Chapter 403: Choi Deok-Bae (1)

In the cramped alleyways on the opposite side of Seoul Station, I chased the pickpocket through a maze of twisting underpasses and uphill streets.

However, as soon as I entered a labyrinth of narrow and sloped paths lined with old buildings, I lost sight of him. The maze-like alleyway and buildings made it impossible to find where he went.

"Damn it, where did he go?"

Losing the money was irritating, but the thought of reissuing my ID and credit cards was even more aggravating.

"I guess I'd better start by reporting it stolen..."

Just as I pulled out my phone to make the call, I heard voices not far away.

-

Huff, huff, huff

. Hyung, what are you doing here?

-I was heading home after work and saw you running, so I followed you. What's that? Did you steal another wallet?

-...

-Hey, give it back right now!

-

Huff, huff

. I can't! Wangpal hyung said he'd do whatever it takes if I didn't bring him 200 thousand won by tonight!

-So you think you can just pickpocket someone?

-

Huff, huff.

Hyung, I really don't want to steal either! But... but... there's no other way!

Someone was scolding the pickpocket, who seemed equally reluctant to have stolen my wallet. Although the situation wasn't clear, I followed the voices to retrieve my wallet first.

'

Where are they?

'

As I carefully turned the corner, another narrow alley came into view. At the dead end, a tall man was admonishing the man in the black hat who had stolen my wallet.

The man in the black hat was undoubtedly the pickpocket. However, the tall man was someone I knew.

At that moment, my heart began to pound in my chest. '

Deok-Bae... What are you doing here?

'

Standing at about 185cm with sun-kissed skin and shoulder-length wavy hair, Choi Deok-Bae looked just as I remembered. His chiseled features and thick eyebrows gave him a rugged appearance, but his youthful face revealed his age—just nineteen.

I wanted to call out his name but I held back, worried that shouting his name might make him wary of a stranger.

At that moment, the man in the black hat noticed me. "H-hyung... that's the wallet's owner..."

Deok-Bae, though only nineteen, was being addressed as "hyung" by the pickpocket, who seemed even younger.

Deok-Bae glanced at me before extending his hand toward the black hat. "Dong-Jun, hand over the wallet."

"O-oh, okay."

The pale-faced pickpocket reluctantly passed my wallet to Deok-Bae, who then approached me and bowed deeply. "Mister, here's your wallet back. Just please don't report this to the police. He had his reasons."

The wallet no longer mattered. At the moment, finding Deok-Bae was the real victory for me. Honestly, I felt so relieved that I could have handed the pickpocket some money and danced a jig.

I grabbed Deok-Bae's hand. "I won't report him. But could you give me your phone number?"

"Huh? Why do you need my phone number?"

I quickly resorted to a talent scout's typical approach. "You've heard of street casting, right? With your height and good looks, you'd make a great celebrity. Oh, here's my card..."

In my excitement at finding Deok-Bae, I ended up rambling like an amateur scout trying too hard.

Deok-Bae took the card with a skeptical look and tilted his head. "These things are always scams, aren't they?"

"They're not. If you don't believe me, come to our company and check it yourself. It's called Hoop Entertainment..."

However, before I could finish, the sound of loud footsteps interrupted us.

"What now?"

When I turned around, I could see five bulky men approaching, each holding wooden bats.

"Dong-Jun! We're here to collect the money!"

"A promise is a promise, right~?"

The color drained from the face of Dong-Jun, the pickpocket. It seemed his earlier mention of needing 200 thousand won was related to these goons.

At that moment, Deok-Bae immediately stepped in front of Dong-Jun to shield him.

It seemed like I would have to take out some trash first if I wanted to have a proper conversation with Deok-Bae.

***

I moved closer to Dong-Jun and asked in a low voice, "How old are you?"

"I-I'm sixteen..."

"You're so young. What's your connection with those guys?"

"They're... just older guys from my neighborhood."

"Neighborhood guys? They're clearly gangsters."

"Yeah..."

Dong-Jun explained that he had been forced into pickpocketing by a now-defunct child exploitation ring eight years ago. Stealing my wallet was something he felt he had no choice but to do because of the thugs standing in front of us.

"So that's how it is, huh..."

As I processed his story, a man who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward and yelled, "Hey~ Who are you? You don't look like a friend of Deok-Bae's judging by your outfit."

