Geumho Station (10)

After selling a decent amount of the pork belly I'd bought through my exclusive skill, Shop User, to the people of Geumho Station, the skill-level-up messages and the notice that I'd earned 2,175 coins from the sales lit a bright smile ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠across my face.

Attribute Window.

"Hah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

The moment I called up the Attribute Window in my head and saw the coin total written there, a gasp of pure admiration slipped out before I could stop it.

An incarnation racking up this many coins in such a short time without a single sponsor? That has to be rare.

No — not rare. Aside from Kim Dokja, there probably wasn't anyone else.

I sat with the Attribute Window open for a while, killing time with my own thoughts, then cast a look around the interior of the Geumho Station platform.

I'd been at the pork-belly business long enough that the people who'd bought from me had already finished grilling and eating every last scrap. Just a few hours earlier, this place had been full of hollow-cheeked faces that hadn't eaten properly in days, the occasional growl of empty stomachs cutting through the quiet.

Was it the days of starvation? Or the fact that, in the first scenario, each of them had committed murder for the first time just to stay alive? I couldn't say for certain — but when I'd first set foot on this platform, every face had worn its discontent, anxiety, exhaustion, and despair right out in the open.

Right now, though, none of that was visible. The faces of people who'd gone wild over their first real meat in days, finally filling their empty stomachs, all carried small but unmistakable smiles.

"Ha. One good meal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and suddenly I'm getting all sentimental."

Everyone here could die at any moment, and here I was fretting over strangers like I had any right. What a ridiculous habit.

I brushed the dust off my pants, stood up, and walked over to my companions, who were chatting among themselves now that the meat was gone.

"Did everyone enjoy the meat?"

"Yes! It was the first real meat we've had in days — it was incredible. And it's all thanks to you, Jinwoo-ssi!"

"Haha, thanks to me? All I did was sell it to Sangah-ssi for coins."

"Not at all, Jinwoo-ssi. Without you, we never would have had a meal this plentiful after so many days."

"She's right. Without you, do you really think everyone on this platform — us included — would have gotten to eat meat?"

I'd only asked if dinner had been good, and suddenly Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, and Jung Heewon were all beaming at me with pure, sunny praise. I scratched my cheek, feeling awkward under the attention.

"Kim Dokja-ssi. And Park Jinwoo-ssi. Might we have a word?"

I'd been resting with the group, chatting while people who'd finished their meat returned the gas burners and grills I'd lent them, when a voice called for me and Kim Dokja from behind.

I turned naturally and found Bang Cheolsoo — still sporting the bullet hole in his leg courtesy of yours truly — standing there with Cheon Inho, the real power behind the Mainstream Group, and a handful of his people, all staring at me and Kim Dokja.

I glanced at them once, then looked over at Kim Dokja. She was already looking back at me. I shrugged, gesturing that she could handle it however she liked, and she nodded and rose from her seat.

"Fine. Let's talk."

At Kim Dokja's words, Cheon Inho smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

"Dokja-ssi and Jinwoo-ssi don't seem the type to enjoy drawn-out formalities, so I'll get straight to the point."

"Please do."

"I'd like the two of you to join our group."

Kim Dokja folded her arms and fixed Cheon Inho with a look that clearly said, And so what? The corner of Cheon Inho's eye twitched.

"With the caliber of Kim Dokja-ssi and Park Jinwoo-ssi, we can offer you high positions in our group. I'd like you to help lead it with us."

"Cheon Inho-ssi, I understand perfectly why you'd want Jinwoo-ssi in your group. But why are you making this offer to me?"

As she spoke, Kim Dokja flicked a glance at Bang Cheolsoo standing behind Cheon Inho, then at the people scattered across the platform, before turning the question back on him.

"Because of Park Jinwoo-ssi."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Told that the reason for inviting her into the group was Park Jinwoo, Kim Dokja tilted her head and stared at Cheon Inho.

"Because you're the only person who managed to stop Park Jinwoo-ssi when he looked ready to put a bullet through my skull."

When Cheon Inho finished, Kim Dokja stared at him blankly.

So he wants to bring me in as Park Jinwoo's inhibitor? That's it? Even if I haven't done much since arriving here, this kind of treatment is…!

"…Is that all?"

"Yes. That's all — is there a problem?"

The look in Cheon Inho's eyes — What other use could you possibly have? — made Kim Dokja's blood boil, but she kept it off her face as she answered.

"And if we refuse?"

"Hmm… Refuse. I didn't expect you to turn me down so immediately, without even a moment's consideration."

Kim Dokja's rejection was cold enough to be called absolute. Cheon Inho's expression stiffened for a beat, then smoothed over as he looked at her and continued with practiced ease.

"Is that so? If you ever change your mind, please feel free to find me anytime."

"That won't happen."

"Haha. You never know with people, do you?"

With that final exchange, Kim Dokja and Cheon Inho each walked back toward their own people.

"Jinwoo-ssi, could you open the 'room' for a moment?"

"Understood. Just a second."

"Dokja-ssi, a room? All of a sudden?"

"You'll see, Heewon-ssi."

Having finished with Cheon Inho, Kim Dokja came back to the group, looked at me, and asked me to open the room. I caught on immediately that she meant my My Room and nodded.

