Chapter 60: Bitter Graduation Album (2)
You've probably heard of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
Victory Stratagems, Enemy Stratagems, Attack Stratagems, Chaos Stratagems, Alliance Stratagems, Defeat Stratagems. Six stratagems per category.
In my past life in the martial world, facing the entire Gangho alone was truly a monuntal undertaking.
It was not sothing that could be accomplished rely by lopping off a few heads.
As much as the suffering I endured.
"I must thoroughly destroy my enemies as well."
Borrowing A Knife To Kill, Making Noise In The East While Striking In The West, Startling The Snake By Beating The Grass, Muddying The Water To Catch Fish, and more.
With my sches of divine ingenuity, the Gangho was plunged into utter chaos.
I also made frequent use of Retreat Is The Best Option — the stratagem said to be the origin of the phrase 'run like the wind across thirty-six options'.
Like that, I had employed thirty-five of the thirty-six stratagems in full, but there was precisely one I had never managed to use — Stratagem No. 31.
"Because it's the Honeytrap……."
Ahh.
My poor ruined face of old.
The one stratagem of thirty-six left uncompleted.
* * *
I entered the café directly in front with Im Ye-rin.
"Tae-yang, it's been a while. I wasn't sure at first."
"Oh?"
Honestly, I couldn't quite rember her.
"I was wondering if you were a fellow graduate since you were looking for a yearbook, and once I saw your face I knew."
Not because you heard the word Samcheolli?
"Ah! So that's why your Danggun Market ID was SUN — as in Tae-yang, the sun."
Right. The seon in Dang Seon, the sun in Kim Tae-yang.
I ca up with it after so careful thought, mind you.
She wasn't even drinking her coffee, just staring straight at as she spoke.
"Wow……. Were you always this handso? I really couldn't recognize you. Did you get taller? And why is your body like that?"
"Oh, you know."
I gave a casual shrug and ran my fingers along the rim of my mug.
"If I'd known it would co to this, I should have put on so makeup. Ah, I'm embarrassed."
Im Ye-rin cupped both her cheeks in her hands.
Her face flushed a soft shade of red.
"You transferred out back then — how many years has it been? Seven? Eight?"
"Has it really been that long."
"Yeah. Back then…… The other kids really did go too far."
"……"
This is it.
The reason I brought Im Ye-rin to this café.
She knows about Kim Tae-yang's past — the parts I cannot rember.
I carefully opened my mouth.
"Kang Hae-san, Bae Da-in……"
"……"
"Who else was there?"
I glanced sideways at her face.
Tell .
Their nas, and where they live.
"Ah, let's not talk about that. I brought it up for nothing. Sorry."
"No, it's fine. You can tell ."
"I'm sorry. It must be a mory you'd rather forget."
Damn, unnecessary consideration.
For a mont, I gathered a cold focused energy at my fingertips.
But.
[Kim Tae-yang says you must not torture Im Ye-rin. 1 Happiness]
……Why?
Hey, what kind of relationship did you have with Im Ye-rin?
[Kim Tae-yang says that Im Ye-rin once told him to 'go to the nurse's office'. 1 Happiness]
That's the only reason?
She didn't fight on his behalf, didn't stop the violence.
Just those words — 'go to the nurse's office'—
Goodness.
Then what about this?
[Kim Tae-yang says the Mirage Fragrance is out as well. 1 Happiness]
And that?
[Kim Tae-yang says not to steal the phone either. 1 Happiness]
[Kim Tae-yang says he is warning you clearly. 1 Happiness]
Fine. If you insist that much.
It seems I'll need to invest more ti.
Im Ye-rin.
I'll have to get you to open up.
"Ye-rin."
"Yes?"
"You've gotten a lot prettier. You were pretty back then too."
"……Huh? Huh?!"
"Want to get so air?"
"Air? Ah…… so suddenly."
"Are you busy?"
"No, it's not that."
Gently.
I took her hand and stood up.
"Y-your hand?"
"It's a sha, running into an old classmate after so long."
"I'd rather not go sowhere far. And I'm not wearing any makeup."
"We won't go far. Let's just go to the Han River."
"Really? I'll call a ta-."
"I have a car."
"What?"
Beep beep—.
My white Porsche blinked its lights.
Im Ye-rin's mouth fell open slightly.
……This is the Handso Trap. Stratagem No. 31.
With a Porsche thrown in for good asure.
[A thrill of having completed the Thirty-Six Stratagems surges through your entire body. 200 Happiness]
* * *
I drove the Porsche to the Han River.
There was none of what you'd see in a drama.
Im Ye-rin looked surprised, but it wasn't like a drama where little hearts ca popping out of her eyes.
I watched the film Aba-ta and the red dragon showed up and everyone was screaming like crazy, but hmm.
She asked sothing.
"Aren't you a bit warm? Can we turn off the heater?"
"Sure."
Im Ye-rin naturally turned off the heater.
The practiced ease with which her hand moved to the controls.
She must have a friend with a Porsche.
Seems like she cos from money. Hmm.
