Chapter 83-84 – Preparation – 4
[MC POV]
The hypnosis I had put on the director wasn't anything extraordinary.
[The kink is now netorare. Watching a video of your wife being taken by another man is far more thrilling than doing it yourself, and seeing another man's child born from your wife is pure bliss. You become unable to resist the man who netorares your wife.]
In short, it was designed to turn him into a masochist who enjoyed being cuckolded.
It was the kind of story you'd find in a typical NTR doujinshi manga with a twisted ending, but the effect was surprisingly strong.
Judging by how easily I got the contract, I thought, 'I didn't expect him to not even put up a fight and just accept it.'
Honestly, I expected at least some resistance.
The day after I had my way with the director's wife and forced him to sign the unfair contract, I arrived at a luxurious villa.
"Miharu, is this the place?"
"Ah, yes, this is where Yung is."
"It's a nice place."
"Yes. Apparently, she makes quite a lot of money…"
At Miharu's words, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of candy. I placed it in my mouth and slowly sucked on it.
Looking at the large mansion, I recalled the personal information about Yung that Miharu had shared.
'Her name is definitely Takahashi Rua, Japanese… or rather, a second-generation Korean-Japanese.'
Her nickname is Yung. Her Korean name is Yoon Sunhwa, but Yung sounds cuter than Yoon, so that's what everyone calls her.
Both her father and mother are alive, but they don't get along well.
She dropped out of high school, probably due to bullying.
She later passed the High School Equivalency Examination, similar to Japan's GED, and was recognized as a high school graduate. This exam can only be taken by adults.
She is also a hikikomori [Okatu] with social anxiety, likes anime, and has a strange philosophy about women's panties. Because of that, she's said to have a perverted side.
'Hmm. Maybe she's someone I could have an interesting, in-depth discussion with.'
Lastly and most importantly, she's a freelance programmer and a successful stock investor.
This part wasn't from Miharu, but something Yung herself had asked to be conveyed.
'Did she figure out what I'm trying to do?'
I had only told her I needed a program like this, but if she understood the full situation, that was impressive.
After reviewing all the information about Yung, I said, "Miharu, let's go now."
"Ah, yes."
A few minutes later, Miharu and I arrived at Yung's house.
As soon as we reached the door, Miharu pressed the doorbell as if she were used to it.
Ding-dong…!
The doorbell rang, and after a moment…
Creak…!
The sound of the door opening followed.
"C-come in…"
She was wearing a large black hoodie and what looked like a 'no-pants' style, making it impossible to tell if she was wearing pants or not.
'Is she Yung?'
From the outside, she looked like an elementary or middle school student. Her physique wasn't just small—it was frail.
The oversized clothes made her appear a bit bigger, but without them, she could have passed for a grade-schooler.
On top of that…
'It seems like she doesn't take care of herself.'
Her face was clean, as if she had washed it, but her hair was greasy. Her eyebrows and nails were in poor condition, showing she neglected herself.
Yet, somehow, this appearance made me trust her even more.
In this line of work, skill often depends on grooming—or at least that's the impression.
That was why I trusted her far more than when I had first heard about her.
Flitch…!
As I stared at Yung, she trembled slightly and asked, "U-um, aren't you going to come in…?"
"Ah. I'll come in now."
After entering Yung's house, my first impression was, 'Oh, it's clean.'
'The house is very tidy. No!! More than tidy.'
'At this level, she seems to have a talent not only for programming and stock investing but also for home decorating.'
Even though it was 2009, the house looked like a sophisticated home from the future.
Because of that, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia for the future and unconsciously muttered, "Wow. I could believe this is a five-star hotel."
Upon hearing my words, Yung paused for a moment and turned her head to look at me. No, not exactly at me.
'Hmm? Is she looking at Miharu?'
She was looking at Miharu.
While I wondered why, Miharu spoke in a small voice, sounding a little embarrassed.
"W-well, I decorated this house…"
I doubted my ears for a moment.
No, she wasn't even the owner of the house. Why Miharu?!
