God Of Crime


Seo Tae Hyuk, jailed after being falsely accused.

He will be executed without being able to prove his innocence.

When he opens his eyes, it's 15 years in the past?


Read God of Crime Prologue online for free - AllNovelFull

The Criminal who became a God.

"Ohh, Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk. I'm sorry to bring you to this shabby place."

Tae Hyuk narrowly opened his eyes and scowled at the other party.

That bastard, he always calls him that.

That was a jargon used in the prison to call the prisoners.

Those who have less than 3 years of term are 'Plebeian', 'Noble' for more than 10 years and 'King' those who have received life sentences.

Of course, there's no meaning of respect in it at all.

A very insulting nickname with contempt and derision.

"I see."

Seo Tae Hyuk sank on the chair in the middle of the room.

He was one of the very few prisoners who don't shrink in front of jailors.

"There's nothing to offer to His Majesty. Would you like to drink the coffee that I didn't finish?"

Tae Hyuk drank it at once like it was nothing.

"Thank you."

"Kuh. Your Majesty. You are composed like always. It's already been 10 years, right? To think that I won't get to see you anymore, tears are covering my eyes.""Yes yes. That day has come. It's in one week."

Tae Hyuk's eye pupil shaked violently.

A groan came from his firmly closed mouth. Although he thought all sentiments disappeared over the past 10 years.

"Plea of innocence denied, the lawyer fled, and then."

"It's become like this."

The jailer gave a few sheets of paper.

"What are these?"

"Write the menu you would like to have for your last night. And if there's someone you want to visit you, write it down as well."

What you would call the last supper and the last visit.

Tae Hyuk didn't move for a minute. But a lot of thoughts went through his head more than he would in his entire life.

And then he slowly filled the sheets.

"Oho. a Kimchi Jjigae? You could have chosen fancier dishes though."

"It's my little brother's favorite dish."

"And to not add pork? This is quite an abnormal order. Perhaps you mean you were poor or something like that? Oh, was I right?""Haha. Yes I see. You'll be busy for the remaining time. It's the first death penalty in 30 years after its reintroduction so everybody's inexperienced so please forgive them kindly."

Tae Hyuk couldn't stand up from his sit for a while.

It was unfair.

It was unfair enough to come in prison after a false charge but to say he was going to die without having achieved anything…

"Ah, right. I had a thought, you know. A criminal who received life sentence is a king of crime, isn't it? Then how should we call a criminal who is executed? Perhaps a god! Haha! In one week, Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk is going to become the god of crime!"

Tae Hyuk roared a while in the room when the jailer left.One week went in an instant.

It seems his name was shown more on TV than celebrities.

It was because the whole country's attention gathered since it was the death penalty that was revived after 30 years.

In front of the prison, human rights groups have set demonstrations everyday but nothing changed.

Tae Hyuk sank in thought on the visitation room's chair.

He felt more serene when he accepted death. He requested his older sister and younger brother to come visit him. It's already been about a year since he last met them.

What kind of talk to have? He wanted to say thank you to his younger brother who believed in his innocence until the end.

Is big sister who took the role of the mother instead of the dead parents, really living well and happily?

Tae Hyuk looked at the clock on the wall. The Kimchi Jjigae on the table was already cold.

creak*

At the sound of the door opening, Tae Hyuk changed his face expression to look indifferent as possible.Tae Hyuk lost his word when he saw who entered.

"Oh my, Your Majesty. I'm so sorry I'm not the person you were waiting for."

It was the familiar face: the jailer.

The jailer sank on the chair in the middle of the visiting room.

"You don't look to be so happy to see that it's me."

Tae Hyuk didn't particularly deny it.

"Your family members. Was it Mr. Seo Tae Min and Ms. Seo Ha Ran? In other word, the two couldn't come."

"Is that so."

Was it because they decided to give up?

It was fine even if he knew that he won't to be able to see his family for his last moments.

Thanks for considering the incapable him who didn't even had the ability to clear oneself's false charge, as a family. He just wanted to say that one thing.

Right.

It was fine with this.

Please consider that the man called Seo Tae Hyuk hadn't even existed.

Then let's pray for my family to live happily. He decided to be content with this.

The jailer moved a bit of his of mouth.

"Last month, Ms. Seo Ha Ran, Your Majesty's older sister, has committed suicide."

"Sorry?"

"It's really sudden, right? I mean, you know. A murder among the family. The mass com is speaking everyday about it. Journalists coming for being a family. And it seems the censoring place was unfortunately bad. So she got discovered by her company. Oh my, oh my. Then she got fired. And she had quite a lot of debt. And she lost the tiny little left to her in a pyramid scheme. So in the end…"

Cough cough!

The jailer imitated to strangle himself.

"Th-that's impossible! How could my older sister..!"

"Then what became of the remaining little brother. Was it Mr. Seo Tae Min? He was someone very brilliant. Unlike someone. He came out of the S university's faculty of law to save his older brother, right? And he was running after some major company or a politician I don't know clues to find. He's been missing not long ago. He may have thought he became a detective or whatever. He should have known his place.""Well, I guess he was put in an oil drum with concrete and is rolling at the bottom of the Yellow Sea by now. He should be getting well with his new neighbors. Well, his exact location is only known by the Sea King I guess?"

Boom!

Tae Hyuk slammed the table with his fist.

The Kimchi Jjigae splashed and the whole room was in a mess.

"Don't you lie to me, you bastard! Are you fucking insane? What? My older sister suicided after being involved in a pyramid scheme? And Tae Min went missing trying to save me? Don't fuck with me! I'll kill you!"

The jailer was in stitches.

"Hahaha! Your Majesty Seo Tae Hyuk. You said you were going to kill me? You who has never killed before, not even a single ant?"

It was right.

At the very moment, Tae Hyuk realized something strange.

He thought the guy was just the jailer he's been seeing for 10 years. But it was not. Such a jailer wasn't in this prison. To begin with, there's no way a jailer would know this much. Then why did he think it was the jailer?

"you. You are not the jailer."

"Then. Indeed, what am I?"

The jailer smiled.

Tae Hyuk screamed at the man's face.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

The place where the eyeball should have been was an empty hole.

And the mouth was ripped to the ear and each time he was laughing, something red dripped down.

The Thing smiled and said,

"I've got this one very appetizing proposal. First, how about hearing it?"

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Read God of Crime - Chapter 1 online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 1 I Don't Think it is a Dream.

Prologue.

"Aigoo, Your Majesty Seo Tae-hyuk. I apologize for bringing you to this humble place."

Tae-hyuk narrowed his eyes and glared at the other person.

Son of a bitch.

He always called Tae-hyuk by that term.

It was a form of slang that inmates in a prison were called.

Those with a jail sentence of less than three years were called 'commoners', while those that received more than 10 years in prison were 'nobles'. The prisoners with a life sentence were called 'kings.'

Of course, the meaning didn't indicate respect at all.

It was a very insulting nickname that was filled with scorn and ridicule.

"I see."

Seo Tae-hyuk sat down in the chair in the middle of the room.

He was one of the few inmates who didn't feel helpless in front of the guards.

"Your Highness has nothing to say. Would you like the coffee that I have leftover?"

Tae-hyuk drank it all at once.

"Thank you."

"Kuk. Your Majesty. You are still as free as always. Has it already been 10 years? Tears are flooding my eyes at the thought of not being able to see you anymore.""Yes yes. That day is here. It will happen in one week."

Tae-hyuk's eyes violently trembled.

A moan escaped from his tightly closed mouth. The last 10 years. He had thought that all his emotions had weathered away.

"Your claims of innocence have flown away. Your lawyer has run away. In the end…"

"It is like this."

The guard held out some documents.

"What is it?"

"Write down the meal that you would like to have on your last night. If you also have anyone you wish to visit then write it down as well."

It was the so-called last dinner and last visit.

Tae-hyuk did nothing for one minute. However, his head was filled with thoughts of his life.

He slowly filled out the documents.

"Hoh. Kimchi stew. It is alright for you to choose a fancier meal."

"This is my little brother's favourite food."

"Additionally, to not put any pork in? This is quite an unusual order. Surely you don't mean you were poor?… Oh, was I right?""Haha. Yes, I see. You'll be busy for the time you have remaining. This will be the first death penalty in 30 years so please excuse anyone if they are inexperienced."

Tae-hyuk didn't move from his spot for a while.

Falsely accused.

He was falsely accused and imprisoned. Now, he was doing to die without seeing anything.

The guard had a strange thought that he found amusing.

"Ah. I thought of something. Isn't a criminal who receives a life sentence called the king of crime? Then what should I call a criminal who is going to be executed? Perhaps, a god? Haha! In a week's time, Your Majesty Seo Tae-hyuk will become the God of Crime!"

In the room where the guard had left him, Tae-hyuk furiously roared for a while.One week passed by quickly.

It seemed that his name appeared on TV more than the celebrities.

The death penalty system had been just revived after 30 years, so it couldn't be helped that the nation was interested.

Human rights organizations protested outside the prison every day but it didn't change a thing.

Tae-hyuk sat in a chair in the visitation room.

His mind calmed down after he had accepted his death. He was waiting for his younger brother and older sister, who he had asked to visit. It had already been over a year since he last saw them.

What would they talk about? He wanted to thank his younger brother for believing that he was innocent until the end.

Did his sister, who took over as a mother when their parents died when he was a child, live happily every after?

Tae-hyuk looked at the clock on the wall. The kimchi stew on the table was already cold.

Thump.

Tae-hyuk tried to make his expression as casual as possible as he heard the door opening.Tae-hyuk forgot what he was going to say when he saw the person who came in.

"Aigoo, Your Majesty. I'm not the one you have been waiting for. I'm truly sorry."

It was the familiar guard.

He sat down on a chair in the visitation room.

"You look very uncomfortable at my appearance."

Tae-hyuk didn't deny it.

"Your family. Was it Seo Tae-min ssi and Seo Ha-ran? You won't be able to see the both of them."

"Is that so?"

Had they decided to give up everything?

He didn't mind that he wouldn't be able to see his family in his last minutes.

'Thank you for treating me as family, even though I was unable to get rid of the false accusations.' He only wanted to say those words.

Yes.

This was what happened..

It would be best if they saw Seo Tae-hyuk as someone who never existed in the first place.

Then he would pray that his remaining family would live on happily. He decided to be satisfied with this thought.

Then the guard smirked.

"Seo Ha-ran ssi, Your Majesty's older sister, Seo Ha-ran, committed suicide last month."

"Huh?"

"Is this surprising? No, not really. She had a murderer in her family, of which the media talked about every day. Reporters kept bothering the family. Then. by chance, the mosaic covering her face didn't work properly, and was revealed to her workplace. Oh dear, oh dear. In the end, she was fired. Furthermore, I was told that she had quite a large debt. She eventually lost her remaining assets in a multi-level marketing scheme. Thus, in the end…"

Kek kek!

The guard pretended to strangle himself.

"T-that is ridiculous!" Why would Noonim do that?"

"Anyways, what happened to your younger brother? Seo Tae-min ssi was it? He was truly smart, unlike a certain someone. Didn't he enter S Law University to save his hyung? He was then caught looking for evidence from politicians and large corporations. Not long after, he disappeared. I guess he thought he was a detective. He should have known not to overrate himself.""My guess it that he is encased in concrete in a barrel drum at the bottom of the Yellow Sea. He should be getting friendly with his new neighbours. Well, what is the exact location of the Dragon King?"

Kwang!

Tae-hyuk struck the table with his fist.

The prepared kimchi stew was strewn about, and the room became a mess.

"Don't lie to me, you bastard! Are you completely crazy? What? My sister committed suicide after losing everything in a pyramid scheme? Don't take me for a fool! And Tae-min went missing after trying to save me? Don't play around! I will kill you!"

The guard held his side as he laughed.

"Hahaha! Your Majesty Seo Tae-hyuk. What, you will kill me? You, who has never even killed a single ant in your life?"

It was the right answer.

At that moment, Tae-hyuk thought it was strange.

Until now, he thought that this was the guard that he had known for 10 years; however, that was not the case. There was no such guard here. In the first place, there was no way a prison guard could know that much. Why did he ever think that the person before was a prison guard?

"… You. You aren't a guard."

"Yes. Then what am I?"

The guard laughed.

Tae-hyuk, who saw the man's face, screamed.

"Aaaaack!"

In the sockets where one's eyeballs were supposed to be was replaced by a hollow space.

The mouth was ripped from ear to ear and something red dribbled down his chin whenever he laughed.

The thing smiled and said.

"I have a very mouth-watering proposal. Would you like to hear it first?"

Chapter 1 – I Don't Think it is a Dream

"Keok!"

Tae-hyuk woke up screaming.

It was a bad dream.

This happened sometimes. Sometimes there were dreams so real that he couldn't even distinguish between the dream and reality for a while after waking up.

"Well, that was a shit dream."

In his dream, Tae-hyuk was a falsely accused criminal who received the death penalty.

"Fuck."

Just thinking about it caused him to curse.

Tae-hyuk sat on his bed and didn't move for a while.

"…Wait a minute. So I was locked up for 10 years for a murder I didn't commit? In the end, I was sentenced to death."

Tae-hyuk certainly didn't kill anyone. However, the evidence was perfect. There was the CCTV taken at the crime scene. The weapon with Tae-hyuk's fingerprints on them. An eyewitness also saw him escaping the crime scene.

"This, damn!"

His body started shaking.

"Wait a minute. It is just a dream. Just think of it as a shit dream…"

But something was wrong. It was too real to be a dream. It felt like he really had been confined in prison as a death row inmate until yesterday.

If it was a dream then who was he now?

Tae-hyuk looked around.

It was a three pyeong room with a bunk bed and two desks. There was also a small bookcase with a simple structure.

The unique dampness and mouldy smell was still the same.

It was the room he shared with his brother Tae-min before he graduated from high school.

'What? It feels like I'm reminiscing about a memory that is more than 10 years old. Crazy. This is all due to that realistic dream."

15 years had passed by in his dream.

But in reality, only a single night had passed. Then what was this sense of incongruity?

"Anyway, I am still a high school student, right? Not a death row inmate?"

Tae-hyuk calmed his chaotic mind and wanted to check.

"Yes, a mirror!"

Tae-hyuk mindlessly searched the room for a mirror. He would resolve things after confirming his appearance.

If he didn't look like a high school student but a man in his 30s… Just thinking about it caused him to have goosebumps.

Eventually, he was able to find a small handheld mirror.

"Ugh. A bad taste."

The demon carved on the mirror gave off a bad feeling.

"Did we ever have a mirror like this?"

It might belong to his younger brother.

The place where he found it was in the bookshelf used by both of them.

"… Phew. Fortunately, I'm still a high school student."

The man in the mirror seemed to be in his late teens.

"Wait a minute. What is this?"

Tae-hyuk looked around with a strange expression. However, there was nothing.

He looked at the mirror again.

There were a lot of strange letters on it.

[Seo Tae-hyuk]

-Title: God of Crime

-Rating: Commoner (Lacking conditions for upgrade)

-Skills Possessed: None

In addition to this, a status window filled the mirror.

Tae-hyuk laughed to himself.

"This is a well made toy."

The contents were commonly seen in popular online games.

A person who liked things like this.

Inside the house, there was only Tae-min.

Either way, he was indeed a high school student.

Tae-hyuk sighed with relief.

He wasn't a falsely accused death row prisoner. He was Seo Tae-hyuk, a high school student in the 2nd grade who lived with his older sister and younger brother. Then he started to remember some things.

Unlike his brother, who was a good student, he had a slightly delinquent appearance.

He sometimes missed school and he couldn't exactly say that his grades were good.

Thus, he was treated as a troublemaker.

Still, at least he wasn't a high school gangster.

"Um. Has Tae-min already left?"

He could smell the scent of rice cooking from somewhere. It seemed that his sister, Seo Ha-ran, was preparing breakfast. He started to realize that he was hungry.

"Tae-hyuk! Come eat!"

His sister's voice was heard.

Tae-hyuk scratched his head and headed towards the kitchen."……"

Tae-hyuk's eyes turned red.

Ha-ran asked with surprise.

"What is it? Did you have a scary dream or something?"

Tae-min, who was sitting opposite to Tae-hyun, stared at him before shifting his gaze back to the English words in the book before him.

There wasn't much time remaining for his exam, so even the preparation time while eating was precious.

"Dust entered my eyes."

The menu for breakfast was kimchi stew. There was only a little bit of tofu, and didn't contain a single piece of meat.

Ha-ran hesitated before saying.

"… I'm sorry, Noona will cook you one with meat when I get paid."

"It really is because dust entered my eyes. Also, Noona's kimchi stew really is the best in the world, so delicious that I would want to eat it before I die."

It was a sincere statement.

He put a spoonful into his mouth and could taste his sister's kimchi stew.

It was a dish that he couldn't eat in his dream, after all.

"Oh my, this child. You'll be late. Eat quickly."

Ha-ran laughed as she moved her spoon. She didn't dislike Tae-hyuk's praise.

Their parents had both died in an accident, so Ha-ran became the sole guardian of Tae-hyuk and Tae-min. Despite being a flower in her early 20s, she was working double shifts at the factory.

She didn't wear any makeup but to Tae-hyun, she was more beautiful than anyone else in the world.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip.

'I'll have to get a job straight after graduating high school so I can help Noona.'

Then he was startled.

A memory from his dream of being a death row prisoner popped up.

'I graduated from school. I obtained a job with a private security company because I had nothing useful, save my body. And I worked there for two years. Then…'

He was framed and went to jail.

'No! It's a dream, a dream! Damn…!'

Tae-hyuk turned on the TV to shake off the memories of the death row prisoner.

-The prosecution is looking for the whereabouts of Yoo Cheol-ho, a prisoner who escaped from Central Prison on the 9th…

Ha-ran shook her head and made a fuss as the news of a horrible criminal was heard.

"Omo. He still isn't caught. It was said that he might be near here. Tae-hyuk, if you go outside, then only go when it is still light. If someone goes up to you then don't follow them. Do you understand?"

"Noona. I'm grown up. And why don't you say something to Tae-min?"

"Tae-min is steady."

"Then I'm bad?"

"Ohuhut!"

Tae-hyuk and Tae-min were already high school students, but Ha-ran still viewed them as children.

Tae-hyuk smiled at his sister's worry and nodded.

"By the way. That person still hasn't been caught? He was clearly caught…"

Yoo Cheol-ho. A familiar name.

He had stayed in the room next to Tae-hyuk's for a while.

In order words, a neighbour.

'Of course, that was just in my dream.'

Tae-hyuk knew why he had such a dream. It was because he kept hearing these things in the news every day.

"Hyung. Did you eat something bad? Yoo Cheol-ho was caught after committing seven murders three months ago, and broke out of prison just last week. So he hasn't been caught."

Tae-min, who was eating rice quietly, interrupted.

Tae-hyuk frowned. Tae-min was interested in such things. This time, he was wrong.

For sure…

"What are you talking about? Yoo Cheol-ho escaped for six months and was caught after committing three more murders."

Tae-min sighed and said.

"Phew, Hyung. Don't just read manhwa. You should watch the news as well. Yoo Cheol-ho was caught? They are completely clueless. There is also a pretty good reward.. You must have dreamt about catching him."

Wait a minute.

Didn't Yoo Cheol-ho clearly get caught after his escape?

He was a complete psycho and quite talkative.

Furthermore, he didn't sleep so he talked about his story until dawn.

After two successful breakouts, he gained the nickname 'King of Jailbreaks.' The place he went and how he escaped were all vivid in Tae-hyuk's head.

"So Yoo Cheol-ho's nickname isn't King of Jailbreaks?"

Tae-min moved his index finger to the side of his head and moved it round and round.

"Hey. That isn't something you should do to your hyung!"

"Ah. It's already 8 o'clock. You should hurry if you don't want to be late. The student manager said he would break your legs with a paddle if you are late again."

Tae-min got up and ran to his room.

'Indeed, a terrible dream.'

Not even the Pirate King but the King of Jailbreaks.

"If the dream is correct then Yoo Cheol-ho's accomplice should be caught in S City by now. But he isn't."

Tae-hyuk unwittingly said the thought that came to his head.

"You must be half-asleep."

Ha-ran laughed.

A few minutes passed.

"T-Tae-hyuk."

Ha-ran, who was eating while watching the news, starting shivering like she had seen a ghost.

"Huh?"

"… You were just talking about Yoo Cheol-ho's accomplice right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"L-look at that."

Ha-ran pointed to the TV with a trembling hand.

-Breaking news. The accomplice to Yoo Cheol-ho's escape was caught in S City.

Tae-hyuk's mouth gaped open. He was so surprised that he didn't notice the falling spoon.

'Wait. What is this? What is this?"

The content of the news was the same as his dream. The evidence was the same as Yoo Cheol-ho's first escape.

'A dream. It's a dream! Then why is it happening in real life?'

"… Noona. Is that a rerun? This actually happened yesterday, or the day before, right?"

"That… a live broadcast…"

The words stabbed at Tae-hyuk's chest like a dagger.

It was a dream, so what was this?

A foresight dream? Returning to the past? Or was it just a coincidence?

Ha-ran gazed at Tae-hyuk with worried eyes.

Tae-hyuk tried to look bright.

"Haha! I just said it. It came true by chance. Maybe I should go and buy a lottery ticket?"

"Hey ~ you really scared me."

"I have to go to school. Doesn't Noona come home late at night? You should be careful at night."

"Prince-nim doesn't have to worry, I'll be careful. Have fun at school."

"Yes, Noona."

Tae-hyuk left the house with his bag.

His laughter instantly disappeared from his face.

According to his dream, Yoo Cheol-ho shouldn't be far from here.

'I need to confirm if Yoo Cheol-ho is really there. Only then will I know if that was just a dream.'

He felt sorry for his sister but he wouldn't be able to go to school.

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Chapter 2 I Don't Think it is a Dream #2.

Chapter 2 – I Don't Think it is a Dream #2

Yoo Cheol-ho's actions after his accomplice was caught were simple. It was the same as fox hunting, if a fox's cave was lit on fire, then it would fall prey to the hunters waiting outside.

If there was a definite hideout, it was better to keep hiding there.

'The place where Yoo Cheol-ho is located is 20 bus stops away.'

A serial killer that had the whole nation in an uproar was in such close proximity.

Tae-hyuk pulled out the wallet from his pocket and checked its contents.

'Um. It have about 3,000 won in total.'

It was said that a man should always have 3,000 won on him. He had no idea that would be true.

It was only enough for a round-trip bus fare. Furthermore, if he used up all of it then he would have to starve for lunch.

'If I had known that then I would have eaten more for breakfast.'

He hadn't even eaten half a bowl of stew due to thinking about Yoo Cheol-ho.

It was like in the military or the prison. It was an unspoken law that those who left food behind would soon regret it.

'Damn. This is just like a real criminal.'

It was within walking distance but Tae-hyuk decided to take the bus. It was noticeable if a student wearing a uniform was walking the streets during class time. Due to his delinquent looks, he was often picked up by police officers on patrol and lectured.

Every time Ha-ran was contacted, he would have to see her in tears.

'Indeed, I should take the bus.'

What did he want to do when he met Yoo Cheol-ho?

Tae-hyuk's mind became complicated.

What if Yoo Cheol-ho was really at the location where he was going now? Then it would be proof that what he thought was a dream actually wasn't.

Then…

Would he really go to jail in five years after being falsely accused?

As a result those events, his older sister Seo Ha-ran and younger brother Seo Tae-min would be ruined.

'Fuck. It is like hearing that I have a terminal illness…'

However, it was better to know and be prepared than to be ignorant.

Tae-hyuk got on the bus towards his destination.

He pulled his baseball cap deep over his face, just in case he saw a face that he knew.

'Um. It is past the time to go to work so there aren't many people on the bus.'

There was only an old lady and a man with a baseball cap positioned like Tae-hyuk's.

He had bumped into the man when he got on the bus.

But there was something suspicious about him.

'It is so empty in here, so why is he sitting next to someone?'

Tae-hyuk, who had sat in an empty seat, turned and closely observed the two of them.

It was at that moment.

Brr!

There was a vibration from between his crotch.

Tae-hyuk looked around with surprise.

'Fuck… If anyone saw that then they would think I was a pervert.'

There was something in the pocket of his school uniform that was vibrating.

'Uh, is it a mirror? Why is it in the pocket of my uniform?'

It was the mirror that he used to look at himself this morning. The demon carved on the outside still looked really ominous.

Tae-hyuk squinted and looked at the mirror..

His face was reflected but there were still some strange letters written.

[Crime Skill: Robbery has been acquired.

-You can acquire one random item when bumping against another person.

-The probability of success depends on your dexterity.

The letters came and then disappeared.

Tae-hyuk's mouth trembled.

'What is this…?'

At the same time, new letters emerged above his head.

[Seo Tae-hyuk]

-Title: God of Crime

-Rating: Commoner (Lacking conditions for upgrade)

-Skills Possessed: Robbery (Lv 1)

'Did I learn the Robbery skill just now? Why? WHY?!'

Tae-hyuk realized that the demon mirror wasn't an ordinary item.

In the first place, he had clearly left this on Tae-min's desk, yet it somehow ended up in his pocket.

He thought that the demon looked like a true dick. A really dick-like thing.

Anyway, if the words on the demon mirror were true, then he had just learnt a crime skill.

Tae-hyuk looked around.

It wasn't difficult to find the reason.

'If there is a result, then there needs to be a cause.'

After Tae-hyuk's arrival on the bus, the old lady started to snore as she dozed off.

The man sitting next to her then revealed his true colours.

'Pickpocket!'

The man used careful hand techniques to prevent the old lady from waking up. He easily opened the locked handbag using a razor, and all he took out was a wallet.

If Tae-hyuk hadn't known that something was going to happen beforehand, then he would have thought the man's body had moved because the bus was shaking.

That's how perfect the man's skill was.

Tae-hyuk wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't seen the word 'robbery' on the demon mirror.

'What on earth is this mirror?'

Tae-hyuk chewed on his lips.

Was it truly a mirror that had a demon dwelling inside it?

The pickpocket tried to get off the bus before Tae-hyuk could calm his confused mind.

Duk!

The pickpocket was rushing like he could feel a gaze on him.

Then Tae-hyeok's body was lightly bumped.

Once again, the demon mirror vibrated.

Brr!

Tae-hyuk made a crazy expression and looked at the mirror.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings! The pickpocket had already escaped the bus.

'Robbery?'

According to the message in the mirror, he had stolen something from the pickpocket.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip.

'I should check to see what I stole first.'

Tae-hyuk searched through his pockets before a long wallet that he hadn't seen before emerged.

'Oh my god!'

It was as he had thought. The pickpocket had stolen the old lady's wallet then it was stolen again.

In this situation, the one accused of being the criminal would be him.

Tae-hyuk hurriedly got off the bus.

The the old lady's scream rang through the bus.

"Omo! My wallet is gone!"

Tae-hyuk's eyes shook.

There was no time. Tae-hyuk ran through the alleys.

'Crazy…'

A pickpocket stole the old lady's wallet.

And the pickpocket had the wallet stolen by Tae-hyuk.

If Tae-hyuk had been a little late getting off the bus then he would have been arrested by the police officer on duty.

'What? God of Crime? Trying to make a good person a criminal!'

Tae-hyuk angrily threw the demon mirror with all his strength towards the ground.

Jjeok!

'Wah…'

Rather than the fragile mirror breaking, the cement ground was the one that cracked.

This time he stepped on it.

"Uaack!"

It hurt like he had kicked a stone pillar. Tae-hyuk spat out curses and threw the demon mirror into a trash bin.

He then turned his body and left this place.Tae-hyuk was worried about what to do with the old lady's wallet.

It seemed like he was becoming a criminal without his consent.

'Just like those guys.'

In his dream, Tae-hyuk had been imprisoned for 10 years. Unless he was in solitary confinement, it was impossible not to meet other criminals.

There were even those criminals convicted of atrocities.

Yoo Cheol-ho was one of those people.

They were monsters in a human guise.

Now, he wasn't too sure that it was a dream. At any rate, he was a falsely accused death row inmate in his dream.

For 10 years, he had struggled to escape from that place. It had been a really painful, long time.

Would it have been easier if he knew that he had been postponing death for 10 years?

So if he became a criminal here, it would be like denying his very existence.

'I need to find its owner'

But how?

He could go to the police station and give them the wallet. They would thank him for surrendering, and then they would handcuff him.

'Well. It is best to just put it in the mailbox.'

Inside the wallet were 20 checkbooks worth 100,000 won each and ten 50,000 won bills. The total was 2.5 million won.

There was also identification. He would definitely put it in the mailbox that belonged to the owner.

'She is richer than I thought.'

His heart shook at the tidy sum. It was enough to buy some new clothes for his troubled sister.

'…Seo Tae-hyuk. What are you thinking? I don't think that Noona would like that.'

Tae-hyuk pulled a 50,000 won bill from the wallet.

This was lost property, so to speak. If he returned it to the owner, then 10% was his.

Then he put the wallet in the mailbox.

'I can buy samgyeopsal and grill it with Noona.'

He thought as he placed the money in his pocket.

He froze in shock.

'Crazy…'

It was the demon mirror that he had obviously tossed in the bin.

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Chapter 3 I Don't Think it is a Dream #3.

Chapter 3 – I Don't Think it is a Dream #3

Tae-hyuk eventually gave up on getting rid of the mirror. It kept returning to his pocket, yet it wasn't a possessed doll.

It just informed him of the situation through messages and vibrations. It didn't like seem like it would do him any harm.

'I guess I should go visit a shaman later.'

He put aside the mirror for now, and decided to think about Yoo Cheol-ho first.

'Wasn't Yoo Cheol-ho hiding in an empty church?'

If he had a smartphone, then he would search with a map app service. However, Tae-hyuk currently only had the flip phone that his sister had given him.

He had no choice but to go to a nearby PC room to search online.

Despite the fact that it was currently class time, the PC room was still crowded with people.

He noticed a few students in their uniforms.

'They are also playing hooky.'

Tae-hyuk paid the fee at the counter, then sat down and turned on the computer.

'The location of the church… Crazy. There are more than 20?'

The good news was that he knew that it was an empty church. Tae-hyuk called the churches one by one to check.

After a few minutes, he was able to get the information that he wanted.

'There were two churches that didn't answer the phone. He is certainly in one of them!'

Tae-hyuk moved in a hurry.

The first place he went to wasn't correct. If that was true, then Yoo Cheol-ho was definitely at the second location.

'Bingo…!'

The curtains were firmly closed over each window. However, he felt a strange presence inside.

The whole alley was half empty due to redevelopment. The church where Yoo Cheol-ho was hiding also seemed to be ruined.

'Certainly, no one would ever imagine that an escaped prisoner would be hiding in a run down church.'

First of all, he had to confirm that Yoo Cheol-ho was inside.

'How can I talk to him?'

He couldn't knock on the door and ask for Yoo Cheol-ho ssi. It just wasn't possible.

At that moment, he came up with a good idea.

Tae-hyuk got the address of the church from the mailbox and headed to a Chinese restaurant that was nearby.

It was a place where he used to do deliveries when skipping school.

It was lunch time. The phone was ringing, but the delivery motorcycles weren't visible.

'As expected, they are swamped with orders.'

Tae-hyuk called the Chinese restaurant.

He made an order for jajangmyeon and gave the address of the church. He also made sure to sound annoyed at the fact that the restaurant was swamped with orders, and that the delivery would be delayed.

"Uh, is it Tae-hyuk? Did you come for a job again? Well, that is good, as there are a lot of deliveries."

The boss greeted Tae-hyuk as he opened the door to the Chinese restaurant.

"Nope. I'm here to eat jajangmyeon."

"Aye, don't be like that. I'm unbelievably busy right now, please, just do 10! It is urgent so I'll give you an hourly wage of 10,000 won.'

Tae-hyuk smiled pleasantly.

"Then I'll do it for just one hour."

"Call!"

Tae-hyuk changed into his work clothes and picked up the iron boxes containing the deliveries.

'Let's do a test.'

He decided to test if the Robbery skill he just learnt could also be used against the public.

As he passed the boss sitting at the counter, Tae-hyuk bumped against his body.

Then the crime skill was activated normally.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings!

'What did I steal?'

Tae-hyuk put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a strange bundle of hair.

'What is this?'

He looked at the boss and saw that his rich head of hair was gone.

'Boss-nim… Isn't he obviously in his 30s?'

Tae-hyuk's eyes flashed.

"This fell here."

"Ack! When was this stripped off? T-Tae-hyuk… Don't tell anybody about this. I'll add another 5,000 won to your hourly wage."

The two men exchanged conspiratorial glances."Your Jajangmyeon has arrived!"

Tae-hyuk knocked on the firmly locked door and shouted.

There was no reaction from inside the church. He started using more strength to knock on the door.

There was still no reaction, so Tae-hyuk started shouting.

"Aish! Delivery! Please come out quickly!"

In the end, the person couldn't bear it.

The closed curtain opened a little bit. The person inside was checking to see if it really was a genuine Chinese delivery person outside.

The iron door opened, revealing a man in clergy attire that could be seen from within the shadows.

"I never ordered any jajangmyeon."

"Aish! It's right here."

"Well. I happen to be hungry. How much is it?"

The man opened the door a bit wider and slowly came out.

Tae-hyuk nearly dropped the iron box he was carrying.

'Yoo Cheol-ho…!'

A murderer who killed seven people.

It was him.

'He has a beard now, and is also in clergy attire, but it is definitely him!'

Tae-hyuk's clothes became damp with sweat.

The fact that Yoo Cheol-ho was here was evidence that what Tae-hyuk saw wasn't a simple dream.

Then…

'Crazy. Then, in the next five years, I will be framed and taken to prison? Fuck off!'

Wait a minute.

Something suddenly popped into Tae-hyuk's head. It was different from the time when he was framed without knowing anything.

Right now, Tae-hyuk knew what would happen in the next 15 years.

And…

'I don't know precisely what this power is, but there is also the mirror.'

Due to the power of the mirror, he was able to learn the Robbery skill from the pickpocket.

If that was so, then couldn't other things be learned?

Perhaps Tae-hyuk could change the harsh reality that he remembered.

'First of all, I have to find out how to learn skills.'

Tae-hyuk remembered when he first learnt Robbery.

He ran into the pickpocket as he got on the bus, and got the Robbery skill.

Shortly afterwards, he witnessed the pickpocket stealing the old lady's wallet.

The condition required would be one of them.

"My body feels a bit uncomfortable. Can you come in and put the food on the floor?"

Yoo Cheol-ho said with a smile.

Tae-hyuk looked at his eyes, and saw the eyes of a beast determined to kill.

'I cannot relax for even a second!'

If he did something even slightly suspicious, then he would surely be killed by Yoo Cheol-ho.

Tae-hyuk recalled the three murders after Yoo Cheol-ho escaped.

He suspected that they had noticed his identity and stabbed them dozens of times with a knife.

Yoo Cheol-ho was very quick.

Tae-hyuk wouldn't be able to get away if he tried to escape.

Then…

He had to perfectly pretend to be a Chinese delivery person.

Tae-hyuk told Yoo Cheol-ho with a casual expression.

"It is 5,000 won."

"Wait a minute. Money…"

There were no signs that Yoo Cheol-ho doubted Tae-hyuk's identity.

Tae-hyuk smiled pleasantly.

'It was good that I came in the disguise of a Chinese deliveryman.

People always let down their guard when they deal with people like couriers and delivery men.

Tae-hyuk remembered that Yoo Cheol-ho was previously arrested after being reported by a pizza delivery person.

"Yes, the money is here."

Yoo Cheol-ho pulled out a 10,000 won bill from his pocket.

Tae-hyuk accepted it and gave back the change.

"We're currently swamped with deliveries, so I will come back later to pick up the bowl after an hour."

And the door closed.

Tae-hyuk sighed with relief.

He had safely escaped from the clutches of a crazy killer.

"Try to enjoy it, as it will be your last meal in society."

Tae-hyuk laughed.

If he had known this before, then he would have also given Yoo Cheol-ho some .

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Chapter 4 I Don't Think it is a Dream #4.

Chapter 4 – I Don't Think it is a Dream #4

'It seems that I can't learn skills just from touching another person's body.'

Tae-hyuk had deliberately touched Yoo Cheol-ho's hand as he was giving him the money.

However, there was no reaction from the mirror.

'Then what is it?'

Surely it wasn't just the Robbery skill?

There was just too much that he didn't know.

'Let's just think about Yoo Cheol-ho first.'

It was impossible for him to catch the killer directly. He didn't even know the success rate of Robbery, so it was suicidal to act while believing in it.

Then there was only one thing left.

The prosecutors assured that they would be able to catch Yoo Cheol-ho tomorrow; however, according to Tae-hyuk's dream, Yoo Cheol-ho would start fleeing across the country for more than a month.

Within that time period, three innocent civilians would be killed.

The most important thing was for Tae-hyun to deviate from the predetermined date.

If Yoo Cheol-ho were caught today… then the three victims that were supposed to die would be saved in the end.

He hoped that he could change the future.

Tae-hyuk hurried into action.

