Even the Boss Squirms When Stepped On

The day dawned. I hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. While Eris and Siz were out cold, I'd slipped out of the house and returned to my original home.

Mom was still battling insomnia from the trauma of the Choon-sik incident. Even though I'd come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back late, she was wide awake, eyes hollow and exhausted. It twisted something in my chest. I'd gone there planning to suggest she check into a mental hospital for proper treatment. A lot of people try to overcome trauma-induced mental illness without medication, but the truth is, meds are the best option. Nothing treats it more effectively. Therapy without pharmaceuticals rarely produces real results.

It costs a fortune, and the record of psychiatric care can haunt you in social situations, but Mom didn't need to worry about any of that. Hospitalization might actually be the best choice. Besides, once I started operating as Fantasia's Fighting Dog, I wouldn't be able to look after her properly. If I was constantly distracted by my sick mother, I might not even fight at full strength.

I'd come to make the suggestion, but Mom beat me to it.

"Son... should Mom check into the mental hospital?"

Her face looked ready to crumble. She couldn't hold on anymore. After nights without real sleep, haunted by the screams of those customers, it was only natural.

"Yeah. Let's go right now."

Since she'd suggested it herself, there was no room for hesitation. Mom, who almost never showed weakness, had been the one to ask for hospitalization first. So I got her admitted.

They gave her sedatives and she fell into a peaceful sleep. I, however, couldn't close my eyes. Mental hospitals carry a stigma, after all. Even though it was officially licensed, leaving her there filled me with unease. I faced the morning with the same hollow eyes.

Since she'd gone in willingly, I couldn't bring her back until she asked to leave. All I could do was trust.

"Yaaawn~ Hyun-woo, did you sleep well?"

Eris stretched like a cat, then grinned at me with that dopey smile. The house was tiny, so the three of us had slept in the same room. Siz had woken up early for her newspaper delivery route, leaving just the two of us.

"Does it look like I slept well?"

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Because Boss Lady snores like a chainsaw."

"What? I snore? No way... am I turning into Dad...?"

She hadn't snored at all, but Eris took my words at face value and began seriously contemplating her fate. The girl really couldn't suspect people. Then again, that was exactly why she never got her money back after lending it out.

Today, my goal was to recover funds from at least one debtor.

"It'd be a problem if you become a tank like Dad later!"

"Stop talking nonsense and go wash up. We need to register with the government now that all three organization members are assembled."

"Okay! I'll get dressed fast, just wait!"

Eris started stripping without hesitation.

"This damn Boss Lady of mine."

When she reached for her panties right in front of me, I gave her a solid knuckle to the forehead. She clutched her head, eyes watering, looking genuinely confused about what she'd done wrong.

"Why'd you hit me?"

"Does it make sense for a twenty-year-old woman to strip in front of a man?"

"B-but I always take them off at home, so I just..."

"Stop doing weird shit and learn some boundaries. Why do you think I finished washing up before you woke up?"

I'd not only washed but styled my hair with wax. No matter how shameless Eris was—kindergarten level, really—she was still a twenty-year-old woman. I'd done it out of consideration.

"O-okay... hic."

Sniffling, Eris grabbed her towel and panties and shuffled into the bathroom. Of course, they were Mohanya panties again, just in a different color. Did she own nothing else?

"All set!"

After washing up, Eris had somehow styled her bangs with wax, thrown on a crisp white shirt and black slacks, and thrust her right arm skyward.

"Let's go to the organization management office!"

With an energetic fist pump from Eris, we headed out. The office was only a ten-minute walk away. I was thinking how convenient it was to have a place so close ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when Eris suddenly held her hand out to me.

What was this about?

"Hold my hand!"

"You want me to hold your hand?"

"Yeah! I like walking while holding hands."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It just feels nice holding hands with someone reliable. It calms my heart. That's why I used to walk a lot holding Siz's hand."

So yesterday, I hadn't seemed reliable? Well, that was fair. She was grateful I'd become the third member, but I'd just been a PC bang part-timer. Hardly the picture of dependability.

Maybe rescuing Siz and bringing her back had changed her opinion. This was Boss Lady's way of acknowledging me. I took her hand with genuine gratitude.

"W-wow... it's different from Siz's. Hyun-woo's hand is so big and warm. Siz's is small and cold."

"That just means Siz isn't in good health. We need to earn money quickly so she can rest."

"Yeah! I want Siz to rest soon too. Her cooking is so good. If she made all three meals, it'd be perfect."

No, make her rest, Boss Lady. Siz might enjoy cooking for her, but from an outside perspective, the woman desperately needed a break. How does someone end up looking that exhausted?

"Tell her to handle one meal. I'll take care of the other two."

"Oh? You can cook too, Hyun-woo?"

"Sure. Frozen dumplings for breakfast, ramen for lunch."

