Slacks and a white shirt. I stand before the mirror, tidying my appearance in a clean-cut, utterly uninteresting outfit.
It's an unsuitable outfit for a tutor, especially a Hunter tutor who needs to move vigorously, but it'll probably be fine.
Because what Kim Eunbi's father, Kim Yong-un, truly wants isn't that at all.
"He must be quite curious."
How curious must he be to put in a designated request just to invite me?
It seems he wants to see what kind of man his daughter has fallen head over heels for.
"I should oblige him."
And in a big way, too.
I understand the father's feelings.
How could I not understand?
I, too, was once a father with a daughter I cherished more than life itself.
Even now that our ties have loosened, the thought of her marrying some good-for-nothing scoundrel makes my blood boil. Imagine how much worse it is for a father in his shoes.
"My outfit is good enough."
After tidying my hair, I immediately leave the house.
I set her home address, saved in my navigation system, as my destination, then take the wheel.
As I slowly drive out of the alley, the faces of a rather peculiar brother and sister come to mind.
Kim Eunbi and Kim Jeonghun.
I wonder what their reactions will be like throughout our time together.
"Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face."
I'm really looking forward to it.
"Everyone, please hurry a little more!"
"Yes, Madam!"
The household staff at Kim Eunbi's house moved busily.
Managing the garden, deep cleaning, preparing food...
Of course, they weren't the only ones busy.
Ahn Juri, the lady of the house, was busy giving instructions to the staff and looking after her family.
"Honey, you should change your clothes soon. You're not planning to greet our prospective son-in-law in that outfit, are you?"
"What's wrong with this...?"
"At. The. Very. Least! I'd like you to wear a proper shirt."
"R-right, I will."
Kim Yong-un was nagged into changing his clothes by his wife.
"What should I wear? What should I wear so Dojin will think I'm pretty? I need to do my makeup too?! Ugh, seriously! Why do I have nothing to wearrrr!"
For the formal meeting—no, just the meeting—that had come about faster than expected, Kim Eunbi was frantically rummaging through her entire wardrobe first thing in the morning, desperate to find an outfit that would make her shine today.
And Kim Jeonghun?
"Fuck, fuck, fuck...!"
He sat in his room, struggling to quell the ceaseless surge of anger.
He hated everything about the situation he found himself in.
The fact that his family was bustling about first thing in the morning to welcome Kim Dojin.
"That bastard is going to be my tutor?!"
The reality of having to treat Kim Dojin as his tutor.
He was so uncontrollably angry, he felt on the verge of throwing up.
"Hoo...!"
Kim Jeonghun let out a hot breath and slumped to the floor.
Soon, Kim Dojin would arrive at their house.
And he would brazenly intrude on their cozy family meals, which always consisted of four people, chatting and sharing laughter with his mom, dad, and sister.
Just thinking about that made his suppressed anger surge anew.
"Ugh, ugh...!"
No, in fact, he was afraid.
That there would be no place for him in their harmonious gathering.
That he would be unable to squeeze in, merely watching from the sidelines, and eventually become an alienated, forgotten existence.
He was terrified, utterly terrified, that not only his sister but his entire family would be taken away by the very person he hated so much and had tormented so terribly.
'What should I do? How can I...!'
How could he make his family dislike that guy?
How could he change his sister's mind?
As he agonized over his dilemma.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door.
"Jeonghun! The guest is here, so come down quickly!"
"......"
What was bound to happen had finally arrived.
The car, driving smoothly, entered the residential area.
A neighborhood where a security force, composed of former and active A-rank Hunters, was stationed 24 hours a day, maintaining strict vigilance against villain attacks.
Thanks to that, the stable atmosphere fostered by residents who had no fear of monster or villain attacks spread throughout the entire neighborhood, making it an attractive place.
My house used to be here too.
One of the areas where the largest mansions in the residential district lined up.
"Thanks to me, the land prices here went up a lot, didn't they?"
This place, famous as a wealthy neighborhood since ancient times, saw its already exorbitant land prices soar even higher due to my presence.
The move-in of the most famous and strongest S-rank Hunter couple in South Korea.
Not only the sense of stability that would come with it, but also the chance to form even a small connection with the couple.
"No matter how I think about it, I should have received some incentive."
Well... since the house price went up compared to when I bought it, it's practically the same as having received it, isn't it?
Of course, it's not my house anymore, so I'm empty-handed in the end.
So, do I regret it?
"Of course not."
I gained youth in return, didn't I?
Hundreds of millions, or even billions.
Since I received something that money could never buy, no matter what my total assets are, I'm definitely coming out ahead.
Soon, Kim Eunbi's mansion came into view.
