The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 25 - King (3)

 

 

By chance, he came across a book—one that eventually led him to become NIKE’s “Kang Ye-seong.”

 

Or, to be exact, a trainee shedding blood, sweat, and tears just to debut as a member of NIKE.

 

I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for Kang Ye-seong, who shared the same name and stood in the same place as that other trainee.

 

What I do know is this: Kang Ye-seong must have been happy. For someone who endured everything—for his family—he finally discovered the joy of standing on stage.

 

And so…

 

“We’re here.”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s words snapped me out of my thoughts. He was the first to get out of the car, speaking in a low voice.

 

“Stay close behind me, all of you.”

 

“Seo Do-hwan, are you planning to talk to Gaechul yourself?”

 

“Gaechul?”

 

“Kim Sang-cheol.”

 

“Why the hell would I waste my breath on that piece of trash?”

 

“Then stick close behind me, Seo Do-hwan.”

 

I walked ahead of him and went up the stairs. But I didn’t get far before I stopped.

 

“This area’s off-limits to outsiders.”

 

The warning came from a thug who spat on the ground, his voice sharp with hostility.

 

“What, didn’t your boss tell you he was expecting visitors today?”

 

“Visitors?”

 

The thug tilted his head, then twisted his face into a menacing grin.

 

“You’re the guy who pissed off our CEO, aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah, that’s me.”

 

“Oh, yeah? You admit it, huh?”

 

He picked up on my words, tapping me on the forehead with his finger. But Seo Do-hwan caught his wrist in an instant and twisted it back.

 

“Kuaaaah!”

 

A scream of pain rang out, so horrific that Kang Ye-seong grimaced. But Seo Do-hwan remained calm.

 

“Boss, what should we do with him?”

 

“Get rid of him. Don’t overdo it.”

 

I was just as unfazed. I’d heard screams like that far too many times to be shaken now.

 

At my word, Seo Do-hwan gave the thug’s fingers another twist and tossed him down the stairs.

 

“Ghhkkk! Hhhhk!”

 

The man collapsed with a strangled gasp and lost consciousness.

 

He’s not dead… right?

 

“Relax. I didn’t kill him.”

 

Seo Do-hwan reassured me.

 

“What the hell’s going on here?!”

 

The office door suddenly flew open, and a man stormed out, glaring at us. Then his eyes fell on the unconscious thug.

 

“Jong-pil!!”

 

Jong-pil?

 

“A name that’s the same?”

 

“Who said we share the same name?!” Seo Do-hwan suddenly snapped.

 

At that moment, the man who had just appeared grabbed him by the collar.

 

“You son of a bitch! Are you the one who did this to Jong-pil? Huh? Was it you?!”

 

“And what if it was?” Seo Do-hwan shot back.

 

“And what if it was?! You bastard—I’ll teach you a lesson!”

 

His fate ended the same way as Jong-pil’s. Seo Do-hwan knocked him out cold and laid him beside the first thug, then walked straight into the office through the still-open door.

 

I was about to follow when I tilted my head and asked,

 

“Mr. Kang Ye-seong, what are you doing?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Aren’t you coming in?”

 

“Y-yes! I’m coming, I’m coming!”

 

Kang Ye-seong hurriedly followed us inside. Several groups of men stood there, with the leader at the front.

 

I greeted him warmly.

 

“Hello, Mr. Gaechul.”

 

The man’s face twisted in irritation.

 

“Ah, pardon me. Mr. Kim Sang-cheol, hello. I’m Kwak Yoon-hoo, from WF Entertainment.”

 

“Just like when I heard your voice over the phone—you’re just a brat.”

 

“And as for you, Mr. Kim Sang-cheol—you’ve gotten quite old, haven’t you?”

 

“What?”

 

“You’ll have to go to a nursing home soon.”

 

Kim Sang-cheol’s already furrowed face contorted even more menacingly. The same went for the thugs behind him.

 

“You, you little shit…!”

 

One of them started to charge forward—

 

“Enough.”

 

Kim Sang-cheol stopped him.

 

“Young man, you’ve got some nerve.”

 

He sneered and asked me,

 

“So, what brings you here with our Ye-seong in tow?”

