Adaptation

The man checked the equipment screen once more. After flipping the gold coin over several additional times, he gave a slow nod.

"The purity is confirmed."

He set the gold coin down on the stainless steel table. Han Do-yun asked, "Then there should be no issue proceeding with refining right away?"

"Yes. The work itself will actually turn out very clean."

The man continued as he removed his gloves. "With such high purity, we won't even need to remove impurities. We can melt it down immediately and cast it into gold bar form."

Han Do-yun gave a small nod. "And the timeline?"

"It depends on the volume, but with what you brought today, we can finish within half a day."

A short while later, the man began explaining the estimate and schedule in simple terms. Refining fees. Analysis fees. Unit price for bar production. Certification processing costs. The quick, practical explanation typical of industry veterans continued.

Kang Ihyun listened in silence, then moved his hand with perfect naturalness to slide one gold coin across the table toward the company owner.

For a moment, the inspection room fell completely quiet. The man blinked. Kang Ihyun remained perfectly composed.

"After the costs are covered, it looks like there will be some left over. Just keep the rest."

"...Wait, hold on. This isn't just some left over, it's..."

The man stared at the gold coin with a flustered expression. Kang Ihyun spoke as if the reaction itself was strange. "Since I'll likely be receiving your help going forward, this much should be fine, shouldn't it?"

Han Do-yun quietly pressed a hand to his forehead beside him.

It wasn't about showing off money. It wasn't bravado. He genuinely saw it as no big deal.

The man turned to Han Do-yun with a troubled face. Han Do-yun let out a short sigh.

"...Go ahead and take it."

"...Director Han."

"In exchange, nothing you did today leaves this room."

The man hesitated for several seconds before finally nodding.

The refining work was completed right as the sun was nearly set. Stepping outside, the cold evening air rushed over them. A long streak of red sunset glow spread across the industrial complex, and in the distance the faint rumble of machinery still echoed.

A short while later, a dark green sedan slowly pulled out of the complex road. The interior remained quiet for some time. The radio ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was off. Only the low hum of the engine filled the space.

Kang Ihyun gazed at the night scenery beyond the window. Factory lights glowing red. Cargo trucks racing along the road. And the unfamiliar modern night landscape.

Han Do-yun glanced at him, then suddenly spoke.

"...Ihyun."

Kang Ihyun's eyes returned to him. He blinked, seemingly surprised for a moment. Han Do-yun gave a small chuckle.

"What?"

"...Nothing."

Kang Ihyun smiled faintly. "It's just... you suddenly switched to casual speech."

Han Do-yun turned the wheel and replied evenly, "Keeping up formal speech forever feels a bit off, doesn't it?"

At those words, Kang Ihyun found himself smiling as well. When he thought about it, the situation was rather strange. This was a man who had crossed life and death with Jeong Seok-woo. He was far older, and in terms of relationship he was practically an uncle. Treating him like a complete stranger had indeed felt awkward.

A brief silence fell. Then Han Do-yun spoke again.

"...Don't throw around large sums so casually from now on."

Kang Ihyun blinked. Han Do-yun kept his eyes on the road as he continued. "Like what you did earlier."

He let out a short sigh. "It seems you don't have a real sense yet of how much you actually possess."

Kang Ihyun thought for a moment before answering honestly. "...To be truthful, I don't really know."

"I figured as much."

Han Do-yun chuckled. "There are plenty of people in this world who change because of money."

The lights outside the window streaked past in long trails.

"Especially someone like you, whose guard around people is so low. That's even more dangerous."

Kang Ihyun quietly watched the scenery outside. Han Do-yun's voice remained calm. The tone was closer to concern than a lecture.

"The man today is fine. I've known him a long time."

"Yes."

"But you can't assume everyone you'll meet from now on will be the same."

A moment later, Han Do-yun gave a low laugh. "If the squad leader hears you got scammed because you don't know how the world works, he'll probably curse me out first."

Kang Ihyun finally let out a small burst of laughter. "...Is it that serious?"

"More than you think."

Han Do-yun spoke with complete seriousness. "You casually tossed the price of a car as a service fee earlier."

"...Ah."

Only then did Kang Ihyun's expression harden slightly. Seeing the reaction, Han Do-yun chuckled again.

"Starting to get the picture now?"

Kang Ihyun remained silent for a long moment before awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "...Over there, that amount really was nothing."

