An Unequal World and the Sudden Light

Twenty-four hours passed, and spring was now in full bloom.

Luckily, I'd somehow passed the qualification process, so before starting the training program, I hustled through part-time gigs to save up for living expenses.

"Welcome."

"For real? Shit, not just some gold digger, but a straight-up diamond heiress?"

"Family's loaded as hell, swimming in cash. Looks ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on point too. Life's so goddamn unfair."

Two young guys walked into the convenience store, chattering about some nonsense as they started browsing the shelves.

'Ah. They left the door wide open.'

I mindlessly closed the door they'd left ajar and headed back to the counter...

"Where the hell do you even meet a girl like Ma Yeonseo?"

Suddenly, a familiar name hit my ears.

"You don't. Ain't another girl like her in this world."

"What a fucking waste..."

From the sound of it, they were yapping about Ma Yeonseo.

"Have a good one."

"Hey, I bought something to drink, so let's definitely try ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for plat today."

"You gotta git gud first, noob."

They finished checking out and left the store without missing a beat, still jabbering away.

'Fucking assholes. Left it wide open again.'

Grumbling, I shut the door again and returned. Recalling what they'd said about Ma Yeonseo, I idly checked the internet.

'What happened now?'

Sure enough, the web was buzzing once more with news about her.

'...Huh?'

I skimmed the articles and had to double-take.

The articles were all about her father being the vice chairman of Mercury Group.

The very Mercury that ran the academy I was about to join!

'Holy shit... no wonder.'

I'd always figured she came from serious money, but not this level.

These days, Mercury led the awakener gear market outright.

They had near-monopoly dominance, with competition barely in the picture.

'I really dated someone way out of my league.'

It hit me anew just how insane that had been.

Not that I missed her or anything.

"... "

As I scrolled through the articles, a random thought crossed my mind.

What if her getting me into the academy was because she'd pulled some strings behind the scenes?

'Come to think of it, the interview was kinda weird.'

The program I'd applied for was brand new, so applicants outnumbered spots by a landslide.

I'd psyched myself up for the cutthroat competition and gone into the interview all determined...

- Mr. Kang Yuchan... any health issues?

- None.

- No illnesses or anything?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠- No, I'm perfectly healthy.

- Alright. Moving on, then...

They barely asked me anything substantive.

It was like they'd run out of questions and just checked on my health.

Yet I still passed. Maybe Ma Yeonseo found out I applied and put in a good word...

'Nah, no way.'

I snorted, dismissing the wild speculation, and closed the articles.

It had been ages since we'd broken up.

Plenty of time for her to forget a nobody like me.

Hell, she might even be with someone new by now.

A bunch of guys had openly hit on her back in the day.

Not impossible at all.

'Whoever it is... hope they don't go through the hell I did.'

I sent up a silent prayer for Ma Yeonseo's mystery boyfriend.

It was around cherry blossom season.

I finally started attending the academy.

'Kinda exciting.'

The thought of this totally new chapter had me buzzing so much I barely slept some nights.

"Mana is something ordinary folks like us can't sense or see. It's like a colorless, odorless gas."

The early classes were mostly theory.

All about mana basics and related tech.

A lot to memorize, but not as tough as I'd feared.

[When founder and honorary chairman Ma Junghwan first moved to the US...]

They sprinkled in "character education" sessions on Mercury Group's history.

[Of one of the world's top awakeners, Miss Ma Yeonseo...]

Mention of her made me flinch internally.

'My ex is the chairman's granddaughter and vice chairman's daughter...'

Felt like I was in some drama. Call it 'The Trainee Who Hid His Power'.

Not exactly box-office gold.

"Today's our first practical, so let's start with support gear."

Finally, hands-on time with mana-infused equipment.

Stuff fresh off the field from recently retired hunters—felt real.

'Oof, these dents... being an awakener ain't glamorous.'

I was steadily picking up pro-level knowledge and tips, prepping for certification, when rumors started circulating among the trainees.

"Yuchan, you hear about that?"

"What?"

"Friend of a friend says they're picking a few from our cohort for HQ full-time!"

"For real?"

"We're the first batch, so they're slotting some into tech as a showcase."

"Whoa, tech division? Jackpot."

Most of us had joined aiming for jobs at Mercury Tech partners.

But HQ proper? Dream come true.

'No clue who'll make it, but big-corp business card? Jealous.'

Knowing my place, I didn't even dream of it—just focused on certs.

And then.

The HQ selectees were revealed.

"M-Me?"

It was me.

Kang Yuchan was heading to HQ.

"Yeah, that's the plan for now. But keep it quiet, got it?"

One day, the instructor pulled me aside and dropped the news.

My internal reviews were glowing, so cert or no, three-month internship then full-time at HQ.

'This make any sense?'

Odds of landing a megacorp gig straight out of a random cert program? Slim to none.

Too hard to chalk up to skill alone.

'Really Ma Yeonseo? No, that doesn't add up...'

No explanation fit.

But Han Yeoryeon? She was thrilled, no questions asked.

"Good news is good news! Mercury Tech?! Starting salary's 4 mil! We'll stack cash fast. Right?"

