Chapter 64: Showing Off (2)

Chapter 64: Showing Off (2)

Han Se-Yeon looked around the interior of the car. “Is this really your car?”

“Yeah,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Just when did you buy a car like this?”

She couldn't hide her shock at this unexpected revelation. Just who was Kang Jin-Ho? Wasn't he the dude who commuted on his bicycle whether it rained, snowed, or a typhoon threatened to topple everything over? Such was his dedication that it wouldn't have been strange to see the Korean bicycle association awarding him with a medal or something!

Learning that someone like him owned a car was already shocking enough. But to think that the car in question was also expensive, to boot!

'No, wait. That's not quite right, is it '

Han Se-Yeon remembered hearing about how incredibly expensive Kang Jin-Ho's bicycle was. Maybe he was the type to spare no expenses when his rides were concerned? But... that didn't sound like the 'Kang Jin-Ho' she knew, though

He eventually began explaining himself, "I didn't buy it."

Han Se-Yeon nodded and thought.

‘I knew it.’

“Okay? What, then?”

“It was a gift, actually.”

“From Chairman Hwang?”

“Yeah...”

"I knew it. You aren't the type of a guy to splurge on cars like this, after all," Han Se-Yeon muttered while studying the Italian supercar's interior as if something had mystified her.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at her. “What's wrong?”

“This car is supposed to be nice, right? Then, why is it so cramped?”

“Mm Not sure. I didn't buy it, after all.”

"The seat doesn't feel comfy, too. It's a bit of a letdown, isn't it " Han Se-Yeon started complaining while poking at the seat's material.

"You think so? Me, too. I've been keeping this car in the corner of the garage at home until now."

These two unhesitantly shared a conversation that would have made gearheads vomit blood.

Vroooom!

Kang Jin-Ho depressed the accelerator a little harder after reaching the main road. The white supercar quickly picked up the pace. He expertly controlled the car and used only the minimum-necessary movements to dodge the slower-moving traffic on the road.

“Wow!” Han Se-Yeon cried out.

“What's wrong now?”

“You're a really great driver! I had no idea at all!”

Kang Jin-Ho was taken aback. "You think so "

“Yeah, it's so thrilling, you know!”

"Hmm..." Kang Jin-Ho smirked softly at that. That would be the first praise he received for his driving skills. He was suddenly motivated to drive even more enthusiastically. His mood improved significantly after finally finding a passenger who didn't faint or scream in terror as soon as he started driving.

Honestly speaking, Kang Jin-Ho's driving was definitely safe. His reflexes were on another level compared to regular people, so there was simply no way he would miss even the subtlest movements of other vehicles on the road. His superior senses meant he could perfectly control his car, too. Moreover, he was capable of safely escaping from the vehicle with his passenger in tow if things truly got dangerous. Despite this, his previous passengers all cried out, 'Your driving is dangerous!' which stressed him out quite a bit.

"Looks like it was a correct decision to come and pick you up today," said Kang Jin-Ho. A sense of fulfillment filled him up, which was something he hadn't felt in a while. Han Se-Yeon's threats of annoying him in the future had forced him to bring the car around, but her unexpectedly enthusiastic response meant he was now having fun driving.

Perhaps just as important was the car he was driving now, too. It was a different beast from what he had driven in the past. It responded immediately when Kang Jin-Ho depressed the accelerator. Even the most minute touch of the steering wheel made the car squirm as if it was a living being. In fact, it felt like he was controlling a living creature, not a soulless machine.

'Driving is surprisingly fun, isn't it '

Unbeknownst to himself, Kang Jin-Ho was gradually falling for the charms of speedy driving.

"Kkyaa~! Oppa, hit it!" Even Han Se-Yeon had let go of her senses as the need for speed took over her.

***

After arriving at the university, Kang Jin-Ho chose to park his Lamborghini in a distant corner, far away from the lecture halls.

Han Se-Yeon got curious, so she asked him about it, "Why are you parking it over here "

"Things might get annoying, that's why."

“Makes sense, I guess... Concealing the truth might be a good idea.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't like showing off his wealth. Even Han Se-Yeon had only learned about his financial situation only recently, didn't she? Actually, she might have never known about his financial situation if Chairman Hwang hadn’t visited their high school a couple of years ago.

He was that secretive about it, so there was no way on Earth he would deliberately drive such a fancy car to the university and advertise his financial status to everyone. Besides, even Han Se-Yeon would love to avoid that kind of situation too. Especially more so if that meant other women would learn about the truth!

Unfortunately, she found out almost immediately after climbing out of the car that the world would never move according to her whims.

“Se-Yeon? Is that you?”

“N-ng?! U-uh Mi-Jeong?”

Coincidentally, Park Mi-Jeong, Han Se-Yeon's friend and classmate, was walking past that exact spot at the exact moment.

Han Se-Yeon grimaced.

'Oh, no. I should've made sure the coast was clear first!'

Park Mi-Jeong stared agog at the white Aventador. “Se-Yeon, w-what's up with this car? Isn't this what they call a supercar?”

“W-Well, the thing is...”

“Is it yours?!”

