The Welcome That Revealed the Ghostly Truth
I stepped out of the little room at the back and announced to the space outside, “Welcome, Boss! Under Gordon-nim’s orders, I’m Rita starting work at this repair shop today. From now on, I’ll be relying on your guidance.”
“Kind of funny, huh? Offering a hand to someone is basically sending them off.”
Yeah. Honestly, managing the entire mess and operations of the Titan Repair Shop alone wasn’t easy. Having even one reliable person to help with the hands-on work would have been a massive relief.
But I couldn’t just hire anyone I wanted.
This place was Ground Zero, the absolute bottom tier of Gaon Mega City. Hiring someone new in a neighborhood where you didn’t know a single face was basically asking for trouble.
Without any local connections, getting even a decent hire was nearly impossible. So when Gordon-nim had sent someone over at exactly the right moment, it felt almost providential.
“Ah, yes. I’m Dex, the technician Gordon-nim personally hired here.”
I gave my greeting and took a careful look at the woman standing in front of me—Rita.
She was a striking woman with thick orange hair cut into a short hush-cut bob that left her neck fully exposed.
Hmm… that’s…
My eyes were drawn straight to the collar around her neck.
Psychic Restraint Choker…?
It didn’t look like a standard corporate product. The craftsmanship screamed custom work by a true technician—well-made, almost elegant. It had to be something tailored perfectly to her unique body structure and mutant physiology.
Never seen anything like this equipment in Fusion Punk’s history.
Technician’s curiosity started creeping up on me.
Whoa. The visible design isn’t anything ordinary. What does the inside even look like? The circuitry must be gorgeous. I’d love to take a peek inside.
Just as I’d been staring at her neck for too long, she suddenly clapped her hands and shouted, “Are you okay? Hey, Boss!”
“…!”
“Boss! Wake up!”
I jolted back to reality. The woman in front of me was Rita, waving her hands excitedly toward me.
“Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought for a second…”
“AHAHA! Were you so focused on my neck that you didn’t hear me?”
She winked playfully, like she was teasing me.
“Yeah. It looks like a custom restraint collar, not a mass-produced item. The fit is incredible—genuinely impressive craftsmanship.”
Rita’s amber eyes curved into a happy crescent as she laughed.
“Oh~ I knew a true technician would notice right away. You’re absolutely right. My body is a little too wild after my mutation, so Gordon-nim made this custom choker personally for me. Without it, I’d be in real trouble—could even be dangerous.”
She said it all with a cheerful little wink directed at me.
She was a psychic who struggled to control her mutation output from natural awakening. I liked how open and unashamed she was about her own “flaws.” It was refreshing, and it made her sound trustworthy in a powerful way.
“By the way, Boss, I’ve got a ton of luggage. Mind if I come inside?”
Only then did I notice the massive duffel bags slung over her shoulders and back. They were far too bulky for a normal part-timer’s stuff.
My brows tightened instinctively.
“…So… will you be staying here from now on?”
“Yes! Gordon-nim’s orders.”
She answered without a single second of hesitation—bold and straightforward.
As the new tenant the landlord had decided to add, and as my contract-based technician, what power did I really have to refuse?
“…Go on in.”
I opened the door with a sigh and stepped aside.
“Mmm… You’ve already tidied things up nicely.”
Rita carried her bags inside. As she scanned the space I’d spent the last few days cleaning, I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. If I’d known a part-timer was coming, I would have waited and done it together.
That’s my own idea, but it’s completely ridiculous.
Even Gordon-nim, with his gruff personality, probably wouldn’t have let it slide if I’d just left the place a mess.
Seeing Rita disappear upstairs with her bags, I called out to her.
“Rita, one sec. The second floor is locked, right?”
“Oh, yes. Gordon-nim said it was locked, so he gave me the key.”
She fished a key from her leather jacket pocket and unlocked the door to the second floor.
Creak—
“…This was the original living space.”
Even though dust had settled from years of neglect, the moment the door opened and someone stepped inside, the air-purification ventilation system hummed to life.
