Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Shouter's Misfortune
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Why am I getting vented on under the guise of training by that damn bastard? How unlucky can my life get?
I've had a sturdy build and a sharp look ever since I was a kid. They said I took after my father. He died in a Gate accident before I was even born, so I'd never seen him in person—only in photos—and to me, I didn't look much like him. My mother passed away not long after giving birth to me.
Luckily, I didn't end up in an orphanage. I lived with my uncle. He never forced anything on me, but seeing him work himself to death taking care of me made me want to live right.
"Hey, Nam Si-hwan, don't bail, you punk. I told you to come over."
Some classmates smoking and fooling around behind the school called me over to hang out. Because I was big, because I looked mean. It was just everyday stuff in this shithole neighborhood, shithole school.
At first, I'd dodge them, but eventually, these were the only kinds of guys left around me. Just for hanging with the delinquents a bit, the other kids in class avoided me.
In the end, I couldn't get close to anyone and was left alone.
If you're gonna have a face like this, at least be smart. Why'd I have to be such a dimwit? I sucked at studying too.
"Fuck."
All that came out was curses.
One day, I sat on the street watching people pass by. Dressed nice, laughing and having fun without a care for the future. Why couldn't I live that easy?
Right in the middle of feeling jealous and pissed at society, I awakened.
"Hell yeah! That's it!"
Poor and dumb, but finally, my chance at turning my life around had come. Yeah, now that's fair.
But then I checked my status window and wondered what the hell this was. Shouting? Like screaming in rock music? I like rock music and all, but what did that have to do with anything?
When I went to register as an Awakener, the government worker looked at me with pity. What was that about?
I figured it out when they tested my ability.
"Ugh... that's loud. Yeah. Take this."
I shouted, and the tester rubbed his ears and handed me the paper.
An Awakener with an F-Rank Skill. I could've gone to the Academy if I wanted, but after seeing the comments on the post I made online, I gave up.
[brbp4572: Shouting? Not even Lion's Roar? Good for hawking wares on the street, I guess. lol]
[StrongChu: Tsk tsk. There are always guys with trash skills trying to get into the Academy. When I awaken and make it there, I'll crush punks like you.]
[pljk2033: Passing F-Rank Hunter here. I scraped my way into the Academy, went through hell training, and became a Hunter anyway. You'll just end up a porter. A porter for life. Don't do it. No four insurances, no days off, no future. Just get a regular job.]
There were mockers, trolls, and even sincere advice, but not one person said, "You can do it! Give it a shot!"
'Fuck it, what's the point of even trying in my life? It'll fail anyway.'
Nothing had ever gone right for me. Why bother applying to the notoriously brutal Academy? I didn't.
I kept wasting my life doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. Looking for easy gigs, I landed a night shift at a convenience store.
"You're a student with a scary face, so no one's gonna steal from you. Hahaha."
That's what the owner said when he hired me. Fuck, does he say that to my face like it's normal?
The store owner liked that I was strong and good at stocking shelves, but that didn't mean he paid me more.
I didn't feel like trying hard. Why bother? Just do these jobs, slack off, and get by.
Then my uncle collapsed. He wasn't sturdy to begin with, and he overworked himself until he dropped. He raised me out of a sense of duty because I was his dead sister's kid. He could've ditched me and no one would've said shit, but he didn't.
Even when I went astray or wandered, he'd pat my shoulder and say it was okay. Now he was lying in a hospital bed. Cancer.
I held my uncle's hand as he slept in the bed. Had it always been this thin? His hand, gripped in my larger one post-awakening, was covered in scars.
I needed money. Hospital bills, rent, utilities, food, electricity... Fuck, the expenses were a mountain. Uncle had handled all this alone for nearly twenty years.
By day, I worked construction sites; by night, my old convenience store shift. Good thing I awakened—at least my stamina was above average.
But money was still short. Couldn't cover living expenses and hospital bills for two. And the surgery date was closing in.
"If you can't pay, we can't do the surgery."
The receptionist said it mechanically. Fuck. Don't you have family? What now? Drag uncle out? Let him die on the street?
Rage boiled up. I wanted to smash everything. I was mad at myself for never trying before. Mad at my parents for dying and leaving me. Mad at this shitty world.
I went home and smashed the few appliances and junk I had, screaming my head off.
Exhausted, I collapsed on the floor. Nothing had changed. No, I'd wrecked the house, so it was worse.
Uncle likes me. I have to save him.
I got up, dusted off, and went to the bank. Predictably, neither uncle nor I could borrow shit. Fuck.
I headed to the local loan shark's office to borrow from them.
Would borrowing here really solve things? Or just make it worse later?
