I transmigrated into an S-rank scumbag villain chapter 34

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I clutched my bleeding mouth and hurriedly escorted my father out of the restroom.

There was no telling when Do Soohyuk might come chasing after us again if I hesitated.

“Kyaa!”

“W-what the hell?”

We weaved through the crowd and finally made it to the counter, where I pulled out a potion and poured it into my mouth.

As expected from a top-tier potion, the bleeding stopped almost instantly, and I could feel myself healing.

I’d been bleeding so much I was half-worried I might die from blood loss.

My shirt was completely soaked in blood, sticking tightly to my skin.

“H-Hunter! Are you alright?”

Even the staff member, who’d been acting all professional until now, looked horrified seeing my state.

The guards who’d rushed over due to the commotion didn’t seem much different.

“Nope.”

…Shit.

Guess the potion’s effects were still lingering.

I quickly asked the stunned staffer—who couldn’t even speak properly—to settle the bill, including damages to the property, then glanced behind me.

Thankfully, there was no sign of Do Soohyuk following.

Maybe he was holding back because of the crowd.

“Let’s go, Dad.”

Still pale-faced, my father and I exited the building and climbed into the nearest waiting taxi.

As we put distance between us and the building, the frantic beating of my heart slowly began to calm down.

Maybe it was the tension letting up, but a deep sigh of relief escaped me before I realized.

“Inho, what the hell happened? What happened in the restroom?”

My father stared into my face with a worried expression.

Things had happened so fast, he hadn’t seen Do Soohyuk at all.

To him, it probably looked like I just started bleeding on my own in the restroom.

In a way, that was for the best.

“Ah… I accidentally bit my tongue. Pretty hard.”

I was nervous the potion might make me blurt something weird again, but thankfully, its effect seemed to have just worn off.

My father gently dabbed my face with a towel I handed him—then suddenly yelped.

“Oh my god! Your tongue?!”

“Sorry, Dad… It’s your birthday, and you couldn’t even enjoy your meal…”

Honestly, I didn’t expect Do Soohyuk to go that far either.

I don’t know what the Association president told him, but clearly, Soohyuk pinned everything on me while playing the victim himself.

He’d gotten everything he could out of me—now that I wasn’t useful anymore, he’d tossed me aside without hesitation.

Still, I couldn’t figure out why he’d asked that question.

I didn’t think I’d done anything weird in the dungeon that could raise suspicion about my identity…

Lost in anxious thoughts, I found myself chewing on my lip when I noticed my father’s face—completely frozen.

Even though he was clearly shocked, he didn’t press me any further.

And seeing him like that made me want to at least salvage what was left of today.

If we ended the day like this, he’d be left with nothing but a traumatic memory.

I couldn’t let that happen—not as his son.

“Driver, could you drop us off in front of that bakery?”

“Sure thing—pulling over now.”

The taxi driver, tense the whole ride, quickly stopped at the curb.

Not wanting to attract any weird attention, I threw on my leather jacket and stepped into the bakery with my father, whose concern still showed on his face.

The warm scent of bread helped lighten the mood a little.

“Dad, do you like sweet potato?”

After years of doing delivery work, I’d learned exactly what kind of cakes older folks liked.

People in their 60s and up tended to prefer sweet potato cake over chocolate or whipped cream.

My question, meant to shift the mood, thankfully did the trick—my father’s expression relaxed slightly as he looked over the display.

His lips were still a bit stiff, but a faint smile had begun to form.

“Of course. At my age, I like anything that comes from the ground.”

The place had a slightly old-fashioned vibe and was cheaper than most bakeries, but my father seemed to really like it.

Since we were already here, I walked him around the shop and let him pick out a few other things too.

“We’ll take this cake, please. Could you add candles for a 65th birthday? Oh—and one of those pointy party hats.”

Maybe we could even take a photo together.

Feeling a little proud, I turned to look at him—and he gave me a soft smile, the wrinkles by his eyes creasing warmly.

He was wearing the ring I’d given him on his index finger, proudly on display.

Honestly, it was a bit much to wear casually, but who cared? If he liked it, that was enough.

“My son even bought me cake for my birthday. What a treat for an old man like me.”

If I could see that gentle smile and hear those kind words, I’d be willing to do even more.

This moment was a deep comfort I couldn’t put into words.

