Even a Bad Man Gives Praise

I skimmed the message and lifted my head.

All right. So what do I do now, and how?

I just had to send that man far away, like the monster from earlier.

The question was, where to?

"Mister."

"……Yeah."

His answer came late. Apparently he was still busy trying to wrap his head around the situation.

"Is there somewhere you want to go?"

The man thought for a moment, then said, "Busan."

"Way too far."

"Then Incheon."

"Still pretty far."

"……Anywhere works, as long as it's somewhere I can't see those bastards from here."

That much seemed easy enough.

But.

If I sent him off right now, what about my headpats?

Last time I'd just tossed someone anywhere, and if he ended up landing in some weird place, that would be a problem. Worse if he got hurt on the way.

"Hmm."

Did I really have to send him away?

Anywhere he couldn't see me. Then he can't see me. Invisible…

"Oh!"

I looked at the man standing right next to me.

"Mister, you just need to be invisible to those people, don't you?"

The unit commander shouted.

"Wait—!"

That was the exact moment.

Every agent's gaze swept right past the man at the same time.

"Where'd he go?"

"Spatial teleport?"

"Check for mana signatures!"

"Nothing, sir!"

I blinked.

The man was still standing right beside me.

"……I didn't go anywhere."

"Nope, you didn't."

Curious, I stared at him too, and the status window kindly explained.

"Ooh."

It worked exactly the way I wanted.

The investigators couldn't see the man at all.

"Kid!"

I turned my head.

This time, the unit commander was looking at me.

"Don't move from there."

Oh. Right.

I was still visible.

Seeing as I'd openly interfered with an investigation just moments ago, they clearly had no intention of letting me walk away with a warning.

One of the agents started toward me. I quietly shuffled backward.

Getting caught and having to explain this and that sounded exhausting.

"Can't I just be invisible too?"

The agent's steps stopped dead.

His eyes went wide. But his gaze slid straight past my face.

So now I really was invisible.

"The kid's gone!"

The agent yelled.

"What?"

"She was here just a second ago and then vanished!"

"Sweep the area! Pull every camera feed we've got!"

"……."

No, come on.

I pursed my lips.

"This is exactly the same as before."

Turning invisible wasn't the end of it.

Now they were trying to figure out where I'd disappeared to this time.

What if they followed the trail all the way to my house?

"This is so annoying."

A black window floated up before my eyes.

"Obviously."

What would make them stop bothering me?

I thought it over for a moment, then remembered what had happened earlier.

They'd been trying to get me out of here in the first place, hadn't they?

"Just make it so I already got evacuated earlier."

Static crackled from a radio.

The commander raised his.

"Found her?"

"The civilian already left the scene, sir."

"What?"

An agent beside the commander checked his terminal.

"The footage says so too."

I sidled up and peeked at the screen. Not like any of them could see me anymore anyway.

The screen showed the alley from a little while ago.

On it, the same agent who'd tried to grab my arm was holding my hand.

"……?"

He hadn't even managed to touch me earlier.

On the screen, I strolled out of the alley after him like it was nothing.

I looked back and forth between the screen and the agent standing right next to me.

Fun.

"Ah."

The agent went blank for a second, then suddenly nodded.

"I escorted her out earlier, sir."

"……Right, you did."

The commander frowned briefly, then accepted it.

He'd been screaming orders to find me only a minute ago, and now he was completely calm.

This time it had taken properly.

Would've been nice if it worked like this from the start.

Just then, another agent came running toward the spot where the man was standing.

"Uh-oh…."

I stared blankly.

Was he going to bump into him? That could get complicated.

And I still wanted my praise.

But.

Swish.

No collision.

He hadn't passed through the man's body either.

The agent simply took a natural half-step aside and kept going.

As if there'd always been an invisible pillar standing there.

His face said he had no idea why he'd dodged at all.

The more I watched, the more it felt like a dream.

The result comes first, and the reason gets invented afterward.

Contradictions patched themselves up on their own.

The commander clenched his teeth.

"Find Choi Minseok! Seal off the area! Re-verify the possibility of teleportation!"

The agents came pouring out of the alley in a rush. Not a single one of them looked at us, even as they brushed right past.

A moment later, only the man and I were left in the alley.

He stared at me in silence.

"……You."

"Yes?"

"What the hell are you?"

"Just a kid passing by."

He looked me up and down.

"Not the way you look, you're not."

"Really?"

"I don't know exactly what you are, but you're definitely not human."

"How can you tell?"

"Gut feeling."

"Good instincts."

The man snorted a laugh. Then he slumped down right where he stood.

The tension had finally drained out of him.

"Made it out alive."

He meant it.

I looked up at him with shining, hopeful eyes.

He spent a long while catching his breath, then looked at me.

"Thanks."