"Whoa! That's amazing! Frozen dumplings in the morning and ramen for lunch? Let's do that after getting Siz's permission!"

Permission? What permission? Come to think of it, Eris had called ordering a single cheese stir-fry a luxury. The poor thing.

"Boss Lady, once we start making real money, let's eat all the expensive, delicious food we want."

"Expensive, delicious food? Wow, does that mean I can have pork soup whenever I want? That's incredible! Hyun-woo, you're the best!"

Pork soup only cost 5,500 won. If that counted as expensive, what the hell had she been eating? I needed to earn money fast and show her what real luxury tasted like.

Lost in thought, we arrived at the organization management office.

"Hello. How may I assist you?"

We'd taken a number and waited briefly before a woman with no title above her head greeted us from the counter. A civil servant, apparently.

"We've gathered all three organization members! Please don't disband us!"

"What is the name of your organization?"

"Fantasia!"

Eris answered energetically. The receptionist smiled warmly and began typing.

"Fantasia was scheduled for dissolution today due to having only two guild members. Therefore, the third member must ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠complete an oath confirming official entry. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, let's proceed."

I started filling out the documents she handed me. It was basically a statement swearing there had been no coercion or falsehood in my joining Fantasia. The final line was particularly striking.

I submitted the completed oath. The civil servant scanned it and smiled.

"Thank you. Fantasia has officially returned as a recognized organization."

"Hell yeah!"

Eris thrust her right fist forward again in celebration. I was starting to suspect she did it on purpose. If it was just a habit, I had nothing to say.

"Since you have returned as an official organization, you may now establish your symbol. What would you like it to be?"

A symbol. Like the snake badge Carpediem members wore, I supposed. The Murim Alliance used their distinctive martial uniforms, while Esper Hunter used S-shaped earrings.

"Boss Lady, got anything in mind?"

"Heh, of course I do."

She wasn't about to suggest something like Mohanya, right? That would be plagiarism.

"Since we're Fantasia, let's use an F-shaped badge as our symbol!"

"An F-shape? That just makes us look like F-rank. It's embarrassing."

In some academy love comedy novel, F Class was the lowest tier for underachievers. Not that she'd know.

"Then did you come up with something better, Hyun-woo?"

"No, I don't really have any ideas..."

"Then it's F! Fantasia has always worn F-shaped badges."

So the entire group had gone around advertising themselves as F-grade? It was a harsh thing to say, but they really had deserved getting wiped out single-handedly by the God of War. They really had been a gathering of weaklings.

"Symbol production is complete. Thank you for your continued patronage."

Since it was a symbol with history, I had no choice but to accept it. I reluctantly pinned the F-shaped badge to my chest. Eris did the same.

"Great! With this, Fantasia begins anew!"

Eris was raising her arms in triumph when suddenly several men and police officers surrounded us. The men looked familiar... Ah. They were the bastards who'd tried to kidnap Siz yesterday. The drugs must have worn off.

"Officer! It's that guy! The one who knocked out all my friend's teeth!"

The friend with no teeth was nowhere to be seen. Probably couldn't even walk properly. The guy pointing at me kept babbling excitedly.

"You vicious bastard! Because of you, my friend can't even eat porridge right now. And here you are on a date with a cute little girl!"

Most people wouldn't immediately think "date" when seeing a guy with a girl this young. Drugs really did rot your brain.

"We'll take your statement at the station."

"That won't be necessary."

The officers moved to take me in, but Eris shook her head and pointed to the F-shaped badge on her chest.

"Woo Hyun-woo is an outstanding member of my organization. We'll handle his punishment according to Fantasia's internal regulations."

Damn. These bastards had looked so pathetic using this loophole before. Now I was the one enjoying the privilege. How does it feel, you junkies? Does your blood boil? Now you get to experience what I felt.

"Hmm... The reader confirms this is indeed an official organization. Though the membership is small, it once stood at the peak. Therefore it qualifies for special privileges."

"Th-this is ridiculous! You're not arresting him just because he's in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an organization? Officer! This is dereliction of duty!"

"If you don't like it, go join an organization yourself. Those are the rules of this world. What can we do? Police only follow the rules."

The officer delivered this coldly and walked away. The men glared with resentment, but when I silently cracked my neck with a loud pop, they flinched and fled.

Too bad. If they'd come at me, I could've hit them again and grown stronger through the Fighting Dog effect.

"Hyun-woo, how was that? I did good, right?"

Eris's demeanor had completely changed from her interaction with the police. The way she asked with that silly smile was the Eris I knew, but the cold, sharp version who'd faced the officers had seemed like an entirely different person. So the boss of an organization really was a boss after all.

I patted her head, telling her she'd done well. She beamed happily.

Now that the official registration was complete—

"Boss Lady, stay home and rest for a while."

"Why? What are you going to do?"

In answer, I pulled the loan agreement from my inner pocket and grinned.

"Gonna go earn some lunch money."