A Sling in the Dust
The buildings and homes in the Floor 1 Residential Zone mostly resembled hastily thrown-together shacks. The sturdiest structures were those made from mud-brick, but even they were reserved for Deliverymen and the guard corps.
Yeon Cheong himself had once lived in one of the flimsy shacks Uncle Ben had scrounged up for him, rather than the solid brick homes. At least his place was more comfortable than most, so he never complained. Watching other orphans wander the streets until they dropped dead made any grievance feel petty.
A small girl stood waiting in front of his shack.
Knock, knock.
Jin Hong rapped lightly on the door, careful not to strike too hard. Even that soft sound made the whole structure tremble.
“Where did he go?”
She had returned from an errand only to find Yeon Cheong gone without a word. Her cheeks puffed out in a pout. Normally he stayed holed up inside; his sudden disappearance sent an uneasy chill through her.
“Did he even tell me he was leaving?”
Arms folded, she tried to remember. Her memory had never been reliable, so she had to think for a long while before reaching a single conclusion.
“I don’t remember.”
Her lively nature and constant roaming of the first floor meant she often forgot what she had done. She called him “Cheong” simply because the name was short and easy to remember. Youth wasn’t the only reason her attention drifted; sometimes it felt like a flaw etched into her very blood.
“Well, if I just wait, he’ll show up eventually.”
Jin Hong plopped down right in front of the door and began rocking side to side. Since no one could leave the first floor anyway, he would have to return sooner or later.
“Wind’s picking up again.”
The breeze grew stronger, whistling through the countless holes in the tower’s outer walls. Dust would soon follow. Jin Hong stood, then dropped into a low crouch with practiced ease.
Whoosh!
A gritty cloud swept past, turning the air opaque. She pressed her face to the ground and held her breath until the gust faded.
“Is it over?”
Once the dust settled and her vision cleared, she lifted her head and glanced around.
“Wonder if Cheong’s still outside…”
She settled back into her spot and waited, lips pursed. Impatience was starting to itch at her.
“Hey, isn’t that the brat’s friend?”
A cluster of rough voices rose behind her. Five or six young men were approaching the shack, muttering curses. Jin Hong turned, recognized their faces, and frowned.
“Those guys…”
They were part of the same gang that had been harassing Yeon Cheong. Several of them still bore the bruises he had given them.
“Damn, perfect timing. You! Don’t move!”
The largest thug jabbed a finger at her. Jin Hong pointed at herself, eyebrows raised. The thug nodded hard.
“Yeah, you!”
They closed in fast, surrounding her with deliberate menace. Though older by three or four years, their behavior was no better than children’s.
“Yeon Cheong lives here, right? He inside?”
“Why are you looking for Cheong?”
“Why else? We’re here to beat the shit out of him.”
The leader pointed at his swollen cheeks and blackened eyes. The injuries looked almost comical.
“What did Cheong do wrong?”
“Can’t you see? He did this to us.”
“You started it by picking on him first.”
“The hell did you just say, you little bitch?”
Her blunt reply left them momentarily speechless. Even the leader who had been posturing looked rattled.
“You want to get hit too? I’m already in a bad mood, so you can be first.”
He raised a fist level with her face and leaned in, trying to intimidate her. They hadn’t come only for revenge; they wanted any target to vent their frustration on. Yeon Cheong would have been ideal, but anyone would do.
“Leave Cheong alone from now on. I’m not going to hold back anymore.”
Jin Hong had plenty of her own grievances. Watching her closest friend get tormented had finally pushed her to speak.
The gang snickered and tightened their circle around her.
“Grab her.”
They seized her arms and pinned her in place. The leader stepped forward with a nasty grin.
“Let go!”
She struggled, but the grip was too strong. No matter how she thrashed, a girl her size couldn’t break free.
“Go ahead and scream. Let’s see if anyone here gives a damn.”
He sneered inches from her nose. He was right; the people of the first floor kept their heads down. Getting involved only risked your own neck.
“Hey, don’t hit her face. It’ll look ugly.”
They chuckled among themselves, deciding where to strike as if dividing cuts of meat.
“The face feels the best, though.”
