Chapter 11
Seoul Guildmaster Choi Deok-gyu.
He was one of the eight “City Lords” of South Korea.
Even if he ranked lowest among the eight, being within the top eight of the entire country still made him a powerhouse — and now, such a man had personally come to visit Sullivan Kindergarten.
“I heard there’s a man named Svida who signed a sponsorship contract here.”
“Ah, yes, yes. That’s right. He promised to donate one hundred million won every week…”
Director Seo Mi-ja wiped the cold sweat off her forehead.
“May I see the sponsorship contract?”
Dozens of Seoul Guild members surrounded the kindergarten from outside.
“Teacher, you said you met Svida in person?”
“Yes, yes. I did. Only briefly, but still…”
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
“Well… his height was… about this tall?”
One teacher stretched her arm straight up.
“No, he was more like this tall.”
“I think he almost reached the top of the doorframe.”
Estimated height: around 188 cm.
“He was slim but athletic.”
“He didn’t look bulky, but calling him thin wouldn’t be right either — his shoulders were too broad…”
“You know that swimmer’s build? Broad shoulders, tapered waist — that kind of shape.”
“Or maybe more like a volleyball player?”
To summarize: tall, broad shoulders, narrow waist, immaculate appearance.
“His suit was spotless, like it had never known dust.”
“He kind of looked mixed — not fully Western, but not completely Asian either…”
“To be honest, he looked beyond race — like an otherworldly kind of beauty.”
“And the funny thing is…”
“Even though he didn’t say a word, I couldn’t breathe. Oh, not because he was threatening or anything — just… he was too handsome.”
Seoul Guild had obtained partial information about S-class Awakened being, Svida.
* * *
Chaeri bowed politely.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Dad will walk you to the gate.”
“It’s okay. I can go by myself.”
She didn’t want to make her already-busy father late for work.
Pulling her hand gently free from Lee Ji-seok’s grasp, Chaeri walked toward the kindergarten, unfazed by the burly men stationed nearby.
Then she spotted Kang Se-hyun loitering near the gate.
“Sehyun oppa, what are you doing here?”
“Huh?”
It was obvious — he was scared of the men in suits and couldn’t bring himself to enter.
“tsk. You scared?”
“N-no, not really…”
Chaeri grabbed his wrist firmly.
His face flushed red.
“Let’s go, oppa!”
As they got closer, the silhouettes of the men in black suits became clearer.
Sehyun finally blurted out the truth.
“I-I’m kinda scared…”
“tsk!”
Chaeri clicked her tongue and frowned slightly.
“Don’t chicken out.”
“O-okay.”
“Act like the male lead, oppa.”
In this world, the strongest being by sheer power was Medeysa.
And the one destined to oppose Medeysa — humanity’s mightiest hero — was none other than Kang Se-hyun, the male lead.
“M-male lead?”
He didn’t really know what that meant, but the words struck something deep inside him.
Like she said, it made him want to act like the protagonist of a story.
(The only “male leads” he knew were the ones who piloted giant robots and punched villains in cartoons.)
“The world is survival of the fittest. I’ll become strong — like a main character.”
A strange determination began to sprout within him.
* * *
Guildmaster Choi Deok-gyu frowned deeply.
When his expression darkened, the backs of his subordinates instantly stiffened.
“Let’s go over this again.”
His voice was low and heavy.
“A guy built like a refrigerator, face like a celebrity, looks mid-twenties, and donates a hundred million won every week to a kindergarten?”
He muttered as if to himself.
“Tell me, does that sound like a real person?”
“S-sorry, sir.”
Svida was the textbook definition of an “impossible man.”
No tower entry records.
No appearance on CCTV.
He simply appeared out of nowhere — and shook everything up — before vanishing like he had evaporated.
Plenty of details, but no core information.
And being too handsome hardly counted as core intelligence.
Just then, a new report came in.
“The Ohseongcho Guild has voluntarily disbanded.”
“What? Why the hell?”
“They were attacked by Svida.”
They cross-checked the information, but it matched almost perfectly with the kindergarten report.
“Any chance he used illusion magic?”
“We can’t completely rule it out, but…”
The odds were low.
