The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 94

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 94. Misjudgment

The Coffee Shop door opened and a young man stepped inside. He glanced around cautiously until his eyes found a woman seated by the window. She wasn’t wearing her usual muted gray; instead, she had on a striking white semi-formal suit, and her neatly tied ponytail left no doubt—it was Kim Hanna.
He approached hesitantly, but Kim Hanna’s response was absolute silence. Arms crossed, legs folded, her face utterly expressionless, she stared straight ahead. Seol Jihoo faltered and sank into the chair across from her like a man condemned.
“Kim Hanna….”
He called her name in a low voice, but her eyes weren’t on him. Whether she was lost in thought or simply absent, she gazed blankly into the empty air.
A heavy silence hung between them. Seol Jihoo’s eyes dropped to the table. The stagnant air felt suffocating and unbearably awkward. He would have preferred the torrent of insults that poured through their phone calls—at least then the atmosphere would feel more natural. Face-to-face was something else entirely.
‘This isn’t good.’
His half-formed plan to smooth things over with a joke evaporated. Despite his love of banter and his usual carelessness, even he understood the difference between a moment to tease and a moment to stay silent.
His heart was pounding so hard he worried the sound might burst from his chest.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking.”
Kim Hanna finally broke the silence.
“Perhaps you believed I was overprotecting you. Of course, I don’t see it that way myself—but entirely from your perspective, I suppose it might have seemed that way.”
Her voice continued quietly.
“In my mind, I thought I was doing it for you, but ultimately what matters is how you received it. By that logic, giving you access to communications was reckless. Using my position as your guardian, I interfered with everything I could. Or perhaps—from your viewpoint—I was trying to control you as I pleased. I can see how you might have thought that.”
Kim Hanna’s tone was grave. Seol Jihoo opened his mouth to protest—to say no, he’d never thought that way—but he froze when he saw her withdraw a White Envelope from her handbag.
“So.”
She set the envelope on the table with a sharp sound, then placed her hand on top of it as if to push it toward him. The veins on her trembling hand stood out beneath the skin.
“If that’s truly what you want….”
“No.”
Seol Jihoo spoke from pure instinct.
“What?”
Kim Hanna’s voice turned sharp as a polished blade.
“I don’t think of you that way now.”
He shook his head and opened his Nine Eyes. The color of the White Envelope shifted. Kim Hanna remained that familiar gold, but the envelope turned a murky yellow. It was the first time he’d ever seen this combination—the Golden Law paired with a warning to be cautious.
“I mean it.”
Seol Jihoo added hastily. He didn’t know what was inside the envelope, but he had a profound, almost crushing sense that he mustn’t accept it. The moment he took it, he felt certain—though he couldn’t say why—that Kim Hanna would leave him.
“If you don’t think of me that way….”
Kim Hanna’s eyebrows shot up sharply. For the first time since the young man had entered the Coffee Shop, she met his eyes directly.
“Then you’ve been acting like you do.”
The cold gleam in her gaze made him shrink like a frog confronted by a snake. The only consolation was that her grip on the yellow envelope seemed to have loosened slightly. But she hadn’t removed her hand yet.
Tap-tap-tap-tap. She drummed her index finger rapidly on the envelope before speaking.
“How was it?”
“Hm?”
“Those eight days. You must have come close to death more than once, and I’m sure you found it exhilarating. The thrill of walking the line between life and death—the rush, the electric feel of every moment. And you had a beautiful princess there too, didn’t you? All things considered, you must have had quite the adventure.”
“Don’t say things like that.”
Seol Jihoo let out a bitter laugh.
“It’s true though, isn’t it? If worst came to worst, you could have killed yourself before you were caught.”
“Kim Hanna. I understand you’re angry. I broke my promise, and I was wrong a hundred times over—that’s true. But I’m not some lunatic who craves danger, and I’m certainly not someone who enjoys death.”
At Seol Jihoo’s earnest tone, Kim Hanna’s expression softened slightly.
“That experience was a nightmare. The path ahead was dark, hunger gnawed at me, my throat felt like it was tearing apart from thirst, my body ached, and living on the run meant I couldn’t sleep in peace. It was entirely my own fault, but there were more than one or two moments when I wanted to die of despair. Yes. A nightmare so horrific I never want to live through it again.”
Tap-tap, tap-tap. The rhythm of her drumming gradually slowed. Kim Hanna squinted one eye slightly.
“You’re saying no? Think about it carefully. Of course, it might have been painful at the time—but now that it’s over, don’t you feel something like that?”
“Like what?”
“You know. A sense of accomplishment. Or pride. At the very least, that it was a good experience. Things like that.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Seol Jihoo waved his hand dismissively, offering a hollow laugh.