'Yes. I will call a reliable detective.'

Tae-hyuk thought about who to contact while searching through his pockets.

He then pulled out his handphone to make a call.

'… There is no more battery.'

It was an old-fashioned flip phone that he inherited from his sister. Even if he charged it every day, it was still a junk phone that would quickly run out of power.

Tae-hyuk went to a nearby convenience store and charged his handphone. A few minutes would be enough to make one call.

The TV in the store was showing news about Yoo Cheol-ho.

-Finally, there is a reward of 50 million won. However, his location is still unknown.

'Bounty!'

Tae-hyuk almost fell backwards at that word.

'Why didn't I think of it before? He is an escaped prisoner, so naturally there will be a reward!'

Come to think of it, his brother had said something similar this morning.

At first, this was simply to check if he was in a dream or not.

Then he suddenly learned a strange crime skill – but this fact wasn't too important.

'50 million won…'

It was an amount that allowed him to not only buy clothes for his hard-working sister, but also allowed them to get out of the monthly rented semi-basement room.

The person he called would be someone who would obtain a huge merit. Therefore, he wanted to give it to someone he knew.

'Yes. I will call Cho Kang-suk hyung.'

He was a crime squad investigator who had questioned Tae-hyuk several times in the past. He was one of the few people who treated Tae-hyuk as a human instead of a death row inmate.

His promotion luck was quite bad, despite have a vibrant sense of justice, so he was still in the field despite being in his late 40s.

'He should be roughly in his 30s right now.

After confirming that the battery was charged to a certain extent, Tae-hyuk pressed a number.

-This is the Gang-dong police station.

"I wish to speak to Detective Cho Kang-suk."

-Yes, I understand.

There was a moment of silence before Cho Kang-suk's voice was heard.

-Yes, the phone has been changed. I am Cho Kang-suk of the Gang-dong police station's 2nd team.

"Will I really get a reward if I catch Yoo Cheol-ho?"

Tae-hyuk asked directly.

-It has to be directly. Or can it just be a crucial tip that leads to the arrest… Hey, are you a high school student? Why are you making a prank call? If I catch you then I'll be angry!

It was a reaction that Tae-hyuk had expected from Cho Kang-suk.

He was more like a neighbourhood hyung than a detective.

"It is real. But is it in cash? What are the tax percentages?"

-Hyung is busy so I'm hanging up.

"It is definitely Yoo Cheol-ho. Isn't this a situation where you have to find every grain of rice that Yoo Cheol-ho shed while eating? How about just checking it out?"

-I will do it. I hope it is real or I will one punch you so hard that three teeth will be knocked out.

"Yes."

-How did you even see him?

"I made a delivery."

-Even an escaped prisoner has to eat.

Tae-hyuk smiled widely.

Despite his crude way of speaking, Cho Kang-suk was a thorough detective. He would check any minor clue directly.

Tae-hyuk told Kang-suk his location."Fuck. It is real. To think that he was hiding in this type of place. Son of a bitch."

He used the walkie-talkie, requesting that reinforcements be sent from the investigation headquarters.

"I found where he is hiding. Location…"

Kang-suk patted Tae-hyuk's head.

"Sorry for doubting you."

"No problem. Please be sure to catch him."

"Then. Watch as I catch him."

Tae-hyuk licked the ice cream Kang-suk bought him and watched the arrest operation.

The rest happened quickly.

The investigation had been in trouble because there were no witnesses to report the location. But now they knew exactly where he was hiding.

Cho Kang-suk acted quickly.

After contacting the special investigation headquarters, dozens of police cars arrived.

Tae-hyuk watched in interest as they broke through the door of the building.

Yoo Cheol-ho took off the clothes that he was wearing and started to run away quickly.

Cho Kang-suk threw himself onto Yoo Cheol-ho, like a hawk hunting its prey.

Yoo Cheol-ho was handcuffed and started screaming.

"Fuck! Which son of a bitch knew I was here? Tell me! I'll bite off the flesh on their bones!"

Yoo Cheol-ho was taken away by five police officers while still furiously struggling.

Tae-hyuk just watched as he put the last bit of ice cream in his mouth..

"Ah, cool!"

It was sweet and delicious.

After Yoo Cheol-ho was dragged out, the police entered the church to find any remaining evidence.

Cho Kang-suk continued walking around with a walkie-talkie to check if there were any more threats to Tae-hyuk, the witness.

Tae-hyuk thought it was good that the tip went to him.

'Ah, Detective-nim. You are rejuvenated. You don't even have the potbelly anymore.'

It was so different from the Cho Kang-suk he remembered that Tae-hyuk couldn't help laughing. Only the eyes that burned with the flames of justice were the same.

"Detective Cho Kang-suk. You should now receive a special promotion."

"Brat. If you are facing any trouble, contact Hyung… but you don't look like the type who will be easily bullied. "Ah. Have you eaten lunch? Shall Hyung buy you a bowl of jajangmyeon?"

"Wah. I gave you the top merit for catching this criminal, yet you only want to buy me a bowl of jajangmyeon?"

"Well. Do you want tangsuyuk as well?"

"Nope. I've actually already eaten. Instead, there is something else I need your help with. Help me get the bounty money, as this is my first time."

Cho Kang-suk chuckled. He seemed to like the bold Tae-hyuk.

"Haha. Doesn't it sound like you're planning to do this again?""Puhaha. What is with that expression? Anyway. You are Tae-hyuk? Really, thank you. Yoo Cheol-ho, that bastard, is a really dangerous guy. Had he escaped, then he would have definitely started killing again. We were able to catch him without any injury, thanks to your report."

Tae-hyuk felt something hot rising from within his heart.

He hadn't realized because he had been focused on the reward.

Tae-hyuk had saved the lives of three future murder victims.

The tragedy in the future had changed.

It was at that moment.

The mirror vibrated.

'Eh, I didn't bump into anyone.'

The crime skill Robbery seemed to activate regardless of Tae-hyuk's will.

However, there was the condition that he needed to touch the other person.

He pulled out the mirror and checked the sentences.

[3 affinity points have been acquired.]

[You can use the affinity points to enhance crime skills or activate hidden attributes.]

"What is this?"

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Chapter 5 This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours.

Chapter 5 – This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours

After studying it all night, Tae-hyuk had finally figured out the usage of the mirror to a certain extent.

It was basically the same as a smartphone with a touchscreen.

He could touch the screen to get any desired information, and even to change any of its settings.

Tae-hyuk could call up a list of accessible skills by clicking on the [Crime Skills] tab.

'Robbery' was currently the only one available.

Furthermore, Tae-hyuk had three affinity points, which he recalled seeing in a game before.

The acquired points could be used to strengthen skills.

Once he clicked on an item, several lists came up.

He could steal things from a person who didn't even bump into him, pick the item that he wanted, etc. They all seemed like useful skill enhancements; however, the number of affinity points needed varied for each enhancement.

The one that was most expensive, at a total of 10 points, was stealing several items at once. The other enhancements ranged from one to five points.

Tae-hyuk decided to test the affinity points.

'First of all, I have to raise this.'

'Robbery' was the skill that stole the object of a person he bumped into. The slightest mistake meant he could be seen as a pickpocket.

Fortunately, there was an attribute to avoid that.

'Activation Timing Adjustment!'

After selecting the desired attribute, he pressed the 'enhance' button, and the screen flashed with a message.

'…It is like I am watching a B grade mobile game. Surely it won't fail?'

[Insufficient affinity points.]

'Ack! What? It requires five points to get Activation Timing Adjustment?!'

He needed two more points in order to prevent the crime skill from being triggered at an inconvenient time in the future.

The problem was that he didn't know how to acquire additional points.

As Tae-hyuk grabbed his head in distress, somebody suddenly spoke to him.

"Hey, Tae-hyuk. It is Hyung."

Cho Kang-suk, who was wearing jeans and an Aloha t-shirt, opened the cafe door and waved out to him.

He was also wearing red sunglasses.

Tae-hyuk instinctively wanted to leave the cafe but endured that notion.

Kang-suk, despite his abhorrent taste in fashion, had come to help.

Tae-hyuk greeted him.

"Hello, Kang-suk hyung."

Kang-suk sat in a chair and said.

"I paid some attention to what I am wearing today. Huhu. Thanks to you, I received a holiday. I am planning to go to a club in the evening."

Going to a club…?

Tae-hyuk had a headache.

"It is really cool. I thought you were a model."

"Haha! This guy. Won't you do well in your social life?"

He was tall and had big, broad shoulders, so his social life wasn't bad. However, he seemed to be more popular with men than with women.

"Auntie! A cup of coffee over here please! Keep it coming!"

"…Here, you have to go to the counter and order it."

"I-I see. I've never been here before."

Kang-suk scratched his head and ordered a cup of ice coffee.

After waiting for a while, the clerk came with an iced coffee and some ice cubes.

Kang-suk took a gulp and said,

"I still don't know the difference between iced coffee and cold coffee."

The tea room coffee seemed to suit his taste more.

"Thank you for helping me today."

Tae-hyuk bowed his head.

Today's meetup was regarding money.

If a high school student accepted the reward money, then twisted, greedy dung flies would gather.

If Detective Kang-suk claimed it, then such people could be effectively prevented.

He was sincerely grateful for Kang-suk's help.

"Well, I can take a vacation thanks to you."

"Then let's go straight away."

"Hey. Sit down. There is an order in the works."

Kang-suk started to explain.

"I think you should know most of it to a certain extent, but I'll explain the details. Although the basic reward is 50 million won, you won't be able to receive all of it."

Tae-hyuk nodded. It was quite silly, but he had to pay a certain amount under the pretext of taxes.

"15% will be taken as the withholding tax. Then there is another 22% for the unearned income tax. Ultimately, you get 63% of the original reward.

Tae-hyuk already knew that 15% would be taken.

However, he didn't account for the unearned income tax, the tax on profits obtained without working.

He had worked hard to earn this money!

Tae-hyuk felt wronged, but as it was the law, he couldn't do anything about it.

"In the end, I will still get 31.5 million won."

"That's right, that is still a lot of money. It is even more than my regular salary."

"You have a terribly small salary."

"Hey, don't say that. Anyway, what will you do with that money? Don't spend it in strange places. Do you want Hyung to help you with installment savings?"

Tae-hyuk decided to tell the truth.

"Well. In fact, my parents died in an accident and a few debts behind. We can try and give up the inheritance, but it will be of no use as it was dragged into my noona's name. In the end, I am living with my noona in a semi-basement rented room. My noona's health keeps on getting worse due to the bad air, however. I was planning on using the bounty money to move us out of the semi-basement and into a better home."

"…Well. This brat. A real man!"

Kang-suk's voice trembled. He thought that after Tae-hyuk received the money, he would it to buy things he wanted or to travel overseas. Kang-suk was proven wrong, however, and was deeply impressed.

Kang-suk pounded on Tae-hyuk's back.

He liked this type of heart.

'N-no!'

However, Tae-hyuk inwardly let out a shriek.

Once again, his crime skill was triggered.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have failed to steal the opponent's belongings…

Fortunately, it was a failure.

Even if it was a mistake, stealing Kang-suk's wallet would be the end.

'Luckily it failed… Uack!'

However, Kang-suk hadn't finished pounding his back.

Pang pang pang!

Robbery was triggered eeach time.

'Failure…, ah again failure…!'

The success rate was lower than he thought.

But no matter how low the probability was, as long as it wasn't zero, it would eventually succeed.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings!

'Dammit. I stole a detective's property!'

People were sentenced for two years in prison for special larcenies.

"Eh. Sorry. Are you in pain?"

Kang-suk saw that Tae-hyuk's face turning sour, and had stopped pounding his back.

Fortunately, Robbery stopped after only succeeding once.

'This is really crazy. I have to do something about this.'

All he needed to do was bump into someone to activate Robbery.

While this was sometimes useful, more difficult situations like this would occur.

'Um. But what did I steal?'

Please, just let it not be the wallet! If that happened, then he wouldn't be able to get out of it.

He searched through his pockets while trying to maintain an expression that was as casual as possible. Fortunately, it wasn't the wallet that was stolen.

Unfortunately, the item stolen was even worse than a wallet.

'Crazy. Handcuffs!'

It wasn't a toy, and it wasn't an SM item. It was the real, original thing.

It was made of a very solid alloy so it would be a big deal if he accidently put it on.

'How do I prevent him from noticing…'

Unfortunately, the only crime skill available to him was 'Robbery'.

He would only steal the other person's possession if he used it. The opposite, returning the other's possession, was impossible.

It would be possible if he was a skilled pickpocket, but unfortunately, Tae-hyuk wasn't considered one.

'Come to think about it, there was no attribute regarding returning the possession.'

Certainly, it wouldn't be considered an act that fell under robbery.

'It can't be helped. Let's just go by the book!'

"Ah. Hyung-nim. You dropped this."

Tae-hyuk deliberately dropped the handcuffs onto the ground and pretended to pick them up.

He was tense as sweat dripped down his back.

'Damn. This type of lie would only work on a fool!'

However, there was no other alternative.

"Tae-hyuk, this brat…"

'As expected, he saw through my lies!'

"Really, thank you! Aish, when did this fall? Last time I lost it, I had to spend 200,000 won to buy a new one from the stolen goods department! I'm glad you found it this time."

It passed!

Furthermore, it was a stolen property.

"…That is a relief."

Kang-suk wasn't the neighbourhood hyung type, but the neighbourhood fool type.

"Anyway, a deposit on a house would be difficult with 30 million won. The housing prices have gone insanely expensive these days. Are you living together with just your noona?"

"Nope. My younger brother as well."

"Three people. Well, you should have at least two rooms. Will the house be near here?"

"Yes. Noona works at a factory nearby, so it needs to be within a walking distance."

Kang-suk was thinking with all his strength as if it was his own problem.

Although Tae-hyuk already knew that Kang-suk was overflowing with kindness and openness, he hadn't expected this level of sincerity.

'It is good that I'm entrusting it to Kang-suk.'

Kang-suk let out a strange moan as he searched through a real estate app.

"You'll need at least 30 million won to rent a house. Damn. There are no taxes set on the bounties from companies… Shouldn't the country pay more when such a big criminal is caught?"

Wait. A bounty from companies?

'I'm certain that a big company put out a bounty for Yoo Cheol-ho.'

He couldn't remember exactly where.

'Where was it… ah. Sungjin Group!'

Tae-hyuk carefully told this fact to Kang-suk.

Kang-suk was delighted, as if it was his own work.

"Yes. Let's jump and catch two things today!"

"We'll go get the bounty from the government first. Do we receive it from Central Bank?"

"It is like the lottery. Did you bring what I asked you to?"

Tae-hyuk nodded.

They were copies of his ID card and a bankbook in his own name.

"If you send that to the person in charge ,then it will be deposited by tomorrow. Originally, they reward would be received from Central Bank, but it is like Tae-hyuk said. There would be problems if you went there."

"Certainly. Lotto prizes would be received, there so there would be dung flies buzzing around all day."

"Haha. Yes, dung flies."

There were people looking for investors, saying they had a 'sure fire' item. Businessmen asking for donations. In addition, there were gangsters with crude and rough words. Various groups would be gathered like flies.

Kang-suk gathered the papers that Tae-hyuk gave him.

"I'll give this to the person in charge."

"Kang-suk hyung, I really appreciate what you've done so far."

"No, it's fine. Anyway, I will be interviewed as the detective who caught Yoo Cheol-ho, and it'll come out on the evening news."

"Oh. You will be a celebrity."

However, he wondered what type of clothing would be worn for the interview. Surely, he wouldn't show up on TV like that?

Tae-hyuk had an ominous feeling.

"One thing is over."

It ended earlier than he thought.

Tae-hyuk said with a satisfied expression,

"Then let's storm the Sungjin Group."

"Well. Can we do that?"

"Of course. I made a key tip in catching Yoo Cheol-ho. Kang-suk hyung is the one who caught Yoo Cheol-ho. If we can't go, then who can?"

"I-is that so?"

"Then we will go straight to headquarters. I know the location."

"You sound like you worked there or something."

Tae-hyuk just smiled instead of answering.

Worked there?

It was the place where he was previously framed.

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Chapter 6 This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #2.

Chapter 6 – This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #2

"You came for the bounty?"

"Yes. I am the person who caught Yoo Cheol-ho, and he is the one who made the crucial tip.

A man in an Aloha t-shirt and a person wearing a school uniform came forward, claiming that they caught Yoo Cheol-ho.

The receptionist made a strange expression.

"I haven't heard about something like this…"

"Cough. Is that so?"

While Kang-suk made a trouble expression, Tae-hyuk intervened.

"Director Cho Hun-il of the Personnel Administration Department… I mean, Team Leader Cho Hun-il. Maybe he will know. He is the person directly involved in the bounty."

"Team Leader Cho Hun-il…? Ah, yes! I understand. I'll check it straight away."

As soon as the name of the person in charge was mentioned, the receptionist was surprised and hurriedly made a call.

Kang-suk's eyes widened as he saw it.

"Wah. How did you know that?"

"Didn't you hear that I deliver for a Chinese restaurant?"

"Yes."

"I heard about it during a delivery."

"You deliver here as well?"

"Yes. It is quite the famous restaurant."

"I see!"

Kang-suk's eyes shone.

How delicious would the food be if even a large company ordered it?

A detective and his jajangmyeon had an inseparable relationship. He vowed that he would order from the restaurant to try it out one day.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting!"

The receptionist's attitude had flipped on its end. They bowed respectfully and guided the two people to a VIP room.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Team Leader Cho Hun-il who was waiting there.

There was a beautiful woman, so beautiful that it wouldn't be strange to see her on TV, sitting in a chair.

"Hello."

The woman in the chair bowed her head.

She had neatly cropped, shoulder length hair.

"I apologize for greeting you while sitting down."

She pointed to the wheelchair next to the chair.

'Her legs are disabled.'

She was unable to walk, so it was natural for her to greet them while sitting down.

"I am Jung Yuri. I hear that the both of you have caught Yoo Cheol-ho."

Kang-suk was so nervous in front of the pale beauty that he couldn't speak for a while.

Tae-hyuk then pressed against his side and exclaimed.

"Ah! This schoolboy… Seo Tae-hyuk made a crucial tip that led to his arrest. I am Cho Kang-suk of the Kang-dong police station's 2nd team."

Kang-suk pulled out his business card from his wallet.

The woman tilted her head in confusion. Even that small movement made her look beautiful.

"I thought that detectives would be more upright than this."

"Haha! I am a bit unique."

'He completely fell for her. However, Hyung falling for her is a type of crime.'

At the most, she looked like a university student. The age difference between she and Kang-suk was at least one zodiac cycle large.

'By the way, who is she?'

This was the VIP room of Sungjin Group, the largest corporation in South Korea. She definitely wasn't any ordinary woman.

The president's secretary? … I don't think so.

She gave off a strange feeling of elegance.

Yuri bowed her head.

"Yoo Cheol-ho… Thank you for catching him. I want him to be judged by the law."

Kang-suk made a pleasant smile when he heard her saying 'judged by the law.'

While she was still speaking calmly, Yuri had strange emotions showing in her eyes.

Anger. Hate.

He was confused over why she had such feelings.

Although he was just sent here, Tae-hyuk had worked here as a security guard for two years. It was the first time seeing or hearing of someone named Jung Yuri, however.

She was either unrelated to the company, or a super VIP that Tae-hyuk could never approach.

Tae-hyuk thought about the identity of the woman.

He might be able to find a connection.

'If a bounty was issued, then he must have leaked core secrets from the company. Either that, or he hurt a VIP. However, Yoo Cheol-ho wasn't someone who would have any confidential information to leak.

This meant that one of his victims was related to Sungjin Group.

Usually, the victim's identity wasn't exposed to the media, especially if the person was a big business owner.

However, Tae-hyuk happened to be Yoo Cheol-ho's neighbour.

'Yes. He boasted about killing the daughter of a very important person. The name…'

At that moment, the name popped into Tae-hyuk's head.

Currently, he was the president that oversaw one of Sungjin Group's divisions, and also one that would climb up to be the vice-chairman of the company in the future.

'Vice Chairman Jung Gwan-mok!'

That reminded him, Jung Yuri had the same surname. Maybe…

"Are you perhaps President Jung Kwan-mok's daughter?"

Jung Yuri's eyes widened at Tae-hyuk's words.

"H-how did you know?"

"I work at a Chinese restaurant. Sometimes he comes in to eat jajangmyeon. He has been a regular for 20 years. I noticed that you resemble him."

"My father and jajangmyeon… At any rate, I wasn't trying to hide it. I will greet you again. I am Jung Yuri, the director for the 2nd Public Relations Support Team."

The daughter of a president of a large company. Kang-suk's mouth hung open from where he watching, while Tae-hyuk nodded as if he already expected it.

'Well, because she got to her position at such a young age, most would think she was gliding off her father's success. That's why she hides it.'

"If Noona is involved then you must be related to one of Yoo Cheol-ho's victims…"

Jung Yuri laughed at being called 'noona.'

Then her expression became cold and hard when she heard Yoo Cheol-ho's name.

"…Yes. My unni. Please don't tell this to the press. Of course, I'd obstruct you if you tried."

Yuri's face looked like the manager of a big company.

Tae-hyuk nodded.

Kang-suk replied awkwardly like a broken robot.

"Yes. I will be careful."

"Then sit down and relax. I'll get to the point."

Tae-hyuk and Kang-suk sat down as a tea set came out. There were also sweets prepared in advance.

"Please eat."

Kang-suk instantly put the sweets in his mouth and swallowed hard without chewing.

"The sweets are delicious."

"Ahaha. I made them myself. So please eat more."

"Ah, yep!"

"So, about the bounty. Seo Tae-hyuk, who played a crucial role in catching him, will receive 100 million won. Of course, you won't need to pay any taxes since it is a reward."

One hundred million!

That was enough to get a decent home in the area.

Tae-hyuk received the bounty, but Kang-suk was the one who made a fuss.

"Wah Tae-hyuk! Amazing. 100 million won! Let's see, with that money… You can get a 3LDK house!"

Tae-hyuk bowed with gratitude and opened his mouth.

It was lacking.

"Jung Yuri noona. I'm talking to the director of the Public Relations Support Team, not a family member of a victim."

"H-huh?"

"The bounty money should be 200 million, not 100 million."

"No, it is clearly 100 million per person…"

Jung Yuri stuttered due to her confusion. She had thought of him as a cute younger brother, and never imagined that he would insist on doubling the money like this.

"100 million per person is correct. But clearly, 'we' are two people. Surely there aren't any restrictions on a detective receiving a reward? There clearly wasn't one stated."

"T-that is correct but…"

Normally, detectives didn't receive rewards for catching criminals.

"Of course, the criminal was able to be caught due to my tip. However, he probably wouldn't have been caught if it wasn't for Kang-suk hyung. He believed in the report of a high school student and went to investigate. Kang-suk hyung also threw his body to catch the criminal when he was running. So, did I catch him alone?"

"Certainly…"

"Ah. I thought I was talking to a director of a big company. So let's look at it from the perspective of the Sungjin Group. Isn't the Sungjin Group launching a new crime prevention business? Its concept is justice, which is why you put up bounties to catch criminals."

"You actually know so much."

"I accidentally heard the president talking."

"Ah, Father."

"At any rate, I don't think it would harm a company to support a detective who caught a criminal. Kang-suk hyung is even appearing on this evening's news as the detective who caught the criminal. If Kang-suk hyung receives the reward then it will be quite the picture. What do you think?"

Tae-hyuk stopped for a moment.

Jung Yuri was watching Tae-hyuk with wide eyes. Kang-suk was already half collapsed.

"The justice you have created. We will protect it with all our might."

The detective who caught the criminal had the whole country in an uproar. This was including the big company that was supporting him.

It was a chance to completely change any negative image about the Sungjin Group.

The money spent on corporate image making every year was in the tens of billions of won.

When looking at that fact, 100 million wasn't a large sum of money.

Tae-hyuk's words were strangely persuasive.

"Could you please wait for a moment? I will contact my father."

Jung Yuri's hands were shaking.

She picked up the intercom on the table and called someone.

"Ah, Father. This is Yuri. About the bounty for today? Because…"

Yuri explained for almost 10 minutes.

"Yes, I understand. Of course, I will fill out a report. Yes. A high school student… that's right. I'm sure."

After finishing the conversation, Jung Yuri slowly took a few deep breaths.

Then she smiled brightly and made the victory sign.

"Hooray!"

Kang-suk looked like he was going to cry.

He had unexpectedly gained 100 million won.

Tae-hyuk inwardly smiled with satisfaction.

Anyways, he had obtained a bounty of 100 million. It would be good to make the most of that, now that Kang-suk would completely become his protector.

He obtained a trustworthy person with someone else's money.

'It is all thanks to Vice President-nim.'

The words he said about Jung Kwan-mok were half true.

Of course, Tae-hyuk had seen him when working as a security guard here.

Furthermore, it wasn't now but 20 years ago that he went to eat jajangmyeon. The chef still boasted about serving the president of a large company.

The manner in which he managed to learn about the new business was a lie, because he actually had memories of the future.

Jung Yuri didn't seem to have the personality to talk about her father's mistakes.

In the first place, her title was exaggerated.

Her father had probably given it to her in order to protect her.

The evidence was that Tae-hyuk, who had been working here for two years, never saw her.

Warak!

"Tae-hyuk!"

Kang-suk hugged Tae-hyuk so tightly that it felt like his bones were going to break.

"Hyung. I'm choking…"

"Brat. It is so touching. Really, thank you. 100 million, 100 million. I think I can get married if I have this much money!"

He would have to find a person first.

Tae-hyuk glanced at Kang-suk but didn't say it.

"I'll contact you directly through the Gang-dong police station. Ah. You might have to do some interviews or CF shoots for corporate promotion."

"I'll have to ask the chief first, but it will probably be a positive answer."

"At any rate, congratulations Detective-nim. You have received 100 million won."

"This is all thanks to my younger brother. Haha. Tae-hyuk!"

Kang-suk hugged Tae-hyuk, this time pounding him on the back as well.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings!

"N-no!"

Tae-hyuk couldn't resist crying out loud.

"…D-do you not like it?"

'That's not it! The crime skill was triggered!'

Additionally, this time it succeeded without any failures.

Tae-hyuk searched through his pockets.

He touched a somewhat damp piece of cloth.

He took care not to be noticed by Kang-suk and Yuri while checking it.

His expression instantly became rotten.

'Crazy. Panties!'

He managed to steal a piece of clothing that someone was wearing.

'Robbery' was scary!

Kang-suk started dancing without being aware that his underwear was gone.

It was the joy of winning a lottery.

In fact, Tae-hyuk was the same.

'100 million won, a jackpot! Yes. I should obtain a house so I can surprise Noona.'

Obviously, it would help Kang-suk as well.

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Chapter 7 This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #3.

Chapter 7 – This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #3

Seo Ha-ran left work 30 minutes later than usual.

After finishing her work, she usually cleaned up the things that the other workers didn't. Today, however, the workload was greater than usual.

'My younger brothers will be waiting…'

She often felt uneasy when walking down dark streets.

She wondered if she was doing well as a parent. She worked 12 hours a day, and yet still couldn't afford to buy good clothes for her brothers.

"Cough!"

She suddenly coughed. She had inhaled heavy dust all day at the factory.

In addition, she lived in a cold, damp place where that didn't receive any sunlight, so she always had a cold.

'Still, tomorrow is my payday. Let's have a samgyupsal party!'

Her younger brothers would be able to eat their fill.

She felt strength surging when she thought about her younger brothers.

'Eh, that person is?'

There was a familiar shadow in the alley.

"Hmm, Tae-hyuk?"

"Um, how did you know?"

"Noona knows everything."

Ha-ran smiled at her brother who came out to meet her when she came home late from work.

Tae-hyuk said bluntly.

"Why are you so late? I thought I was going to die from the cold while waiting. Let's hurry."

"Yes! Isn't it cold?"

Ha-ran suddenly ran to Tae-hyuk and grabbed his arm.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have failed in stealing the opponent's belongings…

'Ugh. Fortunately, it failed.'

"Ah, why are you doing this again?"

Tae-hyuk turned his head, but didn't exactly hate it.

He took off his coat and put it on Ha-ran.

Ha-ran smiled sweetly.

Although her brother always showed a rough face, she knew that his heart was warmer than anyone else's.

"Ah, right. Wear this."

Tae-hyuk gave her a blindfold.

Ha-rank tilted her head.

"Is this your hobby these days?"

"…It's not like that. Today is Noona's birthday, so I've prepared a surprise party."

"Ohh… Party?"

Ha-ran's eyes shone in excitement. Her heart was still that of a teenage girl, after all.

Her eyes were covered as her brother guided her.

It should have taken them a long time to arrive at their home, though. Unexpectedly, they arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes.

"We're here."

Ha-ran slowly took off the blindfold and opened her eyes.

"Wah, a good home."

It was like a house seen in a drama, a spacious three room house.

Additionally, there was even a luxurious sofa and a hanging chandelier. There was also a TV that seemed to be 50 inches wide.

Ha-ran asked just to make sure.

"Did you borrow a friend's house for the birthday party?"

"No. This is our house."

"… What does that mean?"

"Come on, everybody has been waiting. We should go inside."

Tae-hyuk grabbed Ha-ran's hand and dragged her inside.

He then brought her to a room with a sign that said, 'Seo Ha-ran'.

There was a great cheer as soon as the door opened.

"Happy birthday Noona!"

"Congratulations on your birthday!"

Bang! Bang!

Firecrackers popped out.

Ha-ran covered her mouth in surprise.

She was so shocked that she couldn't even scream.

Ha-ran looked around the room.

It was a dream room with a frilly bed and even cabinets.

If she slept in here, then she would always feel like a princess.

"T-Tae-min ah! … And who are you?"

Inside the room, her younger brother, Tae-min, and a big stranger were both wearing a cone hat.

"Ah. This is Cho Kang-suk hyung. He helped me out quite a lot."

Once Tae-hyuk introduced Kang-suk, Ha-ran greeted him with a bow.

"Haha! Hello. I've heard a lot about you from Tae-hyuk. I am Cho Kang-suk of the Gang-dong police station's 2nd team."

"Detectives…?"

Tae-hyuk said in a voice so small that only Ha-ran could hear.

"He is just a neighbourhood fool."

"Ah, this child."

"Have you eaten dinner yet? There isn't much but let's eat."

There were beef steaks and a gorgeous cake. There was even a salad made of various fruits.

The recipient of this party was rather confused.

Ha-ran thought it might be a dream and pinched herself on the arm.

"Ahat!"

Fortunately, it wasn't a dream.

"Tae-hyuk What's going on? What is this house?"

"Ah. It is like this."

Tae-hyuk explain the situation in a simple manner.

He had chanced upon the whereabouts of a wanted criminal, so he filed a report and received a reward.

The money was then used to buy a house for his sister.

Ha-ran's face reddened as she heard the story, and grabbed Tae-hyuk's cheek as she pulled him out from the room.

"N-Noona. Isn't this good?"

"That's not it! A wanted criminal! What were you doing? It is dangerous! Huh? Are you hurt anywhere?"

At that moment, Tae-hyuk's heart warmed on the inside.

She was more concerned for his well-being than this spacious house.

"O-Of course. Who am I? Noona's little brother."

Kang-suk, who had been listening from the room, interrupted their conversation.

"Haha. Noonim, don't be so anxious. This is Tae-hyuk, who is a very sly guy. Even if he were to be thrown into Harlem, New York, he would still probably come out alive."

"… Yes."

Ha-ran grabbed Tae-hyuk's ear this time and whispered.

"Then is he the detective responsible for catching the criminal?"

"Yes. He seems to have really become my hyung this past week."

"I see."

They gathered again and started the birthday party.

After singing happy birthday, they ate the food and talked.

"By the way, Noonim. You are much more beautiful than from what I heard in his stories."

"Ey, don't flatter me too much on my birthday."

"Seriously."

'Kang-suk hyung…! You fall for women way too easily!'

Tae-hyuk's head started hurting.

Tae-min, who was drinking juice on the side, suddenly approached Kang-suk.

"Detective Cho Kang-suk. I've seen the interview, and your speech on justice was great. Can I ask for your autograph?"

'Tae-min also fell for him! A love triangle!'

Kang-suk chucked and signed while telling Tae-min to think of him as a hyung.

'That reminds me, Tae-min. He wanted to be a lawyer?'

This time, Tae-hyuk wanted to see that dream come true.

It was at that moment that Ha-ran suddenly started to cry.

"Wahh!"

The confused Tae-hyuk asked.

"N-Noona. Why are you crying all of a sudden? Do you not like the food?"

"No, that's not it…" I'm just so happy. My family living together in this nice home… The whole thing feels like a dream…"

"It isn't a dream. So, the three of us will continue to live happily every after."

"Y-yes."

"Tae-hyuk, why is it just the three of you? What about me?"

Kang-suk interrupted.

Tae-hyuk waved his hand like he was shooing a bothersome fly.

"Hyung isn't part of the family."

"Chet."

Ha-ran soon started to laugh again.

It was because Kang-suk started doing a strange dance.

It was surprisingly easy for Kang-suk to blend in with the family, as Tae-hyuk viewed Kang-suk as a trustworthy person.

'A person like this is rare.'

In the past five days, he had helped Tae-hyuk in finding a home and buying furniture. He even used his arms to help move it.

If it were Kang-suk, then Tae-hyuk could entrust his family to him.

After thinking that, Tae-hyuk quietly left his seat and headed to his room.

The new house was so spacious that the three family members could each have a separate room.

'I used 100 million to acquire this house, while the furniture costed 15 million won. The remaining balance is around 20 million.'

It would be the military funds for his work in the future.

Tae-hyuk sat at a desk and took out a notebook.

There were already many things written down. However, it still wasn't enough.

There was a limit to the human memory, even more so if it was a dream. Therefore, he had to write down as many details about the dream before he forgot them.

Tae-hyuk saw what would happen in the next 15 years in a dream. Even if the ending was a tragedy, it was clear that this information would be very useful.

'I should have memorized a lottery number.'

Most of the information that Tae-hyuk knew about the future was regarding criminals. They were huge criminals that caused a sensation around the country.

There were approximately 120 people.

Tae-hyuk opened the notebook and started writing down his own blacklist.

He wrote down things like: what had already happened, and what crimes were going to happen.

'I also can't forget about the crime skills.'

It didn't matter if he couldn't handle them properly yet. He should be able to make good use of them.

Tae-hyuk now had two weapons: his blacklist and the crime skills.

'Who will be accused of murder?'

He would protect the small happiness he now possessed with his own two hands.

Tae-hyuk made this vow.

It was at that moment that the mirror suddenly vibrated.

[Due to a new contact, one affinity point has been acquired.]

"What? Did I get a point just now?"

Why did he get it all of a sudden?

Tae-hyuk didn't even do anything.

Moreover, it wasn't the end.

[The first upgrade condition, 'Blacklist Creation', has been completed.]

[Once all the upgrades conditions are complete, you will be able to upgrade to 'Noble.']

[If you become a Noble, then you can gain a wider variety of crime skills.]

Tae-hyuk muttered quietly after reading all the messages.

"Starting from a 'Commoner' and rising to a 'Noble'? Am I going to develop into the God of Crime?"

His head started to hurt.

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Second skill.

It's been a week since they moved into the new house.

When they moved without really paying attention, they naturally moved towards their old house, but that would soon come to pass.

Two things changed since they moved in.

The first thing was that Haran's resting time had increased.

She had changed from a double shift schedule to an 8 hour shift one.

As the family didn't need to pay the rent for the house, they were able to make such a decision.

Of course, Haran rejected the idea. The difference in wages were significant, after all.

She was saying that she could send Taemin to an academy with that money.

But when Taemin rejected the idea, even she had to give up.

What can she do, when the boy said he was too smart to go?

Of course, he did have to suffer from a headlock as punishment.

Now, Haran was able to get some free time.

Maybe it was because she got more free time, or maybe it was because of their new house, but her coughing fits completely stopped.

Taehyuk smiled proudly.

And now for the second change.

He now had a family who greets him back home.

Taehyuk moved quickly.

His sister must be preparing dinner for him.

'That's that, but to think that Kang Suk hyung would actually give away all of his money…'

An investigator isn't supposed to get bounties. Getting it would give them a chance to become corrupt.

Out of the 200 million won he received, he gave Kang Suk 100 million of it.

But Kang Suk actually donated all that money to an orphanage.

When Taehyuk asked him why Kang Suk didn't use it for marriage, the man just laughed.

Kang Suk spoke as he watched kids play in a playground.

"The only people who're even thinking of marrying me are them, you see. Well, I'd have to wait about 10 years till that happens, though."

"Woah, an investigator is trying to commit a crime."

Kang Suk began to gain more popularity from the children.

Kang Suk said that this was enough, and smiled.

For some reason, it seemed that there were only idiots around him.

'Come to think of it, I haven't gotten a new skill for the entirety of last week, huh?'

There was quite a gap of time before the next event in the blacklist happened. He would use that time to try and find out more about the demonic mirror.