She was pumped her marriage timeline just accelerated.

'Yeah... good is good, I guess...'

Thrilled yet uneasy, I decided not to overthink and focus on the now.

By the time sweltering summer cooled into crisp fall...

'This is my office building? Still can't believe it.'

Certs in hand, I finally clocked in at Mercury Group's massive HQ in central Seoul...

"M-Marketing team...?"

Another curveball.

"Gear management team's full up on headcount. You'll start in marketing."

I'd assumed gear ops, but nope—straight to marketing.

'Marketing? I know jack about that...!'

Panicking at first, but they promised a swap soon, so I nodded along.

'Experience is experience. Might as well crush it.'

Thus began my surprise marketing stint.

Still an intern, I shadowed my team mentor.

"Hwang Jaehee. Let's get along?"

"Kang Yuchan. I'll do my best."

Nine years my senior, Deputy Hwang Jaehee was peak "office lady"—polished, approachable.

"Confused? I'll explain again."

"...Sorry, please do."

"Here, look."

Soft-spoken, no harsh words for mistakes, well-groomed—total heartthrob type.

'Heard normal folks struggle with mentors. Dodged a bullet.'

I was relieved... at first.

"Yuchan, lunch out today?"

"Sure."

She was friendly, dragging me to lunch, looking out for me.

"Profile pic's your girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Cute. College?"

"Third year."

"Prime fun years."

Not always just us, and hey, social life—so I rolled with it.

But then.

Soon, pointless after-hours texts.

"Yuchan, soju tonight?"

Post-work drinks invites, vibes getting weird.

'She's into me...'

Not crossing lines hard, but teetering on work-social edge—no room to call it out.

'Tricky.'

I kept dodging politely, citing my girlfriend...

"Yuchan, beer tonight?"

"Sorry, girlfriend's waiting—booze is tough."

Today she pushed harder.

"Fine... dinner then? Killer Chinese spot nearby."

I shut it down firm.

"Sorry, evenings are no-go too."

"...Okay?"

That's when the harassment kicked off.

"Yuchan, conference room?"

"Yes!"

I'd been buried in a report all day, handing it for review.

"This the template I gave?"

"Yes, the one you sent last..."

"Then why's it like this?"

"...Huh?"

Hwang Jaehee nitpicked relentlessly.

"No idea what's wrong?"

"...Sorry, if you point it out..."

"I've been on you since morning—figure it out! How long do I babysit? When do I work?"

"Sorry."

"Sorry don't cut it in corporate life. Know when to quit."

"...Sorry..."

"Ugh... whatever. Go."

Pure bullying.

"Yuchan, that data I asked for?"

"Still mid-report, haven't..."

"Not done? Was it hard?"

"...No..."

"You had time to slack—should be done. Right?"

"...Sorry..."

"Hurry up."

"...Yes..."

Dumping random tasks, chewing me out solo.

"Yuchan, heading to lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Before you go, one quick data set? Afternoon meeting, short on time."

"...Got it."

Blindsiding me right before meals.

"Yuchan, this by morning?"

"M-Morning?"

"Yeah, favor?"

"...Okay."

Massive dumps near quitting time—forcing overtime.

Payback for rejecting her.

'How long is this hell?'

Stressed to the max by her escalating mind games, I just waited for transfer.

But.

"... "

"Yuchan, ignoring me? You're full-time now."

"...No."

"Head up. Folks'll think I'm bullying you."

"...Sorry."

Internship ended, full-time now—no transfer.

Stuck in Marketing Team 1.

Pure hell.

"...Yeoryeon. Hug me, just once."

"What now? Who bullied you at work?"

"...Nah, just... tired."

"Sigh. My poor Yuchan, slaving away in the real world."

"...Yeah..."

"Too tough? Quit. I'll take care of you."

"...Shush."

Han Yeoryeon sweetly comforted my daily woes, saying no need to push.

Each time, quitting temptation surged...

'Snap out of it, Kang Yuchan. Lifetime shot. Tough it out.'

I gritted through for the cash.

To make her happy.

'Hang in there...!'

Days blurred by.

Got the hang of desk work, fewer scoldings; Hwang Jaehee eased off, maybe gave up.

"I passed!"

"No way? For real?!"

"Real! Kyaa~!"

"Wooo!! Our Yeoryeon's the best!"

Han Yeoryeon landed her dream gig at the Korean Awakener Association.

Short-term, but my support paid off.

'Yes!'

Commute from our place sucked, so she headed back to her family home temporarily...

But we were finally closing in on our ultimate goal.

Building that happy family together.

All the grind felt worth it.

"Hng. What now? Living apart means less seeing each other..."

"We'll reunite soon anyway."

"Don't go wild without me?"

"Won't happen. Don't worry."

After she moved back for work.

Busy schedules meant weekend meetups only; we counted days till moving in together.

'Time to shower.'

Han Yeoryeon was coming over after ages—I'd tidied up, now stripping for a rinse.

"Hm hm~..."

Humming with excitement, midway through undressing.

Flash—!

Suddenly, a magic circle flared on the bedroom floor...

"...Huh?"

A blinding light swallowed me whole.