Baek A-young

"Aigoo, you stupid bastard."

The way you wake up after a night of drinking and only then realize what you've done — that was me, Saturday morning, finally grasping the mess I'd made. I was furious with myself. Falling for a honey trap, of all things.

What was I supposed to do about it? It was already over. Looking on the bright side, I'd formed a connection with a professor. If I played my cards right, it would work out. All it meant was a heavier course load.

"Haa..."

There were no regular classes on the weekend. Most students would rest, catch up on training they'd fallen behind on, or go out with friends. I had far too much to do. First stop was the Black Market. After that, the orphanage.

Right — I also had plans with Rumi on Sunday.

"I've really got a lot on my plate."

Too much to keep straight. Time like this, I needed to get organized.

In the end, it came down to two goals. Winning over the heroines mattered, but so did my own strength. For this weekend, I'd focus on the heroines. I'd spent all of last week training, and it would be a while yet before anything life-threatening came my way.

"I need to make money too, though. What am I supposed to do about that?"

Sell information, maybe? But to whom? There was always the option of going to an information guild, except those meticulous bastards would never trust intel from a source they couldn't verify. I could charge in blindly, but I wasn't in the mood to gamble.

"I'll just work hard and earn a scholarship. Time to get moving."

I had to work hard anyway if I wanted to avoid the expulsion ending. I wrapped up my thinking and headed into the bathroom to get ready.

The commercial district around the Academy. In stark contrast to the sunlit streets, where the infrastructure was staggering, the shadows between the buildings were dim and unwholesome.

"It should be around here..."

I pieced together every scrap of information the game had ever shown me. The positions of the larger buildings, the angle and placement of every shadow in the artwork, every last utility pole that had appeared on screen even once — I remembered them all in detail, and they'd gotten me to somewhere close.

A door creaked.

"Found it."

The alley between Building 23 and Building 24. Among a row of doors that wouldn't open, a single one that would. By night it disguised itself as a tavern, but what it actually sold were passes into the Black Market.

Even in broad daylight, the inside of the bar felt like midnight. A single muted lamp was all that lit the dark.

Squeak, squeak. Across the counter, a white-haired old man was polishing a glass. He flicked a glance my way, then let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Hah. These days even damn kids are finding their way here. Listen, I don't know where you heard about this place, but if you don't want to see something ugly, turn around and go home."

I ignored him, took a seat at the bar, and ordered a cocktail.

"Never mind that. Just give me a cocktail. Anything. Make it as strong as you've got."

I laid the 1.5 million won in cash I'd prepared on the counter. The old man looked at the money, wordlessly set a cocktail in front of me, scooped up the bills, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Beneath the glass sat a small coin.

"What a ridiculous way of doing things."

I pocketed the coin, left the bar, and stepped back out onto the street. The atmosphere was completely different from the place I'd just been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bright, bustling, alive. At the heart of that energy stood the Samro Department Store. I headed for its emergency stairwell.

The side door leading underground was marked Staff Only. I ignored the sign, pushed through, and went down. A pair of large men were blocking the entrance to the underground arcade; I showed them the coin, and they stepped aside.

A stale, musty smell hung over the underground shops, their doors left open as they waited for customers to wander in.

Now then. Where's the pharmacy?

The place I'd come looking for was a "pharmacy." I was not, needless to say, here for cold medicine.

"There it is."

A shabby sign that looked ready to fall off at any moment. I remembered a line from the game: in the entire Black Market, this was the only shop that operated under the name of a pharmacy.

The glass door rattled, and a shop bell jangled overhead. A pharmacist in a white coat looked up to greet me.

"Well now, a customer. Been a while. Come on in. What can I do for you?"

"...I'd like some, ah, aphrodisiacs..."

"Aigoo, you've got the wrong place. We'll handle sleeping pills, narcotics, that sort of thing — but we don't touch aphrodisiacs. You can talk your way out of most charges. Get caught with those, though, and you're finished."

"I know all that. I just came to browse today. See what you've got."

"We like making money too, you know. I'd sell aphrodisiacs if I could, but the supply chain's a nightmare and the margins are garbage. This is a narcotics shop."

"Park Hyun-seok sent me. I'm just here to look around. See what's in stock."

"Ah, for fuck's sake — you should've said that first, you little shit. Hah, ptoo."

"..."

The pharmacist spat on the floor, fished a cigarette from his pocket, jammed it between his lips, and lit it. He drew a long drag and blew the smoke out slowly.

Not the reaction I'd been expecting. For the record, Park Hyun-seok was an extra who'd get arrested later for using aphrodisiacs.

"Sorry about that. The Association sends in a lot of undercovers, so I was rude. Here — take this."