“Save that for later.”
They drew back their fists, eyes gleaming at her frightened expression.
“Stomach shots make them fold real nice.”
Jin Hong squeezed her eyes shut and curled inward.
Thud!
A heavy impact echoed. When she opened her eyes, the thug who had been about to hit her was already on the ground, tongue lolling, eyes rolled back.
“…What?”
The others spun around in confusion. One by one, the men holding her arms collapsed as well.
Crack!
Stones whistled through the air and smashed into their skulls, sending blood spraying across the dirt. Jin Hong ducked and watched the chaos unfold.
“These are… rocks?”
Small stones no larger than her fist were ricocheting between the thugs, shattering heads with every strike. The gang scattered in panic. Jin Hong followed the trajectory of the projectiles and broke into a bright smile.
“Cheong!”
At the edge of her vision stood Yeon Cheong. He had torn off his sleeve and fashioned it into a crude sling, using it to hurl stones with deadly accuracy.
“I leave for a bit and this happens. I should’ve finished them off properly last time.”
Yeon Cheong tracked their positions with Yeongdeung and sent stone after stone flying into their backs.
Thud!
The leader who had been threatening Jin Hong took a direct hit and dropped. Yeon Cheong walked toward him slowly, the sling still spinning.
Whirr, whirr.
The sound made the thug’s face drain of color. He looked up, hands clasped in desperate pleading.
“W-wait! I just wanted to talk—”
“What kind of talk?”
Yeon Cheong stopped the sling and gripped the stone inside it.
“We heard you beat up our guys… We were just checking if it was true…”
“Cheong! He’s lying!”
Jin Hong’s urgent shout reached him. Yeon Cheong met the thug’s eyes.
“She says otherwise.”
“We were only trying to stop him from running! We got a little rough, sure, but—”
Yeon Cheong’s brow furrowed. He had endured their bullying too many times to stay calm, yet years of training as a Janitor let him keep the rage in check.
“Yeah. You do get rough.”
He sighed and extended a hand. Relief flooded the thug’s face as he reached for it.
“My mood’s pretty rough too.”
Crack!
Yeon Cheong drove the stone into the side of the thug’s head. The man’s eyes rolled back and he went limp. Yeon Cheong shook out his stinging hand.
“Hard head. Could probably use it as another projectile.”
Controlling his emotions was easy when handling tower business. But protecting the only person who mattered to him was different. Jin Hong was family. Anyone who tried to hurt her would face the full force of his anger.
“You okay, Cheong?”
Jin Hong rushed over, eyes wide. His palm was smeared with blood from gripping the stone so tightly.
“I’m fine. Just scraped.”
“Your hand isn’t broken, right?”
He shook his head. She let out a heavy breath and looked at the unconscious thugs sprawled across the ground.
“They’re not dead, are they?”
“I didn’t hit them hard enough to kill.”
“Their eyes are completely rolled back.”
“They’re still breathing.”
The guards wouldn’t make much of a fuss. Brawls between residents were common, and outright murder was forbidden inside the tower. He had held back on purpose.
“By the way, where did you learn that trick? I’ve never seen anyone throw rocks like that.”
Jin Hong stared at the makeshift sling with open curiosity.
“Just seemed like it would work.”
“Are you a genius or something?”
His knowledge of killing techniques let him improvise weapons on the spot. Explaining that to her would only complicate things, so he kept it vague.
“Anyway, why’d you come here?”
“I wanted to walk around the first floor together.”
When he asked, Jin Hong answered with her usual bright energy.
“Again?”
“We always do this.”
Yeon Cheong gave a small laugh. The familiar routine felt strangely nostalgic.
“Yeah.”
They set off side by side, wandering the first floor the way they always had. Their steps carried a quiet purpose.
“You’re really going to become a Deliveryman with me, right, Cheong?”
It was Jin Hong’s greatest wish—to join the Deliverymen who ventured beyond the walls and brought hope back to the tower.
“…”
Yeon Cheong knew the truth. The role of Deliveryman was far crueler than she imagined. Still, he answered softly.
“Yeah.”
They kept walking, two figures moving through the dust as if nothing had changed.