The Third Customer
‘Did I go crazy…? What the hell did I do yesterday?’
Seonghun’s sister, Han Chaewon, had arrived at school earlier than usual, her cheeks flushed red. It was because the words she had blurted out to Seonghun yesterday kept flashing through her mind.
-I’ll protect you, oppa.
She buried her face in the desk, as if about to collapse.
Her face burned with embarrassment, and she desperately didn’t want anyone to notice.
Yesterday, she had suddenly shown up at Seonghun’s noodle shop.
-If you want to come, you can come anytime.
She had no idea why. It was like a sudden, fleeting feeling that vanished as quickly as it had appeared, reminiscent of a dream from last summer. She had been inexplicably drawn to it, left home, and headed straight there.
She hadn’t even told her closest friend, Chaewon.
And as if under some spell, she had asked Seonghun directly:
-Why don’t you become a hunter?
She knew he had noticed her hiding something, but she had spilled the secret anyway.
Seonghun’s reaction came back to her. He had said it casually, as if he already knew:
-Want me to keep it a secret from Chaewon?
The expression on his face had said, “Finally, you’ve come to tell me.” It had been quite a shock. This felt like he was handing over the perfect secret that no one else should know, only to her.
That meant:
‘Oppa believes me. That I won’t casually tell anyone about it.’
What else could that mean if not trust?
Sia was certain. And then:
‘So… is there a secret that only oppa and I know?’
…She let her thoughts spiral. The delusion chained itself to this realization.
‘Wait a second. The ones who exchange secrets… in this world, besides lovers, there are none.’
That was a bit forced, her rational side insisted. But the emotion hidden deep inside her knocked out the uppercut and brought it down.
-Mmm.
Sia lifted her head like a mackerel and hit it again.
-Thud!
A red mark appeared on her forehead.
‘This, this is shameless. So what?’
Yoo Sia.
Daughter of a chaebol family.
And a seventeen-year-old girl.
…What?
A girl in her prime.
And the age to enjoy romance novels filled with this kind of content.
-Took the woman of another man.
It was the most secret novel book, placed at the very top of her drawer.
**
“Ugh—!”
A loud cough erupted. She sniffled and looked around nervously. Was someone talking about her?
“Caught a cold?”
Seol Min-ah, sitting in front of her, asked.
Seol Min-ah, dressed in a sharp suit, had her legs crossed and was enjoying a cup of coffee while reading. Her gaze remained fixed on the book.
‘Hmm, we’ve actually gotten pretty close.’
Thanks to her past-life experience, their chemistry had clicked well. Regression didn’t change people, after all.
The reason she had spoken up yesterday and today was because of that. Seol Min-ah had always been straightforward to begin with.
“I don’t catch colds. That weak little bacterium? I kill it instantly.”
“Haha. What an interesting joke. Killing a cold.”
‘It’s not a joke.’
It was the truth. Her instant-death skill could kill even a cold.
“But why are you reading that book again? You said you’ve read it tens of times.”
And becoming close so quickly had been largely thanks to her past-life experience, but that book had helped too.
Adolf Psychology.
Seol Min-ah had been reading this book and chatting with her.
“You know this book is super famous, right?”
“Eh? Ah, yeah, I know.”
“Anyone with even a little interest in psychology—or even a little interest in the book—has to read this one at least once. But listen.”
Seol Min-ah tore her eyes from the book and gave her a sly grin.
“Very few people understand this ‘properly’. Why?”
“…Because it’s hard?”
Seol Min-ah shook her head.
“It wasn’t written for ordinary people to understand in the first place.”
“…Huh?”
“Adolf had dangerous ideas. And this book is a thesis that someone with those ideas wears a normal person’s mask and flips it on its head. Like a code, for example. I like this book because I like the arrogance of someone who says, ‘Only people like me can truly understand the value of this book!’”
‘What the hell kind of nonsense is this?’
Seol Min-ah had been spouting nonsense since earlier.
He had shown up at her shop early in the morning and had a few exchanges of words.
Mostly about the book.
She had been smart enough to read this boring book all the way to page one, but she had no way to answer his question after he finished it.
So she had just given some random reply.
