Her Request
That evening.
Seong-min bought a slice of strawberry cake and two iced chocolate lattes and paid a visit to Min-hyeok’s house. When he knocked on the first-floor entrance, a shadow fell across the door as if someone had been waiting, and it opened to reveal A-reum, Min-hyeok’s older sister.
“I’m here.”
Seong-min lifted the café bag with a friendly expression. A-reum smiled faintly and stepped back to let him in.
“I figured you might like something sweet, so I brought a strawberry cake slice and iced chocolate lattes. Have you had dinner?”
A-reum shook her head.
“Lunch…?”
She shook her head again, slowly.
Seong-min didn’t ask about breakfast. If she hadn’t eaten lunch, there was no chance she had eaten that morning either.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
A-reum, who had been rubbing her stomach, looked up at him and nodded.
“Is that a gesture for ‘I’m not hungry’?”
She nodded once more.
But Seong-min knew she was lying. No one went an entire day without food and felt no hunger. She simply had no appetite from worrying about Min-hyeok.
He glanced at the refrigerator standing in the corner of the living room, slipped off his shoes, and stepped up onto the floor. Opening the fridge, he found almost nothing inside—no proper side dishes to speak of.
“I’ll put the cake and iced chocolate lattes in here for now. Let’s eat dinner first.”
At the word “dinner,” she stood blankly staring at him.
“It’s not good to starve all day like this. And I didn’t really eat properly today either.”
He had only managed some convenience-store bread and milk. He hadn’t gone completely without food, but his stomach still felt hollow.
He came back down, put his shoes on again, and spoke to her.
“Let’s go out. I’ll buy you dinner.”
She made a series of gestures. Watching carefully, he realized she was trying to use sign language—though her movements were awkward and uncertain, as if she found it difficult.
Writing hard words on the floor was already tough for her. Sign language couldn’t be any easier.
As far as Seong-min could tell, she truly could not speak. Her mental capacity also seemed a little lower than most people’s. She had apparently learned some sign language, but struggled to master it and rarely used it well. Even so, she clearly wanted to say something to him and simply couldn’t write it on the floor right now.
“I don’t know sign language.”
He pulled out his phone, opened the memo app, and held it out to her.
“Write it here.”
A-reum took the phone carefully and typed one character at a time.
It’s okay.
That was what she had written. Seong-min smiled.
“You don’t have to feel burdened. Like I said earlier, I’m hungry too because I barely ate. If it really bothers you, we can just go to the neighborhood Gimbap Heaven. It’s cheap enough that it won’t feel like much. We can’t leave the place unlocked, so lock the door. Do you have the key?”
She nodded, then reached both hands to her neck and pulled out what looked like a necklace. It was a key on a chain.
She wears it around her neck so she won’t lose it?
She carefully fitted the key into the lock, turned it, then slipped the necklace back under her clothes.
“Shall we go, then?”
She hovered uncertainly, glancing at him for cues. He took her hand.
“Come on.”
If he left her like that she would keep hesitating forever. The sudden touch of his hand made A-reum’s cheeks flush. Seong-min led her toward the Gimbap Heaven he had noticed while passing through the neighborhood earlier.
Once inside they found seats, and Seong-min looked over the menu.
“What would you like?”
A-reum kept glancing around, unable to decide. Seeing that, he chose for her.
“Two bowls of ramen, one roll of gimbap, and rabokki—sound okay?”
Still watching his face, she slowly nodded.
“Two bowls of ramen, one tuna gimbap roll, and one rabokki, please!”
After placing the order he stood, went to the water dispenser, and brought back two cups of water.
“Drink.”
He opened the drawer beside the table and set out spoons and chopsticks as well.
A short while later the ajumma brought over a sliced roll of tuna gimbap, followed by two bowls of ramen and a plate of rabokki.
“You must be hungry—eat.”
He smiled again at the girl sitting stiffly and awkwardly in her seat.
“It’s fine, really. Dig in. Otherwise the ramen will get soggy and that’ll make me sad.”
At those words A-reum finally picked up her chopsticks and began eating the ramen, slowly at first. Only after watching her nod that it tasted good did Seong-min start eating as well.
She had clearly been starving. Even though she had been so hesitant, once she began she ate properly without picking at the food.
She must have been really hungry.
With Min-hyeok still missing, how could she have thought about eating? She might have simply kept starving while she waited.
After they finished dinner and paid, Seong-min led her back outside and returned to the house.
“You want me to wait here?”
She nodded and stepped out of the room. Seong-min sat down on the floor mat for the time being.
A little later she returned carrying the iced chocolate lattes and the strawberry cake slice he had bought.
“You want us to eat them together?”
She nodded, looking at him.
“All right. Let’s have them for dessert.”
The cake and lattes were ready. She stood again, fetched a fork and an extra cup, and came back.
“You’re going to pour it for me?”
She smiled and nodded. Carefully she poured half the iced chocolate latte into a mug for him and left the remaining half in front of herself. Then she held out a fork.
“Thank you.”
Seong-min cut off a small piece with the fork, put it in his mouth, and nodded.
“It’s good. You try some too, Noona.”
A-reum carefully cut a piece from the front of the cake and ate it.
“Tasty, right?”
She nodded, a small smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. That smile looked truly pure.
“Noona, I found a way to look for Min-hyeok.”
The moment he brought up Min-hyeok, a shadow fell across A-reum’s face again.