Using illusion magic right after awakening — while being strong enough to wipe out a guild — was absurd.
That would be like writing two different essays with both hands while singing and tap-dancing at the same time.
“In other words, it’s practically impossible to fight solo and use illusion magic simultaneously.”
“So everything we’ve gathered so far… none of it makes sense, right?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
That was when a clear child’s voice broke through the tension among the suited men.
“Excuse me! Coming through!”
Pushing between the black-suited legs, a little girl with shimmering pink hair strode in confidently.
Behind her followed a pale-faced boy — poor Kang Se-hyun.
Choi Deok-gyu murmured quietly.
“Hey. Relax your faces.”
The guild members tried to smile.
But since none of them were used to smiling, the result looked more terrifying.
Chaeri stood before Choi Deok-gyu.
‘Faster than expected.’
The Seoul Lord — Choi Deok-gyu.
One of the people she was meant to meet eventually.
Without hesitation, she began her prepared strategy.
“Are you the big boss, mister?”
Choi crouched down to meet her eyes.
Rough features. A scar across his face. A massive, bear-like body.
Chaeri flinched slightly.
“Yeah. I’m the boss.”
He spoke gently, though his voice was gravelly.
The faint scent of cigarettes hung in the air.
Chaeri pinched her nose.
“Ugh, smells like smoke.”
“Ah.”
A subordinate immediately tossed him a bottle of mouth spray.
Pssht, pssht. Application complete.
“You must have something to say to me, huh?”
“The big men are scary.”
Chaeri pointed behind her at Sehyun, whose face had gone pale.
“See? His face got all squished.”
“…”
“Are your men gangsters or something?”
Choi Deok-gyu chuckled quietly. His subordinate swallowed hard — because, well, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“You were scared because of us, huh? Sorry about that.”
“Be careful next time.”
He cleared his throat awkwardly and gestured.
“Smile, everyone.”
The men instantly relaxed their brows.
They smiled — though it somehow looked even creepier.
Watching that, Sehyun thought Chaeri was amazing.
‘Is this what being a “male lead” is like?’
* * *
Chaeri had a very specific reason to talk to Choi Deok-gyu.
‘Didn’t think I’d meet him this soon, though.’
Keeping her focus sharp, she spoke clearly.
“Boss man. Your name’s Choi Deok-gyu?”
“Oh? You know my name?”
Chaeri grinned.
“Found you, Choi Deok-gyu!”
“You were looking for me?”
Nod.
“Why?”
“Kim Myeong-ja. You know her?”
Silence.
For reference, Kim Myeong-ja was Choi Deok-gyu’s first love.
A pure, youthful romance — one he’d never gotten over. He never even married.
“Ehem. Why do you ask?”
“You know her or not?”
“I do.”
“I see her all the time at Teacher Kim Myeong-ja’s gallery.”
The two were a legendary couple, even featured in the original story’s side story.
Separated by fate, never forgetting each other — until Kim Myeong-ja tragically died in an accident, breaking countless readers’ hearts.
‘This is insane. The tension’s off the charts…’
Standing in the middle of a circle of scary men, talking romance with the Seoul Lord — her mental stamina was draining fast.
Still, she pressed on firmly.
“Teacher Kim Myeong-ja really likes you.”
“…What?”
“She said you were her first love.”
“…”
“She still really likes you. So, did you two get married?”
“Ah, n-no, nothing like that…”
“Then you should marry her.”
“…”
“Lee Chaeri loves wedding noodles.”
The bear-like man kept his mouth shut — but the tips of his ears turned red. That said it all.
Chaeri felt oddly proud.
So proud that her inner thoughts slipped out.
“Lee Chaeri, the matchmaker?”
Since they now knew each other’s hearts earlier than in the original story, things would surely turn out happier this time.
For the record, Choi Deok-gyu was a bulldozer type when it came to confession — once given a push, he’d go straight for the woman he loved.
‘Go on and get together already.’
Kim Myeong-ja would be far safer beside the Seoul Lord than alone.
‘Teacher Kim Myeong-ja — I’ll protect you!’
Chaeri took a deep breath.
‘Looks like I managed to befriend Choi Deok-gyu too.
