One More Rock!
One more rock! …………… Yeom Hana's "target" that she said she'd "shoot" wasn't some trendy mint mala rose matcha tanghulu macaron tteokbokki that girls her age might crave. It was just a massive dalgona the size of a human head. Absurdly enough.
It was sold at some shop near Hongdae, probably targeting the foreign tourists flocking in because of that hit drama like Octopus Game or whatever.
"Here, ajusshi! Catch!"
"Uh, um."
It was too big to even call a dalgona. Enormously large and thick. It was practically a sugar ingot. To be honest, it looked like the two-handed sword favored by some berserker from the Ga clan.
What the hell is this?
I felt a bit awkward complaining since it was free food, but this giant dalgona was honestly pretty bewildering. Imagine a 188cm, 95kg, 45-year-old ajusshi chomping on a supersized dalgona in broad daylight on the street. Even I'd sneak a glance if I were passing by. And sure enough, it was drawing tons of stares.
Crunch.
I bit into the dalgona. Sweetness from the melting sugar spread across the tip of my tongue.
Crunch, crunch.
...Makes me crave mixed coffee.
Sweet with bitter coffee? Haha, you greenhorn. For seasoned ajusshis, sweet-bitter combos are child's play. Sweet-on-sweet is plenty.
Anyway, it tasted good. Not amazingly so, but fun enough to munch on.
But what can I say? No matter how I thought about it, this dalgona treat was—
"This."
"Huh?"
"You just bought what you wanted to eat, didn't you?"
"No way! You had fun too, right, ajusshi?"
Yeom Hana protested, her cheeks puffed out full of candy.
No need to stuff your face like that with sweets.
It was ridiculous, but also kinda cute. I couldn't help but laugh.
Well, it had been fun. Gnawing on a giant dalgona stirred up more memories than I'd expected. Not my memories from the original world, of course—Han Kang's. The real me back home never got old enough for dalgona nostalgia.
"Yeah, it was fun. Thanks for the treat anyway. If there's nothing else, this ajusshi's heading home."
I turned to go—
"Ehey, look at this ajusshi!"
My arm got grabbed. By Yeom Hana, who'd suddenly switched to full ajusshi-speak.
"What?"
"You didn't call me out here just for dalgona and now you're sulking, are you? Or is it too much gratitude to even look at my face?"
"Neither."
I'd rushed straight from work, crammed into the hellish sardine can that is Line 2 to Hongdae, only to get served a giant dalgona. It was absurd, but what could I do? I definitely wasn't sulking. A good adult just had to get home.
"Come on, hear me out! Aren't you curious, ajusshi? How I earned the money for that dalgona."
Yeom Hana's fiery eyes sparkled like crazy.
It was the look of someone begging for an "I'm curious!"
But.
Hmm.
To be honest, not really. That dalgona? 13,800 won. Just a tourist trap snack ripping people off blatantly. Not enough to make me dying to hear her "money-making method."
Girls her age make money the usual ways anyway. Part-time jobs, tutoring, or allowance.
"Uh, day labor at a logistics center?"
Considering she'd soloed a D-rank villain with brute strength, she had prime industrial worker potential. Construction sites, warehouses, whatever.
But answering even half-assedly was a mistake.
"Wrong! No points! Curious now? Huh? You are, right?"
"...Meh."
I made it obvious I wasn't impressed, but it didn't matter. Yeom Hana was already hyped on her own.
"I'll show you! Follow me!"
She grabbed my hand and started dragging me.
This girl again.
Same pattern as that first time at the pork soup joint. I could shake her off if I flexed, but her excited face sapped my will to resist. She was like an elementary kid dying to show her parents a perfect test score.
Sigh, whatever, I'll play along.
Not much waiting at home anyway.
And so, led by Yeom Hana, I strolled through evening Hongdae streets.
……………
She took me to one side of Hongdae Street, the busking zone. A small amp sat against the wall, prepped in advance.
"No way—"
"Heh heh heh heh…."
Before I could finish, Yeom Hana cackled and unzipped the guitar case slung on her back. A red-gloss electric guitar—the same one she'd used to bash Silence Man.
That thing's an instrument too, not just a club?
She hooked it up to the amp and laid the case open in front.