Han Se-Yeon hurriedly waved her hands in denial. "N-no, of course not. Where would I get the money to buy something this fancy "

“Is that so? Which means...” Park Mi-Jeong's gaze shifted over to where Kang Jin-Ho and his expressionless face were. “Hey, Jin-Ho?”

“Morning...”

“So, like, is this your car?”

“Why not! Come on, let's go today~!”

“I'm sorry. Next time.”

Right after the attempts to dissolve Kang Jin-Ho's single status had been thwarted, it was the turn of some dude who walked up to him with an expectant look on his face. "Hey, Jin-Ho!"

“Yeah?”

“Hey, so... like, can you gimme a ride in your car just once?”

“How about I just give you the keys?”

The man sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Oh, well... That idea is kinda making me nervous, you know? Is it true that a scratch on the paint will cost over ten million won to fix "

“Dunno...”

“Yeah, no. It's too much responsibility for me. Can't I be just a passenger while you drive, Jin-Ho?”

“Mm....” A cramped smile formed on Kang Jin-Ho's face. He was inwardly praying for an escape from this hell. Unfortunately for him, though, his hell had only just begun.

***

Kang Jin-Ho and Han Se-Yeon barely managed to escape from their lecture hall and headed to where he had parked the Lamborghini, but a crowd of onlookers surrounding the car was waiting for them.

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “What's going on here?”

Han Se-Yeon anxiously scanned the crowd. “I think they are just gawking at your car.”

Well, this parking spot was near a university attended by young people. No wonder Kang Jin-Ho's car had attracted so much attention. Not only was it expensive, but it was also rare, so just about everyone in the crowd had whipped out their phones to take pictures.

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho groaned softly.

Han Se-Yeon glanced at him. “What's wrong?”

“Do we have to go past that crowd to get to my car?”

When she heard Kang Jin-Ho's rhetorical question, she turned her head to look at the crowd with a slightly fed-up expression. "I guess so "

He wordlessly studied the situation, then muttered quietly, “Should we just leave the car here and catch a taxi or something?”

She shook her head. "Something weird might happen to your car if you leave it here for over a day, Jin-Ho."

“I don't mind...”

“You shouldn't be so casual with money like that, you know?”

“You're right.” Kang Jin-Ho sighed, then slowly made his way to the white Lamborghini.

“Hey, stop pushing, will ya?!”

"Why are you pushing me, dude "

The crowd complained as Kang Jin-Ho pushed his way through. He lowered his head slightly and explained himself, “That's my car, so please excuse me.”

“Ohhh!”

“Sheesh!”

‘Please don't be like that. That's just a car, you know. Reacting as if you've seen a celebrity is only making me more embarrassed!’

The crowd’s burning gazes landed on Kang Jin-Ho. He wasn't the type to cower from such intense gazes, but he still couldn't avoid feeling like a monkey in a zoo.

“I'm passing through. Excuse me.”

The crowd parted slightly to make way. Kang Jin-Ho bowed slightly to express his thanks and got past them, then opened the Lamborghini's door.

“Ohhhhhh!”

It was precisely at that moment that Kang Jin-Ho was nearly overcome with a strong urge to rip open this weirdly-opening door. Why the hell couldn't it open to the side like any other regular car door and instead open upward?! Look how much unnecessary attention it was attracting! Did this car's designers want to kill the owner with embarrassment or something?! With how much attention it was getting, this thing was no different from a lethal weapon at this point!

Kang Jin-Ho had grown immune to public attention during his time in Zhongyuan, but he still found this whole experience too torturous to bear. In that case, how much humiliation and shame would normal people suffer from being seen in this car?!

How merciless!

Kang Jin-Ho climbed inside and turned the ignition on, prompting Han Se-Yeon to hurriedly trot over to the passenger side with her head deeply bowed. “H-Hurry and open this door.”

“Hold on.” Kang Jin-Ho reached across the passenger seat to open the door, and she quickly slipped inside.

She tried to hide her face while urging Kang Jin-Ho to get a move on. “Hurry and drive!”

“Got it.”

Vroooom!

A light press on the accelerator pedal caused the engine to roar like thunder. The crowd cried out, “Ohhhh!” from sheer excitement.

Han Se-Yeon gasped. “I... I think I'm gonna die of embarrassment...”

“Me too.”

What a relief that the interior wasn't clearly visible from the outside. If that hadn't been the case...

The crowd hurriedly parted when Kang Jin-Ho steered the car out of the parking spot.

Han Se-Yeon complained bitterly. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Kang Jin-Ho was lost for words at her grumbling and could only grunt under his breath. "Mm."

Just whose fault was it that they were in this situation, anyway?!

He finally thought of something to say, “Never ask me for a ride again, got it?”

“You think I'm mad?! I'll never ask you! Besides, it's your fault for driving a car like this, you know?!”

“What... Urgh.”

Kang Jin-Ho had a lot to say but chose to abstain. He prioritized escaping from here as soon as possible and cooling his burning face down somewhere.

After this day, Kang Jin-Ho graduated from being the God of Liquor and a member of Three Dongmyeong High Musketeers to solidify his new position as the Owner of the Best Car in Business Management.

Which was exactly the opposite of what Kang Jin-Ho wanted.