An Yujin, the Crying Priest
An Yujin. That was the real name of the Crying Priest.
A well-behaved model student. That was the consistent opinion everyone had of An Yujin.
In truth, she was a genius who had never once lost her spot as top of the school, a quiet student who never caused any trouble. Teachers always believed her words without question.
"Teacher, my head hurts a bit. Mind if I go to the nurse's office for a while?"
"Oh, sure, Yujin. Does it hurt a lot?"
"Not too bad. I think a short rest will fix it."
"Alright, go rest up. Oh, what's your next class?"
"Korean."
"Got it. I'll let your Korean teacher know too, so rest well."
"Yes, thank you."
It was a conversation with her math teacher, nicknamed the Tiger Teacher. Any other student would've gotten an earful, but with Yujin, he nodded worriedly with 100% trust.
"Yujin's mom, what's the secret to her studying?"
"Hoho, I don't really know. She just did it all on her own without me nagging."
"Come on, tell me just for me. Where does she get tutoring? Which academies?"
"Our Yujin doesn't do any of that. She just watches online lectures."
"Really? Which ones?"
"EBS."
"……."
Among parents, she was always called the perfect daughter.
"You know Yujin, your mom's friend's daughter? She doesn't go to a single academy, just EBS lectures, and she's top of the school!"
"Pfft, that's all BS. She's probably sneaking fancy million-won private tutoring."
To her high school peers who dubbed her the perfect daughter, Yujin was like an urban legend. How could she be so flawlessly model without ever slipping up?
Of course, it wasn't easy for Yujin either. The mounting pressure and endless academic stress piled up on her shoulders the better she did. Whenever it hit the limit, Yujin relieved it in her own way.
Her stress relief? Eating. Specifically, brutally spicy foods that scorched her mouth and burned away the stress.
The fire spreading in her mouth incinerated the stress too.
"Uha! Feels good!"
And so, Yujin smoothly entered Seoul National University's Business School. A massive banner hung at the school gates, and her parents' shoulders squared with pride. A smile was always on her lips.
"My daughter? Didn't nag her once about studying, just EBS lectures, and boom—SNU Business."
"Really? Your daughter's amazing."
"Hoho, wonder who she takes after."
She bragged effortlessly even to a strange taxi driver.
But even this ultimate model student had a hobby worth calling one.
Back in middle school. Walking into class, she saw her friends squealing over something.
"What's up?"
"Oh, Yujin! Check this out. Isn't he so cool?"
"Huh?"
Her friends were watching the latest hot male idol. Beast idols, guys who suddenly ripped their shirts on stage because they "ran hot."
"…I don't get it."
"See? Yujin only knows studying. Doesn't even see how cool this is."
"Heh heh, An Yujin. With no eye for this, how're you gonna get a boyfriend?"
Yujin sat at her desk, muttering.
"…You guys just haven't seen a real cool guy."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
To Yujin, they were just herbivore actors pretending to be beasts under agency pressure. Real beasts didn't need to rip shirts to show wildness or follow structured workouts for muscles. They had a raw scent.
A truly dangerous beast acted the most gentlemanly.
One with feral wildness simmering beneath.
A dog that bites doesn't bark. It just bares its teeth and glares silently.
"Gotta have that mature, manly gravitas."
Muttering that, Yujin pulled out her phone. Her wallpaper: Mads Mikkelsen giving her a subtle smile. Just a soft smile, yet it dwarfed those shirt-ripping idols in heavy, masculine allure. The difference between a house cat and a tiger.
Yeah. True coolness, true sexiness was this.
While friends collected BTS photos, Yujin gathered George Clooney pics. While they fangirled over 2 PM stages at 2 PM, Yujin watched Colin Firth and Daniel Craig movies.
Everyone wants to live someone else's life sometimes. Eventually, Yujin tired of the model student role. It was boring.
She wanted to live like her favorite actors—gentlemanly, sometimes beastly cool.
Then she spotted Fantasy World. A chance to become someone else entirely.
No hesitation—she pre-ordered the latest VR gear, DreamGear, as her motif.
Thus, Yujin became one of the earliest beta testers in Fantasy World.
Fitting for SNU Business, she'd spotted the potential early and bought stocks.
Yujin poured effort into customizing her character. Modeled after her beloved Mads Mikkelsen.
Priest? No special reason. A middle-aged priest? Too cool.
"Haa… haa… Always feels new. Thrilling."
So Yujin lived doubly: model student An Yujin by day at SNU, Crying Priest by night.
Her most thrilling rebellion.
Her second life as the idolized middle-aged priest was utterly satisfying.
She acted it perfectly, drawing from countless gentleman movies and interviews.
Soon, she fully immersed. No longer acting. It was another self.
Not An Yujin, but the cool, sexy heretic inquisitor, Crying Priest.
For over two years, Crying Priest was never An Yujin.
Until now.
After devouring Hura's arson-level violent tteokbokki, the real An Yujin burst out.
"Oh my! This is totally my style!"
Hura's eyebrow twitched at the unexpected words.
"…'Oh my?'"
"Ack."
Too late to cover her mouth. The words had spilled like water.
"……."
"……."
Hura eyed the priest suspiciously. The priest sweated bullets.
"…Priest."
"Y-yes?"
"You're a woman, aren't you?"
"……!"
The Crying Priest's eyes shook wildly. Crisis of the century.
"N-no! No way! I'm a middle-aged man!"
"Do middle-aged men usually say 'oh my'?"
