Chapter One: A Pillar of the Nation

"How could steel forged a hundred times be softened to wrap around a finger? How did I, Cha Yoon-hoo, a man of iron and steel, fall to such a low point?"

In the VIP booth of the nightclub, the handsome young man leaned against the window and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. He seemed deaf to the noisy chatter of the men and women behind him. Amidst the swirling smoke, the sincere and kind face of the girl next door surfaced in his mind. He suddenly found it hard to accept that he had ended up in this state, when he had done absolutely nothing wrong.

"Yoon-hoo, why the long face? I've already spoken to your boss. Your alcohol sales quota for this month has been taken care of. If you're tired, why don't you go out and get some fresh air?"

The woman behind him stretched languidly. She wrinkled her nose and sniffed the scent of his cologne mixed with tobacco, looking utterly intoxicated.

The petite woman had high-quality blonde hair. Her forehead was slightly long, giving her a cool, aloof aura. The bridge of her nose was sharp and defined, yet the tip was soft and rounded. With her elegant double eyelids and full under-eye bags, she looked like a delicate porcelain doll.

Although the subtle marks of time were still visible, she was exceptionally well-preserved for a woman in her early thirties, spending hundreds of millions of won annually on her upkeep.

"Who exactly is that childhood friend of yours? I should know every famous rookie in the entertainment industry by now. Can't you satisfy your noona's curiosity?"

The young man ignored her, casting a cold glare to warn her not to bring up these matters. It didn't make her seem playful; it only made him feel worse. Besides, that girl was merely his neighbor.

The woman didn't seem to mind his cold shoulder. She smiled and handed him a bottle of beer. Without even raising his eyelids, the boy downed it in one go, as if none of this could stir a single ripple in his heart.

"Since your career isn't going well either, why not come work at my company? I am President Jung, after all! We are desperately short of college-educated talent like you."

The beautiful older woman made no attempt to hide her intentions. It was as if this tall young man was already in the palm of her hand, and she relished the thrill of slowly tightening the net around her prey.

"What college student? In South Korea, the cheapest thing is a trainee, and the only thing cheaper than a trainee is a college graduate."

As one of the countries with the highest rate of higher education, nearly forty percent of young people here held bachelor's degrees. If junior colleges and vocational universities were included, the rate soared to seventy-seven percent. As for those who didn't go to college, they had probably all become idol trainees—including Cha Yoon-hoo's neighbor.

"Don't say that. Yoon-hoo is a pillar of the nation! Though, it's not bad if you don't become one either! Haha!"

The older woman, who had spent seven years of her life as a trainee, felt her face grow warm with embarrassment. She had genuinely longed for college life too. Unfortunately, she wasn't as clever as her sister, who was a few years younger. As the saying goes, the eldest is simple-minded while the second is cunning—it was spot on.

"A pillar of the nation? A pillar selling alcohol in a nightclub, a pillar listening to noona's nonsense here. What a joke."

Cha Yoon-hoo, who usually didn't talk much in front of women, took a final drag and stubbed the cigarette butt out aggressively in the ashtray. He reflected that while he might not have been naturally gifted at studying, he had worked hard enough.

Even without the money for expensive cram schools, his grades had been outstanding. He could have gotten into a SKY university. But due to his family's financial conditions, he chose the spartan Korea Military Academy just for the free room and board and guaranteed placement. He thought he was securing a stable, lifelong career, but who could have guessed his rice bowl would be smashed after only a few months on the job?

When he was assigned to the Defense Security Command in Seoul, he had been thrilled to stay in the metropolitan area. However, during the dramatic events of that year, he refused to follow the commander's orders to mobilize. Along with dozens of junior officers, he was dismissed and discharged into the reserves. Although he was later exonerated, delayed justice was utterly worthless.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. Although a bachelor's degree from the military academy was as useless as scrap paper in civilian society—what could a Bachelor of Military Science even do?—at least he didn't have to serve in the military anymore.

Still, if his parents knew how he was earning money now, they would probably be heartbroken. The same went for that little girl; he wondered if she would ever understand his choices.

She had always fought hard for her dreams. Even when she faced discrimination among the trainees for being poor, she never complained about this harsh world.

Now, she was finally making it. Although her survival show debut group had disbanded, she had supposedly landed a role in a television drama. Out of sight, out of mind, he hadn't watched a single episode.

"Yoon-hoo, are you hungry? Do you want to go grab a bite together?"

Seeing Park Min-young, who had come along to party, drinking happily with her so-called entrepreneur boyfriend, the older woman didn't want to disturb them. Instead, she wanted to drag this stubborn younger guy out for some food.

To meet his sales quota, playing along with the older woman was no big deal. Having an occasional meal together fell within his boundaries, but he feared that his boundaries were becoming increasingly flexible, slowly eroding until he had no limits left.

"Stop smoking. Let's go out and eat in a bit. We can have some ginseng chicken soup! A day like this calls for some nourishing food!"

She had been dealing with a lot of headaches lately. The brand she had poured her heart into was facing issues. While not insurmountable, it had drained a lot of her energy. Her business partner, with whom she shared a significant relationship, was also overwhelmed, adding new cracks to their already fractured bond.

Fortunately, she had her ways of relieving stress. The young man before her had become a fortress she was determined to conquer. Though he had quietly repelled her advances several times, she wanted to see just how long he could hold out.

Slipped into his trench coat to head outside, the man looked exceptionally striking. Having spent over a decade in the entertainment industry—nearly twenty years if she counted her trainee days—and coming from SM Entertainment, a company that valued looks above all else, she still found herself captivated by this young man every single time. His physique, looks, and aura were all top-tier.

"It's just a shame about your age. Otherwise, you really could have tried being a trainee. Even if you couldn't sing or dance, you could still be the visual, just like Im Yoona!"

The woman wrapped her arms around his. Her minor flattery elicited no verbal reply, but the slight curve of his lips betrayed his subtle pride.

Stepping out of the venue to breathe the fresh air, he tried to pull away, but she held on tight, so he gave up. After all, he wasn't a celebrity or an idol; what did he have to lose?

Just as he was wondering where they should eat, the sharp reflexes he had honed during his years at the military academy warned him of danger. However, with his arm pinned down, his movement was restricted. Before he could even turn around, a fist slammed into his eye socket.

"Damn it! You're dead meat!"

Shaking the woman off, Cha Yoon-hoo ignored the pain as adrenaline surged through him. He swung a wide, powerful hook back at the attacker. The assailant wasn't particularly tall, and this slick-haired, pale-faced man had weak footing, stumbling back several steps like a broken kite.

Capitalizing on his advantage, Cha Yoon-hoo rushed forward, grabbed the man by the neck, and slammed him hard against the wall. He pinned him down, intending to ask why he had ambushed him.

"Jessica Jung, you bitch! If you have the guts, let your lover beat me to death!"

The man shrieked hysterically, sounding like a strangled duck.