"Does gold just rot away over there or something?"

Han Do-yun spoke calmly. "Even if it did, this is Korea."

It was a short remark, but for some reason it carried an overwhelming sense of reality. Kang Ihyun smiled quietly.

"...Looks like adaptation is going to take a while."

Han Do-yun laughed along with him. "That's why for the time being you need to stick close to the adults."

A few days later. Breakfast had just ended.

The children were running around with their bags slung over their shoulders. Someone was on the verge of tears because they couldn't find a single sock, while in the kitchen the women bustled about organizing empty trays.

In the middle of that lively chaos, the door to the director's office burst open.

"Ihyun."

A low, gruff voice. Kang Ihyun, who had been leaning back on the sofa sipping freshly brewed coffee, lifted his head. It was Jeong Seok-woo.

"...Yes?"

He was holding a thick envelope. His expression was as blunt as ever, but the corners of his mouth were lifted in a faint smile.

Jeong Seok-woo silently waved the envelope.

"It's done."

A short statement. And Kang Ihyun wasn't dense enough to miss what that meant.

The hand holding the coffee cup paused briefly.

"...Really?"

"Yeah."

Jeong Seok-woo gave a small chuckle. "The missing person status has been completely cleared."

He dropped the envelope onto the director's office desk with a soft thud. It had already been opened; apparently he'd torn into it the moment he saw the sender and checked the contents before coming here.

The reissued identification was inside the envelope as well.

"Resident registration has been restored, and identity checks are all coming back normal."

He paused for a moment.

"It means you no longer have to live like some unidentified person."

Kang Ihyun remained speechless for a long while, simply staring down at his resident registration certificate in silence.

Twelve years. The name that had been erased from the world during that time. A person who had been alive but did not exist socially. Yet now that name had finally returned to the modern system.

Jeong Seok-woo cleared his throat awkwardly.

"...What are you staring at so blankly?"

Kang Ihyun smiled belatedly. "...It's nothing."

Then he added very softly, "...Thank you."

Jeong Seok-woo waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't do anything."

But Kang Ihyun knew. Twelve years ago, the one who had put up missing person flyers and run to the police station, the one who had never given up even after that, had been Jeong Seok-woo.

Jeong Seok-woo avoided his gaze and spoke gruffly. "Anyway, you've got a lot to do today."

"...Pardon?"

"Go to the bank and open an account and get a passbook."

He folded one finger.

"Get a cell phone too."

He added bluntly, "I'm busy, so Han Do-yun will take you around to handle everything today."

The moment he heard those words, Kang Ihyun let out a helpless chuckle.

"...Why are there so many things to do?"

Jeong Seok-woo declared firmly, "Modern society is full of annoying tasks by nature."

In front of the orphanage, a dark green sedan sat quietly beside the alley.

Han Do-yun, leaning against the vehicle, chuckled the moment he saw the two men.

"You've finally become a proper member of society."

Kang Ihyun burst into laughter. "...Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"It's not wrong, though."

Han Do-yun opened the car door naturally. "Get in. We've got a lot to do today."

The sedan slowly pulled out of the alley. Inside the car, Han Do-yun kept his hands ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the wheel and asked, "Now that I think about it, you'll need to get a driver's license too, right?"

Kang Ihyun answered without taking his eyes off the window. "...I know how to ride a horse."

Han Do-yun was momentarily speechless before letting out a dumbfounded laugh.

The first stop was the mobile carrier store. Bright lights visible through the glass doors. Smartphones displayed across every wall. Employees frantically attending to customers.

Kang Ihyun looked around the store and offered a completely honest impression. "...It looks exactly like a magic tool shop."

An employee approached immediately. "Welcome. What can we help you with today?"

Han Do-yun pointed at Kang Ihyun and answered smoothly, "We're here to open a new line for my friend."

The employee picked up a tablet and guided them to seats. Kang Ihyun watched the entire process with a subtle expression.

The employee smiled kindly. "I'll start with ID verification."

After the documents were checked, the employee naturally placed several latest-model smartphones on the table.

"I can recommend options based on your intended use—"

After a lengthy explanation, they ultimately settled on the most standard plan.

During the activation process, Kang Ihyun had stared at the smartphone in open wonder. The moment they returned to the car, Han Do-yun finally burst out laughing. Kang Ihyun protested, sounding wronged.

