Chapter 243 - Yoo Ji-won
My name is Yoo Ji-won.
Once, I lived for the dream of becoming a boxing champion... but during a match, I suffered a career-ending ankle injury. Just like that, my dream was shattered.
After giving up on everything, I was barely scraping by, working as a coach at a local gym.
But even that wasn't going well.
The reality of my financial situation was starting to bite.
"Sigh... at this rate, I won't even be able to cover the rent."
I'd opened my own boxing gym and started giving lessons, but running a business was a hell of a lot harder than I'd imagined.
The number of kids coming in to train kept dwindling, and the monthly rent was becoming a suffocating burden.
"Ugh. Forget it. I'm going home to have a beer."
Trying to shake off the gloom, I was heading home when suddenly—
Thump!!
The second I stepped out of the gym building, I slammed shoulders with a woman wearing a hat.
"Hey! Watch where you're go—"
I was already pissed off, so I snapped at her, but...
Dash!!
"What the hell?"
Whatever the rush was, the woman in the hat had already sprinted past me at a ridiculous speed.
Who the hell runs that fast in the middle of the night?
Driven by curiosity, I watched her as she ran,
And that's when I saw it. She was chasing someone.
A man was running for his life, his face pale with pure terror.
Seeing the look in his eyes, I knew this wasn't some minor disagreement. This was bad.
A moment later, the woman in the hat caught up to him.
"Gah-!!"
Then, two more women appeared from around the corner, making the whole scene look even more suspicious.
'Three women and one man... definitely sketchy. Especially at this hour...'
While I was processing the scene...
Suddenly, one of the women shouted something, pulled out a knife, and lunged to stab the man.
"Crazy bitch."
The moment I saw the blade, my body moved on instinct.
I didn't know fear. I was the woman who once aimed to be the strongest boxer in the world.
And so, the first meeting between the blue-haired Yoo Ji-won and the Mafia Executive Kang Min-seo began.
Ha Yoon-ji thrust her knife toward the blue-haired woman with blinding speed.
It was a lethal strike aimed directly at the solar plexus, but...
Somehow, the blue-haired woman lightly stepped aside, dodging the fierce blade with ease.
"Fuck!"
Her first attack missed. Enraged and agitated, Ha Yoon-ji began swinging the knife with even more violent, reckless movements.
Whoosh!!
The knife sliced through the air, dangerously close to the blue-haired woman,
But the sharp edge kept missing its mark, over and over again.
Ji-won was a woman who had trained to be the best.
Even if an injury had ended her career,
Her instincts hadn't grown rusty in the slightest.
Every time the blade flashed toward her, Ji-won used her incredible reflexes to dodge it effortlessly.
'She's completely tilted. Just a little longer...'
Ji-won thought calmly, silently tracking every desperate swing Ha Yoon-ji made.
"What the—!!"
The more she missed, the more Ha Yoon-ji began to panic...
And her swings were getting wider and more telegraphed.
Wider movements meant one thing: more openings.
'There it is.'
Ji-won, who had been waiting for the perfect gap, struck the moment the opportunity presented itself—
She drove her fist into Ha Yoon-ji's exposed solar plexus with lightning speed.
It was a perfect straight punch, delivered with zero hesitation. Ji-won's fist connected squarely, and...
"Gah-huk!"
Hit precisely in a vital spot, Ha Yoon-ji staggered and collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
Without missing a beat, Ji-won followed up, driving another fist into the kneeling woman's face...
Crack—
Ha Yoon-ji's head snapped back, and her body went limp as she hit the pavement.
Thud—
!!!
Min-seo, who had been watching the entire exchange with bated breath, stared in absolute shock.
He knew Ha Yoon-ji. As a direct subordinate of Yoon Seol, she was a notorious fighter.
He'd heard rumors that her combat skills were on par with even Seo-young, an Executive of the Mafia Organization...
'What the hell is she...? Who is this woman...?'
Min-seo stared at the woman with the blue-tinted hair.
Her fighting style was breathtaking. Even a layman could see she was on an entirely different level.
"Tch!!"
Seeing Ha Yoon-ji go down, the other two women in hats rushed Ji-won at the same time.
Ji-won calmly settled into her stance, the muscle memory of her boxing days taking over.
'Focus.'
As the first woman threw a punch, Ji-won slipped the blow with a quick twist of her torso.
Keeping her eyes locked on her opponent, Ji-won fired back a counter-punch with perfect timing.
She snapped the woman's head back with a jab and followed through with a punishing straight to the gut.
"Ugh-!"
The woman doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach,
And as the second woman tried to grab Ji-won from behind, Ji-won ducked low and spun out of her reach.
