I Woke Up as the Villain

The atmosphere of the office, which had once been destroyed by Do-Jin and was quickly restored, was heating up. The heat was, of course, emanating from Chairman Takaku, whose face was glowing red with rage.

Then, with an idea suddenly occurring to Yu-Seong, he clapped his hands and asked, "I've heard that you are also a player, Chairman. I'm seriously worried about your health. Have you perhaps been to the hospital recently?"

He was indeed pouring gasoline on the fire.

The Chairman, unable to continue his tirade, grimaced while clutching the back of his neck with his left hand.

'If this goes on, that yangban might actually faint...' 

In truth, there had been no instance of a player fainting.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged Japanese man, who had been quietly observing the situation, looked at Woo-Jae with a sharp gaze and said, "A child is a mirror of their parents... Chairman, I wonder if you have other thoughts on that."

"If I have to share my opinion…. I think he's grown up quite well?" said Woo-Jae in Korean.

The man frowned as he said coldly, "I don't speak Korean. Please speak in Japanese."

"Ah, right. You're somewhat lacking in education," Woo-Jae replied in Japanese as he snickered.

Noticing that the man’s frown deepened, Woo-Jae said, "Oh, I apologize for my mistake. I meant to say that in Korean. Please understand. Who do you think the son resembles?"

"..." The man bit his lower lip and clenched his fist as he trembled slightly. His gaze was sharp enough to kill.

"Enough, enough..." Chairman Takaku eventually raised a hand to intervene. He then asked, "We did not gather here to quarrel, did we?"

His words, seemingly declaring a ceasefire, subtly relaxed Woo-Jae's combative gaze.

"So, why did you suddenly start a fight despite not being very eloquent? Tsk, tsk," Woo-Jae said.

Chairman Takaku grasped the back of his neck once again but said nothing further. Recognizing the loss in engaging in this verbal battle, he wisely chose to remain silent. Then, shifting his gaze toward Yu-Seong, he commented, "I've heard you're currently the most admired young player in South Korea.”

Yu-Seong, wearing a satisfied expression, nodded at the statement made in Korean. He then asked innocently, "Me? Wasn't I sealed for three years?"

"Well... I mean, excluding geniuses who've already reached world-class, like Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk," Takaku continued.

Even though the pair’s advancement to EX-rank was not yet public knowledge, these two were already referred to as 'world class'.

‘Those kiddos really have grown so much.' 

The fact that they had become such powerful players in their early twenties, powerful enough to slightly intimidate the prideful chairman of the top corporation in Japan, filled Yu-Seong with a strange sense of awe.

"More than that, unlike them, you're a chaebol, aren't you?"

"Does the origin even matter? It is the person who matters," Yu-Seong replied.

"Family roots are the basis. It's something you can't easily change."

"Is that so..." Yu-Seong partially agreed with Chairman Takaku's statement. With a shrug, he added, "Rotten roots can't be changed easily, indeed.”

Chairman Takaku cleared his throat several times, feeling a subtle displeasure in Yu-Seong's gaze. He asked, "Did your father tell you why I wanted to meet you?"

"No. I didn't particularly care..."

Seemingly not wishing to continue the conversation, Chairman Takaku looked away from Yu-Seong and turned his gaze back to the middle-aged Japanese man.

After a moment of silence, the man stood from his seat, bowed slightly in Yu-Seong's direction, and introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yamamoto Kyosuke."

"It's a pleasure to meet the renowned Nioh," Yu-Seong replied.

As his opponent had shown some etiquette and admitted his lack of Korean proficiency, Yu-Seong responded in Japanese.

‘I think it's only appropriate to give a firm response to Chairman Takaku, since we started off on the wrong foot in the first place…’

At first, when Yu-Seong first entered the office, he hadn’t noticed much. However, upon a closer look, he didn’t struggle to recognize Chairman Takaku and the famous pride of Japan, Nioh. Why had they come here? The question naturally led to the fact that the young man accompanying them both seemed to be of the same age as Yu-Seong.