“I don’t feel that way about my military service either. And I’ve told you—ten years, fifty years from now, I still won’t feel that way.”
“Really? Truly not?”
“You don’t understand. The fact that I survived and returned here, eating rice, drinking water, sleeping in a bed, talking to you—it feels like a dream. I’m happy. So happy that sometimes I’m afraid: when I open my eyes, will I still be there? There are moments when the anxiety overwhelms me.”
Tap, tap. Her drumming became noticeably slower. Kim Hanna studied him intently, as if trying to see through him, and her expression grew increasingly confused. Her eyes narrowed as she gnawed her lower lip, utterly lost.
“Then what is it?”
“What?”
“Why did you leave, if not for any of those reasons? Money? No—a man obsessed with money wouldn’t have refused a bag of it. Fame, then? That’s not it either. The you I know isn’t someone who craves fame.”
…….
“Not honor. Not wealth. None of it. I just can’t understand—no. Fine. Forget all that. If you’re being truthful, tell me this right now.”
She slammed the table, her voice harder than before.
“If something like this happens again, what will you do? Now that you know how terrible it is, you won’t leave, will you?”
“That’s not quite right.”
“What do you mean?”
“It depends on the person.”
Seol Jihoo spoke matter-of-factly.
“If you were a complete stranger, I wouldn’t go. I’m not that good-hearted. But—”
He paused, fixing Kim Hanna with a steady gaze.
“If a situation arose where I had to rescue you, I’d go. By any means necessary.”
“Well, well.”
Kim Hanna’s face said she wasn’t impressed.
“Don’t you think you’ve misjudged the emotional beat here?”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Then explain. I keep asking you why. Why won’t you answer?”
…….
“I’m not your family. I’m not your lover. I’m just someone you happen to know.”
Kim Hanna’s eyes made it clear she still didn’t understand.
“So what’s your reason for saving me? What gives you the right?”
“The Golden Rule.”
Tap. The tapping stopped. Seol Jihoo smiled softly as Kim Hanna’s finger froze mid-motion.
“You’re my Golden Rule.”
Kim Hanna stared blankly at him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse. Seol Jihoo spoke suddenly.
“Do you remember the day we first met?”
“What are you going on about all of a sudden?”
“That day you said something. Instead of giving you an invitation, you asked me to reveal my secret.”
Kim Hanna’s eyes went wide. Her mouth fell open slightly.
“You.”
“Let’s say it’s part of that secret.”
“Hey. Don’t try to brush me off with nonsense. You’re saying you don’t trust me enough to tell me, aren’t you?”
“Don’t put it that way. You were the one who approached me with an ulterior motive in the first place.”
Seol Jihoo’s voice turned sharp.
“I never intended to reveal my secret. Not to you, not to anyone.”
You’re the one who pushed me into that pit in my dreams. He swallowed those words.
“But seeing how you’ve treated me, I’ve begun to think differently. I’m still thinking about it. Whether I should tell you everything. I feel like I could trust you. That’s what’s going through my head right now.”
Kim Hanna tilted her head back. Her eyes darted toward the coffee shop ceiling in confusion.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying… honestly.”
Soon she bowed her head again, cradling her temples in both hands.
“Regardless.”
Seol Jihoo continued.
“We established a new relationship, and I’m the one who broke our promise. That much is entirely my fault.”
A long sigh echoed. Along with the repeated murmur—Golden Rule, Golden Rule.
After a moment.
“…Fine. I get it.”
“Kim Hanna?”
“Be quiet. I’m processing this. Anyway, so you had your reasons for acting the way you did. It’s not an addiction. Fine. Good. Everything’s good.”
Kim Hanna spoke with a voice that had lost some of its edge.
“But I need you to understand one thing.”
She interlaced her fingers and looked directly at him.
“Where there’s no problem, there’s no incident. But you don’t just look for trouble—you walk straight into it with your own two feet.”
“That’s—”
“Don’t say anything. Do you know what I’ve been through recently? You and I are bound by a contract relationship, and your actions affect me too. Whether the outcome is good or bad. I won’t be dragged into any more situations I can’t handle.”
“I promise. There won’t be anything like this again.”
“I doubt it. Besides, I’m not the type to believe people can change their stripes.”
Kim Hanna spoke decisively, yet her expression wavered with hesitation.
“But still… when I look at you, I find myself wanting to believe differently. You’re not the gambling addict I used to know. Right?”
“…Yes.”
“But separate from that, you’ve already broken your promise twice. I despise people who break promises like it’s nothing more than the man who gambles.”
Kim Hanna leaned forward slightly.
“So… Jihoo.”
She grasped both his hands firmly.
“Don’t disappoint me any further.”
