TRGD 20

Chapter 20: Acquisition and Exploitation (2)

What was that all of a sudden?

I turned my head and looked around.

There was no one here except Pro Ahn Hyunju noona.

I had definitely heard it clearly in my ears.

But no matter how much I looked around, there was nobody.

Could it be a ghost…?

“Ah! The good stuff!!”

A memory suddenly flashed through my mind.

Grandma had definitely said it.

“I put in a few good things!”

Being able to see the unique aura people possessed.

That alone was already an incredible ability and blessing.

Whenever I talked to someone, I could roughly sense what they were thinking.

It was like a bonus ability that let me understand the other person.

But there was another privilege?

“G-Good stuff?”

As we shook hands, I felt the hand I was holding tremble slightly.

Pro Ahn Hyunju looked extremely flustered.

From anyone else’s perspective, what I had just said was easy to misunderstand.

Holding a woman’s hand and saying, “Good stuff”… that sounded all kinds of wrong.

“Haha… I’m just really happy to be able to shake hands with you in person, Pro!”

I awkwardly laughed it off.

Golf talent detected. Would you like to Acquire it or Exploit it?

What’s the difference?

Both seemed to involve obtaining the talent, but they definitely carried different meanings.

If you Acquire it, your positive connection with the target will continue. However, the acquisition rate is lower than with Exploitation.

Then what happens if I exploit it?

A hostile karmic connection will be created. The higher the acquisition rate, the stronger the hostility.

Now I understood.

Would you like to Acquire or Exploit? 5… 4… 3… 2…

“Acquire!!”

I shouted instinctively.

There was no reason to become enemies with such a beautiful pro golfer.

Acquiring golf talent.

Physical abilities provide a bonus effect.

Acquisition rate…

Right, what about the acquisition rate?

Your Life Level is too low to calculate an accurate value.

“…”

What is this, some kind of game?

What’s with this level nonsense?

Merit points from your previous and current life have been deducted.

M-Merit points?

“…”

Nothing unusual happened immediately.

There wasn’t a flash of light like something out of a sci-fi movie.

But…

Whoosh!

Pro Ahn Hyunju quickly pulled her hand away in surprise.

The look in her eyes turned icy.

I’d probably just been labeled as either a pervert or a mentally unstable student…

“Teacher, please teach me golf!”

“R-Right now?”

“Yes!”

First, I had to get myself out of this awkward situation.

I needed to clear up the misunderstanding.

Holding a woman’s hand while shouting “Acquire”…

That sounded like something out of a trashy anime.

“Midterms are next week. Aren’t you studying?”

“Tests are taken with everyday ability. Hahaha.”

I laughed heartily, but she remained expressionless.

Then she asked,

“Have you ever played golf before?”

“Today’s my first time!”

Even when my coworkers had excluded me in my previous life, I never had the chance to touch golf.

I couldn’t even afford a used set of clubs.

Lessons were completely out of the question.

“I’ll be busy after five. I’ll teach you for a little while.”

“Really? Thank you so much, Teacher Pro Ahn Hyunju!”

I bowed repeatedly.

A few years from now, people would be lining up just to receive lessons from Ahn Hyunju noona.

A golf angel whose wings had only been temporarily damaged.

“You’ll need clubs, right?”

“Yes!”

“Go to the office. There are a few sets in the corner. Pick whichever one you like.”

“Huh? I can take one?”

Golf club sets weren’t cheap.

Even decent used ones cost a considerable amount.

And she was just giving one away.

“Your seniors left them behind. They were too good to throw away, so I kept them. If you need one, just take it.”

“Ah…”

As expected of rich seniors!

I’ll make good use of it.

I sincerely appreciated the gesture.

Although, now I actually had the money to buy this kind of golf club myself.

Still, for the sake of something much bigger, there was no room for unnecessary spending.

I headed toward the office she had pointed out.

The office was neat.