To be honest, Yu-Seong really had no idea who the young man was.

'Could he be a new figure who has emerged over the last three years?' 

Nioh, seeming to have sensed Yu-Seong's questioning gaze, gave a nod to the young man.

Despite the somewhat confusing situation, the young man, who had maintained an unchanging expression and firmly held his ground this entire time, stood up from his seat and said, "I am Takeda Yu-Shin, a disciple serving under Master Yamamoto Kyosuke.”

Finally understanding that the young man was Nioh’s disciple, Yu-Seong's eyes widened.

'Ah, come to think of it, he was mentioned in the original novel but with not much detail.’

He was introduced as a young genius from Japan, and he was expected to surpass Nioh and become a rising star in Asia.

"I'm Choi Yu-Seong."

After brief introductions were exchanged, Takeda Yu-Shin took his seat again. He spoke of embarking on his ninja journey, which perhaps explained the palpable weight of the way he carried himself.

"Yu-Shin and you are of the same age."

"Is that so? Is he 22? Or rather, 25?" Yu-Seong inquired, taking into account the three years of being sealed which would make him 25.

"If we consider Korean age... However, in Japan, he would be 23. So, if it's alright to you, I arranged this meeting to foster a connection between you and Yu-Shin, and also to propose a friendly duel," Nioh said.

"I see."

Afterward, the silent Chairman Takaku stepped in to say, "Yu-Shin is currently the most prominent talent in our country. If you have a friendly duel with him, it would be a huge event.”

"So what do you plan to do?" Yu-Seong asked.

"We want to broadcast it. It's not going to be a regular or repeated event, but you have a NewTube channel, right?"

"So you want to broadcast the duel live?"

"I've heard that you even have a filming crew."

After Yu-Seong's disappearance, it was said that Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, the two reporters, had been anxiously waiting for his return.

Listening to the man’s statement, Yu-Seong could clearly read Chairman Takaku's intentions. Chairman Takaku would grant him the rights to filming and broadcasting, as long as he agreed to a live broadcast of the duel between the two. Implicit in the Chairman’s words was a clear message.

'So you are confident enough, huh?' 

In fact, it made sense. Takeda Yu-Shin, the player, was hailed as a young genius of Japan. After all, he had already reached the rank of S at the age of 23. Although he might not have reached the level of Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, he undeniably possessed remarkable talent.

'And recently, the status of Korean players has risen quite a lot.' 

This was unsurprising with the successive rise of super rookies like Do-Jin, Yu-Seong, Ye-Ryeong, Jin-Hyuk, and even Bernard who was actively competing in the United States as a proud Korean.

Naturally, being a neighboring country, Japan couldn't avoid being compared, and the nation sought a hero to uphold its pride. And who better to fulfill that role than Takeda Yu-Shin himself.

'It seems that I have been chosen as the opponent.' 

Upon reflection, the reason was almost laughable.

'A former genius from a South Korean conglomerate family.' 

Moreover, Yu-Seong was popular enough to create a significant buzz. This was a superficial reason that could be easily speculated, and as for the most important reason…

'Because I am the easiest to beat.' 

Yu-Seong had technically been on a three-year hiatus. In comparison, dealing with externally renowned SS-ranked players like Ye-Ryeong, Jin-Hyuk, Bernard, and the others would prove to be a daunting challenge. Furthermore, Do-Jin was recently reported missing. Hence, the Japanese opted for Yu-Seong, who had recently reappeared. Although there might have been some criticism from around, winning could help them win their pride back.

'It's a pretty sharp calculation, but...' 

They had picked the wrong opponent. Perhaps having the same thought, Woo-Jae’s lips soon curved up into a smile as he asked, "So you're saying that you'll give us all the filming and broadcasting rights in return for a public duel?"

"Yes, since we are the ones asking for a favor here," Chairman Takaku said with a snake-like smile.

Woo-Jae casually nodded in response. He said, "It's not a bad proposal.”

