Free Web NovelSeveral months had passed since Ha Myeonghun entered Cheon Taesan’s household.
Contrary to what he had prepared himself for, he was not ordered to do rough work.
Instead, he was told ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) to focus only on learning the overall business of loan-sharking.
And for some reason he could not quite understand, both of them were treated like real sons.
“Oppa!”
At the sound of Cheon Misook’s voice, Ha Myeonghun turned his head. Her face was full of anticipation.
“You said you have a lot of friends, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s go quickly, okay?”
Seeing her bright expression, Ha Myeonghun allowed himself a small smile.
After walking for quite some time, they arrived at the new home of the orphanage children.
“Wow, this is great!”
“Right?”
“Yeah! Uncles, hurry up!”
In the hands of Manager Paeng’s subordinates were the gifts Cheon Misook had chosen.
They had followed her to protect her, but now they were also reduced to playing porters, hastened on by her urging.
Thanks to Cheon Taesan’s support, the orphans were living in much better conditions than before.
But Misook had insisted she could not go empty-handed, and pestered Cheon Taesan until she was allowed to bring an armful of presents.
On a small playground inside the orphanage grounds, children were running around and playing.
“Hyung!”
“Oppa!”
The moment they spotted Ha Myeonghun passing through the front gate, the children dropped what they were doing and ran to cling to him.
They were young, but still even younger and smaller than Myeonghun himself.
“Don’t you want to let go? Hyung’s getting tired.”
“Hyung! Hyung!”
Cheon Misook, so lively just moments ago, hung back awkwardly, unsure when to step in.
Noticing her hesitation, Myeonghun pulled the children off.
“Enough. I have someone to introduce to you.”
The kids who had been hanging on him let go.
The quick-witted ones ran inside to gather the others.
Once everyone was assembled, Ha Myeonghun took Cheon Misook’s small hand and led her forward.
“This is the daughter of President Cheon Taesan, who supports us.”
All eyes turned to Misook.
“Hello everyone! I’m Cheon Misook. I’ll be visiting often, so please take good care of me.”
Far from shrinking under the weight of all those gazes, Cheon Misook only smiled more brightly.
“I hope none of you keep your distance. I want us to be friends. That’s what I want more than anything.”
Only then did the children approach her. Ha Myeonghun released her hand.
“Uncles, hand over the things we brought.”
Soon, Misook was surrounded by children and laughing happily.
There was no trace of pity or condescension in her eyes as she looked at them.
Pointing to the boxes filled with toys, Misook beamed.
“I prepared these toys because I wanted to get close to you. Let’s play together with them!”
The innocence of children spreads easily.
Cheering at the toys, the kids began to run around the yard with her.
Watching this, Ha Myeonghun found himself smiling without realizing it.
But the happiness was short-lived—an incident struck.
Myeonghun’s expression twisted as he saw a hostile group approaching the orphanage.
“Hey, Seokdae. You go through the hole in the wall right now, run to the Myeongdong office, and tell Manager Paeng. Tell him the young lady is in danger. Hurry!”
Glancing back and forth between the threatening men and Ma Seokdae, Myeonghun’s voice was urgent.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Seokdae immediately dashed toward the wall where the escape hole was.
“Uncles.”
The subordinates who had been watching over Misook turned their heads at Myeonghun’s signal, toward the gate.
They, too, spotted the advancing group and cursed.
“Son of a bitch! You, get near the young lady right now. Lock the door and don’t let her come out no matter what.”
“If a fight breaks out, you protect her first, above all else, understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
The men moved to block the front gate. Their massive bodies nearly filled the entrance.
“Young lady, you must go inside now.”
Still in the middle of her fun, Cheon Misook tilted her head curiously.
Myeonghun urged the kids.
“You all go inside too.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Okay, oppa.”
Her puzzled gaze drifted toward the gate, but Myeonghun stepped in front of her, blocking the view.
Smiling gently, he nudged her forward until she reluctantly began moving.
“Hurry. You can keep playing inside.”
