Chapter 1404: Side Story 13
Chapter 1404 - Side Story 13
‘Cross the line a bit more. Just a bit more.’
Jisoo sat there with a smile on his face. He was waiting for the moment when everyone present would think, ‘Ah. Tae-Goo did something that deserved a beating.’
A lion would back away, not because it was afraid, but because it was preparing to bite the neck of its careless prey all at once.
“So, did you really have to achieve so much as a ranker? You’re still the most unwanted and unfavorable public figure in the world.”
“To be honest, you’re just setting yourself up to become the world’s laughing stock, right? If it were me, I wouldn't do it.”
Jisoo just grinned. However, hidden underneath his smile was a broken heart. As much as he wanted to ignore the insults, they were hitting the nail on the head.
“Haha! That’s right. I think it’s better to live a normal life like Tae-Goo here and be with a pretty girlfriend, no?”
“Don’t you think so, too?” Tae-Goo shrugged his shoulders. Seon-Hwa, the vixen that she was, received the cue and said, “Oppas, what are you saying~ Jisoo oppa is still one of the best rankers in Athenae. He just doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Haha. It’s fine if he doesn’t have one now. Alas, he won’t have it in the future either. Ah, Seon-Hwa.”
“Yes?”
“How about you introduce him to your friends?”
“I don’t want to.” Seon-Hwa looked at Jisoo in disgust.
The atmosphere suddenly grew serious.
“Hey, you two. Watch what you’re saying.”
“What? Why? We’re just joking around!”
“Hoho. That’s right.”
“Why? Are you going to hit me, Jisoo? Well, just wait for the articles that will be published soon. Drunk, Locke causes a disturbance at a bar!”
“Is this why you called for me to attend this reunion?” Jisoo asked bluntly.
Tae-Goo immediately slapped Jisoo on the shoulder in response. “Hey, hey! We’re kidding. We’re just joking around!”
“Joking around? Well, I’m also joking around. Do you want to see how I joke around?” Jisoo said as he punched Tae-Goo, who was sitting next to him, right in the nose.
Thud!
Tae-Goo was sent rolling back, his nose broken. Blood could be seen dripping down from both of Tae-Goo’s nostrils.
“Kghhk! What the hell?! You f*cking crazy bastard!”
Seon-Hwa jumped up and ran to where Tae-Goo was. As for Tae-Goo? He cackled as if things were unfolding exactly as he wanted them to.
“Ah! This will be a huge headline! For f*cking real. You’re f*cking doomed!”
Clang!
They were so absorbed in what was happening that they failed to hear the sound of the bell ringing. Only when the door opened did they turn their attention to it.
Clack, clack, clack, clack!
“F*ck you! You’re going to be so f*cking doomed. I…!” Seon-Hwa shouted as she raised her hand and tried to hit Jisoo.
“What are you trying to do?” Someone suddenly grabbed Seon-Hwa by the wrist, her tone icy.
“Who the hell is this bit… miss…?” Seon-Hwa backtracked, her pupils shaking when she caught sight of the other person’s face. She has never seen anyone so beautiful in her life.
Even under the bar’s overcast and ugly lighting, she still shone beautifully with her silver hair and eyes. The face that epitomized South Korea's beauty standards could leave anyone speechless and with their jaws on the floor the moment they laid eyes on her.
The entire pub was left stunned and mesmerized by her sudden appearance. If they were in Athenae, notifications like these would have already rung:
[You have been bewitched.]
[You might obey whatever she says without question.]
Seon-Hwa looked closely and scrutinized the woman holding her wrist. That was when she saw the watch on her wrist. She immediately recognized the Patek Phillap watch.
‘It’s the limited edition one…’
She had seen it once in the magazines. According to the Patek Phillap watch designer, the one who created the watch, only the stars and public figures whom he recognized would be able to wear this watch. From what Seon-Hwa had heard, there were fewer than ten people in the world who could wear it.
Everyone was left overwhelmed by the woman’s sudden appearance. How dare they breathe in her presence? They flinched and cowered in front of her.
“Why are you trying to hit my dear Jisoo’s head?” She asked, her gaze devoid of any warmth or emotion. She looked as if she were gazing at something as trivial as a bug, something that was not worth dealing with.
The moment those words rang, Seon-Hwa’s stubbornness finally won over her instincts.
“Ascar? Why are you butting in? And ‘my’? Why do you refer to him like that? He’s not even your boyfriend!”
“He’s not my boyfriend…”
Everyone in the bar nodded. Da-Sol was the world’s most incredible beauty. She was someone who had ignored and rejected the love calls that the world’s leading companies’ chairmen had sent to her. She and the world’s ugliest man, Jisoo, were not a match.
“...yet. For now, I’m the only one who likes him. You see, I think he’s cute and lovable whenever I see him. In fact, he looks cool and dashing to me right now. I’m working hard in courting him, but it’s not… going well.”
