Chapter 1.
My name is Kang Do-jin.
I was only twenty, having just become an adult.
But I was confident that my life would be smooth and free of major difficulties.
I had good reason to think that.
After all, I had earned the chance to enter Seoul National University, a school that only a tiny fraction of people in Korea could get into.
With my sixth sense, I’ll be fine.
I came from an ordinary family. I was an ordinary man.
But if there was one thing that made me different from everyone else,
it was my sixth sense, something so incredible that you could call it cheating and I wouldn’t be able to argue.
Like everyone else, I made a New Year’s resolution.
Please let me get good grades this year.
Once I set that goal, my sixth sense would guide me toward every decision that matched it.
If I came across a multiple-choice question and couldn’t decide between two answers, my sixth sense would immediately tell me which one was correct.
Of course, it didn’t simply give me the answer for free.
I at least had to read the textbook once and have the information somewhere in my head before it could choose the right answer.
Still, that was more than enough.
Other students had to memorize their textbooks as well as their academy books just to get good scores.
I could reach the same level simply by seeing the material once.
Even if things didn’t work out, I could always go into law. I wouldn’t have much trouble making a living.
I didn’t have some unreasonable desire to become better than everyone else, either.
So I was sure I would have a comfortable life.
My parents and brothers don’t have to worry about money either.
Thanks to my ability, my parents’ marinated crab restaurant in Yeosu had become famous as a popular local restaurant.
My eldest brother had worked hard and was now a sales manager at a respectable construction company.
My second brother had graduated from the Korea Military Academy and was serving as a first lieutenant in the army.
In other words, as long as I could take care of myself, there was no major problem with my life.
What a peaceful life.
Of course, getting into Seoul National University made me a little more ambitious.
So after entering the university and looking at the people around me, I decided that I would become successful.
For a moment, I wondered if I had set my goal too high.
But so what?
If it didn’t work out, I could change my goal then.
It wasn’t something I needed to worry about yet.
For now, I also wanted to enjoy my youth in my twenties.
If I was going to become successful anyway, there was no reason I couldn’t enjoy the things everyone else did.
Thanks to that,
I went drinking with a pretty girl after being introduced to her by a university friend.
I fell in love with her at first sight.
And I started dating an angel-like woman.
Gulp.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”
I even spent my first night away from home with my girlfriend.
And with my sixth sense reassuring me, I drank alcohol as well.
Gradually, the atmosphere became more intimate.
Any normal man would have known what was going to happen that night.
Especially because—
My sixth sense says it’s okay, too…
The sixth sense that had always guided me toward my goal of success was telling me something.
That tonight was safe.
That it was okay for me to spend the night with my girlfriend.
The alcohol was starting to take effect.
Our eyes met.
And my girlfriend was so beautiful that she could easily compete with any celebrity.
She was also sweet and lovable.
At that point, there was no way my rationality could remain intact.
If you want to criticize me, then only a man who could have stopped himself in this situation has the right to throw a stone at me.
My sixth sense had never betrayed me before.
So I decided to trust it.
Honestly,
even without my sixth sense, I don’t think I could have held myself back that night.
And with my sixth sense telling me it was okay, who could stop me?
It had gotten an ordinary guy like me into Seoul National University and even helped me start dating such a beautiful and lovable woman.
Surely it wouldn’t guide me toward something that would ruin my life.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
But—
I didn’t know.
I had no idea such a huge upheaval was about to hit my peaceful life.
Because I had set my goal as success instead of a peaceful life, I never imagined something like this would happen.
About a month after our first night away from home—
“…You’re pregnant?”
“…Yes.”
I was stunned.
Had my sixth sense malfunctioned?
My mind was a mess.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
“I’ll take responsibility.”
“…”
My parents had taught me at least this much.
That a man should be capable of taking responsibility for the woman he loves.
That’s right.
She was far too good for me.
I’d use my sixth sense if I had to and somehow take responsibility.
At the time, I didn’t know.
I had no idea just how far beyond my league this woman really was.
***
My lovely girlfriend, Yura, called a taxi.
She looked nervous.
I squeezed her hand tightly.
I was nervous too.
A man who had just turned twenty had gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and now he was going to tell her family.
Honestly, what man wouldn’t be nervous in this situation?
But—
Stay calm.
I was the one who had caused this.
I had to take responsibility.
If I was nervous too, Yura would become even more nervous.
Let’s go and tell them.
I’ll do everything I can.
I’ll tell them that I intend to take responsibility no matter what and try my best to persuade them.
Still,
being a Seoul National University student gave me a little confidence.
There weren’t that many people in Seoul who had graduated from Seoul National University, and at least someone who had been admitted to SNU shouldn’t sound completely unreliable when saying he would take responsibility.
Even if that wasn’t enough, I had to think that way.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to calm my nerves.
It’s okay….
Hmm…
Before convincing Yura’s family,
I think I needed to convince myself first.
Even I was still unsure whether this was really the right thing to do.
Damn sixth sense.
If I blamed myself here, it would only make things worse.
So I might as well blame my sixth sense.
It had given me enough confidence to get all the way into Seoul National University.
And now it was stabbing me in the back at the most important moment.
Haah….
Using protection was essential.
It was obvious.
Of course, we’d been drinking at the time, and it wasn’t exactly the kind of situation where we were carefully thinking about everything.
My sixth sense had reassured me, too.
Ah, I don’t know.
If I started thinking about everything I’d done wrong, there would be no end to it.
For now, all I needed to think about was how to take responsibility.
“Do-jin, I’m on your side too, so don’t be nervous.”
“Of course. If your family doesn’t approve, I’ll take responsibility somehow. Even if it means leaving school and working at a construction site right away.”