“All right. Come on, everyone, let’s go in.”
Only after confirming Misook had gone into the building did Ha Myeonghun turn back toward the gate.
It was obvious at a glance—they were too few. They could not hold out long.
Locking the building’s door, he called over the oldest of the children.
“Lock every window at the entrance and tell the others not to come out of their rooms under any circumstances.”
“Hyung...”
“It’ll be fine. Just do as I say.”
Though fear gnawed at him, he could not show it in front of the kids.
They trusted him more than anyone—he had to act like the dependable older brother.
He went into the room where the children Misook’s age were gathered, shut the door, and locked it.
Leaning against the door, he looked at Misook and the kids playing with jacks.
‘Will Seokdae make it safely to the office?’
Though there were several men guarding Misook, the approaching group was clearly far larger.
Someone had deliberately targeted her.
There was no other reason such numbers would come to this shabby orphanage.
Looking at Misook tossing the jackstones, Myeonghun swore to himself. No matter what, he would protect her.
Time passed, until suddenly the cheerful chatter of the kids died down.
A sharp sound of breaking glass echoed from outside the door.
“Oppa...”
Now even Misook was feeling it—the fear. She stopped playing and looked at him.
The other children, too, were uneasy.
Forcing a small smile, Myeonghun said,
“Everyone, huddle together in the corner.”
Taking her trembling hand, he met her eyes.
“Young lady, it’s all right. Trust me.”
“....”
Stepping away from the door, he placed Misook behind him.
From behind, he felt her small hands clutching his pants tightly.
But with the shouting and children’s cries outside growing nearer, he could not focus on that.
Soon heavy pounding shook the door.
The thin wood gave way, and several men entered. Their faces were familiar.
“Well, well, look who it is. Boss, that’s him. The brat who cracked your skull and ran.”
“Hah? So it was this little bastard? Damn, what a reunion.”
Grinding his teeth, Myeonghun recognized them. They were President Heo’s crew.
“Got a fire in your eyes for a kid, I’ll give you that. Enough talk. Hand over Cheon Misook and we’ll forget about the past.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
“What did you just say, punk? Mouthy, aren’t you?”
Ha Myeonghun kept their attention with words, trying to buy time.
“Why are you doing this to us?”
“Us? We don’t need you. All we want is Miss Cheon Misook.”
“You think this will just blow over quietly? You know who President Cheon Taesan is.”
Heo burst into laughter. The master of the stray dog was already chosen.
“So that’s it. In just a few months you’ve become Taesan’s little lapdog. But since Taesan dotes on Misook, he’ll have no choice but to give us what we want! Grab her. The bastard’s just stalling for time.”
“Yes, boss.”
The men advanced into the room.
Myeonghun wrapped his arms around Misook and crouched, shielding her.
“Ha! Now that’s a man. I’ll give you that.”
When he would not let go, they began beating him—fists, boots, blows raining down.
His body felt like it was breaking apart, but still he held on.
He had to protect her. He must. Only then could they survive.
Even as fists and feet pummeled him, he never released his grip on Misook.
The room echoed with children’s cries and men’s shouts.
The savage beating left his young body dazed, his vision blurring.
“Damn, stubborn brat.”
No matter how they struck him, Myeonghun only clung more tightly to Misook.
“Forget it. Just stab him once and take her. We wasted enough time.”
Even as his consciousness faded, he caught those words.
But he could not hold on much longer.
‘Seokdae...’
With his friend’s name in his mind, Myeonghun finally blacked out.
“Argh!”
But pain seared through his leg, snapping him awake.
A knife had pierced his left thigh, burning like fire.
“Tough little bastard.”
Even as they sneered, they noticed—despite his semi-conscious state, his hand still clutched Misook’s clothes.
Then suddenly there was commotion outside.
“Heo. You...”
It was Manager Paeng’s voice, like salvation.
“Hyung...!”
Ma Seokdae ran past Heo’s men toward Myeonghun, tears streaming down his face.
Manager Paeng looked at the battered, broken Myeonghun and clenched his teeth.
