How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 36. The Cube

‘H… high schooler?’

The thought nearly slipped out of my mouth in that instant.

‘A first-year, no less?’

Yu Eun-ah, barely managing to keep her lips sealed, stared at Kim Do-jin with a bewildered expression.

‘How can a first-year be involved in something like this…?’

What she had thought was a considerable age gap turned out not to be an age gap at all.

“Is there a problem?”

“Uh? Oh, no. It’s just that….”

At Kim Do-jin’s inquiry, Yu Eun-ah trailed off, lost in thought.

If he truly is a first-year high school student, what kind of authority could he possibly have to propose a contract of such immense scale at that young age?

‘He said his name was Kim Do-jin… Ah!’

Suddenly, the name and face felt familiar, and only now did she understand why.

Kim Do-jin, the third son of Kim Mu-ho, the chairman of the ‘Myeongseong Group.’

‘Right. It was him! But… wasn’t that Kim Do-jin known as a reckless troublemaker?’

Yu Eun-ah stared at Kim Do-jin for a moment, her expression a mix of confusion, before shaking her head to clear her thoughts and spoke.

“Are you perhaps related to Chairman Kim Mu-ho of Myeongseong Group…?”

“Yes. He’s my father.”

“Ah, I see….”

Even though she had anticipated the answer, Yu Eun-ah stammered in surprise.

“……!?”

Suddenly, she noticed someone standing behind Kim Do-jin from the very beginning.

“But who is that person…?”

Before Kim Do-jin could say anything, the figure spoke up.

“I’m Jin Seo-hyun,” they said, raising a hand as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“She is the dedicated secretary in charge of the young master’s affairs.”

Yoon Ah scratched her head, puzzled by the incongruity of the statement with the neat appearance of the speaker.

“Excuse me? Ah, yes….”

Kim Do-jin shot a sharp glance at Jin Seo-hyun before turning back to Yoon Ah.

“She may seem a bit odd, but her work capabilities are exceptional. You will be seeing a lot of her, so please bear that in mind. Now… shall we head to the research facility right away?”

It was a swift and decisive proposal.

Though it felt rather abrupt, Yoon Ah quickly brightened and replied.

“Yes. That sounds great!”

Thus, Yoon Ah, Kim Do-jin, and Jin Seo-hyun set off in a car, heading straight to the research facility.

The facility was located in the ‘Myeongseong Tower,’ the headquarters of the ‘Myeongseong Group,’ specifically spanning the 70th, 71st, and 72nd floors of the 100-story tower.

“Wow….”

As Yoon Ah stepped onto the 70th floor of the research facility, she couldn’t hide her awe.

The facilities were far superior to what she had anticipated, and it was more than sufficient for immediate work.

“This is incredible. The basic equipment is all top-notch, and there are many rare specialized devices… how on earth did you manage to prepare all this…?”

Jin Seo-hyun, grinning with a sly smile, explained as Yoon Ah touched the experimental equipment with a look of astonishment.

“Actually, this was the facility used by the technology department of the Myeongseong Guild. From our perspective, it was a fortunate timing. Recently, due to management reasons, that department underwent a major restructuring, and during that process, the young master managed to acquire this facility in its entirety.”

Now that she thought about it, she had heard something along those lines before.

Thanks to the successful commercialization of the ‘Portal’ technology by ‘Ronan Industry,’ the Myeongseong Group’s position as the number one in the business world was under threat, prompting them to significantly increase their investment in the field of magical engineering once again.

In any case, if this facility was used by the technology department created to counter ‘Ronan Industry,’ it would be more than adequate for work.

Yoon Ah nodded in understanding and said, “I see. So this place is…”

“Not much different from an ‘archive,’ I would say. The magical engineering research and development company of the Myeongseong Group, ‘Cube.’ As confirmed in the contract, you, Yoon Ah, are the head of the research facility, and the young master is the de facto president.”

The more she learned, the more astonishing the organization became.

Yoon Ah turned to look at Kim Do-jin with a face full of surprise, and he replied with a light smile.

“Cube. Do you like the name of your new workplace?”

In response, Yoon Ah suddenly clapped her hands and exclaimed.

“Yes! I was even thinking that you must have peered into my mind. It has always been my dream to have a research facility with such a name.”

In truth, it was almost as if he had truly looked into her mind, but Kim Do-jin feigned ignorance and continued.

“Is that so? To think our thoughts align so well, it feels increasingly fated. Anyway, the management side will be handled by Secretary Jin and other experts, so you can focus solely on research and development. And lastly, I would like to make a personal request, if that’s alright?”

A request?

—

Rather, it was with a grateful heart that I wished to do anything for him.

Yoo Eun-ah nodded vigorously, her curiosity piqued. “What is it?” she asked, and Kim Do-jin handed over a pre-prepared blueprint, speaking with a hint of anticipation.

“I’ve gathered the expected materials for now. Is it possible to create this with these specifications?”

As Yoo Eun-ah examined the blueprint, a triumphant smile spread across her face.

“Yes! I will make it even better than that!”

Indeed, it was rewarding to have brought her on board.

Kim Do-jin beamed widely, extending his hand, and Yoo Eun-ah, her face ablaze with enthusiasm, clasped it firmly.

* * *

In the office of Kim Mu-ho, located on the 100th floor of the Myungseong Tower.