'Ah, right, I decided to call it the Demon-reflecting mirror.'

He had gotten the name from a mythical item that reflected the true face of a demon.

The only thing he managed to learn in the time was that the Robbery Skill only succeeded with a 10% chance.

But the strange thing was, it actually worked extremely well.

For example, it stole stuff like wigs, handcuffs, panties…

You know what, never mind.

He still didn't know how to get skills or points, and didn't know anything about the mirror.

'Shit, that psycho bastard.'

He actually brought the mirror to a famous exorcist to get it appraised. This was what the exorcist told him:

–It is made out of bronze, which is a mix between copper and tin. It reflects about 80% of the light it absorbs. This was probably made not as a normal mirror, but as a ceremonial tool. I believe it's worth about…

Conclusion was, it was just a normal mirror.

Taehyuk glared at the mirror. It still had weird words on it.

[Suh Taehyuk]

Skills: Robbery (lv1)'Eh?'

There was something he hadn't seen before.

There was some kind of hazy word in the skills section.

'Could it be, a new skill?'

Taehyuk tapped on the '???'.

But he didn't get anything.

'Is it an error…?'

Taehyuk walked even faster.

He decided to investigate this further when he arrived home.

'Huh, isn't that big sis?'

Taehyuk stopped walking. He could see Haran standing on the street with a face that was about to cry.

She was sniffling, as if something big had just happened.

"T-Taehyuk! What do I do…!"

'What, did a burglar come in or something?'

He would've come earlier if he knew what had happened.

Thankfully, Haran herself seemed alright.

"What happened?"

"It, It's bad. He's hurt. It's an accident."

"Wait. Breath for a moment, and tell me again. What happened to who?"

Haran slowly breathed, following Taehyuk's suggestion. She finally seemed a little relaxed.

Taehyuk reassuringly stroked Haran's back. He could then hear a more understandable story from her.

"…I just got a call. They said Taehyuk was hurt. He stole some kind of a car, then got in an accident. He's going to die if he doesn't get a surgery. And because the car's completely destroyed, he's going to go to jail if we don't pay up…"

This Taehyuk, he's completely crazy, huh?

'Wait, Isn't that me?!?'

"Noona. Wait. Who am I?"

"T, Taehyuk."

"Think about what you said just a moment ago."

"T, Taehyuk got hurt!"

"I'm not hurt, see?"Haran still seemed confused.

Taehyuk was able to see that she fell for a crime.

'Voice phishing!'

It was a type of fraud that was done with a phone.

In Japan, it was known as "It's me swindling".

A call comes in with someone saying "It's me." The person would then say that he was very hurt, and needed money. Like this, the person would be able to steal money from someone.

As this method of swindling became too popular and no one fell for it anymore, swindlers began to imitate different things instead.

Your bank account number has been exposed. You need to transfer your money here now.

With methods like this, one would swindle others.

Haran was just fooled by a method from about 10 years back.

"Noona, it's fine. Did you think I'd actually steal a car?"

Taehyuk hugged Haran gently, and stroked her back.

She finally calmed down, and stopped crying.

"I'm fine, and always will be. I won't steal cars either. And…"

I won't be blamed for murder either.

Taehyuk slowly began to explain things to Haran.

"So I've been swindled?"

"Not yet, no. The guy's still laying down his trap."

"It's good that you're safe."

Taehyuk smiled.

The reason why the 'It's me swindling' succeeded was because one had love for the victim. That made Taehyuk feel thankful.

'But seriously, how long has it been since that thing's went out of style?'

Haran graduated from a boarding school for middle and high school, and began working as soon as she graduated.

She knew nothing about the real world.

She was stupidly kind, and trusted others too much.

'I can't just end it like this, can I?'

They made Haran cry. His anger wouldn't be quelled if he didn't do something.

"Didn't you say that the person would call you again?"

"Nn, he told me to prepare my bank account and stamp."

Taehyuk grinned. It didn't end yet.

"Noona, give me your phone for a second. And go into your room and watch some popular drama or something. Call me if something like this happens again."

"Nn… okay."

He would get a call as long as he waited.

Taehyuk began thinking of just what he would do to them, and went with it.He decided to act like he was being fooled, then turn the tables on them.

After deciding that, he began to think.

'They'd notice something was wrong if the person changed.'

The best way to do this was to instruct her from the side while she got the call.

But he didn't want her to even talk to these swindlers anymore.

'Is there a good way to do this?'

Tiriring!

He was thinking of what he was going to do, but then he got a call from those guys.

'It's them!'

Vrr!

A vibration came not from his phone, but from a weird place instead.

It was the mirror.

[Crime Skill: You have learned Voice Change.]

— You are able to imitate voices of others.

–As you have not met all the requirements, you have not fully attained this skill.

–The skill has been set into the temporary skills window.

'A new skill…!'

Taehyuk eyes opened with a flash.

Glossary

Noona – "Big Sister" in Korean, from a male's perspective. Doesn't have to be related by blood, can just express familiarity.

Unni – "Big Sister" in Korean, from a female's perspective. Doesn't have to be related by blood, can just express familiarity.

Proofreader's note

Ay, unlocked a new crime skill. How convenient. Though, it seems like not all the requirements have been met. I wonder what those requirements are…

Publisher's note

By the way, if you guys haven't noticed, the translator for the last few chapters (and the next ones) is ensj from .

Translator : Ensj

Translation Check: Kirito0017

Proofreader : Kuhaku

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Chapter 9 - The Second Skill #2

Compared to the first skill he had gotten, there was something different about this.

He had learnt Robbery, and now it was Voice Modulation.

'It has been registered in the temporary skills window. This means it is not yet been learned completely.'

He guessed the reason for the difference.

In the case of Robbery, he had succeeded in using it on the pickpocket as soon as he had gotten the skill.

Tae-hyuk realized the conditions needed to acquire the skills.

'I need to use the skill on someone else.'

He kept it in mind.

He would deal a big blow to the voice phishers.

It would be easier with the Voice Modulation skill.

Tae-hyuk used the Demon Revealing Mirror to activate Voice Modulation.

He changed his voice to Ha-ran's.

[Voice Modulation has been used.]

-You can imitate the voice of Seo Ha-ran directly.

"Ah... Mic test. Mic test. Seo Tae-hyuk, you are handsome! ...Hum, hum."

Tae-hyuk cleared his throat and remained silent.

It was the first time he was using the skill, so it was blended with his original voice.

'I should practice.'

The voice phishers had disconnected the call, but they would call back soon.

In the meantime, he had to master Voice Modulation perfectly.

Tae-hyuk looked in the Demon Revealing Mirror and thought of Ha-ran's voice.

Then he used the skill.

"Tae-hyuk, the weather today is quite good!"

'Ugh. This sounds like the voice of a transgender.'

It was half a man's voice and half a woman's.

Tae-hyuk tried several variations.

"Tae-hyuk, happy birthday. Tae-hyuk, today's side dishes are your favourite sausages and stir-fried vegetables. Tae-hyuk..."

No matter what he tried, he was missing 2%.

"Tae-hyuk, it is morning. Wake up? Tae-hyuk, I love..."

The voice of a young woman flowed from his mouth.

'That's it!'

Tae-hyuk's voice was converted to Ha-ran's perfectly.

'Anyway, will the temporary skill disappear if I learn a different skill? I need to learn it completely if I want to make it permanent.'

He started to understand some of the mechanisms.

Dururu!

The phone started ringing again.

Tae-hyuk pressed the call button this time.

"H-hello..."

It was a trembling voice that seemed like it would burst out crying at any moment, and it was exactly like Ha-ran's voice.

On the other side of the phone, a man's thick voice could be heard,

-There is no need to panic. Your little brother will be okay if you do what I tell you.

"I-is that so?"

-Of course. Have you found what I asked you to?

Tae-hyuk decided to draw out the time.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember what it was... Can you please tell me one more time?"

-The bankbook and seal. And bring your ID card just in case. Once your little brother...

"Tae-hyuk?"

-Yes, approximately 15 million won is required for Tae-hyuk's surgery fees as well as the repair of the car. Do you have that much in your bankbook?

"Yes, there is enough."The man's breathing on the other side of the phone became rough.

'That guy. Do you think you've got a sucker?'

"Then I'll look again."

-Yes, I'll call you back after a while. I'll say it once more— Tae-hyuk's life lies in your hands.

Dduooo.

The call was disconnected.

"Kya. Whose life is in whose hands? What a famous line... A famous line."

Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.

The easiest way to catch them was to get assistance from Kang-suk.

However, as with most voice phishing scams, the other person would be in a foreign country.

...Perhaps, China or the Philippines.

Even if he carried out an investigation, would he be able to catch their tails?

He wanted to inflict damage directly onto them.

'Wait. How about that method?'

Tae-hyuk had been in prison for 10 years.

During that time, he met countless criminals.

Among those, there had been scammers.

'I didn't think I would use what I learnt from the Elder like this.'

The Elder was the nickname of a legendary scam artist who had stolen hundreds of billions of won in scams.

Even so, he had only received seven years in prison.

Compare this to his roommate who had received three years for stealing ramyun and 40,000 won...

The Elder told him about the prey that was easiest to deceive.

It was those trying to scam other people.

A scam artist who tricked other scam artists. That was the Elder.

"By the way, Noona is really genuine. The other person was so excited about catching a big fish."

In fact, all Tae-hyuk had done was put a spoon in the rice that had been served.

Ha-ran had completely fallen for the voice phishing scam.

From the scammer's point of view, it was like fishing at a fish farm.

Thus, the people hadn't even noticed that the person talking had changed.

"Aigoo. Noona is just like a child..."

Ha-ran was innocent to the point of stupidity.

Maybe that was why she experienced such a tragedy in the future that Tae-hyuk had seen.

He walked slowly through the house.

"They said it was the bankbook and seal? If I'm going to pretend to be duped, it should be perfect."

He searched through the drawer where his sister hid her valuables.

"Huu... I will teach Noonim how to doubt someone."

Tae-hyuk really liked Ha-ran the way she was now. However, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Found it! ... Uh, what is this?"

It was a jewellery box that girls liked to play with.

"This is obviously her treasure box."

He had no idea her words were so literal.

"Let's open it."

Inside were some photos and a doll that Ha-ran liked. There were valuables like the bankbook along with miscellaneous goods.

"Family photo?"

It had been taken before the accident that their parents had died in. The five family members were gathered together, smiling brightly.

Tae-hyuk felt choked up and couldn't look at it anymore.

In the end, he turned over the photo and saw writing on the back.

'Now, I am Mother and Father.'

Ha-ran's fine writing.

"...Noona."

What type of heart did she have when writing this? Tae-hyuk's heart ached just thinking about it.

"Wake up, Seo Tae-hyuk. Don't you have to finish what you're doing?"

He would soak in the emotions after the work was over.

"Uh, there is another piece of paper?"

He tried to put the family photo back where it was and discovered another piece of paper.

Tae-hyuk confirmed what it was.

Then something hot exploded in his heart.

It was a university acceptance letter.

The letter had the name of the university that Ha-ran wanted to go to.

"I'm so stupid that I couldn't get into university, so now I have to get a job..."

Ha-ran had laughed while saying that.

It had been far from the case.

"That lie... Really stupid."

Tae-hyuk wiped away something hot that was flowing down his cheeks and made a vow.

He was alive due to someone's sacrifice.

It was now his turn to return the favour.

'Yes, I will go to university with Noona.'

Tae-hyuk tightened his grip on the Demon Revealing Mirror and engraved the new determination in his heart.

He waited for a while, then he received a call from those guys.

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Chapter 10: The Second Skill #3

"The banks are closed at such a late time, so go to the nearest ATM machine."

Those were the instructions Tae-hyuk received.

'They deliberately aimed for the evening.'

There was a higher probability of someone being alone at around the time when the banks were closed, making for a perfect situation for voice phishing.

Tae-hyuk arrived at the ATM and waited for the call.

Not long afterwards, the person contacted him.

-Have you arrived at the ATM?

'Oops. I almost forgot to turn on Voice Modulation.'

Tae-hyuk used the Demon Revealing Mirror to activate Voice Modulation.

[Voice Modulation has been used.]

-You can directly imitate the voice of Seo Ha-ran.

"Yes... I arrived."

-I thought I just heard a man's voice.

Tae-hyuk made a mistake, and the skill had been released.

He manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror at lightning speed to reactivate Voice Modulation, and then gave a trembling reply.

"I'm not quite sure what you're saying. I'm currently alone so why would a man's voice... Did some type of confusion happen?"

-Indeed. Then, please proceed to deposit the surgery and repair fee into the account that I previously mentioned.

15 million won in total.

'It is obvious that he wants to shout with joy right now.'

"Yes, I understand. Please wait for a moment."

Tae-hyuk went to the ATM and deliberately wasted time in order to make the opponent nervous, rendering him unable to make any calm decisions.

After five minutes, the voice phishing scammer spoke.

-Are you done yet?

Tae-hyuk made a fuss, as if he was confused.

"I-It is strange. I have the money in the account, but I can't make a deposit. W-what is this?"

-Slow down and try again.

"Is the machine broken? I'll try another bank account."

Tae-hyuk put his bankbook on the ATM and sent the money.

Of course, it wasn't 15 million won.

The reaction was immediate.

-I've confirmed that 10,000 won has been deposited.

"Really? That's strange. The money was taken out of my living expenses account, so why can't I withdraw from my savings account?"

-...The money is in your savings account? Then it is natural that you can't withdraw the money. A savings account can't be withdrawn from unless it is expired or cancelled.

"Eh, t-then what should I do?"

-You'll have to go to the bank and cancel it.

"The bank isn't open right now!"'Isn't this enough to make it seem like I'm willing to pay? This way, it will be hard for them to give up on my case.'

Tae-hyuk exclaimed like he was just reminded of something.

"Ah! There is a way to withdraw money without having to go to the bank and cancelling it!"

-There is a way?

"Yes. My savings account is a little unusual, as it is a limited savings account. It is a type of savings account where you sign up to collect a certain amount of money before withdrawing it. I signed up to pay for my brothers' university tuition. As long as I have a certain amount of money in my bankbook, I won't have to go to the bank to cancel it."

-There is such a thing?

"Yes. However, the interest rates are low so it isn't popular..."

-Indeed.

'He believes me. Believes me! Of course, this is a lie.'

"At any rate, the limit is 20 million won, so I need three million won before I can withdraw all the money. But getting three million won all of a sudden..."

-Cough.

'He is conflicted! Conflicted!'

The voice phishing scammer didn't realize that he himself was being scammed.

Tae-hyuk said the decisive words.

"... I will borrow it from a friend. However, I don't know if I can borrow three million won so suddenly..."

-P-please wait a moment.

The voice phishing scammer was confused.

If Tae-hyuk contacted a friend then he would have to explain the situation to them, making it obvious to the friend that it was a scam.

The scammer would then miss a valuable fish.

"Huh?"

-Let's do this instead. I will lend you three million won. Let me clarify - you're saying that if you put three million won into the limited savings account, then you can withdraw it right away?"

"It seems so."

-Cough! Then please withdraw the money and send me 18 million won. How about that?

"T-thank you! You are my brother's lifesaver!"

-Then the account number is...

Tae-hyuk receiving the scammer's account number was like finding an oasis in the vast desert.

-Please wait. Oh, don't hang up the phone.

He wanted to stop Tae-hyuk from calling anywhere else and asking around.

"Yes, I understand."

'I'm sorry but I have one more call to make.'

The phone connected to the scammer was Ha-ran's, and Tae-hyuk still had his own phone.

Tae-hyuk silenced the phone to stop the scammer from hearing his conversation and called Kang-suk.

"Kang-suk hyung?"

-Ah, is this Ha-ran ssi?'Whoops. I forgot to turn off the skill.'

-It is late so what is going on?

"Ah. Hyung, sorry. It is Tae-hyuk."

-Ah. Is that so? It is late. Go to sleep early.

Tae-hyuk laughed at the clear disappointment in Kang-suk's voice, and proceeded to describe the situation to him.

-Hmm. Let me know once you receive all the information. They called Ha-ran ssi's handphone? I will check the time that it was received, but it will probably lead to a foreign country. It is harder to arrest that way.

"Even if I have the chief bank account information?"

-Hey. How did you get something like that?

Normal bank accounts were points where the money was passed through, while a chief account was the central point where the money was actually gathered and originated from.

The voice phisher had to use the chief account to deposit money into Tae-hyuk's account.

"I will turn over as much information as possible and catch all the people that are in South Korea."

-Yes. This brat, I was just laying down watching TV, and now I have to work because of you.

"The special diligence will help when you get married."

Tae-hyuk ended the call with Kang-suk and used Voice Modulation again. He then said to the phishing scammer.

"How is it?"

-I have deposited the three million. Please check it as quickly as possible.

"Yes, I understand."

Tae-hyuk went to the ATM and checked the bankbook.

There was a deposit for three million won.

Their account information was stamped as well, meaning the bank log would have their IP address.

Tae-hyuk ended the conversation with the voice phishing scammer and sent the information to Kang-suk.

He had earned himself three million won, while Kang-suk would be able to catch those voice phishing scammers in South Korea.

"I ate well."

And...

[Crime Skill: Voice Modulation has been acquired.]

-You can directly imitate the voice of the target.

-It is completely learnt.

'Nice!'

He fully gained Voice Modulation, meaning that he could now use it without worrying about it ever disappearing.

'I can directly imitate the voice of someone else... Isn't this a good skill?'

He already came up with several useful ideas to use it.

Tae-hyuk showed a warm smile."I've finished, Noona."

"Oh. Tae-hyuk came."

"Huh? I thought you were watching a drama."

"No, I prepared some rice for us to eat together when you got back."

"Oh, really? I am hungry after working so hard."

"Did you study that hard?"

"... Wah, looks delicious."

"Tae-hyuk, don't change the subject. Answer my question."

"I will eat it well. Oh right, Noona."

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

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Chapter 11 - Model Student Seo Tae-hyuk???

"Yes! I will become a model student!"

Tae-hyuk lifted his head with an expression of enlightenment.

The most effective way to change the future was to change the present.

Then what was the easiest thing to do right now?

The answer was easy:

Become a model student.

'Yes. Raise my grades and go to university. Isn't that a different result than getting a job right after graduating high school?'

He would never enter Sungjin Group as a guard.

Tae-hyuk was burning with the will to study. All of a sudden, sparks burst around him.

Ppak!

"Stop talking! Come on! Do you think this is your house? Sleeping in class and then suddenly talking nonsense! Do you have a complaint against me?"

His homeroom teacher, Jung Nam-ho, was standing in Tae-hyuk with the attendance sheet.

The man seemed ready for a barrage of strikes at any time.

Tae-hyuk rubbed his head where the attendance sheet had hit.

'Freaking painful.'

It was fortunate that Robbery didn't work when he was hit with something.

'Uwah... When did class start?'

It seemed like some time had passed while he had been concentrating on his plan for the future.

"Why don't you just take a break from school? You have already been absent five days this month. I wanted to see my student very much."

He had been busy catching a killer and buying gifts for his sister.

He couldn't say this to his teacher.

It was true that he had neglected his studies.

'Um. I can't do this. I will set up some countermeasures after I get out of this lesson.'

Tae-hyuk groaned and said,

"Ohh... I'm sorry. I think I have a cold. Can I go to the infirmary?"

"What did you say? A cold? You look totally fine! Are you faking right now?"

He was correct.

Jung Nam-ho was famous for not letting students leave school early.

However, Tae-hyuk had a skill.

'If I use Voice Modulation...'

Tae-hyuk was reminded of an actor he had never met. He then manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror.

[Voice Modulation has been used.]

-You can directly imitate the voice of Kim Bum-soo.

The national actor Kim Bum-soo!

He was a super famous actor who had become well-known after his role as a father with a terminal illness in a drama.

His dying performance had been almost at the level of a god.

At that moment, it was reproduced by Tae-hyuk.

"Cough! T-teacher-nim... Really. I feel like I'm dying."

It was a voice that seemed like he was about to cough up blood at any moment.

Voice Modulation didn't just end with changing the voice.

It copied a person's distinct accent or way of speaking. Any special skills related to the voice was also possible.

This was a fraudulent skill with endless utilization possibilities.

Voice Modulation was clearly on a different level in comparison to Robbery.

"Eh? Are you really sick? Where did you go that you would catch a cold? What a fool."

The entire class laughed at the words that came from Teacher Jung Nam-ho's mouth.

There was only one man who didn't laugh.

"Teacher-nim, ignore the fool who gave up on life and continue with the lesson."

"Ah, yes, Sung-kwang! Let's start the class!"

Jung Nam-ho's attitude changed by 180 degrees.

Park Sung-kwang was well-educated, and his father was a politician.

He was a model student who was different from the troublemaker Tae-hyuk, who had always skipped school.

In addition, his cold appearance and celebrity looks meant he was always popular with women.

The sounds of "kyaa!!" could be heard when he passed by.

Jung Nam-ho quickly found the class president.

"Class president! Take Seo Tae-hyuk to the infirmary."

"Yes, I understand,"

A frail voice answered.

An Eun-young, the class president, rose from her seat and approached Tae-hyuk.

She hesitated to reach out a hand to Tae-hyuk, who was a troublemaker.

"T-tae-hyuk... T-the infirmary, l-let's go."

She started stuttering due to her nerves.

'I'm sorry. I'm just feigning an illness.'

Tae-hyuk started to leave the classroom with An Eun-young's support. However, Park Sung-kwang's eyes made him uncomfortable.

It almost contained a killing intent.

'Um? Did I steal his money or something?'

Tae-hyuk had no contact with Park Sung-kwang.

Park Sung-kwang was the son of a politician and a model student. As such, he always had friends gathering around him.

He was the so-called influential figure.

In contrast, Seo Tae-hyuk had often skipped school due to his part time work.

In the end, he was treated as a troublemaker.

Even though they were in the same class, Tae-hyuk had never spoken with him before.

'Did I see correctly? He's looking at me right?'

Tae-hyuk walked slowly to the back of the class with An Eun-young's help.

Park Sung-kwang was looking at them with an almost predatory expression.

Tae-hyuk wasn't mistaken.

'...I've seen that gaze before.'

It was in the prison. Park Sung-kwang seemed like the guards when they looked at the inmates.

The distance between the two people was decreasing.

In the end, Tae-hyuk passed right by Park Sung-kwang.

At that moment, Tae-hyuk laughed and called out to Sung-kwang,

"Park Sung-kwang."Sung-kwang looked into Tae-hyuk's eyes without saying anything, but a vicious contempt was seen in his eyes.

It was like he was irritated that Tae-hyuk was even breathing the same air as him.

Then Tae-hyuk said,

"Your fly is open."

Park Sung-kwang's expression distorted.

He realized that the zipper of his pants was open.

Tae-hyuk shrugged and walked out of the room with An Eun-young."Um, I think I'm okay now. I can go alone."

Tae-hyuk said as he left the classroom and turned off the Voice Modulation skill.

He instantly turned from a dying patient to a normal high school student.

"B-but... Teacher-nim..."

An Eun-young was a timid, petite girl.

So, it was inconvenient for him to move since he had to lean down to get support.

An Eun-young was a brilliant student who had never failed to get 1st place ever since she had entered the school.

She had a rivalry with Park Sung-kwang who was always 2nd place in the school.

Furthermore, her credibility with the teachers was high due to her sincere nature.

Thus, she had been in charge of the class since the 1st grade in high school.

'In the end, didn't she get into S University with a full scholarship?'

The nation's top university.

For Tae-hyuk, it was just a distant story.

"Then let's walk to the infirmary together. Will that be okay?"

"Eung..."

Tae-hyuk looked at An Eun-young's back as he walked towards the infirmary.

At that moment, he came up with a good idea.

'That reminds me, doesn't she stay after school to teach other students?'

Her explanations were easy to understand, so her study group was very popular.

If Tae-hyuk wanted to go to university with his sister, he needed to raise his grades.

'Yes, I should ask her to teach me.'

Then he would become a model student.

He thought about how he could ask it naturally.

As he was thinking about it, he felt a vibration in his pocket.

Brr!

'Hiik!'

It was an unexpected situation, so he barely prevented himself from screaming.

It was the Demon Revealing Mirror.

'What is it again?!'

[Seo Tae-hyuk]

-Title: God of Crime

-Rating: Commoner (Lacking conditions for upgrade)

-Skills Possessed: Robbery (Lv 1)

Voice Modulation (Lv 1)Tae-hyuk's eyes widened.

It was an alarm announcing the emergence of a new skill.

There was only one thing it meant.

A crime was happening in the area.

At first, it was the pickpocket. The second was voice phishing.

Then...

Tae-hyuk thought of all the people he met today.

'It isn't Noona or Tae-min. Then... Teacher Jung Nam-ho or Park Sung-kwang. Also, An Eun-young.'

One of these people were associated with a crime.

Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva. Unlike before, there were three candidates.

It would be easy to figure out if he knew what the crime was.

He looked at the Demon Revealing Mirror that only displayed '???' with resentful eyes.

His thoughts was complicated. He just wanted to become a model student.

'Still, it is better to have more skills. First, I should determine who the perpetrator is.'

However, An Eun-young's condition was strange.

"Uh, eung..."

She moaned as she started swaying and then began to fell.

If she hit then cement floor, she was likely to become seriously injured.

In the end, Seo Tae-hyuk didn't hesitate to grab An Eun-young.

Heavy!

He could feel something big that didn't fit her slender body.

'She did look tired, but to think she would suddenly fall down...'

An Eun-young had dark circles around her eyes. He wondered if she had been staying up late in preparation for the exam next week.

It seemed possible for An Eun-young who was always studying.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings!

'Crazy!'

The probability of success for Robbery was 10%.

However, this time, it succeeded in just one go.

"T-tae-hyuk... S-sorry. I'm a bit tired these days..."

An Eun-young shook her head to get rid of the dizziness and stepped away from Tae-hyuk.

"It seems like you are the one who should go to the infirmary and rest. I'll help you there."

"I- I need to study..."

"You should take a break. You don't want me to carry you there, do you?"An Eun-young nodded slowly.

After diverting her attention, Tae-hyuk placed a hand in his pocket.He could feel a soft cloth.

Fortunately, it was the top part.

'I think I'm going to go crazy. Fuck. Why does it keep stealing things like this?'

It was a situation where he couldn't say anything, even if he was caught red-handed stealing.

'If I get one more point, then I'll be able to prevent this!'

The bigger issue was how to return it to the original owner.

Keeping it was a problem.

However, returning it was also a problem.

Tae-hyuk was distressed.

It felt like he reached a crossroad marked with Raccoon City and Silent Hill.

At this moment, his head was moving faster than Einstein's.

'Ah, I don't know!'

Tae-hyuk felt like vomiting as he spoke to An Eun-young.

"Eun-young, you seem tired, so do you want to see a magic trick?"

"H-huh?"

Tae-hyuk placed his hands together like he was clapping.

When he opened his hands, white underwear appeared.

"Look! This is my alchemy!"

An Eun-young turned red the moment she realized what it was.

Peok!

She snatched the underwear and kicked Tae-hyuk's leg with her shoe.

Then she literally ran away.

"I gave it back though. Ow..."

In this situation when he needed her help, it seemed like their relationship had deteriorated.

Tae-hyuk sighed slowly,

"...I'm screwed."

[TL Note: I've made a glossary of common Korean honorifics and terms that will pop up in my novels, so that I don't have to repeat the explanations. There is a link on the TOC for all my novels and I will add it here as well. if you're confused by any of them e.g. Noona. ]

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Chapter 12 - Model Student Seo Tae-hyuk??? #2

"First of all, I will start with Teacher Jung Nam-ho."

No matter how thick-headed Tae-hyuk was, he couldn't start a fight with An Eun-young.

Tae-hyuk jumped over the wall and went shopping in the city. Binoculars, mini voice recorder... He bought a few simple props as well. Tae-hyuk was preparing to spy.

The funds came from the money he had received from the voice phishers a few days ago.

It would've been nice if he had a hidden camera or wiretapping device. However, it was difficult to obtain such things right now.

'Class should be ending right now.'

He needed to go to the school office and place the tape recorder on Teacher Jung Nam-ho's seat. Then he would recover it and listen to it after school.

By doing this, he would be able to get a clue as to if his teacher was involved in a crime.

'So, how can I get into the office?'

Actually, the real problem wasn't entering but making an exit.

"Tae-hyuk, what are you doing not going to school? Huh? You won't be able to graduate like this. The number of days you've attended is too low. This teacher is going crazy because of you. Also, you should study harder. The average of the class..."

The student adviser was very pleased when Tae-hyuk visited the office.

'What is this? It feels like confessing a crime at a police station...'

Tae-hyuk was able to safely place the tape recorder in Teacher Jung Nam-ho's seat.

However, he'd had to listen to the same words from the student adviser for two hours, over and over again. So, it was slightly saddening to hear it again.

Tae-hyuk listened to the lecture while watching Teacher Jung Nam-ho who was sitting a little bit away from him.

'He is having a phone conversation with someone. It smells fishy.'

"I will call your sister if there is one more unauthorized absence. Do you understand?"

'Yes, bad breath!'

It seemed like the student adviser hadn't brushed his teeth after eating cheonggukjang.

In the end, Tae-hyuk was only freed when school ended.

"You can go now. I hope that you will have a new start from tomorrow."

'I would like that as well, Teacher-nim.'

Tae-hyuk bowed his head and left the office.

Of course, he didn't forget to take that tape recorder that he had planted.

'Success!'

Tae-hyuk smiled widely as he listened to the recorded conversation.

It contained very conclusive evidence.-Yes, then I'll meet you at six in the evening. Ah, that thing... Yes. Thank you!

"Hu..."

Tae-hyuk pulled out the earphones connected to the tape recorder and sighed.

The information was devastating.

It seemed like he was going to meet a student's parents after school at a restaurant in order to receive something.

There was only one crime that came to mind.

'Even taking bribes is a crime.'

He had found the criminal easier than he had thought would.

Now, he had to get the new skill and use it to deal the criminal a big blow.

'Still, I hadn't thought that Teacher Jung Nam-ho...'

Tae-hyuk had never imagined it.

His tone was harsh, but he seemed like a teacher who cared for his students more than anyone else.

Indeed, it was truly impossible to know a person's mind.

'I need to check to make sure.'

There might be a misunderstanding.

Tae-hyuk headed to the restaurant that was mentioned on the recording.

It was a luxurious traditional Korean restaurant.

Fortunately, the room next to Jung Nam-ho and the parents was empty.

Tae-hyuk sat there and ordered.

The price was more than 30,000 won per person.

All of a sudden, he remembered his sister who was eating at home alone.

"Please give me one vegetable bibimbap. In addition to that, can I have this two course meal wrapped to go? Oh, it isn't allowed? Here's a tip."

After putting down a 10,000 won bill, all types of packed food were prepared.

Tae-hyuk mixed his bibimbap and listened to the conversation next door.

"Thank you, Teacher-nim. Then please do it for my son."

"I understand."

"This isn't that much but..."

'...For sure!'

Teacher Jung Nam-ho had received a bribe from the parents.

He lost his appetite.

It was like he was seeing the dark side of the world.

'Then did I learn a skill? What is the skill?

'Hopefully it wouldn't be something like bribery or extortion.'

They might be useful, but he didn't want to learn such things.

'Well, if I learn it, I should use it one day. Now, Demon Revealing Mirror, show me the skill!'

Tae-hyuk pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror and looked for a new message.

There was nothing.

"What? Why is this? Is there something else?"

There was still a '???' where the new skill should be.

It didn't change even after Jung Nam-ho and the parents had left.

'Perhaps, it isn't Teacher Jung Nam-ho?'

He definitely received money, but it wasn't a crime. Tae-hyuk had to interpret it that way.

Tae-hyuk decided to follow Jung Nam-ho to his next destination.

'Yes, let's go to the end.'

Tae-hyuk ran through the streets after the sun had set.Jung Nam-ho bought two and fruits from a market in a poor area, then he headed somewhere.

Tae-hyuk knew that some people still used briquettes, but this was the first time he had actually seen it.

It was a strange feeling.

Even though he had lived in a semi-basement room until recently, he had never resorted to briquettes.

Jung Nam-ho stopped in front of an old house that seemed at least 50 years old.

"Aigoo, Teacher-nim. Why are you here?"

A grandmother came out and greeted Jung Nam-ho.

"Jong-min's grandmother, you don't need to come out. Won't you be more comfortable in the house?"

"Jong-min went to work. I'm sorry, I am sick..."

"It's nothing. When Jong-min comes home, tell him that I've stopped by. And this..."

Jung Nam-ho put down the briquettes and fruits at the door, then he pulled out an envelope and gave it to the grandmother.

It was what the parents had given him.

"What is this...?"

"Take it, and tell Jong-min to come to school tomorrow. That kid, he doesn't study regularly. I will take responsibility for sending him to university. Please believe me."

"T-teacher-nim. Thank you."

The grandmother bowed to Jung Nam-ho.

Tae-hyuk was watching them from behind a wall.

'This is truly...'

Jung Nam-ho was the man that Tae-hyuk knew. Jung Nam-ho's mouth was rough, but he thought about his students more than anyone else.

That's why Tae-hyuk liked him.

He could smile even when he got hit.

Kim Jong-min was a student in the top 5 of the class. That reminded Tae-hyuk, he hadn't come to school for the past few days.

Jung Nam-ho found out the reason and helped him without anyone knowing.

Obviously, it was a crime to receive a bribe. However, the Demon Revealing Mirror hadn't reacted.

It was a complicated feeling.

Tae-hyuk moved to a spot where he couldn't be seen by Jung Nam-ho.

The criminal wasn't Jung Nam-ho.

If so, that meant the criminal was among the remaining two candidates.

He was sure of it. The next day, Tae-hyuk started to monitor what An Eun-young and Park Sung-kwang did all day.

An Eun-young looked like a frog facing a ghost every time she saw Tae-hyuk, which made him feel bitter.

'This is my own fault...'

The magic was a bit too much.

The first thing he figured out was that An Eun-young studied all day.

It seemed like she was possessed by a ghost of studying.

She went to school at seven in the morning and prepared for everything they would learn that day. Even at recess, the English words never left her hands.

Then after school, she would stay until late to study.

If other students came to ask about something they didn't know, she would teach them kindly.

There was no sign of even the slightest annoyance.

'Really great.'

Tae-hyuk was full of admiration.

If there was a chance, he wanted to apologize and ask for help studying.

However, he needed to find the criminal first.

'And Park Sung-kwang...'

He was the exact opposite of An Eun-young.

Park Sung-kwang only played all day.

He came to school just in time to avoid being late.

During class, he would chat with someone on his handphone without studying.

Still, his grades were very good, so the teachers pretended not to see it.

At the end of school, a driver in a deluxe foreign car would come to pick him up. He would take it to places like clubs and bars.

It was difficult to enter such places with a uniform, so he would change to plain clothes.

However, everything on his body screamed luxury.

'Is the son of a politician that wealthy?'

Clearly, they shouldn't earn that much.

Tae-hyuk laughed bitterly.

Even though they were in the same class, Park Sung-kwang's world was completely different from the one that Tae-hyuk and Jong-min lived in.

Tae-hyuk confirmed that Park Sung-kwang played with a woman until his face turned red. It was dawn when he got home.

'Does he study at home?'

It was strange that he was able to keep the position of 2nd place in the whole school despite all of this.

Tae-hyuk pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror.

Underage drinking was a crime, but there was still nothing in the Demon Revealing Mirror.

'Well, it isn't like I wanted to learn a drinking skill.'

He still couldn't find a clue regarding the crime.

However, he noticed something suspicious three days before the big test.

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Chapter 13 - Model Student Seo Tae-hyuk??? #3

Due to the test preparations, An Eun-young's dark circles became even darker.

Park Sung-kwang's face was a mess due to an entirely different reason.

'How much alcohol did he drink?'

Tae-hyuk and An Eun-young was in the classroom after school. Aside from them, only Park Sung-kwang was left.

An Eun-young was still studying hard. Park Sung-kwang was lying face-down on his desk.

Tae-hyuk was pretending to do homework while keeping an eye on both people.

It was at that moment. The door opened and one of Park Sung-kwang's friends, Kim Jin-soo entered.

However, it wasn't Park Sung-kwang but An Eun-young that he had business with.

"Class President! Teacher-nim has a task for you so go to the second floor of the old teacher's building."

"...H-Huh? Y-yes. U-understood."

The old teacher's building was where special activities classes were held.

Unlike the rest of the school where students stayed behind after school was over, the old teacher's building was normally empty at this time.

Then why was Teacher-nim looking for her in such a place.

The listening Tae-hyuk felt suspicious.

"He wanted your help to organize something. Go quickly."

An Eun-young nodded and left the classroom.

Kim Jin-soo then approached Park Sung-kwang, who was lying on his desk, and said.

"Sung-kwang. I did it."

"Uh, yes. Ah, I had way too much to drink yesterday. Damn. Then shall we start the plan?"

Jin-soo pointed to where Tae-hyuk was sitting with uneasy eyes.

"What about him? He saw all of it."

