[Raccoon Man Beginning]
[Raccoon Man Beginning]
After running for about ten minutes and chatting about this and that, the topic of my taxi-hailing experience earlier came up.
"Come to think of it, the taxis just kept driving past when I tried to hail one earlier..."
"Ah, that's probably because of something that happened recently. Someone apparently picked up an Asian passenger, and there was a fuss over the tip. Because of that, they've been subtly avoiding Asian passengers lately."
"Well, yeah, tipping culture isn't really a thing in Asia."
Whether in Korea, Japan, or China, tipping is practically nonexistent. If you ask a Korean who's come to America what the most unfamiliar cultural aspects are, besides wearing shoes inside the house, tipping would definitely be on the list.
A tip is money given voluntarily when paying for a service, sort of like a 'thank you for the service.' But it's treated as an obligation here and is deeply rooted in American society.
"By the way, how long does it take from here to Columbia University?"
"Hmm, the roads are decent, but it's quite a distance. Probably an hour and a half to two hours."
It's farther than I thought. No, wait, considering the size of the U.S. and with Central Park in the middle, that says it all.
I wasted too much time getting on the ferry earlier. I'd like to get there as quickly as possible...
"Driver. If you make it in an hour and a half, I'll double the fare."
"........"
"If you make it in an hour, I'll double it again from that."
".......!"
I've always wanted to try this.
His eyes changed. Then he lowered his seatbelt, gripped the steering wheel again, and said,
"You should probably buckle up first, sir."
That day, I saw a runaway taxi in America.
Exactly 59 minutes. Exactly 59 minutes had passed since I made my proposal. The way he drove, using the fastest routes for a local, sometimes ignoring traffic lights—it reminded me of a taxi I'd seen in a movie somewhere.
"Here we are, Columbia University. Sir."
"Excellent."
I readily took out my wallet and paid the fare, which was four times the normal rate. I didn't take the change as a tip since it was already included. Besides, most of the money Shion exchanged are hundred-dollar bills, so getting change is a hassle anyway.
"Thank you. I'll pray you have a good tour."
"Do you believe in religion?"
"My grandfather's side are devout Christians."
Personally, I don't think very highly of the concept of gods.
What humans need to progress is ambition, not something to lean on. Praying all day, every day won't get a response from any god.
I don't intend to deny the existence of gods, but I want to deny their necessity. What's the point of a god who doesn't do anything even if you pray?
The afterlife? If you know about reincarnation, most modern religions would be completely overturned. Buddhism might survive, at least.
"Have a good day."
I kept it short, gave a greeting, and got out of the taxi. In front of me stood a large building with columns at the entrance that looked like a Greek temple.
Sure enough, a rich and famous university is different in every way. Back in Korea, the only famous university I knew was Seoul National University, but compared to these facilities, it's no contest.
University... Come to think of it, I haven't lived a life attending university for very long. I either received compulsory education and went straight into society, or after attending a few times, I decided university was just for deeper learning and not much different from high school, so I gave up on further education.
"Let's see, the address is... West 113th Street? It's a bit far from here."
It had the full details—building name, floor, unit number—but I figured I should go to that street first and then look.
Hmm... In America, the homeland of English, I remember taking English classes in elementary school. Something about green aliens, Zitron or whatever.
Anyway, it wasn't far from here. I walked to that street first and looked for the building listed in the address.
Unit 502, 5th floor of this building... Hmm.
"Doesn't seem like anyone's home."
Just in case, I knocked and extended my senses to check inside, but there was no one there at all.
If no one's home... maybe she's at school? We must have missed each other.
I headed back toward the university. I should have gone to the university first before coming here. Could she really be attending classes even with a Dimensional Rift predicted? Wow, maybe she's short on credits.
The campus was filled with young men and women. A few couples were visible, radiating youthful energy everywhere.
Just sitting on the grass here and people-watching would be fun.
Even as an outsider, no one tried to stop me. My face might look intimidating... I don't know if Americans don't care about that, or if there's another reason.
All I know is the address of Lee Kyung-jin's daughter's home and that her name is Lee Yoon. I don't even know which department she's in.
I decided to find the university's reception desk to locate her first.
"Excuse me. I'm looking for a student."
"Oh, you are? Forgive me, but what's your relationship with the student?"
A typical blonde white woman asked with a smile. Honestly, it's a necessary procedure, and since I have a rather fierce look, I should answer to build trust.
"I'm an acquaintance of that student's father. The situation is what it is. So I came to check if she's okay."
"I see. Then, the student's name is?"
"Lee Yoon. She's from Korea."
"North? South?"
"...South."
I heard some Americans still think Korea is at war.
