Chapter 256 - Scout
The distinct scent of an old cafe hung in the air.
Languid afternoon sunlight squeezed through the window, shattering across the table.
It was a peaceful moment, where even the dust motes floating in the air seemed to drift with a certain sluggishness.
However, the atmosphere across the small table was anything but calm.
A tension so taut it felt like a stretched rubber band on the verge of snapping filled the space.
At the center of it sat a man.
Wavy black hair.
Large, expressive eyes set against pale skin.
Kang Minseo.
The only male Executive of the massive criminal organization, 'Baekhwa'.
And sitting across from him...
Was a woman dressed in worn-out training gear.
Her hair was tied back tightly, and thick calluses were embedded in every knuckle.
Yoo Ji-won, a former Boxer who once ruled the ring before an injury clipped her wings.
It was a meeting between two people who seemed to have absolutely nothing in common.
Ji-won swallowed hard.
Her throat felt scratchy and dry.
'Fuck... I just want to go home.'
Her stomach was churning.
Not knowing where to look, she stared intently at the faint pattern on the tabletop.
But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kang Minseo's slender white fingers tapping against his teacup.
The moment she saw those fingers, a memory branded into her brain resurfaced.
It had only been a few days ago.
A dark alleyway.
Thugs had rushed in, targeting Kang Minseo.
Ji-won, who happened to be passing by, had knocked them flat with lightning-fast punches.
That part was fine.
The problem was the early morning hours of the day she ended up staying at Kang Minseo's mansion as a 'reward'.
When Ji-won, woken by thirst, had headed to the Kitchen in a daze.
'Ha-ah... Minseo...!'
Wet sounds echoed through the darkness.
The friction of flesh hitting flesh.
Suppressed groans.
Kang Minseo was there.
Entwined with a strange woman.
He had such an innocent face during the day, but at night, he was like a beast.
Of course, it looked more like Minseo was the one being devoured.
'This is driving me fucking crazy.'
Ji-won unconsciously crossed her legs.
The shock of that night was a ripple difficult to handle for a woman who had lived only for sports her entire life.
The problem was that the memory didn't end with mere discomfort.
Every time she looked at Kang Minseo's face, the explicit scene from that night played back like a video loop.
His red lips, his disheveled hair, his back glistening with sweat.
A sense of guilt washed over her, even as her lower abdomen tightened with arousal.
Dammit.
Her body was reacting on its own just by looking at him.
Just then.
"Excuse me... Yoo Ji-won-ssi?"
"...!"
Ji-won's shoulders jolted.
"Yes?! What is it?!"
Her voice shot up, cracking mid-sentence.
Minseo's eyes widened.
"No, it's just that you look so troubled. Does the coffee not suit your taste?"
"No? Not at all! It's delicious! Ahaha."
Ji-won forced the corners of her mouth upward into a stiff smile.
Minseo tilted his head curiously.
'Strange.'
He wondered if this was the same spirited woman who had saved him in that alleyway.
Back then, the bloodlust radiating from her agile body had been almost terrifying.
Now, she was fidgeting like someone who had committed a crime.
Her gaze wandered through empty space, and her cheeks were subtly flushed.
"Well, fine."
Minseo set down his teacup.
Clack.
The sharp sound cut through the silence.
"Let's get to the point. The reason I asked to meet you today is because I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. I would like to Scout you, Ji-won-ssi."
Ji-won's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"...What?!"
"I want you to become my personal bodyguard."
Is this man insane?
Ji-won's brow furrowed fiercely.
"You want to Scout me?
To the Mafia... no, to your Organization?"
"To be precise, you wouldn't be part of 'Baekhwa'. You'd be my personal employee. As you can see, I'm quite popular. There are more than a few factions targeting me."
Minseo smiled bitterly.
Ji-won didn't know the truth hidden behind that smile.
She didn't know that even the other Executives of Baekhwa coveted Kang Minseo's body and were constantly looking for an opening.
What he needed most was a 'shield' with proven skills—someone who would protect him without any ulterior motives.
The perfect person for that was Yoo Ji-won.
