Chapter 48. Mysticism #1
Nickname: Mysticism.
Real name: Shin Somang.
Her first meeting with Kang Geon was about two years ago.
It dates back to when she was still a high school student.
At that time, Shin Somang was a student with a remarkably beautiful appearance, radiating a unique presence.
With a slight exaggeration, one could say Shin Somang, with her heavenly beauty, captivated everyone, regardless of gender or age.
It was a daily occurrence for her to be asked for her number wherever she went.
She also frequently received casting offers on the street.
Except for her short height, there was nothing to criticize about her appearance.
Even that shortcoming was offset by her small face and perfect proportions.
However, despite her beautiful appearance, Shin Somang was always trapped in an inexplicable silence.
When someone spoke to her, she would only nod her head.
There were very few people who had ever heard her voice.
She wasn’t mute.
She simply didn’t like speaking in front of others.
Some students gossiped, calling her rude, but most found themselves even more drawn to her, fascinated by her.
Her beauty turned even her silence into a kind of charm.
People constantly tried to approach her.
But Shin Somang did not allow anyone to get close.
She never kept anyone around her and was always alone.
She was comfortable with that solitude.
It’s often said that children who are showered with love grow up to be lively and outgoing.
Shin Somang was an exception to that belief.
Despite being showered with love from her parents and those around her, she remained introverted and quiet.
Moreover.
Like many beautiful female students often experience, Shin Somang too could have fallen into bad crowds or gone down the wrong path during her school days.
But she, who had matured early, rejected all those temptations.
She believed that if the body became dirty, the mind would too, and if the mind became dirty, so would the soul. Therefore, she avoided any physical contact with the opposite sex.
There were some who claimed to be Shin Somang’s friends.
Of course, they were more like acquaintances who occasionally exchanged greetings, rather than actual friends.
Except for her family, Shin Somang always maintained a certain distance from others.
However, she didn’t feel lonely.
Her solitude was not a simple feeling of loneliness but rather a chosen, quiet way of life.
In her silence lay deep contemplation and reflection, which led her to a maturity that set her apart from her peers.
Perhaps it was because of this way of life.
She didn’t have any particular hobbies to speak of.
Though she occasionally showed interest in something, she quickly lost it.
Then one day.
She met a man who piqued her interest.
***
After school.
As usual, Shin Somang turned into a back alley.
What caught her eye at that moment was a group of delinquents, gathered together like a pack of dogs, smoking cigarettes.
‘… Pathetic.’
Shin Somang lowered her gaze.
She tried to pass by quietly, making an effort to avoid making eye contact with them.
That’s when it happened.
“Hey, friend.”
One of the delinquent girls, squatting on the ground and spitting, called out to Shin Somang.
The delinquent girl spat on Shin Somang’s shoes and waved her hand.
“Hi.”
“……”
Shin Somang responded silently with a slight nod.
And just as she was about to continue walking.
“Ha, this bitch is seriously rude as hell.”
The delinquent girl’s venomous voice rang out.
She frowned and stood up, blocking Shin Somang’s path.
At that moment, another delinquent hurriedly approached with a look of concern and grabbed the girl’s arm.
“What are you doing?”
“I said hi, and she just nods and walks off. What a bitch.”
“Somang doesn’t talk much, you know that.”
“Yeah, you know that.”
“Just let it go.”
The other delinquents chimed in.
None of them sided with the delinquent girl who had picked a fight with Shin Somang.
The delinquent girl felt displeased.
It was absurd that her friends weren’t taking her side but were siding with Shin Somang, who wasn’t even close to them.
That irritated her.
She already didn’t like Shin Somang.
The fact that her friends were siding with her just because of her pretty face made the delinquent girl jealous.
Her face twisted with anger.
“Hey.”
The girl called out to Shin Somang again.
“……”
Shin Somang remained silent.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“… Why?”
“Why, my ass. You think I’m a pushover?”
“No.”
“Then why did you ignore my greeting and just walk off?”
“I nodded.”
“You think that counts as responding to a greeting? You’re not even mute, so why don’t you speak, you bitch?”
“I’m sorry. If I made you feel bad, I apologize.”
Shin Somang’s calm response only fueled the delinquent girl’s anger.
The other delinquents were too busy avoiding the situation.
They had no intention of helping Shin Somang, but they also didn’t want to support the delinquent girl.
‘Sigh. There she goes again, causing trouble.’
‘Let’s just ignore it.’
‘I should just stay out of this. Maybe I’ll bet on odd numbers this time.’
‘I do want to look good in front of Somang… but if I take her side, I might get kicked out of this group, so I’ll just stay quiet.’
‘What kind of porn should I watch when I get home?’
The male delinquents had indifferent reactions.
Unlike them, the female delinquents were divided into two groups.
There were the delinquent girls who secretly wanted to befriend Shin Somang.
They hoped the situation would be resolved peacefully without a fight.
Then there were the delinquent girls who had always viewed Shin Somang with disdain.
They wished this would be the moment Somang would be humiliated.
However, none of them actively sided with the girl picking a fight.
They didn’t want to get involved in such a troublesome matter, so they chose to remain as bystanders.
