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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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We went to the hypermarket as a family.
Since we consume a lot of food at home, we planned to buy ingredients in bulk.
Brother Choco was on standby at home.
He was quite angry at first.
But he agreed to wait quietly on the condition that we’d buy him beef jerky.
At the mart, we filled two shopping carts with items.
Mostly ingredients to replenish Dad’s energy.
[Look at your father! He’s really going to die!]
‘I’m really worried. He’ll just get thinner if she doesn’t get pregnant.’
[What’s with those thin arms! Nothing but skin and bones! He can barely stand!]
We started checking out our numerous items.
Suddenly, a hand thrust out towards me.
The source was Mom.
“Hand it over.”
“What?”
“Your card.”
“Why do I have to pay with my money?”
She was acting like a straight-up robber, trying to extort money from me as soon as we arrived.
However.
“I’ll expose the CD.”
“Here you go, Mother.”
I surrendered immediately.
I watched in real-time as the money in my bank account started disappearing through my phone app.
The remainder of my money vanished in an instant.
[It’s all gone.]
‘Can’t be helped. It’s not good to be too attached to money anyway.’
Then I struggled to move all the purchased items.
By myself, of course.
I couldn’t possibly make Dad do it, and Mom was already sitting in the driver’s seat.
Just then, Mom rolled down the window and started looking around outside.
I quickly attempted a small rebellion.
“Hey, I paid with my money, so help me out at least.”
“Stop talking nonsense and just move it.”
Mom would have normally moved the items herself, but she was making me do it since I was here.
I found myself getting angry and continued protesting.
“Have you really no conscience? Why extort my labor after extorting my money?”
“Stop with the pointless talk and hurry up.”
“…At least you’re my mom, right?”
“Ah, right.”
That really hurt.
I really wanted to meet my real maman.
‘Yuzuki maman. Alice maman. Kokoro maman. I miss you.’
[Just die holding your breath, you bastard.]
Then I spotted a small child in the distance.
Judging by how they were lying on the ground crying, they seemed to be throwing quite a tantrum.
As I was moving the last of the luggage, Mom also noticed the child.
And with a smirk, she said to me,
“Remember, son? I picked you up when you were crying and throwing tantrums like that at the mart.”
An unexpected preemptive strike.
I couldn’t lose.
“Yes, auntie. Of course I remember.”
As soon as those words left my mouth, Mom floored the accelerator and left the hypermarket.
I tried to chase after her somehow, but it was impossible to keep up with her driving skills honed through years of being a housewife.
In the end, all I could do was walk home from the distant hypermarket.
[Why on earth did you counter attack with that!]
‘Never back down from a fight that comes to you. That is the way of Tower.’
Then I remembered the beef jerky I promised Brother Choco and turned back to buy it.
Brother Choco greeted me as soon as I got home.
We exchanged fist bumps – my fist with his paw.
[To think this is the protagonist…]
‘It’s fine. At least I’m better than many toxic protagonists.’
I went out for a walk with Brother Choco, who was now in a good mood.
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“So what happened, you idiot?”
“I ran into a telephone pole.”
We’re at the police station now.
Hye-ji came looking for me here.
Very naturally, my parents didn’t come.
Old Man Kang-hyuk was unreachable.
By process of elimination, Hye-ji naturally came.
Grabbing my collar, Hye-ji started yelling at me.
Her words were unusually sharp today.
“How! The hell! Do you run into a telephone pole while walking a dog?!!”
I ended up at the police station due to a minor accident while walking with Brother Choco.
Faced with Hye-ji’s fierce glare, I found myself using formal speech without realizing it.
“I got too excited while running and slammed my head into a telephone pole.”
“Holy shit, really.”
Hye-ji grabbed my collar and held her head in her hands.
She seemed to find this quite unreasonable.
“And what? They say the dog stayed by your side while you were unconscious!!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Are you crazy??? Why did you two switch intelligence levels!!!”
“Well, he’s my older brother, so it’s natural for him to protect his younger sibling.”
“No, why the hell is a dog your older brother?!!!!”
Hye-ji strongly protested, finding it more strange that Brother Choco was my brother.
‘Ah, Hye-ji doesn’t know that Brother Choco and I became sworn brothers.’
[……I don’t even know where to start pointing out the problems here.]
So I briefly explained it to Hye-ji.
How we had a heart-to-heart conversation while drinking and became sworn brothers.
After hearing my story, Hye-ji started laughing.
A half-crazed laugh.
“Ha….ha….ha….fuck. How did I end up with this kind of…”
Then, regaining her composure, Hye-ji asked me a question.
