Chapter 36

Sirens wailed as police cars and ambulances arrived at the scene, with people lifting and placing the fallen thugs onto stretchers.

Hae-Jung recounted the events to a police officer, concealing her intoxication while explaining the thugs' intentions.

"You're fortunate, Ma'am. Those individuals belonged to a recently emerging gang. Thankfully, their reign ends tonight, thanks to that person over there," the officer remarked, nodding towards Seok-Woo, who leaned casually against a nearby police car.

"I'm impressed he handled the situation alone. You've found yourself a remarkable ally," the officer continued, causing Hae-Jung to blush, though she didn't correct the assumption.

Seok-Woo smirked at the comment, amused by the officer's misconception.

The incident drew some spectators, mostly residents from a nearby building.

Seok-Woo scanned the area, checking for Sunhwi or anyone he knew before refocusing on Hae-Jung.

He listened as he observed the thugs being loaded into the ambulance before swiftly taken to the nearest hospital.

"How many did I take down? Was it 10 or more?" He recalled the skirmish, reflecting on the intensity of the battle.

"My combat prowess improved thanks to the modifiers. Getting them wasn't a bad idea," he smirked to himself, lost in thought.

After a few minutes, most of the thugs were taken to the hospital, with a few in police custody.

"We'll follow up with you both if needed," the officer said before departing.

As the cars left, the spectators dispersed, leaving only Hae-Jung and Seok-Woo.

"We haven't introduced ourselves properly yet. I'm Bae Hae-Jung," Hae-Jung suddenly said to Seok-Woo, not knowing she had forgotten to thank him for saving her.

To which Seok-Woo replied, "Hello, Professor. I'm Choi Seok-Woo. Pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand, and they shook hands. After that, they fell silent.

They stood facing each other in silence. Seok-Woo crossed his arms, waiting, but Hae-Jung misunderstood his gesture.

"Is he expecting compensation? Well, he did save me," she thought, watching him. Seok-Woo decided to break the silence.

"Sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad you're unharmed," he said, then added, "I'll be going now. Hope you get home safely." Seok-Woo started walking towards his car, but Hae-Jung grabbed his wrist.

He turned back, surprised by her sudden action.

Hae-Jung then kissed Seok-Woo on the lips, staying for a few seconds before stepping back.

"Thank you for helping. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't," she said gratefully. If he hadn't intervened, she might not be the same.

Seok-Woo smiled and suggested a meal as compensation.

But as Hae-Jung processed his words, a question nagged at her: "Is buying him a meal not enough? Could he possibly want to turn it into a date or something more?" Her mind raced with uncertainty, misinterpreting his gesture. In reality, all he sought was to fill his stomach, not hers.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Seok-Woo sincerely wanted a meal as compensation, albeit in more than one serving. He never thought that she was overthinking the situation too much.

"Sure, I'll let you know when I'm ready," Hae-Jung replied. Seok-Woo raised his brow, wondering what she meant. He hadn't expected that response.

Hae-Jung took the initiative and asked Seok-Woo for his number, to which he willingly obliged. The exchange of numbers marked another contact made that day, a detail that didn't escape Seok-Woo's notice.

With their interaction concluded, Seok-Woo bid farewell to Hae-Jung. She watched as he made his way to his car, soon disappearing from view as he departed.

Sighing softly, she muttered to herself, "What a day..." before turning her attention back to the building and making her way inside.

Once in her home, she kicked off her shoes and made a beeline for the bathroom. Shedding her clothes one by one, she stood bare in front of the mirror.

Stepping into the shower, she turned on the water and let it cascade over her, washing away the grime of the day. Amidst the gentle spray, thoughts of Seok-Woo lingered in her mind.

Despite her intrigue, she pushed aside the urge to dwell on him further and focused on cleansing herself thoroughly.

After finishing her shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and made her way to her room to dress. Within minutes, she settled for comfortable attire—just her bra and panties, complemented by a refreshing face mask for some much-needed skincare.

Returning to the living room, she switched on the TV, opting to indulge in her favorite show instead of succumbing to sleep. The remnants of intoxication still lingered, but she pushed them aside, determined to unwind with her evening entertainment.

As Hae-Jung was engrossed in the drama playing out on the screen, her phone suddenly rang, disrupting her focus. Glancing at the device, she swiftly reached for it to check the caller ID.

Observing that it was Gyeong-Eun calling, she quickly answered and brought the phone to her ear, eager to hear her friend's voice.

"Have you arrived home?" Gyeong-Eun's voice sounded through the phone, her tone stoic. Meanwhile, she was seated at her place, casually crossing her legs, completely naked.

Hae-Jung then replied, "I have, but barely unscathed," to Gyeong-Eun, who frowned in concern and continued to inquire, "What happened?"

"Well..." Hae-Jung began, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before recounting the recent events.

As Gyeong-Eun listened, her frown deepened, clearly surprised by the ordeal Hae-Jung had faced. After Hae-Jung finished, Gyeong-Eun asked once more, "Then what happened to those thugs? How did you escape unharmed?"

"It's thanks to your student, Seok-Woo," Hae-Jung explained. "He handled them quite severely." She vividly recalled the chaos of the altercation.

Gyeong-Eun's surprise turned into concern as she asked, "Is he injured? How is he?"

"He's unscathed," Hae-Jung reassured her. "But he looked entirely different during the confrontation."

Gyeong-Eun sighed in relief, grateful that Seok-Woo was unharmed. However, she wanted to know more. "What do you mean by different?"

"I can't quite explain it," Hae-Jung admitted. "But he seemed... intimidating. I even took a step back when he approached me." She described Seok-Woo's demeanor during the fight, conveying his emotionless and indifferent appearance.