The grip transmitted through the back of her hand seemed to say, ‘This is the last time.’
“Please. Just as much as you think I’m special… I don’t want to become a fox even to you.”
Kim Hanna’s alias was Miss Foxy. Hugo had even called her one of the crazy ones. Facing her like this, it didn’t seem like a joke anymore.
So when he nodded slowly, Kim Hanna gradually released her grip. Then she glanced at the White Envelope and,
…….
The conflict lasted only a moment. He reached out and took it into his hand without protest. Watching the White Envelope disappear into her handbag, Seol Jihoo swallowed hard.
‘Is that what the Golden Law is?’
Treat others as you wish to be treated. Remembering those words, Seol Jihoo trembled. All this time, he’d been thinking of the ‘Golden Law’ only in subtly positive terms.
If you give gold to others, gold returns to you. But if you give garbage…?
‘A double-edged blade.’
Suddenly, the meaning seemed to click into place. Just then, after putting her handbag in order, Kim Hanna asked,
“Did you eat?”
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Have you eaten?”
The tension in the air suddenly lifted. A breath he’d been holding without realizing it escaped in a thin stream.
Seol Jihoo scratched his head and answered,
“Not yet.”

The two left the Coffee Shop and moved to a Restaurant. Kim Hanna led him to an upscale ginseng chicken soup establishment called Gyewungung, but could only watch without being able to take even a single spoonful.
Slurp, slurp.
Sip-sip-sip, sluuuurp!
He was practically picking up the whole chicken and tearing into it, swallowing in great gulps. Kim Hanna swore she’d never seen anyone inhale ginseng chicken soup like it was a noodle dish.
“Eat slower. You’ll get indigestion.”
When she poured water into his empty cup, Seol Jihoo, who had been crunching away, quickly drank it and swallowed his food as well. Seeing how he kept glancing nervously even while eating, Kim Hanna shook her head.
“I won’t say anything more. Eat. Eat plenty.”
Instead of burying his face in the chicken again, Seol Jihoo wiped his mouth clean.
“I’m curious about something.”
“What?”
“Did something happen?”
“…Why do you think that?”
“Your temper seems especially bad today.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kim Hanna’s eyes flared. Seol Jihoo quickly redirected.
“No, I mean. You said it yourself earlier. You asked if I even know what happened to you recently.”
At that, Kim Hanna’s eyes narrowed with a bitter look.
“It’s not something I should talk about while eating.”
“It’s fine. I can listen while I eat.”
Kim Hanna licked her lips.
“I just… ran into someone.”
“Who?”
“The eldest daughter.”
He froze mid-motion, the chicken halfway to his mouth.
“The eldest daughter?”
“Who else. Yoon Seora’s older sister.”
“What did she want? Did she break something?”
“She’s not that kind of person.”
Kim Hanna let out a wry laugh and pulled out a document about the size of an A4 sheet from her handbag.
“Two hundred fifty-two million five hundred thousand won. Cleanly converted it to five hundred silver coins.”
“What?”
“Idiot. You know that decorative object you gave me?”
He dropped the chicken he was holding.
“R-really?”
“Yeah. And by the way, I converted all of it to cash. I did it because I needed to. You understand, right?”
Money was never really in short supply back at Paradise anyway. Of course I understand! He was about to shout, but then he paused in thought. Kim Hanna didn’t seem pleased.
“Did someone cheat you out of it?”
“I wish it were that simple. Then at least I’d have an excuse.”
What did she mean by that? He didn’t quite grasp it at first, but he decided to listen.
“The problem started when someone completely squandered the hundred million won I’d given them.”
Seol Jihoo coughed and sputtered, and Kim Hanna let out a bitter laugh.
“Anyway, this money was originally supposed to be paid to you over three years, right?”
“Three years?”
“That’s right. Like a salary, four hundred a month, deposited regularly. And I was planning to adjust everything else through bonuses, various allowances, and commissions and so on.”
Seol Jihoo, whose eyes had been blinking, suddenly understood.
“So you were trying to create a fake employment for me. Like the Shin Young system.”
That wasn’t a bad arrangement at all. When he’d visited before, he’d mentioned getting hired, but the truth was that whenever someone pressed for details, he’d be hard-pressed to answer. Frankly, if they asked where the company was, demanded to see related documents, or wanted to see his salary statements, it would only be a matter of time before the whole thing fell apart.
But with a fake employment set up, everything would be solved. Beyond that, Kim Hanna must have already fabricated the source of the hundred million won itself.
“How do you come up with such clever ideas?”
Kim Hanna snorted and continued.
“Exactly. I wanted to establish the source of the funds and create a stable employment situation for you. That’s why I was planning to push you into a reputable foreign company I know well, but….”

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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