Park Sung-kwang shook his head as he glanced at Tae-hyuk, who looked like he had no interest.

"You can ignore him. Anyway, he is a guy who gave up on life. If he notices something then I can just pay him some money."

"Is that so?"

"Then let's go."

Park Sung-kwang left the classroom, followed by Kim Jin-soo.

Seo Tae-hyuk's eyes shone as he pretended to study hard.

'Hoh. Look at those children.'

He had found a clue to the crime that he had been searching for.

Tae-hyuk followed behind the two people at a certain distance.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination.

The old teacher's building.

It looked exactly like the set of a horror movie.

'Wah... This atmosphere makes it feel like a ghost will pop out.'

It was so creepy that he didn't want to enter it in the day. There was the smell of chemicals from the chemistry room. There were creepy biological specimens in containers of formalin.

Even the plaster casts in the art room gave off an ominous feeling with the sun went down.

'Can't a full movie be filmed here?'

It was a place where even a man would scream in fear.

Buzz buzz!

In the silence, the sound of voices could be heard.

'Were they going to the second floor?'

Tae-hyuk carefully walked to the place where An Eun-young and Park Sung-kwang's group was, making sure not to be noticed.

Creak!

Despite being as careful as possible, sounds were still heard from the old building.

'This isn't a school horror experience.'

As he grew closer, he could hear a certain voice.

"I don't understand why you dislike it. Isn't this a good deal for Class President?"

Tae-hyuk arrived at the place where Park Sung-kwang's voice could be heard. He leaned forward and observed the situation.

Park Sung-kwang was excitedly talking with someone.

"B-But..."

"But what? You are being ridiculous."

"I-I... I have to be 1st."

"It is the same for me. Don't you know how upset my father is? There is no such thing as 2nd place for politicians. They are either elected or defeated. So if I want to become a politician, I have to get 1st place. What the heck? That is discipline."

"I-If you study harder then..."

"That is the problem! The 1st place classmate is someone who studies 20 hours a day so what can I do? Therefore, let's do something good for each other. Show me your answer sheet the day after tomorrow. Then get one question wrong. I will be in 1st place. You will be in 2nd. Isn't that good? One million won. No, five million won."

"I-I don't want m-money."

Kwang! Park Sung-kwang punched the wall next to An Eun-young.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip as he listened to the conversation.

'That's it. The reason why he gets good grades despite playing all day.'

Park Sung-kwang spent money to cheat on all the tests.

It was at that moment.

Brr!

The Demon Revealing Mirror, that hadn't moved for a week, finally reacted.

[Crime Skill: Spying has been learnt.]

-You can see your opponent's belongings and stats.

-The criteria to fully learn it hasn't been met yet.

-It has been registered in the temporary skills window.

'Spying?'

He could see the information of the desired target.

Just like Voice Modulation, it was a skill with endless utilization.

'What the hell is Robbery then? What the heck? A landmine skill?'

Park Sung-kwang was cheating. He was using indecent methods to do it.

Five big men were surrounding a small girl and intimidating her.

"It really doesn't make sense! Jin-sso. Didn't I tell you to do some research on Class President? Tell me how to make her listen? Is it not enough money? Does she want more? 10 million won?"An Eun-young was tearful since the atmosphere made it seem like violence would erupt at any moment.

However, she didn't accept Park Sung-kwang's offer.

"Well, there is a reason that Class President needs to keep her 1st place."

"What on earth? Tell me the reason."

Kim Jin-soo pulled out a notebook and started reading the contents written there.

"It was really hard to find this..."

"I understand. 200?"

Kim Jin-soo replied with a big smile.

"Yes. Thank you! Then I will tell you. Class President's mother is in hospital for a blood cancer. What was it? Leukemia? Anyway, it is a condition where it is unknown if she will see tomorrow. Therefore, Class President made a promise with her mother."

"What?"

"She would study really hard and get 1st place in the school. Her mother should work hard to get treatment as well."

"Puhaha! How ludicrous. Isn't it crazy? A last resort? Does she think her mother isn't going to die? Don't be like this. Class President. Let's agree on 10 million won. You will need a lot of money for the funeral costs. Shouldn't you plan in advance?"

"U-uck, uwaaaaah!"

An Eun-young eventually burst out crying.

Park Sung-kwang cried out with annoyance.

"Ah, I'm going crazy. It really doesn't make sense. But Class President, do you want to know something? Your mother's life support device. What will happen if I unplug that cord? Aren't you curious?"

"U-uck... N-No. P-Please don't. I-I'll do it. I'll do it so p-please..."

"Yes, good. Ah right, it will be troublesome if you spread this around. So I'll need some evidence to make Class President stay silent. Jin-soo, did you bring the camera?"

"Yes."

"Now. Shall we have fun with a photo shoot?"

Park Sung-kwang laughed happily.

Tae-hyuk quietly used a skill.

[Voice Modulation has been used.]

-You can directly imitate the voice of Jung Nam-ho.

Tae-hyuk yelled out with Jung Nam-ho's voice.

"These children. What are you doing that you haven't gone home yet?"

Park Sung-kwang was surprised.

"Hey, you jerk. I told you not to be tailed! What are you doing?"

"Uh, t-this is strange... There was clearly no one."

"Fuck. Let's go!"

"What about Class President?"

"Leave her. Fuck. I'll need to ask my father for more money to buy her silence."

Park Sung-kwang disappeared into the darkness of the old teacher's building.

"Sob... Sob... T-Teacher-nim..."

An Eun-young was sitting on the floor crying.

Tae-hyuk scratched his head as he approached An Eun-young.

"Did you think I was Teacher-nim? Sorry. It is Seo Tae-hyuk."Tae-hyuk first apologized to An Eun-young for the magic incident.

"That unbecoming incident. I'm really sorry."

"...Huh? ...Yes."

"Really."

Tae-hyuk emphasized it again.

"...By the way, why did you save me?"

An Eun-young was surprised to see a person she had never expected to intervene.

"I actually wanted to apologize so I followed you in secret. Then I became witness by chance. Something like that?"

Following her to apologize?

Moreover, he saved her.

An Eun-young realized that she was mistaken about the young man called Seo Tae-hyuk.

If he hadn't rescued her then she would have clearly suffered due to Park Sung-kwang's group.

In addition, Tae-hyuk had seen everything that Park Sung-kwang tried to do to An Eun-young.

Even so, he did not say one word about it.

She felt so grateful.

He didn't ask if she was okay and just stretched out his hand.

An Eun-young grabbed Tae-hyuk's hand and got up.

The trembling in her body started to calm down.

"F-For saving me, t-thank you... By the way... Did you hear?"

"Well. Yes."

"W-What are you going to do now?"

An Eun-young's judgment was quick. She understood the whole situation.

Once Park Sung-kwang realized that he had been fooled by Seo Tae-hyuk, he would strike back.

Tae-hyuk exclaimed like he suddenly thought of something.

"Ah. Now I understand."

"Eu? Huh? What?"

"No. Remember the other day when I caught a cold? Class President was helping me. At the time, I thought Park Sung-kwang was glaring at me. But he was actually looking at you."

"There was something like that...?"

"In fact, I thought he liked me. When I didn't look at him, his affection turned into hate. Well. Isn't it cool that the mysterious had been unravelled?"An Eun-young stared at Seo Tae-hyuk with a dumbfounded expression.

How could Tae-hyuk be like this?

He had become the target of Park Sung-kwang who had enormous power in the school. Didn't he understand?

An Eun-young formed tight fists. She didn't want the person who helped her to get hurt.

"Ah right. Then what will I do now?"

"Yes. Actually, I'm a little worried about you..."

"He thinks he is a politician just because his dad is one. I need to let him know that even politicians can be pierced by bamboo spears."

"B-Bamboo spears?"

"Yes. Class President should just drink soda and watch."

Tae-hyuk laughed.

Even though it wasn't a dependable face. Why did she feel this sense of relief?

An Eun-young's face turned red the moment she realized why.

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Chapter 14: Having Too Much of a Good Thing

"Ah, am I late?"

An Eun-young was hardly able to walk due to her shock.

In the end, Tae-hyuk had to piggyback her home. Her body was lighter than Tae-hyuk had expected, so he felt uncomfortable.

How could this small girl confront Park Sung-kwang?

In his memories, An Eun-young was just a sincere and hard-working model student.

Tae-hyuk sighed inwardly.

It was less of a return to the past and more of having memories of the future. He could take advantage of those memories.

However, that wasn't the end of it. Tae-hyuk learnt things he had never known before.

Teacher Jung Nam-ho helped his students in secret… And An Eun-young was fighting on her own.

Until now, Tae-hyuk had been a mere bystander. However, his position had changed now, and he was jumping onto the stage out of his own free will. There was nothing else he could do except to fight.

Tae-hyuk looked at his watch.

His sister had told him not to go home too late. However, it was already past 10 in the evening. He had sent her a message, but she would worry if he was even later.

Tae-hyuk hurried forward.

"Uh, what are they doing?"

There was a strange shadow on the wall to an alley.

The person was wearing clothes that completely exposed the body.

It looked like a young woman…

"…Did she forget the keys to her house?"

Tae-hyuk shook his head.

He couldn't afford to worry about others things right now. His head was full of complicated thoughts just from thinking about An Eun-young.

Tae-hyuk ignored the suspicious woman and headed home to where his sister was waiting."Tae-hyuk! Aren't you going home? Classes are over!"

Jung Nam-ho asked Tae-hyuk, who strangely had remained in the classroom.

He didn't seem to be sleeping with his eyes open…

It had been his routine to run off after lunch without waiting for school to end.

Seo Tae-hyuk scratched his head and replied,

"Ah, I have decided to study from today."

Jung Nam-ho hit Tae-hyuk's head with the attendance sheet.

"Ouch!"

"Strange. This isn't a dream. Did I eat something bad at lunch today?"Tae-hyuk was at a loss for words. Was it that surprising that he had decided to study?

"Then work hard. I'm going."

"Yes. See you tomorrow."

After Teacher Jung Nam-ho left, An Eun-young moved and sat next to Tae-hyuk.

"Tae-hyuk, then… let's start studying."

"Uh, Class President. You're not stuttering anymore?"

"Eung? Really?"

An Eun-young laughed gently.

The two people stayed behind because Tae-hyuk had asked for An Eun-young's help with studying.

'Well, I also want to stop Park Sung-kwang from touching her.'

The test was two days later.

Park Sung-kwang realized that he had been deceived and was now burning with hostility toward Tae-hyuk.

'He didn't do anything during the day due to his reputation, but it should now be time for him to approach.'

Tae-hyuk studied while waiting for Park Sung-kwang.

"Well, then I'll check your skills."

In order to teach someone, she first needed to know their skills.

An Eun-young made a test paper that mixed simple problems and difficult problems.

Tae-hyuk received it and concentrated.

"Um, I just solved what I knew. How about it?"

"Eung…"

An Eun-young gave a strange moan as she started to check the problems.

Then she spoke in an oddly angry voice,

"Tae-hyuk, you. Don't you study?"

"Eek?"

"The problems that require application are a problem. However, the very basic questions are wrong. Normally, this means that you don't study."

"T-then I will try harder from now on."

"Really? Then… I think I can help. However, you will need to give up on the next test. This is still your second year. If you work hard, you can get good results in the next test. First of all, mathematics…"

An Eun-young explained the curriculum to Seo Tae-hyuk.

She knew exactly what it took to improve his grades.

"As expected from Class President… Amazing."

"I-it's no big deal."

An Eun-young shook her head with embarrassment at Tae-hyuk's praise.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and started teaching him in earnest.

Tae-hyuk focused on An Eun-young's words.

Why was her face slightly flushed?

Was the classroom hot?

Approximately 30 minutes passed by.

All of a sudden, the Demon Revealing Mirror, that he had placed on the desk, rang.

[You have focused on studying.]

[You have been influenced by An Eun-young's Studying skill and your stats are rising quickly.]

[Intelligence has increased by one!]

'Rising stats…?'

It was a message he had never seen before.

He wanted to examine it, but he felt sorry towards An Eun-young who was studying hard.

Tae-hyuk stretched and said,

"Let's rest for five minutes."

"Eung? It has only been 30 minutes… although you have worked hard. Shall we take a break?"

"Then I will go to the bathroom."

"Eung."

"Please note that it is a big one."

"I didn't ask!"

An Eun-young stood up and stretched. Tae-hyuk took the Demon Revealing Mirror with him and left the classroom.'Is it because I got the Spying skill?'

'You can use the opponent's ability and skills to spy on your belongings.'

In other words, he could see his own stats.

Tae-hyuk decided to try it on himself first.

[Spying has been used.]

[You can see your opponent's belongings and stats]

Along with the message about activating the skill, the abilities of 'Seo Tae-hyuk' popped up.

There was also a bag of belongings, but there was no reason to look at it.

[Seo Tae-hyuk]

-Title: God of Crime

-Rating: Commoner (Lacking conditions for upgrade)

-Skills Possessed: Robbery (Lv 1)

Voice Modulation (Lv 1)

Spying (Lv 1)

-Stats: Stamina (64), Intelligence (4), Agility (22), Dexterity (31)

[You can raise your stats by using affinity points.]

'What is this…? F-fool!'

Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.

Compared to his other stats, his intelligence was too low.

Moreover, this was after he had just gained one point.

He had only tempered his body, so his stamina was high.

'I really have to study harder…'

It seemed like he had to take care of An Eun-young from now on.

Tae-hyuk thought about the message that had popped up previously.

'The Studying skill…'

He learnt that crime skills weren't the only skills he could get.

An Eun-young didn't seem to have the same abilities as him. Did he have to study hard to get it?

'Um. This time…'

He shone the Demon Revealing Mirror on An Eun-young in the classroom.

Then Spying was activated.

[An Eun-young]

-Title: Good Model Student

[The details aren't available due to your low rating.]

Tae-hyuk's eyes trembled.

'Does she have a higher rating than me?'

If he was a commoner, An Eun-young had to be at least a noble.

Come to think of it, An Eun-young was very good at studying. She was first place in the school and her nationwide rank was quite high.

'I don't know her exact rating but maybe it's 'King'.'

'Either way, I have to raise my rating if I want to use the skill properly.'

An Eun-young was the owner of the Studying skill. It was fortunate that he was getting close to her. He could easily increase his low intelligence stat.

'Thank you, Class President! I will buy you a hamburger later!'

As Tae-hyuk was sending love calls to An Eun-young in his mind, someone approached him.

"Hrmm. You're finally out."

It was Park Sung-kwang.

'Wah, has he been waiting outside until now? How sad. If I look closely, isn't that snow piled up on his shoulders?'

Tae-hyuk thought with a serious expression.

"Haha. There is no need to panic. I don't plan to do anything to you. Take a look, I am alone right now."

"I wasn't scared though?"

Park Sung-kwang's eyes twitched.

However, he spoke with true superhuman patience,

"… Hum, hum. At any rate, it is good that you're not making a fuss. I don't know what you've heard. Despite my reputation, you can trust me. So, why don't you receive some money for staying out of things?"

"Staying out?"

"I mean, stop hanging around Class President. Isn't that more comfortable for both of you?"

It meant to leave An Eun-young's side.

Tae-hyuk lowered his tone like he was worried.

"Money… I do need it."

"Those are good words. 50… No, I'll give you one million won."

Tae-hyuk held up five fingers.

"I need this much?"

"Cough. Five million… You sure can make a bargain. Yes… I'm in a great mood, so…"

Tae-hyuk folded his fingers, leaving only his index finger that he shook back and forth.

"No, 500 million. Class President helped me with things I've been struggling to learn. Shouldn't it be at least this much?"

"5… 500 million?"

It wasn't five million but 500 million? That was 100 times the money.

"Puhahaha! Crazy. You are crazy. You'll have to go round and round chasing for that money."

Park Sung-kwang laughed.

"You seem to be mistaken about something. You think you've caught my weakness. This is a problem that I can solve on my own, without my father's help. Yes. The negotiating is over."

"Well, I guess so."

"I will do everything I can to destroy you. From now on, it's war, Seo Tae-hyuk."

Park Sung-kwang declared and walked off.

Tae-hyuk laughed as he watched Park Sung-kwang leave.

Then he muttered in a low voice,

"This move turned out as nicely as I thought it would. Yeah, it should be like this. Now, who will be the one destroyed?"

In fact, Tae-hyuk didn't have any special feelings or hostility towards Park Sung-kwang.

He was just an obstacle blocking An Eun-young from helping Tae-hyuk study.

However, the problem was different since he needed to obtain the Spying skill.

It was an essential skill.

In order to perfectly learn it, he had to stab Park Sung-kwang.

"Well, isn't this Class President's revenge? Let's call it the tuition fee. Park Sung-kwang, sorry. Who told you to give me such a good skill?"

Anyway, it wasn't the time to return to studying.

Park Sung-kwang had moved first.

Now, it was his turn.

Tae-hyuk apologized to An Eun-young and made a phone call.

"Senator's secretary, Park Sung-hwan?"

The plan to destroy Park Sung-kwang had begun.

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Chapter 15 – Having Too Much of a Good Thing #2

Park Sung-kwang's power was considerable since he was the son of a politician.

It was the day after he declared war.

Tae-hyuk felt it the moment he went to school.

The mood of the students had changed.

"…Seo Tae-hyuk. Is he late again?"

"Shh. Talk quietly. He's going to hear."

"What does it matter if he hears? Will he bite my head off? Or beat me?"

"…T-that. Last night…"

"V-violent incident? Hiik!"

This was just at first glance.

Buzz buzz!

Many students on the road were talking about Seo Tae-hyuk. It was like he was a celebrity!

'… That isn't it. Also, aren't the rumors about me spreading quicker than I initially thought?'

He had thought that at the least, it would take one more day for them to spread.

Tae-hyuk had become the worst gangster of the school overnight.

'Conquering all the bad groups in the area. Bullying money from students in other schools. Using violence. Playing naughty pranks on girls passing by. … I'm not some hero of a manhwa!'

All of this occurred in around half a day. It was ridiculous, but the students believed the rumors either way.

Tae-hyuk could guess why it spread so quickly.

Park Sung-kwang had probably used SNS (Korean social media) as a means to spread these rumors. He probably opened around half a dozen chat rooms, in which he freely slandered Seo Tae-hyuk. The rumors would then blow up by themselves as they were reinterpreted and spread to more people. It was repeated so many times that most of the students now knew of Seo Tae-hyuk's bad deeds.

Tae-hyuk laughed bitterly.

'He really is the same as his father.'

Manipulating public opinion using the media. Although there was no proof behind that claim, it was still a clever use of both technology and psychology.

Tae-hyuk was doing bad things. Even if someone didn't believe that claim at first, their doubts would soon turn to conviction after hearing several people repeating it.

Park Sung-kwang had many friends, and put the money that came from being the son of a politician to good use. There were at least 10 people involved in this matter. That number was enough to incite most of the students in school.

Now no one would believe him if Tae-hyuk accused Park Sung-kwang of cheating.

'I just wanted to be a model student. Isn't this the opposite from what I wanted?'

Tae-hyuk licked his lips.

Furthermore, it was obvious that it wouldn't end with just this.

'Oh my god…'

A miracle was occurring as Tae-hyuk walked. Students parted in front of him like he was the plague. The situation was more serious than he thought.

Once he opened the door and walked in, the loud classroom suddenly became quiet. People started whispering in small voices; and although he didn't hear them, he knew what they were talking about.

Tae-hyuk walked to his seat and sat down, prompting the person next to him to increase the distance between their seats.He couldn't say anything.

"Tae-hyuk…"

An Eun-young, sitting in the seat in front of him, spoke in a small voice.

"… Is this Park Sung-kwang's doing?"

Tae-hyuk wiped at his eyes like he was moved.

"Do you believe in my innocence?"

"O-Of course! S-sorry. Because of me… Do you regret it now?"

'I'm kidding… Why are you so serious?'

That was just in Tae-hyuk's head.

Tae-hyuk didn't hesitate as he replied to An Eun-young.

"What are you talking about? If I could travel back in time, then I would still save Class President."

It was natural. It wasn't uncommon to form connections with intelligent people.

"Huh…? Eu? Yes? Yes… I-I see."

An Eun-young's face instantly turned red.

She tried to answer but couldn't speak. Then An Eun-young raised her finger like she suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, right. The student adviser said for you to go see him straight away…'

"Well. Maybe this incident has even entered the ears of the teachers. Either that, or Park Sung-kwang is planning to beat me."

"L-Let's go together…! I will tell Teacher-nim that Tae-hyuk did nothing wrong!"

Tae-hyuk shook his head.

"No. Recently I have become friendly with Class President."

"Uh, yes. Friendly."

"Then would they believe Class President's claim of my innocence?"

An Eun-young was dumbfounded at Tae-hyuk's words.

"S-Still!"

"I will go to the office now."

"Then I'll be waiting at the door!"

Despite his words, An Eun-young still wanted to come along.

Tae-hyuk chose not to refuse anymore.Once he went to the office, the student adviser greeted him more angrily than usual.

"Tae-hyuk! Tae-hyuk! Tae-hyuk! Hey, you son of a bitch. Why did you do it? It has only been a few days since you promised to be reborn. Yes?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"You bastard! I know. I know it all! Don't try to lie and deceive me. Tell the truth, and I will consider extenuating your circumstances.

"I really don't know what you're talking about."

"This bastard… Denying it until the end! There was a witness, a witness! Did you think no one saw you when you hit a student last night? His leg was broken so badly that he has at least 12 weeks of recovery! I thought you were a good person who got into small trouble. Have I been deceived? Say something, you son of a bitch."

Tae-hyuk couldn't even laugh due to the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"I harmed a student?"

"Hah! It seems I was mistaken about you. Showing no signs of remorse and reflection after brazenly hurting someone. Who? Kim Jin-soo! I went to the hospital last night and saw him. He was beaten half to death."Tae-hyuk clenched his hands into tight fists.

He had thought that it was just a bunch of rumors. But someone was really hurt?

Kim Jin-soo, who had been fine just yesterday, was now in the hospital. What really happened?

'Park Sung-kwang. You really went this far.'

He had broken the leg of his follower just to frame Tae-hyuk.

Tae-hyuk felt anger boiling inside of him.

"Ahyu. This shameless guy. In my heart, I want to make you exactly like Jin-soo. Yet, I'm very sad because I can't. At any rate, a disciplinary committee will be held after the test tomorrow. This will probably result in a suspension or worse. By the way, I will be strongly arguing that you be expelled."

"Is that so?"

The smile disappeared from Tae-hyuk's face.

Expulsion. If An Eun-young wouldn't separate herself from him, then would they be kicked out of school together?

Tae-hyuk felt a fierce anger towards the man called Park Sung-kwang.

"You are still denying it like this until the end! Very well, you can go now."

"Oh, by the way, Teacher-nim. Have you ever received a bribe from Park Sung-kwang?"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Nothing. Keep up the good work."

Tae-hyuk left the office without looking back.An Eun-young, who had been listening to the conversation outside, looked like she was about to cry.

"T-Tae-hyuk… R-really. I'm s-sorry…"

Tae-hyuk smiled and stroked her head.

"No, I should be the one to say sorry. In fact, I even wanted to play this little game at first."

"P-play?"

"But now, I think that I should go to war."

He had planned to steal the test paper submitted by Park Sung-kwang and make him sit in the re-test alone.

But that wasn't enough anymore.

This was a dirty fight where one of the two people had to be finished.

Either Seo Tae-hyuk would be expelled, or Park Sung-kwang would be ruined.

"Hrmm. I thought something like this would happen after I threw the bait."

Shortly after Park Sung-kwang had declared war, Tae-hyuk had called his father's secretary and laid a trap. If it worked properly, then it would be very fatal for Park Sung-kwang.

And…

Tae-hyuk explained his plan to An Eun-young.

Her cooperation was necessary in order for it to be successful.

"… I'll give it a try. But will it really succeed? It seems to heavily rely on luck…"

Tae-hyuk replied in a confident voice.

"I will do it somehow. Believe in me."

"Uh, yes. I trust you."

'Phew. I sound so irresponsible since she doesn't know about the Demon Revealing Mirror. It is good that she still believes in me.'

Tae-hyuk inwardly sighed with relief. An Eun-young trusted him to such a strange degree.

Of course, he had no intention of betraying her.

"Then, shall I start the cheating?"

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Chapter 16: Having Too Much of a Good Thing #3

"Hahaha! Seo Tae-hyuk! You raised the white flag to surrender!"

Park Sung-kwang was delighted after hearing that Tae-hyuk wouldn't go against his cheating.

In fact, he hadn't imagined that he would lose so much money as well as a follower. However, in the end, he was able to get what he wanted. He was so delighted that it was almost unbearable.

Park Sung-kwang clicked his tongue and said,

"By the way, I am sorry. I can't cancel the expulsion. The water has already been spilled."

"Ah, that? I'm okay. I can just transfer. But I would need a lot of money to move schools. I'll also need to buy a new uniform."

"Well, giving you money… Haha. It seems like we are talking now. By the way, do you still want 500 million?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was a joke. I am happy with 500,000."

"Hahaha! I'll forgive you. I am generous! If this doesn't leak, I will give you 2.5 million? How about it?"

"Is that okay?"

Park Sung-kwang called out to An Eun-young who was behind Tae-hyuk.

"Oh, Class President. You made a very smart choice. It would have been your turn next time.""Oh, what a pity. I couldn't take any photos. Well, lately… The composition technology is really great. Won't it look completely real?"

Park Sung-kwang held his belly and laughed.

An Eun-young's face turned white. She could imagine what the photos would show.

Park Sung-kwang stepped closer to An Eun-young, then he whispered in her ear.

"Isn't there still a long time until graduation? Please take care in the future."

He moved away from An Eun-young and grabbed Tae-hyuk's collar.

Tae-hyuk just extended his hand.

"Give me the money as soon as possible. At any rate. Is this the establishment of a contract?"

Park Sung-kwang held Tae-hyuk's hand and said,

"Well, I'll deposit it straight away. I am thorough regarding deals."

Tae-hyuk shook Park Sung-kwang's hand with his right hand while his left hand manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror.

'I really didn't want to use the points on this but… damn, I'll bite you to your very bones.'

Tae-hyuk used the three affinity points he had saved up.

[Crime Skill: Robbery has gained a new attribute.]

[When a robbery occurs, you will have three seconds to choose the item you want.]

[The items owned by the other person can be checked by 'Spying.']

After confirming that the attribute was bought successfully, Tae-hyuk used Spying. He confirmed that Park Sung-kwang had the item he wanted.

Tae-hyuk sent a signal to An Eun-young.

"Kyak!"

As promised, she pretended to fall and pushed him to the ground.

"Class President must have been nervous. Can you lend a helping hand?"

Tae-hyuk scratched his head like he was uncomfortable.

"Well, it was a mistake."

[Robbery has been used.]

-Please select the item you want to steal!

A variety of items came up.

He quickly selected the desired item and activated the skill.

'This time, it will be a success! Fighting!'

-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent's belongings!

'Yes!'

Tae-hyuk cheered inwardly.

Park Sung-kwang said,

"Then I will explain how Class President should show me your answer sheet."

A corner of his mouth went up, and he started to laugh.

'How long can you laugh?'

Everything that Tae-hyuk needed was gathered. Now was the time for a counterattack.

Park Sung-kwang's cheating method was simple. An Eun-young's job was to place her answer sheet on her desk before the test ended. He would take care of the rest of the cheating himself.

'It is like Mission Impossible.'

Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.

Park Sung-kwang seemed to know what he was doing. He had installed a miniature surveillance camera on the ceiling above An Eun-young's desk. Then someone would look and report it to him.

'The camera must be expensive.'

It needed to be able to see the letters on the answer sheet clearly from a distance, so it was impossible without an ultra-high resolution.

Park Sung-kwang always wore glasses that didn't have any prescription lenses. Tae-hyuk had thought it was just for his intelligence image. However, it served as the receiver of a radio.

'It is quite rational.'

The most critical thing about cheating was if the answer sheet showed the wrong information.

Of course, it didn't matter if the person was trustworthy. However, half of the people had been coerced through intimidation. There was a possibility they would give wrong information in the desire to die together.

So, he had to block it.

It was time for An Eun-young to show Park Sung-kwang the test paper as instructed. However, she was still concentrating on the paper.

Park Sung-kwang, who was sitting behind Tae-hyuk, started to feel nervous.

'Class President is doing well.'

Park Sung-kwang couldn't imagine that An Eun-young taking her time was part of Tae-hyuk's plan. It was to make him feel urgent so he would make rushed decisions.

It was seven minutes before the end of the test. Three minutes after Park Sung-kwang instructed, An Eun-young placed her answer sheet by a corner of the desk.

There was a sigh of relief from behind Tae-hyuk.

'Park Sung-kwang. It seems like you are sitting behind me so that I can't do anything stupid. I bet you never thought it would be an outer shell.'

Tae-hyuk had decided the location in advance, and Park Sung-kwang and his friends were currently not sitting in their usual seats. Tae-hyuk's seat, which was originally a little further away, was now right in front of Park Sung-kwang.

In the end, the test was over.

Park Sung-kwang succeeded in copying An Eun-young's answer sheet perfectly as planned.

The supervising teacher announced the end of the test.

"People sitting in the back, please pick up all the answer sheets."

Tae-hyuk looked at his answer sheet.

It was marked with the attendance number of Park Sung-kwang.

'Now, it is showtime!'

Tae-hyuk deliberately bumped into the person walking with the answer sheets…

And the Robbery skill was triggered. Park Sung-kwang's answer sheet had already been collected. This was what Tae-hyuk had been aiming for.

His new attribute that he had spent three affinity points on surfaced.

[Robbery has been used.]

-Please select the item you want to steal!

Most of the list were answer sheets. Tae-hyuk picked Park Sung-kwang's.

'Damn. Failed!'

Tae-hyuk bought himself some time without feeling embarrassed.

"Hey, why aren't you apologizing for bumping into me?"

"T-that, Tae-hyuk…"

"What, did I do something wrong?"

Then he bumped into the other person a few times on purpose. He really seemed like a gangster. Well, his image was already lost. So, he decided to use everything available.

The students who were watching clicked their tongues. In the end, he managed to steal what he wanted after three attempts.

Park Sung-kwang's answer sheet was in his pocket. He succeeded in secretly stealing Park Sung-kwang's answer sheet and no one in the class noticed.

'Will the success rate go up if I increase dexterity?'

It seemed like he had to raise both intelligence and dexterity.

Then with a casual expression, he handed out the answer sheet marked with Park Sung-kwang's attendance number.

Park Sung-kwang's answer sheet in his pocket was quickly changed to Tae-hyuk's own number with corrective tape. Then he handed it to An Eun-young, who was collecting the test papers in the next column.

One sheet missing from one place. An extra one in another. However, no one was aware because the teacher was collecting everything into one pile. This process was repeated for all the subjects.

So, An Eun-young's answer sheet was copied by Park Sung-kwang. It then became Seo Tae-hyuk's answer sheet.

As for Tae-hyuk's…

'Sung-kwang, I was learning the basics and didn't even study for this exam. There will be a lot of water falling on my answer sheet.'

The test results came out one week later. It was also the same day that Tae-hyuk's disciplinary committee would be held.

Tae-hyuk licked his lips.

'What will happen if the second ranked person in the school suddenly broke down? I am looking forward to it. Also, there is still one more step.'

He wasn't going to finish it with just this much.

The game was just starting.

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Chapter 17: Having Too Much of a Good Thing #4

It was the anticipated day when the exam results would come out.

Understandably, everyone was interested in the rankings of An Eun-young and Park Sung-kwang. After entering the school, the two people had always occupied the first and second places.

Who would be ranked first in the whole school this time?

"I think that Sung-kwang will win this time. These days, his rankings have been very high.

"But can he overcome the wall that is An Eun-young? On the last test, she got an average of 98 points. …The god of studying. Totally."

"But it seems that Eun-young didn't prepare much for the test because she was teaching Seo Tae-hyuk."

"No, Class President is eternally…."

"…Park Sung-kwang!"

"…An Eun-young!"

There was a fiery argument in the classroom.

"Hey! Be quiet! The results you've been waiting for have come out!"

The front door of the classroom had opened and Teacher Jung Nam-ho had entered. There was a big smile on his face.

Teacher Jung Nam-ho started to give out the report cards in the order of the attendance number.

People who got the desired result were cheerful. Those who got lower than they had expected sighed.

"Park Sung-kwang."

It was Park Sung-kwang's turn.

He was confident that he was first in the school, so he walked forward with a smiling face. However, the atmosphere was weird, and Teacher Jung Nam-ho had a concerned expression.

"… Is something going on at home?"

"Huh?"

Park Sung-kwang asked with a puzzled expression.

"Aiyah. We need to do something about this."Park Sung-kwang felt like something was unfortunate as he returned to his seat with the report card.

Then he cursed as he opened the envelope.

"…Shit."

'Seventh overall.'

He was a person who had only ever been first or second. It was a satisfactory achievement.

If there was a problem, it was that he had always been behind someone.

Wooduk!

Park Sung-kwang grinded his teeth together.

There was only one reason for this outcome:

An Eun-young. That bitch had backstabbed him. He had copied An Eun-young's answer sheet. So, it seemed like she had sacrificed her own grades. An Eun-young would be seventh place as well. Park Sung-kwang glared at An Eun-young, thinking about how to get revenge.

An Eun-young soon received her report card. Teacher Jung Nam-ho's chest puffed up like he was proud.

"An Eun-young! The first in the school! You've worked hard! Go home and rest!"

An Eun-young smiled gently and bowed toward Teacher Jung Nam-ho.

Park Sung-kwang's eyes widened.

'First in the school?'

It couldn't be.

He had obviously copied An Eun-young's answer sheet exactly. So, why was there a different result…?

"And there is someone else I have something to say to. Tae-hyuk! Come out!"

Seo Tae-hyuk, who had been sitting quietly in his seat until then, walked forward.

Teacher Jung Nam-ho embraced Tae-hyuk enthusiastically.

"I was really surprised! Another first place student came from my class! Tae-hyuk! What did I say? I knew you could do it!"

"T-that is ridiculous!"

"Seo Tae-hyuk is first place?"

"Lies!"

The students fell into a panic at Teacher Jung Nam-ho's words. They knew that he had been studying hard with Class President. Still, it was the first place in the school. He was a gangster who was soon to be expelled.

Tae-hyuk said,

"Well, the problems came from the parts that Class President taught me. I was lucky."

"Hey! Well done! Really well done! But what is with that face?"

Teacher Jung Nam-ho pointed to the bandage stuck to Seo Tae-hyuk's face.

"Oh, this? You will soon find out."

It was like someone had injured him.

It was at that moment…

"Seo, Tae, Hyuk!"

Park Sung-kwang rushed toward Tae-hyuk with a demonic expression.

He grabbed Seo Tae-hyuk by the collar and dragged him out.

"You guys! Hey! Park Sung-kwang!"

Teacher Jung Nam-ho moved forward, but it happened so quickly that he couldn't stop Park Sung-kwang.Park Sung-kwang dragged Seo Tae-hyuk to the school rooftop.

He didn't know exactly what had happened.

However, one thing was for certain—that bastard Seo Tae-hyuk had a hand in it.

"How dare you fuck with me?"

Tae-hyuk cocked his head with a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about?"

"Denying it until the end! Dog scum. I don't know how you did it, but you changed my answer sheet to yours!"

Tae-hyuk spoke while peering at the wristwatch on his right wrist.

"You were sitting behind me when doing the test. Wouldn't you notice if I did anything weird?"

It made a lot of sense.

Obviously, Seo Tae-hyuk hadn't done anything suspicious when he took the exam.

"… Wait. You clearly fought with the student who was collecting the papers. I thought you had just gone crazy from the stress. My answer sheet was taken at that time!"

Tae-hyuk spoke like it was unfair.

"Did you see me lay a finger on the answer sheets?"

"No! It had to be then! Tell me! What did you do?"

Tae-hyuk once again looked at his watch to confirm the time.

"I really didn't do anything."

"This dog scum. Do you think you will be safe if you do this? My father is a politician!"

Park Sung-kwang was sincerely heated up. He was irritated that Seo Tae-hyuk was acting so calmly in front of him. He would use a group of gangsters under his father's influence. It would ease his heart to aim them at Seo Tae-hyuk.

"Well. Is it that time?"

"What, time?"

Park Sung-kwang realized something strange.

Since earlier, Seo Tae-hyuk had seemed to be wasting time. He had also been checking the time with his wristwatch. Additionally, Seo Tae-hyuk had a bandage on his face. It seemed like someone had injured him.

However, Park Sung-kwang never touched Seo Tae-hyuk.

So, who did it…?

Seo Tae-hyuk licked his lips and said,

"Oh, this cut on my face?"

He peeled back the bandage to reveal a bruise like someone had beaten him.

"I had to concentrate on playing the role. Is this called method acting?"

"Acting?"

"Yes, it will be starting soon."

Tae-hyuk's watch was pointed at exactly 9.30.

Suddenly, something was broadcasted around the whole school.

-Seo, Tae, Hyuk!You son of a bitch!

