[What is life anyway, you just live as you live]
[What is life anyway, you just live as you live]
After those jerks from KFU Seoul Branch 67 passed by, I let out a sigh. I didn't want to pay taxes, and I didn't want to deal with two-faced people who rub their hands together asking for help while talking behind your back, so I had been keeping quiet, but it seems I got caught somewhere.
"I didn't expect them to track us down with that. I didn't anticipate it either, so I didn't even think about destroying the evidence. I'll take care of it now."
"Ah, please do."
Even if they didn't know about the Raccoon Man who already hit the news, the data from what I did at the Chuncheon Expressway rest area would be stored on CCTV or the branch computers of the guys who just visited. If Sion is here, electronic devices are basically helpless, so hacking is a breeze.
Three seconds later, Sion said, as if she were finished.
"I've deleted the data."
"Fast, huh?"
"Korea's firewall level is no different from a sheet of paper. America's is like foam board at best."
"Not much difference."
I handle the physical work, and Sion handles the brain work. That's how we divide it. I'm not exactly stupid, but compared to Sion, I'm a firefly in front of the sun. She's not even human to begin with, so how could I beat an alien who doesn't think with a brain? You'd need something like AlphaGo from a thousand years in the future to even stand a chance.
"It's going to be a bit noisy from now on."
"If it gets that bad, we can just leave for overseas. I have no attachment to Korea. I don't know if a chicken shop would work abroad, but I could start a different business."
Our family's wealth comes from Sion anyway, so I don't really need to work. Even if we just went on a nationwide tour and then traveled abroad, we'd never run out of money.
If they're going to make a fuss, why stay in Korea? Screw it all, I could just endure the inconvenience and leave for overseas, go to America or Russia. Russia treats naturalized citizens well, apparently.
"Still, they won't call unless it's something noisy nationwide. I have other things to do, too."
"Is there something other than the shop work?"
"I need to meet Baek-ri's father. And there's someone else I need to visit."
You should try to fulfill the last words left behind when someone is facing death. Of course, if the other person is trash, there's no need to, but the monster I met at the Yeongdeungpo department store last time wasn't like that by choice.
He was just wandering, searching for something he desperately wanted amidst the confusion. Only when he was about to die did he come to his senses and pass on his final wish to me.
"Hyundai Apartment Building 102, Unit 703. I'm not sure about the family relations, but the kid's name is Seong-hye. The father seems to be a Force User. Can you look into it for me?"
"Is it urgent?"
"You can take your time."
"Then I will investigate it. Let me know when you need it."
Slyly, Sion approached and leaned on me. Having lived as a married couple for a long time, I could tell what she wanted by now.
"What kind of play would be good today?"
"I've prepared a headband with dog ears and a tail."
"Cosplay play? Wait, wearing the tail part is on the butt.........."
No wonder it was delivered from Japan last time.
Preparing for the back? Aliens don't go to the bathroom. Seriously.
For someone running a business, a week goes by quickly. Especially if you spend it busy. In the past week, it felt like the number of customers had increased even more, to the point where we couldn't serve everyone who came if we didn't expand the shop.
But I have no intention of expanding the shop here. Shops that are doing well rarely continue to do well after remodeling or expansion. I'm confident, but I'm not running this business to make a lot of money anyway. If it comes to it, I can just quit.
"Come to think of it, Baek-ri. What happened with that Force User work?"
"Ah...... actually, I'm thinking of going into that. Government-employed Force Users or corporate Force Users make a lot of money. I have to work like that to help with my sister's tuition. And if I don't do it, taxes go up even more."
"So Force Users aren't even citizens? No, they are citizens, but are they just bigger pushovers? Who on earth made that tax on Force Users?"
I'm about to lose a perfectly good part-timer. From Baek-ri's father's perspective, both of his children are Force Users, so they have to pay more taxes. Firefighter work plus taxes. The reality is that only those who don't have anything are dying.
"But my father is against it. Hyung, can you persuade him when you meet him this time?"
"With what? To let you work at the KFU?"
"Yes."
"Forget it. You'll die in an instant. Especially a softie like you would get sliced up at the very beginning."
"But that pays better. It's a civil servant position, after all."