[Thanks for the cheers!]
Tip box. She was seriously busking.
Quick setup. She slung the guitar over her shoulder and grabbed the pick.
Bzzzz—!
The first note rang out, shifting the vibe instantly.
Th-this song…!
I recognized it from the opening riff. The smash hit from that Japanese band Promise that's blown up in recent years.
Great song choice aside, Yeom Hana in performance mode was a whole different person.
"Ka—ki—na—ra—se—!!"
(Reverberate!)
Her fingers slid across the frets. Her left hand moved so flashy, it was hard to track with the eyes. Pure passionate, manic speed-picking. Hard to believe this was the same girl giggling over dalgona moments ago.
This isn't just 'skilled' level. I'd buy her in a pro band.
Passersby started stopping, one by one. Slowing down, turning heads, then fully halting to watch her play.
I hung back a bit, spectating the flame-haired girl dominating the square.
"...Impressive."
She deserved the cash. No joke, dead serious.
The song hit its climax. Guitar solo section. Fingers raced across the strings.
That moment.
Yeom Hana glanced my way.
She grinned.
...Holy crap.
Ridiculous, but I clapped anyway. Like a cue, her playing exploded even fiercer.
The final chord sliced through the air.
Whoa—!!!
Applause poured in. Whistles too. Bills and coins piled in the case—1,000-won notes, 5,000s, even a 10,000.
"Thanks, everyone—!!"
Yeom Hana bowed big and packed up. She ran over with the case.
"You saw!? Right!?"
"Yeah, saw it all."
"Heh, this is how this body makes money!"
She shoved the clutched bills and coins at me. Roughly 20,000 won.
"Not bad for one song."
Hourly rate? Insane. Had to admit it.
"Right!? Do it daily, and rent's covered!"
Yeom Hana bounced excitedly.
"But you applied with the district office, right?"
"Huh?"
"Busking. I hear you need permission first."
"No clue."
"………."
Pretend I didn't hear that. Ignorance and willful neglect are different. I'm no cop or city clerk anyway—just a villain hunter. Let it slide. I heard nothing.
That's when it happened.
My pocket phone buzzed. Not Han Sol or Lee Jin-ah. Must be work.
Post-work calls mean death, as the saying goes…!
Han Kang's the loner ajusshi who wanders solo and barely chats with colleagues. Did they see me as easy prey? Dumping work questions after hours? If so, tomorrow at the office, they'd regret it.
Checked the screen.
...Damn.
Requesting off-duty combat agents too? At least C-rank threat.
My face hardened.
"What? Something up?"
Yeom Hana's voice.
"Work came up. I'm out."
Pocketed the phone.
……………
Checked the location.
That distance? Faster on foot.
This hour in Seoul, taxis are slower than walking. Public transit? Forget it.
"Ajusshi!?"
Ignored her call from behind. Pushed off hard.
Scenery blurred. Hongdae crowds, neon signs, shops—all streaks.
About five minutes later, near the scene.
Something shattering ahead confirmed it. Caught my breath—
"Ajusshi! Running off like that!?"
A voice behind me.
...What?
Yeom Hana, of course. Electric guitar on her back, panting.
Huh.
Speechless. Augmentation serum body outruns Olympic sprinters at max. Normals can't keep up. Yet here she was. Guitar and all.
Undeniable proof forced me to face it: Yeom Hana was almost certainly an Awakener. Probably physical enhancement type. Half-confirmed when she clubbed Silence Man, but I'd ignored it. Didn't want to know.
"Told you first time. I'm government villain hunter."
Yeom Hana paused, then grinned.
"Oh yeah. So, off to catch a villain now?"
This girl.
No time for more.
BOOM—!!
Explosion nearby. Glass shattering. Screams. No more talk.
Ran to the scene. Footsteps followed. Yeom Hana. No point stopping her.
Out of the alley, the sight hit me.
Middle of the road. Streetlight uprooted, cars flipped. Building windows smashed, shards scattered on asphalt.
A man stood at the center. Thirties, suited. Weird dog mask on his head.
"Hahaha! Bring booze and broads! I am Hero Hooligan, earner of foreign cash!"
...Ah.
I sighed. It was that guy.