Second Job (1)
Second Job (1)
I stepped out of the house and began walking.
After boarding the bus and tapping my card, I took a seat in the corner. My destination was the hospital. Before heading out for work, I planned to stop by and see my younger sister.
Closing my eyes briefly as I waited, the bus soon arrived at its destination.
Entering the imposing hospital building, I announced my visit at the reception desk. After signing in and bowing politely, I headed toward the elevator.
Ding—
I stepped inside the arriving elevator and pressed the button. The doors closed, and it began ascending. But something felt off.
It was the same elevator I always took, familiar in every way. Yet today, something was different.
"Why does it feel so slow?"
I looked up at the floor indicator.
3, 4, 5.
The speed was no different from usual. So why did it feel so sluggish?
When the elevator reached the 7th floor, the doors opened. My steps were light as I walked down the hallway. The usual oppressive hospital air didn't weigh on me.
Standing in front of my sister's room, I began my daily routine. I touched my shoulders, usually hunched—but today, they were relaxed.
I ran a hand over my mouth, usually downturned. The gloomy expression was gone, replaced by a crescent-like smile. That's when I realized what had felt so strange.
Right now, I was looking forward to seeing my sister.
My body, revitalized after quitting manual labor, straightened my shoulders effortlessly. I wanted to burst in and share the good news immediately, my lips itching with excitement. Unable to hold back, I pushed the door open wide and stepped inside.
"I'm here."
"Mm."
I sat down on the folding chair beside the bed.
"How've you been lately?"
"Mm. Good."
I watched as she nodded slightly. A faint smile lingered on her lips, but her eyes told a different story. I took her hand—the one resting on the bed as she looked at me—and spoke.
"You'll get better. I'll make sure of it."
She must have already heard it from the doctors.
That if she went to America, she could be cured.
And at the same time, she must have despaired.
Because she knew we didn't have the money to send her there.
"No, Oppa. Don't push yourself. Please..."
Her expression, feigning calm, began to crack. I pulled her into a tight hug and whispered so she could hear.
"I'm not pushing myself. The job I'm doing now is going really well."
"That's a lie... It's because of me, isn't it? Please, I'm begging you. I don't want to see you and Noona suffering because of me... So please..."
"Don't worry. Noona will quit her job soon too. I'll make sure of it."
"But what about you...? You don't have to push yourself for me either. Noona, you—none of you have to sacrifice yourselves for me."
Her grip on my sleeve tightened. I gently stroked her trembling back until her shaking gradually subsided.
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll make sure you and Noona are happy."
Do you know O. Henry's story, The Last Leaf?
The character Johnsy, sick with pneumonia, loses her will to live, believing she'll die when the last leaf falls from the ivy vine outside her window. Hearing this, the old painter Behrman braves a storm to paint a leaf on the wall—only to die from pneumonia himself.
In the end, Johnsy recovers thanks to Behrman and lives happily ever after.
But I don't want an ending like that. I'll live happily with my family. I won't even entertain the thought of "it's okay if I die."
An old man standing in a storm for hours is incredibly dangerous. Behrman died from pneumonia because of it. But do you really think a seasoned old painter like him didn't know the risks?
I'm no different. Yesterday, I watched with my own eyes as Se-chan was brutally torn apart by ghouls in the sewers. I know exactly how dangerous what I'm about to do is.
But I have to do it. Just like the old painter Behrman, who braved the storm to save a young artist's life, I'll do whatever it takes to keep my precious family alive.
"So don't worry."
I hugged my sister tightly and whispered.
This was a promise to myself.
Unimaginably dangerous things will come my way. I might have to fight terrifying monsters—or even other people.
But I won't give up.
I'll kill the monsters. And if humans stand in my way, I'll kill them too.
For my sister and my little sister—I burned that resolve into my heart.
Tap, tap.
Walking down the alley, I entered the office of Yu-jin Kim, who posed as a licensed real estate agent.
Jingle.
The door opened to reveal a neat, subdued interior.
"Who—huh?"
My eyes met Yu-jin's as he sat sipping coffee.
"Wh-what brings you here?"
He spoke calmly, but the mug in his hand trembled faintly.
"I'm here for work. Anything available?"
I walked over and sat across from him. Up close, I could see the mug shaking in his grip.
"Wh-what kind of job?"
"Same as yesterday."
I stared at him silently. He averted his gaze, his pupils flickering nervously.
He looked afraid of something.
"Hey."
"Y-yes?! What is it?"
"You spilled coffee on your clothes."
Flustered, he set the mug down and pulled a file from his drawer.
"H-here are some places currently in need of a mage. Just let me know which one interests you, and I'll arrange it immediately."
"Aren't you going to wipe it off?"
