Target the Scorpion Syndrome #1
The school volunteer activity, Trash Pickup, had finally ended. Since I used to live in a literal junkyard not too long ago, picking up random junk off the ground didn't even qualify as labor in my book.
It was already 5 p.m. Time to head home. I couldn't stop worrying about Seo Gaeul, whom I'd left chained up in the basement next door since morning. I'd tied her up tight with chains and all, but what if she'd somehow broken free using that monstrous Awakened strength of hers?
To be honest, the anxiety was so bad I could barely focus on anything else. Maybe I should install a Home Cam or something. You know, like those single women who live alone and set up cameras inside their apartments because they're worried about the dogs they left behind while they're at work. If I put one in Seo Gaeul's basement and checked on her through my phone, it'd be a perfect real-time surveillance system.
Yeah, I'm a genius! The smartest middle-school dropout in the world!
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Tap-.
Someone suddenly patted my shoulder. I turned around to see Yu Yeoleum holding two cold drink cans, offering one to me.
Hisss-.
A refreshing carbonated drink after manual labor—. It reminded me of all the crazy things I'd done in the ruined world just to get my hands on a cola like this. I felt like I might cry.
No, I was already crying! Tears streamed down my face.
“...Is it so delicious it's making you cry? You're kind of weird. Were you that shocked that Seo Gaeul didn't come to school because she's sick? Or have you always been this strange?”
Yu Yeoleum scanned me with what looked like genuine concern. For a second, a chill ran down my spine.
I wasn't sure why Seo Gaeul's absence had been marked as sick leave instead of a disappearance, but there was no telling how long that excuse would hold up. Sooner or later, someone would launch a full missing-person investigation. If I started acting suspicious around then, I'd get caught for sure.
Fuck! It pissed me off. That meant I had to keep attending this ridiculous high school even longer. If I suddenly dropped out or started skipping classes right after Seo Gaeul vanished, it'd be way too suspicious. So at least on the surface, I had to maintain a perfectly normal daily life.
While I was thinking that, Yu Yeoleum crushed her empty can and tossed it into a nearby trash bin with a casual flick. Then she pointed toward a group of kids visible in the distance.
“Looks like your friends are waiting for you. I'll head out first.”
Tap-.
She bounded away as lightly as a feather and disappeared. In her place, Geum Taeseong, Choi Changsik, Baek Yeoul, and Oh Deoksoon came rushing over.
“Namjin, why haven't you checked your group chat? We're thinking of heading to Changsik's house today to come up with a strategy for tomorrow's group practical. What do you think? You're our team leader, after all.”
At Geum Taeseong's question, I tried to recall today's class. I vaguely remembered Captain saying something like, “There's another group practical tomorrow, so make sure you're prepared.”
“We're going to Changsik's house today?”
“Indeed! My friend! You simply must visit my humble abode!”
Of all days! I needed to get home and check if Seo Gaeul was okay, but today of all days Choi Changsik was inviting me over. I could refuse if I wanted, but the looks on everyone's faces told me the mood wasn't right for that.
“Let's go! Let's go!”
While it wasn't quite as rundown as my neighborhood, Choi Changsik's house was also located in a pretty dilapidated area. The main difference was that it actually smelled like people lived there. It had a cozy, warm neighborhood vibe. I especially liked how many cat moms' feeding bowls there were—and how many actual cats. The people in this neighborhood probably wouldn't go hungry in the future.
“This is my house.”
The Strongest Resource. To put it simply, Choi Changsik's house was a junkyard. Piles of scrap paper, glass bottles, and all sorts of discarded items were neatly organized across a fairly spacious yard. Everyone else was busy staring with their mouths wide open in awe.
“...It might feel a bit messy...”
Choi Changsik blushed as if embarrassed by his own home. He scratched the bridge of his nose while gauging everyone's reactions. Honestly, I was incredibly impressed.
“This is a total treasure mountain!”
To have gathered this many recyclable materials—and the quality was so good it almost felt wrong to call them scrap. It looked like I could put any of it to use right away.