Why I was at the police station.
“If you were hurt, you should have gone to the hospital, why are you at the police station?”
“They say there was a power outage in the area because of my head collision. I’m a suspect.”
Hye-ji grabbed my collar again.
Her expression was even more enraged than before, making me instinctively cower.
“How is your head fine when you damaged a telephone pole!!!!!!”
“….Good point.”
[It might be more convincing to say the telephone pole hit you.]
‘I should have said that.’
Then Brother Choco next to us started trying to stop Hye-ji.
Since Hye-ji couldn’t understand what he was saying, she asked me to explain.
“…Just in case, Shinwoo, what’s he saying?”
“He says don’t bully his little brother too much.”
“….fuck…I’m really going crazy.”
“Brother is all I have.”
However, since this was such an unprecedented case, even the police station was still discussing it.
The lack of intent. And the fact that I was still registered as a non-ability user in the system.
Plus the fact that a regular person caused a power outage with just a headbutt.
Because of these three points, the police were quite troubled now.
With faces half-convinced that they’d get chewed out if they reported this.
In the end, the incident was quietly buried.
‘Being a non-ability user is good at times like this.’
[True. But when is your registration going to be finished?]
‘Probably won’t be registered until this novel ends.’
The power outage incident was resolved with just a minor scolding.
That was fortunate.
“No more walks today.”
“Shinwoo, please just go home.”
“Yeah. Thanks for today anyway. See you later.”
Just as I was about to head home.
Suddenly Hye-ji grabbed me.
“…Shinwoo, are you free next week?”
“I have no friends so I have nowhere to go.”
“That’s perfect.”
Hye-ji seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.
She suddenly made me a proposal.
“Then do you want to come over to my place next week?”
“Sure, okay. Send me the address later.”
Hearing my words, Hye-ji grabbed my arm tightly.
A strong expression of intent that I must come.
“You have to come alone!!! Got it?!”
“…Okay, I got it, but could you let go of my arm? I think I’m about to grow another joint.”
Fortunately, Hye-ji let go of my arm before a second elbow could form.
Even as we parted ways, she kept making me confirm that I would come alone.
It seemed like something bad would happen if I didn’t go.
[Dear, are you really going?]
‘Yeah, why not. Should I buy a gift since I’m visiting someone’s house?’
At that moment, Piece expressed shock.
[…..What? What did you just say?]
‘Why are you surprised? That’s just basic manners.’
[I’m so moved that you’re finally having somewhat human-like thoughts…]
‘……Piece, I’ve been too lenient with you lately, haven’t I?’
Though Piece hurriedly apologized, it was too late.
First, I safely returned home with Brother Choco.
Then I logged onto the Mystic Mage gallery for the first time in a while.
It was time for HAL to work.
That night.
One voice echoed from my room.
Two voices screamed in my head.
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The day of my appointment with Hye-ji.
‘This… this is right, isn’t it?’
[It is, but… I never expected this.]
Right now I was very flustered.
After buying a box of vitamin drinks from the pharmacy as a gift, I headed to the address Hye-ji sent me.
There was no problem up to this point.
I had bought a gift and the address Hye-ji sent was normal.
However, when I arrived, what entered my view was.
‘Shit. Am I going to get mocked at the entrance for being a commoner?’
[This one also feels uncomfortable in such a place.]
A luxury apartment complex that didn’t feel real at all.
A place that didn’t suit me at all.
I started worrying whether my current appearance qualified me to enter the apartment.
[Can’t you just go in anyway?]
‘There are minimum qualifications required to enter such places.’
For example, Starbucks.
Going to Starbucks without a new iPhone and MacBook?
Forget ordering, you can’t even enter.
While our apartment isn’t bad either.
The apartment in front of me is on a different level.
The thought of running away was slowly creeping into my mind.
‘…Should we bail?’
[…For once, I agree with you.]
No point in lingering and risking getting reported.
Just as I was about to make a quick escape.
Hye-ji suddenly appeared and greeted me.
“Oh, Shinwoo’s here. Let’s go in.”
“…Okay.”
“Are you sick or something?”
Noticing my poor expression, Hye-ji looked at me with concern.
“I can’t adjust to this luxury apartment. I want to run away.”
“People live the same way everywhere. Let’s hurry up and go.”
In the end, I followed Hye-ji into the apartment complex.
Thankfully, passing people didn’t give me side glances.
That was a relief.
“Well, this is better than what I expected.”
“…Shinwoo? What were you thinking that makes this better?”