There was only a computer and a few necessary pieces of equipment.

A four-person sofa and a water dispenser completed the room.

“How many sets are there?”

About ten golf club sets that had supposedly been abandoned were piled in one corner.

Just judging from the golf bags, they looked like expensive full sets.

“Money really grows on trees for these people.”

Shaking my head, I searched through them.

Then a black leather golf bag immediately caught my eye.

The clubs sticking out gleamed silver with a pearlescent finish.

“Taylor? Isn’t this expensive?”

I picked up the golf bag.

“Qinghua High really is amazing! They’re giving away something like this for free.”

Back when I had attended school in my previous life, I could never have imagined such a luxurious environment at Qinghua High.

Whoosh.

I slung the heavy golf bag over my shoulder and returned to where the pro was practicing.

“You’re choosing that one?”

“Yes!”

“Good choice. It’s packed with innovative technology, so even beginners can use it comfortably.”

“Do professionals use something very different?”

“Once you’re at the professional level, your clubs are custom-made to fit your body.”

“I see!”

“Want to try hitting a drive?”

“Is that okay?”

“Hehe. Try it first, then we’ll talk.”

With a playful smile, Pro Ahn Hyunju handed me a golf glove.

Her expression clearly said she wanted me to realize that golf wasn’t an easy sport.

“Watch my swing carefully.”

She slowly gripped the driver and took her stance.

Then—

Whoooosh!

A crisp, beautiful swing accompanied by a sharp sound.

Her short skirt fluttered gracefully with the rotation of her body.

Crack!

The ball was struck perfectly and flew straight toward the center.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but admire it.

She wasn’t called the Golf Goddess for nothing.

Even her finishing pose after the swing was flawless.

Her golf wear fit her perfectly, and every movement emphasized her elegant body line.

Refreshing and beautiful.

It felt like gulping down a huge cup of iced Americano on a scorching summer day.

“Did you watch carefully?”

“Perfect! Your beauty and your skills are both the best!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

I applauded three times and even gave her a thumbs-up.

Her cheeks slowly turned red.

She might be my teacher, but she was still a woman in her early twenties.

In terms of life experience, I had lived much longer.

It had probably been a long time since someone had sincerely cheered for her as though she had a gallery of spectators.

The stiffness in her expression softened considerably.

“Golf is usually divided into five stages: address, backswing, downswing, impact, and finish. Now pick up the driver and take your stance.”

The real lesson began.

“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the club like this. Keep my swing in your mind. Since you’re a complete beginner, be careful not to hit the ground. If you do, your wrists and lower back could take quite a shock.”

She even corrected my fingers one by one, teaching me the proper grip.

As she naturally touched my hands, I could tell how kind she was.

The aura I sensed confirmed her good nature.

After enough time passed, even if I became incredibly rich, I wouldn’t be able to receive private lessons from her.

This was one of the bucket-list items I had never imagined accomplishing during my high school life.

“Now try making a light swing.”

Following her instructions, I lightly swung the driver through the air.

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

There was no awkwardness or hesitation whatsoever.

Instead, the clean swing made the pro gasp in surprise.

“Is this… really your first time?”

“Yes.”

“Then… why is your swing so natural?”

“Could it be that I’m some kind of golf prodigy?”

“What? A prodigy? Hahaha!”

She laughed brightly at my joke.

She was only a few years older than me.

In terms of real-life experience, I had much more.

Even during college and my working years, I had occasionally talked with women.

Those past experiences had become one of the life skills I had learned.

I took my stance properly.

“Your form looks good.”

It really was my first time.

Even I was surprised by how naturally the golf club fit into my hands.

Click.

The automatic ball dispenser placed a ball on the tee.

Then—

Whoooosh!

Crack!

“Gasp!”

The golf ball shot forward perfectly after a clean strike.

Thunk!

It hit the exact center of the target painted high in the middle of the practice net.

Even Ahn Hyunju could only hit that center circle a few times a day.