Gyeong-Eun tried to picture Seok-Woo based on Hae-Jung's description but couldn't grasp a clear image. Nonetheless, she was relieved that both Hae-Jung and Seok-Woo were safe.

Deciding to change the subject, Gyeong-Eun steered the conversation away from the unsettling topic, a sentiment shared by Hae-Jung.

As Seok-Woo drove back home, the two continued their conversation. With light traffic, it only took a few minutes for him to reach his destination.

As soon as he parked the car in the garage, Seok-Woo stepped out and headed towards his house, carrying a plastic bag of clothes that had unfortunately gotten wet.

Upon entering, he noticed the television was on. Approaching it, he saw his mother, Chae-Yoon, engrossed in the show.

Sensing his presence, Chae-Yoon turned around and stood up to greet him, wrapping him in a hug. "How was your first day at school?" she inquired, her eyes filled with curiosity as she held onto him.

"It was... something," Seok-Woo replied, his mind replaying the events of the day.

"How did it go with Gyeong-Eun? I heard you're one of her students," Chae-Yoon asked, eager for details.

"Well, you were right about her," Seok-Woo responded, prompting a sigh from Chae-Yoon.

"As expected. I hope your impression of her isn't too negative. She's always been like that, even with us," Chae-Yoon expressed, concerned about Seok-Woo's perception of their teacher.

"I didn't mind her at all, so it's fine," Seok-Woo reassured her, earning a nod of approval.

As they hugged, Seok-Woo couldn't ignore the sensation of Chae-Yoon's chest against his. Suppressing his desires, he gently pulled away from the embrace, prompting Chae-Yoon to do the same.

"Where's Father? Is he still at work?" Seok-Woo inquired, curious about his father's whereabouts.

"Your father is upstairs, already in bed. He came home early today," Chae-Yoon informed him, surprising Seok-Woo.

Following this exchange, Chae-Yoon delved into a discussion about Seok-Woo's classes, asking about new friends and other experiences.

Seok-Woo fielded her questions, deliberately omitting any mention of Sunhwi or the events involving Hae-Jung. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary worry for her.

After a brief exchange, Seok-Woo decided to call it a night. "I'm heading up to my room to get some sleep. Good night, Mother," he announced.

"Of course, sleep well. I'll go after I finish this show," Chae-Yoon replied, offering a wave as Seok-Woo ascended the stairs. He nodded in acknowledgment before making his way upstairs.

In his room, Seok-Woo deposited his damp clothes in the laundry basket before beginning to undress. Soon, he was down to his underwear, settling on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.

He sighed, "What a day," recalling all the people he had met and the moments he had encountered. He smiled as he reminisced, shaking his head in an attempt to dispel these thoughts.

Afterward, Seok-Woo powered up the system, crossing his arms as he examined the screen in front of him. With his mind, he navigated to check how many rolls he had accumulated for the Gachapon machine, wondering about the quantity he would receive in one day.

Upon arrival, he looked at the screen and was pleasantly surprised.

"Available Rolls: 122."

Impressed by the amount he had acquired, he wasted no time and proceeded to spend them all at the Gachapon machine.

As the machine sprang into life, he watched as each prize ball emerged one by one. Anticipating that it would take a while, he reclined on his bed and closed his eyes, waiting for the process to finish.

After a few minutes, he woke up and examined all the prize balls in front of him. Without expecting much, he proceeded to open each one, hoping to find some useful modifiers among the rewards.

"Congratulations, you've gained 10 KRW!"

"Congratulations, you've gained 1 KRW!"

"Congratulations, you've gained 1 KRW!"

"Congratulations, you've gained 10 KRW!"

As he scrolled down the list, he was surprised to receive this as a reward.

"Congrats, you gained ownership of a 5 Star Hotel!"

"Congrats, you gained ownership of a Karaoke Box!"

"Congrats, you gained ownership of a Snack Bar!"

"Congrats, you gained ownership of a PC Cafe!"

While he was delighted to receive it, he decided to leave them as they were for now. He would attend to these places tomorrow or in the coming days.

Once all the prizes were opened, he sorted them straight into his inventory.

Next, he navigated to his inventory and scanned through the items he had received. Once again, he found himself amused by the eclectic assortment.

An AK-47, a Modern Tank, a Spatula, a Blindfold, Handcuffs, a Rusty Fork, Canned Goods, a Sports Motorcycle, and Rope were among the quirky items he had acquired from the Gachapon machine.

"A tank? I'll never dare to pull this out in public, except maybe in dire circumstances," he chuckled to himself, slightly dumbfounded by the unexpected gift.

He then retrieved the Rope from his inventory and, with a simple thought, materialized it in his hand. Examining it closely, he pondered its potential uses.

"This could be handy for various purposes," he mused, testing its durability with a gentle tug.

After a brief moment, he carefully coiled the rope and stowed it away neatly in the closet. Returning his focus to his newfound rewards, he recalled a previous reward he had received.

With a few seconds of contemplation, he materialized them into reality.

In one hand, he held a 9mm pistol, and in the other, a magazine for it. He examined the gun first, then shifted his attention to the magazine, extracting a bullet before briefly putting it back.

Placing the magazine inside the gun, he cocked it with a click. Nodding in satisfaction, he made sure to keep his finger away from the trigger while in the room.

"I'll keep this handy for when it's needed," Seok-Woo thought to himself, intending to carry the gun with him when the need arose to safeguard his life or someone else's.

He hid the gun in a secure place where no one could see it. Afterward, he refocused on his acquired modifiers, eager to review them all.