...Well, honestly, I can't remember all the countries in Africa either. Korea is a small country on a global scale.
"Lee Yoon... Ah, here she is. She's a medical school graduate student."
"A graduate student?"
Wait, hold on. Why specifically a graduate student... Ah, is it a different graduate student?
In Korea, when we say graduate student, we usually mean someone pursuing a master's or doctorate, but for medical school, it's just a convenient term; the learning process is probably similar to undergraduate.
I was startled for a moment, thinking she was on the path to becoming a surgeon. That's what Cooper would say. S.T.A.Y.!!!
I went to the graduate school as directed. Wow, is it because it's an elite school? Everyone looks like they were top of their class back home.
Finding the building was easy. Places like this usually have clear signs. Once you know the location, it's quick.
Just as I was about to enter the building, my eyes met a woman standing nearby.
It wasn't because she seemed strange. She was a Force User, and a fairly high-level one at that. Comparing her to people around me... Hmm, somewhere above Baek-ri but below Ruri? Since Ruri is stronger than her age would suggest, she seems like a notable talent.
She was dressed in a suit, not looking like a student, and standing where she wouldn't draw much attention, seemingly trying to avoid notice, but her appearance completely undermined that effort.
With slightly brown hair and a somewhat petite frame, she was quite pretty, probably thanks to being a Force User, or maybe she was just born that way. Come to think of it, Baek-ri is quite handsome too.
But she can't compare to my wife. She's among the top-tier even among Transcendents.
I ignored her gaze fixed on me and entered the building. I could feel her following me in casually.
"I heard they hired a Force User as a bodyguard... Is that person?"
Becoming a Force User reduces gender differences but doesn't eliminate them. It's a basic hardware issue. Since men generally build muscle more easily than women, even with the same amount of Force enhancing their bodies, differences arise.
Well, since it's for his daughter, a female bodyguard is probably better than a male one. And she's skilled too.
It seemed like class was still in session, so I decided to wait. I bought a drink from a vending machine, sipped it while looking out at the campus scenery—quite picturesque.
As I spaced out, the bell rang. Students pouring out of classrooms looked no different from back home. They were rushing out before lunch for the 4th period, heading to the cafeteria—not much different. They're just people.
Since I didn't know which classroom she was in, I checked every face. There were barely over a hundred students total. With few East Asians, and even fewer women, it was easy to narrow down.
The range narrowed to about three people... but among them, only one girl resembled Lee Kyung-jin.
She doesn't look like her mom, more like her dad—which is probably better in this case. Many Force Users are good-looking, so if she takes after that side, it's natural for her daughter to be pretty.
She had a scholarly vibe with glasses—if you described her as 'molecular,' she'd probably charm people with a glasses fetish. I thought she looked a bit young, but since most Westerners around her undergo dramatic aging, she seemed relatively youthful.
"Are you Lee Yoon-ssi?"
"...Yes, I am. Who are you?"
Slip, I felt the bodyguard's presence from earlier at the entrance behind me. She seemed ready to act if something happened... but I'm not here to fight.
"I came from Korea. Your father was worried, so he asked me to check on you briefly."
"Dad did?"
She looked surprised, eyes wide open—quite cute. Now I understand why that man became a doting father. With a daughter this pretty, he'd worry about all sorts of things, wondering if some punk might bother her.
We decided to move and talk somewhere else. Since outside the building seemed better, I bought coffee from a 1st-floor café and went outside.
The bitter Americano seemed to ease the fatigue a little. I explained my original purpose to her.
"You saw the news, right? Because of that, your father was worried and asked me to look after you. I flew here yesterday."
"Oh, is that so? That's unexpected."
"What is?"
"That dad would worry about me."
Ah, the feeling of a father-daughter relationship with a terrible misunderstanding is palpable.
Well, that man. His personality doesn't seem very sociable. Besides, he lost his wife due to the Adverse Species and raised his child alone...
"I rarely saw dad's face when I was little. Even during sports days, it was usually his friends who came... I know he's busy, but we rarely even ate together."
"He's a busy man, so it can't be helped."
"More than family?"
I have no answer to that.
But having been a father and a mother myself, I know parental love better than anyone.
"You might think you've never been loved, but in reality, you're receiving thousands of times more love than you realize. Especially from a father, right? Men are usually too embarrassed to say 'I love you' often."
Men don't show it. Even if it's love.
"Still, you've played with your father a few times, right?"
"Ah... occasionally."
She seemed to reminisce a bit, with a nostalgic expression. There's no way a family relationship has zero memories.
"Just occasionally. On dad's days off, we always went out together. Whether it was dining out or going to an amusement park, we'd play our fill and come back."
