to Chae Junhyeok when he came running.

But it had been a con.

Because he'd promptly leaked Chae Junhyeok's location to Cha Yul.

And later, at Chae Junhyeok's funeral.

He'd sobbed like the world had ended and whispered, in front of the memorial portrait:

[Hnh... Junhyeok...!]

[...Hnk... you know something?]

[Pretending to be friends with a piece of shit like you, I thought I was going to throw up. Died well. Never see you again.]

The moment I recognized who he was, hot revulsion surged up from the pit of my stomach.

Reading the original, sure — since he helped kill Chae Junhyeok, I'd cheered him on as sweet justice back then...

But actually being Chae Junhyeok? Suddenly it wasn't so welcome.

"Junhyeok. Forget this boring place — let's hit Icarus."

He curled the corner of his mouth up, unpleasant, and whispered close to my ear.

"There's a killer new drug in. It's going to be a real good time. Hm?"

Ha... insane.

Chae Junhyeok. This human waste of a bastard.

Drugs, on top of everything? Really?

I'd known from the original that he was trash — I hadn't realized he'd gone that far.

"What are you talking about! This gentleman is here to see the Guild Master—!"

Kang San, appalled, tried to step in front of me.

Wiing—!

The red jewels flashed and shot for the side of Kang San's neck.

Their sharp points stopped a breath in front of his carotid.

"Kh-uk...!"

Overwhelming killing intent.

"The important people are talking. A dog barks in the middle of that?"

Oh Taejin muttered, low, wearing a smile so clean it was disgusting.

Well.

He had to know Chae Junhyeok's foul temper — and to act like this knowing it...

Two possibilities.

Either they really had been that close — the kind of friends who'd seen each other at their worst.

Or Chae Junhyeok had, from the start, been so beneath his notice that he'd been treating him like garbage.

Judging by his behavior in the original, it's the second. This is the guy who sold Chae Junhyeok out.

At times like this, Chae Junhyeok's absolute garbage personality actually came in handy.

I took a short breath.

And for the first time in a while, I put on the familiar mask of the layabout.

Slap—!!

I roughly slapped his hand off my shoulder and looked Oh Taejin up and down.

"Hey. Did you eat your instincts for breakfast or something?"

"What?"

"When someone ghosts your calls, you're supposed to figure out on your own — ah, I've been cut — and slink off. Do I have to spell it out for you? It's embarrassing."

His face went slack.

I didn't give him room to recover — I flicked my index finger against his chest, tap.

"You."

Tap.

"A mere Guild Master's son — and a former Guild Master, put out to pasture at that."

Tap.

"Rubbing up against the son of the current Bureau Chief? What are you thinking? Bringing the level down."

Tap.

Every time my finger jabbed at his sternum, Oh Taejin's upper body was pushed back, limp, one bump at a time.

"..."

The corner of his mouth — which had been hooked up in that casual sneer — twitched like it was seizing.

"Junhyeok... you... lost your mind?"

He narrowed his eyes and glared at me, disbelieving.

I snorted and curled my mouth up, nasty.

"Lost my mind? I've finally come to my senses."

I looked him over like something crawling, and clicked my tongue.

"Felt sorry for you and humored you for a while — and now you don't even know your place. Just keep climbing."

"..."

"Who the hell are you to tell me to come and go?"

His face went red, then purple.

I hammered the nail in, cold.

"Don't get confused. You really think you're in a league where you can order me around, right now?"

"..."

"..."

"Ha... hahaha."

A thin puff of air escaped Oh Taejin's mouth, and dried out into a hollow laugh.

But his eyes weren't laughing at all.

A blue vein bulged, sharp, at his temple.

"Wow... fuck."

He raked a hand back through his fringe, rough, like he couldn't believe it.

"To live long enough to be lectured by Chae Junhyeok. Unbelievable, honestly."

He let the hollow laugh run on for a long moment, and then the expression froze off his face in an instant.

The playfulness was gone without a trace — a snake's cold eyes were left in its place.

"Hey."

He bored into my eyes and growled, low.

"Are you actually... Chae Junhyeok?"

My heart dropped, but I didn't show it — I snorted instead.

"Who else would I be if not Chae Junhyeok. You on something, not me?"

"You fucking bastard—!! How dare you talk to boss like—!"

Right then, Gu Sangmin — who'd been holding back behind him — couldn't take any more and launched forward.

Whoom—!!

The moment a blazing fist came flying at my face—

Chaang-grang!

Inside my coat, the sharp shattering sound of the Warding Jade Talisman splitting rang out.

He rebounded backward as if he'd hit an invisible wall.

"Kh-uk...!"

I pulled the talisman — cracked cleanly in two — out of my coat and tossed the pieces onto the floor, glaring at Oh Taejin.

"You know what one of these costs, right?"

"..."

"Either buy me the exact same one and send it, or wire the cash. Clean it up."

At my brazen demand, Gu Sangmin — still down on the floor — pushed himself back up, eyes bloodshot.

"You son of a bitch... I'll kill you!"

Just as he was about to lunge at me again.

"...Gu Sangmin. Sit."

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