“Heo, you’ll never die clean.”
With that, Paeng and his men crashed into Heo’s gang.
“Hyung! Hyung!”
On the verge of losing consciousness again, Myeonghun barely held on at the sound of Seokdae’s voice.
“You protected the young lady. You can let go now. Leave the rest to us.”
Truthfully, he had wished someone would help all along.
At last hearing the words he had longed for, Myeonghun gave a faint smile, released everything, and closed his eyes.
“Gasp!”
He woke, glancing around.
Needles were stuck in his arm, his whole body wrapped in bandages. Relief washed over him.
“Haa...”
The evening glow filled the hospital room. Only then did he realize he was alive.
He reached out and brushed Ma Seokdae’s head, who was asleep at his bedside.
‘Are the kids all right?’
He worried about the orphans left behind.
In that moment, he had thought of nothing but protecting Misook.
Now, with the danger past, he fretted over whether the others had been hurt.
“Hyung... don’t die... Myeonghun hyung...”
Hearing Seokdae mumbling in his sleep, tears in his voice, Myeonghun made up his mind.
“Hey, Seokdae.”
At the sound, Seokdae’s eyes flew open.
Seeing Myeonghun awake, he burst into tears.
“Hyung!”
He lunged to hug him, sending waves of pain through his body.
“Ah, damn it hurts! You brat!”
“Hyung!”
The hospital room filled with noise.
A nurse rushed in, then called the doctor when she saw Myeonghun awake. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
“It’s a miracle. I wasn’t sure you’d survive. Heaven must have helped you.”
So said the doctor after examining him.
A rib had punctured his lung, and his left leg had suffered heavy bleeding from the knife wound.
Emergency surgery had saved him, but the prognosis was still uncertain.
“You’ll be in the hospital at least six months. Just being alive is a miracle.”
Leaving those words behind, the doctor and nurse departed.
Silence returned.
‘A miracle...’
Soon, Cheon Taesan arrived, apparently having been informed.
He walked to the bedside, grasped Myeonghun’s hand tightly. His fingertips trembled slightly.
“Thank you, Myeonghun. Truly, thank you.”
He said nothing else, just repeated his gratitude.
“From today, you are my son.”
“President...”
“Yes, speak.”
The cries of the orphans, the feel of Misook’s hand clutching his pants, his own sobs—
it all came back.
He never wanted to experience that again.
He never wanted to endure helplessly, beaten and broken.
Clenching his bruised hand into a fist, he bowed his head.
“I want to become stronger.”
“....”
“I never want to suffer like that again.”
“Myeonghun.”
Lifting his face again, his eyes were resolute.
“I decided to live as your shadow, but I’ve been too complacent. To protect myself and my brothers, I must become strong.”
“....”
“President, will you help me become stronger?”
In his eyes, Cheon Taesan saw the truth.
After a pause, he nodded.
“Yes. If that is what you want.”
“Yes, I want it.”
“Good. I’ll make it happen. But it won’t be easy. You could die.”
“That’s fine. I almost died already.”
Even wrapped head to toe in bandages, he said it playfully, and Taesan allowed himself a faint smile.
As expected, his eyes had not deceived him.
Myeonghun was a sharper blade than anyone.
“Thank you, Myeonghun.”
“I’m only repaying the kindness you’ve shown. Thanks to you, my brothers and I are alive, not starving.”
Cheon Taesan kept his promise.
As soon as Myeonghun was discharged, he and Ma Seokdae left Korea.
Three years later, they set foot back on Korean soil.
“President. Thank you for keeping your promise.”
Taesan had used his money and influence to send them into a special forces unit.
During their training, he had continued supporting Hope Orphanage generously.
Cheon Misook visited whenever she had time, playing with the kids like a true friend.
To the orphans, Cheon Taesan was a father, and Cheon Misook an angel.
“Now it’s my turn to repay your grace, President Cheon Taesan.”
It was then that Ha Myeonghun began acting as Taesan’s blade, his shadow.
