Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 73

Chapter 72

At the start of the match, while Kim Donghu was only throwing jabs, Baek Sangha thought it might be due to nerves.

'This is way too different from the way he usually spars.'

He wondered if it was the unfamiliar opponent making him so cautious, as Donghu was sticking strictly to jabs alone.

And though that alone was enough to press his opponent and put him on the defensive...

'Wait a minute, you’re telling me he’s managing with just jabs?'

Baek Sangha quickly grasped why Donghu was playing this way.

Neither Shin Yerim, who was filming, nor Kim Sansoo, Donghu’s opponent, nor even Geumjin, the referee, understood what Donghu was up to.

This was a truth only Baek Sangha, who’d observed him for years, could realize.

'They probably think he’s just inexperienced because he’s young.'

But that wasn’t it.

'He’s intentionally avoiding a knockout.'

There was a calculated intent behind it.

By sticking only to jabs, he was methodically draining his opponent’s stamina,

letting him cling to futile hope, and watching as he tried desperately to fight back.

It was a calculated, brutally ruthless approach.

That’s why it was all about the jab.

If he threw a straight, hook, or uppercut, he could end it too quickly.

Only a jab could slowly wear his opponent down, and that’s exactly what he did, right up until the end of the first round.

Just before the bell rang,

he intentionally left an opening, inviting a counter.

He then waited for his opponent to come in, timing it perfectly with a liver shot.

It was a plan crafted with an artistry in cruelty.

"...I’d like to discuss this more, but now’s not the time," said Geumjin, breaking Baek Sangha’s train of thought.

'Oh, right.'

Now wasn’t the time to be admiring his student’s skills or relishing every detail of the match.

'The mood is off.'

As much as he wanted to watch the footage and praise each moment,

the fact remained that his opponent had vomited and lost control of his bladder.

The immediate priority was to handle the situation.

"It’s very rare for a middle schooler to overwhelm a high schooler this way..."

Geumjin didn’t know how to explain the situation and began to ramble.

"Even knowing there was a skill difference, this result feels... intentional."

There was a hint of resentment toward Donghu mixed in his words.

Though it was only sparring, Donghu’s blows had been excessive.

Baek Sangha was about to apologize, but just then...

"That’s not true! He was the one who started it!"

Yerim cut off Baek Sangha’s apology.

"He started it with mean remarks, making it hard not to get emotional!"

Just before the sparring began, she’d left the camera running for a test recording.

Who would have thought it would come in handy now?

Yerim played back the part where Kim Sansoo was picking a fight with Donghu.

Only their feet showed, and their faces were blurred,

but it was still clear what was happening.

"..."

With the situation exposed, Geumjin was now the one feeling embarrassed.

Baek Sangha quickly gathered up the kids and exited the gym.

'Our junior has a really bad attitude.'

Starting a fight, losing in sparring, and now facing complete humiliation.

'That kid’s going to be in trouble.'

Baek Sangha silently wished Kim Sansoo good luck.

+++++

After the small commotion of the sparring match, time flew by, and it was already time for episode 10 of Ilshik.

Ji Eun-bi, an 18-year-old die-hard fan of Kim Donghu, sat in front of her TV, eagerly awaiting Ilshik.

'Donghu oppa’s scenes are nearly done now.'

Even as a high schooler with no knowledge of screenwriting, she could sense that the child actor’s screen time was nearing its end.

The plot itself was also heading into a darker turn.

The two characters had fallen in love,

promised to marry, and were preparing to face the future together.

But just then, his partner began to experience inexplicable pain,

and the crown prince’s sorrow deepened as he watched his beloved slowly fade away.

"Oh, here we go, here we go!"

And today was the climax of that sorrow.

After a long opening advertisement, episode 10 of Ilshik began.

The first thing on screen was Donghu’s forlorn expression.

At this point, there was little distinction between the actor and the character;

Donghu displayed perfect synchronization with his role.

...Are you really going to leave like this, breaking our promise?

...I am such a worthless person.

Forget someone like me who is so ungrateful, and move on with your life.

Even if I close my eyes, I can still see you.

But you must forget me.

Please, Your Highness, forget me and live on.

Why are you... so graceful and beautiful...

I love you, truly... I love you with all my heart.

No, I cannot.