Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 30

The boy was naturally strong, taller than other kids, and unafraid of getting hurt. Usually, children flinch at the moment they anticipate pain, fearing reprimand from their mothers or guardians for getting injured. But this boy was different. He would, instead, charge towards his opponent as if it were an opportunity.

After a few of these matches, which in the eyes of adults were nothing more than childish skirmishes between boys, the boy quickly became the most famous nine-year-old in the neighborhood.

Children from the same class, as well as from other classes and even other schools, rushed to challenge him, each bringing their most prized possessions. In no time, the boy possessed a treasure chest overflowing with items other children cherished.

As the saying goes, a long tail gets stepped on. The story of a child who took things from other children among the lower elementary school students in the neighborhood began to circulate among adults and soon reached the ears of the local residents.

‘Did you hear, Director? I heard many of our students have had things taken from them too.’

Whether the children offered their belongings first or the boy demanded them was not a particularly important point for the adults. The important thing was that there was someone, whoever he might be, who was both admired and feared by the children. And this boy was taking away their small, but precious possessions.

However, since all of this took place outside of school, there was a limit to what the teachers could do. In the end, the director of a nearby taekwondo studio received requests from his students and their parents, asking him to ‘please provide some guidance.’ This led him to embark on a stakeout.

‘Honestly… just how amazing can this little kid be…’

Pushing aside the children’s exaggerated rumors, such as ‘He’s as tall as a middle schooler,’ or ‘He’s stronger than adults,’ what finally appeared at the playground was a boy who, at first glance, showed signs of neglect. His clothes were worn, tattered, excessively loose, and out of season. Moreover, as if he had grown only in height without proper nourishment, he had a good frame but was gaunt and thin. His hair looked like a rat had gnawed at it, a sorry sight as if haphazardly cut at home.

The director was momentarily speechless at the boy’s appearance, which suggested that his parents either didn’t have time to care for him properly or simply didn’t care. Furthermore, there were mottled, fading bruises on his body, making it impossible to tell whether they were from fights with other children or from being hit by an adult.

‘Who are you, mister?’

And the audacity of not even flinching in front of an adult, but asking who he was in such a bold voice. The director, who had entrusted his class to a junior instructor to meet the subject of the rampant rumors, was briefly taken aback. The boy was indeed taller and better built than his peers, suggesting that the children’s chatter wasn’t entirely bluster. Kids like this should be doing sports. Besides, his age was the perfect time to start any discipline. It was funny to discuss talent first when talking about a troublemaker who had caused such a commotion in the neighborhood, but he couldn’t help it.

The man was a former athlete, but not a particularly successful one. His belief that effort could overcome innate talent lasted only until his early twenties. By the time he realized there were walls he couldn’t overcome, it was already too late.

He knew that there were far more athletes who didn’t win gold medals and receive attention than those who did, yet he couldn’t accept it, and he wandered through more than fifteen years of his athletic career. Even after opening his studio and transitioning into a lifestyle sports instructor, he still harbored lingering regrets about competing. I’m done, but I wish there was at least one promising athlete at my studio I could properly train. With that unfulfilled wish lingering in his heart, a promising seedling had appeared before him.

However, not as a student, but as the neighborhood problem child.

‘…….’

The boy’s boldness in not being afraid of adults, and even asking who he was in a confident voice, was a pass. Moreover, from what the other children said, he didn’t seem to be afraid of pain either. With a sturdy physique and a strong heart, he was in every way perfectly suited to be an athlete. And perhaps even the fact that his parents neglected him.

Of course, parental support was crucial for a serious athletic career, but taekwondo wasn’t a discipline with significant additional costs like choreography or costumes, like artistic sports. So, once he showed promise in youth competitions, securing sponsorships would be sufficient. Until then, it would only be domestic competitions, so he could manage him himself. In his mind, he was already planning how to coax this impertinent kid to the competition arena.

‘I asked who you are, mister.’

The mere fact that the nine-year-old used honorifics instead of saying, “Who are you, mister?” showed potential. In response to the boy’s continued questioning, the man replied with a wide smile.

‘Me? I’m someone who came to see how well you fight, since I heard you’re so good.’

At that moment, the boy’s expression contorted. He seemed to sense an ominous feeling at the unexpected nonsense, which differed from his expectation of a simple scolding.

‘Come on, fight someone. Let me watch.’

What kind of nonsense was this? This wasn’t a crazy person he could reason with. Having made that snap judgment, the boy ran off. However, the man’s obsession had just begun.

After that, whenever he had time, the man would entrust his studio to his juniors and search for the boy. He followed the boy, scouring every playground in the neighborhood, until eventually, the boy spoke to him first.

‘Do you have a lot of time, mister? Are you unemployed? Why do you keep following me?’

‘Then why do you keep hanging around here? Do you own this place?’

The boy’s face contorted again at the man’s tailor-made response for a nine-year-old. It had been over a week since the man started following the boy. By now, his parents should have intervened, worried about a suspicious person, but there was no sign of them. And seeing as the boy wasn’t hiding at home to avoid him, it seemed clear that he had a reason for not going home.

‘……Annoying.’

The boy didn’t like the man constantly interfering with him. With an adult constantly following him, the challengers who would normally approach the boy naturally disappeared. For the boy, who had obtained everything he wanted from these challengers, this was quite a setback. He knew that adults disliked him. So, whether they scolded him or lectured him, he could just let it go in one ear and out the other. But this man wasn’t doing that. He was just watching him with an intrigued look on his face. That was somehow more irritating.

‘If you’re annoyed, go eat some jjajangmyeon.’

And what was with that childish retort? The boy turned his head in astonishment. And at that moment, perhaps because he’d heard the name of the food, or perhaps because he hadn’t even had ramen properly that day, a loud rumbling sound erupted from his stomach that he couldn’t ignore.

‘……!’

The noise was so loud that anyone within earshot could have heard it, causing the boy’s face to flush crimson. Oh. I thought he was just brazen, but he knows embarrassment too. The man chuckled and asked,

‘Should I buy you some jjajangmyeon?’

At that question, the boy’s eyes widened like a puppy who had heard the word “walk,” then he blushed again, turned his head, and retorted curtly.

‘No, thanks.’

He seemed too thin for his height, and it seemed he wasn’t eating properly. The man sighed inwardly and said,

‘I’ll buy you some tteokbokki too. There’s a place just up ahead, let’s go eat together.’

Under normal circumstances, any child would refuse. Never follow a stranger who offers you delicious food. It was a principle taught in every ordinary household. However, the boy looked back and forth between the man and the nearby shop, then fell into contemplation with a confused expression, as if trying to make up his mind. Why was this man offering to buy him jjajangmyeon? Could he trust him? His expression was complex in many ways.

I wonder what he’ll do. If he calls his parents, I might be able to figure out what kind of people they are. As the man waited, the boy hesitantly blurted out,

‘Will you buy me some dumplings, too?’

That was what he was worried about? The man burst out laughing again in disbelief and replied.

‘Sure, why not? It’s not like dumplings are some big deal.’

If he could lure this promising seedling to his studio with jjajangmyeon, tteokbokki, and dumplings, it was more than a worthwhile deal.