The living room and lounge area was spotlessly organized. The kitchen was decent, and there was a complete bathroom with a shower. Past the hallway, I could see four bedrooms.
Even the bedrooms had proper beds and closets.
Wait a second.
A weird chill ran down my spine.
Then what was the old mattress I’d been sleeping on for days in the little room downstairs? Was it just a storage annex to the workshop? Was the dusty mattress just leftover from the second-floor beds?
The truth I didn’t want to know made my head hurt.
And when Rita heard me, she burst out laughing cheerfully.
“AHAHAHA! If you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve had to sleep in the warehouse like a homeless person.”
“Hah… you’re right about that.”
Rita naturally placed her bags in one of the spare rooms and stretched luxuriously.
“There’s plenty of space. I’ll take this room. Boss, you should use the biggest one with the window over there.”
Looking at her, a mix of emptiness and relief washed over me.
Of course. Gordon-nim really is a heartless old bastard.
As the landlord, he had to know the second floor was living space. Yet he’d left me sleeping on the filthy floor of the first-floor storage room for days—waiting only until he decided my skill and guts were good enough.
Even though yesterday’s performance had barely cleared his bar, and he’d sent Rita along as backup, he still hadn’t given me the second-floor space right away.
From now on, I’d have to keep grinding to earn every little thing.
But at least a proper living space for a person had appeared. That was the main thing.
I dragged my downstairs living belongings up to the second floor and started organizing my new room.
Rita stood with her arms crossed, watching Dex’s back as he carried his luggage up the stairs to the second floor.
Once his footsteps faded on the upper level, she plopped onto the counter, rested her chin on her hand, and smiled.
Outwardly he just looks like a plain guy. …Well, his face isn’t bad.
The words Gordon-nim had said this morning were still ringing in my ears.
“He’s been catching my eye lately. I almost wanted to take him under my wing and teach him myself, but the brat keeps ignoring me and pushes back. He refuses to fight in dangerous places and insists on starting from the bottom. Just protect him enough so he doesn’t die.”
This was the first time I’d seen Gordon-nim praise someone so directly to a disciple or subordinate.
His students and underlings who’d passed through his hands were now either big-shot gang executives ruling an entire district in Ground Zero or battle-hardened veterans who even the Upper Layer didn’t dare mess with.
Yet Gordon-nim was the kind of person who always called them “not quite there yet” and clicked his tongue.
And now he was so worried about some kid that he’d even attached me—his bodyguard and manager—to look after him.
Just what kind of talent does he have that Gordon-nim is paying this much attention?
Curious and playful sparks danced in Rita’s amber eyes.
Just the fact that he refused to obey even when Gordon-nim told him to come closer… he’s a handful.
Kong, kong.
Footsteps sounded again from above as Dex finished arranging his things on the second floor.
Rita quickly wiped the smile off her face, replaced it with her signature bright and energetic grin, and turned around.
“It finally feels like a real living room.”
The stuffy warehouse smell had given me a headache for days. Now that I had a proper bed, life suddenly felt a little more advanced.
People really did need good shelter and food, didn’t they?
After sorting my luggage, I headed downstairs. Rita was already sitting at the counter with her arms crossed, casually looking around the shop.
“Packing finished, Boss?”
“Roughly. By the way, Rita, Gordon-nim said he wanted you to help with the repair shop work. What exactly are you willing to take on?”
We needed to clearly divide responsibilities. When I asked, Rita answered without hesitation, ticking off points on her fingers.
“First, counter service and cash handling. Then security, bodyguard duties, and overall shop operations and management. And I’m really good with heavy loads—those big duffel bags. If you have anything that’s too heavy for you to carry, just tell me. I’ll do it. And if you need me to run errands, feel free to ask.”
In short… he’d hired one reliable bodyguard and manager to keep me safe.
Probably Vivian had already filled Gordon-nim in on my condition, so he’d worried I might be too much of a risk living alone.
I didn’t know how strong she was, but sending someone as tough as Gordon-nim did definitely meant she was no lightweight.
I reached out a hand toward her.
“Yeah. Good. Let’s get along from now on.”