Park Sung-kwang's angry voice was heard from the broadcast. Then there was a noise like someone was fighting.

Peok!

There were the sounds of someone being beaten.

-I—I won't cooperate with your cheating no matter how much you beat me up!

This time it was Seo Tae-hyuk's voice.

The human imagination was great. They only heard a few voices and some sound effects, yet the scene appeared vividly in front of their eyes.

Park Sung-kwang's fist slammed into Seo Tae-hyuk's face.

Tae-hyuk certainly heard it this way. He muttered with a satisfied expression.

"Well, Eun-young did it correctly."

"What? Broadcast? Why is it my voice? What the hell?"

Park Sung-kwang panicked. It was his voice and not someone else's that was being broadcasted.

–I told you to change your answer sheet with mine.Are you resisting now?I'll kill you!

–S-still.My grades have been low since doing this for you!Additionally, framing me for that beating…I can't take it anymore!

-Stupid bastard.I am the ruler of this school, yet you're rebelling against me?I will make this your memorial day!

Park Sung-kwang was stunned as he listened to the broadcast from the roof.

It detailed that he had changed his grades by intimidating Seo Tae-hyuk, who was very good at studying.

Of course, he did something similar, but it wasn't with Seo Tae-hyuk. Additionally, he had tried to kick Tae-hyuk out of school by framing him for a fight.

Such contents were being broadcasted.

Tae-hyuk spoke with a face of admiration,

"Oh, this part! I did it, but it doesn't seem real. 'For the sake of justice, I can't endure your wickedness any longer!' Wah… Don't I have a talent in acting?"

"This bastard!"

Park Sung-kwang knew that the broadcast was being manipulated. He didn't know how his voice had gotten on there, but that didn't matter.

Right now, he was a great villain who had threatened Seo Tae-hyuk to cover up his actions. He lost everything he had built in the school.

This had to stop.

Park Sung-kwang decided to use his greatest weapon.

"… Don't you know that my father is a politician? Stop the broadcast and explain that everything was a misunderstanding. Otherwise, I will turn you and your family into mince meat with my father's gang."

It was a violent threat. Furthermore, Park Sung-kwang had the ability to carry it out.

Suddenly, Tae-hyuk sighed.

"Why, are you feeling regret?"

"No, your words are truly amazing."

Tae-hyuk looked at the Demon Revealing Mirror. When he came to the rooftop, he had used Spying.

Until one minute ago, these words had been written in Park Sung-kwang's title.

'Son of politician Park Seong-ho.'

However, that was now empty. What this meant was…

"I know what a great person you are, but I will say this—it is nothing. Your title… The words you use to represent yourself… That is now empty."

Park Sung-kwang was confused. He couldn't understand Tae-hyuk's words at all.

Tae-hyuk laughed bitterly.

"In the end, you—Park Sung-kwang, the son of politician Park Seong-ho—disappeared from this world a minute ago."

At the same time, the country was in an uproar.

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Chapter 18 – Having Too Much of a Good Thing #5

36 hours before he implemented the test swap plan that required the use of his crime skills.

Tae-hyuk met the secretary of Park Seong-ho at a coffee shop.

"Yes, so you wanted to know what it is like to be a politician's secretary?"

"Yes."

"If you have any questions then please, feel free to ask. I am a sunbae in your department, and this isn't a particularly difficult request."

Tae-hyuk bowed and spoke his appreciation.

"Thank you, Sunbae-nim!"

"By the way, you are part of the political science department at K University, correct?"

"Yes. I am student number 15."

"Haha! A freshman. At first glance, I thought you were a high school student."

Tae-hyuk awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Sunbae-nim also looks very young. I heard that you were student number 97."

"Well, I am but a complete fossil. Then, shall we start the interview?"

Tae-hyuk approached the secretary as a political science university student seeking an interview.

This was all in order to obtain the secretary's voice. In order to imitate a voice using the Voice Modulation skill, he had to meet someone and directly listen to their voice. The skill couldn't be activated through a recording or a phone call.

The interview took around 20 minutes.

The secretary was currently showing a very pleasant expression, an aftereffect of meeting a hoobae from his university.

Tae-hyuk had one final question.

"Finally, there is something I always wanted to know. If the politician did something morally wrong, what should the secretary do?"

The secretary's eyes widened in response, as if he was surprised by the unexpected question.

He sat in the chair and thought hard.

"A secretary is a senator's hands and feet. Even if he commits any wrongdoing, it is still right to follow him silently. In some cases, senators will amputate their arms if need be. However, I am talking to my cute hoobae who wants to become a secretary, so that isn't a realistic answer. I'll try to mix in my own opinions as well."

The secretary took a sip of his sugarless, bitter black coffee.

He seemed to be looking somewhere into the distance, instead of at Tae-hyuk who was currently sitting in front of him.

"Yes, a secretary is the senator's hands and feet; however, I think secretaries should also have a conscience that is able to judge wrong from right. If the senator is walking down the street in the wrong direction, it is the secretary's job to inform them so. Anyways, that's just my personal opinion. A secretary's words might just fall on deaf ears."

The secretary laughed softly.

"No. I have definitely learned a lot from you today. Thank you."

Tae-hyuk bowed, fully displaying his gratitude. The secretary laughed, and seemed to like it.

"Then, should I buy you dinner this evening?"

Tae-hyuk made an apologetic expression and said.

"… Really, I must thank you very much, but I still need to submit my report by tomorrow."

"I see. It has been a long time since I've even thought about university. It was great to see you. Please call at the next opportunity and I'll be sure to have a drink with you."

"Yes, I understand."

The secretary left the cafe with a regretful expression.

Tae-hyuk remained in his seat and took out a notebook from his bag. The word, 'blacklist', was written on the front cover in neat handwriting. It was a book that contained the names of 120 criminals. The book depicted the crimes they committed and detailed how they got caught. Tae-hyuk wrote down all of the things he remembered from those 15 years. A book that contained future events.

It was one of the two weapons that Seo Tae-hyuk had.

"Well. Let's see…"

Tae-hyuk found the page he was looking for near the end of the notebook.

Blacklist NO.117, Park Seong-ho. A politician who committed numerous wrongdoings since becoming a senator.

It would happen approximately two years from now. Due to the secretary's declaration of conscience, most of the senator's crimes were revealed, and he went to prison.

The charges ranged from bribery to the instigation of murders. Still, Park Seong-ho only received a jail sentence of four years, of which he only served one. He was released on parole for the other three on good behaviour.

Tae-hyuk had never met Park Seong-ho. Park Seong-ho had a great deal of prestige within the prison. It was less like he was staying in a prison, and more like he was staying at a luxury hotel.

However, Tae-hyuk clearly remembered the day that Park Seong-ho was caught. Not only did he commit numerous acts of corruption, he also did not hesitate to use gangs to eliminate any in his way.

Eventually, all of his sins were revealed by his secretary, who couldn't stand doing the dirty work for the senator any longer. The raised dog had risen to bite his own leg.

"Park Seong-ho's secretary… No, student number 97 of K University's political science department, Lee Ki-hwan. You will commit numerous evil deeds in the next two years, until you can't tolerate the weight of your sins, and make a declaration of conscience in the end. Before that happens, I will make you a loyalist."

Tae-hyuk changed his voice to Lee Ki-hwan's using Voice Modulation. He then pulled out Lee Ki-hwan's phone that he had stolen during the interview. There was a number that he called and hung up on several times a day.

What was Lee Ki-hwan thinking as Tae-hyuk now held this? All Tae-hyuk was doing now was profiting off of Lee Ki-hwan's efforts.

"Hello. I was to make a report to the press director. Yes, I am Park Seong-ho's secretary, Lee Ki-hwan."

Tae-hyuk was just doing what Lee Ki-hwan would've done several years later.Park Sung-kwang flopped onto the ground with a flustered expression, a smartphone with DMB functionality in his hands. All channels were broadcasting about Park Seong-ho.

The current situation was like an onion. The more someone peeled, the more that was revealed.

"T-This can't be… F-Father…"

"Wah, he played very nicely with the leader of a crime syndicate."

"No way, perhaps…"

Park Sung-kwang stared blankly at the sky, unable to believe the reality revealed in front of him.

At that moment, a spark formed in his eyes.

"Seo. Tae. Hyuk! This was all done by you! I will kill you!"

"How? Will you do it directly?"

Park Sung-kwang called out to his subordinate.

"Kim Jin-soo! Where are you? Come out right now…!"

Tae-hyuk shook his head.

"He broke his leg, so why are you looking for him so urgently?"

"Kuook!"

Park Sung-kwang made a sound that was a cross between a moan and a scream, and charged towards Tae-hyuk in despair.

"Aigoo. Be careful, this place is the roof."

He lost his temper and tried to hit Tae-hyuk with his fists, who narrowly dodged them.

They slightly scraped Tae-hyuk's side, triggering the Robbery skill.

[Robbery has been used.]

-Please select the item you want to steal!

Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror and chose Park Sung-kwang's waistband.

It seemed that he was lucky, or that his opponent just had bad luck. Robbery had succeeded on the second attempt.

"Kuhuk!"

All of a sudden, Park Sung-kwang's pants fell down. He couldn't move properly because his legs were trapped.

"I think you should give up."

However, Park Sung-kwang didn't give up, and forced his body to move as he aimed at Seo Tae-hyuk.

"Aaaaaaack!"

But in the end, his body lost its balance and he fell onto a fence that was set up around the perimeter of the roof.

Kung!

The fence was unable to endure the weight of a human and started to fall. It should have been able to endure the weight of three or four humans. This was the result of bad construction due to politicians being bribed.

Kiiiiik!

"Aaaaack!"

Park Sung-kwang shrieked as his body started to fall to the ground along with the fence. If he fell, then he would die.

Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.

He grabbed Park Sung-kwang's collar and pulled him up onto the rooftop.

"You haven't paid your dues yet. You shouldn't die like this."

Tae-hyuk had received only one million won from Park Sung-kwang. The rest would be paid after the test results came out.

"Well, I don't think you will be able to give it to me."

Park Sung-kwang's legs had collapsed out of the fear of death. The area around his groin had become damp, and he was literally stunned.

News about Park Seong-ho was spewing from the smartphone dropped onto the roof. An arrest warrant was issued and a full-scale investigation had begun.

Tae-hyuk formed a finger gun with his hand, and pointed towards Park Sung-kwang, who had fainted.

"Bang!""T-Tae-hyuk, are you okay?"

An Eun-young asked with a concerned expression.

"Ouchh!"

Tae-hyuk was sitting on a bed in the infirmary, holding an ice pack to his swollen face.

Although the situation was somewhat clear, it didn't exactly end well.

Park Sung-kwang was rushed away in an ambulance. Despite the opposition of Jung Nam-ho, a disciplinary committee was held for Tae-hyuk. The result was a one month suspension and 40 hours of community service.

Causing a disturbance in the broadcasting room. School property damage. Committing violence. These were his crimes.

"… Well, I didn't think I would be proclaimed innocent even with the broadcast."

"B-But…! Tae-hyuk didn't do anything wrong!"

Tae-hyuk laughed.

Rather, things had worked out pretty well.

Seo Tae-hyuk had achieved first in the test results. Almost all the teachers, except Jung Nam-ho, suspected that there was cheating going on. In the end, they decided on a retest. Of course, if he took the test now, then his average would be around 70 points. However, Tae-hyuk was suspended from tomorrow on. The retest would be taken a month later.

"Well, it is okay since I got revenge for Class President. Instead, I want to ask you something. Please help me study in the next month and in the future."

An Eun-young tearfully said.

"O-Of course! I'll teach you!"

How much could An Eun-young, the owner of the studying skill, raise his grade in one month?

One thing was certain, he would study until he died.

Tae-hyuk smiled.

Although he couldn't get everything he wanted, he decided to be satisfied with this much.

More than anything else.

'I no longer need to steal any more strange things!'

He had used three affinity points on an attribute for 'Robbery.' If the skill was accidentally activated, then he could decide what to steal.

"Tae-hyuk. I'll wipe off the blood on your mouth."

"Ah, I'm sorry. Please."

An Eun-young grabbed a towel and approached Tae-hyuk.

"Kyak!"

At that moment, An Eun-young tripped on the bed sheet that had trailed to the ground.

Of course, she fell onto Seo Tae-hyuk who was sitting on the bed, resulting in An Eun-young's body laying on top of him.

"Kuaaaaak! I suddenly fell!"

An Eun-young shrieked and her head hit Tae-hyuk's.

He smeled something faintly sweet.

[Robbery has been used.]

-Please select the item you want to steal!Tae-hyuk removed An Eun-young from his side and pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror.

-Underwear (Top)

-Underwear (Bottom)

-S…

Tae-hyuk inwardly screamed.

'No! It still hasn't changed under these circumstances!'

If he didn't pick something in a hurry, then he would end up stealing something random. Tae-hyuk chose the top option.

An Eun-young was lying next to him and couldn't understand the situation.

Tae-hyuk called out her name.

"Eun-young."

"… Uh, yes?"

"Do you want to see magic once more?"

"Kyaaaaak!"

An Eun-young's face turned red as she understood what he meant.An Eun-young's information came up on the Demon Revealing Mirror that Tae-hyuk had thrown on the bed.

[An Eun-young]

-Title: A Model Student in Love

[The details aren't available due to your low rating.]

A single word had completely changed the meaning, but Tae-hyuk had no idea about it.

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Chapter 19 – Criminals

Seo Tae-hyuk had two secrets.

One was that he had lived for 15 years longer than other people his age. Of course, those 15 years weren't exactly happy.

He was framed and went to jail. He lived in fear of the death penalty. Every day in prison seemed like hell. The memories of those times were still in his head.

However, Seo Tae-hyuk now considered himself a 'high school student', rather than a 'death row inmate.' It was good in some ways.

What if it wasn't just the previous memories that were still in his head, but the previous personality as well? If it were so, he would be in a mental hospital, not a school.

Another secret of his was the fact that he could use his 'crime skills.' Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror to show his current skills.

He had currently acquired three crime skills.

Robbery, his first skill. He could steal the items of anyone that he bumped into. He had used affinity points to upgrade the skill, making it so that he could select which item to steal.

Voice Modulation, his second. A skill that could perfectly imitate the voices of others.

Finally, Spying, his third, which he could use to see the abilities and titles of others.

'These skills…'

There weren't just crime skills in existence. As he could see from An Eun-young's example, there were other skills out there. That alone meant one thing – that the talents and abilities of individuals were shown in the form of skills.

If so, it was odd.

'Why am I able to use crime skills?'

He only had three at the moment, but he would be able to learn more in the future.

He was suspicious of his title. Tae-hyuk clicked on the title in the Demon Revealing Mirror, and an explanation came up.

[God of Crime]

-You can make use of all criminal skills.

Somehow, it seemed like he could learn and use the skills of other criminals due to his title.

However, the ability was based on his rating. Currently, Tae-hyuk was a Commoner. It was the lowest rating, so there were various of restrictions.

Tae-hyuk confirmed the new upgrade conditions.

[Create a blacklist, 1/1]

[Secured the people on the blacklist, 3/20] [Make all stats over 50 points.]

If he cleared all three of these conditions, then he could raise his rating. He would be able to do more once he upgraded to a Noble.

Tae-hyuk knew his future. If he did nothing and sat idly, then the same reality that he previously experienced would be repeated. He would be framed again and would go to jail for the second time. His sister Ha-ran and younger brother Tae-min would receive the same tragic ends.

However, if he changed the present, then the future would also change. Tae-hyuk had caught one of the people on the blacklist, Yoo Cheol-ho, and saved the lives of three people.

It was clear that this could also be applied to himself.

"Then first of all, I need to upgrade my personal rating.'

Currently, he had only secured three people on the blacklist.

However, hundreds of people still remained. Among those on the list were terrorists who killed hundreds of people, as well as the leader of a pseudo-religion cult with thousands of believers.

Confronting them with his current set of skills was impossible.

'I need the ability to catch people on my blacklist. However, don't I need to catch people on the blacklist to get an upgrade? It is like employers not hiring inexperienced workers. This is just a painful regression!'

Tae-hyuk decided to do what he could first. There was still one upgrade condition apart from the blacklist, and that was to raise his stats above a certain threshold.

These were Tae-hyuk's current stats.

Stats: Stamina (63), Intelligence (14), Agility (24), Dexterity (31)

His stats were slightly different from when he first received the Spying skill.

First of all, his stamina had decreased by one, while his agility had gone up by two, and his intelligence by 10. His rise in intelligence was due to constantly studying with An Eun-young.

By the way, it was strange that his stamina had decreased, while his agility had increased.

Why had such a thing occurred?

Tae-hyuk coughed.

'Hum hum. I am an energetic high school student. It can't be helped!'

Anyway, it had been a week since his suspension, and he had already studied and raised his intelligence by 10 points. This increase rate wouldn't have been possible without An Eun-young's studying skill. If he kept doing it at this rate, then he would be able to raise it to 50 points during his suspension period.

"Tae-hyuk, are you okay?"

An Eun-young came in holding a bag of ice.

At this moment, Tae-hyuk felt dizzy. Come to think of it, he was currently alone in a room with a girl. Of course, this wasn't his purpose, as he was here to study with An Eun-young. Still, he couldn't help being nervous.

"Just how much did you study? You suddenly got a nosebleed."

Tae-hyuk pulled out the tissue blocking his nose and said.

"No, I don't think I got the nosebleed from that. The meal…"

Tae-hyuk recalled the dinner that An Eun-young had prepared.

Turtle soup, grilled eel, fried pork liver, bokbunja juice. They were energetic and were really good. Eating such things had caused his blood to overflow.

An Eun-young's expression darkened.

"Um… Do you not like the taste?"

"That isn't it. I-It is just a little much.'

"Stamina is important for studying! I made these dishes because they are good for your stamina…"

"Ah, no! It is delicious!"

"R-really? I'm glad! How is your stamina? Isn't it going up?"

It didn't seem to have a good effect on his stamina.

Tae-hyuk couldn't tell the truth to An Eun-young who was smiling so innocently.

The ice pack was placed on his head to cool down his hot body.

An Eun-young declared with a smile.

"Then, let's start learning!"

An Eun-young had taken off her uniform and was only wearing a thin dress. Now that the test had ended, her dark circles were almost gone. The hidden innocent and cute appearance of hers was revealed.

Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva.

'H-help me.'An Eun-young's private lesson ended at 10 p.m. Tae-hyuk exerted great patience and studied well until the end.

'Well, since I am getting help from her studying skill…'

His other stats weren't rising this quickly. Intelligence had increased by 10 and his score on the mock test rose by nearly 20 points. He really might be able to reach the high rankings in the whole school in just a month.

'By the way, I never thought that Park Sung-kwang would actually drop out.'

Today was the day that Park Sung-kwang's disciplinary committee would be held. Obviously, the result would be similar to Tae-hyuk's.

However, Park Sung-kwang hadn't come to school since a week ago, and today he had suddenly dropped out.

'Well. He did trust in his father too much.'

Park Seong-ho and his secretary, Lee Ki-hwan, were both criminals on the blacklist. It was lucky that he could secure two people at once.

However, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.

Lee Ki-hwan was different from other criminals, as he only followed the orders of Park Seong-ho. However, the end result was still a crime. In the end, he acted according to his conscience. Despite the handcuffs, his face looked satisfied, because he no longer needed to get his hands dirty.

Originally, it would have taken a few more years for Lee Ki-hwan to do this. His hands would have become even dirtier.

Tae-hyuk was able to finish matters before all of that even happened.

The series of events started with cheating, and ended with a politician and his secretary being arrested.

Tae-hyuk had watched the TV as Park Seong-ho and Lee Ki-hwan were handcuffed. He then received two affinity points. He thought back to Yoo Cheol-ho, and recalled the two people killed by Lee Ki-hwan that were saved.

'Currently I only caught three people? What about the hippo and the clown?'

They were people on the blacklist that he would meet soon. This wasn't a game, and the criminals didn't appear in order from weakest to strongest.

'There is a chance I might meet the final boss at the beginning.'

There would be no way for him to deal with them with his current abilities.

His head hurt. If he had a colleague who he could share everything with…

'Should I tell Kang-suk hyung?'

Tae-hyuk shook his head. Kang-suk had to be the guardian of Ha-ran and Tae-min, so Tae-hyuk couldn't drag them into the middle of an incident.

'Is there anyone on the blacklist that I can cooperate with?'

No apparent name came to mind.

His mind was filled with complicated thoughts. Tae-hyuk became lost in his thoughts as he walked the streets at night.

There were luxury homes around him. An Eun-young's house was one of them. Her father was the director of a general hospital. She was good at studying and lived well. Her face was also cute when it wasn't covered in dark circles. Another bonus was that she cooked well.

'I don't know who she will marry, but they must've saved a country in their past life.'

Tae-hyuk licked his lips.

At the end of the street, there was a two-storey house that seemed like it would appear in a drama.

'One day, I will move into a house like that.'

A smile formed on Tae-hyuk's face as he imagined his family living together in a two-storey house with a yard.

But then he saw something strange.

'Are they trying to climb over the wall because they lost their house key?'

Tae-hyuk decided to quietly watch the situation.

It was a woman who looked suspicious. She was wearing leather clothes that clung to her body and had various tools.

There was something else that stood out, however. She couldn't climb the fence and kept slipping down. Every time it happened, she would kick the stones on the street. She seemed strangely familiar.

'Uh, isn't that the person from last time?'

An Eun-young had lost her spirit after being threatened. He had seen the woman when he took An Eun-young home, and didn't think it was a big deal at the time.

When he thought about it again, he felt suspicious. He didn't think she would lose her key twice. There seemed to be a different purpose.

'… A thief?

Why else would she be standing in front of a rich home?

In the end, the novice thief turned her head to look for another way.

Tae-hyuk shook his head

It felt like watching a toddler trying to climb a wall so he walked away. He wanted to get far away."What's going on?"

It was past 10 o'clock at night.

Tae-hyuk was surprised when he arrived home. The house was in a mess, as if a thief had gone through it. The closet and drawers were pulled open and all the contents emptied.

Tae-min was attending a private cram school and wasn't back yet. Ha-ran was sitting on the floor and crying alone.

"T-Tae-hyuk… W-waaaah!"

Tae-hyuk bit his lip.

It felt like meeting the thief on his way home had foreshadowed the current situation.

First, he had to make sure that Ha-ran wasn't hurt.

"Noona. Are you okay?"

"U, eung…"

Ha-ran stammered as she explained the situation.

She had went out for a while and came back to this. The house was a mess.

Tae-hyuk inwardly sighed with relief. The most important thing was that Ha-ran hadn't been at home.

"Then what did they steal?"

Tae-hyuk's house didn't have any valuables. The money they had was used to pay back all the debts. It covered everything. The rest went into the furniture.

Most of this was due to the bounty received for catching Yoo Cheol-ho. However, there was less profit to be gained compared to the effort to move the furniture.

"First of all, we still have all the furniture but…"

All of the furniture was still here.

Then Ha-ran pointed to her treasure chest with a trembling hand.

'Surely not my bankbook? Even if they steal it, they won't be able to withdraw anything.'

After the voice phishing incident, Tae-hyuk had set a password on his account and all the seals were kept separately. Three family members were in charge of them. They couldn't do anything with just one seal.

"M-Mother's keepsake is gone."

Tae-hyuk trembled as he heard Ha-ran's words.

It was the silver Rosario. It wasn't a cheap item. It was worth approximately 200,000 won? It was an ornament that was difficult to determine the value because it was worn.

However, it was the only remaining memento of his parents. No matter how difficult life was, they couldn't sell it.

But alas, it was now stolen. No matter how much it was worth, it was a precious memory that they couldn't live without.

Tae-hyuk's hands trembled.

Perhaps the culprit wasn't listed on his blacklist. However, they had stolen something precious in Tae-hyuk's family.

Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth.

He burned with fighting spirit as he thought of the thief.

"Noona. Don't worry, I'll surely find Rosario."

"Kuheom. Sniffle!"

Tae-hyuk grabbed some tissues for the crying Ha-ran. Ha-ran sniffled and blew her nose.

From what Tae-hyuk remembered, Rosario had been safe for the entirety of those 15 years. However, it was now stolen.

The cause was Tae-hyuk moving to this house.

It was like a butterfly effect, since a thief wouldn't bother with a semi-basement rented room.

Tae-hyuk felt a heavy sense of responsibility.

Changing the present changed the future. But it wasn't always in a good way.

"Yes. Let's start catching a thief."

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Chapter 20 – Criminals #2

Tae-hyuk knew of a thief in the immediate vicinity.

He had just witnessed a thief trying to cross a wall as he returned from Eun-young's house. He wasn't a hero or police officer. If there was no benefit then there was no reason to catch other criminals.

But now it was different, as it was likely that she had robbed his house. She had visibly looked very clumsy; however, the thief who stole Rosario didn't seem that good either. He needed to confirm if they were the same person.

Tae-hyuk ran to the high-class residential area where there were always thieves.

'… There!'

The scene wasn't much different than it was 30 minutes ago.

He hid his body in the darkness and watched. If she had Rosario, then he could steal it using Robbery.

'She still hasn't climbed the fence.'

She was worried about how to enter the yard. But what if it was just a performance…?

It was at that moment.

Something different happened than usual.

The thief huffed angrily and kicked the wall with her feet. Of course, this caused tremendous pain, so she grabbed her toes and started rolling on the ground.

Then Tae-hyuk's eyes widened. For the first time, Tae-hyuk was able to see the face of the female thief.

He almost screamed at that moment.

'T-that woman!'

The thief was a person that Tae-hyuk knew.

She had long black hair that flowed down to her waist, and a butterfly mask on her face. Was it to hide her identity? However, half of the face was clearly revealed.

'It is Moonlight Flower!'

She was in her early 20s. That was 10 years younger than what Tae-hyuk remembered.

Of course, the other person was also astonished to see him.

"Kyaaak! T-thief!"

Moonlight Flower shrieked.

"… You shouldn't be the one saying that. Who is the thief?"

Tae-hyuk angrily replied to Moonlight Flower's words.

"I'm not a thief. You must be mistaken."

"That argument is hardly convincing when wearing such clothes… You completely look like a thief."

Moonlight Flower looked down at her body. She was dressed in tight clothing that showed off her body. Many of her body parts were highlighted.

Moonlight Flower shrieked again.

"Kyaaak! Where are you looking?"Moonlight Flower covered her chest with both arms. It was to cover something exceptionally large. Still, the size meant that it couldn't be completely hidden.

Tae-hyuk made a wry smile.

'I never expected to meet Moonlight Flower here, of all places.'

She was a capable thief who started her activities approximately four years from now. She primarily aimed at banks, large corporations, and also conglomerates. Rather than stealing money or objects, she was famous for leaving marks of her visit. She would enter a vault filled with gold bars, taking nothing and leaving after leaving a sign, showing that she was there. For example, she would break into a museum and vandalize a painting. She only aimed for the richest, and also had a cute appearance. The youthful personality meant that she would become popular and have a large fan club.

'Four years later. Did she work before her name was known?'

Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth.

It was unlikely that Moonlight Flower had robbed his house. However, he needed to check to confirm it. She had kicked a wall, so it seemed like she couldn't move properly.

Tae-hyuk moved quickly and narrowed the distance to Moonlight Flower.

Moonlight Flower, who had fallen to the ground, instantly got up and started to run away. A thief with sore feet…

Tae-hyuk ran to catch the opponent.

Then he was shocked.

One of Moonlight Flower's feet was obviously hurting, yet she was running at such a quick speed. The distance between the two people gradually started to widen.

'W-what is this speed?'

The movements were unexpected from someone who couldn't even climb a wall.

Tae-hyuk exclaimed.

"Wait a minute! I have no intention of catching you. I just want to ask you something!"

Moonlight Flower laughed.

"Heheng! Do you think I will be convinced by that?"

The distance widened from five metres to twenty metres in an instant.

He was going to end up missing her.

Biiiik!

It was at that moment. There was the sound of a whistle.

There were police patrolling nearby. Two senior policemen and one junior policeman approached Tae-hyuk.

"What is going on?"

Tae-hyuk panted as he pointed in front of him.

"T-thief."

He was able to see the back of Moonlight Flower, who was currently running away. The policeman nodded like he already knew.

"I have a perfect grasp of these streets. We will go chase them. Students, please take this path."

"I understand."

A group of three people ran through the streets in order to catch Moonlight Flower.

Tae-hyuk chased after Moonlight Flower, while the policemen were circling around to build a net. They had a very good knowledge of this area.

'She will be caught soon.'

Moonlight Flower had great physical abilities, so Tae-hyuk would never be able to catch her alone.

However, it was four against one. In addition, one of the policemen had perfectly grasped the geography.

'Wait. Should I let Moonlight Flower get caught?'

It was important that Tae-hyuk recover Roasario. Even if Moonlight Flower wasn't the criminal, he shouldn't let her get caught.

Tae-hyuk smirked. He suddenly came up with a good idea.

He ignored the policemen and entered a side street. He climbed up to the roof of a house and confirmed the location of Moonlight Flower and the policemen.

'Isn't she clearly being surrounded?'

He was able to read the plan from this height. Tae-hyuk discovered the final destination and decided to wait there.

The policemen were herding Moonlight Flower like she was a rabbit. In no time, she was in a dead end. Moonlight Flower could escape if she climbed over the wall, but she couldn't do so with an injured foot.

Then Tae-hyuk appeared.

"Grab on! Quickly!"

Tae-hyuk extended his hand to Moonlight Flower from his position on the wall.Moonlight Flower looked at Tae-hyuk with a confused expression.

Didn't he want to catch her?

Yet Tae-hyuk suddenly appeared and shouted like he was planning to rescue Moonlight Flower.

"Damn, just do it! They are coming!"

Tae-hyuk spoke again as Moonlight Flower kept hesitating.

"If you don't grab my hand in three seconds then I am running away alone."

"O-Okay."

Moonlight Flower grabbed the hand of the angry Tae-hyuk and climbed the wall.

Then both of them ran away with all their strength.Tae-hyuk arrived at a safe place and calmed his breathing.

Whether it was because they wanted the reward for catching the thief or a holiday, the policemen were really persistent. They had ran for over an hour and barely managed to escape.

"Pant…! Keok…! Really great stamina… How are you fine after running…?"

"Ahaha. I have confidence in my stamina."

However, she couldn't do something as basic as climb a wall. A strange thief. After confirming that they were safe, Moonlight Flower made an odd expression. Then she asked.

"Why did you save me?"

"… I wasn't trying to catch you. Is this answer enough? Besides, I'm also a thief."

"Then why were you chasing me?"

"Didn't you try to rob my house a few hours ago? This is my area. It is a violation of the rules to invade my area. I was trying to tell you this."

The movements of Moonlight Flower stopped completely.

Tae-hyuk inwardly smiled with satisfaction.

He had met a lot of thieves in prison, and learned that they had their own laws.

Was it because he saved her from being caught? Moonlight Flower's expression softened.

"… Eung. I didn't go anywhere today."

Tae-hyuk had completely caught her.

"Someone aimed for my house and I was robbed today. It really wasn't you?"

Moonlight Flower responded "Yes." in a small voice.

She was surprisingly naive. It was a good type to be scammed.

The control of the conversation was completely in Tae-hyuk's hands. She was physically better than Tae-hyuk, but he had 10 years of experience.

"Are you telling me the truth? You might have hidden the stolen item somewhere on your body."

Tae-hyuk said with a smile. It was a speech that would touch the person's hidden intentions.

"T-Then check it!"

Moonlight Flower huffed angrily.

Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva. He hadn't expected that it would come to this. She was wearing leather clothes that exposed her body. There was not much space to hide anything.

"Why, just do it!"

Moonlight Flower came up to Tae-hyuk, grabbed his hand, and placed it on her chest. It felt like he was touching a soft marshmallow.

Tae-hyuk's face reddened.

"Nothing? Is this still lacking? Do you want to check anywhere else?"

Tae-hyuk blushed and coughed.

"C-Cough. There doesn't seem to be anything."

His tone had changed to speaking in honorifics.

"In addition, I think that you are mistaken about something. Come along with me for a moment."

Moonlight Flower grabbed Tae-hyuk's hand and pulled him back to the original location. It was the place where she tried to cross the wall.

"I know that you think I was trying to rob this house… Oh, don't get me wrong! It is just my hobby! This is actually my house!"

She emphasized it again.

"My house!"

"Ah, yes."

Moonlight Flower even took a key out from her pocket and opened the gate.

"Look. Right?"

So she was trying to climb the wall of her own house.

'Indeed, Moonlight Flower… I really can't understand her. Really…'

"By the way, are you really a thief? It is suspicious. Aren't you going to show me proof?"

Moonlight Flower's eyes narrowed with doubt.

Tae-hyuk quickly pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror from his pocket and prepared a skill.

Then he said.

"Well. Let me show you the evidence. "

Tae-hyuk started slowly walking and bumped Moonlight Flower in the shoulder.

[Robbery has been used.]

-Please select the item you want to steal!

'Now, let's steal something suitable.'

Tae-hyuk looked at the Demon Revealing Mirror to see what would come up.

All of a sudden, Moonlight Flower rushed towards Tae-hyuk.

"Wah! What is that thing? Cute!"

It was a mirror with a demon engraved on it. It was the first time he had seen a reaction like this.

Tae-hyuk chose randomly from the list due to Moonlight Flower.

'W-what! What did I steal this time?'

The confused Tae-hyuk searched through his pocket, and touched a piece of soft cloth.

'D-Don't tell me…?'

Fortunately, it was the butterfly mask on her face.

Tae-hyuk pulled it out and waved it.

"Uh, when did you steal this?"

Moonlight Flower ran to Tae-hyung, grabbed the mask, and put it on her face again.

"D-Did you see?"

"I didn't see anything."

"You saw! My face!"

Tae-hyuk was at a loss for words. In the first place, the butterfly mask was already half falling off. Did she think it would hide her identity?

"Anyway, do you believe that I'm a thief now?"

Moonlight Flower placed her hands on her waist and turned her head to the side.

"Bah. Your skills still have a long way to go."

The one speaking was someone who couldn't even climb the wall of her own house.

Tae-hyuk just extended his hand.

"Either way, this is a relationship. How about exchanging information among business partners?"

Thieves had their own network. It ranged from places to dispose of stolen goods to equipment deals. Even if it was still early, Moonlight Flower was a thief. It was likely that she knew more information than Tae-hyuk.

This was what Tae-hyuk was aiming for.

"Yes…"

Moonlight Flower moaned pathetically.

Tae-hyuk decided to help her make a decision.

"In exchange for becoming business partners… I'll take what I just saw to the grave."

"… You did see! Bah! It can't be helped. Should I give you my cell phone number?"

Tae-hyuk nodded.

Moonlight Flower said in a strange voice.

"Wah. You got a phone number through this outrageous method."

Tae-hyuk made a dumbfounded expression and held out his cell phone.

Then Moonlight Flower approached Tae-hyuk.

He could feel something soft leaning against his arm. Tae-hyuk coughed. He couldn't control the blood in his body due to the good food that An Eun-young made.

His face turned red as he felt Moonlight Flower's soft body.

"An old fashioned phone… By the way, why are you blushing? How old are you?"

"It is my 2nd year of high school."

"The cell phone seems to be the same age. At any rate, I am your Noona! Cutie, what is your name?"

"Seo Tae-hyuk."

"Noona is called Moonlight Flower. A pseudonym."

Moonlight Flower then left her contact details in Tae-hyuk's phone.

'Hrmm. Her real name is Yoo Ha-yang.'

Moonlight Flower had registered her number with her real name, not her pseudonym. He was starting to doubt whether she really wanted to hide her identity.

Tae-hyuk sent a short text to the number entered by Moonlight Flower. It was to exchange contact details.

'Anyway, I believe that Moonlight Flower is a thief. I can take advantage of this.'

"Then, Tae-hyuk! By careful when walking the streets at night!"

"Yes. Moonlight Flower noona should be careful not to get hurt when falling from the wall. Be careful."

"I didn't fall!"

Tae-hyuk said goodbye and started walking home.

To Moonlight Flower, stealing was a 'hobby.' It didn't matter if she was just a clumsy novice now, as her growth potential was tremendous.

'She has really good physical capabilities… I can use this.'

Tae-hyuk smirked.

Above all, her chest was big.

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Chapter 21 – Criminals #3

Moonlight Flower wasn't the culprit. Tae-hyuk had checked her belongings using the Robbery skill, and Rosario wasn't among them.

If so, who was the thief who robbed his house?

Tae-hyuk first thought about how to find the real thief. First of all, it was hard right now, as they might be looking for other prey or hiding in their shelter.

Night was the time of the thief. It was difficult to specify the position of his free moving target.

'My opponent is a thief who targets this area.'

Thieves were extremely territorial. So most of the time, they would continue to work in their 'designated territory.' It was the reason why thieves were often caught in the same area. Some time had passed since the crime was committed, and it was impossible to find the thief's whereabouts right now.

Tae-hyuk utilized all of his knowledge.

'There is a place where a thief who commits a crime must go. I need to go there.'