"You know that even if it's a job saving people, not everyone looks at it with a good eye, right? Your father is a firefighter, so he knows better than anyone."
"........Yes."
If you're a Master-class Force User, the story is different, but Force Users below that are targets for everyone. Why were you late, our house is destroyed, how will you compensate, save my family—there are many people who resent them, telling them to bring out the goods after being saved.
They need a place to pour out their resentment, but they've got the wrong target entirely.
That resentment twists and twists until it becomes hatred. Hatred without ethics and morality is nothing more than the babbling of a madman seeking his own gain and the manifestation of selfishness.
"Still, if you insist on doing it, I won't stop you, but let's have you meet with your father and me to talk about it first. That's okay, right?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Since Baek-ri told him everything, Baek-ri's father must know that I am the Raccoon Man. Given Baek-ri's personality, he must be a good-natured person, so there's no need to gag him.
Soon, the promised Saturday arrived. I dressed neatly and headed to the address Baek-ri gave me.
The place where Baek-ri and his family live was an ordinary apartment with nothing special. The exterior wall had been repainted, so it didn't look old on the outside, but once you went inside, the facilities felt a bit old. It looks like it was built nearly 20 years ago.
I pressed the doorbell and waited a moment. Then, hearing that the intercom was picked up, a voice came through.
[Who is it?]
"I'm Choi Ak, the owner of the chicken shop where Baek-ri works."
[Ah, I heard you were coming. Please come in.]
A middle-aged woman's voice. Probably Baek-ri's mother. As the door opened, Baek-ri's parents, who had aged gracefully, welcomed me.
"Hello. I'm Choi Ak."
"Ah, welcome. I'm Ha Jeong-uk. I heard our Baek-ri is indebted to you a lot."
Even though I'm younger in appearance, he offered a handshake without any sign of looking down on me. I lightly clasped his hand and greeted him.
Baek-ri didn't seem to be home, as it was quiet. The younger sister didn't seem to be there either, as there was no sign of her. Since she's a high school senior, she must have gone to an academy. Or maybe the library.
"Baek-ri's mom. I'll make the coffee, so why don't you go buy some late-night snacks for Ruri to eat later? She'll be hungry when she gets back."
"We have a guest, so I should serve you something other than coffee."
"No, it won't take that long, so I'll just take your heart."
Come to think of it, I had never heard Baek-ri's younger sister's name. Now I know, her name is Ha Ru-ri. What a unique name. Somehow, I feel a sense of déjà vu.
Going through reincarnations, meeting many people and encountering people with the same name is not rare. In fact, it happened quite often. The name Ruri was also the name of someone close to me in the past. Brings back memories.
Baek-ri's mother went out for a moment to shop, and only I and Baek-ri's father, Mr. Ha Jeong-uk, were left.
"First of all, I heard you saved me and Baek-ri at the accident scene back then. How should I thank you........"
"Please speak comfortably. You are older than me."
"Speaking formally to each other means there is mutual respect. I'm actually more comfortable with this."
I rarely tell people to speak informally, but if they are in the firefighter profession, they fall into that category. Even if I'm a reincarnator, I can't help my appearance age, so I do that, but to clueless geezers or trash without character, I speak informally regardless of age.
"I have one thing I want to ask. Was there, by any chance, a strange man at the scene back then?"
"He was there."
"What happened to him?"
To say "I killed him" outright is bad for the other person. I'm a strong person against trash like me, but I'm weak against people who are closer to being good. I treat strong guys stronger, and weak people weaker.
"I tried to deal with him and subdue him, but he started changing strangely in the middle and blew himself up."
"I, see......."
Guilt for not being able to save him is reflected in his eyes. The heart that couldn't reach out even to the person who caused the fire, the cause of his own injury, was a goodness that humans can possess.
I like people like this. I'm trash who doesn't feel guilty even if I kill people, but I still know what admiration and awe are.
"Even to me, he was a hopeless person. He had already lost his reason, so it's fortunate that he went that way."
"Yes, thank you for telling me."
Mr. Ha Jeong-uk bowed his head to thank me. I hope he doesn't keep it deep in his heart.
"Let's move on from that. I have something to talk about regarding Baek-ri."