“Changsik, did you collect all of this yourself?”
“No. Most of it was gathered by my father...”
“Your dad has an amazing eye for stuff.”
“R-really? That's the first time anyone's ever said that. Because... well, it's a junkyard. It's not exactly something you can brag about. Still...”
Glance-.
Choi Changsik looked at me.
“Seeing you, my friend, makes me think maybe I'm not so bad off after all. It gives me courage, you could say. Anyway, come on inside. It might be even more chaotic in there!”
Rattle-.
He slid open the door and we stepped inside. The fairly large house was packed with countless objects. Most of them were—.
“Bottle caps!”
More precisely, crown caps. Like the ones on beer bottles. They were stacked neatly like treasures, and I was so happy I thought foam might start bubbling out of my mouth. This many bottle caps? With this many, even in the ruined world I could've lived like a rich man! Even Jack Sparrow finding a chest of gold coins couldn't have been happier than I was right now!
“Changsik! What is all this?!”
“Collecting bottle caps is one of my father's hobbies. Every drawer in the house is full of them. Honestly, I used to hate my father for it. I hated those bottle caps.”
Glance-.
Choi Changsik picked up one of the bottle caps rolling around on the floor. Then he blew on it— and turned it into a coin-shaped chocolate of similar size.
“Because of this trash-filled house, I got made fun of more times than I can count. So I wished these bottle caps could be real money instead. If only they were something else—”
“So that's what triggered your Awakening?”
When Geum Taeseong, who had been examining the bottle caps, asked, Choi Changsik nodded. The boy who had desperately wished that the bottle caps filling his house could be something else had gained the Change concept and become a candy human capable of creating infinite sweets. And he could even turn bottle caps into chocolate! In terms of pure utility, he might be the second-most valuable Awakened right after Seo Gaeul!
“Changsik, let's stay friends forever. Even after you become successful, don't forget about me.”
“...Even if I wanted to forget you and those tiger-print panties, I don't think I could. Oh, right! We also have a mini car track! The mini car you gave me last time is here—”
“Changsik, do you have any CCTV or home cams?”
“If you're talking about cameras, I think there are a few in the camera section. Do you need one?”
“The cat moms keep scattering cat food in our yard when I'm not home. I'd like to monitor it. And while you're at it, give me a fly swatter to chase the cats away too.”
That was how the evening drew near. Choi Changsik and I boiled some ramen and chatted about all sorts of things. He seemed to have something he wanted to ask me.
“My friend, you possess two concepts, right?”
“That's right.”
“Honestly, acquiring even one concept is difficult. So I've been curious how you ended up with both Leap and Emotion. If it's not too personal, could you tell me?”
“Me?”
The Emotion one came from Seo Gaeul, so it was hard to explain. But Leap was simple enough.
It wasn't exactly something to brag about, though.
“About two years ago, there was a big fire at a large shopping mall, remember?”
“Are you talking about the N-Mart incident where that crazy Awakened arsonist set the place on fire?”
“Yeah. I was on the first floor of the N-Mart at the time, but my mom and dad were on the fourth floor. The burning flames had cut off both the elevator and the stairs, so there was no way to go up or down.”
That was the end of my explanation. Choi Changsik made a complicated face, his expression shifting through various emotions before finally settling into deep gloom. He placed a hand on my back.
“My friend, I am truly sorry about your parents. If I'd known it would make you tell such a story, I never would have asked.”
“It's fine. It's been a long time, so it doesn't bother me anymore. By the way, don't you think we should add more ssamjang and ketchup to the ramen?”
“No, even then... that's a bit...”
We enjoyed our dinner together. However, Baek Yeoul seemed dissatisfied about something.
“The ramen tastes like it's missing something today.”
See? It was missing the ssamjang and ketchup. In that kind of atmosphere, the late afternoon passed by. In the end, we spent the whole time chatting and didn't discuss any strategy for tomorrow's group assignment.
“Then I'll head out first since Deokhui and I are going the same way.”
“......”
