The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 58 - Confidence (1)

 

“Seo Do-hwan, what are you doing here?”

 

Surprised, I asked, and he shot me a mischievous grin—as if wondering why I was even asking something so obvious.

 

“Of course I’m here to pick up the boss.”

 

“What about Deok-soon and Soon-deuk?”

 

I’d asked Seo Do-hwan to keep an eye on Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk. Because of the contract with Lee Man-deuk, I was now responsible for their safety.

 

“Those two? They went to see that damn mage bastard.”

 

“You mean Mr. Lee Man-deuk?”

 

“Yeah. They had a nice chat at the hospital today. I just dropped them off safely in that mage’s room, so don’t worry.”

 

Maybe it was because he’d had to see Lee Man-deuk’s face again, but Seo Do-hwan looked visibly annoyed. He didn’t seem to have any bruises or injuries, but I still asked, just in case.

 

“You didn’t fight with him or anything, right?”

 

At that, Seo Do-hwan’s face scrunched up.

 

“I didn’t fight! Do I look like the kind of guy who’d start trouble in a hospital?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hey!”

 

I ignored his protest and changed the subject.

 

“Nothing strange happened, then?”

 

“Nope.”

 

Opening the passenger door for me, Seo Do-hwan added,

 

“By the way, those two—Deok-soon and Soon-deuk—they really are that mage bastard’s siblings, right?”

 

“Yeah, they are.”

 

“Then how the hell are they so nice?”

 

As I’d said before, it was because Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk had healthy, decent minds—unlike Lee Man-deuk. Still, Seo Do-hwan muttered like he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

 

“Did you know they volunteered at the soup kitchen again today?”

 

“Again?”

 

“Yeah. They almost got hurt by a homeless guy last time, but they still went back. Even when I told them not to, they wouldn’t listen!”

 

He sounded exasperated, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly.

 

“So you helped out too, huh, Seo Do-hwan?”

 

“What?”

 

“Volunteer work.”

 

Judging by his expression, I’d hit the mark. Sliding into the driver’s seat, Seo Do-hwan grumbled resentfully.

 

“If it weren’t for your request, boss, I’d have gone straight home. All we had to do was hand out food, but why was there so much prep? Meat side dishes, soup—ugh, I nearly died running errands!”

 

He kept ranting about how annoying it had been, but honestly, even if I hadn’t asked, he would’ve helped out anyway. Despite how he looked and talked, Seo Do-hwan had a soft heart. He was probably just worried the kids might get hurt again. You could tell from the way he caved when they insisted on volunteering.

 

So I teased him with a smile. “Still, didn’t it feel rewarding?”

 

“You mean giving out food to the homeless?”

 

When I nodded quietly, he let out an incredulous laugh.

 

“Not rewarding at all.” Then, with a sharper tone, he added, “It was just a waste of my precious time!”

 

Liar.

 

Despite his words, his face was full of pride. It must’ve been his first time volunteering, and deep down, he was clearly proud of himself.

 

I didn’t call him out—just listened as he went on.

 

“Anyway, boss. Didn’t Lee Man-deuk tell Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk not to volunteer anymore? I’m pretty sure I heard that.”

 

“Yeah, he did.”

 

“But they still went?”

 

Seo Do-hwan smirked.

 

“Next time I see that damn mage bastard, I’m gonna tell him his siblings completely ignored his orders.”

 

“Seo Do-hwan, tattling doesn’t suit you.”

 

“Like I care.” He snickered, then asked, “By the way, what about Kang Ye-seong?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I heard he was acting weird today.”

 

I had no idea who’d told him that.

 

“Lee Yoo-seong said so. Apparently, they won first place at the music show today, but afterward, he started acting strange.”

 

So that’s who told him. I hadn’t realized Lee Yoo-seong had joined Nike too.

 

“He was shouting weird stuff—something like ‘Heavenly Demon’s Return’ and ‘Bow’ or whatever. Is he okay?”

 

“Yeah, Kang Ye-seong’s fine. He’s resting at the hospital right now, so don’t worry. Just to be safe, he’s getting a full checkup, and if nothing’s wrong, he’ll be discharged tomorrow.”

 

“That’s good. Still, he must’ve really overworked himself.”

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

More like he took a mental and emotional hit.

 

‘Better not tell him that.’

 

If Seo Do-hwan found out, he’d dig until I told him everything. And knowing Han Yeong-won’s personality, she’d reveal herself soon enough anyway.

 

For someone like her—who valued “fun” above all else—possessing Kang Ye-seong’s body must’ve been quite the thrill. To feel that rush again, she’d likely show up before me—or before Kang Ye-seong.

 

‘I’ll have to teach Kang Ye-seong how to defend himself from Han Yeong-won’s Soul Dominion Art.’

 

Of course, after he recovers from the mental shock.

 

“Anyway, boss.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Why didn’t you come home last night? You know Lee Yoo-seong waited for you and ended up sleeping on the couch?”

 

“He did?”

 

Sorry about that.

 

“So? Why didn’t you come home?”

 

“I was just too busy.”

 

After getting Lee Man-deuk admitted to the hospital and visiting my grandfather, I had meant to head straight home…

 

But then—

 

‘That damn Han Yeong-won.’

 

Everything went off the rails because of her. I’d spent hours explaining what she needed to watch out for and what to keep in mind while on stage in Kang Ye-seong’s body—and by the time I was done, it was already five in the morning.