The solidly built man looked to be in his mid-twenties with cauliflower ears, which was a telltale sign of experience in judo or wrestling.

That's when Deok-Bae stepped in front of me. "Wangpal hyung, leave this guy alone. He's just a passerby."

The man called Wangpal glanced at me. "Ah, is that so? Well then, get lost. But first, hand over everything you've got and strip down to your underwear. Oh, don't worry—we'll let you keep the boxers. Wouldn't want to embarrass you too much."

Deok-Bae leaned over and whispered urgently, "Mister, you need to run. These guys don't mess around. They're real gangsters."

"What about you?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me. Just get out of here."

Though I could tell Deok-Bae could hold his own in a fight, the numbers clearly had him on edge.

Running away wasn't an option for me. If I lost Deok-Bae here, I didn't know when or if I would find him again.

"No thanks. Do you seriously think they'd let me go? They're practically itching to strip me down to my underwear."

I moved to stand beside Deok-Bae and began unwrapping my cashmere coat, twisting it tightly around my left arm. Once bundled, it formed a decent makeshift shield.

Deok-Bae stared at me incredulously. "Mister! This isn't a joke! These guys aren't just threatening with words. They are actual gangsters!"

"Don't worry. They can't do anything to me," I reassured him.

At that moment, Wangpal smirked and started tapping his wooden bat against the ground.

The dull thud echoed ominously.

"Hey~ Is this a reunion or what? What are you two whispering about? Huh?"

I finished my conversation with Deok-Bae. "Let's deal with them first and then we'll talk. Alright?"

Turning to the thug leader, I beckoned him with my finger. "Come on, Wangpal. Show me what you've got."

Wangpal's grin vanished and was soon replaced by a snarl. "This crazy bastard..."

The furious Wangpal barked an order to his crew. "Get him!"

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

At his command, the group charged with their bats raised.

I glanced at Deok-Bae. "Deok-Bae, stay out of this. Just back me up when needed!"

"B-but, hey, mister! Wait a second!"

Leaving behind an alarmed Deok-Bae, I stepped forward without looking back.

The narrow alley left little room for movement, and Wangpal's four goons lined up before charging one by one.

"Hey, man. Save the hero act for the movies!"

Whoosh!

The first thug swung his bat with force. However, in such tight quarters, his angle of attack was predictable. I raised my left arm wrapped in my cashmere coat to intercept the blow.

Thud.

The impact made a dull sound but didn't hurt much.

"Huh? What the hell?"

Before he could react, I stepped forward and landed a straight punch to his jaw.

Wham!

When the direct hit caused his knees to buckle, he crumpled to the ground and fell unconscious. Using my coat-wrapped arm like a shield, I systematically took down the others as they lunged at me.

Thump! Thump!

They fell like dominoes in the narrow alley.

I exhaled, surveying the aftermath. "

Phew~

"

Wangpal's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the... who the hell are you?"

Wangpal stared at me with a mix of confusion and fear clouding his face.

I smirked. "Me? Just a salaryman."

While technically a talent agent, it wasn't a lie: I worked a regular job, after all.

That's when Deok-Bae's anxious voice rang out behind me. "Mister! Wangpal hyung knows judo! Be careful!"

Simultaneously, Wangpal tossed his bat aside with a smirk and stepped forward. "I see you've done some boxing judging by your stance. But let me tell you—when it comes to street fights, judo is king. Come on, let's see what you've got!"

Wangpal raised his hands and took a grappler's stance intending to grab my collar.

Against a skilled judoka, letting him grip my clothing would spell disaster because throws like the shoulder or hip toss could easily follow.

Wangpal's thick neck made him a tough opponent and I wasn't confident a single punch would knock him out. If my strike failed, I would be in serious trouble.

At that moment, Wangpal lunged without warning.

'

I guess I have no choice.

'

I swiftly grabbed a bat one of the fallen thugs had dropped and swung it with all my strength toward Wangpal.

Crack!

"

Ugh!

"

The bat struck his head and Wangpal collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Thump.

Wangpal's massive body sprawled across the alley floor.

"You idiot. Who said I'd fight fair with you?" I remarked.

Though I was a bit worried about potential fallout, there were no security cameras here. I could always feign ignorance later and claim I was too scared to remember what happened.