Hye-ji tilted her head.
Still trembling from the fear that hadn’t completely gone away, I opened my mouth.
“I was worried I’d have to perform tricks in front of people for being a commoner.”
[That was scary.]
‘Tell me about it.’
Hye-ji responded to my words.
Not with words, but with two powerful punches to my side.
For a moment, I couldn’t say anything and could barely catch my breath.
Hye-ji dragged me, incapacitated by her CC, and guided me to her house.
This time, people did glance at us as they passed by.
Anyway, led by Hye-ji’s hand, we got on the elevator.
Hye-ji’s house was on the top floor.
Even with the fast elevator, it took long enough to feel the height.
‘Doesn’t the top floor have poor heating?’
[Why the hell are you worried about that in this luxury apartment!]
‘It could be a rooftop room.’
But my thoughts were wrong.
The moment we got off the elevator and entered Hye-ji’s house.
A scene clearly different from my house unfolded.
‘Oh shit. It’s a penthouse. This must be possible because Hye-ji’s dad is a Samsung man, right?’
[This wouldn’t be possible just by earning well. You’d need money rotting away to afford this.]
At that moment, a man entered my view.
Still unaware of our arrival, he continued watering the plants.
His face seemed slightly familiar, but I couldn’t remember exactly where from.
“I’m home.”
“…Hello.”
Then I remembered where I’d seen the man’s face.
He was the man in the driver’s seat when I got a ride from Hye-ji.
I whispered quietly so only Hye-ji could hear.
“Hye-ji. Do you invite the chauffeur to your house to take care of plants?”
“What????? What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Isn’t that the chauffeur who drove the car that time?”
“Are you crazy? No!”
Just then, the man started looking our way.
Black hair. Deep wrinkles around his eyes.
Golden eyes that didn’t match his black hair at all.
Quite tall. A body remarkably well-trained for his age.
He didn’t seem like an ordinary person.
Most striking were his eyes – sharp and fierce like weapons.
Then, Hye-ji spoke.
“Dad. I’m home.”
“Yes, and this is that friend from last time.”
‘……It was her dad.’
[They look nothing alike except for the eyes.]
Anyway, now that I knew he was Hye-ji’s father, I quickly greeted him.
“Yes, hello. I’m Kim Shinwoo.”
“Yes.”
“It’s not much, but here’s a housewarming gift.”
“Yes.”
Hye-ji’s father only gave short answers to my words.
It was quite burdensome how he kept looking at me with somewhat disapproving eyes.
*’Why is this Samsung engineer looking at me like he wants to kill me?’*
[Is he really an engineer? Looking at his eyes, it’s more like he’s disposed of people.]
‘Maybe he’s in charge of alien interrogation.’
Hye-ji said she’d go to her room for a moment.
That left just two people in the living room.
Me. And Hye-ji’s father.
“Sit.”
“Yes sir.”
I sat down where Hye-ji’s father indicated.
Hye-ji’s father naturally sat down opposite me.
Though we were facing each other.
Only silence passed between us.
I don’t know about him, but I had no idea what to say.
‘This is awkward.’
[Indeed it is.]
A very uncomfortable situation.
Somehow my whole body felt like it was being pricked.
But the silence didn’t last long.
Because Hye-ji’s father finally opened his mouth.
“Nice to meet you, Shinwoo. I’m Hye-ji’s father.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“Let me briefly introduce myself first.”
“Please do.”
“Name’s Kim Baek-hong. Age 50.”
At that moment, I noticed some out-of-place decorations in the living room background.
Though I couldn’t see the text, there were various nameplates along with medal-like decorations.
They looked just like military medals given to soldiers.
‘……Medals?’
[What’s wrong?]
At that moment, various keywords started popping up in my head.
Kim Hye-ji. The need for extensive exposure to weapons to materialize them.
An environment to create and produce blueprints. Excessive training since childhood.
Hye-ji’s skilled greatsword techniques and marksmanship. Her father’s intense gaze.
Numerous medals.
Just as the keywords were about to combine.
Kim Baek-hong’s words became the final component in the combination.
“My job is just, modestly working under the Ministry of National Defense.”
With that, the keyword combination was complete.
And simultaneously, one fact was revealed.
‘Ah fuck. They said her dad was Samsung but it wasn’t Samsung(S Corp) but Samsung(3 Stars).’
[…He must be quite high-ranking.]
‘My friend’s dad is a general? This suddenly got really uncomfortable.’
Lieutenant General Kim Baek-hong of the Ministry of National Defense.
This was my first meeting with Hye-ji’s father.
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