UR Chapter 75

Chapter 75

“Uh… actually, the blind date you were supposed to have with Kang Soo-hyun… I went in his place. I’m really sorry for deceiving you.”

I-bom spoke politely, using formal speech. His words came quickly, as if he were reciting lines from a script, or perhaps releasing something he had been holding tightly inside. It was the tone of someone who wanted to settle this situation quickly and go home—just like he had been on the day of the blind date.

“Yes, I know. In fact, I was just on my way back from meeting Kang Soo-hyun.”

Eun Beom-ho replied calmly, folding his arms. I-bom seemed to feel a notable unease. Judging from the information Eun Sung-jun had provided and Soo-hyun’s reaction, Beom-ho guessed that Soo-hyun must have some kind of hold over him. Usually, it would be about money, a job, or housing, but the official records showed nothing linking the two. What exactly was hiding underneath? Beom-ho waited for I-bom’s answer.

“You… met Soo-hyun hyung?”

“Yes.”

“Th-then you really know that I went in his place? I-I’m sorry.”

I-bom clasped his frozen hands together tightly and blinked slowly. Seeing this, Beom-ho let out a chuckle.

“Yes, I knew before coming here. But how many times are you going to apologize?”

“S-sorry. I just… I’ve been saying ‘sorry’ a lot. But really… since I tricked you, it’s basically like I scammed you…”

“A scam?”

“…Am I going to jail for this?”

Beom-ho stared blankly at I-bom, wondering what on earth he was talking about. Pathetically enough, I-bom looked genuinely terrified. The way he kept repeating his apologies seemed almost desperate.

“What does going in someone’s place for a blind date have to do with going to jail?”

Beom-ho thought back to his earlier encounter with Soo-hyun. When he handed over his business card, the man’s eyes had lit up as he blatantly looked him over from head to toe. He had assumed that, being another half-dog beastman, Soo-hyun would share a similar temperament—but instead, he had openly displayed crude desires without any attempt to hide them.

“I don’t usually lie… but I deceived you, sir. Either way… it’s like I scammed you. Ah, and if you think I’m a con artist just because I’m a half-blood, well… not all half-bloods are scammers. That’s just prejudice—”

“A scam, huh… I’ve never thought all half-bloods were swindlers. But Kang I-bom… hmm. Do you want to tell me exactly what kind of scam you think you pulled?”

Beom-ho kept his tone soft, hiding his true emotions.

“You know how they say if you turn yourself in, they take it into consideration?”

I-bom said cautiously, as if convincing himself.

“Th-the original blind date partner—that is, you, sir—were only described to me as some gangster thug—no, a big cat predator. Soo-hyun hyung said you were sca…ry. You know, in Aji Village, there are quite a few people who are afraid of big cats.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s very rare to even see a big cat in the village… Anyway, that’s why he asked me to go in his place.”

“He asked? It wasn’t forced?”

Beom-ho hummed thoughtfully, arms still crossed, listening to I-bom’s words.

Those clear, bright eyes, and tightly pressed, even lips. Anyone would think he looked strong and capable, yet at moments like this, he seemed nothing but young and innocent—just like when he had been flustered and sniffling at the blind date table.

What exactly had the people around this kid put him through?

Beom-ho thought of I-bom’s age. Early twenties. He hadn’t gone to university, and apparently had an older brother at a prestigious school as well as a younger sibling. His grandmother was ill, and he had been playing the role of breadwinner since he was young, endlessly working. His résumé had been crammed full of part-time jobs, ranging from just a month to nearly a year each.

Facing such a gentle, mild face—too gentle for his own good—made Beom-ho’s chest ache.

So, because he was scared, Soo-hyun shoved this clueless kid into that blind date instead. What would have happened if a truly ill-mannered beast had shown up?

“N-no, it wasn’t forced.”

Startled, I-bom grabbed his arm.

“Really? If it wasn’t forced, then he should have shown some appreciation. Don’t you think? He was too scared to go himself, so he shoved you into an uncomfortable blind date—he should have done something for you. So, what did he offer you? Money? How much?”

I-bom glanced around nervously, then leaned in to whisper as if afraid someone might overhear.

“I… didn’t take any money.”

“Unbelievable.”

Ha. Beom-ho let the word slip out in disbelief. He had suspected as much, but Soo-hyun turned out to be even worse than expected. Yes, he had called the wrong person due to a name mix-up, but the fact that Soo-hyun had such little conscience made his temper flare.

“I… owed him a favor.”

Thinking the comment was directed at him, I-bom stammered an excuse.

“…I wasn’t talking about you, I-bom. I meant the person who told you to do it. If he’s too scared to go himself and sends someone else in his place, then he should’ve given you proper compensation.”

Beom-ho sighed as he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck.

It was his fault. That was what Eun Beom-ho thought.