Ding.

"Honestly. I never thought I'd live to thank anyone for anything."

I stepped closer.

The man was much bigger than me. Even sitting down, our eyes were nearly level.

He gazed at me for a long time.

"And…"

His hand came up.

I didn't dodge.

That hand settled gently on top of my head.

Pat.

"Good job."

"Haaah."

It hit exactly 10.

The empty space inside me filled up all at once.

It was warm. I felt good. Without meaning to, my eyes drifted half shut.

His hand moved again.

Rub, rub.

It was rough. His palm was covered in calluses. Still felt nice, though.

"You did a goddamn great job."

He was getting into it now.

"Again! One more time!"

The man chuckled.

"That one was sincere, and you're still asking for more?"

"It feels good."

"You're a strange little thing, you know that?"

He kept stroking my head.

No affection came in this time. It was already full to the brim.

Didn't matter, though.

Completely apart from the fullness, I just felt happy.

I'd had no idea being praised, being paid attention to, getting headpats could feel this wonderful.

Maybe I should have become a succubus a lot sooner.

That was what I found myself thinking.

"Hey, mister."

"What."

"You said you killed two people earlier, remember?"

His hand stopped.

"Yeah."

"You're a really bad person."

"You're saying this now?"

"No, I was just confirming."

He looked at me like he couldn't make heads or tails of me.

"I told you earlier, didn't I? I didn't save you because you're good. Me getting full off of 'good' isn't a thing."

"……"

"You just had to be sincere with me. That's all it took."

The man shut his mouth.

"Is that weird?"

A long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment later, he murmured, "…No."

And then, in a slightly unsteady voice, he added, "It's scary."

"Why?"

"What exactly are you—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

His face said he had no idea what to even call me.

I waited.

"Never mind. Probably better I don't know."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

He rose slowly to his feet.

His broken arm made him wince.

I looked at it.

"Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?"

"Want it to stop hurting?"

The man went rigid. Then he answered very, very carefully.

"……Yeah."

I looked at the broken arm.

I hoped it would be fine.

That was all I thought.

The bone slid back into place. The blood vanished, the torn skin knit closed, and even the stains dried into his coat disappeared.

He slowly flexed his arm.

"……Insane."

"There you go."

"Is that a healing ability?"

I thought about it.

"Nope."

"Then what is it?"

"A freebie."

The man said nothing.

"You praised me well, after all."

The black window appeared before my eyes again.

So that was what that earlier one was.

I gave it a glance and let it go.

As long as the man was okay again, that was enough.

"You can go now."

The man didn't move.

"What is it?"

"……You don't want anything else from me?"

"Nope."

"Money?"

"Oh, I'll take money."

"Want me to give you some?"

I considered it for a moment.

"Do you actually want to give it?"

"Call it payment for saving my life, and it's cheap."

Sincere.

"Then give it."

The man laughed.

"Recite your account number."

"My… account number? Do I have one?"

"……What?"

"We'd have to check. Things keep changing on me."

The man dug through his pockets with an awkward look.

"All I've got is thirty grand in cash."

"Then give me that."

"You're seriously taking it?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I figured someone with powers like yours wouldn't need money."

I genuinely didn't understand.

"I like money, though."

"……Fair enough."

He pulled every last bill out of his wallet and handed it over. I took it and stuffed it into my pocket.

I felt even better.

Praise, and money too. Perfect.

"Well, see you around."

"Hold on."

I looked at the man.

He asked, "If I get hunted again, will you help me again?"

I didn't answer right away.

I thought about it for a second.

"If you sincerely want help again, then."

The corner of his mouth curled up.

"And?"

"After I help, you have to really mean it when you thank me."

"That's it?"

"Praise too, if you can manage it."

The man burst out laughing.

"You're out of your damn mind, kid."

"Why are you swearing at me?"

"It's a compliment."

No notification popped up.

"Liar."

"……No, it isn't?"

"It is."

"You're a picky one."

I turned away. After a few steps, I looked back over my shoulder.

"Oh, right. Mister."

"What."

"Don't try to use me."

The smile on the man's face stiffened, just a little.

I said, "Some other mister tried that earlier, and now he's gone."

"……Did you kill him?"

I thought for a moment.

"I don't know."

"What?"

"He just… stopped existing."

Whether that counted as dying, I didn't know either.

Death is when someone who existed stops existing.

That man had become someone who had never existed at all.

Could you call that dying?

I shrugged.

"So don't do it."

The man nodded, very slowly.

"Understood. I won't."

He meant it.

"Never."

That was sincere too.

Good.

Smiling, I started walking again.

Choi ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Minseok stood in place until the kid vanished from sight.

The Awakened Crime Investigative Unit that had been hunting him only minutes ago swept past right in front of him once more.