However, Ji-won was firm.
"Um... I'm sorry, but I'll have to refuse."
She answered without a moment's hesitation.
"May I ask why?"
"First, I don't want to get involved in dangerous work. I decided to live a normal life after I quit Boxing."
That was the superficial reason.
The real reason was different.
'Just looking at your face makes me lose my mind because I keep thinking about you getting fucked that night!'
Security work?
Being stuck together twenty-four hours a day?
If she did that, she had no confidence in maintaining her sanity.
She'd rather bite her tongue and die than have lewd fantasies while looking at him every night.
She already felt a sense of self-loathing just from the fact that she'd been "handling things" alone more often lately.
"Absolutely not. I can't do it."
Ji-won shook her head, making her stance clear.
"Mmm... I see."
Surprisingly, Minseo nodded readily.
Ji-won breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank god.
She had been worried he would be persistent.
"Then it can't be helped."
Minseo shifted as if he were about to stand up.
It was the moment Ji-won's tension finally eased.
"Still, wouldn't it be polite to hear the annual salary before you officially refuse?"
Tuk.
He tossed the words out nonchalantly.
Ji-won's gaze fixed blankly on Minseo's lips.
"Annual... salary?"
Minseo's mouth curved into a smooth arc.
He had already finished a background check on her.
Three months overdue rent for a worn-out gym.
A situation where even paying monthly rent was a struggle.
That was the reality of Yoo Ji-won's life right now.
The most certain way to move a woman like her wasn't conviction or justice—it was 'survival'.
"How much is it?"
Ji-won's voice trembled slightly.
It was pure instinct.
Minseo leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
The distance between them narrowed.
The cool scent of his perfume stung the tip of her nose.
"As a minimum courtesy for someone of your value, Ji-won-ssi..."
He held up one index finger.
"I'm proposing an annual salary of 500 million won."
"......Hup."
Ji-won unconsciously sucked in a breath.
It felt like her heart had dropped into her stomach.
500 million?
Did I hear that right?
Not 50 million?
"All taxes, utilities, meals, and personal expenses will be handled with a separate corporate card.
Ji-won-ssi, you only need to stay by my side and protect me."
Ji-won's pupils shook, losing their focus.
If the annual salary was 500 million... how much was that a month?
Over 40 million won?
It was enough money to rot away even after paying the gym rent and clearing her debts.
But it was the Mafia.
It was dangerous.
And above all, those 'lewd memories' were the problem.
Minseo didn't miss the conflict evident in her eyes.
Like a seasoned hunter cornering his prey, he threw out the final bait.
"If that's too burdensome, how about a six-month short-term Contract?"
"...Six months?"
"Yes. Try it for half a year, and if you feel it's not right, you can leave."
Minseo narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"In exchange, I'll pay the salary in advance. 250 million won."
Snap.
The sound of the string of reason snapping echoed in Ji-won's head.
250 million for six months.
And paid upfront.
With that money, she could be free from the persistent calls of debt collectors.
She wouldn't have to skip meals or eat ramen while worrying about next month's rent.
She wouldn't have to use a torn punching bag held together with tape.
'It's only half a year. If I just close my eyes and endure for exactly six months...'
Danger?
She had collapsed from concussions in the ring before.
What was a little stabbing compared to this?
Lewd memories?
She could just deal with it.
For 250 million won, even if Kang Minseo danced naked in front of her, how could she not endure it?
A greedy vitality returned to Ji-won's empty pupils.
The weight of poverty crushed her moral conflict.
"How about it? Shall I give you some time to think?"
Minseo asked softly.
But he already knew.
Under the table, Ji-won's fist was clenched tight.
Her throat bobbed heavily as she swallowed.
She was hooked.
Ji-won parted her trembling lips.
"......The Contract."
"Yes?"
"The Contract—do you have it with you?"
Ji-won's eyes blazed.
She was no longer hesitating.
They were the eyes of a predator that had caught the scent of money.
A perfect winner's smile hung on Minseo's lips.
An envelope he had prepared in advance slid out from his jacket's inner pocket and onto the table.