"Ah, me too. I was actually hoping to get some advice on that."
The job of a firefighter has a meager income compared to the hard work. They don't even support you well, and the salary is meager, so there are few people who apply to do it.
On top of that, the youngest is a Force User, and she wants to live as a citizen, so that tax, and now that Baek-ri has awakened as a Force User, that problem is added.
If Baek-ri is left to live normally, taxes are the problem. Baek-ri is an adult now, so he can earn his own living. However, he should give up on the idea of getting a normal job at another company.
Force Users are walking weapons. They can crush a person's neck with their bare hands, so it's hard to get a job unless it's that kind of company. In the first place, those positions are competitive because there are many people.
If he wants to earn money, he can. In fact, in labor jobs, Force Users are welcomed. Even the weakest Force User can easily do the work of ten ordinary people.
However, in the long term, it's not a viable part. It's not an income or a stable job, so how long is he going to do it? He can't just live by doing cargo loading forever. And after getting married, he can't write his father's occupation as cargo loading on his child's family survey form.
"Saving people is a good thing, but it's also a hard job. Doing that is enough for me. Such work will be too much for Baek-ri or Ruri. Moreover, don't Force Users fight while risking their lives? As a parent, I don't want to make them do such dangerous work."
"I heard your daughter is also a high school senior this year. Thinking about next year's college tuition, you must be worried about money, right?"
"I know, and my wife knows too. We have to raise them even if we have to take out a loan."
This is the heart of a parent. How to raise their children a little better, no matter what. There are parents who go wrong, but these people are upright.
They say heaven helps those who help themselves, but that's all bullshit. If it were that kind of heaven, it would have struck down the rotten bastards with lightning long ago. Since the world doesn't help, I should help.
"Then how about this? I will take Baek-ri in as a full-time employee at my place. Well, it's a chicken shop, but I'll make sure to pay him a regular salary."
"Yes?"
"It won't just be a simple part-timer; he can learn our house's know-how. I need someone to watch the shop when I'm not there, but it's hard if they aren't a Force User. It's a job where he can earn money, it's stable, and he doesn't have to fight risking his life, so isn't that good?"
"Then Mr. Choi Ak is........"
"I'm a newlywed, you see. The shop building is my wife's building anyway, so it felt weird to be without a job, so I just opened a shop to kill time. It doesn't matter if I don't get much rent."
Money is important in life, but it's not the most important thing.
You know, there's that thing like "getting 1 billion won and becoming impotent." Of course, that doesn't mean sexual desire is more important.......... Ah, I'm not the one to talk, since I fuck Sion every day.
"If I leave the shop to Baek-ri, it would be nice to go on a honeymoon that I couldn't go on with my wife."
"........Why are you going this far to care for us?"
Honestly, kindness that is poured out is uncomfortable for the recipient too. Because they are afraid of what kind of ulterior motive there is. What kind of purpose is hidden.
I'm not without ulterior motives, to be honest. But that ulterior motive is purely the desire to keep someone like Baek-ri, who is rare to see these days, by my side.
Through several reincarnations, what I've realized for sure is that I can never be a good person forever. I'm trash, to the point where there hasn't been a reincarnation where I didn't get blood on my hands. That's why I admire good people, people like heroes.
Even if I've reached middle age, there's no way I can understand the answer I've realized by repeating my whole life several times. To use a metaphor, is it like longing for freedom while looking at the sun outside the bars in a prison? Ah, damn, this sounds like eighth-grader syndrome.
Even if I tell my heart honestly, they won't be convinced. Let's mix in a little lie.
"We haven't known each other long, but while working with Baek-ri, I learned that he is a sincere kid. It's probably thanks to your parenting policy. It's rare in this world to find a kid who is so kind that he's likely to be deceived by others. If it's a kid like that, I thought he could run the shop well when I'm not there. At least I have to acknowledge his effort and character."
It's an era where even elementary school students are getting mentally mature, calling each other 'school meal worms' and whatnot. Excessive information is ruining their minds. Before the 2000s, elementary students would dye one side of their hair yellow or wear necklaces like Magic Kid Masuri, but these days, kids go to PC bangs after school to play Overwatch or LoL. Then asking about their parents' well-being is a common occurrence.