A thief had to dispose of the items they had stolen and change it into money. The so-called person who 'received stolen goods.'

Most of them would buy the goods at a reasonable price. In some cases, they would hire a thief directly if there was something they absolutely needed. They wouldn't directly dirty their hands and would receive huge benefits.

"Hrmm…"

Tae-hyuk groaned.

There was a small problem.

'I have never been to one…'

A broker of stolen goods had their own nest.

Tae-hyuk remembered there was a broker who managed a thief near Cheonggyecheon. But he had only heard about if through a thief at the prison. He didn't know who the stolen goods broker was.

Of course, what they did was illegal. It wasn't like a chicken house that would be advertised on flyers.

If he knew this, then he would've listened more carefully…

Tae-hyuk shook his head.

'If I had known, then I would've memorized the lottery numbers. First of all, I have to make the most of what I know.'

Tae-hyuk decided to meet up with the broker.

He had the crime skills, and he could take advantage of it. Then he would be able to get what he wanted.The sun was rising as Tae-hyuk stretched out. He got up and went through some light stretches.

On his desk was a reference book recommended by An Eun-young.

After school ended, he would learn directly from her. Other than that, he needed to study by himself.

'My stats didn't go up today…'

If the study skill wasn't present, then it took him almost 10 times longer for his stats to rise.

In order for Tae-hyuk to be on a similar level to An Eun-young, he needed to raise his school rank by almost 200. It needed to be done within a month. It would've been impossible if he didn't have the help of the studying skill.

'I would love to spend all day with Eun-young but…'

She had her own life. He couldn't do that.

In the end, he had to study alone while An Eun-young was at school.

'Why am I desperately trying to become 1st in the school…'

He couldn't complain to anyone.

The Demon Revealing Mirror showed that he had dark circles under his eyes.

There was only one person who would come and see it.

"It is An Eun-young."

He couldn't help but sigh.

"Anyway, it is time for the stolen goods broker to do business."

Thieves worked at night, and would check their equipment as they disposed of stolen items during the day.

Naturally, this was the broker's main activity time.

Tae-hyuk searched through his vague memories as he headed to Cheonggyecheon."Is it this place?"

Tae-hyuk hid in a back alley and looked at a building.

On the surface, it was a pawn shop that didn't seem that suspicious.

The problem was the people.

'Everybody has a tired face, as if they couldn't sleep at night. Uh, that person just yawned.'

In addition, the person exited after five minutes and was carrying a thick bundle of money. There was no sense of urgency when they entered the pawn shop.

'This is the correct answer. They're all thieves!'

10 people entered in just one hour.

Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.

'There are so many thieves in the country.'

This was why no matter how many taxes was paid, there was always a deficiency.

There was nothing good about facing other thieves. Tae-hyuk waited for all the customers of the pawn shop to leave.

'Now!'

"Uh, is it Tae-hyuk?"

A sleepy voice was heard from behind him.

Moonlight Flower was standing there while yawning.

"… Moonlight Flower noona?"

"Hello!"

Unlike yesterday, Moonlight Flower was wearing normal clothes.

However she was wearing dark sunglasses to hide her identity. She wasn't able to concede one thing.

'Jeans and a top that shows her belly… It is better than the leather clothes she wore yesterday…'

Even so, the exposure was too high. He didn't know where to look.

Moonlight Flower approached and plastered herself onto Tae-hyuk's side.

Then she spoke in a chirpy voice.

"Did you come to get supplies from Mama?"

Tae-hyuk's eyes shone.

'The broker is called Mama?'

"Mama? Yes, I wanted to buy something."

"Huh ~ Is that so?"

It seemed like he could take advantage of meeting Moonlight Flower here.

Tae-hyuk asked with a sly expression.

"Did that house from yesterday not belong to Noona? No, you couldn't even cross the wall properly. Why are you going to a broker of stolen goods…?"

Moonlight Flower's face turned red. She waved her hands and exclaimed.

"Now, I'm not trying to dispose of stolen goods! Yesterday, I accidentally broke a stick. I'm trying to get a new one…"

"You should be careful."

Tae-hyuk nodded with a convinced look.

Thieves would also buy things from brokers, as the brokers also sold equipment. Moonlight Flower had a variety of tools. She wouldn't have bought them from an auction, so most of them would be purchased here.

"I came to buy equipment. What did Tae-hyuk come to buy?"

"That's not it. I need information."

"Hrmm. Obviously, there is something that you are looking for. That other thief must have stolen it. Then, did you come to the broker to ask if somebody had come to the store to sell it?"

Tae-hyuk's eyes widened.

He thought that she was just a stupid thief. However, she was smarter than he thought.

Moonlight Flower smiled at the expression on Tae-hyuk's face and poked his cheek.

"Ahah, is that the answer? You shouldn't make fun of a woman's senses."

"……. Please keep it a secret from Mama. Wouldn't it be nice to share each other's secrets?"

He needed to ensure that Moonlight Flower didn't reveal it.

Moonlight Flower folded her arms and said.

"Well, I'll won't reveal it."

"But isn't Noona curious about the thief who ignored the rules and invaded someone else's territory?"

"Yes. I am curious."

"Then do you want to go with me? Don't you have something to do here anyway?"

Moonlight Flower's eyes widened.

"I-Is that so? I also didn't want to go alone."

"Then I will be the one talking. Just watch from the sidelines."

"Let's go!"

Moonlight Flower seemed to be familiar with the stolen goods broker. If he entered with her, then the broker's wariness would reduce. He would be able to obtain what he wanted earlier.

'Shall I get some information about Mama from Moonlight Flower?'

Tae-hyuk asked casually.

"You seem to come here often."

Mama's store was on a corner of an alley in Cheonggyecheon. It looked like any other ordinary pawn shop. A place that lend money for goods received.

"It is the most famous place for handling stolen jewellery in the area."

The important thing was for the broker to evaluate the goods and calculate the correct price.

Among the items that the thieves handled, there were many fakes. It was up to the broker to judge the stolen goods.

Moonlight Flower started talking about things that Tae-hyuk didn't even ask. She was a person who would be called an enemy to herself.

Tae-hyuk stored the things Moonlight Flower told him in his head. Information was always valuable.

"Then let's go."

Tae-hyuk and Moonlight Flower opened the door and entered the pawn shop.

A woman who was painting stood up and welcomed them.

"Welcome. How can I help you?"

The woman seemed to be in her early 30s. She was dressed in black mourning clothes. A beautiful woman who gave off a mature atmosphere.

"Hey, Ajumma! I came here to ask you something. Well, not exactly me but this guy."

"Omo. It is Moonlight. Come on. Didn't I tell you to call me unni, instead of ajumma?"

"I understand! Mama unni!"

"I will say it one more time, if you call me ajumma then I will stick a knife in your belly."

"Ahaha… I'm sorry."

Mama laughed, but she had a strange expression on her face.

"Is he your boyfriend? Well, you are pretty. Why are you just standing there?"

"Nope. He is just a younger brother that I know. He is a little naive."

"Really? Anyway, I'll go and get some cold drinks. Wait here."

Moonlight Flower talked in a familiar manner to Mama.

Tae-hyuk was just watching with an open mouth.

'I should have noticed when I heard the name Mama. I didn't think that it would be Big Mama.'

Tae-hyuk felt dizzy.

Big Mama was one of the big criminal brokers.

She dealt with counterfeit art that went into the range of tens of billions of won. She was a representative of South Korea, just like the Russian or American mafias.

He had entered the lair of a tiger.

'I-I have to get out of here!'

Then Mama spoke.

"Omo, Moonlight. Your brother is trying to run away? However, I hope he knows that this place is free to enter, but not free to leave."

Tae-hyuk wanted to cry.

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Chapter 22 – Criminals #4

Unlike the bloody atmosphere it was conducted in, the talk proceeded rather smoothly.

Besides, Moonlight Flower was a surprisingly good help.

'Joking around with Big Mama…'

The image of the Big Mama that Tae-hyuk knew was like the difference between heaven and earth.

She built up her skills while working as a stolen goods broker, before entering the counterfeit art industry. It seemed like now was that time.

'Still, her ability to make counterfeit goods is already huge.'

Big Mama was painting a copy of something. In Tae-hyuk's eyes, it was hard to distinguish between the original and the fake.

Tae-hyuk's eyes lit up.

Moonlight Flower had disappeared into the warehouse in order to find a stick to use.

This was his chance.

Tae-hyuk organized the information he had about Big Mama in his head. The details had been written down in his blacklist, but he was still able to come up with some important points on the spot.

He remembered something very unusual.

"So, Kid. What did you need?"

Big Mama asked with the smile of a salesperson.

"Hello, I am Seo Tae-hyuk. There are many rumors about Mama. It is an honor to meet you. Then, I'll speak bluntly. I want to make a deal with Mama."

Big Mama made a surprised expression while her eyes sharpened.

"Hoh. You aren't an ordinary kid."

"Aren't you always saying that the appearance on the outside isn't important?"

"… You know me very well."

"You are famous."

"What type of deal do you want to establish?"

She wanted to know what he wanted. Tae-hyuk had no intention of showing all the cards in his hand.

"Do you happen to know the thief who stole an item called the Rosario in this neighbourhood yesterday? The appearance looks roughly like this."

Tae-hyuk showed a picture of Rosario that he drew in advance.

Big Mama replied in a relaxed tone.

"I trade in many stolen goods in one day, and I can't remember all of it."

"I know that Mama has such a good memory that Mama can even remember a piece of merchandise from a week ago."

Big Mama was famous for her tremendous memory.

"Hoh. Not many people know about my specialty… You are a kid that I really can't look down on. No, shall I call you Tae-hyuk?"

The title coming from Big Mama's mouth changed.

Tae-hyuk knew what that meant.

"I would like to deal in information. If you give me information about the thief who took Rosario, then I will give you one piece of information."

"I will listen first and decide."

Tae-hyuk spoke casually, as if he was ordering jajangmyeon from a Chinese restaurant.

"The Trail of the Sunset."

It felt like time had stopped.

Big Mama froze.

"… How do you…?"

There were two implications.

Tae-hyuk smiled gently.

He said it because he knew the future of Big Mama.

"It is a piece that all art collectors desire."

Big Mama's hand trembled in response. It was an expression like she had been hit.

"It is very important that the information is reliable. There is no guarantee that you won't lie."

Tae-hyuk knew that Big Mama would say this. The answer was also prepared.

"Aren't you in a position to look through straws right now? If my information is unbelievable, then it can't be helped. I will give up on the deal."

Tae-hyuk said boldly. If the box wasn't opened, then the person wouldn't know if they had received what they ordered from the Chinese restaurant. Of course, it was the same for the other person.

This was the risk with trading information.

"Tae-hyuk is telling me to betray the money making game. Do you know that?"

"The Trail of the Sunset, or money. Select one of the two."

There was no need to even weigh it. No matter how many ping pong balls were stacked up, they still wouldn't be able to beat a bowling ball.

Big Mama was still smiling, but her eyes were burning with a strange fire.

"If you are lying then be ready, for I will give you a very painful punishment."

"Then, I'll tell you the location of the painting. Mama, please tell me the name and phone number of the person I am looking for."

Big Mama said to him.

"I don't gamble, but I will try to believe Tae-hyuk just once. The thief…"

Tae-hyuk was able to get the information he desired by trading with Big Mama."What are you going to do now?"

"I have to make a trap that he can't run from, so I will have to prepare something to tempt him."

"Ahum~"

Moonlight Flower spoke in a strange tone and laughed.

Tae-hyuk spoke in an apologetic voice.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave you here."

"Bah. You ate everything, and now you want to discard me like a used tissue?"

"I'm sorry. Instead, I promise to talk after catching K."

K was the initial of the criminal.

"You promise?"

"Yes."

Moonlight Flower extended a finger.

"I will add one more thing. Go to the aquarium with me on the weekend sometime. There is something that I want to discuss with you there."

"…Well. Ok, I understand."

This time, Tae-hyuk owed a big favor to Moonlight Flower, so he decided to listen to her request.

Moonlight Flower continued waving until Tae-hyuk disappeared from her sight.

'I never thought I would meet two blacklist members in one day.'

Tae-hyuk inwardly sighed.

Moonlight Flower and Big Mama. It seemed like they were attracting each other. There were 120 people on the blacklist. It was impossible to think that he could go against all of them, even with his crime skills.

'First of all, I have to watch the situation…'

While Tae-hyuk didn't know much about Moonlight Flower, he knew that Big Mama was as sly like a fox.

Was it possible for him to leave her alone?

Tae-hyuk's mind became complicated.

'Let's just think about catching K for now.'

Tae-hyuk dialled the number given by Big Mama.

The plan for catching K was already in place.

There were a few beeps.

"Hello?"

The call was connected.Kim Sang-hyun didn't feel good in the morning.

He didn't know how many days it had been since he had found something good.

Yesterday, he went to collect from a newly discovered prey. There was a family who recently moved into his area. Usually, in such cases, there were large amounts of money in the owner's house.

However, they were already diligent and entrusted it all to the bank, so he had to resort to taking various miscellaneous things around the house. There wasn't even a single gold ring.

Kim Sang-hyun spat on the floor.

"Che! Ara, you bastards."

He wanted to move on to another area, but the situation wasn't right. Maybe there was already someone else…

He pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He had just bought a new pack, but it was already the last one.

"Crazy. I have no cigarettes left."

It was dangerous if he couldn't hit the jackpot.

He was enjoying his cigarette when the phone rang.

He didn't know the number. Perhaps it was a spam call.

Kim Sang-hyun suddenly came up with a good idea. He would swear at the people on the phone to relieve stress.

Sang-hyun pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear.He first had to check who the person was. If it was someone he didn't know, then he would curse at them.

Sang-hyun concentrated on the other person's voice.

-Sang-hyun, it is Mother.

Kim Sang-hyun couldn't believe his ears. Mama was calling him directly.

"Ah, Mother. What's wrong?"

-Well, I am calling because I thought I should bring something to your attention.Earlier, some kid was looking for you.I don't know who he is, but you ought to be careful.He asked about you.

"For me? What did you do?"

–How long have we been working together?Of course, I gave him the wrong number.

"Haha… Thank you, Mother."

He heard a soft laugh over the phone.

–Well, there is a fee for the information."

"I see."

She wouldn't hand over false information for free.

Kim Sang-hyun felt sweat flowing, as Mama wasn't just a simple stolen goods broker.

–I know what you are thinking.I'm Mama, I'm not that cold.I got free income thanks to Sang-hyun.Sang-hyun should also receive a prize.I received some very good information, sohow about it?Do you want to give it a try?

At that moment, Kim Sang-hyun wanted to cheer.

It was a great opportunity for thieves. A place that held a lot of valuables.

"I accept! No, I will do it! Please let me do it!"

-Hoho!I understand.Indeed, Sang-hyun.You are dependable.

Stolen goods brokers often handed over information.

If so, there was an implicit rule when doing business with that person.

Kim Sang-hyun barely refrained from laughing.

Mama's spot was rumored to be a jackpot.

"Then what should I steal?"

-There will be lots of diamonds.Please help Mama steal all of them.

"Haha. Just believe in me!"

Kim Sang-hyun combed through the information given by Mama.

Diamonds?

"Hahaha! I will be rich! Rich!"The spot wasn't far away.

Kim Sang-hyun did a final equipment check. HIs equipment variety ranged from locksmith tools to levers for lifting heavy objects.

It seemed like he was going to rob a bank, not a house.

"Then… This isn't my area. Is it okay?"

He came here under the name of the greatest information broker, Mama.

Even the owner of the territory wouldn't be able to have any complaints.

The spot was a two-storey house with a spacious courtyard. In recent years, expensive security systems were often found in homes like these. It was really hard to eat and live in this world.

'It doesn't look like there is one common CCTV. A big jackpot!'

Kim Sang-hyun cheered.

As expected from Mama. He wondered how she found information about this spot.

It was late at night, so there was no one in the house. The fireplace was turned off, and no loud sounds could be heard.

A golden opportunity to steal!

The hum of a song came out.

Kim Sang-hyun was a thief with considerable skill. He was even able to get into a safety deposit box in five minutes because he was the child of a locksmith.

He opened a locked door using his skills.

According to Mama's information, the diamonds were in the bedroom. He walked towards the destination while visualizing the structure of the house in his head.

'Here!'

Kim Sang-hyun excitedly opened the door.

Pang!

Pang pang!

Suddenly, there were the sounds of firecrackers popping.

The dark room lit up.

The people hiding in the darkness cheered.

"Surprise~!"

"Congratulations!"

"Happy birthday, Chief-nim!"

"Chief-nim, I love you!"

"Milk-coloured Chief-nim!"

Kim Sang-hyun stopped moving.

Diamonds. There were a lot of diamonds. Three representative diamonds.

"Kim Sun-kyung. No matter how much we look, isn't that not the chief?"

The second diamond answered.

"Yes, that's right!"

A diamond was a diamond, but they weren't jewels. However, they were covered with diamonds.

Inside the room, dozens of people were dressed in police uniforms. In the center of the room was a large cake, as well as beer and chicken.

Surprise? Birthday? What the hell?! This was the chief of police's house?

Why did Mama send him here…?

"Aaaack!"

Kim Sang-hyun screamed.

Police!

The police!

Policeeeeee!

Kim Sang-hyun tried to flee back the way he came.

The diamond said.

"Who is this? Kim Sang-hyun! Did you come to surrender yourself for Chief-nim's birthday?"

Today was the police chief's birthday.

Kim Sang-hyun had to sing a congratulatory song in handcuffs.

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Chapter 23 – Criminals #5

"Tae-hyuk!"

"Ah, Hyung!"

Cho Kang-suk welcomed Tae-hyuk who had arrived at the police station.

Kang-suk pulled out a cup of cocoa from the vending machine and handed it to Tae-hyuk. He then poured milk in his coffee and drank it.

"Well. I see that you arrested Kim Sang-hyun yesterday?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

Tae-hyuk thought about what to say to Kang-suk. In the end, he explained everything except for the blacklist and crime skills.

Kang-suk glared once he heard that a thief had robbed their home.

"Is Ha-ran ssi okay?"

"Yes. She is safe."

"That, if something like that happens next time, then you should call Hyung straight away!"

Kang-suk clouted Tae-hyuk with his knuckles. Fortunately, Robbery had failed.

"Ouch… I'm sorry."

Kang-suk was sincerely worried about Tae-hyuk and Ha-ran.

Tae-hyuk knew that Kang-suk was currently meeting with Ha-ran every weekend. They went out to eat and watch movies. It seemed like Ha-ran didn't hate Kang-suk. Despite the age difference, weren't they a surprisingly good match?

Tae-hyuk decided to cheer on the two people.

"At any rate, are you sure you want to meet Kim Sang-hyun?"

"It's okay, as there are a few things that I want to ask him."

"Really?"

In the end, as a condition, Kang-suk accompanied Tae-hyuk to the interrogation room in order to meet Kim Sang-hyun.

Kim Sang-hyun was handcuffed and screaming loudly.

"I mean, it was an accident! Why would I even go to the chief of police's house?"

Tae-hyuk sat on the other side of the table.

"Hello. Kim Sang-hyun?"

Kim Sang-hyun stared at Tae-hyuk who suddenly appeared and said,

"Who is this bastard?"

Tae-hyuk laughed.

"It is nice to meet you. I have one thing that I want to ask."

"What the? Are you giving kids a tour now? Has the police department gone soft?"

Kang-suk, who was standing at the door with crossed arms, approached.

"Sang-hyun. This friend is like my younger brother. Talk to him. Also, before answering, think about how much soybean paste was in the soybean paste stew that you had yesterday."

Kim Sang-hyun turned pale at Kang-suk's words.

"Hiik! D-Detective Cho Kang-suk! I understand!"

"You'll have it for more than a week if I like what I hear."

"Three, no four days! I'm sick of jajangmyeon!"

Most of the interrogated suspects were provided with jajangmyeon from a nearby Chinese restaurant. Kim Sang-hyun had already eaten it for all three of his meals. The detectives didn't even bother to give him jjampong.

"Brat. That's how delicious it is."

Thus, Tae-hyuk's interrogation began.

"Two days ago, did you steal an item called Rosario from a house in H-dong? Let me know where it is currently at."

Kim Sang-hyun whistled.

"There was such a thing… Do I remember?"

"You obviously stole it."

"I don't know!"

In the end, Kang-suk had to come over again.

"Sang-hyun. Do you want to eat pickled radish starting from today?"

"Hiik!"

In the end, Kim Sang-hyun confessed everything he knew.

"That, I handed it over to Mama! It was completely cheap! I haven't even received the remainder of the money yet. Ah, damn. Surely, I didn't get caught because of that?"

"Hey. Who is Mama? Your mother?"

Kim Sang-hyun flinched and replied.

"I-I can't answer that, even if you ask! This is my life!"

"You bastard. I am Cho Kang-suk. Do you want to keep a secret from Hyung? Say it quickly."

Cho Kang-suk and Kim Sang-hyun started to fight.

Tae-hyuk laughed after hearing of Rosario's whereabouts.

"Hyung. I think I know where it is. The interrogation can stop."

"I-Is that so? Is this really okay?"

"Yes."

Tae-hyuk left the interrogation room.

He leaned against the wall of the corridor and muttered.

"… That sly snake!"

Big Mama had Rosario.

Tae-hyuk couldn't even laugh at the sheer absurdity of the current situation.

He was like Son Wukong playing into the hands of Buddha.

"… I asked for info on the thief who stole Rosario, so she technically didn't lie to me. Hah. What should I do now?"

He thought about leaving it alone.

However, Tae-hyuk wasn't the type to avoid a fight.

He came up with a very good idea to get revenge on Big Mama.

"Ohuhu… you took Rosario, and in return, I will take away your most precious thing."

Tae-hyuk smiled slyly.Big Mama welcomed him as he entered the pawn shop.

"Welcome. Omo, is it Seo Tae-hyuk? Did you come to leave something with me?"

Big Mama was still wearing black mourning clothes. Her long hair was neatly tied back. It was a style that exposed her white neck.

'That good looking smile is a trap. A nine-tailed fox!'

Tae-hyuk looked around Big Mama's store.

It was seemed like a common pawn shop; but in reality, it was a stomping ground for thieves.

Tae-hyuk had gone home to get his blacklist before coming here. He read the words he wrote down about Big Mama.

'Is she still not big?'

He knew what she was interested in. He knew her purpose for staying here as a stolen goods broker, and stored those things in his head. Based on that information, he would be able to get what he wanted.

Tae-hyuk licked his lips.

"Nope. Actually, Mama is so pretty. Do you have time to go for a cup of coffee with me?"

"Omo! This child. Don't play around with Mama!"

Big Mama covered her mouth with a hand and laughed.

Then, the smile disappeared from her face.

"However, Seo Tae-hyuk. Didn't you ask about Sang-hyun? Yesterday, he was caught trying to rob the police chief's house."

"I see."

"You truly had no idea?"

Big Mama stared into Tae-hyuk's eyes.

Her eyes were eerily piercing, like she was reading his mind.

"Not at all."

"I see. Then, sit down on the chair over there. I will prepare a cup of tea."

Tae-hyuk felt sweat flowing down his back. They had only exchanged a few words, yet Big Mama had already discerned that Kim Sang-hyun was caught by Tae-hyuk.

After a few moments. Big Mama made a cup of green tea. It wasn't from a teabag, but was freshly brewed.

Big Mama said with a smile.

"The information you told me was a lie. Moreover, you even thought about coming back here. You have more guts than I thought."

"Mama isn't much different, right?"

"I'm not a liar like Tae-hyuk."

The two people laughed, but the atmosphere was heavy with blood.

"I didn't lie."

"Ahaha!"

Tae-hyuk took a sip of the tea and said.

"Hrmm. Mama, what do you think about art?"

Big Mama made a sound at the unexpected question.

"Hoh~ why are you asking such a thing?"

"In fact, I'm very interested in art. The artworks hanging in your store are quite famous."

Big Mama's eyes shone.

"I didn't expect that Tae-hyuk would be interested in art."

"However, aren't they all forgeries?"

"No, they are genuine."

Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva. This was the most important moment.

"That's right. If you think of artwork as genuine, then they are genuine. If you believe that they are fake, then they are fake."

"Hoh…"

Big Mama made an amazed sound. She never thought there would be someone who thought like her.

Tae-hyuk was delighted.

'It is natural. This is the motto of the Big Mama family.'

Big Mama looked at Tae-hyuk without saying anything.

'She is searching for my reason for coming here. I shouldn't give it to her straight away, however.'

Tae-hyuk leisurely drank the green tea that Big Mama made him. The expensive tea leaves created a completely different scent.

A long time passed.

Tae-hyuk spoke in a tone that was neither too fast nor too slow.

"Big Mama, yesterday was the 'Cyan Girl' right?"

"Omomo! How did you know?"

The Cyan Girl was one of the hidden oil paintings by the baroque master Saint Germain. It was unknown to the public, but was traded among collectors for a fairly high price.

Tae-hyuk didn't answer Mama's question. He just continued his story.

"I really think that it is a tragedy for one person to monopolize such a wonderful piece of work. Mama, don't you think so?"Tae-hyuk pulled out a picture and handed it to Big Mama. It was an image of the Trail of the Sunset that she had been looking for.

The mask disappeared from Big Mama's face as her hidden feelings were revealed.

She was shocked.

"Beautiful. Someone with a terminal illness saw this painting, and their mind could rest at ease, despite the fact that their illness wouldn't get better. They looked at this painting until their last moments. At least, that is just what I heard. This painting was then stolen by a thief, and became a legendary masterpiece in the end. Obviously, any collector would monopolize it. So, I had a thought. Let's paint this and distribute it to the people of this world."

Big Mama was at a loss for words.

It was the same. The little boy in front of her was saying the same thing. How was this possible? She never told anyone her dream. A coincidence? Or destiny? What word could explain this phenomenon?

Big Mama liked art, but such art was mostly dominated by a handful of rich collectors. Thus, she entered the world of counterfeit art. She was living in an alley right now, but one day, she wanted to spread her ideals around the world.

However, how did this boy come to know all her thoughts? Furthermore, the Trail of the Sunset that her dead husband liked was the first thing she wanted to copy and distribute.

It felt as if all her clothes had been stripped off for the public to see. She was ashamed. It was the first time she felt like this.

Big Mama asked in a trembling voice.

"That, can you tell me where you took the photo? Obviously, you want to make a deal."

"But we lied to each other.""So once again, I would like to offer a deal."

"W-what…?"

"Please accept me as a disciple."

Big Mama's eyes shook.

She was troubled.

Tae-hyuk had the Trail of the Sunset that she wanted. On the contrary, Tae-hyuk wanted her to teach him.

If she accepted this deal, then there would be a struggle to steal each other's possessions.

Many questions surfaced and disappeared in a period of less than 10 seconds. In the end, she reached an answer.

Big Mama laughed and said.

"Then you should start with cleaning."Tae-hyuk confirmed the message on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

[Crime Skill: Forgery Knowledge has been learnt.]

-You can create one item after analysis completion.

-The quality of the finished object depends on your dexterity stat.

-Due to low proficiency, the quality of the goods made is poor.

-It has been registered in the temporary skills window.

'It is like I thought!'

He became Big Mama's disciple and had learned a new crime skill.

In order to perfectly master it, he needed to use the new skill to deal Big Mama a big blow.

But was this really the only way to learn a crime skill? What if he learned how to make art for Big Mama here?

Experimenting would give him more information on the crime skills.

This skill was affected by dexterity, meaning that dexterity would increase as he practiced the skill. Just like how he learned to study from An Eun-young, he would learn forgery from Big Mama.

Naturally, he needed to improve his dexterity to upgrade to a 'Noble' status. And after he perfectly mastered the skill…

'I will take everything away from Big Mama.'

Big Mama had Tae-hyuk's Rosario. He would take everything away from her. Naturally, that included regaining Rosario.

Tae-hyuk stared at Big Mama's back with sly, upturned eyes.

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Chapter 24 – Power Deployment

Two weeks had passed since Seo Tae-hyuk received a month long suspension due to Park Sung-kwang's efforts. By the way, it was much better than when he went to school every day.

In the morning, he did homework and helped Ha-ran with her household chores. Then, he ate lunch and went to work in Big Mama's store. He completed chores according to her instructions until late in the afternoon. In the evening, he went to An Eun-young's house to study.

He was so busy that it felt like there were 36 hours in a day.

His cognitive abilities increased considerably.

'Shall I check it?'

As Tae-hyuk cleaned Big Mama's store, he took out the Demon Revealing Mirror to check his stats.

Stats: Stamina (61), Intelligence (25), Agility (24), Dexterity (34)

'Intelligence has increased by 11. Dexterity by three.'

The studying skill was indeed a big help, and Intelligence was the one stat that was rising the quickest. An Eun-young was amazed by his performance.

'… By the way, stamina decreased again.'

Stamina was steadily decreasing compared to his other stats. His stats needed 50 points for his ranking to be upgraded to 'Noble'.

His stamina was overflowing. However, his stomach hurt when he saw that his stats were decreasing.

'I should exercise.'

Studying also needed stamina. It was the real thing.

He was able to see his stats after obtaining the Spying skill. He knew the direct numerical values, so it was more efficient to train his body.

"Tae-hyuk. Please clean this up."

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

Tae-hyuk removed the dust in the store according to Big Mama's instructions.

She didn't teach him any skills as soon as he became a disciple. Big Mama gave Tae-hyuk a job and started forging artworks.

'Just watching her is increasing my skill proficiency.'

[You have watched a master craftsman work.]

[Proficiency will increase rapidly.]

[Forgery skill 17%]

The skills that he learned could be elevated by raising the level of proficiency.

'Although I can't learn any other skills since there is only one temporary skill window, this isn't that bad.'

He was able to raise his dexterity stat. Although it was currently lower than stamina, it wasn't a bad performance.

'The most important thing in forging art is how it looks.'

There were artworks at least several hundred years old. There were just as many that were under 100 years old. In order to make fakes of such things, the perfection of the work was a basic thing. It was important for the artwork to look as old as the original year. If a 300 year old painting was as smooth as if it was painted yesterday, a child wouldn't be deceived.

'Applying a specially prepared solution to the surface of the painting will make it age fast! Isn't this really good? Uh, wah! From the stains to the insect marks!'

It took a long time to create a counterfeit artwork. A person could take a week to a month. However, Big Mama completed a perfect quality work in only three days.

He couldn't help but feel admiration.

'Uh, my proficiency has gone up by one.'

Once his proficiency level reached a certain level, he could know the meaning of what Big Mama was doing.

Tae-hyuk's eyes shone.

He decided to do his own forgeries once his proficiency increased a bit more.

There were two weeks remaining until he had to go back to school. Based on the current rate that his intelligence was rising, he would be able to achieve his desired grades.

He first decided to concentrate on acquiring the Forgery skill."Crazy…"

Cho Kang-suk clicked his tongue.

He was a homicide detective, and had 10 years of practical experience before achieving this rank. He was familiar with seeing these things.

Even so, he frowned as he saw the body in front of him.

The body was odd.

He couldn't say anything.

Cho Kang-suk skillfully ordered his men to form a blockade around the building. Signs that prohibited access were put up and the crime scene was closed.

Inspector Kim Do-shik, who arrived late, asked him. He would be the person in charge of this case.

"Detective Cho! Did you call the coroner?"

"Oh, Inspector-nim arrived? He'll be here in a minute."

Kim Do-shik pulled back the tarp covering the corpse.

He couldn't help but moan.

"What is this…?"

He raised a finger and pressed it firmly against the skin of the corpse.

"I don't think she was drowned."

The corpse still seemed alive.

"Yes… The coroner can only know after conducting the autopsy. It is likely that she was suffocated."

"Hrmm. Is it strangulation?"

"No strangulation injuries were found on the neck."

Kim Do-shik quietly covered the body with the tarp again.

Cho Kang-suk reported what he had found so far.

"A female. Her age is in the early 20s, and her clothes have yet to be found. I have pulled the fingerprints to check her identity. The person who discovered it was a student who lived nearby, and I have someone taking care of them. After their shock has subsided, I will check the exact circumstances of the discovery."

"But Detective Cho, it is still too premature to say. Have you ever seen a body like this?"

Cho Kang-suk shook his head.

"The stomach… is her stomach full?"

"… Yes. It is like she is pregnant."

The two people's faces darkened.

No matter how long they worked, they still couldn't get used to this.

"Ah! The coroner has arrived!"

"Yes. First, let's see what he has to say. But really… This body is odd."

"Yes…"

Cho Kang-suk couldn't answer properly. He was more qualified to beat up a gangster than to do something like this.

"Then, tell me when the results come out."

Kim Do-shik sighed again.

"This world is really going crazy."

The case proceeded quickly. The identity of the body was revealed and the signs were also accurate. However, their questions weren't completely answered.

Detective Cho Kang-suk asked the coroner.

"Min-soo. How did she die?"

Park Min-soo was a similar age to Kang-suk. In addition, they worked closely together so they were close friends.

Park Min-soo touched the glasses he was wearing and said.

"There are two signs. First, her intestines ruptured from drinking more water than they could tolerate, causing a blockage. She suffocated."

Kang-suk's face turned white.

"… She was tortured with water."

Park Min-soo shook his head.

"It doesn't seem like it. Do you know what happens when someone is tortured with water? In the beginning of the torture, they take some breaths. Eventually, the brain won't receive enough oxygen and they will lose consciousness. Then what would happen? The human body would somehow try to breathe in order to live. They will take a deep breath. However, there would be no air so eventually, water would get into the lungs. This breath is the end… It is over. The lung cells are destroyed. The body will die, and any artificial respiration is useless."

Park Min-soo spoke calmly. However, the contents were creepy.

Cho Kang-suk asked.

"So why isn't it water torture?"

"If someone was tortured with water, then they would naturally get water into their lungs. However, there is no water in her lungs. Therefore, this means that she drank a lot of water, but of her own will. And… The body didn't lose consciousness until the last minute."

It was cruel.

She drank water until her stomach expanded and she died.

But she didn't lose consciousness? Even until the moment she died from suffocation?

Cho Kang-suk bit his lip. He bit too hard and blood came out.

Park Min-soo approached Cho Kang-suk and whispered.

"Ah right. There were no signs of rape. It isn't a rape killing."Kang-suk's face distorted.

He muttered quietly.

"Please, I wish that this body is the first and last."

Park Min-soo also nodded.

"Yes, I wish that as well. Kang-suk. Let me look at that crazy bastard's face. Please catch the culprit."

Kang-suk replied with cold eyes.

"I will catch them… I must!"After hearing about the body, Kim Do-shik called this the 'watering hippo' case.

That day, a special investigation headquarters was created.

Among the team members, Cho Kang-suk was included.

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Chapter 25: Power Deployment #2

As the proficiency of the Forgery skill went over 20, it became impossible to increase the skill any further just by watching Big Mama work.

Tae-hyuk was distressed.

'I think I have reached 100 proficiency…'

It seemed like he now had to practice directly. The necessary tools were purchased, so the problem now was the location.

'Isn't it hard to do it in Big Mama's store?'

He didn't want to show his skill to Big Mama.

However, he couldn't do it at home. A bunch of chemicals were needed, and he couldn't risk the health of his family.

'Where is a suitable space? Preferably a well-ventilated space… It is better if I have some artwork to copy.'

The best option was to have his own studio, but that required time and money. He might have a chance to get another skill. He wanted to progress at a rapid pace.

'The right space… ah!'

He knew a great place.

'Why didn't I think of the art room?'

It was equipped with everything Tae-hyuk needed.

The only problem was that he was currently suspended.

'Well, it isn't a problem if I obtain a school uniform and pretend to be a transfer student.'

B High School was near Big Mama's store. It was a big school with over 1,000 students. They were the optimal conditions for hiding.

Tae-hyuk made sure he had money in his wallet and rushed to the clothing store. He could buy a used uniform, but if he wanted to pretend to be a transfer student, it was better to get a new one. It was expensive, but he still had some money left over from catching Park Sung-kwang.

'Think of it as an investment.'

As he opened the door, he saw a man reading a newspaper.

Tae-hyuk looked around the store where various uniforms were hanging and said.

"I'm here to buy a uniform."

The owner took a look at Tae-hyuk and replied.

"Female uniforms aren't for sale."

"… I'm going to wear it."

"You're going to wear a female school uniform?"

In the end, he introduced himself as a transfer student, and was finally able to receive a proper response.

'Why is it so hard to buy a uniform! Treating somebody like a criminal!'

Well, technically, he was a criminal.

After purchasing the uniform, Tae-hyuk went to buy the other tools. It didn't matter what type of artwork it was, the rise in proficiency was similar. He had to decide on something that was easier than forging sculptures or ceramics.

Eventually, Tae-hyuk decided on painting.

'My training will begin earnestly tomorrow!'

Tae-hyuk's eyes burned with the fires of enthusiasm.Since a few days ago, Tae-hyuk started having dinner at home.

It seemed like his body would be unable to hold on if he continued to eat Eun-young's food. An Eun-young was disappointed when she found out that Tae-hyuk had already eaten. Why?

