Chapter 7
For Kim Tae-yang, wandering the streets at night was part of everyday life.
There was no grand reason for it.
He'd laze around during the day, drink with his friends in the evening, then wander the alleys again once he sobered up.
As he wandered, if he spotted a woman he liked, he'd approach her.
On a lucky night, he'd have himself a good time. On an unlucky one, he'd leave it for another day.
That was all there was to it.
To Kim Tae-yang, it was the most ordinary routine in the world.
A crime?
He'd never once thought of it that way.
That was how he'd been taught to live, after all.
The strong took what they wanted.
Even if a woman said no, push a little and she'd eventually give in.
That was the common sense of the world he'd grown up in.
Of course, lately he'd been a little disappointed.
The pickings were slim, you could say. Even wandering the streets at night, he couldn't find anyone who really caught his eye.
'Another wasted night.'
Kim Tae-yang was yawning as he walked down an alley when—
"...Oh?"
Beneath a streetlight,
a woman was walking toward him at an unhurried pace.
She wore a strikingly tight white shirt that looked ready to burst.
Her long, straight hair fell to her waist, and she wore an H-line skirt.
Her heels clicked against the pavement over black stockings.
But more than anything, her face, illuminated by the streetlight, caught his eye at once.
"Heh-heh."
The corners of Kim Tae-yang's mouth curled upward.
'I'm in luck tonight.'
Among the people he happened to run into on the streets at night, she was easily one of the most beautiful.
He casually nudged his friend with his elbow.
"Hey, did you see her?"
That ass is insane.
The hulking man with the gold chain grinned.
Kim Tae-yang licked his lips with a lecherous smile.
His lower body was already tensing up at the thought of the fun to come.
The two of them casually blocked the entrance to the alley she was heading toward, and—
"W-What are you doing?!"
The woman took a startled step backward.
Seeing her reaction, Kim Tae-yang gave her a slick smile.
"There's no need to be scared."
"We just want to talk for a bit, okay? Make some time for us. Nights get lonely, you know."
Kim Tae-yang was reaching out toward the woman when—
Grab.
Someone seized Kim Tae-yang by the wrist.
"...?"
He glanced back without thinking, and his expression stiffened instantly.
A huge frame.
A menacing face.
A hulking man who brought a bear to mind had grabbed his wrist.
It was Kang Tae-seong, CEO of KJ Group.
"What do you think you're doing?"
His voice was low and ominous.
Unfazed, Kim Tae-yang let out a snort.
"What does it look like? You can see for yourself, can't you?"
He jerked his chin toward Park So-young.
Kang Tae-seong looked at Kim Tae-yang with contempt.
“Forcibly dragging away a woman who says no is a crime.”
"Aw, they all say no at first. Give it a little time and she'll be the one clinging to you, begging for more."
Kim Tae-yang grinned as he said it.
"If you're interested, you can join us—"
Tsk.
Kang Tae-seong clicked his tongue.
His eyes were openly filled with disgust.
Kim Tae-yang was starting to get irritated, too.
'I tried talking nicely, and this pig bastard...’
There didn't seem to be any room for negotiation.
“If you don't like it, get lost. Go on your way.”
Kim Tae-yang twisted his wrist roughly, trying to wrench himself free.
"..."
But it wouldn't budge at all.
"What the hell?"
He tried again,
putting all his strength into pulling his hand free.
But his hand didn't move a millimeter, as if it were wedged between two massive boulders.
Kim Tae-yang's smile slowly faded.
'...What the hell?'
"Ghh...!"
Kim Tae-yang gritted his teeth.
No matter how hard he strained, the hand gripping his wrist wouldn't budge.
"Y-You bastard..."
Just as the man with the gold chain beside him was about to throw a punch, Kang Tae-seong glanced his way and said,
"You want to keep going?"
His voice was low and heavy.
At those words, both men flinched.
Only then did they properly realize who they were dealing with.
A frame as massive as a bear.
An imposing skeleton hidden beneath all that bulk.
And above all, the monstrous strength he'd just used to stop them without even breaking a sweat.
"..."
Kim Tae-yang swallowed hard.
'What the hell is this monster?'
His instincts told him he couldn't win in a fight.
He finally wrenched his wrist free and took two steps back.
"Grr..."
Kim Tae-yang ground his teeth and pointed a finger at him.
"You'll regret this!"
"Fuck, watch your back at night!"
The blond thug and the man with the gold chain fled the alley after spouting lines straight out of a third-rate villain's playbook.
"..."
Kang Tae-seong watched them go for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness.'
To be honest, he wasn't confident in a fight, either.
Even in his original world, he'd hardly ever thrown a punch. And since possessing this body, he'd only exercised—he'd never once actually fought anyone.
Tae-seong's attention was on something else.
【Villain's Charisma Lv.1】
Price: 1,000 NTR Points
Effect: Intimidates the target. Those with weaker resolve are more likely to lose their nerve.
It was a skill he'd bought from the shop for a thousand points.
Since he'd gotten some points for free, he'd bought it to try it out.
He'd been curious to see how a skill would affect the real world.
‘I never thought I could use it like this.’
Just now, all he'd done was grab the man's wrist.
And yet those guys hadn't dared to attack him.
It had to be because he'd intimidated them, just as the effect description said.
Judging by the name alone, he'd thought it would only make him look a little more menacing.
But now that he'd tried it, the effect was far stronger than he'd expected.
Since the other men had lost their nerve and backed down first, he'd prevented things from turning into a fight.
'This is way better than I expected.'
Like the other items in the shop, it certainly delivered.