Fortunately, the swing hadn't been lethal and Wangpal was still breathing although out cold.

Now, it was time to tie up loose ends. When I turned to the witnesses to persuade them, I found Deok-Bae staring at me with his mouth agape. "M-mister, were you in some kind of special forces?"

I shook my head slowly. "Nope. I've been exempted."

***

After subduing the thugs, I immediately called Seo Jae-Ill who sent ten officers to the scene.

"Stay still!" the officers yelled.

Wangpal cursed, "

Ah

, damn it! Why are you arresting just us? We're the ones who got hit!"

The police handcuffed Wangpal and his gang and escorted them downhill.

"You guys already have fifteen complaints filed against you. You're done for, Wangpal!"

It turned out Wangpal and his gang were infamous for terrorizing the residents of this area, and they were known as the "Wangpal Gang." Though small in number, their cruel and exploitative methods earned them a notorious reputation.

I watched as the police hauled off the Wangpal Gang, then dialed Seo Jae-Ill. "Thank you so much, Mr. Seo."

-Don't mention it. But when you have time, I'd like you to drop by for a witness statement. There's also something I'd like to discuss.

"Understood."

-By the way, it seems like you're doing more criminal catching than me. Should I consider retiring as a prosecutor?

"Not at all, sir."

-In any case, please stop by my office even if it's late.

"I will."

Only after ending the call with Seo Jae-Ill did I let out a sigh of relief before turning to Deok-Bae.

Doek-Bae looked at me with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Uh, mister... who are you?"

"I told you. I'm just an ordinary salaryman."

Well, technically, I was a time-traveling talent agent.

Just then, Park Dong-Jun, the pickpocket, dropped to his knees with a thud. "I... I'm so sorry, mister! Please, spare me..."

It seemed seeing Wangpal taken down so easily had left Park Dong-Jun terrified.

I realized that I hadn't formally forgiven him yet as I was focusing on the precarious situation earlier.

Deok-Bae stepped in front of Park Dong-Jun and bowed as he spoke on his behalf. "Mister, Dong-Jun is only sixteen. Please have mercy. If something happens to him, his grandma might not survive. She's bedridden after being hit by a hit-and-run driver, and he's been working to support her."

Tears welled up in Park Dong-Jun's eyes as he stammered, "I'm sorry, mister. Wangpal hyung demanded I give him a cut of my earnings. If I didn't bring the money, he'd beat me senseless. I didn't have a choice... Please don't report me."

I learned that Park Dong-Jun's grandmother was his only family. She had been collecting recyclables when she was hit by a car, leaving her bedridden for days.

A wave of heaviness swept over me. '

Why are there so many despicable people preying on the vulnerable in this world?

'

After letting out a heavy sigh, I stepped past Deok-Bae and placed a hand on Park Dong-Jun's trembling shoulder.

For a moment, the startled Park Dong-Jun flinched, likely thinking I was about to hit him.

'

How could someone so timid manage to pickpocket anyone?

' I wondered.

Instead, I patted his shoulder lightly and helped him to his feet. "Stand up."

"Huh?"

Park Dong-Jun slowly rose wide-eyed like a startled rabbit.

"Relax. If I had planned to report you, I'd have done it when the police were here. I understand your situation now, so stop bowing and apologizing."

Tears streamed down Park Dong-Jun's face. "

Sniff.

.. Thank you... I'm so sorry..."

At only sixteen, he was bearing burdens no one should shoulder alone.

Once I had calmed Park Dong-Jun, I turned back to Deok-Bae. "Now, about what we were talking about earlier. Deok-Bae, how about becoming a celebrity?"

I felt the atmosphere had eased a bit between us after forgiving Park Dong-Jun and fighting alongside him.

However, Deok-Bae scratched his head and rejected my offer without hesitation. "Sorry, but no."

"What? Why not?"

"I... I need to work to support my younger sibling. It's hard enough just to make ends meet every day. I don't have the luxury to dream about being a celebrity."

Deok-Bae explained that he was doing grueling temp work at a warehouse, loading and unloading packages to scrape by.

However, something didn't sit right.

'

A younger sibling?

' I wondered.

In my past life, Deok-Bae had come to Hoop Entertainment completely alone.

That's when a chill ran down my spine.

If he had no sibling in the past, it could only mean that something tragic would happen to this sibling before then.