Murim Supply Caravan (7)
As I approached the POS machine, a message window was blinking just like before.
I rested my chin on my hand and thought it over.
The mysterious phenomenon where the convenience store shelves had always stocked themselves neatly up until now. At first, I hadn't paid much attention to it. Even though it was clearly weird, I'd just accepted it as normal. Why? Because it was too abnormal. I still hadn't figured out why or how I'd ended up in the Murim world with the store, yet the POS machine talked like it knew everything, and the shelves magically organized themselves—what did I care? So I'd just let it slide.
But it turned out it was all because of this Murim Supply Caravan. Now that something concrete had finally shown up, I felt dazed, and everything seemed oddly surreal.
"Wait, membership fee? So all the orders and stuff up until now..."
"Then why tell me about this now? You could've said something from the start. Like why I got dropped in this Murim world or what I'm supposed to do with the convenience store!"
All the rolling around I'd done alone—paying off debts, meeting people—came rushing back as resentment. Of course it did. I'd been dumped in a world with no connections, where getting stabbed anytime wasn't weird, selling stuff Murim folks couldn't even comprehend. Surviving at all was a miracle.
What if Yoo Hwa-yeon hadn't shown up? What if Baek Jin-yong's gambling addiction was actually a murder addiction? What if Cheon Hyang had called me a liar and sicced martial artists on me? What if bandit leader Hwa Hyo-seon hadn't wanted me as a strategist but just to kill me?
Murim was fun in webnovels, but living it was another story. I was just a powerless modern guy who could only do business. I'd survived so far on luck alone.
If the POS had been watching all my actions, it could've shown up from the beginning and helped! Used that power to give me a hand!
"Is that what you say after dropping me in the Murim world out of nowhere? Tell me. Why'd you send me here!"
I kept grilling it, but it just repeated the same macro-like responses. In the end, I learned nothing. Why I'd been dropped here. How I was supposed to live going forward. Why it was watching me. I couldn't figure out anything, but at least I knew this much: I could do whatever I wanted. There were no set rules.
It was scary, though. Having to handle everything alone. It was a total one-eighty from my shut-in life.
But if I wanted to survive, I had no choice. Nothing else for it.
"Let me change the question. This Murim Supply Caravan—what do I get for joining? You make it sound like I have to. What happens if I don't?"
It felt like a TV ad blasting in my ear. What was with this sales pitch?
Bottom line: No penalty for not joining, but you'd have to shut down shop. Joining meant way fatter margins.
9 gold ingots... no, nearly 10. Not expensive. Dirt cheap if you thought yearly. Probably thanks to the 50% first-year discount. Original price was likely 20 gold.
I had freedom. It let me choose. Crawl back to my hole like before? Or grab this chance and keep the convenience store going?
Honestly, I was terrified enough to hole up right now. I was a total normie who didn't know the first thing about martial arts. A graze from a sword could kill me. Scary. Could I really pull this off? Terrifying. Was this the right choice?
"Boss."
That's when Yoo Hwa-yeon approached. Dressed in her usual white martial arts nightgown—the one she slept in. But she never went without the sword at her waist.
"What's up?"
"Your face is pale."
Yoo Hwa-yeon asked with genuine worry. She reached to press the back of her hand to my forehead, but I leaned back just a bit to stop her. Still not used to her getting that close.
"Oh. I-I was just worried you might be sick..."
"I'm fine. Not sick."
"Mm."
Yoo Hwa-yeon thought for a moment, then narrowed her eyes sternly.
"Is it because of that bitch earlier? You've been worried sick. That look won't leave your face. I don't know what she said, but I'll go deal with her right now..."
She gripped her sword hilt tight, fuming.
"Hwa-yeon."
"Yeah?"
"It's not that. I'll just step out for some air."
"Mm..."
I left her there and headed outside.
The big rock out front where Hwa Hyo-seon often perched. I sat on the small stepping-stone rock below it, leaning my back against the big one's body. The sunlight's lingering heat soaked into my back.
I pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Didn't taste great. Just stressful. Worried. Self-loathing for not thinking of better options.
Covering the exhaustion with fake euphoria from wrecking my body. Even knowing it wouldn't solve anything. Some sorrows only fade by destroying yourself.
I hadn't always been like this.
"Hey, Kim Jung-hyun!"