Jung Heewon, overhearing, asked Kim Dokja about the room, but Kim Dokja only said she'd understand once she saw it.

"Alright — opening it now."

I stepped up to a nearby pillar, announced I was opening it, and set my hand against the concrete. A single door appeared.

"Wh— huh? Why is there suddenly a door there?"

"Dokja-ssi, what on earth is that?"

The companions stared at the door that had slapped itself onto the pillar out of nowhere, eyes full of confusion. I just shrugged at their stares, opened the door, and walked inside.

"We should go in too."

"Is it really okay to just walk in…?"

"It's fine. Hurry up, Heewon-ssi."

"Hyunsung-ssi, Sangah-ssi, Gilyoung — let's all go in together."

Faced with Kim Dokja's active efforts to herd them through the doorway, the group exchanged plenty of doubtful looks — then opened the door the same way I had and stepped inside.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"Whoa—!"

"Huh… what kind of space is this?"

Lee Gilyoung, Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon, and Lee Hyunsung couldn't hold back their awe at the room that met their eyes.

What they saw was an ordinary studio apartment — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the kind you'd see everywhere before the world ended. But looking at a perfectly normal studio after the apocalypse made the whole thing feel strangely new.

"It's a studio I made with my skill. You've all gone hungry for days and taken turns standing watch — you've had it rough, right? In here, you can rest without a single worry."

"Whoa — last time it was only about ten pyeong. The space is bigger than before."

"We've got four more people now, so I just cleanly expanded it to twenty pyeong. That should be enough for six of us to lie down and sleep, right?"

"More than enough. Honestly, it almost feels like there's room to spare, Jinwoo-ssi."

Lee Gilyoung, Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon, and Lee Hyunsung didn't seem to hear a word I said — they just kept gasping and exploring the room. Only Kim Dokja, who'd already spent four full days in this space with me, looked at the expanded size, marveled, and actually carried on a conversation with me.

While talking with her, I suddenly wrinkled my nose at a musty smell filling the room and turned toward the source. Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, and Lee Gilyoung were standing right there — and I realized they were the cause.

Well, unlike Kim Dokja and me, they haven't been able to wash for four days. I guess that's only natural.

The platform had reeked too, but the open space had diluted it enough that it hadn't felt this bad. Packed into a room this small, though, the smell coming off their bodies stabbed straight up my nose.

"Uh… this is a little awkward to say, but you all… smell. And your clothes are filthy — you look like, well, beggars."

"Ugh…?!"

"Th-that's… true, but… you didn't have to say we look like beggars out loud…"

"Well, four days without a wash — it can't be helped…"

"It's not like there was anywhere to wash, either."

Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah flushed with shame, looking wounded by my words. Lee Hyunsung and Lee Gilyoung, on the other hand, just nodded with completely unbothered faces and answered in calm, matter-of-fact tones.

"There's a shower in the bathroom over there, so I'll give each of you toiletries and a bath towel. Inside the bathroom you'll find shampoo, conditioner, and body wash of every kind — use whatever you like. So go ahead and wash—"

"A shower?! We can take a shower right now?!"

"Is that true?! If you're lying, I won't let you off, Jinwoo-ssi—?!"

"Uh, y-yes… I'm not lying, so don't worry…"

At the mere mention of a working shower, Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon shoved their faces right into mine, staring at me with pure, feverish excitement. Completely cowed by the two women, I quietly handed over the toiletries and bath towels.

They practically snatched the items out of my hands and bolted into the bathroom together. Moments later, the sound of running water drifted out from inside.

"…Looks like Hyunsung-ssi and Gilyoung will have to go in later."

"Ahaha… They're both women, so four days without washing must have been really getting to them."

"I don't mind going second. It's fine."

I looked toward the bathroom with a hollow expression, then apologized to Lee Hyunsung and Lee Gilyoung in a sheepish tone. Both of them just said they didn't particularly care about going second.

"Jinwoo-ssi, where are the supplies we brought from the convenience store?"

"Ah — those are next to the bed over there."

I pointed at the bed. Kim Dokja looked at the bags of food she and I had gathered together, nodded, then turned back to me.

"Jinwoo-ssi, I'm going to sell those supplies to the people inside Geumho Station starting now. Is that alright with you?"

"I don't particularly mind. But fifty-fifty — you know that, right?"

"…Thank you. Then please rest here with everyone for a while."

When I casually said I didn't care if she sold all of it and then playfully reminded her not to forget my fifty percent cut with a grin, Kim Dokja smiled too, thanked me, gathered every bag beside the bed, opened the door, and left.

"Alright — let's rest a bit ourselves. Hyunsung-ssi, Gilyoung, just sit on the floor and take it easy until Sangah-ssi and Heewon-ssi come out."

"Understood. Thanks to you, Jinwoo-ssi, we're enjoying a luxury like this. I'm truly grateful."

"Thank you so much, Jinwoo hyung."

"Don't mention it. We're comrades now, aren't we? This is the least a comrade should do."

Lee Hyunsung and Lee Gilyoung looked at me with moved expressions, and the sight of them made me burst out laughing. The three of us traded conversation and rested until Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon finally came out of the bathroom.