“Isn’t it because he’s a Shining?”
Vin had mentioned how he hit the target perfectly on his first shot, but the butler’s response was completely unexpected. What did being a Shining have to do with anything? Tilting his head in confusion, he watched as the butler, who had been buttoning his cuffs, briefly paused to add an explanation.
“Shinings are known to have superior physical abilities compared to ordinary people.”
“Really?”
“According to rumors, even the First District Leader was able to handle a gun freely as soon as he started walking.”
It sounded like an exaggerated legend no matter who heard it, but the butler’s calm tone made it seem entirely plausible. Of course, Luis Shining probably hadn’t mastered firearms the moment he took his first steps, but he must have shown talent early on.
‘Well, Vin was like that too.’
Now that he thought about it, he recalled how the original story had depicted Vincent Shining like a mythical hero. His brilliant intellect, his extraordinary physical abilities, the way he soared through battlefields without so much as a bulletproof vest—it was all possible simply because he was a Shining. It felt like uncovering some hidden piece of history, and it was thrilling.
“Young Master, do you know how many officially recognized children the First District Leader has?”
“I know it’s a lot…”
“Fifty.”
“Fifty?”
His eyes widened at the sheer number, far exceeding his expectations. He knew Luis Shining was infamous for being a complete philanderer, but this was on another level—almost astonishing.
If the number of officially recognized children alone was fifty, then how many more were there, including those like Vin, who weren’t acknowledged? It was impossible to estimate.
“There is only one successor. The rest are mercilessly ‘disposed of.’”
“Then they have no choice but to compete.”
“Exactly. They fight until the very end, until only one remains. That’s how Luis Shining became the District Leader as well.”
Superior Shinings give birth to superior Shinings. Ultimately, Vin was born after generations of selective breeding, inheriting only the most exceptional genes.
Of course, simply being born to an Omega meant he wasn’t even given the right to compete—he was ‘disposed of’ before he had the chance. But the blood running through his veins was purer than any other Shining.
That blazing, unmistakable color—only two people in this world possessed it.
“That’s… cruel.”
“What is?”
“Endlessly forcing them to compete just to narrow it down to one person… that’s insane.”
“But isn’t that the only way to find the most superior Shining?”
Whenever conversations went in circles like this, he was reminded yet again that the butler was a person of this world. Moreover, he was from the First District—he had probably never questioned the bizarre survival system of the Shining family.
This was just how things worked here. Even if over a hundred children were reduced to a single survivor while the rest were mercilessly ‘disposed of,’ this world considered it perfectly reasonable to focus all resources on raising the one superior Shining.
“It’s done.”
By then, the butler had finished buttoning his shirt and straightened his posture. When he looked up at the taller man, a large hand reached out to neatly smooth down his tousled hair.
“Then, I’ll take my leave. I have work to attend to.”
With a slight bow, the butler exited. Left alone, he aimlessly wandered around the room. He had expected Vin to return quickly, but the errand seemed to be taking longer than anticipated.
He sat by the window, intending to read the day’s newspaper, but he couldn’t focus. His mind was too cluttered to process a single word properly. Frustrated, he tossed the newspaper onto the table and gazed out the window instead.
The bright moon hung vividly in the clear sky. Thinking about the First District at the edge of that sky, he naturally recalled the butler’s words.
“A superior Shining, huh…”
Right now, countless children in the First District were undoubtedly competing to succeed Luis Shining. And those who failed would be mercilessly ‘disposed of.’
Vin had met him because he was the protagonist of this world, but the fate of the other discarded Shinings was never mentioned anywhere.
‘Even the original author probably doesn’t know.’
Still, he could make an educated guess. If he hadn’t met Vin, the boy would have spent five years locked away in a cold, dark storage room. The others had likely suffered similar fates—if not worse.
He was reminded once again.
This world was utterly insane.
“Hyung!”
The door creaked open without so much as a knock, and Se-yul peeked his head in. Pushing aside his tangled thoughts, he quickly smiled and greeted him.
“Did you finish your homework?”
“Nope, not even close.”
With a deep sigh, Se-yul shut the door behind him. The brief shadow of concern on his face disappeared as he quickly trotted over.