"I-I'll clean it up!"
His reaction was baffling. My first impression of him had been that of a cold, elite professional. Now, he seemed like a completely different person.
Interesting guy.
Muttering to myself, I skimmed through the documents he handed me. The paper, encased in a yellow folder, looked like something out of a movie—and the requests listed were anything but ordinary.
[Abandoned Hospital Investigation] - 6th Class
[Exorcism of a Grounded Spirit] - 5th Class
[Elimination of Test Subject] - 7th Class
[Capture of a Gumiho] - 8th Class
[Eradication of a Jangsanbeom] - 5th Class
The ghoul extermination job I'd taken before had been 3rd Class. Even that had nearly killed me. Higher-class requests would be even deadlier.
But danger wasn't a reason to stop. I flipped through the pages, searching for a suitable job. Luckily, I found one soon enough.
[Necromancer Elimination] - 5th Class
The date was today, too.
Skimming the details, the targets were ghouls. I closed my eyes briefly, recalling the ghouls I'd encountered yesterday. They were more manageable than I'd expected.
"I'll take this one."
"U-understood! I'll arrange it right away!"
Yu-jin scrambled up from his seat and politely guided me to his car.
"I'll open the door for you!"
"That's not necessary."
I got in, and we drove to the job location.
"W-we're here."
As the car stopped, I declined Yu-jin's offer to open the door and stepped out.
"You'll pick me up when it's over, right?"
"Eek! O-of course!"
Despite the hassle, Yu-jin agreed readily. Between this and his earlier reactions, he seemed like an unusually kind person. I regretted judging him based on first impressions.
Either way, I headed toward the job site.
"This the place?"
The address led to an empty lot with a lone container door in the center. Opening it, I stepped inside to find a space far larger than it appeared from outside.
Looking around curiously, someone approached me.
"You're the one Yu-jin Kim sent, right?"
"Yeah."
I nodded slightly, studying him—a tired-looking man with heavy dark circles.
"Hmm... Alright. Take a seat over there and wait a moment."
After directing me to a spot, he adjusted his necktie and disappeared.
"..."
I wasn't alone. About five others had arrived before me. As I sat, they began glancing my way.
They must be mages too.
The document had stated only mages could participate. Still, for a high-class job like this, having others around would lower the danger.
Glance.
I turned to observe those nearby. Their eyes were all fixed on me—probably curious about the new face.
But we're all mages here. It should be fine.
From what I'd gathered in the community, mages looked down on magicians and ordinary people, full of elitism. But they were supposedly kind to fellow mages.
So there shouldn't be a problem.
"Hey."
Just then, the middle-aged man sitting across from me spoke up.
"Get in my way, and I'll kill you."
Hmm.
I scratched my head, unsure how to respond. We were supposed to work together—wasn't this a bit too aggressive?
But mages are supposed to be nice to each other, right? Did I misread that?
"Uh, sure."
"Tch."
When I nodded vaguely, he clicked his tongue and turned away.
Is it just him?
Curious, I glanced at the others—only to find them all scowling at me.
What did I even do?
Not in a position to pick a fight, I quietly stayed seated, wondering when the job would start. Then, the man with dark circles returned.
"Now that the last participant is here, we'll begin."
Just as I stood—
"Filth. You got a death wish? Making mages wait like this, you damn magician?"
The middle-aged man from earlier snarled. Turning, I saw his face twisted in displeasure. The other mages showed no sign of stopping him.
"Ahh... We were waiting for the last participant, you see."
The tired-eyed man adjusted his tie, offering a weak excuse.
"And you think that justifies making me wait?"
"Of course it does."
Then, someone else entered the container and spoke mockingly.
"Because that last person is me."
Her hair, a mesmerizing cascade of violet like the Milky Way, spilled over her shoulders. Her skin, pale as sculpted moonlight, seemed almost unreal.
"What can a bug like you even do to me?"
Her sculpted face held an arrogance too lofty to approach.
She looked down at the middle-aged mage with a sneer.
"Tch! It's you?"
He glared at her briefly before sitting back down.
"At least you've got pride."
With a final scoff, she swept her disdainful gaze over the other mages.
"Nothing but bugs, every last one of you."
I expected the others to react angrily—but no one moved. They all wore expressions of fear.
"Bugs like you should keep your heads down where they belon—"
Her eyes, scanning the mages one by one, suddenly stopped.
On me.
Her icy expression melted into a crescent smile. Click, click. The distinct sound of her heels echoed as she approached. Leaning in, her face filled my vision.
"Well, well. You're not bad, are you?"
Her stunning features dominated my sight.
What is this situation?
I checked the others' reactions.
The mages who'd ignored me earlier now stared in shock.
This woman must be someone even they don't dare mess with.