Tae-seong was quietly impressed when—
"M-Mr. CEO..."
‘Oh, right.’
Coming to his senses, Tae-seong turned around.
Assistant Manager Park So-young was still standing right where she'd been.
Tears glistened in her eyes.
It seemed all the tension had finally caught up with her.
"Thank you..."
"Are you all right?"
"...Yes."
She answered, but her voice was trembling.
Tae-seong clicked his tongue inwardly.
'This really is a dangerous world.'
The realization hit him anew.
This was the world of an eroge, where people had lost their minds.
Things like this could happen without a second thought as soon as night fell, even if everything seemed normal during the day.
It was an especially cruel world for women.
'How am I supposed to ask anyone to work late in a world like this?'
Park So-young had worked late today at Tae-seong's request.
And then she'd almost been caught up in something like this.
This wasn't something the company could simply ignore, either.
'Should we at least cover taxi fares for female employees who work late?'
‘But considering this is an eroge, even taxi drivers seem kind of sketchy... Hmm.’
After sorting through his thoughts, Tae-seong looked at Park So-young.
"But what brings you here, Mr. CEO...?"
"I have to head home, too."
Tae-seong replied calmly.
"Let's go."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll walk you home."
As he said that, he naturally held out his hand.
Park So-young looked at his hand.
It was large and looked solid.
She seemed about to reach out slowly, but—
Flinch.
Her fingertips stopped in midair.
"...?"
"I-I can walk by myself."
"...Oh."
Understanding the situation, Tae-seong nodded.
'Of course.'
She'd just gone through something like that.
Even taking a man's hand might be frightening for her.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
“...No.”
Tae-seong withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened.
Then.
Wobble.
"...!"
Park So-young's body immediately tilted forward.
Tae-seong caught her reflexively.
"Are you all right?"
"...U-Ugh."
Park So-young's face turned bright red.
It seemed her legs had gone weak, and she couldn't stand properly.
"...I'm sorry. My legs suddenly gave out..."
That was when the tension finally left her body.
Tae-seong nodded slowly.
"Don't push yourself."
"Just a moment..."
Park So-young cautiously took hold of Tae-seong's arm.
"...Let me lean on you for a little while."
"Of course."
A brief silence fell between them.
Tae-seong began walking slowly, matching her pace.
"...Where do you live?"
Park So-young's shoulders twitched slightly.
Tae-seong realized what she'd thought and quickly added,
"Please don't misunderstand. I don't mean anything by it."
"..."
“Today, I don't think I'll feel at ease unless I see you get home safely. Would you trust me just this once?”
Park So-young was silent for a while.
Then, with her head bowed slightly,
she gave him her address in a voice so quiet it was barely audible.
"...It's about a ten-minute walk."
"That's closer than I thought."
Tae-seong nodded naturally.
"Let's walk you right to your door."
Park So-young said nothing, but her hand tightened slightly around his arm.
Her face was still flushed red.
*
"..."
Park So-young walked slowly, holding Kang Tae-seong's arm in silence.
Her legs still didn't have their strength back.
The fear she'd felt moments ago hadn't completely left her body yet.
'...'
But something felt strange.
As she held on to Kang Tae-seong's arm, she could feel herself gradually calming down.
Park So-young cautiously lowered her gaze.
The thick arm she was holding.
A solid firmness met her fingertips.
'It's so firm...'
The thought came to her without warning.
That a man's body and a woman's body were fundamentally different.
At that very moment, Park So-young was feeling that difference more vividly than anyone.
'Come to think of it...'
There had been plenty of rumors around the company lately.
That CEO Kang Tae-seong was working out morning and evening.
That he went to the gym before work.
That he exercised for hours even after work.
At first, she hadn't believed them.
But now that she was actually holding his arm, she couldn't help thinking the rumors were true.
A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
'His arm is so much bigger than Jun-ho oppa's...'
In an instant, Park So-young's eyes wavered.
'What was I just thinking—'
Startled, she shook her head vigorously.
Back and forth.
"...?"
Kang Tae-seong, walking beside her, looked at her in puzzlement.
"Is something wrong?"
Park So-young was startled and waved her hands in denial.
"N-No, it's nothing!"
Her face turned red in an instant.
'I'm crazy. What am I thinking right now?'
The person beside her was... Kang Tae-seong.
That lecherous Kang Tae-seong.
He was lazy and fat, and used to sexually harass female employees.
He was the man with the worst reputation in the company.
And she'd just thought he was more dependable than her boyfriend, Lee Jun-ho.
'No, this is...'
Park So-young desperately tried to make excuses to herself.
'It's just because he saved me, and I'm grateful.'
Yes, that was all.
He'd saved her in a dangerous moment.
She'd almost been assaulted, and he'd rescued her. That was why she was relying on him just for now.
She absolutely didn't see him as a man.
'...You think I'm going to fall for that?'
She gave a small scoff to herself.
'D-Do you think I'm that easy? Ridiculous.'
And yet.
Without realizing it,
she tightened her grip on Kang Tae-seong's arm a little more.
Squeeze.
"...?"
Kang Tae-seong glanced at her, but didn't say anything.
Park So-young pretended not to notice.
'...How strange.'
She was only holding his arm.
And yet her body, which had been trembling moments ago, was calming down so much it was surprising.
It felt like being held comfortably in a warm blanket.
'Just a little... Just a little longer.'
Just until they reached her home.
Just until then, she would stay like this.
Park So-young tried to reassure herself that way, but
her rapidly beating heart showed no sign of slowing down.