“Let’s head home, Dad.”

Fortunately, our house wasn’t far, so we decided to walk.

The temperature had dropped and the sky had grown dark, but even in the dimness, we strolled at a relaxed pace.

As we chatted and walked, my worries faded—and before I knew it, we were almost home.

…Hm?

Standing in front of our apartment building was a tall, broad figure.

He was so huge the streetlamp looked tiny in comparison.

At first, I thought he was just another resident, but as we got closer, his side profile looked familiar.

“Cha Rui?”

At my voice, a pair of deep gray eyes slowly turned toward me.

In the dark, they looked almost black.

He was dressed much more casually than usual, even wearing a cap—maybe that’s why I hadn’t recognized him right away.

“What are you doing all the way out here?”

“Came to get my handkerchief.”

…Handkerchief?

As soon as the memory clicked, my father quickly stepped in front of me, blocking Cha Rui from approaching.

Considering he’d just seen someone try to strangle me, this reaction was understandable.

I didn’t try to stop him.

“It’s at home.”

I’d washed it as soon as I came back from the dungeon and completely forgot about it since.

Must be a pretty important handkerchief if he came all this way for it.

“If it’s urgent, wanna come up and get it?”

Both my father and Cha Rui flinched at my calm offer.

Especially my father—he looked at me like I was inviting a murderer into our home.

“It’s fine, really. It was just a misunderstanding. He’s not a bad guy.”

I whispered just loud enough for my father to hear, casting a sound barrier around us.

But his suspicious expression didn’t budge.

Of course, it’s not like I’d invite just anyone home.

I only said it because I’d come to trust Cha Rui a bit after what happened in the dungeon.

I don’t know what kind of change of heart he had, but after claiming he’d lost his memory, his attitude had definitely shifted—for the better.

Plus, he did give me a bunch of mangoes.

After hesitating briefly, Cha Rui nodded and quietly followed me inside.

“Inho, come here.”

We stepped into the elevator—all three of us—and with two big guys in there, it felt super cramped.

Still, my father stubbornly tried to wedge himself between us, clearly trying to keep some distance.

But given the height difference, his head barely reached, so it didn’t make much of a difference.

While all this was happening, Cha Rui kept staring intensely at my clothes the entire time we were in the elevator.

More precisely, at the bite mark peeking out through the slightly open gap in my jacket.

Damn, good eyesight…

Cha Rui didn’t say a word, just kept gazing in silence, but the pressure was palpable.

Feeling strangely self-conscious, I crossed my arms and pulled the jacket tightly closed.

For some reason, I felt the need to explain myself.

“I just… bit my tongue a little.”

“Your tongue?”

A faint ripple passed through Cha Rui’s usually calm expression, as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

It wasn’t exactly something an S-rank would normally question, so I quickly pretended not to notice the furrowing of his brow and rushed out of the elevator.

“Come in.”

“…”

At my chin-jerk gesture, Cha Rui stepped into the house.

The first thing his eyes landed on was none other than the chandelier.

A wave of embarrassment and humiliation hit me all at once.

I really need to get rid of that thing someday.

It’s way too big and flashy to pass off as just a matter of taste.

“Just sit and wait a bit. I’ll bring it out right away.”

I placed the cake box on the dining table and glanced over at Cha Rui standing in the middle of the living room.

His eyes were roaming around more actively than usual, full of curiosity.

Feeling vaguely irritated, I headed to my room.

“It should be around here…”

After changing into clean clothes, I began rummaging through the drawers, but the handkerchief was nowhere to be seen.

Seo Inho was very into fashion and owned way too many drawers, not just a dressing room.

As someone who was perfectly fine wearing the gray hoodie my dad bought me day in and day out, I couldn’t understand it at all.

Why waste money on stuff like this?

I shut one drawer filled with ridiculously expensive-looking designer clothes and started digging through the next.

Only after turning over three more drawers did I finally find the handkerchief.

It looked like a simple checkered pattern handkerchief, but the edges were a little frayed, probably from age.

“Is this thing sentimental or something?”

Tilting my head, I walked back out—only to freeze at an unexpected sight.

Cha Rui was already seated at the dining table, which was now completely set with food.

What the hell is with this guy?

He acted like he’d been part of the family for years.

I couldn’t help but let out a baffled laugh at his shameless face.

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