No one saw him.

That was the only reason he was alive.

First, he had to get out of here.

Choi Minseok took out his phone.

He just had to call for his car.

He'd had the number of his long-serving underling memorized for years.

He dialed.

"……?"

Had he pressed wrong?

He tried again.

Choi Minseok's hand froze.

He opened his contacts.

Empty.

The underling he'd called minutes ago. The men he'd run his organization with for years.

Not a single one was there.

"What the hell."

Only then did the kid's words from earlier surface in his mind.

You just need to be invisible to those people, don't you?

That was all she'd said.

……No way.

Choi Minseok hurriedly opened his photo gallery.

His finger stopped.

An amusement park. The beach. The living room at home.

Familiar places, all of them.

But the photos were wrong.

Only his wife was in them. Neither he nor his son was anywhere.

"……"

He swiped through more.

No matter how far he searched, there wasn't a single picture of his boy. As if he'd never been born in the first place.

A dreadful feeling crawled up the back of his neck.

Choi Minseok searched his own name on the internet.

The old articles about the cases he'd been tied to were still there — but the name Choi Minseok was nowhere inside them.

The organization he'd run still existed. Only its representative ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been replaced by a man he'd never seen in his life.

"……What is this."

His breathing grew ragged, little by little.

No.

There was still one number left.

With trembling fingers, Choi Minseok dialed.

It was the one number he couldn't afford to forget.

Riiing.

Riiing.

"Hello?"

A familiar voice.

The moment he heard it, Choi Minseok let out his breath.

"……Honey."

A brief silence.

"Who is this?"

"It's me."

"Who is this?"

"Choi Minseok. It's me."

No answer came.

"Honey. Come on, stop joking around. Where's Minjun? Is Minjun with you?"

"……Minjun?"

"Our son."

This time the silence stretched longer.

"Excuse me."

The voice had changed. Guarded now.

"I'm not married."

"What?"

"I don't have any children either."

Choi Minseok's mouth hung open.

"No, wait. You know me. The place we first met was—"

"How did you get my number?"

"What?"

"I don't know who you are, but if you call again I'm reporting you to the police."

"Honey, just wait—"

Click.

The call ended.

"……"

For a long while, Choi Minseok stood frozen with the phone pressed to his ear.

He couldn't even bring himself to dial again.

Only then did he understand.

It wasn't just the investigators who couldn't see him.

Every trace the man called Choi Minseok had left on this world was gone.

The wife who had never met him never married. And since the two of them never married, Minjun was never born.

And yet here he was.

"……Am I even alive?"

His fingertips trembled. He was breathing. His heart was beating.

And yet no proof that he had ever lived remained anywhere on earth.

A moment later, the phone screen went dark.

His own face reflected in the black glass.

And behind it, for just an instant, he caught the silhouette of a small girl.

Choi Minseok whipped around.

No one was there.

He looked back at the screen.

This time, a single line of text was floating there.

Choi Minseok dropped the phone.

His whole body was shaking.

The little girl who had been chatting and laughing with him mere minutes ago.

The one who'd stuck out her head demanding praise, beamed over the money she was handed, and fixed his shattered arm as a "freebie."

And one careless remark from that child had rewritten his entire life, top to bottom.

Good or evil didn't matter.

He couldn't even tell whether she was something those words could apply to.

All she wanted was a heartfelt compliment and a little attention.

For that one trivial wish, the world had reshaped itself in advance.

Before he knew it, Choi Minseok was staring in the direction the kid had disappeared.

He was terrified.

Part of him screamed to run.

And yet.

He wanted to know.

What on earth had he just met?

"What should I eat?"

I stood in front of the convenience store, deliberating.

My affection tank was full, but I wanted a hamburger.

So this is what they mean by a separate stomach for dessert.

The money in my pocket came to 300,000 won.

Back in the day, that was two or three days of hauling freight before I'd see that kind of cash.

Feeling great, I pushed the door open.

Chime.

"Welcome to—"

The clerk froze the moment he saw me.

I ignored his stare and headed for the hamburger display.

And the instant I reached out to grab one, the affection brimming inside me suddenly surged and churned, hard.

"Hnn?"

I didn't know what it was, but I grabbed the hamburger first.

Rustle.

A bulgogi double cheeseburger.

My all-time favorite burger, the one I always ate on my days off from hauling freight.

The moment I picked it up, a black status window bloomed into view.

Behind the black window, the walls of the convenience store briefly ceased to exist.

The display shelves, the clerk, the ceiling, the city, the earth itself.

Everything faded, as if on the verge of waking from a dream.

And in the very center of that black void, a single sentence appeared.

Burger in hand, I stared blankly at the words.

"Beyond?"

And in that instant.

Someone.

From outside the dream.

Was looking at me.