“Hah…”

Kim Mu-ho, seated and smoking a cigarette, suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

Just moments ago, his third son, Kim Do-jin, had come to him with an unexpected request.

It was he who had sparked this peculiar laughter.

In truth, the request that Kim Do-jin had made so abruptly was far too flimsy to be accepted from a managerial perspective.

Yet, surprisingly, Kim Mu-ho had granted the request without a word of protest.

After all…

‘Isn’t it rather amusing?’

In fact, Kim Mu-ho had long since given up on any expectations for Kim Do-jin.

He was a child who had lost his mother at a tender age, and perhaps it was his own negligence, using work as an excuse to overlook him, that had led to this.

For some time now, he had watched Kim Do-jin veer off course, feeling both guilt and disappointment.

But recently, he had begun to show signs of change, culminating in a visit where he demanded control over the company’s management.

‘What has caused this transformation?’

Had something finally jolted him into awareness?

Or had he merely been pretending to be a wastrel all along?

Kim Mu-ho could not fathom why Kim Do-jin was only now showing a different side of himself.

Yet, in truth, he found that he didn’t care much about the reasons.

As long as he was showing change, that was enough.

‘Cublar…’

Kim Mu-ho continued to review the proposal left behind by Kim Do-jin, unable to wipe the intrigued expression from his face for quite some time.

* * *

Time flowed, and Monday morning arrived.

Yun Yuna rose early as usual, making her way to school, and sat at her desk, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

‘What on earth could she be thinking…?’

Three days prior, the robbery incident at the ‘National Mage Science Research Institute.’

There, Kim Dojin had once again saved Yun Yuna from peril, and once more, he had tried to conceal that fact.

But why?

Did it mean that all those declarations of affection were merely an act?

No, if that were the case, why did he continue to watch over her with such interest?

“…….”

Yun Yuna sighed deeply, bewildered by the sudden change in Kim Dojin’s demeanor.

“Haah…”

How much time had passed since then?

“Hi!”

In a moment, Lee Jinryul burst through the classroom door, waving cheerfully at Yun Yuna.

“Ah! Hi.”

As Yun Yuna returned the greeting, Lee Jinryul ambled over, eager to chat.

“Did you see the news? We were on it.”

“Yeah. Of course, I did.”

“Hehe. Congratulations! Thanks to your performance back then, your followers must have skyrocketed, right? Being pretty really is the best. Meanwhile, Dokgo Su and I barely made a splash, ugh…!”

Lee Jinryul continued to banter playfully for a while, but then suddenly shifted to a serious tone, his gaze intense.

“Anyway, thanks for keeping that incident a secret.”

Yun Yuna had received a request from Lee Jinryul to keep her true abilities under wraps, and she had gladly obliged.

He didn’t seem like a bad person, and she was in a position of having received his help.

“Not at all. I should be the one thanking you.”

Yun Yuna replied promptly, and Lee Jinryul flashed a peculiar smile before returning to his seat.

But it was right after that.

“Hey.”

Hong Hyunhwa, Yun Yuna’s close friend, plopped down beside her with an exaggerated air.

“What’s going on between you two?”

Yun Yuna tilted her head, puzzled by the question.

“What is what?”

Hong Hyunhwa spoke with a look of disbelief at Yoon Yuna, who seemed genuinely clueless.

“You don’t know?”

“No, I mean, what about?”

“The rumors about you and Lee Jinryul.”

“…Huh?”

Yoon Yuna still wore a bewildered expression, and Hong Hyunhwa eventually shook her head in exasperation and began to explain.

It was that, despite usually keeping her distance from male students, Yoon Yuna had been unusually at ease with Lee Jinryul, leading many students to suspect something between them.

“What were you two talking about just now?”

Hong Hyunhwa asked again, her face brimming with curiosity, while Yoon Yuna could only feel a growing sense of embarrassment.

“Wait, are there really people who think that!?”

It was true that Lee Jinryul was a popular boy among the other female students.

His looks were ordinary, but he was considered a strong candidate for the top of their grade, and his cheerful, bright personality was undeniably charming.

Yet, Yoon Yuna had no particular feelings for Lee Jinryul.

She simply treated him comfortably, as he didn’t feel like a romantic interest for some reason, never realizing how that might appear to others.

“What? So you’re saying there’s nothing between you? I thought you were hiding your feelings, which is why I’ve been keeping my mouth shut all this time…”

Yoon Yuna was utterly flabbergasted by the misunderstandings of those around her.

So, she cupped her face in her hands, lost in thought.

‘Then, could it be… that Kim Dojin thinks the same way?’

Just then, as if summoned by her thoughts—

“……!”

Coincidentally, Kim Dojin burst through the classroom door.

“…….”

He glanced at Lee Jinryul as soon as he entered, then turned his gaze to Yoon Yuna.

’W-what is this!?‘

In truth, Kim Dojin had his own reasons for looking at Lee Jinryul, but Yoon Yuna, unaware of this, couldn’t help but jump to strange conclusions.

‘Could it be… that Kim Dojin thinks I like Lee Jinryul too? Then is that why he suddenly started keeping his distance from me…?’

Amidst this turmoil, Kim Dojin wore a somewhat bitter expression as he trudged to his seat, and Yoon Yuna’s mind began to spiral into even greater confusion.