"Fuck... what the hell am I supposed to do..."
About to give up and open the door, someone came out first. I'm big myself, but this guy was a head taller and built like a bear.
"Huh? A customer?"
Someone peeked out from the loan office.
"Nah, that's my little bro. Told him to wait downstairs, but he came up."
What the hell?
"No, I'm here to borrow mo—mmph!!"
Tried to say I was borrowing money, but the bear-like guy's hand covered not just my mouth but my whole face.
"Boss, then, call me if you need anything else."
He dragged me out by force. I put up a fight, but couldn't budge.
He only let go once we were on the street.
"Who the fuck are you?!"
"You're the one— what were you about to do in there?"
"Borrow from the loan shark, what else?"
"How old are you? Twenty yet?"
"Annoyed 'cause a kid's talking down to you?"
"Damn right I am, you little shit. But that's not why I asked. You know what happens if you borrow from those guys?"
"I need money now! What am I supposed to do?!"
"I'll lend it to you. Work under me and pay it back."
That was Yoon Hyeong-bin hyungnim. Couldn't leave a guy like me, who couldn't even fend for himself, go borrow from sharks and ruin his life.
We did background checks, tailing, missing persons at the detective agency. Sometimes took jobs intimidating people. We toed the line but never crossed it—definitely not making anyone happy.
"Hyungnim, is this stuff okay to do?"
"You dumb? Me too. Need money? Me too. But listen, guys like us can't expect to be happy while babysitting other people's lives. We gotta do whatever it takes, shortcuts or not."
Pay wasn't bad, but everyone had sob stories and tons of debt, so money was always tight. Still, we didn't starve, and it was kinda fun.
Working at the agency, I paid back the loan with surgeries, but uncle passed anyway.
The sparse funeral—only a few of uncle's construction buddies—got filled by the agency crew.
I cried my eyes out. Not for my sadness, but because uncle was pitiful. He shouldn't have gone like that. He deserved better. I held him back, gave him this worthless end.
Hyungnim and the others just kept watch until I finished crying.
The man was gone, but the debt remained. I'd pay it off working at the agency. No other place to go anyway.
Then a big job came in. Not our usual type, but the guy in a sharp suit driving a luxury car dropped a contract fee bigger than any we'd seen, casually.
Intimidate an F-Rank Hunter. We were all F-Rank Awakeners, so no big deal. Go to his family's workplace, scare 'em, tell him to quit being a Hunter. Easy.
Went to the restaurant where the hunter's mom worked, threw a tantrum like a rude customer. Felt natural, like it was in my blood. But when the diners pointed and whispered at me, I felt ashamed. Pissed.
What the hell was I doing? This lady hadn't done shit wrong.
I yelled louder, got angrier to cover it. Then grabbed a cup and smashed it on the floor without thinking. My rage took over.
A shard flew up high and sliced the lady's face—the one I was scaring.
Blood seeped out, and my mind went blank.
Came to my senses at the screams, spat out the client's line.
"Raise your kid right!"
Tossed some ten-thousand-won bills and bolted.
"We're fucked..."
Back at the office, Hyeong-bin hyung was clutching his head.
"Why?"
"We got played. Not F-Rank. C-Rank."
"What do we do, hyungnim?"
"Just lay low. They don't even know who we are. Drop it cold, stay flat. Don't go near that hunter or his mom."
Naive hope. That damn hunter had time on his hands and found us right away.
After that, we did whatever he said. He tracked us so fast, no thought of running. And why the hell did he pay us? Income got better than before. Bow the head now and then, earn more, less dirty work—no reason to run.
Until this fucking training started.
Ant scratches draw blood, acidic spit burns skin. Pour potion to heal, then shoved back into the ant swarm. Demon bastard.
Fuck. If I hadn't thrown that cup, this wouldn't be happening.
But me suffering sucks, my bros suffering because of me is worse.
Hyungnim and the others didn't complain once. That twisted the knife more.
Couldn't take it anymore.
* * *
"Lee Ji-seok Hunter-nim! I messed up, so torment just me and let the others go."
After rolling like dogs with the brothers for a couple hours, Nam Si-hwan seemed resolved, knelt before me, and declared it solemnly.
"Hyung, we can do it. Hunter-nim, we can handle it."
Jin-woo and Min-woo tried to hold Si-hwan back.
If you just saw the scene, you'd think they were filming a Hollywood war movie. Long way to go. Couldn't stand the three hugging and wailing, so I threw a line.
"Who's shooting melodrama here? Folks'd think I sent you to slay a dragon. What're you doing against ants? Give farm tools to civilians, and they'd do better than you punks."
The ones bawling in a huddle stopped crying and looked up at me with blank faces.