"W-well… I have excessive female hormones. Overflowing, really."
"…That's weird in its own way."
"……."
"Both are weird anyway, so just be honest."
Hoo… The priest sighed deeply.
"Yes. In reality, I'm a woman. Customized the gender."
"Hm… I see."
Hura nodded. He'd heard of gender swaps, but seeing it was surprising. And intriguing.
"C-could you keep this secret?"
"Secret?"
"Yes. If word gets out that Crying Priest is a woman…"
She shook her head vigorously, as if the thought was unbearable.
"I might never log in as this character again. It's my one joy in life!"
…A truly earnest plea.
"Please, please. Hura-nim. I'm begging you."
She even knelt. Hura startled, grabbed her arm to pull her up.
"H-hey? What're you doing? Get up!"
"You'll keep the secret?"
"Of course. Why would I blab someone else's secret? Get up already."
"Promise. Pinky promise!"
Helpless, Hura hooked pinkies and stamped the thumb seal.
"I'll take this to the grave. Happy? Now up."
"Thank you. Thank you…"
He'd just gotten her up, now it was endless bowing.
"Ow. Sit down already."
Hura finally calmed the bowing priest and seated her.
No wonder the character name was TopStudentPriest.
Come to think of it, her favorite foods were the spicy ones women often loved.
"B-but why a middle-aged man specifically?"
"Pardon?"
"Customization. You could've gone young guy."
The priest's face turned deadly serious.
"Gravitas. The heavy coolness and ripe sexiness from it. Only middle-aged men have that charm."
"Ah… I see."
"Yes. That's it."
The priest answered firmly. As the chat wrapped, Tteok Sun-i, who'd been waiting, spoke up.
"Um, Priest-nim. If you're not eating more tteokbokki…"
Geum Taeyang drooled, staring at the priest's tteokbokki.
Flash— The Crying Priest swiftly hid it behind her back.
"Sorry, can't give this up."
"J-just one bite…"
She growled like a beast guarding prey.
"…N-no. Eat it all yourself."
Hura smiled satisfactorily at the sight.
* * *
Friday. The day signaling the final sprint of the week.
Ichaera was absent today—probably grounded for coming home late yesterday. School outing ban or something.
Thus, utter peace.
Ahh. Feels refreshing, like after digestive meds.
Just sitting here, grins bubble up, shoulders jiggle happily.
This is the law of hardship's invariance. Endure worse, and what was tough before feels manageable.
People run and want to walk, walk and want to stand, stand and sit, sit and lie, lie and sleep.
That's why idle folks suffer. Stand long enough to cherish sitting, but always lying forgets its blessing.
If I didn't commute weekdays, I'd be numb to weekends too.
Time flowed smoothly. Glancing at the clock—already past 3.
Wait, already? Felt instant.
Great, perfect.
Customers thinned out. Time to sit and rest.
I finally relaxed, flashing a grin.
A week flew by. Pride swells, achievement hums.
Sweeping sweaty hair back, I slurped a tteokbokki.
Made it myself, but damn tasty. Never tires.
Boss's sauce greatness hits anew.
Then.
"Over here~"
In my seated view, past the cart, a small head bobbed.
* * *
"Over here~"
Dahyun was now at the snack bar front.
Blame Son Da-eun's call yesterday.
—Daughter. Got a rival.
"What? That Baekrim Girls' High kid?"
Child's play. Some blood-not-dry kid.
—No, not her.
"…Huh? Then?"
—Hura's friend stopped by. Super pretty. Miss Korea material?
"Pretty? …Prettier than your daughter?"
—Daughter. Can I be honest?
"…Yeah."
—Honestly, prettier than you.
"……!"
—Hura's friend is beauty (true). You're goodness (good).
"……!"
—Thought she was a real celeb. Head was that small.
"……!"
That much? Dahyun, raised as the cherished only child bathed in parental love, was always Mom's undisputed #1. Mom's Miss Korea of beauty-goodness-truth: the true beauty.
Yet her mom said someone prettier.
Pushed to good.
No small matter.
Thus, fully dolled up, she appeared at the snack bar.
"Eh? Dahyun?"
"Customer-nim! Hi!"
Dahyun beamed brightly. Hura, standing, widened his eyes at the surprise guest.
"What brings you here?"
"Passing by after work. Check if you're doing okay."
Dahyun strode in without hesitation. Locked eyes with Son Da-eun.
"……."
"……."
They exchanged silent glances, then awkwardly smiled and hugged.
"Oh my~ Dahyun dear. Been so long~"
"Hoho, yeah. Came a lot during school."
"Right~ Our shop name and Dahyun match by coincidence, made you a regular."
"Hohoho."
"Hohoho."
Hura nodded watching them.
Aha. Regular customer. That's the connection.
Still hugging, Dahyun glanced at Hura, whispering to Son Da-eun.
—That bitch?
—Language.
—Her?
—Hasn't shown today.
Dahyun released the hug, approached Hura.
"Customer-nim. Not forgetting tomorrow, right?"
"Tomorrow? What was…"
"Customer-nim!"
"Haha, kidding. Day I treat you to dinner."
"Yup. And good news too."
"What?"
"Tell you tomorrow."
Dahyun giggled mischievously.
Then.
Ding-a-ling— The door opened. A slender woman entered.
Sportswear, hat pulled low.
"Ah, hi."
Ji-hyun, scanning nervously, met eyes with Dahyun chattering beside Hura.