Black-Haired Foreigner In The Martial Arts World – Chapter 0

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Adults should be able to take care of themselves.

Even if dropped somewhere unfamiliar, they must adapt and fight to survive. Being an adult means forging your own path.

That’s the essence of human life.

Military service is a rehearsal for that.

“You’re discharged, so get out.”

When my aunt summoned me and delivered those words, I could finally speak the lines I’d been rehearsing for a long time.

“No, Auntie! Please! I don’t even have a deposit; how can I leave?”

“I’ll give it to you. Just get out.”

“Okay.”

Well, if that’s the case, I’ll leave.

“From now on, you’re on your own. I’ve done my part. Don’t contact me. We’re done.”

I knew my aunt resented me. She’d taken on a child she never intended to raise.

Regardless, she did raise me. And for that, I’m truly grateful.

Raising a child is no easy task. Raising your own is hard enough; raising someone else’s, even your sister’s, must have been incredibly difficult.

She even sacrificed her youth for me.

I respect my aunt.

If it were me, I’d have launched the brat on a giant swing without a second thought.

“Thank you so, so much!!!”

I gave my aunt two deep bows as a final gesture.

“Why twice…?”

It was a sign of respect, of course.

“You don’t even have kids! You raised a punk like me out of obligation! You’re incomparable to my real mom. Thank you so much! You’re all I have, Auntie! You are my mother!”

“I get it, just please leave…”

“Goodbye, then! Please stay healthy, even without me around! I truly mean this: I’ve never met anyone as beautiful and kind as you. You’re a blessing! I’m so grateful, I could cry!”

“Just go, you insufferable brat…”

And so, I was thrust into society.

“Name: Kim Geun-hyeop.”

Using the deposit from my aunt, who was only ten years my senior, I found a room and started to build a life.

“I’ve forgotten my parents’ names. From today onward, I’ll live as an adult.”

From that day forward, I had to survive in this cruel world alone.

Having forgotten even my parents’ names, I was fearless. Isn’t that what adulthood is about?

Orphans have nothing to fear.

My only fear was that something might happen to my aunt.

Click, click, click!

Thump, thump!

I fell into a cycle of finding short-term jobs and quitting them.

“Another ‘failure,’ huh?”

Having skipped college, I lacked experience. My survival strategy was to try different jobs, discover my aptitude, and find my way.

“My buffet gig is over.”

I needed to find work that suited me if I wanted to make a living.

I wasn’t even in my mid-twenties. I needed to use this time wisely to build my future. Experiences from various jobs would nourish my mind. I had to find my calling.

That was my thinking, and so I tried everything.

“Hmm.”

Of course, even for someone like me, jobs sometimes ended abruptly.

Usually, this happened after a fight with a coworker. I didn’t understand why there was so much conflict in the working world.

“What’s next?”

Lying in my single room, surrounded by my belongings, I scrolled through a job app. I found something with decent pay:

[Historical Drama Extra]

A historical drama extra.

“The dream of acting…”

I pictured myself as an actor.

“Not bad.”

Maybe acting could be a viable career. A new challenge. A new opportunity. Something I’d never tried. These factors led me to apply, and I found myself working as a historical drama extra for the first time.

“Here! Put this on! Just do as you’re told!”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Along with others in the same boat, I donned a commoner garb and followed instructions.

The work was sweaty, but not difficult. Running, shouting “Long live the king!”, crying, or making a ruckus in the marketplace scenes.

“I like it.”

I liked it overall.

Filming seemed to be going well.

Maybe I had a knack for acting. It would be touching to become a successful actor and visit my aunt.

“Hey, you! Over here!”

Lost in my acting daydreams, I was called over by a staff member.

“Yes? What do you need?”

“Just sit here with your back turned, pretending to drink.”

“Ah, pretending to drink at the tavern.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Like this?”

I sat at a tavern table and mimed drinking. My superb acting earned an immediate okay, and I continued as instructed.

“The stars are here!”

As I did this, the lead actors arrived, exchanged greetings, and began their scene. I ignored them, focused on pouring my imaginary drink. Then, suddenly…

“Goddammit! Why the fuck is that asshole there?! Get him out of there, now!”

Some guy started yelling and cursing.

“What’s that?”

He wasn’t an actor.

I looked back and saw it was the director.

“Hey, you! What the hell are you doing?! Get out of there, you son of a bitch!”

“Me?”

Was he talking to me?

“Get your ass out of there, you goddamn motherfucker! Are you deaf?!”

Was this asshole really yelling at me?

“Who the hell are you cursing at, you son of a bitch?!”

“What?”

“You, come out here! How dare you curse at me?!”

I might be an orphan, but I don’t tolerate disrespect.

“You little shit, you want to die?! Hey! Come out here! Get out here!”

“Uh, uh, uh!”

I ran toward the director. Flustered staff members tried to intervene, but my sudden outburst caught them off guard.

I grabbed the director’s hair and shook him violently.

“You little punk!”

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Did I come here to earn money or to be insulted?

“Agh! Aaaaagh! This crazy bastard! Someone stop this lunatic!”

“Stop him? Stop him, my ass! Apologize, you son of a bitch! Who the hell do you think you are?!”

“Uuurgh!”

I told him to apologize, and all he does is scream?