I'd reenrolled in university after discharge. My close senior girlfriends from the department were about to graduate, but I was only a sophomore.
"Oh, Senior! Buy us some malatang!"
"Screw off. You're just a overgrown freshman acting like a senior."
"Tanghulu too?"
"Die!!!"
"Agh! Sorry! My bad! Forgive me—I didn't even make you sing!!"
I wasn't some huge social butterfly, but I got along with pretty much everyone. Until that incident.
"Hey, hear about it? The business major rapist. That's him."
"Crazy. Still going to school."
"Look at that thick skin. Let's go before we get involved."
My junior year. I'd gone to a PC bang near campus with friends. Needed the bathroom, went in and out, and suddenly I was the business major rapist.
I don't know why. Around then, some girl who'd gone into the women's bathroom first called the cops. Next day, they stormed campus looking for me. I was studying in the library, clueless, and got dragged into a squad car. The cops straight-up asked, "Why'd you sexually assault someone in the Top PC Bang bathroom around 8 p.m. yesterday?" For something I didn't do.
I was stunned. I barely remembered going to the bathroom. Just gaming with friends and leaving.
"B-bathroom?"
"CCTV caught your face clear as day. Why'd you do it?"
Yeah, why did I? Why couldn't I remember?
"I-I don't remember well..."
"You could go to prison for this. Tell the truth. Wanted to peek in the women's room? Lots of excuses, but stick to facts. Then we can help."
I nodded like an idiot at "we can help." Being broke as a student, I got a public defender. Why'd I do that?
"Proving you didn't rape is hard. Best to apologize and settle. Tell me the truth so I can help you, Jung-hyun."
Everyone promised to help. I believed them. Until the hammer fell.
"The defendant Kim Jung-hyun is sentenced to three years imprisonment with one year suspended, and 48 hours of sexual assault prevention education."
Bang bang bang!
Injustice burned. I'd never seen her. Didn't even glance at the women's room—just did my business. But no CCTV on the door, just me and her walking the long hallway. She never showed. I wanted to see her face. A face I'd never met. Maybe a ghost? Maybe she wasn't real?
"Sob! I'm sorry! I raised my son wrong—I'm sorry! Please, no red mark on his record! Sob!!"
Mom knelt in court, bawling. Dad stood by her. I watched detached. Mom, I didn't do it. You didn't raise me wrong. Why are you begging? It makes me look guilty.
The public defender patted my shoulder a few times and breezed out. The prosecutor didn't even look at me.
The dam that'd held through spring burst in summer rains. I got swept away.
Why were you standing there! So dangerous! Last words a flood victim hears.
Yeah. My fault for standing there knowing the rapids. My fault for trusting the dam wouldn't break.
After that, I holed up. Cut off all women. Ignored graduated friends' calls. Isolated in my world.
The cigarette had burned short before I knew it. Gotta quit. No back-to-back smokes. Regrettable, but my promise to myself.
Damn fingers! Already holding the second one between index and middle.
"Argh! No... can't..."
Thought I wouldn't, but my left hand had the lighter. Who's controlling my body? Fine. Just one more. Exactly one.
Stuck it in my mouth, flicked the lighter. Click, fwoosh! Deep drag.
Then—thunk! Something shiny flashed by.
Thought it was a shooting star at first. Wasn't.
Cold metal glinting in moonlight. A sword.
Looked down—the lit cigarette tip sliced clean and thin, falling to the ground.
Who? Who wields a blade that sharp?
Stunned, I opened my mouth. Smoke from the full drag billowed up, clouding my view.
Beyond the acrid haze, a woman aiming gleaming steel.
Smoke cleared, her figure sharpened. Yoo Hwa-yeon. It was Yoo Hwa-yeon.
"Y-you, wh-what..."
"See that?"
See what?
"Sliced just the lit end off—from way beyond your reach."
"......"
"I've been training hard. So I don't wreck any inns."
"......"
"I'll protect you. So don't make that face."
A tear rolled down Yoo Hwa-yeon's cheek.
"Don't look so pitiful. The boss is a good guy, no matter what anyone says."
Broken dams get rebuilt. Fix the weak spot so next flood doesn't break it. Reinforce bit by bit.
"I can protect you."
Today, I added one sandbag. But when I came to, it wasn't just one.
Looking past my damp clothes, I saw so many people rebuilding the dam. For me. For themselves.
My choice was clear.