When Tae-hyuk arrived home, an unexpected guest greeted him.

"Tae-hyuk is home."

"Kang-suk hyung!"

Cho Kang-suk was setting out the meal on the table. He recently became quite close to Ha-ran, and thus came here to eat.

Tae-hyuk asked when he saw Kang-suk's pale complexion.

"What's going on? You look pretty tired."

Kang-suk sighed.

"It's been pretty busy lately. I couldn't eat rice, so I came over when Ha-ran invited me to dinner."

"I see. Did a case happen nearby?"

"Well, there is something like that. It is something that isn't very good. At any rate, be careful when you walk around at night."

"Then I should go pick up Noona when you go home from work."

"T-That isn't necessary!"

"Then why did you say to be careful?"

"I'll go pick her up!"Tae-hyuk was at a loss for words.

Well, it was difficult for passion to heat up.

Kang-suk scratched his head and blushed as he spoke.

"But, I heard you were suspended?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Haha! Don't be too embarrassed. It isn't a big deal. I'm also…"

Kang-suk started to talk about his school days.

Tae-hyuk's hands clenched into a fist as he heard about the part where Kang-suk fought 17:1.

Originally, these type of stories were exaggerated. However, it was really possible if it was Kang-suk. It wouldn't be strange for people to fall down when hit by a thick forearm. Above all, the description was very real.

'I wished I had a combat skill rather than something strange like Robbery. However, why is there no combat skill?'

He was going to try out the Forgery skill.

With that in mind, he started eating the dinner that Ha-ran had prepared.

Suddenly, he had an ominous feeling.

Kang-suk was really busy.

He didn't respond when asked for the reason.

Maybe…

It couldn't be?'I think it is the perfect plan!'

Tae-hyuk made a satisfied expression as he stared at the tools that he had prepared on the desk in the art room.

He had passed a considerable number of people on the way here. However, no one noticed that Tae-hyuk wasn't a student of B High School. He only occasionally heard 'was there such a thug in this school?' as people walked past. It felt a bit unpleasant, but it wasn't too big of a big problem.

"Hah… There seems to be self-study in this school at night."

So there was no one in the art room. He could work here for two hours.

After that, he had to go to An Eun-young's house.

"Then, shall I begin?"

He shone the Demon Revealing Mirror on a landscape painting in the art room.

[Forgery has been used.]

-Analyzing the specified artwork.

[Practice Landscape Painting]

-A landscape painted to improve the painting skill.

-The detailed information is hidden because the rating is too low.

-Tools needed: Paper, pigment, color, soluble oil…

'The rating?'

At first, he thought it was a painting that wasn't too big of a big deal. However, there were restrictions due to the rating.

'If I want to use the skill properly, then I'll have to raise the rating.'

In order to do that, he had to learn the Forgery skill quickly. After analyzing and collecting the items specified by the skill, he moved his body.

"Uh, uh!"

The brush in his right hand started to move over the canvas.

It was like it was possessed!

He received a notification on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

[The quality of the artwork is lower than your dexterity.]

[You have perfectly copied the painting!]

[Proficiency will rise rapidly!]

Tae-hyuk could perfectly paint the landscape, despite his dexterity only being 30 points.

Tae-hyuk admired the finished painting.

"Wah… Isn't it really the same thing?"

The performance of the Forgery skill was amazing. If the original wasn't framed, then it was impossible to tell which one was genuine.

There was one big difference. The landscape painting was displayed in the art room. Since it was a space used by many people, there were traces of the hands that touched it. He moved it until it was the same. Now, no one would notice if he walked out with the original.

"… I need to learn it as soon as possible."

He checked and his proficiency increased by one. At this speed, he would be able to raise it by 2~3 more points today.

Tae-hyuk made a satisfied face as he looked for the next piece to be copied.

It was at that moment.

Rustle!

Tae-hyuk heard a strange sound and looked around.

"… What?"

Tae-hyuk swallowed his saliva. Someone was watching.

He had memorized the structure of the school since he was sneaking in.

The art room was located in the special activities building, and students studying in the main building wouldn't come here.

Who…?

Tae-hyuk felt sweat flowing down.

"What, the window is open?"

He had confirmed that they were all closed when entering the art room. However, now one was open.

It meant one thing.

'Someone was watching me work!'

Tae-hyuk wasn't the only uninvited guest in B High School.

There was one more…Kang-suk heard the call through his walkie-talkie and exclaimed.

"W-h-a-t! A second body was found?!"

–Yes, that's right.Please contact e to the incident site!

The state of the corpse was the same as the first incident. It was an act by the same person.

In the end, the thing he was concerned about happened.

Kang-suk bit his lip, causing blood to flow into his mouth. However, he couldn't care about it right now.

Kang-suk punched the wall.

There was a loud bang sound, and it seemed like he wouldn't be able to endure.

The 'watering hippo' murderer had occurred again.

Kang-suk started the car and asked.

"Where? I'll go right now. Seal the area so that not even one ant can escape!"

The answer was heard on the walkie-talkie.

-A warehouse not far from B High School.

"There again?"

The first body was discovered in a place not far from there.

"Send me the exact location."

-Understood.

"I will catch that hippo. Just wait, Kang-suk hyung is coming."

Kang-suk slammed on the car's accelerator.

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Chapter 26: Power Deployment #3

For the next day and the day after, Tae-hyuk could feel someone's gaze while he was working in the art room.

Tae-hyuk showed an irritated expression as he wiped off the moisture from his brush.

"Ah, it is like having a pebble in my sneakers."

While he could ignore it, it was still annoying and constantly jarring.

He remembered the saying of a person in a marathon who was eliminated just before the finish line.

'The hardest part of the race wasn't the other people pressuring him from behind, but the small piece of sand in his shoes.'

That was Tae-hyuk's state right now. He had four crime skills, but he didn't have the skill to detect another person.

"Who the hell is it?"

He couldn't bear it and finally shouted.

The door of the art room opened like there was a reaction.

"Who's in here?"

A schoolgirl with short hair that exposed her ears entered.

Tae-hyuk was filled with embarrassment. He was illegally occupying the art room. He felt sorry.

"Ahaha… Hello. I was just painting."

The schoolgirl came in and examined him.

"Are you in the art department? I know that the art department was closed due to a lack of resources."

"I'm just a student who is interested in painting."

Tae-hyuk smiled as innocently as possible. This was a workshop that he was barely able to find, so he didn't want to be kicked out of here.

"I see. I'm actually retired, but I was also in the art department. Are you in the first grade?"

"I'm in the second grade."

"It is the first time I've seen you…"

Tae-hyuk gave his pre-prepared excuse.

"Ah, I just transferred this week."

"A transfer student! I am Lee Hana. If you are interested in the art department, then I will let you know the name of the teacher who is the adviser.

"Haha… I will think about it. Oh right, my name is Lee Cheol-su."

Tae-hyuk gave her a pseudonym.

He met someone a few days after starting to work here.

He didn't want to advertise that he wasn't a student at this school.

Lee Hana approached Tae-hyuk, then she laughed softly as she said,

"Can I see what you are doing?"

"Yes. Here."

Lee Hana looked at the painting that Tae-hyuk copied. Her face was filled with surprise.

"Wah! Wah… Did you really paint this?"

"I am practicing drawing by copying art."

"It's really great! Have you ever gone to art school? I will go to the adviser immediately. We need such a talent in the art department!"

Lee Hana spoke excitedly.

Tae-hyuk was silent for a moment. He had just copied the original with a skill, so it was strange to hear such praise.

"I-It isn't that great. I merely copied the brushstrokes."

"Don't be shy! Well, if I look closer, then I can see that there are definitely a few missing details."

Lee Hana squinted at Tae-hyuk's painting again.

"Is it not enough?"

"This figure is drawn with a simple technique, so you can never perfectly copy the original. It is withdrawn? Do you understand the difference between this painting and a withdrawn work?"

Tae-hyuk shook his head. He was just a high school student who could use crime skills, and didn't have a profound knowledge on art.

Lee Hana laughed like she was glad to discover a new talent.

"While your painting doesn't have a soul, you have great technique. You literally copied the painting that you saw, but you won't be able to move the heart of the person who painted it."

"Soul?"

"Yes. Do you know what type of heart this painting was drawn with?"

Lee Hana pointed to the original painting that Tae-hyuk had copied.

It was a landscape painting that depicted a forest where the falling rain had stopped, and a beam of light was shining through the clouds.

Tae-hyuk replied honestly.

"A wonderful landscape. It feels like a living forest.

"Doesn't it? The rain has stopped, and the forest is full of life. It is a place that I really like. When I die, I would like to die in a place like this. Everything felt so vivid when I was painting it. I was so grateful to be alive."

Suddenly, Tae-hyuk discovered a strange fact in Lee Hana's words.

"Uh, then Sunbae painted this?"

"Omo, did you only just find out? It is something that I painted in my first year."

"I only used it as a reference because I thought it was the best painting here. I didn't know that it was Sunbae's."

"Ahaha. At any rate, bend the brush. I'll tell you about the brush strokes."

From then on, Lee Hana's drawing lesson began.

Tae-hyuk focused on her words, ignoring the notifications from the Demon Revealing Mirror.

He could guess what the contents were.

While his skill was enough to copy the artwork, he learned that it was also important to read the heart of the picture.

"Ah. It is already this time… I'll have to end here today. Think about what you have learned today, and you will know why the painting was drawn."

Lee Hana gently winked.

Tae-hyuk used the moment to quickly glance at the Demon Revealing Mirror, where numerous messages had appeared.

[Your understanding of art has deepened.]

[The Forgery skill proficiency has increased by a lot!]

[More sophisticated work is now possible.]

After checking the skill, his proficiency level had gone up by around 20 points. He couldn't miss this good chance.

Tae-hyuk asked with a puppy-like expression.

"Thank you, Hana sunbae. Can I see you again next time?"

"Ahaha! I'm a busy person. Well, it does feel good."

Hana laughed like she enjoyed it.

Tae-hyuk was startled.

All of a sudden, he felt that Lee Hana's face was familiar.

'Wait. Surely she isn't that Lee Hana?'

She reminded him of someone. She was a genius female painter who became so famous that she held a solo exhibition in Paris in her early 20s.

'It is obviously the same name. She was primarily a landscape illustrator. Eh…? Don't tell me?'

She was famous for the dreamlike atmosphere of her paintings.

'Wait. Then I was copying the painting of a person like that?'

He felt strange all of a sudden, as he never imagined that a celebrity would be so close.

It had only been a few days since Tae-hyuk first held a paintbrush. But now he had a discussion about painting with a genius painter. It was like practicing dribbling in front of Messi.

'I heard that she went straight to Europe after graduating from high school. I guess that is the reason why she seems to be so strangely relaxed for a third year in high school.'

Tae-hyuk looked at Lee Hana, and suddenly felt like there was a subtle halo around her.

Lee Hana waved her hand as she turned around to leave.

"Wahahat ~ ah, that's right. There are rumours that a stalker is wandering around the school. Have you ever seen someone suspicious lately?"

"Stalker?"

"Yes. They say he is a voyeur."

"I haven't seen anyone suspicious."

Tae-hyuk replied with a face that made it seem like he didn't know anything.

In fact, he was the most suspicious person in this school.

"If you find something then please tell me. If the incident becomes bigger and the police comes, then this place might be closed down."

"This would be difficult."

"Right? I think so as well! Hahat!"

Lee Hana laughed and exited.After Tae-hyuk was sure that she was gone, his smile disappeared.

"Stalker or a voyeur."

Lee Hana spoke calmly but he got the impression that she was nervous.

Of course, he had never seen such a person. But he had some ideas.

"Then, the eyes looking at me…"

The mystery was unravelled.

Tae-hyuk searched the art room, and noticed several hidden cameras that were installed throughout.

"Ohuhuhu. I got the bastard!"

This was what had been missing.

He discovered traces of the crime, and received a message about a new skill.

[Crime Skill: X-ray Vision has been learnt.]

– You can see through things (this doesn't apply to creatures).

-The criteria to fully learn it has yet to be met.

-A skill has already been registered in the temporary skill window.

If you are register a new skill, then the existing skill will disappear.

Tae-hyuk almost screamed at that moment.

X-ray Vision! It was literally a man's romance.

"Crazy, my heart!"

He cried out.

It was impossible to make a living with X-ray Vision.

However, that's why it was better. He could literally see through the clothes that people were wearing.

"Ohu, ohuhuhu, ohahahahat!"

The feature was so perfect that Tae-hyuk felt like crying.

He then recalled the last messages on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

"Wait a minute. There is something strange."

He was so excited about the X-ray Vision skill that he hadn't properly read the rest of the message. Tae-hyuk felt anxious and confirmed it in the Demon Revealing Mirror. His face fell like a dog that had been neutered.

"… I have to give up Forgery to learn X-ray Vision?"

It was the limit of temporary registration. The skill was temporary, so if he learned a new one, the existing skill would disappear.

He would miss the opportunity to learn it forever.

"Ugh, no! Then, is it asking me to choose between X-ray Vision and Forgery?"

It was like choosing between jajangmyeon and jjampong. It was a fateful decision.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip. X-ray Vision was a skill that couldn't be abandoned. But Forgery…

"Ugh, damn! What is this?"

Tae-hyuk's hands hovered over X-ray Vision, which he had always desired.

He then stabbed his thigh with a sharp brush tip. He felt as if his spirit had come back due to the shock.

"Goodbye, my pink life…"

He couldn't give up Forgery that had over 50 proficiency points.

Eventually, Tae-hyuk tearfully abandoned the X-ray Vision skill. Tae-hyuk sat in the chair for a while with a sense of emptiness.

Then he muttered.

"Even though I didn't get it… I will catch the strange voyeur."

There were rumours of a voyeur.

Maybe he wasn't enjoying it alone, but was spreading it on the Internet.

If the incident became bigger, then the police would be dispatched, which would result in an almost 100% chance of this place being closed down. They would search through everything to collect evidence.

Tae-hyuk had only just found this workshop. Besides, he was able to raise his proficiency at a high speed due to Lee Hana. He was unable to abandon this place.

For one thing, he would never do anything completely selfless.

Tae-hyuk put away his brushes and paints and stood up. He set up a trap to catch the enemy.

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Chapter 27: Power Deployment #4

B High School was a big school with changing rooms separate from the gymnasium.

However, once the number of students increased, people who broke the established rules appeared. It was a hassle for one to go to the locker rooms that were far away, and for those who just wanted to do special activities.

Therefore, there were some who changed clothes in the classrooms of the special activities building.

This was what the voyeur was aiming for. The boundaries in the special activities building were loose compared to those in the locker room. There were many hiding spots to place the camera. It wasn't even a changing room in the first place, so there weren't many people who would ever think that cameras would be installed in such places.

'That is the psychology of the voyeur.'

Tae-hyuk searched through the special activities classrooms and looked for hidden cameras. In the end, he found more than 30.

They were high definition cameras, and were no longer recording because their memory was full. Fortunately, Tae-hyuk wasn't recorded on the cameras.

'Can I use this?'

First of all, one thing had become clear.

'The person who installed the hidden cameras knows the inside of the school perfectly.'

They knew which classroom was used for which purpose. The cameras were hidden in places with good angles. The voyeur had calculated all of this, which was an impossible feat unless they were an insider.

'If so, it is a problem.'

In this situation, Tae-hyuk was an outsider. If he did something wrong, then he could be mistaken as the voyeur. In the end, collecting the evidence alone didn't mean Tae-hyuk would catch him. He had to find the crime scene.

The difficulty level was much higher than usual.

"By the way… No matter how much I think about it, X-ray Vision is way too good to pass up."

There was a chance that X-ray Vision could be obtained again later in the future. He couldn't just give up Forgery that he had invested two weeks into.

"… Don't be so instinctual, Seo Tae-hyuk! I need Forgery right now!"

In order to regain Rosario that Big Mama had, he needed the fully mastered Forgery skill.

It was necessary to first find out exactly where the voyeur worked.

The cameras didn't have a long range transmission feature, so recorded content had to be directly collected. Tae-hyuk placed the cameras back in their original positions and installed a timer that could only be checked by him.

There were state of the art technologies that could notify him when it was touched. Of course, Tae-hyuk had no such abilities, which was why he took full advantage of his skills.

Tae-hyuk placed common items like a glass cup or a book near the places where the cameras were hidden. If someone touched the items, then they would fall.

Of course, if there were only one or two items, then they might not be touched. However, there were more than 30 cameras, so the voyeur had to make a mistake at least once.

Tae-hyuk was aiming for that.

'I didn't know that Spying had such a feature.'

Spying could see the titles and abilities of the target, which didn't just apply to people, but also to objects. If he registered a glass cup in advance, then he could check its status.

'Well, I won't be able to tell if it is just touched. Destruction is different.'

He would get alerts through the Demon Revealing Mirror.

For example, [Glass Cup] would transform into [Broken Glass Cup].

By taking advantage of this, he could use things commonly seen as a security device.

It was a hidden use of the Spying skill.

'Now, the installation is done!'

Tae-hyuk set up traps in locations that he had unknowingly touched while collecting the hidden cameras. This would tell him when the voyeur was active.

Now he just had to wait quietly.

"Then, should I go to Eun-young?"

A few days ago, he scored 80 points on a mock exam that she had given him. Compared to the first time, his score had risen by more than 20 points.

There were 10 days left before the retest.

His preparations were slowly progressing.Today, he was in a good condition and his intelligence increased by three, making a total of 28.

It was almost seven times higher than when he first received the 'Spying' skill.

'Well, I don't think my head has improved by seven times.'

However, he recently felt like things had been going well so far. The new use of the Spying skill was also a by-product of his increased intelligence.

One worry was that the voyeur would be too cautious and wouldn't get caught in the trap.

'Then I would have to go to plan B…'

However, his worries were groundless. Out of a total of 30 traps, six gave him notifications.

'The glass cup broke. The receipt was torn. The tissue… Ugh, it is now dirty.'

All the common items told him about the actions of the voyeur.

'Isn't this better than I thought?'

Just installing it let him know his opponent's activity time. He also knew the route the voyeur walked.

'Based on his speed, he definitely spends longer inside the rooms.'

Tae-hyuk confirmed that all the voices required for the Voice Modulation skill were registered.

He needed the voices of girls A, B, C, and D to catch the opponent. The security guard was also necessary. And finally, Cho Kang-suk's voice.

The voyeur started his activities in the late evening.

Tae-hyuk decided to practice painting until that time. The proficiency of Forgery increased rapidly as he thought about what he learned from Lee Hana. Not only did he copy Lee Hana's landscape painting, he also copied various other things.

The important thing was to figure out the mindset of the person who painted it. Even if he painted the image with the same technique, there would still be a difference in understanding.

Tae-hyuk made a comparison between the two pieces.

He looked at what he painted before Lee Hana's lesson, and what he painted after it. They were obviously works created with the same proficiency in the Forgery skill.

However, after understanding the thoughts and feelings of the original artists, he could feel a strange vitality exuding from the painting. It seemed that it would come alive at any moment.

"Uhuh! It is difficult, difficult!"

The profound world of art!

Tae-hyuk yawned and stretched.

The proficiency of Forgery was still over 50 points, so his technique had noticeably improved. He could now almost completely copy high school level paintings.

"… I have to get ready."

He pulled out a bromide photograph from his pocket.

It was a compelling photo of the back of a girl changing clothes from a nude magazine popular with soldiers.

Tae-hyuk triggered the Forgery skill and started to copy the nude photograph.

In a way, this was also an artwork.

However, it was the first time using Forgery on a photo to transfer to a painting. He also had to draw it four times bigger for it to be mistaken as a real person.

'Think of the mindset… As much as possible! He has to be excited to see this! Therefore, it has to be as sensual as possible!'

"I-It is finished!"

After more than an hour of work, a painting depicting the back of a girl changing clothes was finished.

[A great work of art has been completed.]

[You have perfectly understood the artist's mind.]

[It seems as though it is alive.]

[Your Forgery skill proficiency has increased tremendously.]

"Ahem… I'm ashamed…"

Tae-hyuk coughed.

In fact, it was like catching a moth. The mindset of the person who took a photo like this was obvious.

Of course, it wasn't the same quality as the photo. If someone looked closely, then they could tell it was a painting. However, the atmosphere of the painting was more tangible than the original.

He felt dirty. At that moment, Tae-hyuk's face was red. He was excited to see the painting.

Tae-hyuk blocked his nose and muttered.

"W-Why does it feel like blood is dripping down?"

He could now understand the feelings of the original photographer.

"Hum hum. Then, I will have to install this on the voyeur's established path."

He had a premonition that there would be more to the trap than he thought.

Tae-hyuk's plan was simple.

Install the painting of a girl changing clothes in an empty classroom. The curtains were covered, creating a breathtaking situation where only the silhouette could be seen. He would then use Voice Modulation to mimic a female voice and give a sense of presence. This scene was just too amazing for the voyeur to pass up. Naturally, he would concentrate on that place. Then, Tae-hyuk would use the voice of the guards and Kang-suk to start hunting a rabbit.

In the hallway, he painted wall paintings with the Forgery skill. People wouldn't be able to make a normal judgment if they were embarrassed. If the police suddenly entered, then the voyeur would start to freak out.

However, Tae-hyuk changed the structure of the special activities building. He painted hallways on the walls with the Forgery skill.

Under normal circumstances, the voyeur would never be fooled. However, that would change if situation was urgent. The voyeur would be moved along Tae-hyuk's desired route.

"The special activities building turns off the lights after school. In a confused state, it would be hard for the voyeur to tell if it was a painting or if it was reality.

Tae-hyuk looked at the piece of paper on his desk.

On it were detailed instructions about the route that he would drive his opponent down.

"Then, let's start with plan 'I'm alone in school!'"

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Chapter 28: Power Deployment #5

Tae-hyuk first marked his own building map and easily divided it into several sections. He then proceeded to install the traps at the marked locations.

"Well, let's check it out."

On the map, he had carefully written down directions on how to direct the voyeur. If he followed those exact directions, then he would be able to put his opponent into a corner.

However, some unexpected variables could occur. Tae-hyuk began visualizing several different situations, and how he deal with them.

In the meantime, it was time to start self-studying at night. All sound disappeared from the special activities building.

"Now… is it 7:05 p.m? It's around the time for the voyeur to move."

It was also time for Tae-hyuk to take action.

Lastly, Tae-hyuk confirmed all of his equipment. Everything he needed was currently gathered.

"I'll go and get ready for the guests."

B High School's self-study started at 7:00 p.m, which was when the supervisor would wander around to check attendance. All the students were supposed to be in the classroom. Once attendance was checked, the supervisor would loosen up. Some students would the special activities building to do other things or even to run away.

The voyeur was aiming for this short gap in timing.

"Now is the time to do something in secret."

While the main building had the latest security systems, the old wooden building didn't even have a common CCTV one. If it wasn't for the geographical advantage of being close to the playground, no one would ever change clothes here.

Tae-hyuk was hiding in the A-17 area, the place of the first trap. He also spotted a window that was slightly open, which was where the opponent would probably enter through here.

7:07 p.m.

The opponent moved.

Kkiiik-

There was no need to check the Demon Revealing Mirror. It was the sound of a window opening.

A black shadow was revealed by the backlight. Tae-hyuk minimized his sound as much as possible as he watched the movements of the opponent.

'He isn't collecting the cameras.'

The voyeur merely took out the memory from the camera and checked its contents. He made a small sound, as if he didn't like the content shown. He reset the data and reinstalled the camera. Everything took less than 10 seconds.

'If this was a sport in the Olympics, then would he get a gold medal?'

The black shadow finished his work in an instant and left the room. It wasn't something he had done only once or twice.

However, the voyeur would have never imagined that someone else was hiding in here.

'The binding trap is installed in area A-12. Let's move right away.'

Tae-hyuk left his hiding place and chased behind the voyeur. The opponent had stopped at a place 20 metres away. He had activated the binding trap and his feet were tied.

After confirming it, Tae-hyuk moved to the A-13 area.

'Now is the most important part.'

Tae-hyuk used the Demon Revealing Mirror to activate Voice Modulation.

He chose female student A that he had prepared in advance.

"… Ah."

After Tae-hyuk confirmed that his voice was changed, he spoke loudly enough for the voyeur to hear.

"W-What do I do? I was tired from exercising and forgot!"

Then he changed voices to student B.

"The seniors saw me sleeping and just left! I have to change clothes and go straight to the classroom."

He changed it back.

"Y-yes. Hurry!"

Voice Modulation could only imitate people's voices. He had to create the other sound effects himself. For example, the sound of clothes being taken off.

Sururuk.

The sound of clothes rubbing against skin was heard in the darkness.

The voyeur swallowed his saliva.

Tae-hyuk felt disgusted.

'D-Do I really have to do this?'

He took off his uniform, leaving him in only short-sleeves and shorts.

'Student C will emerge at this point!'

Tae-hyuk ducked out of the classroom and crouched down in front of it.

He shouted. It sounded like he was speaking from outside the classroom.

"Sunbae-nim! Big trouble! There's a frenzy outside because the voyeur entered the school!"

He felt a presence in the hallway. The voyeur was aghast.

'Ugh, what is this?'

At that moment, Tae-hyuk felt dizzy.

His body almost collapsed. Tae-hyuk stabbed his thigh with a stick just to keep conscious. He could feel his consciousness coming back.

'Is it because I used the skill too much?'

This was the first time. Now was the most important part. Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth and imitated the voice of student D with Voice Modulation.

"The guard said that the police are coming! Come out quickly!"

'… I can't miss catching the fish. Just a little more…!'

He heard the sound of the voyeur rushing away.

Tae-hyuk forced his legs to move and chased after the opponent.In order to use his skills, stamina was consumed. He had particularly used a lot of it over the past few days. In the end, the burden came rushing in at once.

'I think I used more last week… Ah, perhaps…'

In that moment, Tae-hyuk recalled An Eun-young's healthy food. His hands clenched at the thought. Surprisingly, it had supplemented a lot of his stamina. After not eating it for a few days, his body sent out a few signals…

Did he have to eat her food for the rest of his lifetime? At that moment, he had an ominous feeling.

'Anyway, the target is in area B-4. Shall I give it a try?'

Tae-hyuk imitated the voice of a guard.

"The police officers are here!"

The confused voyeur fell down.

However, he got up through superhuman willpower and started to run.

At that time, a wall appeared in front of the voyeur. If he had looked closely, then he would be able to see that it was just a painting.

However, in such a panicked state, such a cold judgment was impossible. In the end, he ran to the other side of the hallway to avoid the wall.

A smile flashed on Tae-hyuk's face.

'As expected, he ran to point C.'

This time, he imitated the voice of Cho Kang-suk.

"I will arrest the criminal who violated the Special Sexual Violence Law! You can remain silent, and any of your remarks can be used against you in court. You can appoint a lawyer and have the lawyer speak for you when asked a question. If you don't have money for a lawyer, you will be appointed a public defender. Do you recognize your rights?"

Tae-hyuk imitated what he saw in movies as much as possible.

The opponent panicked as Tae-hyuk read his version of the Miranda Warning in Cho Kang-suk's voice. Originally, they were words that the police would say only after arresting the criminal. But it was still enough to panic the opponent.

The voyeur heard Cho Kang-suk's cry and started to run faster.

'Now, go straight. Then you will be very happy.'

Tae-hyuk took a deep breath as he watched as the opponent ran in the direction planned.

He wouldn't get any merits from catching this criminal. However, he was happy since he could spend the rest of his time practicing Forgery here. That in itself was satisfying enough.

'Anyway, this time I can't get any skill…'

No matter how he thought about it, X-ray Vision was a good skill.

If only…

'Someday, I might get a chance again. At any rate, haven't I solved the case?'

He felt bittersweet.

This was the end of the B High School voyeur incident. However, something Tae-hyuk hadn't imagined occurred at this moment.

"Kyaaaaak!"

A female screamed from the place that the voyeur was running to.

"W-who? Aren't all the students in the main building?"

Students A, B, C and D who remained in the special activities building were hypothetical people created by Tae-hyuk. Did they suddenly pop out in reality?

"Wait a minute. This is the second time I've heard that voice… Ah, Hana sunbae!"

Tae-hyuk realized that he had forgotten about her.

Lee Hana went to France after graduating. Due to that, she could live a leisurely life without attending the self-study at night.

'If I have time then I will come back to teach my cute junior.'

She had obviously said that.

Tae-hyuk ran forward with a sick expression. Lee Hana was in danger.The situation had gone seriously sideways.

The voyeur saw that a witness had suddenly appeared and pulled out a weapon.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a suit, and gave off a meek and intelligent atmosphere. Such a person was a voyeur…

To Tae-hyuk, he was a stranger; however, Lee Hana might know who he was.

Lee Hana alternated her gaze between the criminal and Tae-hyuk with a pale face.

The voyeur asked in a trembling voice.

"I-I-I, right now, chased by police, stay quiet, don't get hurt, hostage."

Lee Hana closed her mouth and nodded.

Tae-hyuk gritted his teeth. This situation was even more dangerous. He didn't know when the confused opponent would use his weapon against Lee Hana.

The rabbit was cornered.

'Damn. It is entirely my responsibility if Sunbae gets hurt!'

Tae-hyuk released the Voice Modulation skill.

Then he approached the two people.

"Ajusshi. Don't get excited and listen to me."

"W-Who are you?"

"A student just passing by."

"G-Go away!"

"You have a lot of camera equipment, so I can tell what your hobby is. According to Article 14 of the Special Sexual Violence Law, a person who uses a camera or other similar methods to film an unaware person's body for their own sexual desires is liable for imprisonment up to five years, or a fine of up to 10 million won."

"You!"

"However, the punishment is double that if you threaten or injure a person with a weapon. So, why don't you have a conversation with me?"

"I-I know! Fuck! I'm going to kill both of you! No one will know if I run away after killing you!"

The voyeur had now turned into a murderer with a weapon.

However, the blade was now aimed at Seo Tae-hyuk instead of Lee Hana.

'Thus far, it is as planned.'

Plan A to catch the voyeur had failed. Plan B still remained.

Tae-hyuk slowly reached out to his opponent and said.

"Really? Then…"

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Chapter 29: Power Deployment #6

"I-I will kill both of you!"

Tae-hyuk didn't shrink back an inch, despite there being a blade in front of his eyes.

"Try stabbing once. Have you ever killed anyone?"

Tae-hyuk laughed.

A strange madness could be felt in his laughter.

The voyeur was overwhelmed and screamed.

"Aaaagh!"

"Use your fingertips to feel the other person's heartbeat and the feeling of it slowly disappearing. Realize the feeling of taking someone's life. Determination is needed to murder someone."

Murder. It was the best and the worst crime.

Tae-hyuk had the memory of spending 10 years in a prison with the worst criminals in the country. He had met with dozens of murderers.

Therefore, Tae-hyuk was able to know that the voyeur absolutely wasn't a killer. He was merely an accidental murderer.

Could he really kill anyone from now on though? He could never swing the knife.

Tae-hyuk took a step closer.

"You aren't a murderer, so don't hold a knife!"

"Aaaaack!"

The voyeur stepped back and his feet stepped on thin air.

It was a clear corridor. However, it wasn't really a corridor.

Flutter-

The paper hanging from the ceiling collapsed, as it couldn't withstand the weight of a human. As it fell, a hidden staircase was revealed.

Tae-hyuk had hung a painting of a corridor right before a staircase.

"Kuaaaaak!"

The voyeur rolled down the staircase, collapsing on the ground as he lost consciousness.

"I would like it very much if you go to prison."

Tae-hyuk recovered the painting he installed.

The place where the opponent fell was the plan B that he had prepared. Thus, he put the operation, the one that he thought of ahead of time, into motion and succeeded perfectly.

Tae-hyuk rubbed his cheeks with his hands as he felt his sweat flooding down the side of his face. He inwardly sighed with relief.

'I'm glad I didn't have to use plan C.'

It was to use Robbery to steal the opponent's weapon. Unlike his other plans, that one had a high possibility of a struggle. It was the one last bastion of self defence.

Tae-hyuk reached out to Lee Hana who was sitting down with a blank expression.

She blinked a few times and regained her spirit as she held Tae-hyuk's hand.

"… Did you draw this?"

She was looking at the fake corridor that Tae-hyuk drew.

Tae-hyuk laughed.

She was definitely an artist. She was more interested in the painting than the fact that the voyeur was caught.

"I still have a long way to go. If you look more closely, then you will find out that it is fake. What does Hana sunbae think?"

"Uhahat… Yes. It is really clumsy. However, I was still completely tricked. That, the voyeur… He was our school's assistant principal. He threw himself on the stairs. It is really perfect."

Hah! A man like that was doing such dirty things…

"Ah, it is a relief. Even Hana sunbae was deceived."

Hana reached out to the voyeur who had lost consciousness.

"In fact, at first I thought he was going to kill you. Then, you got him to talk. I didn't know that he would be so frightened. Yes, yes. I have to praise you."

"Ahaha… He fell before I could stop him."

Hana smiled brightly, as if she hadn't just been threatened with a knife.

"I sympathize with you. It is like when I have bad luck in front of handsome boys… Ahu!"

"A voyeur who knows the structure of this school… If this fact is known, then the media would be noisy."

"Ahaha… this school will become famous."

"It will just become notorious."

"Well… If fact, I think there is one more case of mistaken identity."

Tae-hyuk said to Lee Hana. "You are mistaken."

"I thought of you as an aspiring artist. But you're not, are you?"Tae-hyuk didn't answer Lee Hana's question.

But she reached an answer anyway.

"You are a forgery specialist."

Tae-hyuk laughed. He realized that he couldn't deceive her when it came to art.

"Aiyah, this person is still alive."

Tae-hyuk checked the status of the voyeur who had fallen down the stairs. Despite losing consciousness, he was fine.

"Hana sunbae. I have a request. Please don't tell my story to the police, and just say that the voyeur got excited and fell down the stairs."

"Yes."

Lee Hana easily nodded without asking why.

"It is like talking about a painting."

"Yes."

The artist and forger understood each other.

[You have tricked the opponent with a perfect imitation of reality.]

[The proficiency of the Forgery skill is now 99 points.]

[The proficiency can't rise anymore.]

Tae-hyuk returned to the art room and erased his tracks.

Lee Hana called the police. They would soon come and find the trail of the voyeur. Before that, Tae-hyuk got rid of any evidence that revealed that he had been here.

Then he looked at the message on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

'The skill proficiency is 99 points!'

There was only one step left before he perfectly mastered the Forgery skill.

'Now painting won't increase the proficiency anymore.'

Tae-hyuk only needed to complete the last step now.

He already guessed how. He needed to deceive the original owner of the Forgery skill, Big Mama. After doing so, he would take back the Rosario that she had. He would be able to achieve his desired objectives.

"… Then, what are you going to do now?"

"The uninvited person has to disappear."

Lee Hana, who was sitting on the desk of the art room, laughed.

"Indeed, you're not a student of this school. I looked up the list of all students and there weren't any transfer students on there."

"I think that you are quite sharp."

Lee Hana swung her legs, her ankle moving in the moonlight.

"Are you leaving now?"

"I got what I wanted faster than I thought. It was literally the best use of my abilities."

"Uhahat! By the way, what is your name? Can you at least give me your real name?"

Tae-hyuk thought about it for a brief moment. It had been less than a week, but he had learned a lot from Lee Hana. She was his mentor in the 'Forgery' skill.

"… Seo Tae-hyuk."

Lee Hana reached out.

"It is nice to meet you, Seo Tae-hyuk. Alas, good-bye as well. I enjoyed our nightly meetings."

They exchanged their first greetings and goodbye at the same time.

Lee Hana finished her greeting and jumped down from the desk.

"Once again, thank you for everything Sunbae."

The police sirens were heard from outside the window.

It was time to disappear.Tae-hyuk looked at the Trail of the Sunset in front of his eyes.

Of course, it was a fake. It was a painting that didn't exist in this world.

Big Mama had been looking for this painting for over a decade. She jumped into the world of imitation art and presented countless forgeries to the world, becoming the crime syndicate representing South Korea. In the end, after 10 years, Big Mama discovered the disastrous truth. The Trail of the Sunset had been burned.

That was the last piece of information that Tae-hyuk had on Big Mama. It was indeed an empty feeling.

Tae-hyuk knocked on the door of Big Mama's store with a complicated expression on his face.

"Omo, Tae-hyuk came. You are a little late today."

Big Mama was still busy working.

Tae-hyuk placed the covered painting he brought in front of Big Mama.

"What is this?"

"Mama, no. I will speak bluntly to Big Mama. Make a deal with me."

Big Mama's eyes widened. It was a face that showed she knew nothing. However, Tae-hyuk knew that this was a trick.

"Kim Sang-hyun stole Rosario. Big Mama has it?"

"Yes. But this must mean that you have something to replace it."

"Of course."

Big Mama's eyes narrowed. It was faster than she thought.

She used Tae-hyuk to get rid of Kim Sang-hyun. He had hidden many things during their transactions, so she deliberately gave out some faulty information. She didn't know what method Tae-hyuk used, but he got rid of Kim Sang-hyun.