Miharu explained that at first, she had only been helping Yung with cleaning, laundry, and cooking. But after becoming closer to her, she didn't like how desolate the house looked. She suggested decorating it a bit, and Yung asked her to handle it.
It was an unusual story, but not incomprehensible.
As Miharu had described, Yung definitely didn't seem interested in decorating the house herself.
"Miharu. You would have been really successful if you had worked in this field," I said.
"Ah, no. Not that much…"
"No. I'm serious. There aren't many people who can decorate like this."
At my praise, Miharu blushed. She was looking embarrassed. Her reaction was a bit cute, and I unconsciously kept praising her.
"Ugh… die, normies…"
Yung muttered this quietly as she watched me and Miharu.
Honestly, it was the first time I had heard someone say that in real life. It felt like something out of an anime.
She had been stuttering just a moment ago, struggling to get her words out. But this time, she was speaking clearly, and that alone was notable.
'I've watched some anime too. I guess I still need more training.'
After praising Miharu, I stepped further inside the house and took a seat at the dining table. There, I showed Yung the exact contract.
For reference, Miharu had brewed the tea.
Despite her appearance, Yung carefully read through the contract.
After checking it, she seemed to decide there were no issues. She put the contract down and hesitated for a moment before saying, "T-the contract terms are definitely g-good…"
This was because I had instructed Miyuki to set the contract terms generously.
When it comes to acquiring talent, I didn't spare any means, methods, or money. That had always been the approach of the most successful person I knew in my past life.
Of course, that person didn't go so far as to draw heavy criticism from those around him.
Still, being around someone like that had influenced me. I had also become someone who didn't hesitate to spend money on talent.
Although, so far, no real talent had gathered around me.
"I-it's an attractive contract… I really want to do it… but, can I ask just o-one last question?"
While I was lost in these thoughts, Yung spoke to me.
"Okay… ask."
I told her it was fine and that she could ask anything she wanted.
At my answer, Yung didn't hesitate and asked directly, "D-do you really think that thing called Bitcoin will s-succeed?"
At her words, I realized Yung was definitely someone special. I hadn't mentioned anything about Bitcoin since arriving here, yet she had figured it out.
Indeed, she was an amazing person.
Although I seemed to know the answer, I asked out of curiosity, "Do you happen to have a reason for thinking it's Bitcoin?"
"I was thinking about what kind of work would fit the contract terms and you, and I just remembered seeing something called B-Bitcoin in an economic news report I saw before."
There was already someone who knew about the existence of Bitcoin?
Hearing Yung's words, a chill ran through me.
'I was relieved because the Bitcoin exchange rate hasn't been set yet. I was too careless.'
I reminded myself that just because I had regressed to the past didn't mean everything was in my hands.
At the very least, I wasn't foolish enough to let arrogance blind me. After all, I had woken up in a different country and in a completely different time period from my original life.
Still, I realized I had been careless. I had been too relaxed and had neglected gathering information, assuming the future wouldn't change.
'I need to speed things up a bit. And I needed to gather information thoroughly.'
After admitting my mistake, I closed my eyes for a moment to reflect.
Then I answered Yung's question, "Yes. Bitcoin will succeed. Definitely."
"W-why are you so c-certain…?"
Yung asked. She was clearly anxious about the coin's success.
There were countless possible explanations. People in the shadows with little access to currency would use it. It would be popular for secret transactions. Scammers would exploit it. And so on.
There were many answers. But honestly, only one mattered.
"Because this coin is a monster that endlessly sucks in human desire."
At my words, Yung tilted her head slightly. It was as if she truly didn't understand what I meant.
Seeing her reaction, I explained, "This coin is an illusion. An illusion without anyone or any institution to guarantee it."
As the term "cryptocurrency" suggests, the coins were just virtual currency. Even if someone ran off with the money, there was no institution or person to back it up. Yet, why were so many people drawn to it?
The answer was simple.
"What sustains the coin is not the power of institutions or countries, but human desire."
Human desire for success—or more fundamentally, the desire for money—was what made people fall into the coin.
At the very least, this was an immutable truth. I believed it would remain so as long as humans never rid themselves of desire.