From the pocket opposite the one he'd pulled the cigarette from, he produced what looked like a herbal calming pill and held it out. I took it. Was I supposed to eat it and relax?

"It's a sample. About a three out of ten, so give it a try and come back."

I didn't need to ask what the scale was measuring.

"...And the price?"

"Three hundred thousand won a pill. The better stuff costs more, but once you've used it, you won't think the money was wasted."

He'd called it a sample, so I might as well take it. Free was always good.

"We've got powder that doesn't show, and a few other forms besides... Looking at that face of yours, though, I figured you weren't in a position where you'd need to have sex with someone who hadn't agreed to it, so I gave you that one. Want to swap?"

"No. I'll take this."

"Coming into a place like this, I figured you were some brat with no manners. Turns out you're a surprisingly polite young man. Now I feel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bad about cussing you out."

"Pardon?"

What the hell was he talking about all of a sudden? Did this guy have anger issues?

"Here. Take this too."

"I thought you said it was a sample. You're just handing me a whole bottle?"

"That one's an actual calming pill. Eat it and the tension goes away. Settles the mind."

"..."

"Heh heh heh..."

Crazy old bastard. Well — whether it was a calming pill or a sample, I had no idea when I'd use either of them, but taking them cost me nothing.

"Come again. Customers who try the sample always do."

I left the gloomy pharmacist behind and made my way out of the Black Market.

"...That whole thing felt off."

I had no desire to go back, but you never knew what life would throw at you. Getting on a first-name basis with the pharmacist was probably worth doing.

Next up was the orphanage. And this time, I was actually going there to volunteer.

The Gate that had opened in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul, had inflicted catastrophic casualties and property damage before vanishing. The center of the city had been left a barren field, and on that land, Victoria Academy had been built. Being right in the middle of Seoul, the surrounding commercial districts had already been well developed — but further out, facilities like orphanages and shantytowns were common.

The place I was headed was Haetbit Orphanage. It cared for children whose parents had died as hunters, killed in Gates or dungeons. It was also where the heroine Baek A-young came to volunteer every weekend.

On the way, I stopped at a convenience store and bought a few bags of snacks the kids would like, then called ahead to let them know I was coming. I also changed out of the street clothes I'd worn to the Black Market and into my academy uniform.

The building was enclosed by a white fence. I opened the front gate, walked up, and pressed the buzzer at the entrance.

"Can I help you?"

A woman who looked like a childcare worker came out. The Victoria Academy uniform must have put her at ease; there was no wariness in her face.

"Hello. I'm the one who called earlier. I'd, ah, like to make a personal donation."

"Ah! You must be Lee Ho-yeon. Please, come in."

The inside of the orphanage was neatly kept. It wasn't a large place, but the children and the staff all wore bright expressions. The atmosphere seemed good.

"The director's office is this way. Go on in and have a talk."

"Thank you."

I knocked.

"Come in~."

I opened the door to find a kind-faced middle-aged man sitting at the desk.

"Welcome. Oh my — Ho-yeon, you sounded young on the phone, but you're a Victoria Academy cadet?"

"Yes. As I mentioned, I'd like to make a personal donation, even if it isn't a large amount. And I'll come by to volunteer whenever I have the time."

"We're the ones who should be thanking you. Donations have been drying up lately, and I was starting to worry. Truly, thank you. This won't do — can I at least get you a cup of tea?"

"Tea's fine, thank you. Would it be possible to see the children right away? I'd like to know who I'm supporting."

"Hrm. We don't usually let outsiders help with the children... but as it happens, we already have someone here, and you're an Academy cadet, so I'll trust you. Follow me."

"Thank you."

Volunteering at an orphanage to look after children was not, in truth, an easy thing to arrange. If someone started caring for the kids and then quit because it was too hard, the wound it left on them was deep — and there was always the risk of someone with worse intentions. Judging at a glance whether a person was trustworthy was nearly impossible. This time, the academy uniform had gotten me through without a hitch. I'd been lucky.

"As it happens, a rather famous hunter is here volunteering today as well. All right, children! A new big brother has come to visit!"

The children playing in the orphanage yard all turned to look. Among them, Baek A-young was staring at me with a look that said, Who is that? Surrounded by kids the way she was, she seemed to be popular.

"Hey, kids. How's it going?"

I put on a brave face and said hello. The response was lukewarm at best. Apparently they weren't old enough yet to be impressed by an academy uniform.

Fortunately, I'd come prepared with a trump card for exactly this situation.

"Haha, I suppose the children still find you a bit unfamiliar, Ho-yeon. They're always like this at first."

