#9

[In the event of contract termination, Party B shall transfer all belongings in their possession during the contract period to Party A.]

For reference, in this case, Party A was, of course, Lee Yongjun, the company president, and Party B was the members of Tartarus.

“……Secretary Sung.”

“Yes, President.”

“Is something like this even legally possible?”

This wasn’t some ancient era where tigers smoked pipes—how could such a blatant robbery clause actually hold any legal weight? Was that even possible?

“Normally, it wouldn’t be. But there are always people with enough power to make the impossible happen.”

At his detached words, my vision blurred for a moment. It felt like I was experiencing dizziness for the first time since I was a child. Leaning back against the seat, I draped an arm over my eyes and slowly started taking deep breaths.

Calm down. First, calm down and think rationally. Stay composed. Think through this logically.

“Shall I handle it?”

I almost answered, Yes, but stopped myself just in time. Lowering my arm, I turned to look at Sung Yoojun, who had shifted in the driver’s seat to face me.

If I told him to take care of it, I had no doubt he would actually take care of President Lee Yongjun.

“……No. That won’t be necessary.”

After a brief silence, the words that left my mouth were, as expected, a rejection. I had no intention of leaving Lee Yongjun’s fate in Secretary Sung’s hands.

“I’ll go myself.”

This was my responsibility—because I was the one who had decided to take care of those kids.

I swung open the car door and stepped out. My strides were swift as I made my way toward the elevator at the far end of the underground parking lot.

Slamming the up button with my thumb, I glared at the elevator, which had been sitting idly on the sixth floor and showed no signs of descending anytime soon.

The wait was too long compared to the rage boiling inside me.

Losing my patience, I turned on my heel, grabbed the emergency stairwell door beside the elevator, and began my ascent. Taking the stairs two at a time, nearly running, I soon sensed someone following me.

Naturally, it was Secretary Sung Yoojun. On any other day, I might have felt guilty for making him chase after me up the stairs and even offered an apology. But today, I didn’t have the luxury for that.

It took no time at all to climb from the basement to the seventh floor, where the President’s office was located. My original body had always been athletic, but apparently, this one wasn’t too bad either.

“Huk……! W-why are you suddenly back……?!”

Secretary Yoo Hanjin gasped in shock upon seeing me arrive without so much as a heavy breath after climbing all those stairs. I completely ignored him and strode straight to the president’s office.

Before anyone could stop me, I raised my foot—

And kicked the door with all my might.

BANG—!!

CRACK!!

The office door, struck by my foot, let out a sickening noise as it tore away from the wall.

I had kicked it with the intention of breaking it down, but the sheer extent of the destruction was a bit startling. However, any trace of surprise vanished the moment I saw Lee Yongjun’s face through the now-empty doorway.

“President Goo…… What brings you back here……?”

Lee Yongjun stammered, his eyes darting between the broken door and my face. He was trembling.

I stepped toward him.

With every step I took, his fear deepened. And I enjoyed watching it.

“President Lee Yongjun.”

BANG!

With a low voice, I slammed my palm onto the desk in front of him. The sheer force of the impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across the surface. Sandwiched between my hand and the shattered desk was the utterly absurd contract I had read earlier in the car.

“Do you know what this is?”

At my cold question, Lee Yongjun flinched violently. He truly seemed to be afraid of me. I stared at him indifferently and slowly leaned forward. The distance between his face, as he sat in his chair, and mine, as I bent down toward him, grew closer and closer.

“I asked if you knew what this was.”

“Th-that…… that’s…… it’s just…… just a c-contract. Just something insignificant…… ordinary……”

“Insignificant? Ordinary? Does this really look like just an insignificant, ordinary contract to you?”

I stopped just short of leaving enough space for two fists between us, baring my teeth as I growled. Lee Yongjun sucked in a sharp breath. His pupils trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat dripped down his face and neck. Seeing his pitiful state, I couldn’t help but let out a short, derisive laugh.

Scared? After all the suffering you put the members of Tartarus through with this disgusting contract? After all the violence you inflicted on those still-young kids? And now you’re scared of me? Why? Because I have more money and power than you? Because they were Party B to you, and I am Party A?

“If that’s truly the case, then I sincerely recommend you get your eyesight checked, President Lee Yongjun. Because if you really see this that way, there must be something wrong with your vision.”

“I-I’m perfectly fine, I don’t have any—”

“Oh, so your eyesight is fine? Then maybe the problem lies in that useless lump sitting on your shoulders. What a shame.”

At my cold yet unwavering insult, Lee Yongjun’s lips quivered. The pale color of his face slowly turned red. He was clearly feeling humiliated because of me. And yet, he didn’t retaliate. He was still looking at me with terror in his eyes.

Lee Yongjun was the kind of person I despised the most. Weak to the strong, strong to the weak—the most despicable kind of human. I didn’t bother stopping the scowl that formed on my face. The moment he saw my expression contort in disgust, his body stiffened like a statue.

Looking down at him with pure disdain, I straightened my back. The moment I put some distance between us, Lee Yongjun let out a shaky sigh of relief.

I tilted my head at his pathetic little breath. Why was he relaxing already? I hadn’t even started yet.

“President Lee Yongjun.”

At my dry call, he hesitantly lifted his trembling face to look at me. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I never wanted to fight anyone. I hated using my power to trample others. But that didn’t mean I would turn a blind eye to children being exploited.

Whether I intended to or not, I had seen the members of Tartarus being treated unfairly. And I had brought them into my company to protect them. Those kids were now under my care. And because I had taken them in, it was now my duty to protect them. It was my right to reclaim what had been stolen from them.

To those kids, and to everyone who had tormented them, I was now someone in that position.

“Hand over everything you took from them.”

So I would act accordingly.

***

Beyond my closed eyelids, I sensed a bright light.

Too bright…… I frowned in irritation and struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry, probably because I wasn’t fully awake yet. Staring blankly at the ceiling, still dazed, I slowly sat up.

The soft blanket that had been covering me slid down effortlessly. My sluggish fingers idly played with its plush texture as I blinked slowly and took in my surroundings.

A spacious room unfolded before me—a luxury beyond what my younger sister, Cheon, and I could have ever dreamed of affording.

The modern interior, with its pristine white wallpaper accented by sleek black details, exuded a clean and sophisticated atmosphere. Yet, at the same time, it felt cold and desolate.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I surveyed the unfamiliar space.

This was a premium-grade residence—one I owned in the game. The place where I now lived. And this was already the seventh morning I had woken up in this house.

So, returning really isn’t an option……

It had been a week since I first opened my eyes in this unfamiliar room. The thought inevitably surfaced again, and I clenched my eyes shut in despair.

Hoping that I might suddenly return, just as abruptly as I had arrived, was something I had only indulged in once or twice. But after having that hope shattered every single time, it was only natural for me to begin giving up on it.

“Sigh.”

I didn’t hold back the sigh that escaped my lips, resting my arm over my eyes. The darkness that enveloped my vision should have been comforting, but instead, it only deepened my sense of gloom.

What had happened to me in the real world?

My last memory was of starting the game in the living room before dozing off. Was I still there, fast asleep? Or had I mysteriously vanished?

How was time flowing in the real world? Had it stopped? Or was it still moving forward?

Countless questions surfaced and faded away in my mind, repeating endlessly. These were the same thoughts that had plagued me relentlessly for the past week. No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t arrive at any conclusions with the information I had.

Yet, they were questions I couldn’t afford to ignore.

And whenever I dwelled on them for too long, I always ended up thinking of one person.

“I wonder if my Cheon is doing okay……”