Creation Talent - Chapter 6
Kim Jihun had started his part-time job at Yelim Bookstore.
“Welcome!”
Jihun greeted every customer entering the store with energetic enthusiasm. Two middle school girls from the neighborhood, who were customers, stared at his face in surprise.
“Whoa! That brother is super handsome.”
“Yerim unnie used to work here... Did they hire a new part-timer? Anyway, he's seriously good-looking.”
Kim Jihun secretly overheard the girls' conversation and felt a swell of satisfaction.
So my looks really have changed a lot.
It had been less than two weeks since he obtained the book. Yet Jihun's appearance had already transformed dramatically. His features improved day by day. His skin had cleared up, his facial features had become more refined, and he'd even grown a bit taller—now approaching 177 cm.
It's all thanks to the Creator God Manual.
Jihun basked in the girls' favorable glances. He hadn't had many chances to attract attention from the opposite sex like this. His looks had been utterly average, and with his introverted personality, he rarely interacted much with women. To make matters worse, the public high school he attended was an old-fashioned one that separated boys and girls into different classes. So he had neither the opportunity nor the foundation to mingle with girls his age.
But now, Kim Jihun was completely different. His face had become handsome. He'd grown taller. Even his aura had shifted. Thanks to that, he was enjoying way more favorable attention from the opposite sex than he deserved.
The world handsome guys live in is this beautiful!
He used to bitterly recall his own lack of prospects every time he saw good-looking guys dating. But now that he was the one in that position, Jihun felt incredibly good.
I hope I keep getting even more handsome from now on.
He reflected anew on the fortune of acquiring the Creator God Manual, feeling deeply happy.
“Heave-ho.”
Kim Jihun moved the books. He effortlessly carried over twenty volumes at once.
“My strength has really increased a lot too.”
Amazed once more by his enhanced muscle power, he continued shifting the books. Thanks to his superior strength compared to an ordinary person, organizing them didn't take long.
“Phew! All done!”
Having easily relocated and sorted all the books, Jihun let out a satisfied sigh. He gazed at the bookshelves he'd arranged. The new arrivals from various book wholesalers were neatly organized for easy browsing. General knowledge books, novels, reference materials, self-improvement titles... All sorts of genres were perfectly placed.
He nodded appreciatively at the results of his hard work. As someone who loved books, even this simple task of tidying gave him a sense of accomplishment.
“Oh, right. I’ve never analyzed a book before.”
Jihun muttered as the thought suddenly struck him. Lately, he'd analyzed all kinds of objects to gain Creation Force—office supplies, furniture, you name it. But ironically, he'd never analyzed books, despite loving and owning so many.
“Alright. Let's analyze a book this time. Wonder how much Creation Force I'll get?”
Jihun scanned the shelves slowly and pulled out one he hadn't read yet. It was a standard science popularization book explaining various physical phenomena at an introductory level. He held it lightly and mentally commanded, Analyze.
A massive flood of information poured into Jihun's mind—far beyond just the book's volume and dimensions. It included its structure down to the molecular and atomic levels.
“Whoa!”
But Jihun's eyes widened wider than usual in surprise at this unexpected development during the material analysis.
“The book's contents were fully transmitted to me too.”
That's right. Analyzing the book had sent not just the physical details but every bit of its content straight into his mind. With such a thorough breakdown at the molecular level, absorbing the text was inevitable.
“If I use this, acing the college entrance exam would be a breeze.”
It was simple when he thought about it. Just analyze a bunch of entrance exam prep books and textbooks without discrimination, absorb the info, and hit the target score effortlessly.
“Full marks are basically guaranteed now!”
Jihun grinned at the unexpected windfall. He'd been planning to dive into exam prep right away, so discovering this far easier path naturally thrilled him.
But the joy was short-lived. Jihun closed his eyes and pondered deeply.
Is it really fair to use material analysis to absorb info and take the exam?