Da-Sol’s words left the entire bar in a panic. There was a man among the people in the pub who was her fan. He said, “Ascar and Locke? F-for real…? They don’t suit each other…”
“Yes. He doesn’t suit me. I think he deserves someone better than me.”
It was ridiculous. Even Jisoo found it ridiculous. He just stood there blinking blankly, unable to understand the situation he was in.
Seon-Hwa tried to deny the reality before her. She shook Da-Sol’s hold on her wrist away. Known to be crazy, she could not take it when someone joked around with her.
“Stop f*cking lying…!”
Thwack!
The name “Asura Ascar” was not for show. Da-Sol stared at her lightly after slapping her in the face. “Sit down.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Seon-Hwa answered obediently as she sat down. She even put her knees together and placed her hands on top of them.
Meanwhile, Tae-Goo, whose nose was still bleeding, still couldn't understand the situation he was in.
Da-Sol stepped forward and stopped Jisoo from making a move.
“H-huh?”
Did she stop him because resorting to violence was not good?
She gently loosened Jisoo’s hands, which were holding Tae-Goo by the collar tightly.
Tae-Goo growled, “I’m going to sue both of you…!”
Thwack!
Jisoo got it all wrong. The reason why Da-Sol took his hand away from Tae-Goo was not because she hated violence but because she wanted to hit the man herself. Unexpectedly, Tae-Goo and Seon-Hwa got slapped by her.
The stunned Tae-Goo broke out of his reverie. With the veins on his neck pulsing, he shouted, “You f*cking bitchesssss!!! I’m going to sue you! Ahhhh, huh?! You don’t know, right?! There are Deathpatch reporters here!!!”
For some reason, Jisoo felt flashes of cameras going off in the distance. Unfortunately for Tae-Goo, Jisoo had learned a lot while living as one of the top rankers of Athenae. One of them was always being prepared in case something happened. He took out his phone and played back the recorded conversation he had earlier. They were the insulting words that Tae-Goo and Seon-Hwa said toward Jisoo all night.
“Go ahead. I think you’ll just get people telling you that you deserved to be hit, no?”
As for Jisoo hitting Tae-Goo? He just needed to pay a fine. That was all.
“What about you? Netizens are quite sharp these days. They might be able to get all the information and data about you in just three hours. If that happens, will your company be okay?”
Tae-Goo’s father ran a company. However, it was an SME at best.
“What about your girlfriend? From what I heard, she’s an aspiring actress. Her face and deeds will be plastered all over IG, FB, and all portal sites, right? Go on, try it. I think it will be fun.” Ji-Soo crouched down. “I didn’t take the issue between us in our childhood to heart. However, that’s because we were young. I didn’t even take it to heart. As for you? You’ve already grown this old, yet you still haven’t shaken off your inferiority complex and sense of entitlement. Grow up.”
Jisoo stood up, turned around, and left without any hesitation. Tae-Goo stared at his departing back in shame and fury. Unable to hold back, he grabbed a bottle of beer.
“F*ck. That’s enough.”
“You’re the one who’s in the wrong, you know?”
At that moment, their classmates stood up and stopped Tae-Goo. Even those who sided with him stopped him. They all knew that he had crossed a line that he should never have crossed.
Was Jisoo the only one whom Tae-Goo bullied when they were young? Of course not.
“Why are you holding that beer bottle? What are you trying to do to our friend?”
“Hey, you m*therf*cking bitch. I learned jiu-jitsu just for this day.”
“Oh? Huuuuh? Huh?! Hey. I’m sorry. Sorry! I’m soooooory! Keok?!”
Jisoo and Da-Sol left behind Tae-Goo, who was screaming, and stepped out of the bar.
One of Jisoo’s friends followed behind them and called out, “Jisoo.”
“Hmm?”
Not all of Jisoo’s classmates were like Tae-Goo.
“Come to the reunion next time. Make sure to bring our sister-in-law.”
“Okay.”
“As for Tae-Goo. I won’t invite him next time. Anyway…” Jisoo’s classmate stared at Jisoo and Da-Sol.
They might just be the worst combination in the world. They could even be called the beauty and the beast.
Regardless, his classmate grinned and said, “Congratulations.”
After Jisoo’s classmate left, the two walked side by side in silence for a while.
“When?”
“I don’t know. It just… happened.”
Jisoo still could not understand. So, he asked, “No. What do you even like about me?”
“You’re dashing.”
“Ahem. Ahahaha. I… Is that so? And?”
“You’re cute.”
“Keuhahahahahaha! Is that sooooo?!”
“You’re cool…”
“Keuhahahahahaha! Yes, I’m kind of cool~”
At this moment, Jisoo felt as if he had finally met someone who truly recognized his true worth.
“You know… I like you too.”
Perhaps it was only natural. The truth was that Jisoo thought Da-Sol was very beautiful and kind whenever they met. Nonetheless, he convinced himself that she was a mountain that he could not reach, and was already satisfied with looking at her.
