Becoming a Drug Dealer
"Hey! Kim! This area's done. Time to move over to the next section!"
"Done my ass! You gonna skip the cleanup? You keep slacking like that, you might end up like Choi last time—fucked for good!"
A slick-looking construction worker spouted bullshit like that, and the guy in charge of site supervision—who'd been around long enough to snag that role—glanced nervously at me and Jeong Jae-kyung, who were lounging off to the side in chairs, watching them with blank stares. He flashed us a fake-ass smile, waving it off like it was no big deal.
Judging by his act, this "Choi" they mentioned must've been an awakener like us who tried to slack off on a construction gig and ended up never walking on his own two feet again. A mix of bitterness and ridiculous amusement I hadn't asked for welled up inside me.
"Hey, that Choi guy the old man's talking about—think he's dead?"
"Dead? Nah. Even for an awakener, offing a civilian quietly is a hassle. Probably just crippled him enough and tossed some cash at it."
"Yeah, makes sense. Easier to settle with money than deal with the cleanup."
Jeong Jae-kyung nodded along, clearly on the same wavelength as me, his expression bored as he agreed.
Seeing us chatting casually like that, the workers figured we weren't gonna make waves. They bowed their heads quick and one grabbed Kim by the collar, dragging him back to wrap up the job.
"Still, how the hell'd you manage to round up cash and workers like this in this shit economy?"
Jeong Jae-kyung tossed out the question casually while we killed time watching the laborers hustle like zombies around a campfire at a campsite.
Even if I'm a quasi-S-rank, I don't have the built-up foundation active rankers do...
It'd been less than a month since I'd told him to handle it, and here we were with two buildings up for my classmates to live in. Totally reasonable to wonder.
I waved it off like it was nothing, smirking at his suspicious side-eye.
"Used the bald bastard's connections again. Why do you think they call successors 'successors'?"
"Come on, even you know the infiltration rumors are blowing up like conspiracy theories right now. What the hell makes anyone back you like this?"
Like he said, some power player—probably trying to build their own crew like me—had stirred shit up, and now "otherworlding" whispers were spreading among the elite, laced with distrust. High-profile awakeners were all playing it safe, too paranoid for direct moves.
But thanks to the principal's pull, I ignored that noise—building whatever, wherever, even right by my house. No wonder Jeong Jae-kyung's head was tilting like it didn't compute.
This fucker's pulling a cute act that doesn't suit him at all...
I fake-gagged at his exaggerated reaction, then spat back with casual curses and a sour glare.
"Nothing special. Just sold him one item. Quit your bullshit and get your head straight, ugh..."
"An item? You?"
"Yeah."
A deal's when both sides trade what the other lacks or needs, fair and square. The principal's S-rank but missing something big; I offered it, got these buildings in return. Jeong Jae-kyung's eyes went wide, head cocking again.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"Whoa, shit! Sorry, hand moved on its own. Whew..."
Even though he'd rounded up the classmates on my say-so with zero dropouts, my right hand had slipped control for a split second and smacked his head anyway. I scratched my neck awkwardly, lips curling up.
"Fuck. Bullshit. 'Sorry' my ass—why you grinning like that?"
"Heh."
Ever since powering up, I'd been careful with my strength, so no real damage. He straightened up, shot me a side-glare, and lowered his voice.
"Seriously, what was it...?"
Forgetting the hit already, he slinked up like a sycophant, eyebrows wiggling. He'd sniffed out that it wasn't cash or artifacts—something with abilities or effects outsiders couldn't touch. My tongue clicked in admiration.
This guy's instincts are sharp as hell. Prime politician material...
Me ruling from the shadows with force, him greasing palms up front like a sly fox—I could picture it. My gaze softened toward him involuntarily.
One day, I'll use him as my bullet sponge. Heh.
Lost in that future fantasy, I caught his eyes twitching at my shady vibe and cut in before he could react.
"Eh... nothing major. But to the principal, it was worth more than money or artifacts."
"...That... thing?"
I nodded with a grin at his gesture, and boom—his thumbs hooked between fingers in a crude jerk-off motion.
"Dude, you're an awakener—how old's your dick that it's already shrinking? ...Hmm... not impossible...? A-anyway, not that! Traded something else, asshole."
"Oh...?"
His face fell fast, and a pang of pity hit me unbidden.
This fucker...
Shoulders slumped, sigh heavy with misplaced lust—he was clearly evolving into the next stage for "advancement." As someone who bought into use-it-or-lose-it evolution, his pride and joy shrinking hit hard. My eyes misted up.
Idiot... no wonder chasing real-world fairies is leaving him blue-balled and fading...
Thanks to him outing his own flaws so blatantly, amid the quiet broken only by worker noise, I made a firm vow.
Gotta snag a decent fantasy chick and show him what beastkin pussy's like.
Not top-tier like Tier, Plang, or Dokgo Hwaryeon, but Demonic Cult maids were picked for looks—my standards had leveled up. Any leftovers I'd pass on would still be out of his league back home.
And with beastkin tags to boot? No-brainer. I nodded, patting his shoulder.
"F-fuck..."
"I'll hook you up someday. Hang in there."
Head down, spirits low, he nodded slowly at my words. Probably remembering those Tier and Plang fuck pics I'd shown—expecting someone on their level. I snorted.
"Anyway, story drifted, but bottom line: traded hair growth tonic, scored big. That's it."
"Huh?"
"Heard right. Don't ask."
"...For real?"
"Yeah."
I nodded firm, planting certainty. His eyes shook—just like the principal's during the deal. I sighed, rubbing my temples.
"Don't get ideas if it's genetic or weak follicles. Pointless."
"...Why, you fucker."
His glare screamed "no brotherhood," and my promise to hook him up evaporated like dust.
"Asshole, it's temporary. Useless anyway."
"Temporary?"
"Yep."
He got the gist, but lingering doubt in his eyes made me lean in heavy.
"Slap it on, maybe grows for two weeks, then sheds like a bitch... Heh. Gonna be hilarious. Principal's scalp sprouting weeds, then poof—all gone."
"Y-you crazy bastard..."
"Isn't this the perfect legal high? Body-safe, no laws broken? Heh heh."