As I approached the parking garage door, the closed door rose with a loud rumble.
"Wow, a lot of expensive cars here."
I parked the car in an empty spot and got out of the driver's seat. By the door leading to the house, a middle-aged man in a suit stood with his hands respectfully clasped.
Kim Eunbi's father... no, doesn't seem like it. A member of the staff, then?
"Welcome, Mr. Kim Dojin."
"Hello."
I likewise offered a polite greeting to the man who was bowing respectfully.
A man with that kind of aura is usually a long-serving, trusted aide among the staff.
"Everyone is waiting, so I will escort you inside immediately."
"Uh... am I late?"
"Haha, not at all, so you don't need to worry."
"That's a relief."
I follow the man up the main staircase.
As I open one more door and step inside, the mansion's living room and entrance hall immediately come into view.
And the people standing there.
"Dojin...!"
Kim Eunbi, standing glued to her mother's side, shyly offered a greeting.
And next to her, a middle-aged woman wearing a dress that seemed rather extravagant for home wear.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ahn Juri. I've heard a lot about you from Eunbi."
She looked young and beautiful for her age, but her position was clear.
The lady of this house, and Kim Eunbi and Kim Jeonghun's mother.
Just because it's obvious doesn't mean you can say it outright; that's not how you survive in this jungle.
"Uh... I don't think Eunbi mentioned having an older sister...?"
What's important here isn't the line, but the expression.
Meaning, I have to put on a surprised expression, as if I truly believed it.
"Oh my, do I really look like that? Hohoho!"
The butler who had guided me here cleared his throat and whispered into my ear.
"She is the Madam."
Good one, Mr. Butler.
Receiving the perfect assist, I feigned shock once more and continued.
"Oh my... I truly didn't know. I wondered who Eunbi took after to be so pretty, but now that I've met her mother, I understand why."
A tone that was not frivolous, but utterly polite.
Ahn Juri's eyes, as she looked at me, began to drip with affection.
"How can you speak so beautifully...? You've made me feel so good."
"Haha, is that so? I merely spoke what I saw."
"Hohoho."
One down for now.
In truth, as in any household, the final boss of a house with a daughter isn't the mother.
"Ahem... nice to meet you."
It's the father.
I clasped the hand he offered with solemnity and bowed my head slightly.
"Hello, sir. My name is Kim Dojin."
"I'm Kim Yong-un."
Our hands separated as soon as greetings were exchanged.
A faint, yet hostile gaze was felt.
Unexpected.
I expected him to glare daggers at me, asking if I was the one trying to take his daughter, but he's weaker than I expected.
I'll deal with him more later.
"Jeonghun, long time no see."
"......"
Now, time to have some fun with our Jeonghun.
At my friendly greeting, Ahn Juri, who had been looking at me with a constant pleased expression, asked.
"Are you acquainted with our Jeonghun?"
"It seems Jeonghun hasn't mentioned it yet."
"What...?"
"We're high school classmates."
"Oh my... what a coincidence! Jeonghun, why didn't you tell your mom something like that?"
Ahn Juri clapped her hands, delighted by the overlapping connection.
In contrast, Kim Jeonghun, his face even more twisted, bowed his head deeply and mumbled grumpily in response.
"We weren't very close."
"Hoho, is that so? What does it matter? You can become close now."
"Kuk..."
Kim Jeonghun gritted his teeth at the single phrase, 'become close.'
His helpless state was quite impressive.
What can you do, Jeonghun?
Even if you lived like a king at school, at home you're just an ordinary child. Can you talk back to your mom and dad, or can you grab me by the collar and shake me here?
Just stay exactly like that.
Because I'll gently tease you from now on.
"...Let's stop talking in the entrance hall and go inside. It would be a shame for the food we prepared to get cold."
"Oh my, where's my head? Dojin... Teacher? Let's go."
"Right."
Following Kim Yong-un and Ahn Juri, who walked ahead, I headed towards the kitchen.
I placed a hand on Kim Jeonghun's shoulder, who was walking slowly as if his feet couldn't move, and whispered.
"Hey, Jeonghun. You should smile."
"You bastard...!"
The guy flared up.
Strange.
"Why are you flaring up like that? You said it yourself."
"What did I say, you prick?"
He really doesn't seem to remember.
"You said to smile in front of me, no matter how shitty it was."
"......"
"So you should smile too, shouldn't you?"
The pupils of the guy glaring at me as if to kill me trembled violently.
Look at this.
I told him to smile, but he's not listening.
I completely erased the smile from my lips and spoke to him in a commanding tone.
"Hey, smile."
Unless you want to die.