After that, he had been greatly impressed, said he wanted to talk first, and had been glued to the book in the shop for hours.
“You know how psychopaths look more normal than normal people? Same thing. Abnormal people understand normality better than normal people do. So… if you really want to read this book, you have to read it exactly backwards. Save people, kill people. Don’t sell your conscience cheaply. Sell your conscience as expensively as possible. Like that.”
“What? Then you think I’m abnormal?”
Seol Min-ah stared at her.
She swallowed hard.
She had given a good answer earlier, but that was it. Since she hadn’t read the book properly, any detailed questions would expose everything.
At that tense moment, Seol Min-ah lifted the corner of her mouth. It was an unpleasant smile.
“That’s right. I’m abnormal. I have dangerous thoughts. And you’re the same—someone like me.”
“?”
“It’s not easy. Abnormal people seeing other abnormal people. You answered my question earlier. And that answer is the ‘correct answer’ that even I, who’s read this book tens of times, missed. So if I have to pick an impressive day from the last few years, I’d pick today.”
“Eh, eh…”
She had talked with him for three hours without lying and still hadn’t understood a single thing.
Seol Min-ah suddenly stood up, folded the book, and handed it to her.
“Sorry. I’m not the rude type who sits in front of people and only reads books… but your words earlier were so impressive that I needed time to think. If it hadn’t been for that, the ‘fool’ you mentioned earlier might have been me.”
“R-really?”
She wondered if she had said something that great and recalled the earlier conversation.
-If I have to pick the most impressive passage in this book, what would it be?
-Those, the universe-spanning and self-universe-spanning fools, since you probably won’t understand my words anyway, don’t pretend to know?
-Yes?
-No, honestly, this book. It feels like the author wrote it on purpose to be eaten, you know? It’s like he’s twisting what should be simple words.
-……
Instead of clumsily pretending to know, she had said it knowing that telling her true feelings would hit home with Seol Min-ah. In fact, she had already given up on trying to do anything with the book.
But the opposite result had come back, and Seol Min-ah now extended her right hand toward her.
“Let’s see each other often from now on. Seonghun.”
“…Sure, that’s fine.”
Really, it was good for her. Whether the process was good or not, if the result was good, it was a win!
She shook his hand.
…Let’s go with the final product!
**
AJ Group hotel suite.
35th floor.
“What information do we have on Han Seonghun?”
AJ executive Jeong Seok-hun lit a cigar and looked at Seol Min-ah.
“Even though you know, all three people who died to Han Seonghun had their heads blown up. No warning signs at all.”
“I know. That’s why we can’t just rush in.”
Seol Min-ah smiled faintly and crossed her legs.
“So by providing information, we can get revenge.”
“Is it accurate information?”
“It’s not 100% accurate. But it will be somewhat helpful.”
“Good. You’re not telling me with bare hands. What do you want?”
Seol Min-ah gave a faint smile.
“Just tell me when and how he will die. Because I want to see that guy die.”
“Is that all?”
Jeong Seok-hun narrowed his eyes at Seol Min-ah.
“Then what else is there?”
Seok-hun made a pondering expression for a long time, then nodded.
“Okay. Let’s do that. So, what kind of information is it?”
“It’s not that there are no warning signs.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means it was a trivial action that couldn’t be noticed. Looking into eyes or hearing something.”
“That makes sense. But isn’t that just simple speculation?”
Seol Min-ah shook her head.
“Don’t all hunters know that using their powers has activation conditions?”
“Han Seonghun might be an exception.”
‘Annoying.’
Min-ah felt surprised again.
Even this idiot had become an executive.
AJ’s future looked bright.
But it was rather fortunate.
It would be easier to use and discard.
“Yes. Assuming that. Then, if you have no activation condition for abilities like Han Seonghun, what would you do first?”
“Why not just tell me the information quickly?”
“Answer me.”
“…Hmm. Clear the dungeon to gain fame or conquer the world.”
“That’s right. That’s what most people think. But what about that guy?”
“He’s running a shop.”
“That’s right. Still don’t get it? It’s not something big that a person with such a fraudulent ability works at a noodle shop?”
Seok-hun nodded, thinking it had sufficient reason.
At that moment:
“Then the bastard has a weakness.”
