Chapter 85 – Heavenly Demon’s Disciple (7)
The effects of signing the manager contract became obvious the very next day.
At the Taekwondo gym where we were scheduled to meet—
People who had nothing to do with the event were crowding in, making things noisy before we even started.
“Who are you people?!”
“You are not allowed to film.”
“Says who?!”
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo does not wish to be recorded. If you attempt to film anyway, you may face legal consequences—”
“And why are you deciding that?!”
The self-proclaimed genius shaman Yoo Il-am, along with his disciple holding a camera,
Were blocked at the entrance by men in black suits and unable to enter.
“Moon-soo!”
“……”
“Hey! Don’t ignore an adult when he’s talking to you!”
“……”
Following Jeon Ji-eun’s advice, I ignored him completely.
If I responded even once, he could cut the footage cleverly and edit it to make it look like I accepted being his “disciple.”
Modern editing techniques were terrifyingly good.
Beep-beep—
“Please place the hidden camera in your pocket on the table before entering.”
“What the hell is wrong with these guys?!”
He was furious.
His last trick—another secret camera—had been detected by the device brought by Ji-eun’s family.
Amazing.
What amazed me most was how Yoo Il-am, who’d always strutted around school like he owned the place,
Couldn’t do anything now that he was up against a support team he never expected.
Just watching him panic made my contract feel worthwhile.
“How is it?”
“I love it.”
I answered Ji-eun honestly.
Though… it did feel a little excessive.
“……”
“……”
Behind us, a line of bodyguards in black suits stood at attention.
The pressure they gave off was intense.
I could now understand just how powerful the family I signed with really was.
The downside…
“Moon-soo?”
Coach Jang Seo-yeon stood there with her arms crossed, staring at me with a very uncomfortable expression.
I had contacted her after the contract—
I did contact her, but…
“I’m sorry, Coach!”
I bowed at a perfect 90 degrees.
“I told you before—don’t report things after causing trouble…”
“I’m sorry!”
“…I’m not planning to scold you this time since it’s related to your main job, But big decisions like this—talk to me first.”
“Of course!”
“At this rate, I feel like I’m going to receive a wedding invitation in the middle of the night.”
Coach Jang shot a quick glance at Jeon Ji-eun.
“That would never happen.”
“Can I believe that?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Ji-eun stepped forward.
“Coach Jang Seo-yeon. Sorry to interrupt, but as his manager, I need to clarify something. Marriage is a private matter for the athlete. There is no obligation to report it to you or seek your approval.”
“My, my—Manager dear, you’re naïve. Do you know how many young, energetic athletes ended up causing trouble by getting someone pregnant?”
“Kang Moon-soo is a man.”
“And it’s still ethically problematic if he makes an unmarried woman pregnant.”
“…It seems our duties may overlap in certain areas.”
“Indeed. Looks like we’ll need to coordinate things privately later, don’t you think?”
“Yes. If you set the time and place, Coach, I’ll adjust to your schedule.”
“Oh my! Are you being considerate?”
“Of course. I’m the outsider here.”
Zzzzt—
A strange tension crackled between the two women.
…Is this okay? This is probably my fault for chasing ‘free stuff’ without thinking…
I should treat Coach Jang Seo-yeon to a meal later to apologize.
Nothing in the world was free.
***
“Beat that cocky jerk for sure!”
“Yoon-kyung! We’re counting on you!”
“Good luck, Go Yoon-kyung sunbae~!”
On the opposite side of the gym—
Men and women in white Taekwondo uniforms gathered in a loud cluster.
And at the front—
“Il-chung oppa. Don’t forget your promise to buy me a luxury bag after the match.”
“Of course!”
“If you win, you buy me two.”
“What?! That wasn’t—”
“Two. If you don’t want to, quit right now.”
“N-No! I’ll buy them! Obviously!”
Yoo Il-chung, who’d been massaging his girlfriend’s shoulders, looked like he was about to cry.
Meanwhile—
“Strange. You don’t look strong.”
The world’s #1 female Taekwondo champion ignored her boyfriend and observed me closely.
I did the same.
It’s like Master Go Mu-shin reincarnated as a woman…
Physically, she was at a disadvantage compared to men, and her arrogant attitude made her seem less threatening—
But she was definitely not someone to underestimate.
Her physique?
Legs as long as Song Sun-young’s.
Muscular calves and thighs trained to perfection—typical of elite Taekwondo athletes.
This was true for any woman whose aptitude was “Taekwondo athlete,” but—
Something about her is different.
My instincts were screaming.
If I drop my guard even for a moment, I could lose.
I wouldn’t know for sure until we exchanged blows, but that was my current assessment.
“Both competitors, step forward.”
“……”
“……”
Called by the stern-looking master, we walked to the center of the mat.
“Bow.”
“I’m Kang Moon-soo.”
“I’m Go Yoon-kyung.”
We gave light bows and took our stances a few steps apart.
Tweet—
The whistle signaled the start of the match.
Fast!
Swoosh!
Without even a moment of probing, Go Yoon-kyung boldly lunged straight into my attack range.
Then I’ll—!
I immediately chose Master Go Mu-shin’s favorite technique:
The spinning back kick.
A technique I learned while being beaten senseless—extremely reliable.
Thwap!
“Point, one!”
A light shock hit my ribs at the same moment my kick missed, and the master shouted joyfully.
“What—?”
“Surprised? That’s the expression I wanted to make.”
While I wobbled slightly from losing balance, Go Yoon-kyung quickly retreated.
“What do you mean by that?”
“That spinning back kick of yours—only my dad and I can use it. You can’t copy it just by watching video recordings.”
“…What an amazing coincidence.”
It wasn’t a coincidence.
Go Mu-shin.