Geum Taeseong left with the unusually quiet and reserved Oh Deoksoon. Watching them go, Baek Yeoul turned to me.
“Don't those two seem suspicious?”
“You're the most suspicious one here. How does someone's hair even turn pink?”
“I'm not joking! I think Deokhui likes Taeseong. Maybe we should cheer them on or help them out?”
Students around this age loved turning any interaction between boys and girls into a romantic relationship. Maybe it was because she'd dyed her hair pink, but Bread Butt's head seemed filled with nothing but pink-colored thoughts.
“Bread Butt, why don't you help me and Seo Gaeul out instead?”
“......”
Scowl-.
Baek Yeoul frowned. Looked like her Autumn allergy was going to last a while.
“I'm leaving too!”
Baek Yeoul, whose mood had soured dramatically, eventually disappeared around the corner. Now only I remained.
I waited until I couldn't sense anyone's presence anymore, then sprinted home at full speed. More precisely, I headed straight for the basement next door.
Clank. Creeeak-.
Click-.
I opened the basement door, stepped inside, and flipped on the bare light bulb. There was Seo Gaeul, lying quietly in the dark basement.
She hadn't run away! A wave of relief washed over me, followed by a strange thrill that filled my chest. It felt like I was the only person in the world secretly raising a Pokémon?
I don't know. This was the first time I'd ever felt this way, so it was hard to describe. Anyway, the simple fact that I'd come home and Seo Gaeul was still there excited me to no end.
“We really do look like a newlywed couple, don't we?”
“......”
Of course, Seo Gaeul didn't say a single word. She just glared at me with terrifying eyes.
“You didn't even drink any water?”
She hadn't even touched the water bottle I'd left for her. Her throat must have been incredibly dry. She was probably starving too. Awakened people had much higher metabolisms than normal humans and burned more than twice the calories, so going hungry was pure torture. And yet she hadn't taken a single sip. Just how stubborn was she?
This wasn't good. It was my duty to keep Seo Gaeul in perfect health. Before that, though, I should install the home cam I'd brought back from Choi Changsik's house—.
Rattle, clack.
As I was installing the camera on the ceiling, Seo Gaeul, who had stayed silent until now, suddenly shouted like an angry fox.
“If you install that, I'll bite my tongue and kill myself.”
“What?”
“If you install the camera, I'll die.”
It didn't sound like an empty threat. This girl was the type who would actually do it. If Seo Gaeul died, my malang-malang would vanish too. So, very reluctantly, I had no choice but to abandon the camera installation.
What a shame! Did this mean I'd have to live in constant anxiety wondering whether Seo Gaeul had escaped or not from now on?
“Is my body what you want?”
“What?”
“I've been thinking a lot today about why you locked me up. In the end, it's my body, right? That's what all you men are after. So why don't you just do whatever you want and then let me go?”
Seo Gaeul slightly pulled back the blanket I'd covered her with, revealing her pale skin. Even after being covered in dust all day, her thighs were like white jade. It felt good.
Finally, Seo Gaeul was willing to cooperate with me!
“Gaeul, then let's start with push-ups. For the first set, we'll go light with 100 reps—”
“...What? You can do whatever you want, I said! Isn't my body what you want?!”
“You're right. My goal is to train and strengthen your body. I know what incredible potential you have. That's why you can't treat your body like some cheap commodity.”
“...Ha? What? Cheap?”
I'd seen it in an old movie called Perfect Training. If you fell for a desperate woman's first seduction, it would lead straight to catastrophe. Even though I knew that, Seo Gaeul's temptation was so powerful that even the smartest and wisest middle-school dropout in the world nearly wavered for a moment.
In that sense, I picked up the fly swatter I'd brought from Choi Changsik's house.
“...What are you going to do with that?”
“Seo Gaeul, you need to value your body more. Every time you try to tempt me with such ridiculous offers, this is what will happen! Love's whip!”
I swung the fly swatter and smacked her white thigh!
Slap!
“Aaaack! You crazy bastard!”