I didn’t know if he didn’t understand or was feigning ignorance, but if he kept this up, I wasn’t letting go until he was bald.

These days, people think they can get away with anything just by yelling.

“Hey, hey! Please calm down!”

“Calm down? This asshole just cursed at me!”

“Hey! Do you know where you are? Stop causing trouble! Get out!”

Who the hell was this guy?!

“Your director started the trouble, you son of a bitch!”

“Wha, what?!”

“What are you yelling about? Hey! Apologize, you punk!”

Rip!

A chunk of the director’s hair was ripped out.

“Whoa.”

A fistful.

It came out like a handful of weeds.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

The director screamed, clutching his head. As people surged forward, I lost my grip.

“Please calm down!”

“Agh, ugh…! My hair! That crazy bastard!”

“Crazy bastard, my ass. Still running your mouth? You’re asking for it.”

He’s still cursing after I ripped out his hair?

I was going to beat him to a pulp.

One of us was ending up as shredded chicken.

“Quickly! We need to film, so please get him out of here…!”

“Apologize, and we can film!”

He was talking nonsense, so I barked back.

This asshole needed to apologize so we could resume filming! I might be an extra, but I had professional pride and a sense of responsibility. And a dream of being an actor.

Did he know how much money was lost when filming stopped?

The director needed to apologize to minimize the damage, but this idiot, I don’t know what he was thinking, refused to apologize.

We needed to film; what the hell was going on?

I needed to play my part and prove my talent.

“Please calm down! Why are you causing such a scene? Are you crazy?!”

As I reached for the director’s hair again, a female staff member yelled urgently.

Unbelievable.

“What the fuck! I was just sitting there as instructed, and he started cursing! So why are you telling me to calm down?! Yell at the director!”

“That’s…!”

“What? Can’t you yell at the director? But you yell at me? Who the hell are you to mess with me? You want to get beaten to death?! Huh?!”

“So, sorry…”

“If you’re sorry, shut up! You don’t know when to keep your mouth shut!”

“Sob!”

After making the staff member cry,

“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”

I roared.

“Agh! He’s crazy!”

“Help!”

“Mommy!”

My roar cleared the way, and I approached the director again.

“Hey! Apologize! Can’t you see everyone’s stuck because of you?! The set’s at a standstill! Are you going to take responsibility if we lose the day, you son of a bitch?!”

“Uh…”

Whoosh!

But then, the director suddenly bolted!

“That bastard! Where does he think he’s going?!”

I tried to chase him, but this time, a swarm of staff members descended on me, and I was apprehended.

“Sorry, so sorry!”

“We apologized! Please calm down!”

“We’re so sorry! Please calm down!”

See? In Korea, making a huge fuss is the only way to get what you want when you’ve been wronged.

Being only human, I relented when a bunch of people started bowing and begging.

“Look, I’m not looking for apologies from you guys. The person who needs to apologize is over there.”

“That’s…”

“I just said there’s someone else who needs to apologize! Filming is stopped. Do you know how much money this is costing?! Get the director! I need to get back to acting! I’ll accept his apology, so go get him! Now! The whole production is stalled because that bastard ran off!”

“But, but, what…?”

The important thing was getting back to filming.

“Excuse me! The director said to take this and leave!”

Just then, a staff member ran up with a white envelope.

“What? Is this…my pay?”

“We’re very sorry for the incident. We’ve included your full day’s pay, so please take it and go.”

I checked the amount; it was indeed a full day’s wage.

“Hmm.”

Seeing the money mollified me.

Time-wise, this was a win.

“Fine, whatever.”

I was still annoyed, but I’d received a full day’s pay for half a day’s work. We’ll call it even.

“Here’s the director’s hair. Give it back to him.”

“Gasp!”

“Tell him to plant it.”

I handed the fistful of hair to the staff member and returned to the changing room.

Unpleasant incidents seemed to follow me everywhere.

At my last job, I was fired for cursing out someone who berated me for something they hadn’t even bothered to explain.

This happened far too often.

I took off the now-familiar historical drama costume and stuffed it into my backpack.

“Screw those bastards. I’m keeping this.”

Since the director hadn’t actually apologized, I figured I was entitled to some compensation. It looked warm; it would make a good undergarment this winter.

Successfully looting an item improved my mood.

If you curse someone out, be prepared to lose something. Act like you own the place, and you’ll get beaten down.

My only regret was not completing my assigned scene. And the fact that filming had been disrupted.

This was a consequence of my strong work ethic and sense of responsibility.

I tried to dismiss it, but it kept bothering me.

The production wouldn’t function without me.

“Oh well. Can’t be helped.”

I returned home.

It wasn’t late.

To lift my spirits, I ordered chicken and took a shower.

I turned on the TV, watched a historical drama, and drank a beer.

If it weren’t for that damn director, I could have been an actor…No, wait. My acting talent had been proven. If I kept at it, I might get cast someday. It was the natural progression of things.

Actor Kim Geun-hyeop? Today’s incident would become a humorous anecdote demonstrating my dedication.

“That’s right.”

Watching the drama reminded me of the souvenir I’d brought from the set.

Time to celebrate.

Time to try it on.

“Not bad.”

Glad I’d taken it.

The doorbell rang.

“Coming!”

I got my chicken and settled down to eat.

“Yes! Delicious!”

That was my last memory on Earth.