 

“I’m here to ask that you terminate your contract with Kang Ye-seong.”

 

“And if I refuse?”

 

“Then there’s no helping it.”

 

I gave him a bright smile.

 

“I’ll have no choice but to use force—to end the contracts of Kang Ye-seong and every other member of Victory.”

 

“Force?”

 

Kim Sang-cheol gave a mocking laugh.

 

“Boys, did you hear what this brat just said? Force? Against me?”

 

Hahaha!

 

The thugs behind him burst into laughter, finding it ridiculous. But the moment Kim Sang-cheol abruptly stopped laughing, the place went dead silent.

 

“Ye-seong.”

 

He called out to Kang Ye-seong in a low voice.

 

“Our Ye-seong, why don’t you come over to your uncle—while your uncle is still being nice?”

 

“Uncle, my ass.”

 

Seo Do-hwan curled his lips into a crooked smirk.

 

“Didn’t you mean ‘grandpa’ instead?”

 

“You bastard!”

 

One of the thugs finally charged forward with bravado—only to be effortlessly blocked by Seo Do-hwan.

 

“Boss, looks like talking won’t work. Why don’t we just wipe them out?”

 

So this is how it ends, huh.

 

Why is it that nothing ever resolves peacefully with Kim Sang-cheol?

 

I sighed lightly before speaking.

 

“Do as you like. Just don’t break Mr. Gaechul’s desk. And leave Gaechul himself unharmed.”

 

You should respect your elders.

 

Seo Do-hwan smiled brightly at my words.

 

“Got it.”

 

With that light reply, he strode toward the thugs. In an instant, he charged straight into their center and unleashed a one-sided onslaught.

 

“Aaaargh!”

 

“Gwaaah!”

 

“Ughhh!”

 

The gruesome sound of bones snapping and flesh being smashed rang out mercilessly.

 

“Um, Mr. Kwak Yoon-hoo?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Kang Ye-seong? What is it?”

 

Kang Ye-seong asked with a terrified look on his face.

 

“Shouldn’t we stop him? What if the police show up?”

 

“I’ll just lie and say it was consensual violence.”

 

“What? Is that even possible?”

 

“If not, then we’ll settle it with an agreement.”

 

The only thing money can’t buy is a human life. Everything else? Possible. If it’s impossible, you make it possible.

 

“So just sit back and enjoy the show.”

 

“You mean… watching people flying through the air?”

 

Kang Ye-seong asked nervously. And sure enough, thugs were being flung across the room in every direction.

 

I shrugged nonchalantly.

 

“Yeah. It’s not every day you get to see something like this, right?”

 

“Well… that’s true, but—”

 

Kang Ye-seong trailed off. A thug had been sent flying right toward him.

 

“Uwaah!”

 

Startled, Kang Ye-seong grabbed the stun gun I’d given him earlier.

 

Bzzzt!

 

Sparks crackled, and the thug collapsed to the ground.

 

“Well done. That’s exactly how you should use it.”

 

Kang Ye-seong, still dazed, nodded. Just then, the sound of light clapping rang out.

 

“All cleaned up.”

 

Seo Do-hwan had taken down every last thug.

 

“But where’s Gaechul?”

 

At some point, he had started calling Kim Sang-cheol ‘Gaechul’ and now scratched his head.

 

“Did he run away?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

I stood and bent down to peek under Kim Sang-cheol’s desk.

 

“Mr. Kim Sang-cheol.”

 

“Eek!”

 

He jolted in terror, trembling where he had been hiding. I gave him a bright smile.

 

“Now that things are settled, why don’t we start our talk over again?”

 

But Kim Sang-cheol clearly had no intention of talking.

 

“Y-you… you monster bastards!”

 

Judging from the way he was cursing.

 

“Monster bastards?”

 

Seo Do-hwan, standing behind me, raised the corners of his mouth. He was grinning so fiercely that he looked like a thug himself.

 

“Good eye, old man.”

 

His gaze sharpened on Kim Sang-cheol.

 

“Both the boss and I are monsters. And…”

 

Seo Do-hwan pointed straight at Kang Ye-seong and snickered.

 

“That handsome guy you treated so rudely is a monster too.”

