S Chapter 3

“The Chairman is calling for you in the Study.”

Kang Seo-oh, who had been angrily asking if they couldn’t see Shin Jukyeong’s condition, also fell silent. There was nothing he could do when the master of the house summoned him.

‘I expected this, but…’

Shin Jukyeong stopped Kang Seo-oh, who was glaring in his place, and forced strength into his trembling legs to stand up.

“Young Master.”

“I’ll be back. Don’t follow me.”

Because it didn’t seem like he’d be able to show a good sight. Shin Jukyeong swallowed the rest of his words with effort.

Shin Jukyeong opened the door to the Study and entered. His father was standing with his hands behind his back, looking out the window.

“……”

“……”

‘Someone came in, but he’s not even acknowledging me?’

He almost barked out a reprimand without realizing it. It was because the bad habit of a thirty-year-old, who had to maintain a certain gravitas, hadn’t been erased. Shin Jukyeong flinched and bit his cheek firmly.

‘…I almost committed an unfilial act.’

Whether he knew of such impious thoughts or not, a chilling summons flew out.

“Shin Jukyeong.”

“Yes.”

“You vomited a lot of blood.”

A gentleman who knows that, yet makes me stand without even telling me to sit? Shin Jukyeong was genuinely displeased. Unlike a spry twenty-year-old who could drink all night and still be fine, he was a thirty-year-old who diligently took his supplements. If they were both adults, they should at least observe basic manners…

‘Ah, I’m nineteen.’

It was a big problem that he kept forgetting his age.

“Ahem, yes.”

“And you failed your Ability Manifestation.”

“I’m sorry for-”

“Jukyeong.”

His father turned around, took off his glasses, and cut him off. The gaze that examined the glasses, looking down, was cold. Naturally, Shin Jukyeong’s jaw tightened, and his relaxed body froze.

‘Damn it…’

His skin stung. Even at thirty, he should have been indifferent by now. But the fear learned from childhood wasn’t easily forgotten. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat became erratic. The breaths escaping his lips were ragged.

‘If he tells me to shut up, I should shut up.’

Shin Jukyeong secretly gave a twisted smile and bowed his head deeply. However, his honest body didn’t know how to bluff. Cold sweat beaded and trickled down his chin.

“Go up.”

His father approached, taking a long Cane from a glass case prepared on one side. His elegant face was grotesquely contorted.

“Take them off.”

Shin Jukyeong, without a word, stepped onto a wooden box and lowered his pants. Wearing only his underwear, he was beaten on his thighs and calves without distinction. That was Shin Taekyung’s method of punishing Shin Jukyeong. It was clearly an attempt to obtain obedience by trampling on his dignity, inflicting humiliation and insult rather than pain… a form of breaking him in.

“I!”

Smack!

“For you!”

Smack!

“For your sake!”

Smack!

A burning pain spread across various parts of his legs. Shin Jukyeong cursed internally and bit his lip. His father seemed quite angry, as the level of violence was high. A metallic scent wafted, indicating his skin was probably already torn.

“Without lacking anything!”

Smack!

“I poured everything into you!”

Smack!

“Why do you disappoint me?”

Haa… haa… The sound of his heavy breathing was heard.

“Come down.”

Shin Jukyeong limped down and picked up his pants. Each time he moved, round bloodstains formed on the floor. Without a chance to tend to his wounds, Shin Jukyeong had to endure a long stream of threatening, personality-demolishing criticism disguised as critique from his father.

“If only you had awakened as a Hunter, the whole world would have been yours!”

His father shouted in a rage.

“As you know, no matter how much an ordinary person excels, becoming a Hunter Association Director? That’s laughable. You can’t even be an executive. No, they might not even make you a security guard. Shin Jukyeong, your incompetence ruined everything. …We need to adjust the plan. The Chairman position is gone, but we must find another way. I cannot give up the Association.”

He wiped the Cane, cleaned his glasses, and straightened his tie. Every action was meticulous and careful. Yet, his tattered son seemed invisible to him. Shin Jukyeong, having no expectations himself, simply listened silently.

“As much as I want to cast you aside… you are my only bloodline, so this must also be a trial given by God for me to bear. You should be grateful for that fact today.”

He spouted scathing words without a second thought.

“Jukyeong.”

His father, having tidied his appearance, approached Shin Jukyeong and lifted his chin.

“It’s fortunate that you resemble me.”

A voice that sounded gentle at first. But the words that followed were cruel.