“I’ve saved some of my allowance from before, too, so we’ll be okay for now. I’ll support you until you graduate.”
“…Thank you.”
I was slightly taken aback.
Supporting two people’s lives—
No, three people’s lives—
wasn’t going to be cheap.
So when she mentioned having saved allowance, I couldn’t help feeling surprised.
My girlfriend had only just become an adult too.
Of course, she didn’t know much about the real world.
I decided to simply accept the love behind her words.
Her desire to help me somehow.
Please, just don’t let them swing a golf club or baseball bat at me.
Even I thought Yura was adorable.
But an inexperienced young man who had just become an adult was showing up and announcing that he’d gotten their daughter pregnant.
Hmm.
If I were in their position, I might throw a punch too.
So I should be prepared to take a few hits.
Just enough to survive.
As I kept reminding myself to be ready,
the taxi continued moving and gradually left the center of Seoul behind.
Well, houses in Seoul weren’t exactly cheap these days.
After driving for quite a while, we arrived in Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu.
“Hmm…”
I couldn’t help making a low sound.
Wait a minute.
Just how far are we going…?
My family home was in Yeosu, and after coming to Seoul, the only area I really knew was around Seoul National University.
I was certain I’d never been to Seongbuk-gu before.
Still,
I had two eyes.
I could tell that the place we were heading toward was no ordinary neighborhood.
Every time I looked outside, I saw incredibly luxurious houses.
“You’ll be there soon.”
“Really…?”
So…
This neighborhood filled with luxurious houses wasn’t somewhere we were simply passing through.
It was near her family’s home?
I had avoided asking too many questions about my girlfriend’s family because I didn’t want her to feel pressured.
Hmm…
This was a little surprising.
The taxi’s navigation system announced that we were almost at our destination.
I looked out the window.
Forget luxurious houses.
A huge mansion was right in front of me.
And it wasn’t even that far from the center of Seoul.
How rich do you have to be to build a mansion like this in Seoul…?
Suddenly, my Seoul National University degree felt rather insignificant.
The confidence I’d gained from my sixth sense was gradually disappearing.
They say that the more rice a stalk contains, the more it bows its head.
Maybe I should remember that.
Then I heard the navigation system announce that we’d arrived.
Yura looked at me, telling me it was time to get out.
I stepped out.
What stood before me was—
A mansion that would have to rank among the largest mansions even in this neighborhood.
This…
It looked much bigger than my family’s house in Yeosu.
The comparison was almost embarrassing.
“This is your house…?”
“Yes. This is it.”
“…”
Ah.
There was someone who looked like a security guard standing at the gate of the mansion.
And this was Yura’s house?
Hmm…
I’m not going to get beaten to death today, am I?
Or maybe they’ll lock me up somewhere and not let me leave until I’m on the verge of death.
Those didn’t seem like completely unrealistic concerns anymore.
Rather, wasn’t the enormous mansion in front of me even more unrealistic?
The security guard spotted Yura and naturally reported her arrival to someone.
The gate opened.
Yura grabbed my hand and led me inside.
Just now…
Did he call Yura young lady?
…Sixth sense. I wanted to become successful, sure, but this is not what I meant.
There had to be a limit.
Just because I wanted success didn’t mean I wanted to commit a crime.
I never wanted success to come like this.
The odds were probably pretty good, though.
If I could get their permission, I’d become the son-in-law of a chaebol family.
Damn it….
Maybe from now on, I should set more realistic goals for success.
“Do-jin, you don’t have to be nervous. Everyone’s still just a person. I’m still your girlfriend Yura, and you’re still my boyfriend Do-jin.”
“Uh…”
My answer came out a little more timidly than before.
We went farther inside.
Along the way, I saw several employees working in the mansion.
Wait.
Was that the garage?
It was filled with foreign luxury cars.
Even though foreign cars had become common in Seoul these days,
Rolls-Royces, Bentleys…
Cars like these weren’t exactly common.
The things I’d been trying to deny were gradually becoming reality.
Everything I saw was becoming evidence.
Yura was—
What people commonly called a silver spoon…
No.
A diamond spoon.
Stay calm.
They say that even if you’re caught by a tiger, you can survive as long as you keep your head.
Of course,
if I were to make an analogy for my current situation,
it would be more like being dragged into the den of a starving tiger.
And I was the delicious-looking prey, plump and well-fed.
***
Ugh… Stay calm.
Shiver.
Even after pinching my thigh, my body wouldn’t stop trembling.
Was I really shaking this much just because of the mansion?
Damn it.
I wish that were the only reason.
Even after realizing that Yura came from a diamond-spoon family, I had been planning to somehow persuade them.
But this wasn’t normal.
Not only was she from a chaebol family I’d actually heard of,
she even had three older brothers who were significantly older than her.
And Yura was the youngest daughter?
Not only that, she was obviously so lovable and beautiful that anyone would have cherished her dearly.
Yura’s father and mother,
as well as her three older brothers,
were all staring straight at me with sharp, intimidating eyes.
“Phew… All right. Tell me. I know you’re our Yura’s boyfriend. Yura is an adult now, too. She can’t stay under our protection forever.”
“…”
“So… why did you ask all of us to gather here? You may not know this, but… our time is not something to be taken lightly.”
“…”
Yes, I know.
Because what I have to tell you isn’t something that can be taken lightly either.
Ah…
I shouldn’t have told Yura not to give them any warning beforehand.
I had no idea things would be like this.
Gulp.
I couldn’t get the words out.
Then—
“Dad, Mom. I’m pregnant.”
“…”
Yura stepped forward.
She stepped on the accelerator with all her strength.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Hic.
Damn it…
Hic.
Stop.
Hic.