He didn’t want to believe that all of this had started just because of the name tag on the convenience store vest Kang I-bom had been wearing. This was his mess, and he had to handle it himself, but the man wedged in the middle—this “Kang Soo-hyun”—was not to his liking. His face wasn’t pleasant, his impression wasn’t pleasant. It was the kind of unpleasantness that came from a mountain lord’s instinctive sense of foreboding.

“You’re not the one I met yesterday, are you.”

Beom-ho openly contradicted him. He didn’t bother with facial expressions or image control—his tone was curt, almost looking down on him. He was essentially saying, I know you weren’t the one who showed up for the blind date with me, so what are you going to do about it? Without the slightest hesitation, he struck at Soo-hyun’s weak spot, his expression cold enough to freeze anyone on sight.

The heavy energy radiating from him surged like waves, crashing down and pressing on Soo-hyun.

“D-Direc…tor Eun Beom-ho…! Cough…! W-why are you… doing this…!”

“Why? Is it because your energy doesn’t mix well with feline beasts?”

Beom-ho laughed coldly.

Soo-hyun coughed and wheezed as if struggling for breath. He clearly didn’t like the situation. Even when recounting what had happened with I-bom at the blind date, Soo-hyun had not been flustered in the slightest—he had even spoken with an air of shamelessness. That easy attitude told Beom-ho everything he needed to know about his usual conduct.

“I’ve met plenty of people like you before.”

The words dripped with contempt. In truth, running a company meant he had encountered people far worse than Soo-hyun—those who lied habitually, felt no pangs of conscience, and acted only for their own gain.

After some thought, Beom-ho handed him a Samho business card.

He could have given him a card from his own company, but he judged that offering the name of a large company Soo-hyun would know well was more likely to loosen his tongue. His guess was spot-on.

Through the résumé and materials passed on by Seol Dae-yoon, Beom-ho already knew the differences between I-bom and Soo-hyun. The man before him looked similar to the person in the photos, but his overall impression was sharper than I-bom’s despite the superficial resemblance. Eun Sung-jun had said he couldn’t tell them apart, which meant they must have looked alike enough to send one in place of the other—at least to other people’s eyes.

“Cough—ugh…! F-fine, I’ll talk…! Just ease up a bit. Adjust your energy… please….”

Soo-hyun’s face had turned bright red as he pounded his chest and pleaded.

“I-it’s not that I was pretending to be the one who showed up that day… I-I was sick! That’s why! Saying it was a lie is too much…!”

He wiped at his sweat with a whine. He knew Beom-ho had deliberately relaxed his aura and then tightened it again just to mess with him, but he still acted brazenly.

“If you’re sick, you might not be able to go. And… don’t we look alike? Sometimes people… mistake us for each other.”

“…I guess you do look a bit alike? Fine, go on.”

He didn’t really think so, but decided to play along. The moment Beom-ho agreed, Soo-hyun started talking eagerly.

“He… he rents a room at my house. Works part-time at a convenience store, no real job. People have been mistaking us for each other since we were kids because we look alike.”

“Is that so?”

Beom-ho listened to him chatter. He noticed that Soo-hyun kept glancing at the car parked nearby, as if expecting a ride, but he had no intention of letting him in.

“But…”

Soo-hyun smiled brightly. Apparently unaware that Beom-ho could raise his aura again at any moment to make things unbearable, he glanced at the tinted passenger seat window and pointed.

“You came here because you’re curious about me, right? That’s what it feels like.”

He put on a pitiful, almost pitiable expression.

“I have a friend in my stock investment chat who works at Donghwa Newspaper, and he told me this.”

“……”

“He said, ‘The beastman family set up a blind date with a half-blood from a commoner family to improve their image.’ At first, I didn’t get it, but after hearing more, it started to sound really familiar.”

“And?”

Beom-ho’s response was lukewarm, as if he couldn’t care less.

“Well, it’s my story, isn’t it? Saying you went on a blind date with a half-blood to improve your predator image. Doesn’t that mean you need me?”

“……”

“I mean, I was a little scared at first, but it’s fine now. You must have had your reasons for choosing me. By the way, when are you going to give me the flowers in your car? You bought them for me, right?”

As he spoke, he boldly placed his hand on Beom-ho’s arm.

Beom-ho narrowed his eyes and firmly pulled his arm away.

“Nonsense.”

“…What?”

“There’s only one reason I came looking for you, Kang Soo-hyun. Improving my predator image? I couldn’t care less about that.”

That settled it. His bad feeling had been right. He had sought out this man to find out exactly how things had gone wrong, but the shameless tone and attitude were unbearable. He brushed off Soo-hyun’s touch as though shaking off something that should never have made contact with him.

“Apologize to I-bom. Because of you, Kang I-bom is the one who suffered.”

“W-what? What the hell! Hey! Wait—how do you even know his name—”

Letting Soo-hyun’s voice fade into the distance, Beom-ho opened his car door.