“If you had resembled Hye-yeon… I wouldn’t have been able to lay a hand on you.”

His gaze, looking down at his son, was so vacant it made one wonder if he was truly looking at his child. He let go of Shin Jukyeong’s chin and waved his hand dismissively. In short, it was an eviction order: the temper tantrum was over, so get lost.

Shin Jukyeong bowed his head and left the Study without lingering. There was a reason for his dark expression. Was it because he had been beaten? Not at all. Rather, the work’s progress was slow, without even the satisfaction of a thorough scolding. Shin Jukyeong replayed his father’s words and frowned.

He thought he would be abandoned immediately. He was just flustered by this unwanted second chance.

‘Is he, in his own way, taking care of me because I’m his son? …After beating someone like that?’

It was a truly unpredictable concept.

In fact, destroying a bright future, unlike his previous life, was, in a way, a natural choice. If he met his father’s expectations, his future would be as clear as day. He had to be re-evaluated as a useless entity by any means necessary.

Shin Jukyeong, who had lived like his father’s puppet, had been completely detoxified of the “honor and power” addiction that he had pursued with full venom, thanks to his hollow death. He no longer wanted to repeat chronic fatigue, habitual gastritis, endless overtime, and… the tragedy of his younger brothers.

His goal in this life was to be a good elder brother, not a filial son. Therefore, he wanted to become a free man and a reliable support for the children. He hoped that by spending a lot of time together, the tragic future might change.

However, he underestimated his father’s persistence. To embrace even a worthless one just because of blood ties. If you want to be a great leader, you should evaluate others based on their skills, not school ties, regional ties, or blood ties!

Damn it. Even if he threw a tantrum about not wanting to be the successor, all that would happen is, ‘Okay, Jukyeong, throw your fit~ Father will pick up the Cane~’. Shin Jukyeong, who had been grumbling, suddenly stopped and impatiently swept his hair back.

‘My only bloodline.’

In truth, he didn’t expect his father to say that. He had thought his father was naturally heartless, treating his children coldly, but that wasn’t it. His interpretation was wrong from the start. To his father, his younger brothers were never family from the beginning.

‘Then why did he bring them here and raise them?’

He racked his brain, but no answer came. He had returned, but he didn’t properly know anything about his father or his younger brothers.

‘What if I can’t change anything like this?’

A chill ran down his spine. Shin Jukyeong fiddled with his lips for a long time, maintaining silence. He didn’t have a hobby of self-deprecation, but this time, he was truly dispirited. Loss of confidence, decreased motivation, heightened emotions. These were not good signs.

‘…I’m craving a cigarette.’

He sighed deeply. But an adult who had experienced all sorts of battles, from land to sea to air… knows how to exclaim “This sucks!” once and then get back up. If it’s hard, what can you do? You still have to do it. Don’t underestimate a former office worker from South Korea. This kind of thing is easier than dealing with customer complaints!

‘Might as well quit smoking while I’m at it…’

Shin Jukyeong nodded.

“97… 98… 99…”

Beep- beep- beep- beep! The timer rang, and he immediately stood up.

“100. …Hoo.”

Sweatdrops on his forehead fell to the floor. He had only repeated three sets, but he was already out of breath. Shin Jukyeong touched his arm. It was undeniably slender.

‘Damn it, muscle loss…’

He missed the peak body he had built with blood and sweat. By adolescent standards, he was still above average, but for the meticulous Shin Jukyeong, he shook his head.

After all, what could he do with a body like this? Even important tasks required physical stamina.

‘I want to lift weights.’

He wanted to frequent the gym until its doorstep wore out, but it would be a disaster if he was perceived as someone who “Oh my! Even after failing his Ability Manifestation, he doesn’t give up and strives for self-improvement…”. So, Shin Jukyeong had to grit his teeth and suppress his desire for ‘muscle’ building.

He was currently rebelling to fall out of his father’s favor, so the worse his reputation, the better.

‘Today marks 10 days of School Refusal.’

Suddenly, he felt a little regrettable for being a thirty-year-old on School Refusal, but what could he do? There was no time to care about academics now. He also needed time to think calmly by himself.

‘Surprisingly, Father is quiet too.’

Normally, he’d be floundering, hounded by busy Successor Training. …Did pretending to be sick help quite a bit?

Shin Jukyeong recalled a few days ago. His thorough father checked Shin Jukyeong’s physical condition once more the day after the Manifestation Ceremony. With an icy face, he openly displayed his lingering regrets, stating he needed to confirm if there truly was no possibility.