Black Friend, Kim Sejin
A Seoul slum that had, for all practical purposes, been abandoned—a lawless zone in everything but name.
With the day's classes finished, I walked its dank, musty streets.
Trash was strewn everywhere. The place was barely cleaned, reeking of filth, and even stray cats and sewer rats were part of the scenery. It was the worst environment imaginable.
Drunks and addicts sprawled across the pavement were a common sight, and it was nothing out of the ordinary to hear people belting out songs at the top of their lungs or raising their voices over some grievance until fists started flying.
In this world's setting, ever since people with superpowers had sprouted up like weeds, far more of them turned to villainy than heroics.
The only ones who could stop villains were heroes, and there simply weren't enough of them. Public safety had naturally gone to pieces, and the result was lawless, slumified zones like this one cropping up all over.
There were too many of them to deal with, and the effort required dwarfed anything you might gain from it, so even the government had washed its hands of the matter. These were dark corners of the city where people built their own crude order and scraped by.
Somewhere on these streets was the house I lived in.
I went home, set down my bag, and packaged up the artwork and the black pearl necklace I had stolen from the mansion of Cheonok Logistics' CEO, Lee Jeongseok, the last time around.
It was time to stop being Lee Yechan, student at Seoul Hero Academy, and go back to being Kid G—time to get to work.
I put on the white mask that covered my eyes, stuck Recognition Deterrent Chips all over the inside of my clothes, wrapped the artwork so it couldn't be seen, slipped the necklace into my pocket, and left the house.
After walking for a good while, I reached a certain building and headed for the reception desk.
A burly, tattooed gangster behind the desk gave me a once-over and opened his mouth.
"Skunk."
"Perfume."
Once he'd confirmed I was "one of us," he eased off a little and asked,
"Bidding, or selling?"
"Selling."
"What's the merchandise?"
"Two prized possessions of Lee Jeongseok, CEO of Cheonok Logistics. One is the only piece of artwork his late wife left behind. The other is the black pearl necklace she treasured most."
"Ooh. Which means you're Kid G, huh. Heh. Even with the mask, I can't make out your face at all, standing right in front of me—must have Recognition Deterrent Chips hanging off you like ornaments. I've only been working reception a little while, and I'm already meeting a rookie like this."
"Does that matter?"
"Nah. It doesn't."
The gangster propped his chin on his hand and looked me over with a lazy swagger.
"When?"
"As soon as possible. Today would be ideal."
"Rush sales come with an extra ten percent commission."
"Doesn't matter. Oh—but I want you to tip off every logistics company CEO except Cheonok Logistics, right now. Tell them two of the most special items belonging to Lee Jeongseok's late wife have gone up for auction."
"Why should we go to that kind of trouble? If you're targeting specific buyers, you should be the one calling them."
"Not interested in making money, are you? Fine by me. I can always take this somewhere else. Drop the name Lee Jeongseok of Cheonok Logistics and those other CEOs will cancel every appointment they have and come running—but I guess you don't have the sense yet to know the difference."
"…… Wait right there."
The gangster made me stand by and dialed someone.
"Boss, it's me. Kid G just showed up wanting to sell something—"
He launched into a full explanation of the situation.
Then his face suddenly soured, and halfway through he started pouring cold sweat.
A loud voice came through the line—he was clearly getting chewed out—and all he could do was bow and scrape.
"Y-yes… Yes, Boss. Right. Ah, understood. Yes, Boss. Yes."
When the call ended, he dropped the high-handed attitude completely and treated me with an almost greasy eagerness.
"Uh, um… Kid G, sir? I had no idea—I committed a terrible offense… Would you please consider listing those items with us? We'll take full responsibility and put them up tonight as the highest-premium lots on the auction block…"
"Your attitude's a lot different from a minute ago."
"I-I'm so sorry, sir. I've only been doing this job a short while—I'm a total greenhorn who didn't know his place… C-could you forgive me just this once?"
"Five percent."
"Pardon?"
"Not ten percent commission. Five. Then I'll leave them with you."
"S-sir. If I set premium-lot commission at that rate, I'm finished. Even so, five percent is a bit…"
"Four percent."
"S-sir! Eight percent! How about that?"
"Three percent."
The gangster was now on the verge of tears.
"S-seven! Seven percent, sir! I'll do it for seven! If I go any lower than that, I'm getting concrete shoes and a one-way trip to the bottom of the Incheon harbor! Sir, please—just spare me this once!"
When he pressed his hands together and begged like a fly rubbing its legs, I finally accepted the deal.
"Deal."