“Ta-da!”
With an excited sound effect, Se-yul pulled out something he had been hiding behind his back—a letter decorated with colorful crayon drawings.
“For me?”
“No, I’m sending it to my friend.”
Only then did he notice the envelope, where Se-yul’s wobbly handwriting spelled out “To Yeo-min.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t for him.
“What? I thought it was for me.”
“I’ll write one for you next time.”
Se-yul grinned playfully. He climbed onto the windowsill and settled down beside me, holding out the letter for a closer look.
“Hyung, look at this.”
I lowered my gaze again to the name written on the envelope, and a sudden, intense sense of déjà vu hit me. I’d seen this name somewhere before. Or maybe I’d heard it.
“Does it look okay?”
“What does?”
Se-yul’s question pulled me out of my thoughts. He rummaged inside the envelope and pulled out the letter, revealing the inside he had carefully decorated with colorful designs.
“It looks a little messy, don’t you think?”
So he wanted me to check if the letter for this Yeo-min kid looked alright. Taking on the request, I put on a serious expression and studied the letter intently.
Se-yul gulped nervously.
Starting with “To my friend Yeo-min,” the letter continued in a long-winded, sentimental tone. After reading through it quickly, the question that had been on my mind from the start naturally slipped out.
“Is this someone you like?”
“Huh?”
“That Yeo-min kid. You like them, don’t you?”
Se-yul’s face immediately turned red as if I had hit the mark. He stammered out denials, but his expression completely betrayed him.
Yeah, a kid’s still a kid.
“No! It’s not like that!”
They say strong denials are just strong confirmations—looks like that’s true. Se-yul shoved the letter back into the envelope in a flustered manner, sneaking glances at me while repeatedly insisting it wasn’t what I thought.
“Really, it’s not! Yeo-min is just a friend!”
“Sure, I got it.”
“I’m not getting defensive! I’m just saying it because you’re misunderstanding!”
He’d already admitted it himself, yet he kept insisting otherwise. I chuckled at the contradiction but then suddenly remembered something.
Yeo-min. The kid Se-yul was writing to—was his last name Choi?
“Hey, is that Yeo-min kid’s last name Choi?”
“How do you know that?”
Bingo. The name that had been nagging at my memory finally clicked. Choi Yeo-min—that was the name of the main submissive lead in Crazy Love.
Se-yul and Choi Yeo-min had been childhood friends who later became lovers. I knew they met at school, but I hadn’t realized their connection started this early.
I wondered if Se-yul knew. That in the future, the two of them would fall so madly in love.
“Hyung, do you know Yeo-min?”
“No, I don’t.”
“But you just said the name—”
“It’s written on the envelope.”
I tapped the letter that was already tucked away inside. Se-yul tilted his head, mumbling as if trying to remember. Before he could take the letter back out to check, I casually redirected his attention.
“The letter doesn’t look messy at all.”
“Really?”
When I nodded, Se-yul’s face lit up. Truthfully, it was a bit chaotic, but it was heartfelt. Every little doodle he had carefully drawn on the stationery was filled with sincerity.
“But are you sending it now? It’ll take over a week to arrive.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m going to deliver it myself.”
Se-yul carefully tucked the letter into his chest pocket. Watching him smile shyly, I thought to myself—thank god the future had changed.
If things had followed the original storyline, Se-yul would have been killed by Vincent Shining. After countless painful events, Choi Yeo-min would have eventually ended up with Vincent.
Since the original novel was incredibly dark, Vincent’s pursuit of Choi Yeo-min had been anything but normal. He wasn’t someone who knew how to love in a healthy way.
That’s why I was relieved. Now that the future had changed, those two could be happy. So could I. So could Vin.
“Se-yul.”
“Yeah, hyung?”
“I like this Yeo-min kid.”
“…You haven’t even met them.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh at Se-yul’s grumbling. He pouted at first, but soon, he gave in and laughed along with me.
“Make sure to bring them to the mansion sometime.”
“Yeah, I will.”
It wasn’t a pinky promise, but I found myself imagining the day Se-yul would bring Choi Yeo-min to visit me. It would be a wonderful sight. I was sure of it.
