“I was taught that giving my life for my master’s honor is my duty.” ... more>>

Leandro Heather, the empire’s greatest knight.

It was Jaynie who had taken the s*ave boy Leandro and made him a knight.

Jaynie, captivated at first sight by the arrogant yet naive boy, had fallen for him completely.

And so, he gave everything to support him. He gave his all, and yet...

Jaynie’s body fell limply onto the sofa, like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

He stared upward, his eyes wide open. Leandro stood above him, looking down. Those hands that had let him go—those strong, knightly hands.

Jaynie had always loved those hands.

“There truly wasn’t any significant conversation. But there was one thing His Highness Isota Elma said that stuck with me.”

“……”

“His Highness feared that Master Jaynie might kill him.”

‘Poison?’

Jaynie’s throat and nose felt numb. Something wet was rising from within him. If it wasn’t heat, then what was it?

“How could I stand by while someone I love trembles in fear? Surely, Master Jaynie, you would understand. After all, you’re the one who taught me that love makes people foolish, driving them to commit even the most selfish acts.”

Leandro’s voice seemed distant.

* * *

Jaynie was killed by his knight, Leandro.

And then, he returned to the past.

To the moment when he had first taken in Leandro. <<less

“I don’t need your hand, so f**k off, you son of a b***h.”... more>>

After tasting a bitter defeat in the Champions League final for the second time in his career, Jerim rejects the hand of the opposing team’s striker and previous teammate in the youth academy, Aaron, causing rumors of discord to swirl again.

In truth, their relationship wasn’t good, so it wasn’t just rumors—it really was discord. Since they were in different leagues anyway, he had never been particularly concerned about it.

“Let’s try to get along again, Jerim.”

…Until a month later, when Aaron came to the same club as him via free transfer*.

It was already infuriating enough to be on the same team with the guy who had humiliated him in the recent final, but to make matters worse, that guy happened to be his ex from way back.

And they had broken up in the most terrible way possible.

*Free transfer when a player’s contract has ended and they move to a new club without paying a transfer fee

***

[Benefits for Aaron Reyes if he naturalizes as a Korean]

– Ban Jerim

– Guaranteed number 9 shirt on the national team

– Free penthouse with views to the Han River in a residential complex (excluding management fee)

– Direct delivery of the day’s freshest seafood from Noryangjin Fish Market (once a week, king crab/snow crab once a month)

– Free entry to Lotto World (includes one companion, once a month)

– Free use of public bikes for life

⤷Hmm, isn’t using the bikes for free a bit too much??

⤷Damn, they’re even throwing Jerim in? If I were Aaron, I’d never pass up this opportunity. <<less

Kahyun, who had recently been promoted to director, tried to offer a small favor to a convenience store clerk he had been eyeing for a while but ended up witnessing a terrible traffic accident right before his eyes. ... more>>

He reached out to help Minjae, who was in a coma, for the sake of his company's image, but ultimately couldn't prevent Minjae's death, experiencing his first 'failure' in life.

Afterward, Kahyun, who suffered from insomnia and nightmares for a long time, finds himself returning to the day he first met Minjae.

Is this a dream?

Being a staunch realist, Kahyun wants to save Minjae even in his dreams to rid himself of his trauma.

However, something is wrong.

Even though he made sure Minjae stayed away from the road to keep him safe, Minjae still doesn’t wake up.

Minjae, seemingly grateful, keeps reaching out and approaching Kahyun, causing him confusion.

The more he gets to know Minjae, the less he dislikes him.

Kahyun gradually notices himself smiling more and more.

* * *

Kahyun silently looked at the face of this admirable yet stubborn young man.

When Kahyun showed signs of refusal, Minjae proactively spoke up.

“This time, I really will treat you. Don’t bring up the age difference, my status as a working person, or your status as a student.”

Seeing Minjae's serious expression as he tried to mimic a stern look, Kahyun let out a faint laugh.

No one had ever wanted to give him something so much before.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Kahyun asked,

“Why do you want to treat me so badly?”

“Why, why, because...?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Minjae was at a loss for words.

The genuine confusion on Kahyun’s face made it clear he had no idea how much he had given Minjae, starting with bringing his wallet.

Minjae began to list reasons but stopped, mimicking Kahyun’s earlier words with a mischievous smile.

“Just because.” <<less