The development of civilization must be accompanied by the mental maturity of the people of that era. Otherwise, it can be called a mess like Korea is now.
Later....... what if, like, 100 years from now? If the society then becomes a mess where the vast majority of wealth is exploited by a tiny number of corporations and the citizens lose their power and just degenerate into parts of the corporation, with really no freedom or anything, I don't know if I'll be alive until then, but I'm planning to give them a countdown.
For reference, like baseball, three strikes and you're out. I'll save what 'out' means for later.
"You are different from the young people these days."
"Because I'm young, I'm looking for my dreams."
Anyway, the reason I came here is roughly finished. I don't intend to eat dinner and go, so let's go back early. Sion is waiting at home.
"Then I will visit again sometime. Goodbye. Please give my regards to Baek-ri's mother."
"I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."
"No, it was worth coming."
What country's law says good people should be harmed? The moment that becomes taken for granted, society loses its reason for existence.
I just treated them like that.
The place I'm going to visit wasn't just Baek-ri's house, there was another place.
The thing I asked Sion to investigate before. That is, about the family of the arson monster at the Yeongdeungpo department store.
[According to the results based on that information, his name is Chae Jeong-hyeok. He was a User-class Force User belonging to the KFU.]
"Past tense?"
[According to the records, he is listed as a dead person.]
Suddenly, I remembered the last thing he said. 'I am alive.' As the connection was revealed up to that point, my intuition smelled rot. A very thick, rotten smell.
Birds of a feather flock together. Trash also recognizes trash. If I am trash with a twisted moral code who feels no guilt in killing people, then the other side is also a trash bastard with a twisted moral code somewhere, no, since there are several of them, they are trash bastards.
[It's the Hyundai Apartment on Saseong-ro 104-gil. It's faster to go to the Cheolsan 1-dong Community Service Center.]
"When did that person die?"
[End of last year.]
It hasn't been that long, as I thought. It's only been about half a year at most.
I know that the grades I divide Force Users into are Master, Expert, User, and Worker, these four, but I don't know exactly what criteria they are divided by. However, if the power that monster, Chae Jeong-hyeok, showed was only at the User level, then it's safe to say that the Master-class users in the world are at a level where they have one foot in the ranks of Transcendents who can even deal with countries alone.
That can't be right.
I don't know about places far away like America, but I have grasped the level of Force Users in China, Japan, and our country.
How did I do it without even meeting them? My ability isn't there to be boiled in soup. If you use the two together, wide-area exploration is possible thanks to the synergy.
[The person currently living in that house is Chae Jeong-hyeok's wife, Jin Seo-ae. And his daughter, Chae Seong-hye, just the two of them.]
"Any other family details? In-laws or relatives?"
[Neither. It says they lost them during the Great Depression 20 years ago.]
Same case as me...... no, looking at the age, it's more likely that they lost them after becoming an adult, not when they were young. Sometimes I forget that my current body age is in my 20s.
I am the one who killed Chae Jeong-hyeok. And I thought his last wish was worth fulfilling, so I listened to it. He didn't want to die by his own will either. It was as if he died by someone else's will.
He was a Force User, but the Raf Energy that Enemy Species possess was also dwelling in him. Since that can't be natural, it's highly likely to be artificial.
I don't know what kind of bastards did it, but I have to make them pay the price.
I pressed the doorbell at the place I arrived at according to the address and waited a moment. A soft voice came from the intercom.
[Who is it?]
"Uh, is this Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok's house by any chance?"
[It is my dad's name. Who are you?]
"Um....... I'm an acquaintance of your dad. Is your mother home by any chance?"
[Mom!]
Judging by the voice, she looks to be about 10 years old. Is she still at the lower grade level of elementary school?
Soon, the voice changed to an adult woman.
[Who is it?]
"Is this Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok's house? I'm an acquaintance of Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok. Do you have some time?"
[..........Please come in.]
An elementary school girl opened the door. I guess this child is Chae Seong-hye. This is the daughter Chae Jeong-hyeok cried out for until the end.
It's natural for the head of a household to think of his family when he dies. If that remains as lingering attachment, he can't go comfortably even after death.