As expected of a prestigious high school.
A school that was never a good fit for Kim Tae-yang to begin with.
We strolled along the Han River bank.
The spring breeze was a little chilly, but perfect for walking.
"Ye-rin, how have you been?"
"Oh, just graduated, went to university, took a leave of absence."
"Leave of absence?"
"It didn't quite suit my aptitude. I'm even considering dropping out."
Throwing away that expensive tuition because it doesn't suit you?
Rich kids really are different.
"What departnt are you in?"
"Arabic Studies."
"That sounds interesting."
"I lived in the Middle East for a long ti when I was little, following my father."
"Is that so. I didn't know."
She turned slightly and asked .
"What about you, Tae-yang?"
"? I just work."
"What kind of work?"
"Trade."
"Wow……. That's impressive. Looks like you've made it."
Im Ye-rin was twenty-six years old.
At that age, it would be hard to find soone who'd beco self-made through trade or business.
But anyway, dropping out.
"If you drop out, what are you planning to do?"
"……You wouldn't believe if I told you."
She held back her words.
We kept walking and talking about this and that.
I tried to gradually steer the conversation toward my past and the perpetrators, but she didn't bite.
"Hae-jin dropped out of school too."
In particular, Hae-jin's na ca up mid-conversation — soone I was looking for.
I thought this was my chance, so I asked right away.
"Are you in contact with Hae-jin?"
"No. I heard sothing about studying abroad, and sothing about being admitted to a hospital sowhere. I don't really know. Don't want to know either."
Seems like they're on bad terms.
Im Ye-rin kept cutting off the conversation.
I was getting frustrated.
Just as I was debating whether to go ahead and sprinkle the Mirage Fragrance despite what Kim Tae-yang wanted, Im Ye-rin pointed at sothing.
"Ah, a vending machine coffee!"
There was a vending machine that was rare to see these days.
"They still have these. How nostalgic."
She even took a picture.
"Ah…… I want to try one, but card paynt doesn't work."
"I have coins."
I carried coins with .
Not for making change.
Since coins are made from copper alloy, they make excellent concealed weapons, you see.
"What do you want?"
"I'll have barley tea. You?"
"Hot cocoa."
"That's cute, you. I'd never have expected it — you look like soone who only drinks Aricano."
I pulled out the barley tea and handed it to her.
Im Ye-rin reached out to take it.
I noticed she had a wound on her knuckles.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"Ah, yeah."
It was a familiar type of wound.
"Do you do boxing?"
"What? How did you know?"
"……"
She looked at the wound on her hand for a mont, then opened her mouth.
"Actually, it's MMA."
"Oh yeah?"
She hesitated.
"Earlier…… You asked what I'd do if I dropped out."
"Yeah."
"Actually, I've started climbing the Murim Tower. I'm only on the 5th floor, but."
"Really? That's cool."
There were plenty of female climbers, but it was still surprising to hear that Im Ye-rin was climbing.
"Thank you. Usually people tell not to do it, or that it's too dangerous for a woman."
"What does it matter, if you've got the drive to do it. The Poison Spider is a woman too."
Her expression, visibly moved.
Even the Porsche hadn't gotten much of a reaction out of her, but these words produced a dramatic change.
……So that's it.
Your weak point — noted.
I casually tossed out so bait.
"I'm also interested in climbing."
"Really?"
"It's a worthy endeavor. It's for the country and everyone, too. And MMA looks fun."
"……Tae-yang, you've grown really mature."
"Have I?"
"Maybe because you run a business? You feel sohow like you've aged a bit."
Well, I was pushing fifty in my original life, after all.
More than anything, there had been incredible female masters in the martial world of my past life.
There was the Azure Sword Empress, and the Fire Lotus Demoness.
And above all, my swordsmanship master.
……Her too.
The conversation with Im Ye-rin ended without much to show for it.
I drove her ho.
She lived in an expensive apartnt, as expected.
"Take care."
"Yeah. Let's see each other again soti."
I returned to my apartnt.
Tsk—.
This Handso Trap is no easy thing. I thought she'd spill everything if I just gave her a nudge.
Maybe it's because the car is white?
I should have gone with red or black.
High-handed thods are the best after all. Kim Tae-yang, you hear ?
I sighed and picked up the yearbook.
"Now then, let's get started."
I calmly flipped through it.
There should definitely be a distinct jolt when I see the right face.
The number of graduating students from Myeongmun High School was 150.
Thump-thump, pound-pound.
With every face that made my head ache and my heart race, I marked it with a check.
When I reached the end of the yearbook.
[mory synchronization in progress. 83%…… 84%…… 85%]
"This can't be right."
Only 2% had risen before it stopped.
Eight faces total had been marked with a check.
What was peculiar was that one of those checks was on the horoom teacher.
A horoom teacher with a perfectly bald head.
Along with Kang Hae-san, Bae Da-in, Na In-pil, Park Seon-su, Gi Ja-eun, Pyeon Geom-sa, and Cheon Sa-in.
