Chapter 73: The Hero’s Footwork (Part 3)

Ji-eun desperately dodged Shihyun’s punches.

“Eek!”

Of course, effort alone didn’t guarantee success.

It was only natural.

These were the punches of a Hero (with three years of experience).

Even if Ji-eun was a top-ranked Platinum player in multiplayer, dodging the punches of a former Hero (Hero Punches for short) was extremely difficult.

Thwack!

So, Ji-eun had no choice but to endure the onslaught for a while.

“Ouch!”

However, that didn’t mean Ji-eun just stood there taking the hits.

‘Footwork, I’m learning footwork…! This is training…!’

Most people instinctively close their eyes when something flies at their face. It’s human nature.

But Ji-eun kept her eyes open even while getting punched. She didn’t flinch at the relentless attacks and tried her best to keep her eyes on Shihyun’s fists.

‘Don’t miss it…! I have to see it through…!’

Even though Shihyun hadn’t explicitly said so, Ji-eun instinctively realized that to properly learn this ‘lesson,’ she had to face the attacks head-on and not cower.

‘This is a test. I have to figure it out myself!’

It only has value if I realize it on my own!

That’s how Ji-eun interpreted it.

And,

Surprisingly (truly surprisingly!), Shihyun’s teaching method was working!

Whoosh!

Ji-eun started dodging Shihyun’s punches.

‘Now!’

She barely dodged an incoming punch.

Of course, since the next punch came flying immediately after, she couldn’t even dream of counterattacking or doing anything else… But still, it was a start.

‘It…it’s really working!’

Gradually, the number of punches Ji-eun dodged increased. The more she dodged, the more composed she became, and that composure led to even more successful dodges!

Ji-eun exhaled roughly and her eyes sparkled.

‘Learning from Shihyun was the right choice.’

Learning by having it ingrained in her body like this would make it impossible to forget. She didn’t know the exact principle behind it, but as long as it worked, it didn’t matter.

‘Enlightening teaching! It seems like the time Shihyun spent learning teaching methods was really effective.’

Ji-eun felt sorry for getting angry earlier.

…Of course, it was a misunderstanding.

“Oh, right.”

The reason Shihyun didn’t give Ji-eun any tips was simply because she was too engrossed in teasing her and forgot.

‘But if she’s learning well on her own, isn’t it fine?’

As long as she’s learning, that’s all that matters, right?

That’s what Shihyun decided to think.

It felt like she was making excuses for her mistake, but that must be a misconception.

“Now, now, keep moving.”

[Lol]
[If you don’t move, you’ll get hit by a Shihyun-Punch lol]
[Shihyun Punch!!!! Shihyun Punch!!!! ]
[Learn footwork quickly, Ji-eun!!!!!!!!]

And fortunately, it seemed like no one had noticed Shihyun’s mistake yet. Not Ji-eun, who was dodging the punches, nor her viewers.

…Or maybe no one cared.

Well, it was a good thing for Shihyun.

After teaching Ji-eun footwork for a while,

[Shihyunie’sLongswordCleaningCrew donated 3000000 won!]
[Shihyun Punch!!! Shihyun Punch!!! Shihyun Punch!!!]

“Huh?”

3 million won?

Shihyun stopped punching and her jaw dropped.

A big spender had suddenly appeared.

“Good, good!”

An executive desk made of a sophisticated blend of wood and glass, clearly worth a fortune.

The office supplies on the table were all expensive. The monitor was Samsung’s flagship model, and the keyboard and mouse were also their top-of-the-line products.

The speakers were Delman’s high-end model, but that was unavoidable, as Samsung’s audio equipment division was somewhat lacking in performance.

Behind the desk, filled with items worth as much as two or three sedans, sat a man who appeared to be in his mid-30s.

Wearing a custom-made Italian suit and a watch worth more than an apartment in Gangnam on his wrist, the man’s attire, even in his everyday life, clearly showed his social standing.

The man’s name was Seo Jaehoon.