This opponent wasn't an ordinary kid. Big Mama had planned to take advantage of Tae-hyuk as her assistant. She planned for him to stay for a year so she could watch his condition. Anyway, he had his own things that she wanted from him. He wouldn't escape from her hands just yet.

That was what she had thought.

Tae-hyuk pulled off the cloth and showed Big Mama the painting.

"T-This…!"

Big Mama's eyes showed astonishment.

She had been looking for it for several years.

"… The Trail of the Sunset."

Big Mama started to check if the painting was authentic. However, no matter how much she looked, it was genuine.

"Where on earth did you find this? Huh?"

Tae-hyuk said.

"Did you hear about how Yoo Cheol-ho was caught a while ago?"

"It is a famous story, so I can't not know it."

"He was actually caught through a tip that I gave.""Thus, I received his bounty. However, the prosecution wasn't the only one to give the bounty – the Sungjin Group gave one as well. The daughter of the vice president was one of Yoo Cheol-ho's victims. Therefore, I went to see them to get the bounty."

"… You have been there. Then, how did you get this?"

"Isn't it natural to bring a stolen item to a stolen goods broker?"

It meant that this was stolen.

"Ahaha! Tae-hyuk is right."

She was a stolen goods broker. She bought stolen goods at a reasonable price.

"So, how much will you buy it for?"

Big Mama was confused.

"… I thought you brought it to make a deal for Rosario."

"Aish, surely not. Isn't this worth at least two billion?"

"Stolen goods can't receive their original price. It will only amount to around 10% of its market price."

"Wow, that is quite a massive profit."

"Then Rosario?"

Tae-hyuk spoke naturally.

"I will take it as a down payment."

He would receive money and the Rosario.

Big Mama laughed pleasantly.

"Ohoho! As expected, my eyes regarding people aren't wrong. You will definitely be a big shot."

"Thank you. Anyway… So what will it be?"

"… Rosario and 100 million."

"Wah, you will give me Rosario and 100 million? Big Mama is incredible."

"Well, I am also a storekeeper."

Tae-hyuk laughed.

This was a satisfactory deal. In fact, the price he had in mind was around 50 million won.

The Trail of the Sunset didn't even exist in this world. But in the future, his fake would become the new genuine product.

A fake becoming real. It was the final gateway to mastering the Forgery skill.

"Then, will you make the deal?"

"Well. No matter how I think about it, I am losing profit. I will be satisfied with this."

"Hahah… Is Big Mama really damaged by this?"

All of a sudden, Big Mama dragged Tae-hyuk into an embrace. A rich fragrance wafted out from her body as it became dark.

"Didn't you fall in love with me at first glance? Let me answer you."

"Oof! Ooof!"

Big Mama hugged Tae-hyuk harder. Tae-hyuk struggled for breath as his face was buried in her chest.

It was a happy moment.

"This little guy! You are still 10 years too early!"

Big Mama finally freed Tae-hyuk, who was gasping for air.

"… Pant pant. I thought I was going to die."

His face was completely red.

"Then wait a few days for the money. I will give Rosario to you straight away."

"… By the way, Big Mama. Can I ask one thing?"

"What?"

"The quote for the painting was clearly two billion. 10% of that is 200 million. Perhaps… Is the hug you gave worth 100 million?"

"Omo. It isn't that cheap. Don't you think this is enough? Didn't you even touch my chest?"

"…O-Okay."

Tae-hyuk was at a loss for words. Indeed, she was a scary woman.

Big Mama pulled out Rosario from a deep place and gave it to Tae-hyuk.

"So, this is the down payment."

"I will receive it well."

"Then, I will prepare the money."

"Yes."

The deal was established.

The fake Trail of the Sunset became authentic.

A message flashed on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

[Crime Skill: Forgery has been acquired.]

-You can create one item after the analysis has finished.

-The quality of the finished object depends on your dexterity stat.

-You are able to devote your mind to the artwork under the influence of the skill.

He finally got Forgery!

The temporary skills window was now free. He could get a new skill.

'X-ray Vision! Something like X-ray Vision. X-ray Vision.'

Tae-hyuk grinned.

"I will be back in a few days, so I will be going now."

"Wait a minute."

Big Mama stopped Tae-hyuk from leaving. Then she told him one thing.

"I guess the hug isn't enough. There is a man who is after you."

"… After me?'

"Yes. I have a picture."

"I am grateful."

She didn't just describe the person, but showed him a picture.

"Here."

Big Mama extended a small picture.

Tae-hyuk's face stiffened the moment he saw it.

"Do you know this person?"

"… I know."

A man in his early 40s was drawn.

Tae-hyuk never forgot that face. It was natural.

His name was 'Park Jung-hwan.' Tae-hyuk was sentenced to death because he was accused of killing him.

'… Crazy. Why is Park Jung-hwan going after me? What the hell is this?!'

He didn't express it because Big Mama was watching.

However, Tae-hyuk was inwardly screaming.

The smell of a conspiracy.

"Then, I will go now."

"If you ever need a background check, then please ask Mama. Of course, it isn't for free."

Maybe this wouldn't be the end of his relationship with Big Mama.

It was his hunch.Tae-hyuk returned home and gave Rosario to his sister.

"….T-Tae-hyuk. How did you get this?"

"Noona. I am Seo Tae-hyuk. Noona's little brother, Seo Tae-hyuk. Haha, that is a joke. Kang-suk hyung helped me."

"I-I see. Kang-suk?"

At that moment, he heard Kang-suk's score rising in Ha-ran's mind.

'Speaking of Kang-suk hyung. He seems busy these days. Did something happen?'

"Tae-hyuk!"

Ha-ran suddenly hugged Tae-hyuk.

'Ugh. Isn't today the second time that I ran out of air?'

Park Jung-hwan had been hiding in seclusion since a few years ago. But what the heck was he doing now? Was he not just a simple murder victim?

Tae-hyuk's head was filled with such thoughts.

"Oof! Oof!"

"Noona is worried about you every day. However, it is good to work hard. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"…Yes."

Tae-hyuk's eyes reddened after hearing that Ha-ran was worried about him.

Ha-ran held Rosario in her hand and said.

"The most important thing that Mother left isn't this Rosario."

Then she hugged Tae-hyuk even tighter.

"It is you and Tae-min."

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Chapter 30 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life

Seo Tae-hyuk was back!

The news of the two notorious people, who were disciplined due to the cheating incident, heated up the school.

Tae-hyuk had received a one month suspension, while Park Sung-kwang dropped out of school as a result of the suspension. Tae-yuk's one month suspension was now over.

The school was noisy as the students spread the story.

"In fact, did you know that Seo Tae-hyuk was caught in Park Sung-kwang's evil plots?"

"Ack! That is scary. How can I even go to school tomorrow…?"

"No, you are both wrong. Isn't that statement more believable when applied to the gangster Seo Tae-hyuk?"

"Ah, perhaps. I heard that he had an offer to join an organization after graduating…"

"A-A gangster?"

The rumours snowballed into something bigger and inconceivable.

The main party involved, Tae-hyuk, was in the library and not in the classroom. Tae-hyuk was impressed by An Eun-young's effort.

"Eun-young, really, thank you."

Dark circles could be seen behind An Eun-young's thick glasses. She had obviously spent the night trying to make this happen.

"I-It is nothing much… It is nothing."

"No. I wouldn't have been able to do this well without you."

Tae-hyuk now had 47 intelligence points, the result of focusing solely on studying after he regained Rosario from Big Mama. No matter how hard he had tried, it could still be said that this really was a period of rapid growth.

What would have happened if he hadn't met An Eun-young?

His intelligence had climbed even faster than it had in the beginning.

The retest was in two hours. In the meantime, he had to memorize many things in preparation of the test.

'In my most recent test, I had an average of 90 points. If I memorize all of the things that Class President brought up then…'

It might really be possible to get close to the first ranked in the school.

"… T-then. This is the last study session. Try your best! Fighting!"

An Eun-young cheered with a raised fist.

At that moment, she looked so cute that Tae-hyuk felt his heart pounding.

"Hmm hmm. Yes. Isn't it somewhat unsatisfactory that this is the last time? Then, please look after me well, Class President."

An Eun-young pouted.

"C-Call me Eun-young."

Tae-hyuk looked at her with a bemused expression.

"Oh, okay… E-Eun-young. Is this it?"

"Yes. Thank you. Then, let's get started."

The student sessions of Seo Tae-hyuk and An Eun-young were ending."Seo Tae-hyuk. Did you study a lot?"

The student supervisor asked with a strangely irritated tone. It seemed that he didn't like the fact that Park Sung-kwang dropped out while a problematic person remained. He got a bribe from Park Sung-kwang's parents based on his graduation results. One of his precious money sources had disappeared because of a gangster.

Therefore, there was hatred in the student advisor's eyes as he watched Tae-hyuk.

"I am a little busy. Just do it as usual."

"Cocky brat… Teacher Jung believes in you, but I am different. Frankly, it was hard to believe that you got that grade legitimately, so this retest is to make things certain. Do you have any objections?"

"If there are any doubts, then it has to become certain."

"Ah, right. You haven't received any lessons for a month. The test range is the same as the last test. I told the teachers to pay special attention, so I think this will be a very interesting test."

Inside the classroom, there was only the student advisor and Seo Tae-hyuk.

"I have decided to supervise all of your tests today. Do you know what will happen if I see your eyes looking around? Well, I don't think that someone who was first place in the school would do that. Hahahat!"

Tae-hyuk placed his pens on the desk and prepared for the test.

Then the student advisor approached with gleaming eyes.

"Let me take a look."

The student advisor confirmed that Tae-hyuk hadn't hidden any cheat sheets in his desk. In the end, he carefully looked at the pens and clicked his tongue. It was a complete criminal treatment.

"Sheesh. Then, the first one is Korean Language. The time limit is 50 minutes. If you write even one word after the time limit is up, then you will get a zero."

"Of course. Then I will start."

Tae-hyuk accepted the test paper with a very relaxed expression.

Rather, it was the student advisor who cared.

He had received a bribe from Park Sung-kwang's parents. It was a moderate sum. However, this fact was already noticed by Seo Tae-hyuk. He wanted to kick Seo Tae-hyuk out of school somehow.

In order to do that, everything hinged on this retest. The student advisor didn't know what method Seo Tae-hyuk would use to raise his grades. However, he wouldn't be able to do anything as long as he was monitored closely.

The student advisor laughed. In fact, this test was much more difficult than the last one. There were many traps, and the problems were completely different from the last test's. If he only got 80 points this time, then the student advisor would be able to transfer him to another school.

Tae-hyuk waited for the test with a bored face, like he didn't know what the student advisor was thinking.

"Then, let's start the test!"

The student advisor announced the start of the test.

Tae-hyuk once again admired An Eun-young's ability after seeing the test paper.

'Wah. Wasn't Class President right?'

An Eun-young predicted that this test would be a lot harder than the test a month ago.

It was the right answer.

The problems were at least a level greater in difficulty.

'Ah, don't I know this problem?'

However, almost all of them were already given out by An Eun-young. It seemed like he knew all of the problems.

'… As expected from the owner of the Studying skill.'

Tae-hyuk started to solve the problems.

It seemed as if he would be able to get a higher score than he thought.The tests were all finished.

The student advisor sat at his desk with a blank face.

"H-How did you do all of this?"

Skimming through the questions, he could see that most of the answers were correct.

The student advisor screamed.

"T-This test is invalid! Tell me! How the hell did you cheat?"

Tae-hyuk stretched his neck that had grown stiff from sitting around all day. Then he looked at the student advisor and sighed.

"You were looking at me the whole time while I was testing. I didn't cheat."

"T-This bastard!"

The agitated student advisor tried to hit Tae-hyuk with the baton that he was holding.

At that time, the firmly closed door opened and Teacher Jung Nam-ho entered.

"Seo Tae-hyuk! You better hope that you did well on the test! I came to score it."

Teacher Jung Nam-ho greeted Tae-hyuk and then looked at the student advisor.

"Student advisor-nim. You did a really good job. From now on, I will take care of the scoring."

The student advisor flopped down with a dumbfounded expression.

He repeatedly opened and closed his mouth.

"Wait a minute. Isn't it unfair with Seo Tae-hyuk in here?"

Tae-hyuk smiled at Jung Nam-ho.

"Then I will go out and wait."

"Yes!"

He left the classroom and saw An Eun-young waiting with an anxious expression.

She had done everything she could. The only thing left was to wait like this.

"T-Tae-hyuk… The test?"

Tae-hyuk made a 'V' sign with his fingers.

"Waaaaahhhhh!"

An Eun-young was as delighted, as if it were the fruits of her own labor.

Jjak!

The two people laughed and high-fived.The results of Seo Tae-hyuk's test were released to the whole school the very next day.

This meant that he attracted everyone's attention.

"T-That is ridiculous…!"

The people who saw Seo Tae-hyuk's results attached to the bulletin board were confused.

He had an average of 92 points, and had moved up to second ranked in the class. He was also seventh ranked in the school.

However, other students didn't realize that Tae-hyuk's test was more difficult than usual due to the student advisor.

Nevertheless, it really was an excellent grade.

The students at the front of the bulletin board left, and Seo Tae-hyuk and An Eun-young approached to check the score.

Tae-hyuk made a surprised expression.

An Eun-young spontaneous asked a question, as if she suddenly had a thought.

"If this test was at the same difficulty as the other one… what rank would you be?"

Tae-hyuk answered confidently.

"First."There was an uproar once it was announced that Seo Tae-hyuk was really a model student.

"Seo Tae-hyuk really was a good student…"

"Besides, to achieve a rank of seventh in the school…"

"Then Tae-hyuk is good at studying, and his face is also pretty good… Does he not have a girlfriend?"

"Hmm, he is only being friendly with An Eun-young. They aren't in a relationship."

"T-Then I can confess? Next year is our third year, so this winter is my last chance at love!"

The girls who stayed in the classroom talked and exclaimed joyfully.

In fact, there were quite a few people attracted to Tae-hyuk's poor appearance. However, their eyes didn't dare to actively gaze at him.

It turned out that while his appearance that looked villainous,he was actually good at studying? He was like the protagonist of a romance novel!

As soon as class ended, Seo Tae-hyuk headed home.

An Eun-young remained in the classroom due to her position of class president, and could hear the girls talking.

Seo Tae-hyuk's evaluation had changed. It was obviously a situation worthy of congratulations.

Then why was she in a bad mood?

An Eun-young remembered the treatment that Tae-hyuk had received up until yesterday. She was the only one who knew that he wasn't bad at all, unlike the rumours.

However, his test results were good, and this seemed to change his status.

She felt strangely lonely.

In the classroom, the girls were arguing about who was going to first make contact with Seo Tae-hyuk.

It was at that moment that An Eun-young rose from her seat. She walked over to the female students and said loudly.

"Don't be mistaken. Seo Tae-hyuk doesn't have time for a relationship with any of you, as he has decided to go to university with me."……!"

Everyone in the room fell silent at An Eun-young's declaration.

It sounded like a declaration of war saying that they shouldn't touch her property.The day that Tae-hyuk received the remaining balance from Big Mama.

Seo Tae-hyuk was dressed in a slightly different style than usual.

Today was the day that he had to go to school, something he hadn't done in a long time. Therefore, Tae-hyuk was still wearing his uniform.

"I have to go into the back alleys so…"

In the end, he decided to buy clothes from a store that mainly sold vintage styles.

He asked the clerk to give him a recommendation and changed in the store. Viewed separately, they weren't strange clothes.

However, Tae-hyuk's eyes shook as he saw his reflection in the mirror. He wore skinny jeans with a black leather jacket. Adding the shoes to the outfit really made him look like a biker.

"W-What the hell is this?"

However, he bought it at such a low price that he couldn't get a refund. In addition, it was style that fit in naturally with the back alleys.

"Uh, Hyung! Are you new?"

A bearded man in his thirties raised a hand in greeting as he passed.

"Ah, yes. I have some business with Mama."

"Haha, yes. You should work hard when young. Then, do your best."

The man seemed to mistake Tae-hyuk as a business partner.

Tae-hyuk sighed again.

Currently, he had four crime skills.

In addition, he became a model student with An Eun-young's help.

Would a new future unfold before him? One that was different from the past?

"There was a time I would think so…"

It was still too early to be relieved, as there were still too many problems that had to be addressed.

'First of all, Park Jung-hwan.'

He was a politician of the opposing party. The current president was pursuing a chaebol-oriented policy. Park Jung-hwan often showed strong criticism towards this, and received wide support from the younger generation.

Currently, he didn't have the right forces, but three years later, he reappeared like a comet, this time as part of the opposition. He was popular enough to be considered as one of the next presidential election candidates.

However, five years later. He was attacked by someone and found dead.

All of the media paid attention to the person who killed him. The one who killed Park Jung-hwan was a young man in his 20s.

Seo Tae-hyuk.

'My fingerprints were found at the crime scene. I was seen killing Park Jung-hwan on CCTV. There were also five more witnesses. Additionally, once Park Jung-hwan's murder weapon was found… Of course, there were only my fingerprints on it.'

Park Jung-hwan was a representative of the anti-chaebol union, and a hero for the people in their 20s and 30s. There were many people without numerous interests invested in the country who hated him.

However, it was a regular youth who killed him…

It was a really ironic situation. The entire country erupted.

Tae-hyuk recalled his memories of that time.

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Chapter 31 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #2

Tae-hyuk was going home after he finished his shift as a security personnel when someone struck him from behind with a metal pipe, rendering him unconscious. When he woke up, he was holding a bloody knife, and a bloody man, who had been stabbed dozens of times with a knife, was lying in front of him.

There was no time to escape before the police came and arrested him. At the time, Seo Tae-hyuk had a blood alcohol level of more than 0.1%. According to a witness's statement, the two were arguing when, all of a sudden, Tae-hyuk pulled out a weapon from somewhere and stabbed him.

Of course, Tae-hyuk didn't have any memory of this. He was trapped in prison with no time to grasp the situation. Everything was done in a quick manner, as if things had been prepared in advance.

For reference, there were two oddities in the case.

Firstly, why had Park Jung-hwan passed by that area without any guards? Secondly, why were five witnesses just watching the fight?

In the early days of Tae-hyuk's trial, some of the media outlets paid attention to these facts. However, it soon devolved into the process of turning Seo Tae-hyuk evil. They only focused on that, and he was treated like a sociopath.

At that time, Tae-hyuk was in prison. The media were unable to meet him and turned the arrow towards his family.

-What type of family could raise a son that would brutally kill someone that way?

-His parents passed away, and was raised by his older sister. Doesn't she feel even a little responsible for this?

-I heard that he was violent since he was a child. Did she happen to be hit by him or something?

A ruthless news coverage sprang up against Seo Tae-min and Seo Ha-ran.

It became known to the public that both of them were Seo Tae-hyuk's family members. Why did Seo Ha-ran and Seo Tae-min receive such treatment?

The 'thing' he met before receiving the death penalty said that Seo Ha-ran was fired from her job. However, would that really have been the end of it? What else had happened?

Tae-hyuk felt horrible just imagining it.

"Huu…"

Tae-hyuk took deep breaths to calm himself down.

It hadn't happened yet, and he had to make sure it didn't happen in the future. First of all, he needed information on Park Jung-hwan. In order to do that, Big Mama's cooperation was needed.

Tae-hyuk opened the door to Big Mama's pawn shop and went inside.

"Omo, Tae-hyuk came. Hung ~ those clothes fit you well."

Big Mama laughed and praised Tae-hyuk's new outfit.

"Hello. I came to receive the rest of the payment."

"Of course, I have prepared it."

Big Mama smiled and pulled a box of vitamin drinks out of her safe.

"I feel like it's a crime to give you money in this box. It used to be that money was given an apple box, but this is what everyone is doing these days. One box contains 50 million won."

"Well, then I'll check it right away."

Tae-hyuk decided to open the box to check the amount.

Big Mama was a criminal who dealt with information and stolen goods. If she deceived someone regarding money then it would be a blow to her credibility. However, it would be good to make sure.

The box contained 10 bottles of vitamin drinks. It was exactly as written on the outside of the box. Tae-hyuk cried out angrily.

"It is supposed to be Shin Saimdang! Shin Saimdang! Don't be jealous just because she looks younger than you!" (Shin Saimdang: the first woman to appear on a Korean banknote, the 50,000 won note)

"Ohoho! It's a joke, a gift. This is the real one."

Big Mama pulled out two different boxes. This time, it really did contain a lot of money. Tae-hyuk carefully checked if the amount was correct. There were 20 bundles of 100 sheets, making an exact 100 million.

Now it was time to cut to the chase.

"By the way, is Big Mama in the information business?"

"How did you know? In fact, it is a new business that I started. By the way… the name Big Mama doesn't hold the dignity I'm looking for. In the future, I might change it to something else."

"… I can't think of you as anything but Big Mama."

"Ahaha. Anyway, what did you want to know? The three sizes of your favourite girl?"

Although he was a bit curious, he wouldn't spend money just to know such a thing.

"I want to find out everything about Park Jung-hwan."

"I figured you would ask that. By the way, my information is a bit expensive, so will it be okay?"

Tae-hyuk gazed at the box in front of him without saying anything.

"Pay a deposit of one million first. The investigation period is 10 days, and if I'm successful then pay me another two million."

"Sorry, I didn't quite hear that?"

"This time it isn't a joke."

"E-Expensive!"

It was more than three times the price of other pieces of information. She was probably trying to take as much as she could because he currently had a lot of money.

Big Mama said with a soft smile.

"Politicians on the front lines have a rating above A grade. Furthermore, he is currently in retirement. This is a reasonable price."

"Kuheom! Yes, I understand. Instead, please make sure that the information is accurate."

"I will zoom in so close that I will know if he holds on to his buddy with his left hand or right hand when he pees."

While Tae-hyuk didn't want to know anything like that, he didn't want to miss any little clues.

"Then we have a deal."

"Thank you for using my services."

Big Mama called out to Tae-hyuk as he was leaving.

"Oh, right. Tell me if you ever want to come back to work. You are always welcome."

"How much will you pay me?"

"Hmm, 6,500 won an hour?"

Tae-hyuk laughed bitterly.

It was a little better than the minimum wage, but there were many things that he wanted to learn from her.

'Anyway, I have no choice but to wait.'

He would use Big Mama's power as much as possible.

For Tae-hyuk, who only had four skills, this was the best way.Tae-hyuk handed his report card to Ha-ran with a serious expression. He was second in the class, and seventh in the school.

Ha-ran asked after seeing it.

"Is this Tae-min's?"

"No, it's mine."

Ha-ran started to scrutinize his report card with a confused expression.

She screamed.

Seo Tae-hyuk's name was definitely written on it.

"Omo! Omo!"

Ha-ran reflexively stroked Tae-hyuk's head and said.

"What did Noona say? I knew you could do it! Really well done!"

Ha-ran's amazement didn't end there.

"By the way, Noona. I have one thing to ask so please answer with the truth."

"H-huh?"

"Noona isn't stupid. In fact, aren't you good at studying? It is enough to go to the university that you wanted.""I saw the acceptance letter that Noona hid during the voice phishing case."

"T-That, I was just lucky…"

"No. Just tell me the truth. Noona had to give up on your dream because of Tae-min and me."

"… Yes. Sorry."

"Why are you sorry Noona? I'm the one who should be saying sorry!"

"Tae-hyuk doesn't need to be sorry! I just did what I needed to do… So… Waaaah!"

Ha-ran suddenly started to cry.

Tae-hyuk gently stroked his sister's back and gave her some tissue.

"Well, you did what you had to do, Noona. Please stop working at the factory now and prepare your luck. And… let's take the university entrance exam together next year."

Ha-ran gazed at Tae-hyuk with red eyes.

"… Huh? T-The living expenses…"

"I will do it somehow. The school registration fees as well."

"T-That will cost a lot of money…"

The living expenses for a family of three and the school admission fees. If he included the university tuition, it was a lot of money.

"I have a lot of money right now."

"Haven't you spent all the bounty money?"

In fact, he had saved quite a bit of that money.

He felt remorse for a moment, but that wasn't what mattered right now.

"Not long ago, I met with the vice president of the Jinsung Group in private. He took me around his house, and in his house, there was a painting that I liked so much that he gave it to me as a gift. In fact, it was actually a very expensive painting."

"R-Receiving such an expensive gift! Give it back right now!"

"Well. In fact…"

Tae-hyuk showed her the box filled with money.

"I've already sold it."Ha-ran held a hand to her head, as if she was dizzy.

The box was filled with 50,000 won bills. The total seemed to be in the tens of millions. It was the first time she had seen such a large amount of money.

"Isn't this enough to live for a few years?"

Ha-ran said quietly.

"Go now and return the money."

Tae-hyuk was at a loss for words. He knew that Ha-ran was overflowing with goodness but he hadn't expected this.

Should he have thought of another excuse? Something like a passerby saving him. They gave him the lotto number or something like that.

But the water had already been spilled.

"Well, 50 million won may be a big amount of money for us, but is it really such a big deal for those who already have a lot of money? Thus, he gave me this as a gift. Moreover, I don't think it is polite to return something received as a gift."

In that case, Tae-hyuk would become a villain.

He first had to convince Ha-ran.

Tae-hyuk spoke smoothly.

"When I think about the personality of the person who gave it to me, I think we should use it. Study hard and go to a good university."

"… Certainly, it is rude to return a gift."

"That's right. Can't we use this money? Let's study hard and go to university together."

Tae-hyuk patted Ha-ran's shoulder.

"Well, Noona should put this in your treasure chest. That is the safest place."

"Yes, I understand."

"So, let's go to a private cram school this Saturday. A friend of mine gave me the information, and she recommended the best cram school."

"A friend? Is it a man?"

"No, it is a woman."At that moment, Ha-ran looked at Tae-hyuk with a shocked face. The kid who had followed her around finally grew up.

"Write the resignation letter immediately. From now on, Noona is a student."

Ha-ran's expression brightened the moment she heard those words. They were her dream words.

"Uh, yes. I understand. Tae-hyuk… Really, thank you…"

Tae-hyuk sighed with relief. Now, it would really start.

It would be different from his previous life, where everyone was unhappy. Ha-ran and Tae-min too. Everybody would be able to achieve what they wanted. It was his only reward for those who believed in him until the end.

Tae-hyuk muttered under his breath, as if he was making a promise.

"I'm going to slowly change it. The future… no, my destiny!"Everything seemed like a dream to Ha-ran. She was several times happier this time, compared to the time when they had just moved into the new house.

Abandoned… No, she could achieve her dream that she had given up on.

Her brother, who she thought was a troublemaker, had reached the seventh rank in the school, and told her to go to university together.

She was so happy that she couldn't help but cry.

Besides…

She didn't have to look at the face of the manager who harassed her anymore.What would he look like when she resigned tomorrow?

She expected that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep. Ha-ran pinched herself to check if it wasn't a dream.

"Ah! …It is real!"

She pulled out the treasure chest and checked the box that Tae-hyuk gave her. There really was 50 million won.

At that moment, Ha-ran became uneasy.

Tae-hyuk said that keeping it here was the safest place. However, a thief entered the house and had taken Rosario just a few days ago. Although it was recovered, the incident had left a big scar on Ha-ran's mentality.

As the head of the family, she had the responsibility to protect everyone, and she couldn't do that. If this money was stolen…

Ha-ran was worried, and prepared countermeasures in her own way.

"Ah, yes! This is it!"

Ha-ran smiled happily.

This money was necessary for her family's dreams and happiness.

She had to protect it somehow. To do that, she was prepared to do anything.

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Chapter 32 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #3

Lessons were over. Tae-hyuk stayed in the classroom with An Eun-young.

"Give me some recommendations for cram schools."

An Eun-young was confused by Tae-hyuk's question.

"Cram schools?"

"Noona got a job straight after high school, and this time she wants to sit the university entrance exam again."

There was less than a month until this year's university entrance exam, so it was impossible to start preparing for it now.

"When are you going to take the exam?"

"Next year."

"What university is she aiming for? What is its current rating? Liberal arts? Science?"

An Eun-young's specialty came out as she started firing off specific questions. Tae-hyuk scratched his head and replied to the questions that he knew the answer to.

"I don't care as long as it isn't expensive. She hasn't studied for several years, so I want her to learn from the basics.

"Yes…"

An Eun-young looked at various cram schools with her phone and checked them thoroughly. In the end, she showed him the homepage of the best place.

"Then this one should be the best. The teachers are okay and the pass rate is also the highest."

"I see."

Tae-hyuk checked how much the school expenses were.

700,000 won a month. Including food expenses and transportation costs, it would be one million a month. There was one year left, so Ha-ran's tuition fee would be 12 million won. However, this wasn't the end.

"The costs of the textbooks and special lectures… It all costs almost two million."

It was more than 25 million won combined for both of them.

An Eun-young spoke while Tae-hyuk was looking at the school expenses page.

"I-I looked for the cheapest place possible. The boarding cram schools are three million won a month."

Tae-hyuk sighed.

This was a world of money.

'I wish I had a surplus of funds… Are there any more bounties?'

Unfortunately, there were no more big jackpots until next year.

Tae-hyuk muttered as if he were making a promise.

"I will cling to all of them."

An Eun-young made a fighting posture.

"Tae-hyuk, you can do it!"

"Yes. The three of us should pass next year."

"Uh, yes… T-three…"

An Eun-young looked strangely disappointed.

"In addition, there are the interviews and essays… It isn't just the exam?"

"T-That…"

An Eun-young lecture on university admissions began and Tae-hyuk wrote everything down in his notebook. This would be useful to Tae-min, who would sit his university entrance exam in a few years.

Brr!

All of a sudden, there was a vibration from his pocket.

'Did my stats rise or something?'

Tae-hyuk pulled out the Demon Revealing Mirror, showing nothing on the screen.

An Eun-young giggled from where she was watching.

"You mistook your phone with the mirror."

"Ah, phone…"

He forgot, because most of his notifications came from the Demon Revealing Mirror. Tae-hyuk pulled out the phone from deep within his pocket and checked the contents of the notification. It was a text message from someone.

-Tae-hyuk I

The message cut off there. He checked and saw that it came from Seo Ha-ran's phone.

"Eun-young, I'm sorry but I have to leave early. I have an urgent matter so I'll be going first.

"H-huh?"

Tae-hyuk grabbed the jacket hanging on his chair and ran out. The contents of the message had been omitted, but he could tell.

'Something big has happened!'

The situation was so urgent that she couldn't even send a message properly.

Tae-hyuk called a taxi in order to get home even one minute faster.

'Noona, please be safe…'

Tae-hyuk worried as he rode in the taxi.

'Why isn't Kang-suk hyung picking up his phone?!'

He must be in a meeting where he needed to turn it off. It had been a while since Tae-hyuk saw Kang-suk's face.

Tae-hyuk made a strong fist. He couldn't expect any help from Kang-suk, so he had to get through this with his own strength.

This was the second time that something unforeseen had happened. Knowing the future wasn't enough, as taking different actions produced different results.

After the Rosario incident, Tae-hyuk had searched for related books in the library. He learnt of the phenomenon called the 'Time Leap'. The Time Leap said that he didn't return to the past with his memories. Instead, an infinite number of parallel words existed, and he obtained the memories of one of those worlds.

Of course, it was just a hypothesis, albeit a convincing one. The book was thick enough to be used as a pillow, but he came to one conclusion. The future wasn't fixed, it was constantly changing. Someday, Tae-hyuk's future knowledge would lose its power. Before that, he needed to learn as many crime skills as possible, since it was his second weapon.

'Pull yourself together Tae-hyuk. You are walking a tightrope right now.'

Tae-hyuk arrived at the road near his house and handed the driver a 10,000 won bill. There was no time to get the change.

'Please make it in time!'

Tae-hyuk jumped out and ran home.

Fortunately, his sister was at home; however, she wasn't alone.

"Seo Ha-ran ~ You didn't pay back our money, and yet you moved to such a good place?"A large number of men were surrounding Ha-ran. They were neatly dressed in suits, but the atmosphere was terrifying.

"If you borrowed money from us, then you should pay it back! Isn't that right? Kids."

"That's right, Hyung-nim!"

The man called 'Hyung-nim' seemed to be in his mid-30s. Every time he laughed, a gold tooth quickly flashed as it reflected the bright sunlight.

The leader of the group extended a hand as he noticed Tae-hyuk entering.

"Aigoo. Who is this? Seo Tae-min?"

"It is Tae-hyuk, Hyung-nim."

"Uh, yes. Tae-hyuk! Come come. The head of the house has come, so let's talk business."

Tae-hyuk suppressed his anger and spoke.

"What are you doing in someone else's house? I'll call the police."

They knew his name.

Creditors?

Based on Tae-hyuk's memories, they never came to his house.

"Aigoo! Sir! We aren't bad people. It's just us. We work with unions and are following all of the laws. Do you want to see our business card?"

The man pulled a business card from his wallet.

"… SY Capital. You are Han Sang-won."

"That's right. We have come to receive the debt, all according to legitimate procedures."

Tae-hyuk stared at Ha-ran, who was shaking with a pale face, from amongst the men. She was biting her lips so hard that blood started to emerge.

This was a legitimate procedure? More than 10 men surrounding a woman was legitimate? Tae-hyuk looked at the baseball bats and iron pipes placed neatly in the corner as threats. The group didn't carry them, but they were willing to use it at any time.

Tae-hyuk said towards Ha-ran.

"Noona, don't worry. I won't let even one of them touch you."

"Aigoo ~ Sir! You have a strange misconception. We just came to reclaim the debt! Is there any need to touch her if we receive the money?"

"… What type of debt are you here to take?"

"There is a guarantor debt in Seo Ha-ran's name… with the interest, it is approximately 300 million."

"There was a clear exemption."

Their parents had passed away in an accident, leaving behind a huge debt. They were able to solve it by giving up the inheritance. The problem was that the debt was in Ha-ran's name. She couldn't do it, so the last resort was applying for personal bankruptcy. It was a debt that their family had barely escaped from.

Why had it shown up again?

Han Sang-won extended an envelope.

"This…"

"Read it. This is an order of payment from the courts."

Tae-hyuk examined the documents. Han Sang-won's words were real. Han Sang-won smiled at him.

"Even if there was an exemption, if a claim is made, then the debt will become valid again."

At that moment, Tae-hyuk realized what Han Sang-won was doing.

It was a type of illegal collection act that indiscriminately purchased dead debts at a cheap price and used lawsuits to activate them again. If the person couldn't pay, then they would have to register for bankruptcy. Of course, there were no prohibitions or penalties, as it was a legitimate business. If someone was hit by this, then they would become a slave, paying off the debt for life due to the huge interest.

Han Sang-won waved Ha-ran's bankbook.

"At any rate, I had forgotten about it. Then not long ago, you bought this house, so I hurried to file a lawsuit to get an order of payment."

The house…?

Tae-hyuk instantly realized why this had happened.

'They found out about the house and came sniffing around…'

Creditors could view the property details of those who owed them money. In the end, money brought the hyenas around.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip and glanced at Ha-ran. Her face looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. However, her desire to protect the money at all costs was seen in her eyes.

"At any rate, tell me your password and nobody will get hurt. Yes? How long has it been? I couldn't even eat lunch. The account name is Cho Kang-suk? I didn't expect you to keep this money in a bank account under someone else's name. Do you want to be kicked out of the house in this cold winter? First of all, I'll just take this money. I am a very merciful person. Haha!"

'Cho Kang-suk?'

Ha-ran had deposited money into a bankbook in Kang-suk's name. It was her own idea. If they found the cash, then they would have just taken it. However it was harder with a bankbook that had a password.

Wooduk!

Tae-hyuk grinded his teeth together.

These guys hadn't just come. They had been here for at least half a day. Han Sang-won had the bankbook and seal in his hands, which were clearly taken from Ha-ran. However, she didn't tell them the password until the end.

They didn't touch Ha-ran directly. However, Ha-ran's expression made it obvious that they had threatened her. How had she felt when she was surrounded by 10 men?

Ha-ran had bravely fought alone. In order to protect the precious money necessary for the family's dreams…

Tae-hyuk wanted to kill these people right now. But first, he had to secure Ha-ran's safety.

"… The password is Public Employment."

"Hahaha! As expected from a friend! Hey kids, let's go. Pack up your tools."

The henchmen chuckled and started to pick up the equipment they brought.

"Sir! We have just received 50 million won! Although, don't you know that there is still 250 million won left? See you next time. Hahahaha!"

Han Sang-won and his henchmen were gone in an instant.

Ha-ran's shoulders shook.

"T-Tae-hyuk… S-sorry.. Noona is a fool… Huaaang!"

In the end, Ha-ran burst into tears. They were the desperate tears that she had tried to keep from falling.

Tae-hyuk bit his lip.

"… I will make them pay for every tear that fell from Noona's eyes."

Tae-hyuk gazed coldly at Han Sang-won's business card.

'SY Capital…!'

Seo Ha-ran had fought against them to the end.

Now it was Tae-hyuk's turn to fight.

"Noona. Don't worry. I'll get it back tenfold."

Tae-hyuk stood up.

He would put everything he had into destroying them.

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