Eight people in total.
If these were the five main perpetrators whose faces were blurred in my mory, there should have been a trendous jolt — like a scorching burn.
The six additional ones I'd found didn't produce the sa intensity as Kang Hae-san and Bae Da-in.
"This is unsatisfying."
Not a fla, but more like plunging my hand into hot water.
Kim Tae-yang!
What's going on here? Why won't you tell ?
There was only one answer.
"These people aren't the main perpetrators."
And.
"Three of those faces are not in this yearbook!"
Of course, I had discovered six additional perpetrators, but the three main ones were nowhere to be found.
"Half a result, then."
Were they children from influential families, so their photos weren't included in the yearbook?
Kim Tae-yang gave no answer.
On the off chance, I went through it from the beginning one more ti, but it was the sa.
Still stuck at 85%.
The fact that there were six additional perpetrators, teacher included—
"ans there are more opportunities for Happiness Points to pour in abundantly."
Let's think of it positively.
"In the end, I have no choice but to pin my hopes on Kang Hae-san or Im Ye-rin."
Anyway, Im Ye-rin.
How do I get closer to her and naturally get her to give up the information?
The bait I threw out will have to be taken by her.
Just then. Ding dong.
A ssage ca in.
It was from Im Ye-rin.
—If you're interested in MMA too, want to co to the gym soti?
She's taken the bait!
—Sounds good.
—I'll let the head instructor know. He's a famous person. See you Saturday evening at 7.
Saturday at 7.
Still two days away.
"Then I'll take care of one of them in the anti."
Snap.
My gaze stopped on one photo in the yearbook.
"Na In-pil."
It was a na I already knew.
Because he was a famous NuTube influencer and strear with 500,000 subscribers.
* * *
"Hello everyone, hyungnims! It's Na In-pil from InpilTV!"
In front of the university district, known as the street of youth.
Na In-pil was doing a live stream on his phone.
"Hyungnims! The reason I've co out to Daehak-ro today is because I've prepared a rea~lly fun piece of content!"
Na In-pil's voice, brimming with excitent, swept across the area, and in response, countless chat ssages began flooding the screen.
└ Inpil's in a good mood today.
└ InHi! (aning InpilHi)
└ Typical old man.
└ Lots of people at the university.
└ Old man can't co in. Blocked at the entrance.
His broadcasts were famous for being provocative.
Lately in particular, his event-style content where enormous sums of money were wagered had been the main draw.
The content itself was interesting, but the amount of money he was paying out had risen sharply of late, so the viewer response was exploding.
The viewer count shot past 50,000 in an instant.
"Hyungnims, look at this! It's a log and a kitchen knife!"
└ A kitchen knife? Is it okay to bring sothing like that to a university area?
└ These days the police don't even show up for sothing like that.
└ A chainsaw would be another story. A kitchen knife is no problem.
"Now, why is there a log and a kitchen knife? The sharp-eyed hyungnims have already figured it out."
Na In-pil set the log down on the ground and brought the knife down with a crack!
The kitchen knife lodged itself into the log.
"Like this! You apply force with the kitchen knife and bring it down to split the log — that's all you have to do. Split it in half, and you walk away with 100 million won on the spot!"
Na In-pil pointed the cara at a briefcase containing 100 million won in cash.
└ Split a log with a kitchen knife?
└ Inpil's lost it. There's no way that's possible.
└ Not even possible for 500 million.
As expected, the majority of reactions were negative.
Na In-pil fired back imdiately.
"I know! I know it's hard. But, look. Whose na is on that 100 million? Huh?! Is earning 100 million easy?!"
└ Split a log with a kitchen knife?
└ Split a log with a kitchen knife?
└ Split Inpil with a kitchen knife?
The chat was flooded.
Na In-pil laughed and shook his head from side to side.
As if he had thought all of this through already, he pointed at the log.
"Which is why! I've already made markings on the log!"
He lifted the log.
Depending on the depth to which the knife had been driven, markings for 5 million won, 10 million won, 15 million won and so on were carved in, and at the very bottom was the marking that read 100 million won!
└ You'll mangle your wrist reaching for 5 million.
└ A Tower Climber might manage it?
└ Even a Climber tops out at 10 million.
└ Our Poison Spider unni can do it!
Boom!
Na In-pil set the log back down on the ground.
A massive crowd of people was gathering around him.
"Of course, Tower Climbers are ineligible. That's probably not going to happen, but I'll check for an Artificial Dantian myself — and since you're showing your face, if you're a Climber I'll take tip-offs right away! I'll immortalize you as a liar on NuTube forever!"
He issued a firm warning.
His voice, ratcheted up to the fullest, continued.
"Right then! No entry fee! Nothing to lose as you earn 100 million — the ultimate jackpot content. Let the challe~nge begin!"
Na In-pil raised his fist high in the air in an exaggerated display.
Together with his excited voice, the chat flew up at a speed impossible to read.
And.
Amid the spectating crowd, I was quietly smiling.
"……Long ti no see. In-pil."
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