"It's all right. Hey, kids — want to see something?"

Whoosh. Three fireballs bloomed to life above my hands. Even the children who'd been too scared to come close all snapped their attention toward me.

"Here we go."

I tossed the fireball in my left hand upward, then threw the one in my right and caught the first as it came down. Then the right-hand one went up again, and I caught the one I'd just thrown. In short, I juggled fireballs.

"W-whoa!"

"What! Big bro, that's awesome!"

"Oppa! Can you do four?!"

I'd spent a full thirty minutes that morning practicing just so I could juggle. In truth it wasn't that hard — I just had to nudge them with mana and catch them when they dropped into my hands — but the reaction was good enough that I felt pretty pleased with myself.

"Hyung bought snacks, too. Who wants some?"

The sun was already sinking, the light going soft and gold. The children had worn themselves out and were resting inside the building.

"You worked hard today, Ho-yeon."

"Not at all. You did more of the work, A-young."

"Pfft. That's a funny thing to hear from the man who juggled for over an hour straight."

Baek A-young and I sat on a sofa inside the orphanage, catching our breath. After spending the afternoon playing with the children together, we'd fallen into an easy familiarity.

"Why did you come here to volunteer, Ho-yeon? I heard you were donating, too — does an academy cadet have that kind of money?"

Baek A-young was a genuinely good person, down to the bone. Volunteer work like today's was something she did purely because she wanted to. And because of that, she was drawn to people who were the same.

"For now I'm splitting my living stipend to cover it. I've been interested in volunteering for a long time."

"That stipend isn't much, though. And if you're an academy cadet, don't you barely have time to study?"

"You're really grilling me, huh. Haha. This is starting to feel a little strange. What's a student like me done to earn this much interest from you? Isn't that a crime?"

"I'll have you know I only graduated from the Academy a little while ago myself. Hmph."

"I was kidding. Just kidding."

"You're a curious one, Ho-yeon. Every other volunteer I've met here loses all interest in the children the moment they see me. But you were more focused on the kids than I was."

Of course I was. I'd seen it in the game, and the quest had spelled it out besides. Baek A-young wanted someone who, like her, volunteered out of a pure spirit of service and took joy in it. I was not that person. But if you knew the conditions, you could act the part.

We'd gotten close enough. Time for the emotional appeal. I rubbed at my eyes — dry enough to hurt — until they turned red.

"The truth is, I'm an orphan too. I lost my parents in a Gate."

"Ah — so that's why you came to Haetbit Orphanage... I'm so sorry. That must be a painful subject, and I just kept prying, only thinking about myself."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I don't even remember it that well, honestly."

I went on in the saddest voice I could manage.

"I grew up in a place like this. I clawed my way into Victoria Academy by any means I could. I thought once I got in, everything would fall into place. It didn't."

"..."

"Money was hard, but the emotional side was harder. I couldn't laugh when other people laughed. Every time I ordered a drink at a café I worried whether I had the balance for it. If I ate one expensive meal with friends, I'd live on water for a while to make up for it. Heh — talking it out, I guess it all comes back to money. Anyway. I didn't want other kids to have to feel that."

It was a story moving enough to make even me, the one performing it, feel a lump in my throat. And it was true, as far as the setting went — Lee Ho-yeon's parents had died in a Gate, and he really was an orphan. He'd come from an orphanage too, most likely. I just didn't know which one.

"Those kids didn't do anything wrong."

A faint smile, and then the last line, aimed straight at the heart. Moisture gathered in Baek A-young's eyes, and the look she turned on me grew warmer.

"Ho-yeon.... Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right. I'll make sure of it. I'll help you."

Strike.

Holy shit. I'd met her for the first time today, and her affection was already at fifty. At this rate, the act was more than worth it.

"It's gotten late. You look tired too, A-young. Shall we call it a day?"

"Yes. Oh — you said you were a first-year, didn't you?"

"That's right."

"Then I'll be seeing you soon. Hehe."

"Sorry? Seeing me where?"

"Nothing~. See you next time!"

She left the orphanage with a spring in her step, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. I already knew when we'd meet again. Association hunters would be coming in as support for the upcoming dungeon practicum, and a healing-specialist hunter like Baek A-young showing up was only natural.

"I should get going too."

I left the orphanage. I hadn't expected playing with kids to be this exhausting. Maybe I should just send the money and skip the volunteering from now on.

"Bye, big bro!"

"Oppa! Next time you have to do five!"

I looked back. The two kids who'd stuck to me the hardest were waving with both hands.

"Yeah! See you next time!"

Well. I couldn't afford to make Baek A-young suspicious. I'd come back a few more times, at least.