Jisoo sneakily reached out and held Da-Sol’s hand as they continued their walk.
Then, Jisoo thought of the consequences that they would face from here on out. If the world knew that he and Da-Sol were in a relationship, then the consequences would be… dire.
“Let’s keep it a secret for now. The people around us will be surprised if we tell them.”
Da-Sol was about to say that they did not need to do that. Still, she stopped herself. She would be fine. After all, she would just be given the title of a woman who only looked at someone’s heart. But that was not the case for Jisoo. Da-Sol’s fans would attack him.
Da-Sol completely understood where Jisoo was coming from. She respected his decision and agreed.
“I’ll make sure to let those guys from the reunion keep quiet. As for the Deathpatch? I’ll try to stop them from releasing that news somehow.”
Jisoo firmly believed that they should keep their relationship a secret for the time being.
***
The next day.
Locke connected to Athenae. Then, he met Minhyuk.
“Hey, Minhyuk! The weather is so nice today, right?”
Rumble!
Bang, bang!
“Where did you see that?”
“Pfft? No? Aaaaah. I think the weather is so nice, though.”
“Did something good happen to you?”
“Noooooooo~ I don’t want to say iiiiiiiiiiit… But since you wanted to know theeeeeeen~”
“No, you don’t have to say it…”
“There’s nothing I can do~ You know~ I’m in a relationship. Aaaaaah! Wait! Do you want to know who it is? Do you want to know?”
“But I didn’t even ask…”
Jisoo slapped Minhyuk’s forearm and giggled, “I’m dating ‘Scar~ Heehee~”
Then, Locke went out for tea. He said, “Grandpa, your tea tastes so good today!”
“Hoho. Is that so? You look like you’re in a good mood, boy?”
“Aaaaaaah~ Are you curious why?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I’ve been single for twenty-two years…”
***
Da-Sol completely understood where Jisoo was coming from when he told her that he wanted to keep their relationship a secret. Between the two of them, only Jisoo would be attacked and receive damage. So, she decided to go along with what he wanted and keep it a secret.
Then…
“Lady Ascar. I heard that you’re dating Locke?” Grandpa Ben called out to her.
“Yo~ ‘Scar. You’re dating Locke?” Minhyuk said as he passed by her.
“...?”
Then, from the sky above her…
[I heard that you’re dating Locke?]
Obren also asked her.
“Grrrrrrrrr!”
“Graaaaaaa!”
“Keuhaaaack!”
Even the Cerberus, Love, Hope and Happiness asked her.
Da-Sol, who logged out of the game, could not help but giggle. She thought, ‘He probably could not hold it in and ended up bragging about it. He must have thought that he was going to get attacked either way, so he ended up spilling the beans. I really like that about him.’
Of course, Da-Sol wanted to tell the world about it too.
That evening, at a dinner with the president of South Korea, the celebrities, artists, and public figures representing the country were present.
“Miss Da-Sol, I heard that you’re dating Mr. Jisoo?”
‘No. Wait? Even the president knows? At this rate, even a stray dog probably knows about our relationship, right?’
Regardless, Da-Sol was very happy.
***
[Locke♡Ascar officially announces that they are dating.]
[Jisoo said that he wanted to hide their relationship for the time being.]
[But the people around him said that he did not seem to have any intention of hiding it at all.]
[Im Da-Sol’s fans wrote malicious comments on Locke’s IG.]
[Locke did not care about them at all. He even posted a sweet picture with Ascar on his social media!]
[Locke is a man who does not care about things like that!]
The comments flooded the Single Since Birth Community.
[The legend is Red Flame Fighter Ace successfully dating.]
However, there was a story that transcended legends within the Single Since Birth Community.
[The myth was created by SSBCaptain Locke, the Single Since Birth Community’s leader, who has been single for twenty-two years.]
SSBCaptain revealed his true identity as Locke in the community, then left in a blinding and dazzling manner. When Locke, the unofficial leader of the Single Since Birth Community, left, the man with the nickname 37yrsSSB took over his position.
[SSBCaptain successfully dated Miss Da-Sol, the world’s most incredible beauty.]
[Guys, our years of being single since birth are just the preparation period so that we can meet the best person for us!]
[He had created a legend! We can all do it too!]
[I will prove it!]
[I will definitely create another myth!]
[Uwaaaaaaaaaah!]
[SSB! SSB! SSB! SSB!]
The entire community was abuzz.
Thirteen years later, their leader said…
[Jisoo or Locke’s relationship and his eventual marriage were recorded as the first legend of our Single Since Birth Community.]
[And the second legend is…]
[...created by me. I’ve been single for fifty years since my birth, and am still… single…]
The man who had been single for thirty-seven years grew further and was recorded as a myth for remaining single for his fifty years in this world, and perhaps even beyond.
[ㅠㅠ]
Everyone cried.