A verbal exchange took place between Shin Somang and the delinquent girl.
But in reality, it wasn’t much of an exchange—mostly the delinquent girl hurling insults.
“You pathetic loser with no connections, why are you acting all cocky? Do you even know any older guys?”
Then, suddenly, a sharp ‘smack!’ echoed through the alley.
The delinquent girl had slapped Shin Somang across the face.
Somang held her face and glared fiercely at the delinquent girl.
“What? You want to hit me back? Go ahead, if you think you can.”
The delinquent girl growled.
“……”
Somang remained silent.
“Don’t just stare. Keep your eyes wide open unless you want to get beaten all day.”
“……”
Somang felt like sighing but held it in, knowing that any reaction would only provoke her further.
“…Is that enough now?”
“Enough? Who said I’m done?”
“You slapped me. You should feel better now, right? So, I’ll be on my way.”
“Nope. I don’t feel better yet.”
The delinquent girl raised her hand again.
“Let’s make it ten more slaps.”
At that moment, Shin Somang’s eyes widened.
The delinquent girl mistook her reaction for fear.
However, Somang’s change in expression wasn’t because of the girl in front of her.
It was because of the man standing behind her.
“You count them yourself. I’m not good with numbers, so I can’t remember how many times I hit you.”
Just as the delinquent girl was about to slap Somang again.
Snap.
Someone grabbed her wrist from behind.
“You shouldn’t fight among friends.”
Everyone in the alley turned their eyes toward the voice’s owner.
The man stood well over 190 cm tall.
Even the tallest of the delinquents barely reached his shoulder.
His build seemed far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Broad shoulders and thick arms.
The large muscles visible beneath his T-shirt clearly showed years of training.
The man’s name was ‘Kang Geon.’
‘How is he so tall…?’
‘Is he an athlete?’
‘Shit. Is this guy a barbarian or something?’
Kang Geon’s mere presence overwhelmed the atmosphere.
The male delinquents naturally shrank back under his dominating aura.
‘Wow, his face is really small, and his proportions are amazing…’
‘Is he a bodybuilder?’
‘Looks delicious.’
The female delinquents couldn’t help but marvel internally.
Except for one person.
“You bastard! Get your hands off me!”
The girl who had tried to hit Shin Somang screeched in fury.
She tried to shake off Kang Geon’s grip by swinging her arm, but her weak strength was no match for him.
“Let go! Let go of me! If you don’t, I’ll sue you for sexual assault!”
“Huh? There was no sexual contact, so can this really be considered sexual assault?”
“These days, it can! Especially since I’m a minor. If I report you for sexual assault, you could get the death penalty!”
“…Death penalty for grabbing a girl’s wrist? Seems like a lot has changed in Korean law while I was away.”
In reality, South Korea still hadn’t carried out a death sentence in years.
The delinquent girl was simply spouting nonsense, lacking any real knowledge.
Of course.
It was possible to sue someone for sexual harassment just for grabbing a wrist.
Kang Geon paused to think for a moment.
‘Wouldn’t it be better to be sued for assault rather than sexual harassment? My power is sealed, so she won’t die even if I hit her.’
After finishing his thought, Kang Geon raised his hand.
“I won’t punch you.”
“W-what? Why are you suddenly saying you’ll hit me?”
“You hit her too. So, it’s only fair for you to take a hit.”
Kang Geon pointed to Shin Somang.
The delinquent girl was terrified as she looked at his large hand.
If I get hit by that hand, I’ll die.
It would be no different than being hit by a truck.
With that thought, she desperately looked to her boyfriend for help.
He was the top delinquent in the area.
Known as a raging mad dog with anger management issues, he would charge at anyone he didn’t like, no matter their size.
But…
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Yes, sir.”
The boy had become a tamed puppy in front of Kang Geon.
This was pure survival instinct.
Unlike the other men he had encountered, the boy instinctively realized that the man standing before him was a strong opponent he could never win against.
It seemed like even a knife wouldn’t pierce those muscles.
The male delinquent respectfully lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why the hell are you apologizing?!”
The delinquent girl raged, but her boyfriend ignored her.
He wasn’t going to defy Kang Geon.
He had decided his life was more important.
He even frowned at his girlfriend.
What on earth was she thinking, acting so cocky in front of this man?
Did she really think I could win against him?
Doesn’t she realize she’s going to get hit?
She was a pathetic girl, and he sighed inwardly.
The boy resolved that after today, he would break up with her and have nothing more to do with this empty-headed girl.
“I don’t remember agreeing to be your ‘sir.’ Anyway, I’m going to hit your girlfriend once. If you have any objections, you can take the hit instead.”
“She’s not my girlfriend anymore. We just broke up. She’s got nothing to do with me now, so hit her as much as you’d like.”
“You son of a bitch!”
With the girl’s last scream, Kang Geon’s palm struck her face without mercy.
Her body flew through the air from the impact.
Thud-!
The girl crashed to the ground, and a few of her teeth fell out along with the blood from her mouth.
She lay unconscious, motionless.
Fortunately, she wasn’t dead.