"See? It is love. He's a Master User who has to be on standby daily. On his hard-earned rare day off, instead of resting at home, how many fathers would deliberately take their kid out to play?"
Hiding their hardship is their nature. No matter how tired they are, they want to do more for their family, saying they're fine.
No matter how immature a man is, once he has a family and children, he changes like that.
Domestic violence? Hey, those bastards aren't even human.
"Anyway, your dad sent me? That's unusual. He didn't say much when I went abroad for studies either."
"This must be a big deal. I'll probably stay here until the incident happens."
"You don't really need to worry. We're already prepared, so this place is actually the safest."
"Safe?"
A major Dimensional Rift forecast has already been issued for New York. Then it's natural to gather personnel to prepare for it.
"Besides, Manhattan's population density is high, so our school has a large bunker built underground. If anything happens, we can evacuate there and hold out until the situation ends, so it's actually safer."
"Still, wouldn't it be better to evacuate somewhere else?"
"How big is New York? What's the probability something happens right here?"
Thinking about it, the places I've been are Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan. New York seems like one city but is bigger than you'd think. It takes hours by subway, ferry, taxi.
Even if something happens, the probability of a Dimensional Rift occurring near here... the probability is low, but my gut says otherwise?
I felt uneasy.
"As I said earlier, I'll stay around here until the incident happens. If any problems arise, I'll come help. You stay in the school bunker. I'm hungry, so I'll go get something to eat. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, so I'm starving."
"You must be having a hard time. Ah, there's a great Mexican place nearby, should I tell you?"
"I'd be grateful."
Mexican! People who don't know might not realize, but Mexican food is delicious. Especially with spicy peppers!
How tasty are nachos dipped in guacamole... Of course, the country itself has poor security, but the food is good. England, the land of gentlemen, is the opposite—terrible food.
Since we met, I decided to eat first and then think. Anywhere with hotel-like accommodations around here... If not, I could just rough it in Central Park or something.
"Even Mt. Geumgang is less important after a meal. Should we eat?"
After parting with Lee Yoon-ssi and heading toward the Mexican restaurant she recommended, a creepy, unpleasant feeling like something burning crawled up my spine.
Huh? Now? Out of the blue like this?
I looked for the source of the ominous feeling. A few blocks away, at an intersection down the road. That was the epicenter.
Eeeeeek!!
And then the Dimensional Rift alarm started blaring. People fell into chaos, screaming and scrambling to evacuate.
[Please remain calm, everyone! There is still time before the Dimensional Rift fully manifests! Nearby residents, please evacuate to the underground bunker in the school! I repeat! Nearby residents, please...]
A broadcast came from the school direction. 20 years after the Great Depression. That's plenty of time to prepare. As Lee Yoon-ssi said earlier, the school's underground bunker is large enough to accommodate nearby residents.
People were initially confused but soon started moving calmly toward the school following police instructions. Gathering in the central building and heading down—they looked familiar, as if they'd trained for this often.
The population density here is no joke—despite other nearby bunkers, the number of people streaming into the school was enormous. The school's own students number over ten thousand, and the nearby residents seemed at least double that.
Thump thump thump—a sound came from afar. Several helicopters converged nearby, followed by tanks. Their swift formation and deployment were impressive, exactly what you'd expect from the country that spends the most on its military.
I expanded my senses to check other areas. Hmm... Two in Manhattan, one in Queens, one in Brooklyn, one in the Bronx. Having simultaneous Dimensional Rifts in so many places in one area is beyond common knowledge.
"Three minutes until Rift manifestation! Stay alert, don't let your guard down!"
I first put on the Raccoon Man mask. Slipping my hands and shoulders free, I decided to handle the closest Rift right in front of me first, then move to the one near Central Park.
"Hold them back until the Force Fusion Phenomenon completes! First, identify the type of appearing Adverse Species, then engage fully! And..."
"Lieutenant Colonel! The Rift is manifesting!"
"What? Damn it! There should be about a minute left!"
From what I saw, most preparations seemed done but not quite. The dimension distorted, scattering hexagonal, transparent fragments.
Then silence followed. Quietly, like before a storm.
I didn't have time to watch—I shot out. Landing right in front of the Rift, I stood with my back to the U.S. military.
"What? Was there another Force User coming to support?"
"Was there a Force User wearing a mask...?"
My reason for stepping forward was simple. I'd planned to watch the fight if possible and prevent damage toward the university, but if I didn't act now, this army would be annihilated in under a minute.
"Hey! You all, pull back and clear the area! A big one's coming!"
"What?"
Someone asked back, but there was no time to answer.
From the Rift, a massive dragon charged at me with terrifying momentum, jaws wide open.