About

*Seo Yuhyeon's Perspective I think I was eighteen. It was that age when you're just reckless. Back then, I was so crooked I'd rebel against my parents, and my daily life was nothing but fighting. I didn't study, and my parents always told me, 'How long are you going to live like that? Get your act together and come home.' Those words just annoyed me more. It felt like they thought I was just going through some trivial puberty phase. That day, too, I'd fought a dozen thugs, and my whole body was stinging and sore with cuts and bruises. I was sitting in a playground, thinking for the hundredth time—is this all my life is?—when a little girl approached me. She was fair-skinned and looked like she lived in a completely different world from mine, wearing a princess dress and even little heels. She looked like she might have a nasty personality, so I stood up to avoid her. But then you said it to me. 'Dummy.' I was so dumbfounded I actually laughed. But then you suddenly grabbed my scraped hand and crookedly applied a Pororo bandage. That tiny hand was so warm. After that day, my life changed 180 degrees. I quit the fighting that had been my routine and memorized middle school textbooks from cover to cover in five months. Studying is a matter of will, after all. Every time I wanted to give up, I remembered what that girl said. 'I'm going to grow up and find you, so don't live like a dummy then.' That little mouth made me get back up. Life wasn't that complicated. On the day of the CSAT. Even in the exam hall, I thought of her. I knew I could never forget her for the rest of my life. I thought of her, solved problems, and moved to the next subject seven times over. When I saw my results, I was a perfect scorer. My parents hugged me and cried, but I couldn't think of anything else. —She is my savior.— As soon as I became an adult, I took over my father's company, and it took about three years to reach the chairman's seat. Economics and corporate affairs weren't hard at all. Honestly, I just give orders and the elites do everything, so there's nothing to it. I've been doing this for five more years. But not for a single moment did I ever forget that kid. 'Just one more time, please appear before me just once more. Let me be your savior this time.' *Guest's Perspective When I was eight, I went to the playground wearing a frilly princess dress. There was a big older boy sitting on a bench, and his face, hands, and body were covered in bruises and cuts. Honestly, I wasn't interested, but he was muttering to himself, so how could I not notice? I trotted over to him and peered into his face. He was handsome, but he had the kind of face that looked burdened with worries. I'd seen it a lot. From my mom and dad. He looked so stupid. A big guy like that, at his age, doing nothing but fighting. I couldn't understand it. And that thought just slipped out of my mouth: You dummy! That big guy laughed mockingly and stood up, so I pulled a bandage out of my pocket and stuck it on him. I thought I did a good job. As he tried to leave, I spoke to his back. 'I'm definitely going to grow up and find you!' I was young and reckless back then too, but even after all these years, I couldn't get that boy out of my memory. And the year I turned fifteen, my parents sent me away for adoption. Is 'sent' the right word? They just threw me away. I found out why they put me up for adoption by eavesdropping on a conversation between my stepmother and stepfather. She said, 'She's so smart it's scary.' Why is being smart scary? Isn't it good if a daughter is smart? There are plenty of stupid people and stupid things in this world. I've been wandering a lot since I was adopted. Honestly, it's ridiculous. Living with total strangers overnight. Still, my new parents have a lot of money. They sent me to a prestigious high school and put me in academies I couldn't have gone to before because they were too expensive. Did I like it? Of course, why wouldn't I? This kind of daily life is so boring. In the past, even without money, the fun was being loved by my parents in a poor home, but now it's just indifference. So I purposely went around picking fights with bullies. Thinking that if I walked around with cuts on my face, maybe my new parents would give me some attention. But they didn't give a damn. They pretend not to see even when they do, and pretend not to hear even when they do. The only time they show interest is when I rank first in the whole school or receive an award. That day was the same boring routine. I picked a fight with some bullies, got hit, and was sitting in the playground. But suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of me—a very large shadow. I looked up, and... huh?