 

“Did you at least get some sleep?”

 

“I did.”

 

After confirming that Han Young-won had gone to the broadcast station with the manager in Kang Ye-seong’s body, I took a quick nap in the office. Maybe thirty minutes at most, before heading straight to the station again.

 

Even then, I’d been so tense because of Han Young-won that I couldn’t properly rest.

 

“What about food?”

 

“Of course I ate.”

 

I’d scarfed down a triangle kimbap while keeping a close eye on Han Young-won, making sure she didn’t mess around in Kang Ye-seong’s body during Victory’s rehearsal.

 

‘Now that I think about it, that was both my first and last meal today.’

 

The moment I realized it, hunger hit me hard.

 

“Turn the car around.”

 

“To where?”

 

“The gukbap place.”

 

Pressing a hand against my empty stomach, I let out a deep sigh.

 

“I’m starving.”

 

“You said you already ate.”

 

“All I had this morning was a triangle kimbap.”

 

“What?”

 

Seo Do-hwan looked at me like I’d completely lost it.

 

“When did you eat that?”

 

“Around nine? Maybe ten?”

 

“It’s eight in the evening now! You weren’t hungry all day?”

 

“I was too busy working to notice.”

 

Because of Han Young-won. I swallowed the rest of the words before they slipped out. Just thinking about how much trouble she’d caused today made my teeth grind.

 

‘Let’s calm down.’

 

It wasn’t the first time she’d pulled something like this. Han Young-won was just as unpredictable as Lee Man-deuk—maybe worse.

 

At my request to stop by the gukbap place, Seo Do-hwan shook his head.

 

“Hold it in. I’ll floor it till we get home.”

 

“Just go to the gukbap place.”

 

“No.”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s voice was firm.

 

“Your grandfather told me to take you straight home after work.”

 

“Grandfather did?”

 

“Yeah. He personally asked me to.”

 

Vroooom—!

 

As he pressed harder on the gas, Seo Do-hwan added,

 

“He was really worried—and said some cranky old man might throw a fit if he didn’t see you.”

 

A cranky old man…

 

“You know who he meant?”

 

“He must’ve meant the chairman of the High-End Group.”

 

So he’d really come to Korea already. He said he’d visit sometime this week, but apparently, he moved faster than expected. No wonder Grandfather got discharged today.

 

“The High-End Group?”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s eyes widened.

 

“That company’s chairman wants to meet you? Why?”

 

The High-End Group was as famous as AMA. No wonder Seo Do-hwan knew the name—though he probably just thought it was another big American IT company.

 

I answered casually.

 

“I met him a few times when I was a kid. I guess since he’s back in Korea after a long time, he wants to catch up.”

 

“The chairman of the High-End Group?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wow.”

 

Seo Do-hwan pursed his lips in admiration.

 

“Man, our boss really is a chaebol, huh?”

 

“What, you thought I was a fake one?”

 

“Oh no~ Our young master’s mad now?”

 

“Shut it.”

 

He snickered, clearly enjoying himself. Still, Grandfather was worried enough to assign Seo Do-hwan to protect me personally.

 

‘He can be eccentric, sure—but not this anxious.’

 

And why did the chairman even want to see me? I’d met him a few times as a kid, but we were hardly close.

 

Then, a memory surfaced—something my grandfather once said about the High-End Group chairman.

 

“The old fox from the High-End Group is coming to Korea sometime this week.”

 

“Why would he come to Korea?”

 

“No idea. But knowing the kind of scoundrel he was in his younger days… he might be here to reclaim the seeds he scattered without even realizing it.”

 

The seeds he scattered—in other words, illegitimate children.

 

‘So he’s found one.’

 

That must be why he wants to see me. The chairman’s illegitimate child and I are around the same age—he probably wants us to get acquainted while the opportunity’s good.

 

I’m the only family member of AMA’s chairman, Kwak Jin-tae.

 

If that illegitimate child builds a connection with me, it’ll benefit them in more ways than one.

 

‘Connections are everything in this world, after all.’

 

And considering the chairman’s ambitions involving that child, it makes perfect sense that he’d want to link us together.

 

But… how?

 

There’s no way the chairman himself went out searching for his illegitimate child. He probably didn’t even know one existed. So it must’ve been the child who reached out first.

 

‘But how did that kid even find him? No—how would he know he’s related to the High-End Group in the first place?’

 

There was only one way to find out. I didn’t know how he’d made contact, but that much, I could confirm with my own eyes.

 

“Seo Do-hwan, do you know where my grandfather is right now?”

 

“No, I don’t. Why?”

 

“I want to go see him.”

 

The chairman of the High-End Group was definitely with my grandfather. Like I said, he’d want to introduce his illegitimate child to me one way or another.

 

Besides—

 

‘I need to be sure.’

 

Ji Geon-hyuk.

 

The supposed illegitimate child of the High-End Group chairman—there were too many things about him I needed to confirm.

 

“Please, Seo Do-hwan.”

 

“No! Didn’t you hear what I said?”

 

“I did.”

 

But I still had to go. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone.

 

“Yes, Chief Choi? It’s me.”

 

“Hey, boss!”

 

Seo Do-hwan snapped, as if asking if I was seriously going to see Grandpa. I brushed him off.

 

“Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me where my grandfather is right now?”

 

I asked my grandfather’s most trusted aide.