"Th-thank you! Thank you, sir!"
"Send the tip-off right now to every logistics company in the country except Cheonok. Two prized possessions of Lee Jeongseok's wife are on the block."
"Yes, sir! And for payment after the sale—how would you like it handled?"
"Cash. I'll be watching the auction myself."
"Understood, sir!"
Even then, I could see him rolling his eyes, looking for some way to cover the loss. I dropped a quiet warning that was also a piece of advice.
"Oh, and one more thing—just a bit of motherly concern."
"Yes?"
"Don't try to make up the shortfall by dipping into a customer's money. The only reason you're sitting in that chair is because the last guy who worked here put his hands on the profits from something I sold."
It took the gangster a few seconds to grasp what I meant.
Then the color drained from his face, and he nodded with frantic energy.
Near midnight.
As opening time approached for the slum's secret auction house, cars ferrying VIPs began arriving from every direction.
Ordinary tycoons, second- and third-generation chaebol heirs, CEOs of famous companies, people in high office like National Assembly members—and every so often, even heroes with their identities concealed.
By day they wore masks of respectability and played the part of upstanding citizens. By night they came to a lawless slum like this to indulge their murkier appetites.
Personally, I found them repulsive—but the money they threw around was what kept the slum running, so simply driving them out wasn't that simple either.
Sitting masked inside the auction hall, I could hear the chatter of nearby guests with perfect clarity.
"Lee Jeongseok's wife's prized possessions, huh… Heh heh heh. I've got to get my hands on these and wave them right under that bastard's nose."
"President Jeong, I can't yield on this one either. I want to see the look on Lee Jeongseok's face when he loses his mind—with my own two eyes."
"Well, whoever bids the most takes them. But if you do get them, what are you planning to do with them?"
"Hmm. Maybe I'll dismantle the necklace and set a few of the pearls into my junk. Bet it'd feel like that bastard's wife was sucking me off."
"Wahahahaha! Gonna drop your pants and show him? Not a bad idea!"
Lee Jeongseok had clearly racked up a lot of grudges in a lot of places.
Though embedding pearls in your junk was an idea even I hadn't thought of.
One by one, the masked guests took their seats until the hall was full. Then a sharply dressed auctioneer stepped out, offered a polite greeting, and began the proceedings.
The earlier lots sold relatively quickly, and at last it was time for the items I had put up.
"And now—the lot you've all been waiting for! The very artwork that Kid G is said to have stolen from Cheonok Logistics CEO Lee Jeongseok!"
"Ohh…!"
"Finally!"
A stir ran through the seats as the stage curtain was drawn back and a spotlight fell on the large painting I had stolen.
"One of the two pieces the hot-topic rookie villain Kid G is said to have taken after breaking into CEO Lee Jeongseok's mansion! The only painting Lee Jeongseok's late wife ever painted herself while she was alive! It may be nothing more than an ordinary picture without so much as a title—but to those of you gathered here, that hardly matters, does it?"
The guests in the seats snickered.
"Rumor has it that ever since that day, CEO Lee Jeongseok has been searching like a madman for this painting and for Kid G! Imagine owning it and casually showing it to him—his expression would be a sight to behold! Without further delay, the bidding begins now!"
The moment the auctioneer announced the start, someone in the back shot to her feet.
Like everyone else, she wore a mask covering her eyes—a woman with a rather slender figure.
"Heh… I've been waiting for this exact moment! A painting like that is perfectly suited for me to claim as its rightful owner!"
Every gaze in the room swung toward her, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest.
That voice, though—why did it sound so familiar…
I turned my head for a closer look and caught the beauty mark by her mouth.
In that instant, the pieces clicked into place in my head.
Kim Sejin…?
It was unmistakably Kim Sejin—my fellow freshman at Seoul Hero Academy, the same girl I'd had lunch with earlier that day.
Standing, Kim Sejin pointed a finger at the artwork on the stage.
"The painting stolen by Kid G! That is something that truly befits me—the Black Friend of the darkness! I'm sorry, but I'll be the one buying that artwork!"
"Ohh! A bidder already! Then let the auction commence! Starting at one million won!"
Kim Sejin flashed a "heh" of a smile, held up all five fingers, and called out with absolute confidence.
"…Five million won!"
Then she scanned the room with a triumphant look that all but asked, Well? Impressed by that sum?
The gathered guests held a brief silence, and Kim Sejin wore a smile of victory.
And then, roughly three seconds later—
"…… Twenty million."
At another guest's counterbid, Kim Sejin froze with that smile still plastered on her face.