A low voice came from somewhere.
It wasn’t what Seok-hun in front of her had said.
Seol Min-ah hid her surprised expression as much as possible.
If she showed weakness, her identity might be exposed.
‘Who is it?’
There was no one in this room except herself and Seok-hun.
It was when she had suspicions.
“I don’t need insurance either.”
Seok-hun put the cigar in the ashtray.
“So we’re not the only two.”
“Because something might happen. Introduce yourself. You won’t be seen.”
“Kim Gang-hyeon.”
As soon as Min-ah heard the three words, she got goosebumps.
An S-rank hunter only heard in rumors.
Kim Gang-hyeon.
He was a killer who killed hunters for a large sum of money.
‘AJ is going to hire Kim Gang-hyeon….’
Suddenly, the thought that this Han Seonghun guy might die came to mind.
According to rumors, all targets of Kim Gang-hyeon had died screaming.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Whether Han Seonghun died or not.
No matter what, it was beneficial to her.
She pretended to be calm and opened her mouth.
“…Reveal yourself. Isn’t that etiquette?”
“Okay, but everyone who has seen my appearance is dead. Is that okay?”
“……”
“Gang-hyeon. Stop joking. The target is Han Seonghun.”
“I know.”
“Good. Gang-hyeon, do you know? I don’t know what his activation condition is, but there must be something. So don’t reveal yourself as much as possible…”
Seok-hun said coldly.
“Kill him with one strike.”
**
I stretched lazily.
Looking at people laughing and chatting through the window after having a cup of coffee.
It felt a bit gloomy.
‘Just excluding that.’
The shadow on the sidewalk. Someone had been standing idly in front of the shop since earlier.
I thought it was a customer, but even after time passed, they hadn’t thought of coming inside.
‘It’s annoying.’
I thought they would go away, but it had been several tens of minutes.
Was it that?
Children who want to eat noodles but have no money.
It was the content of a video I had seen on YouTube recently.
It couldn’t be, but just in case.
It can’t be helped. I have to go see it once.
It’s curious.
Finally, I got up from the chair, opened the shop door wide, and stepped outside.
And looking at the right side of the door in the blind spot, I saw a familiar face.
“Sia?”
She with white skin and blue eyes.
Since she was shopping, there were several luxury shopping bags in her hands.
“Ah, oppa…”
“What are you doing here?”
“I have something to give to oppa.”
“Then come inside. Why were you standing there?”
“I needed to think.”
‘Think?’
I wanted to ask why she was doing it in front of our shop.
But asking one by one was overstepping.
I didn’t ask unnecessarily.
“…Really? What’s going on here?”
“This.”
She handed me the shopping bag she was holding.
“What is this?”
“There’s also the noodle price from yesterday. There are many things I’m grateful to oppa for. I wanted to repay.”
“Eii, you don’t have to give this.”
I roughly skimmed the contents. It was clothes.
Moreover, luxury…!
It was the perfect gift for me working in a suit.
‘As expected from Sia.’
She had great sense.
“It’s because my heart is uneasy. Please accept it. And the words I said yesterday…”
Sia said while slightly lowering her face.
“No.”
I recalled yesterday’s events.
‘I said I would protect you.’
It had been in a confession-like tone.
Was she embarrassed and had stood there for a long time?
If she’s a high school girl, she’s at an age with rich sensitivity.
It was possible enough.
“Okay, I’ll gratefully accept it. It came at a good time. I also have something I couldn’t give you yesterday.”
Suddenly, the thing to give her came to mind.
Absolute Shield.
A fraudulent artifact that blocks any skill once a day.
I couldn’t give it because Sia had suddenly left yesterday.
“What is it?”
“Wait a moment.”
I put the shopping bag in the shop and came outside again.
And then:
“Can I hold your hand for a moment?”
I looked at Sia’s hand.
“Hand?”
Sia extended her slender hand.
‘As expected, it returns to the owner.’
I gently put the Absolute Shield ring on her finger.
It fit perfectly as if the ring’s owner was originally Sia.
“Okay, done. What is this…”
When I was about to explain:
“Oppa… I, I have to go.”
Sia lowered her head deeply.
She ran somewhere.