“Don’t worry. I promised you yesterday, didn’t I? I’ll definitely find him.”
With that shadowed expression she looked at the young man trying to comfort her.
“I’ll make sure Min-hyeok can meet you again. So stop starving yourself and take proper care of yourself. You have to stay strong if you want to see him again, right?”
She watched him quietly, then nodded.
“You trusted me enough to contact me. I won’t let you down. I’ll find Min-hyeok for sure and bring him back to you. This… is a promise I’m making to you on my name.”
He held his hand out toward the girl who was still watching him in silence.
“Here—let’s pinky-swear.”
Her gaze dropped to the hand he offered.
“Come on, Noona.”
When he urged her again, A-reum carefully hooked her little finger around his.
“Now we stamp it.”
He pressed their thumbs together to seal the promise. A-reum looked down at their joined hands for a moment, then raised her eyes to his face again. Seong-min gave her a warm, smiling look in return. Her cheeks colored faintly.
That was how he soothed A-reum’s heart and secured her promise that from tomorrow she would stop starving herself, trust him, and wait properly.
It was already late at night when Seong-min finally left.
“I’ll be going, then.”
A-reum followed him out to see him off. Just as he was about to turn away she caught his sleeve and made a gesture that said she had something more to say.
“You want me to hold out my hand?”
She nodded, so he offered his right hand. With her index finger she slowly began writing something on his palm. Seong-min read the characters one by one.
Th…ank… you… Thank you?
“You’re thanking me?”
Seeing her nod, he smiled with his eyes again.
“Then don’t starve yourself like you did today, okay? That’s how you can show me your thanks. Got it?”
Watching her nod slowly, he finally felt a little more at ease.
“I’ll head out now.”
Seong-min turned and walked away down the neighborhood alley. A-reum stood in the doorway and did not take a single step until he had completely disappeared from sight.
After parting from A-reum and emerging from the alley, Seong-min headed for the bus stop.
If I dig around the Baekho Gang, I should be able to find out where Min-hyeok is.
But the Baekho Gang was a criminal organization. Making contact with people like that was something any normal person would want to avoid. Right now, though, he had no other choice if he wanted to find Min-hyeok.
Which means I need to prepare myself first.
The moment he got home he planned to train hard again, level up once, and then sleep. Of course, when he leveled he intended to pour the points into Martial Power.
He saw the bus coming and climbed aboard.
Arriving home, Seong-min went straight up to the rooftop and launched into his workout. Exercise was essential for stacking experience. He pushed through squats, push-ups, and walking drills until, before he knew it, he had leveled up. He opened the Status Window and immediately invested the points into Martial Power.
Martial Power rose to 57.
Martial Power will definitely make me better at fighting too.
It was, after all, the stat that literally raised his combat strength. And once it passed 50, Seong-min’s physique had changed noticeably. A great deal of fat had burned away, and the muscles settled across his body stood out in clear definition. Raising it to 50 had also improved his bone structure. His height hadn’t increased, but his chest had opened up and his shoulders had broadened a little. He was transforming beyond a simple gym body into a reverse-triangle frame.
At only 57 the change wasn’t dramatic yet, but one thing was certain: the higher he pushed Martial Power, the better his body became.
There was something else he needed to confirm for sure, though.
Just how much stronger I’ve actually gotten.
He needed to know his own strength before he could act. So he decided he would measure it tomorrow.
I’ve still got time. I’ll level once more tonight before sleeping.
His Physicality was at 50. Even if he leveled again and then slept, waking at six the next morning wouldn’t leave him too exhausted. Seong-min kept training until nearly one in the morning, leveled up once more, opened the Status Window, invested into Martial Power to bring it to 58, and finally went to bed.
The next day.
After only five hours of sleep he rose at six, washed and got ready, pulled on a cap, and left the house.
It was Monday. Normally he would have headed to the Courier Distribution Center for loading and unloading work, but he had already called the supervisor on Saturday to say he probably couldn’t come in this week.
So why was he leaving home so early?
To go to the Gym.
“Heading out already?”
“Yes.”
As expected, Hye-suk had come out in a cardigan to see him off.
“Be careful.”
“You have a good day too, Auntie.”
“Mm…”
Receiving her send-off, Seong-min silently apologized for the lie. He had no choice. He couldn’t make Auntie Hye-suk worry.
He went straight to the Gym and began training at once, working hard without a hint of laziness. By three o’clock he had somehow leveled seven times. He opened the Status Window and invested two points into Martial Power, leaving five remaining.
Why leave five?
Because he planned to gather five more, make ten, and purchase one charge of the Escape Skill. Reading the description, it looked like something that could pull him out of danger if things went wrong. Before he started moving in earnest he wanted one Escape charge ready.
Martial Power now sat at 60, with five points left over. He closed the Status Window and took a short rest, then walked to the water cooler, drank, and refilled his bottle. He had no intention of heading to the locker room yet—he planned to train more.
After resting he climbed back onto the treadmill and began running again.
He’s going even longer today?
The trainer watching him clicked his tongue in disbelief. This wasn’t marathon training, yet he had never seen anyone stay on a treadmill that long.
Seong-min ran without stopping and leveled twice more.
Name: Lee Seong-min
Age: 24
Education: Hancheon High School Graduate
Points:7
Appearance: 15
Vigor: 10
Martial Power:60
Physicality: 50
After confirming the Status Window he finally closed it and headed for the locker room.