He recalled his past failures due to lack of talent. Back then, no matter how hard he studied, his grades stayed low. He'd bombed the entrance exam. That was just two weeks ago.
Now, if he wanted, he could score perfect just by willing it—without real effort, just by analyzing a few prep books.
It's unfair.
Jihun knew full well how grueling dedicated study was. Wrestling with each problem, racking your brain to derive the right answer—it built massive stress. The entrance exam rewarded students who'd honed their intellect through years of that grind.
But was it right for someone like him with special powers to casually game that system?
Jihun deemed it unfair. So he resolved:
“I won't analyze books to boost my exam scores.”
He'd study with his own brain and take the test fair and square. Jihun didn't want to betray his conscience.
“I worked that hard even when I wasn't smart. Now that my brain's better, I'll trust my diligence and improved mind—let's give it a real shot.”
Having reached that conclusion, he resumed organizing books with a brighter, relieved expression.
...
A week had passed since Jihun started working at Yelim Bookstore. With Seo Yerim's full support, he'd adapted smoothly to the job.
It was a quiet moment with no customers. Jihun sat at the desk, working through a reference book.
“You know the girls from nearby schools are coming just to see you, right?”
Seo Yerim, who'd been watching him study, suddenly spoke up.
Jihun made an incredulous face.
“What do I have worth seeing? Why would they come for me?”
“Heh.”
Yerim let out a cute snort at his bashful reaction.
“Is that so~? Haven't you noticed, Jihun? How all these female students keep showing up lately?”
“...”
Jihun's face gradually turned red. Truth be told, he'd suspected as much. The customer ratio, once evenly split between men and women, was skewing heavily toward females—especially students.
Frankly, he even enjoyed the attention his looks were getting. But with Yerim calling it out so directly, it felt like getting caught, leaving him embarrassed and flustered.
“Our Jihun's popular with the girls now~.”
“Don't tease...”
Jihun protested in a mosquito-like whisper against her playful ribbing, but it had little effect.
“What if you end up dating a customer? Jihun, even if you get a girlfriend, don't slack off at work, okay?”
“Uh... I, uh, gotta use the bathroom!”
In the end, Jihun fled to the restroom to escape Yerim.
She watched him go and smiled slyly.
“Hmm.”
Once Jihun was out of sight, Yerim began to brood.
Why do I keep acting like this?
Lately, she hadn't liked seeing other women fawn over him. She didn't know why. He handled his tasks diligently, and their relationship was fine. Yet today she'd even teased him pointedly—out of character for her.
Reflecting on her behavior, she considered a possibility.
“...Am I jealous?”
She murmured blankly, then startled herself.
“No way!”
It couldn't be. Jihun was just a close younger brother figure. She scolded herself like that and regained her calm expression.
But she couldn't say it definitively. She already knew her heart grew uneasy at times when she saw him.
Yerim began pondering exactly how she felt about Kim Jihun.
...
Scratch, scratch.
Late at night, the quiet sound of a mechanical pencil scribbling notes filled Jihun's room. In the dark space lit only by his desk lamp, he studied intently.
“Nice.”
Jihun smiled, feeling a pleasant fatigue.
“With a better brain, studying actually feels fun.”
He could clearly sense his improved academic talent. His reading speed had quickened. He remembered everything after one glance. His comprehension was sharper, letting him solve tough math problems easily and parse complex English passages effortlessly.
A stark leap in study efficiency from before. It made him realize anew just how poor his old brainpower had been.
“Studying really is all about talent.”
Despite all his effort back then, even average grades had been a struggle. But now, with similar time invested, the results were incomparable.
“Already finished four prep books.”
Just a week since he'd decided to retake the exam and started studying. He'd already blazed through four entrance exam workbooks—an insane pace compared to normal students.
“At this rate, perfect score's no dream.”
Grinning contentedly, Jihun dove back into his studies.
Scratch, scratch.
The writing sounds continued in his room until late into the dawn.