She looks a bit young, so she looks younger than her age. If she has a 10-year-old child, she would be in her mid-30s even if she married early, but even if I guess she's in her early 40s, she's quite a beauty. It seems her husband earned money and fed her good things. Good family love.
"I'm Choi Ak. You are Jin Seo-ae, Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok's wife, right?"
"Yes, I am Jin Seo-ae. What did you come for?"
She was looking at me with suspicious eyes, with her hand behind her back holding a phone. Ah, I know my eyes are dirty and my impression is bad, but this is a bit much.
"I'm someone who saved my life thanks to Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok a long time ago. I tried to visit late, but I'm late. I'm sorry."
I only have a connection with Chae Jeong-hyeok because I met him at the Yeongdeungpo department store back then. But if I say that straight, I don't know what will happen. Instead of being trusted, she might report me to the police right away.
"About 5 years ago, when I was about to die at Boramae Park, I was indebted to your husband. Since then, my circumstances have improved, so I came to visit like this."
"........Yes?"
It's an awkward and hard-to-believe excuse, but this is the only thing I can do to find a connection. Actually, it's true that I was there during the incident at Boramae Park 5 years ago.
Although I evacuated early because I didn't want to get involved.
"I also heard the news of Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok's passing. It's not much, but here is some condolence money."
I took out a white envelope from my pocket and handed it over. It's money Sion gave me, saying there's no difference between throwing money and greasing wheels, so use it appropriately since no one hates money.
It's thin, but there's a big one inside. Ah, it's not 100 million won, but a 10 million won check.
"I can't accept this."
"You'll need a lot of money to raise a child, so please accept it. I've even heard Mr. Chae Jeong-hyeok bragging about his daughter while passing by."
After a few arguments, I finally gave it to her. No matter how much money you have, it's never enough to raise a child. Especially if it's a daughter, it costs more than a boy. Girls' goods are honestly more expensive.
I'm giving her this money to add to that, since it will be quite hard to send her to several academies later.
"Isn't it hard to raise a child?"
"It's okay. I'm used to it now. I'm a little worried about raising her as a single-parent family, though......"
"Later on, there will be many times when money will go into the child, like academies and college. If I may ask, how is your household situation?"
"It's okay. I received insurance money."
Insurance money?
Surely she can't have taken out general insurance. The world is better these days, so dental insurance is coming out, but government-employed Force Users don't know when they will die. Insurance for jobs with high mortality rates has high insurance premiums or many restrictions.
But I've never seen it advertised on TV. If it were that kind of insurance, they would have advertised it extensively to promote it.
"It's insurance that the child's father took out. It's similar to organ donation........ So we held the child's father's funeral with an empty coffin."
"Ah, is that so?"
I caught a clue. I kept the Force User insurance in mind and moved on appropriately.
"Still, you never know what will happen, so isn't it better to have more money? It's good to have a regular income, too. You don't have a job yet, right?"
"........Yes."
"I'm running a chicken shop, would you be interested in working?"
If I leave Baek-ri in the kitchen, I'll be short-handed. I could hire another part-timer, but I want to supplement the workforce with a better side if possible.
Labor costs will be deducted from the chicken shop's profits, but it's not actually that bad. In the first place, there's no rent, and two people are working, and one of them is me, so it was one person's labor cost. Even if I leave and it increases to two people, it doesn't matter.
"A chicken shop?"
"Yes, [Dak-cheo-jul-kka?] in Myeong-dong. It's a place that has become quite famous lately."
"Ah, that place......"
Knowing it, Jin Seo-ae nodded. It seems my place is more well-known than I thought.
"If you are interested, I will give you my contact information, so please call me."
My business here was finished, and I stood up from my seat.
"Goodbye, mister."
These days, elementary school students are called 'school meal worms' and whatnot, and their pure appearance has faded a lot, but it seems there are still children left like natural monuments. The way she bows politely is cute.
At the sight of her bowing her head, I took out a 50,000 won bill from my pocket and gave it to her as pocket money.
"Give this to your mom and ask her to buy you some snacks with it."
"Wow! Thank you!"
I hope I can have a daughter like this later too.