She immediately pivoted and launched a sharp uppercut right into the woman's jaw.
Whack!!
Both women staggered back, groaning in agony...
Ji-won remained perfectly composed, her expression relaxed as she glanced between the two of them.
'She's completely dominating them...'
Min-seo couldn't hide his awe at Ji-won's overwhelming strength...
Just then, several black cars screeched into the alley, their headlights cutting through the dawn as they surrounded Min-seo and Ji-won.
The people stepping out of those cars were...
"Kang Min-seo!!!"
"Min-seo!!"
It was Ha-young and Seo-young. They scrambled out of the vehicles, their faces masks of worry and fury.
"Damn it... let's get out of here!"
Realizing the situation had spiraled out of control, the two remaining women tried to bolt, but...
Bam!!
With a devastating flying kick, Yu-jin appeared, her burgundy suit fluttering as she flattened both women in a single motion.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
Ha-young rushed to Min-seo, who was still sitting on the ground, and immediately began checking his face and body for injuries.
"Are you okay? Kang Min-seo? Are you hurt anywhere?!"
"Yeah... I'm okay. Luckily... I'm fine, Noona."
Min-seo leaned into Ha-young's embrace, finally letting out a breath of relief...
The other Executives crowded around him, fussing over his condition as the scene turned into chaotic fussing.
Ji-won stood to the side, completely bewildered by the surreal scene unfolding before her.
"What? What the hell is going on...?"
Six cars showing up out of nowhere in the middle of the night...
And these six women, all dressed in sharp suits...
More importantly, why were they all trying to hug that one guy at the same time...?
While Ji-won stood there dazed by the absurdity of it all,
A woman with short silver hair walked toward her with long, purposeful strides.
"You. Were you trying to hurt Min-seo?"
It was Su-hyeon. She approached Ji-won while radiating a terrifying pressure that made Ji-won's skin crawl...
"What's your problem?"
Ji-won was about to raise her fists again, sensing the hostile atmosphere, when...
"Wait! She's the one who saved me!"
Min-seo's shout instantly defused the tension.
"I am terribly sorry! I failed to recognize our benefactor!!"
Su-hyeon's terrifying aura vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, 90-degree bow of apology...
"Uh... yeah. Sure. It happens."
Ji-won, still unable to make head or tail of the situation, gave an awkward, confused smile.
"Thank you. Min-seo is incredibly precious to us."
Ha-young approached next, bowing her head in sincere gratitude.
"So his name is Min-seo?"
Ji-won glanced over at the man's face.
"Yes. Truly, thank you. I'd like to offer you a reward for your help. Would you mind coming back to our home for a moment?"
At the mention of a 'reward,' Ji-won's eyes practically doubled in size.
She suddenly remembered the mountain of unpaid rent waiting for her...
Looking at the white-haired woman's expensive clothes and her fleet of cars, it was obvious she was loaded.
'I mean... I should probably go, right? She did say reward.'
Lured by the promise of cash, Ji-won cleared her throat and nodded...
And so, Ji-won and the Mafia members headed back to Ha-young's Mansion.
As the car pulled up to Ha-young's residence, Ji-won...
"Holy shit..."
She couldn't help but gawk at the sight before her.
It wasn't just a house; it was a massive Mansion, complete with a sprawling Garden and a fountain,
And there were even Maids lined up, waiting for them.
'She's not just rich, she's "fuck you" rich.'
Ji-won's expectations for the reward started skyrocketing.
Inside the Office, around a long mahogany table,
All six Executives, Min-seo, and Ji-won took their seats.
"Once again, thank you so much."
Ha-young bowed slightly to Ji-won from across the table.
"No, really, it's fine. I just saw someone in trouble and jumped in. Anyone would have done it."
Ji-won waved her hands dismissively, trying to act humble.
"As I said, Min-seo means everything to us."
Ha-young smiled warmly as she reached out to stroke Min-seo's hair.
Ji-won watched the way she touched him... the vibe between them was definitely more than just professional.
'Are they together...?'
While Ji-won was busy speculating about their relationship...
Ha-young spoke up again.
"So, I'd like to offer a small token of our appreciation... if it's alright, would five be okay?"
"Five hundred won?!"
Before Ha-young could even finish, Ji-won blurted it out, sounding offended.
'Are you fucking kidding me? You drag me all the way here for fifty cents?'
Five hundred won?! Is she mocking me right now?!
..
..
..
Wait... five million won?
The realization hit Ji-won a second later, and her pupils dilated until they were nearly all black.
Ha-young smiled brightly and clarified softly.
"The reward I'm offering is five million won."
"Holy shit."
Ji-won's jaw hit the floor.