"...Before I disappeared, most phones were still flip phones."

Han Do-yun's laughter faded into an understanding nod. When he thought about it, that made sense. Smartphones had only just begun spreading around the time Kang Ihyun vanished. And the society he had returned to now featured devices capable of highly advanced functions. He had seen Jeong Seok-woo and Han Do-yun use them, but choosing one for himself was different. His amazement was perfectly understandable.

Once his laughter subsided, Han Do-yun turned the wheel and began explaining everything that could be done with the smartphone now in Kang Ihyun's hand. With each new explanation, Kang Ihyun's expression grew more and more peculiar, until the description of the app store left him completely dazed.

"...At this point, isn't it just something else that happens to have phone functions attached?"

The scene inside the bank was unfamiliar, yet not entirely new. Banks had existed before Kang Ihyun disappeared, and he had handled banking matters before. However, the atmosphere itself was completely different from what he remembered.

Most people were staring at their phone screens more than the numbers displayed above the counters. Employees handled tablets and monitors far more often than paper. It was the same location, yet it felt as though an entire generation had been replaced.

"Here."

Han Do-yun naturally pulled a number ticket and handed it to him.

The two sat side by side in the waiting area. After quite a wait, their number finally appeared on the electronic board. Han Do-yun jerked his chin.

"Like I told you earlier, I'd help if I could, but bank procedures have to be handled in person."

Kang Ihyun nodded and slowly rose from his seat.

When he sat down at the counter, the employee greeted him with a practiced smile.

"Hello. How may I assist you today?"

Kang Ihyun took a steadying breath. He felt a little nervous, but it was manageable. After all, he had conducted diplomacy among royalty and nobility, negotiated supplies during wartime, and engaged in countless life-or-death conversations. Banking at a counter was hardly new to him.

"...I'd like to open a deposit account and apply for a check card."

The employee immediately took his ID and began verification. Despite his age of thirty, his completely blank financial history caused the employee's expression to flicker for the briefest moment. Soon enough, finding no particular issues, the employee continued.

"...I'll assist you with the process."

Document preparation began. Address. Contact information. Purpose of use. Electronic signature. Kang Ihyun listened to the explanations and calmly completed each step.

However, from the middle onward, familiar and unfamiliar elements began to mix.

"Would you like to register for mobile banking as well?"

"...Ah, yes."

"Then I'll start by installing the app."

The employee continued naturally. "Most customers these days handle transfers and payments through their phones, so registering together is more convenient."

Kang Ihyun nodded and handed over his smartphone. The moment the employee received it, their eyelids twitched. The pristine initial screen of a brand-new device. Almost no apps installed. Even the wallpaper was still the default factory setting.

The employee cleared their throat awkwardly. "...Did you just activate this phone?"

"Yes. I got it for the first time today."

"...I see."

Upon hearing that a thirty-year-old was opening his first phone line, the employee's face took on the expression of someone beholding a natural monument. Nevertheless, without the slightest hint of annoyance, the employee continued smiling calmly and walked him through every necessary step: app installation, identity verification, biometric registration, simple authentication setup, and more.

Kang Ihyun grasped the explanations quickly. The real issue, separate from comprehension, was how shocking the overall direction of this technological development felt.

"...Just a moment."

He finally spoke up midway.

"Yes?"

"...You can make payments without a card using just the phone?"

"Yes, that's possible."

"...And handle banking tasks?"

"Yes."

"...Even identity verification?"

The employee nodded with a smile. "Mobile IDs are quite common these days."

Kang Ihyun stared down at the smartphone screen for a moment. He had roughly heard from Han Do-yun on the way what this device could do, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he hadn't realized the extent of its capabilities.

The realization that a single phone could handle finance, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠identity, payments, and even various administrative functions felt profoundly strange. Perhaps his thoughts showed on his face, because the corners of the employee's mouth twitched.

The employee barely suppressed a laugh and said, "...You react exactly like some of our older customers."

Kang Ihyun felt oddly embarrassed.

Soon all the procedures were complete. A new passbook and check card were placed on the table.

The employee added one final note. "The check card will be activated for use by the end of today. Mobile banking is ready to use immediately as well."

Kang Ihyun picked up the card. From across the room, his eyes met Han Do-yun's. Arms folded, Han Do-yun smiled and mouthed silently.

Kang Ihyun smiled without even realizing it.