 

Pointless words, but they worked perfectly on Kim Sang-cheol.

 

“I-I surrender! I surrender, you little shit!”

 

“Oh, you surrender, but you’re saying ‘little shit’?”

 

“Then what should I call you? Huh?”

 

Kim Sang-cheol trembled and asked, kneeling all the way down. His two hands rubbing together showed how afraid he was of Seo Do-hwan.

 

Seo Do-hwan stared at him for a moment, then suddenly called out:

 

“Mr. Kang Ye-seong.”

 

Kang Ye-seong, who had been sitting quietly, flinched and looked at him.

 

Seo Do-hwan precisely asked him:

 

“What do you want this bastard to call you?”

 

Kang Ye-seong’s lips quivered before he softly answered:

 

“…I don’t want anything.”

 

“You heard him.”

 

Crack!

 

The corner of Kim Sang-cheol’s desk crumbled effortlessly in Seo Do-hwan’s grip.

 

“U-urghhh!”

 

Kim Sang-cheol screamed at the falling debris. I had told him not to break the desk, but oh well. Stumbling out from under it, he threw himself at Kang Ye-seong’s knees, begging.

 

“Ye-seong! I was wrong! Huh? Your uncle was wrong! I’ll never do it again!”

 

“Never do what?”

 

That was me who asked.

 

Kang Ye-seong’s face had gone completely pale, and because of that, I stepped in to speak on his behalf.

 

“What exactly won’t you do again?”

 

“Th-that is…”

 

Kim Sang-cheol stammered, unable to get the words out, so I gave him the answer myself.

 

“Never show your face in front of Kang Ye-seong again. That goes for the other members of Victory, too.”

 

Kim Sang-cheol bobbed his head frantically.

 

“Then, could you sign the contract? And press your thumbprint on it as well.”

 

Once again, he complied without protest.

 

“Fine.”

 

He signed and stamped it.

 

Perfect.

 

For the record, Kim Sang-cheol hadn’t even bothered to read the contract before signing. That was how terrified he was by the display of power Seo Do-hwan had just shown.

 

I gathered up the papers and gave him a small nod.

 

“What are you still doing here?”

 

“H-huh?”

 

“We’re done, aren’t we?”

 

With a smile, I finished,

 

“Get lost.”

 

At that, Kim Sang-cheol flinched and bolted. His underlings exchanged nervous glances, then quickly followed him out.

 

That was when Kang Ye-seong suddenly began to cry.

 

“Ah, don’t mind me.”

 

He hurriedly wiped at his tears, turning his head away in embarrassment.

 

Seo Do-hwan stood there awkwardly for a moment before cautiously asking,

 

“Want me to pretend I didn’t see?”

 

“Do you really need to ask that, Mr. Seo Do-hwan?”

 

“Just in case.”

 

He scratched his cheek awkwardly and muttered,

 

“You might’ve wanted some comfort.”

 

“Kang Ye-seong is the type to bottle it up and endure on his own. He’s not like Yoo-seong.”

 

“…Could you not act like you know me so well?”

 

Rubbing his eyes roughly, Kang Ye-seong let out a sudden laugh. I had no idea why—but he always did that whenever King was falling apart.

 

And Seo Do-hwan teased him for it.

 

“Hey, Mr. Kang Ye-seong. Sorry to say this, but if you cry and then laugh, you’ll grow hair on your butt.”

 

“Don’t talk dirty, Seo Do-hwan.”

 

Cutting him off before he could finish, Kang Ye-seong burst out laughing.

 

He even doubled over, clutching his stomach.

 

I’d never seen him like that before. Then again, it was the first time Seo Do-hwan had teased him with something so vulgar.

 

Anyway, I looked at Kang Ye-seong in surprise, and he finally stopped laughing enough to speak.

 

“Thank you.”

 

With both hands neatly pressed over his stomach, he bowed.

 

“Truly, thank you.”

 

He dipped his head again, repeating his gratitude. And when he finally looked up, he was smiling—like a great weight had been lifted from his chest.

 

I could feel it instinctively.

 

Kang Ye-seong trusted me now.

 

But I also knew this much: there were still more mountains to climb before I could truly save him.