Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 253

"You're out of time? Could you clarify exactly what you mean by that?"

I had been about to put the mic down, but I lifted it again at the reporter’s question.

"Exactly what I said. I don’t have time for a rematch."

"Should we interpret that as a packed schedule?"

"That’s right. I can’t go into detail, but let’s just say—my life as an actor is in motion."

"A new project! You’re filming something, I know at least one!"

So... there’s more than one, huh?

At that, I gave a small nod, thinking that should be enough.

"But today’s about boxing, haha."

"Ah! Yes, of course. I understand."

Normally, I don’t do interviews right before a match. But this time, I insisted. I wanted to broadcast the calm I was feeling right now.

"Lastly, could we hear any final words before you enter the ring?"

"I’ll crush him—purely with the strength of Kim Donghu, the man."

And with that, the interview ended. It barely lasted three minutes. It didn’t take long at all, and the moment it was over, I stood up for the match.

"Did you see the article? I shot for all four major Vogue magazines. First Asian ever."

"I did. I sent you a congratulatory message, remember?"

"As a celebration, remember we promised to spend this Christmas—just the two of us?"

Back in the waiting room, Yerim was prepping a few things when she said that, and for a moment, I stayed silent.

Right... we did make that promise.

Christmas plans. December 25th, 2020 to be exact.

It’s mid-November now, so a little under a month left.

There wasn’t any scheduling conflict, so I opened my mouth to respond—

And at that moment—

Smack.

Yerim kissed me, deep and deliberate. Only when our breaths were heavy did her lips part from mine.

"Both Sujin and Jaerin... they’ve each spent a Christmas with you, right? Even if not Christmas, you’ve had plenty of alone time with them."

"That’s true."

"And that Evelyn woman from Tarzan, too."

I knew exactly where Yerim was going with this, so I chuckled and gently ran a hand through her hair. She nuzzled into it as she continued.

"But lately, we haven’t had enough time together. I need you to make time for me too."

"Of course. Absolutely."

"I’m even going on variety shows next year. I’ll be working in Korea again."

"Really?"

"I’m telling you because I want us to go on together, you know?"

"I got the message loud and clear."

I’m not the man I used to be. I said that to myself as I headed toward the ring.

What I saw was a massive crowd and flashing cameras. And a line of fans stretching along the path to the ring, hands outstretched.

I gave them casual high-fives on my way in—

"The WBC Champion! Donghu Kim! Now entering the ring!"

My entrance music was Beethoven’s Fate. The stormy piano melody filled the stadium, cooling the wild energy in the air and cloaking it in grandeur.

It was time to end Edward’s reign.

***

"Tch, what kind of ridiculous song..."

Normally, no one uses classical music as an entrance theme. It kills the mood. Makes things feel slow.

No matter how majestic or beautiful the piece, it usually doesn’t hype up the crowd the way other songs do.

Gulp.

But the moment Beethoven’s Fate began to play, tension hit hard. Kim Donghu didn’t need to promote Tarzan anymore. And now, he was stepping in with zero pretense.

"Come on, you can beat him. You’ve been training for this moment! That guy’s been off sightseeing!"

"Huff, yeah... You’re right."

At his coach’s words, Edward snapped back to reality. Why had he lost focus just now?

Muttering under his breath, Edward slapped his own cheeks a couple times.

Slap, slap!

Maybe it actually worked. Because suddenly, time felt like it was moving faster around him.

His condition was improving by the second. Every time he blinked, the world around him seemed to shift.

"You’ve never looked this small before."

And as the match began, Edward saw Kim Donghu—and he looked... small.

It felt like he could take him out at any time. How had the momentum flipped like this?

Maybe this was his day to win.

Thinking that—

"Box!"

The match began. The moment after the glove tap—

Whoosh!

Edward threw a punch immediately. He wanted to keep the momentum from breaking. He launched into an aggressive opening assault.

But—

Slide.

As if he’d predicted it, Kim Donghu tilted his head slightly and dodged with ease.

And at the same time—

Thud!

His fist landed squarely in Edward’s solar plexus. The impact lifted Edward’s feet off the ground.

"Guh!"

His back, which had been held straight by spinal tension, curled up like a shrimp from just that one punch.

Crunch.

This wasn’t a hit-and-pull punch. It was a stake—driven deep into his core like a piledriver.

It felt like the fist had buried itself deep inside his body, supporting Edward’s limp form completely.

The commentators watching it were stunned into silence.

“F-Five seconds into the match... it looks like... Edward is down!”

“Yes, yes... that means... Kim Donghu is currently holding up a 110-kilogram man with one arm.”

“Just like in the last fight—it’s like he’s built with heavy-duty machinery. A... a pile bunker...”

Even if people expected him to win,