[TL Note: Changing Go Mu-shin to Go Mu-shin]
Go Yoon-kyung.
I’d suspected it from the moment I saw the same family name “Go,”
But now I was almost certain—
She was the direct descendant of Master Go Mu-shin.
“But it seems you don’t know how to counter it.”
“……”
Of course I didn’t.
The dream ended before Master Go Mu-shin could teach me the counter-technique.
The only bit of luck?
She’s weak.
When I attempted that spinning back kick against Master Go Mu-shin,
I would be sent flying and crumble instantly after a single counterattack.
But her?
All she managed was a clean point.
Well… calling it ‘just’ a clean point is downplaying it. It hurt quite a bit.
And judging by the atmosphere around us—
“As expected of Go Yoon-kyung!”
“Yoon-kyung! I love you!”
“I knew you’d do it!”
Taekwondo athletes and masters burst into cheers
Just because she scored the first point against me.
I’m not even a villain…
It was absurd.
“Let’s continue.”
“Protect your head.”
“That’s my line. I don’t go easy just because my opponent is a woman.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted.”
Still calm. Still arrogant.
…I didn’t like it.
Swoosh!
I filled my movements with the killing intent Master Go Mu-shin once scolded me for—
And charged again.
***
“If I hadn’t been killed by that damn bandit…!”
I lost.
There was no bet riding on the match,
So there was no real damage—
But my pride was wounded badly.
When I recently lost to Song Sun-young in swimming,
Her delighted expression made my irritation vanish instantly.
But this time?
Not even close.
“That was close.”
“That coward kept dodging and only going for points!”
“Moon-soo, I’d like to take your side, but… If a normal woman took a clean hit from your kicks, she’d die…”
“Ghh…!”
At Coach Jang Seo-yeon’s remark, I turned to Chief Seo Hye-joo.
“She’s right.”
But she didn’t take my side either.
“You did get weaker.”
“If your previous strength was a missile, then your current strength is… a cannon. Still lethal for humans.”
“……”
Missile → cannon.
A painfully clear comparison of how much I had weakened after dying in the dream.
I can’t afford to relax.
The humiliation in Taekwondo was only the beginning.
Swimming. Running.
Once my records were measured again, they would definitely be noticeably worse.
If that information spread, people would talk.
And that would be troublesome.
“Coach. I’m going to take a break from all training and all outside activities for a while.”
“Alright.”
Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Coach Jang agreed without complaint.
Ding-dong!
At that moment, the doorbell of Chief Seo’s private office rang.
“They must be here already.”
Click.
As soon as Chief Seo Hye-joo opened the door, Jeon Ji-eun stepped inside wearing a tidy gray office suit.
More like a corporate secretary than a college student—
With a level of professionalism and mature elegance that made her seem older than me.
“Hello, Doctor, Coach. And you too, Moon-soo. Good work today.”
“But… where’s the book?”
“Here.”
Ji-eun handed me a memory chip no bigger than a pinky finger.
“An e-book?”
“Bringing 215 paper volumes would fill up your entire dorm room, and carrying them around would be impossible. The bigger issue is that the original text has slightly outdated spelling, so it’s hard to read.”
“Ah, right.”
“The e-book is the revised edition, so it’ll be easier. Once you plug it into your phone, the reading app installs automatically.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m just doing my job. But… I’m still a little happy.”
Coach Jang Seo-yeon, who’d been listening with a somewhat displeased expression, finally spoke.
“Moon-soo, what’s the title of that 215-volume novel?”
“This one? It’s a wuxia novel called <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>.”
“Really? My husband likes wuxia, so I know a little. Maybe I should read it too.”
“Eh? Uh… but there’s no need to—”
“I don’t want to be in a situation later where I can’t follow the conversation. I’m sure your manager here feels the same.”
“……”
Ji-eun didn’t deny it—she simply answered with silence.
“But still, 215 volumes… you won’t remember the beginning by the time you reach the end.”
“True. But that’s the same for the patient. They didn’t expect to get trapped in a dream world, so they probably didn’t finish it either.”
Like Kim Eun-jung, who entered the world of the romance novel ‘I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family’ Without even finishing the last volume.
This wouldn’t be any different.
Please don’t let it be a completely different dream world…
I felt a twinge of anxiety.
“When will you start reading?”
Chief Seo asked, and I shrugged.
“I have no idea. With 215 volumes… who knows how long it’ll take.”
Even the 5-volume novel I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family felt long at the time—
But compared to this monster of a series?
That was practically a short poetry collection.
“Then tell me at least one day before you finish. I need to clear my schedule and prepare.”
“Okay, I will.”
As soon as I answered, Coach Jang added:
“Moon-soo. You have to tell me too. Actually, tell me two days earlier.”
“Sure.”
It wasn’t a difficult promise to keep.
And finally—
“Reading that much will strain your brain, but you can reduce the total time by using a virtual reality reading room. There’s no eye fatigue either.”
“…Ah.”
At Ji-eun’s suggestion, I resisted the urge to slap my forehead.
Virtual reality reading rooms.
Time passes more slowly in VR, so reading takes dramatically less real-world time.
But the aftereffects…
Short-term gains—but the fatigue piles up brutally, making it a net loss in the long term.
Nobody uses it unless they’re desperate.
“What do you think?”
“I’ll pass. Being a few days late won’t kill the patient.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
Ji-eun looked slightly disappointed.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing. I just thought someone with your stamina might be fine using it. Sorry.”
“Ah… maybe.”
But my decision didn’t change.
Why?
Because using a VR reading room means buying a VR machine.
And that costs money.
“Then I’ll get going.”
After this moment, until I finish all 215 volumes of that wuxia monster…
I no longer have freedom.