There was no chance of him losing, which was why Woo-Jae wouldn't simply let an opportunity like this slip away. Yu-Seong firmly believed that was the reason why.

"However, just doing the duel itself would be boring, so how about we place a bet between us?" Woo-Jae asked.

"A bet?"

After a brief look of contemplation crossed Chairman Takaku's eyes, he asked, "How much are we betting?"

Indeed, it was a confrontation between two chaebol chairmen. It was nonsensical to wager a small amount.

"10 billion dollars."

"...What?"

The suggested amount was over 10 trillion won in Korean currency, and Chairman Takaku's official personal assets amounted to around 60 trillion won. Subtracting 10 trillion from that would inevitably cause him to feel a burden. It was as if a chunk of his assets would be shaved off.

"Why? Are you scared?" Woo-Jae asked.

"Hmm..."

"If you feel burdened by the amount, let's make a deal. Along with one billion dollars… I am aware that you have investments in several businesses within the North American region."

"...And?"

"Give me five of the businesses of my choosing."

"Isn't that too much?"

Any business which had secretly been invested in by Chairman Takaku, a conglomerate leader, would most likely have a significantly higher future value. Besides, Woo-Jae's proposal made the Chairman wonder if there was something he was missing, leading him to feel a chill of doubt.

"Isn't it better than betting 10 billion dollars right away?"

"Hmm..."

"If you're scared, don't do it. After all, we have nothing to lose.”

This novel is available on "pawread dot com".

Woo-Jae had no intention of letting go of his advantage in this situation.

‘Is this what they refer to as an unseen land grab?’

It was a battle among the conglomerates. There were no guns or swords, but someone would inevitably have to bleed. Observing this situation, Yu-Seong had this bizarre scene in his mind.

"If I lose, there's no need for resentment, right? I'll gladly give you 10 billion dollars," Woo-Jae declared, releasing the final arrow he had prepared to seal the deal.

"...What?"

"If you're still scared, there's nothing I can do."

At this point, from a rational point of view, Chairman Takaku was well aware that Woo-Jae's display of confidence was not without reason. Nevertheless, the lure of the prey flaunting its tail before him was too tempting—a staggering 10 billion dollars and the chance to forge a Japanese hero. If Chairman Takaku successfully completed this deal and returned to his homeland, the status of the entire corporation would rise, and it was needless to say that additional income would be significantly generated.

Moreover, wasn't Yu-Seong, the chosen opponent, who had been missing for the past three years? Chairman Takaku's gaze turned toward Nioh, Kyosuke.

Kyosuke nodded, his expression calm and his arms crossed, indicating he had confidence.

After deep contemplation, Chairman Takaku nodded his head in agreement. "...Alright."

Once decided, Woo-Jae did not drag the conversation out. He said firmly, "Let's write the contract now. When should we set the date?"

"We're ready anytime."

"Let's schedule it for two weeks from now," interjected Yu-Seong, who had been silently listening.

In reality, it wouldn't matter if they fought right away. The need for time was for one reason only.

"We should have that much time to advertise and make more profits in various ways."

"We have to allow betting within legal limits since it's going to be a celebrated event."

The conversation between the father and son continued before Chairman Takaku, who had been watching them, said, "Then we will take our leave now. Please send the contract by email."

Since all profits from video broadcasting and betting had been transferred to the Comet Group, there was no room for Chairman Takaku to intervene.

“Take care.” Woo-Jae gently waved his hand.

Just as the three were about to rise from their seats to depart, Takeda Yu-Shin, who had been observing Yu-Seong, said, "I will win."

He tried his best to remain calm, but there seemed to be an angry undercurrent, likely a result of witnessing the disrespect shown toward his esteemed Chairman Takaku and Kyosuke.

Taking in the young man’s demeanor, Yu-Seong nodded his head in response. "Good luck."

With a frown on his face, Takeda Yu-Shin and the other two Japanese men exited the office.