Judging from the ball flight, swing, and speed, it had traveled at least 280 meters.

And this was supposedly someone playing golf for the first time?

Even his form had been perfect!!

Ahn Hyunju replayed the student’s swing in her mind.

From address to finish, it had been flawless.

He was tall and lean.

Yet his swing generated tremendous power that didn’t match his frame.

Judging from the movement of his waist and the rotation of his wrists, he was at least at the level of a semi-professional.

She carefully looked at the student once again.

Second-year student Ha Taewoong.

At first, she had thought he was either joking or some kind of pervert.

There were occasionally students, parents, or children of school executives who crossed the line under the excuse of taking lessons.

Sexual harassment was exactly why she had ended up working at the school.

At the beginning of last year, she had been preparing for the LPGA Tour.

Her skills and condition had both been excellent.

She had won several domestic tournaments.

A major corporate sponsor had signed with her.

It wasn’t easy for an individual to afford caddies and tour expenses.

Even after winning tournaments, taxes and training costs quickly consumed the prize money.

Without strong family support, competing on the LPGA Tour without sponsorships or advertisements was impossible.

Thanks to both her appearance and her skill, she had secured an excellent sponsor.

Shinyang Financial Holdings had become her main sponsor.

Since she was a teenager, she had occasionally played rounds with people who sponsored her.

It was simply one of the business obligations professional golfers had to fulfill.

If her father’s business hadn’t gone bankrupt, she would never have needed to go through that.

After her family’s financial collapse, Ahn Hyunju had earned spending money through golf.

The problem began after meeting the chairman of Shinyang Financial Holdings.

The impression he left on her was simple.

Just a bald middle-aged man.

From before the round even started, he constantly harassed her.

Through his secretary, he blatantly requested that she wear a skirt and demanded that she attend a drinking party afterward.

She normally avoided alcohol.

She should have refused.

But because he was her most important sponsor, she accepted.

The unwanted round began.

She was paired with the chairman.

Using the excuse of helping her address position, he constantly touched her.

The entire round was unbearably uncomfortable.

Then, in the evening, things finally exploded.

At the drinking party, the drunken bald man wrapped an arm around her waist.

Leaning close to her ear, he openly asked her to sleep with him.

He acted as though this was routine.

He told her that a hotel had already been reserved and that if she obeyed him, he would hand her one billion won on the spot.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Ahn Hyunju slapped the chairman across the face right then and there.

Leaving the stunned people behind, she stormed out.

A few days later, her sponsorship was terminated.

There were almost no companies in South Korea that didn’t do business with Shinyang Financial Holdings.

Rumors questioning Ahn Hyunju’s character spread throughout the industry almost overnight.

In reality, she had been acting as the head of her household.

With her financial support gone, she survived by giving private golf lessons.

But as time passed, she became increasingly exhausted, and her skills stagnated.

The stress destroyed her condition, and her rankings in domestic tournaments steadily declined.

Fortunately, thanks to the wife of a major corporate executive who thought highly of her, she eventually settled at Qinghua High School.

Qinghua High possessed a top-class golf practice facility.

She stayed there under the condition that she would assist with students’ golf classes and provide lessons to parents and several school officials.

Even so, life at the school remained dull.

Even in this educational environment, men openly approached her with impure intentions.

Of course, there were also male students who looked at her with inappropriate eyes.

Having nowhere else to run, she gritted her teeth and endured it.

At first, she had assumed Ha Taewoong belonged to that same group.

High school boys using golf lessons as an excuse for physical contact.

But then—

Crack!

Ha Taewoong launched another drive.

Once again, it struck the center target perfectly.

“Golf is easier than I expected.”

Holding the driver, Ha Taewoong grinned.

Ahn Hyunju stared directly at him.

His swing mechanics were already at a professional level.

Without realizing it, she bit her lower lip.

“Tell me honestly. Who taught you?”