Black Market (2)
"Just one question. This 'Your Excellency' title—is it really what Im Jui and her group want to call me?"
Han Seol nodded. "Yes. And they asked me to tell you to drop the formalities with them. Actually, Im Jui was the first to suggest it."
"Got it. We'll do that, then. We'll keep using polite speech among ourselves at home, like now. Once I get comfortable, I'll switch to casual."
"Thank you."
I realized I still lacked resolve. These people had pledged their loyalty to me and entrusted me with their lives, no matter what. I reaffirmed my sense of responsibility to care for them and my determination as their leader.
At that moment, Han Byeol stood from her chair, bowed at a perfect right angle toward me, and called out.
"Your Excellency! Sorry, but could we all have just one melon before bed?"
"You're messing with me right now, aren't you? Han Byeol, go outside and do 200 push-ups, then pick one melon and bring it back."
Han Byeol grinned brightly. "Yes, Master! But can you spare me the push-ups?"
"Do them."
"Yes!"
Han Byeol headed to the courtyard and started her push-ups.
"Is Han Byeol always like that? She's like a cheerful puppy."
Han Seol pulled out a cutting board and kitchen knife to slice the melon. "Yes, she used to be full of charm like that, but after the gates, she got really gloomy. She's been full of energy again since coming here. It's all thanks to you, Do-hyun. Byeol seems to follow you well, too."
"Well... energetic is better than gloomy."
Han Byeol finished her push-ups in a flash, dashed up to the third floor, grabbed a melon, and came down beaming. In her excitement, her foot caught on the stairs, and she tumbled forward.
"Hnggk."
She must have prioritized protecting the melon, hugging it tight as she rolled down the stairs and landed on the floor.
"Byeol! Come on..."
"You okay?"
"Just pretend you didn't see that... it's embarrassing right now."
"..."
She seemed mentally bruised but physically fine, as expected of an awakener. Han Seol smacked her back and took the melon to slice it up.
Such a lively evening was unimaginable when I lived alone.
Morning broke. Voices outside suggested Han Seol and Han Byeol were distributing breakfast to Im Jui's group. I'd given them canned goods to last a week without rations, but those were emergency supplies. They got meals twice a day—morning and evening—here at our house.
After accepting Im Jui, I'd approved the interchange faction's long-desired request to expand trade volumes. Now they brought 80 twenty-liter water barrels, massive laundry loads, and over 50 power banks to charge. The house was full of power strips charging batteries. In return, we got far more food than before.
With more people under my care, it was unavoidable. I suggested handing out larger batches less often to cut down on trips, but Han Byeol vehemently opposed it. She insisted on making them come at set times daily to solidify the power dynamic between me and them.
Han Seol said she'd handle the title issue this morning, so from now on, casual speech was fine.
I brewed coffee, slipped on slippers over my pajamas, and stepped outside. The construction drones were slowly repairing the neighbor's house—too slow to predict completion.
Im Jui's group met my eyes and immediately bowed 90 degrees.
"Your Excellency! Did you have a restful night?"
"..."
I couldn't speak, just nodded silently. The Han sisters smiled contentedly and bowed to me. Knowing I'd be called this forever felt like institutionalized bullying.
After breakfast, I summoned Im Jui to the front yard. Time to discuss the black market.
Your Excellency, did you eat well?
"Yeah... no. Yeah, I did."
It'd take time to get used to casual speech. It came easy with trash like Gwak Dae-hoon, but not with friends or polite folks.
Han Byeol came out with a notebook and explained the black market plan. I sat in a folding chair, munching fruit Han Seol had cut.
The plan: Im Jui's top priority was her group's safety, so tonight, Han Seol and Han Byeol would stay at her house. I'd use two blue drones—one at her house, one with her. If questioned at the entrance, claim she was a Special Awakener whose drones only lifted luggage—let them check.
Since Im Jui couldn't speak, I'd communicate via drone for trades. Concept: She controlled drones but couldn't talk, using them for communication.
Sounded iffy, but black market rules avoided prying, and Seonghun Merchant Association trusted their skills, letting in even heavily armed folks unless blatant.
Priority items: wood stoves and rechargeable lanterns. We'd charge here; use lanterns as lights there.
Plan done, Im Jui bowed her head and wrote on her notepad.
Your Excellency, thank you so much.
Han Byeol glanced at me sideways.
"Yeah... Keep up the good work."
Han Seol nodded with a satisfied smile.
We packed her mountaineering bag with trade goods: bottles of soju, whiskey, vodka carefully padded; rest filled with cigarettes. Basement had over 20 unopened cartons.
Once, drunk and lonely, I'd tried one—inhaled smoke, coughed, puked dinner, head spun, lay in bed. My take: People pay for that?
But Jeong Su-hwan said demand was rising; smokers traded premium goods for them. Most weren't pure—dealers mixed herbs or dried grass into new tobacco, repackaged, or sold leaves raw. My sealed packs would fetch good prices.
Bag full with booze and 10 cigarette cartons. Im Jui pulled her cart from arrival, heading out with my drone.
She knew Seonghun's rough location. Everyone outside knew it but me—a massive black market.
"We'll be off, then."
I'll be going now.
"Your Excellency! Be careful!"
"Gah? Kah? Oppa and Jui unni, come back safe!"
"Ha-yeon, it's Your Excellency."
We set off amid farewells. Six hours' walk for normals; Im Jui with cart faster, arriving in three. Seonghun open 24/7, but many shops at 7 PM. We left at 3 PM.
Drones followed; I lounged in bed—so really, Im Jui solo. Before sisters left for her house, Han Byeol teased I'd be lonely tonight; I ordered 200 squats.
Two hours in. Im Jui said fine, but arriving early, we rested 20 minutes in a collapsed store, then resumed.
Im Jui okay, but operating two drones—one with her, one at her house—fatigued my mind.
"Must've been lonely traveling alone."
Yes, but now it's fun.
"I didn't go—just sent drones."
Still, having someone to talk to makes it not lonely at all. I like it.
We chatted as she sat. No longer shy, she removed her gas mask briefly to drink water.
"How'd you meet your group?"
She eagerly wrote a long entry on her notepad and moved to show me—then suddenly slapped the drone with her palm.
"Huh?!"
Bam! It flew into the wall.
Before I processed, a roar outside shattered the store's glass; concrete floor exploded.
"What the—"
Im Jui scribbled urgently.
Your Excellency, sniper!
A bullet embedded in the shattered concrete. More shocking: Im Jui sensing and reacting instantly. Han Byeol once said she might be top-tier among awakeners, having torn 30 apart barehanded—seemed true.
"You okay?"
She pressed against a blind spot, nodded, and wrote.
Your Excellency, no normal sniper rifle has this power. Special Awakener.
Even I, a civvie, saw the devastation—concrete pulverized. I switched views, called the sisters. Room empty but them.
"Sniper. Im Jui says Special Awakener."
"Your Excellency? How? Hide in the nearest building ASAP!"
"Already in one. What now?"
Couldn't admit we stopped to rest on my say-so. Am I trash-tier?