The chairman of Samsung Electronics, arguably the best company in South Korea, and the owner of the great Samsung Group.

“You’re doing great! Just a little bit more!”

However, despite his prestigious title, the man’s current behavior was quite strange.

His usually sharp eyes were slightly unfocused, and his usual calm and composed demeanor was nowhere to be seen. He was frantically punching the air while staring at the monitor.

This was a side of him that was never shown to the media or the public.

And it was a side that should never be revealed.

It was only natural.

“Yes! Dodge it!”

…Even in this changing world, how could he, the chairman of Samsung Group, show the public his obsession with an internet streamer?

The monitor Seo Jaehoon was watching displayed a woman punching. It wasn’t a YouTube video. The ‘Tricky’ media company logo and the Live icon at the top of the screen proved that it was a live stream.

And the title of the broadcast at the bottom read:

[Shihyun13’s Hero Swordsmanship Lesson with Ji-eun, Day 1]

That’s right.

Seo Jaehoon, chairman of Samsung Group, a company with a market capitalization of 748 trillion 671.1 billion won, ranked 11th among the world’s largest conglomerates, and the undisputed number one company in South Korea, was a die-hard fan of Shihyun.

“Shihyun Punch! Shihyun Punch! Shihyun Punch!”

Seo Jaehoon chanted ‘Shihyun Punch’ as if cheering at a sports game. His eyes were practically glowing; he was completely engrossed in the broadcast.

“…”

President Jeong Kwangjae, a middle-aged man standing across the desk, sighed inwardly as he watched Chairman Seo Jaehoon.

‘This is painful to watch.’

What in the world was he doing?

No matter how much times changed and people’s perceptions shifted, this was a bit much.

The head of a major conglomerate was obsessed with some woman, not even a celebrity, but an internet streamer, watching her broadcast for hours without doing any work.

It wasn’t an exaggeration.

Whenever Shihyun started streaming, Chairman Seo Jaehoon would immediately connect and watch until the end.

He even cleared his entire schedule on Shihyun’s regular streaming days just to watch her.

For those working under him, it was a truly bewildering situation. The chairman wasn’t working! Because he was watching that broadcast!

‘Is this because I’m old? Can’t I keep up with the times?’

The aging president, nearing 60, massaged his furrowed brows in anguish. Perhaps it was his age, but he still couldn’t understand young people.

‘This is all my fault. It’s all because of me.’

President Jeong Kwangjae lamented.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. In a way, it was President Jeong Kwangjae who had led Chairman Seo Jaehoon down this hellish path of being a treus (that’s what they called people with this kind of behavior).

‘I’m a sinner.’

Chairman Seo Jaehoon had attended his grandson’s wedding as a guest, and his grandson’s careless remark had started it all.

It began with a conversation about how the Samsung-sponsored professional gaming… pro gamer… whatever team was underperforming. The topic shifted to the rising popularity of Arfellium Saga (which was understandable, as Chairman Seo Jaehoon was a fan of games), and that led to the mention of a rising gamer.

“I can’t stand it. Donation, I must donate!”

That’s where the nightmare began.

After watching the broadcast of some female gamer named Shihyun or Jihyun, Chairman Seo Jaehoon went completely off the rails.

He suddenly ordered the entertainment company to pursue a strange contract and started replacing the office monitors, which were originally low-end models, because he needed to watch broadcasts.

All of this was just to watch ‘Shihyun’s’ broadcasts.

The final straw was when he ordered high-end audio equipment because he needed to hear her voice more clearly. President Jeong Kwangjae drank himself into oblivion at his regular bar after hearing that news.

But it was too late.

“If I donate too much, our Shihyunie might be surprised… So, let’s see… how about 3 million won? This is… nerve-wracking. My first donation. Isn’t it, President Jeong?”

“…Indeed, Chairman.”

Chairman Seo Jaehoon had gone ‘crazy,’ and President Jeong Kwangjae had to bear the responsibility.

…Although he had no idea how he was supposed to do that.