Inside Out (Part 2)
Even though Jeong Ilhwan is a man whose pride towers so high it could pierce the heavens, he's at least fully aware that his current situation isn't exactly friendly. If anything, he knows that with his finances squeezed so tight his chest was about to burst, giving up his pride would be the right call.
"Yo, but still—money between friends is a no-no, right? ...Unfortunately, I can't accept this."
So even in this wretched hell where he could walk out at any moment just by saying thank you, the honest young man who couldn't bear to be a burden shook his head with dignity. Rather than maintain their bond under the name of friend with contract conditions, he judged this was the right way.
Inside, he was weeping blood-tears, desperately trying to calmly state his refusal. But into the ear of that honest young man—
"Aigo, you stupid bastard. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to skin him alive, and you don't even see it?"
"...What? What are you talking about right now..."
"Do you think I'd make this kind of offer just to mess with your pride? I'll take my share separately, so don't worry."
It wasn't a loan offered out of pity for a friend. It was a snake's whisper—admit your inferiority to me—so they could all pig out together. That's what he meant by saying it only lasted until before that.
"I thought about it really hard after I got your proposal yesterday."
Kim Chomok's personal assets alone could've been enough for the kid to buy a house and wait until his finances stabilized. But—
"I've been watching you for years. If you won't take my money... then I'll make you pay it back with someone else's money, won't I?"
Pushing someone who's struggling right in front of you is the path of a lowlife. If you want to become a true GOSU, you have to be able to soar above common sense and slam the back of their skull at any moment.
"...Huh? Wait, whose money are you gonna steal? ...Explain it so I can understand, you crazy bastard!!"
Being good at studying is just about inputting information well into your brain—it has nothing to do with application. His friend was smart, studied hard, but apparently had never once taken a detour in life.
"Ugh, when you were talking about that fireman just now I thought what a smart rejection, but you don't know a damn thing."
Well, what can you do? A veteran senior who's shaken an entire nation with his bare hands has to educate the newbie.
Kim Chomok, holding his old tablet—the kind he'd been using every night to read novels and watch video platforms—said:
"Wherever you go, don't go spreading that you're on some kind of special ops force. Someone's gonna look at me and ask if I'm your commanding officer or something!"
To the young Jeong Ilhwan who'd come out into society after so long and shown such an innocent face—
"Ugh, where'd you pick up that weird stuff from again!"
And so the lecture titled "How to Steal Other People's Money While They're Not Looking — 101" began.
"First, you know that once ability users started appearing, companies have been desperately headhunting, right?"
"Yeah, I know that much. That's why everyone wants to get discharged—companies pay well."
"Right. At this point, the state has neither the authority nor the merit to hold ability users anymore."
Well, they could've forced them, but who wants to keep seeing more idiots like me pop up? If the state really wanted to exploit ability users forever, they could've pushed everyone into the military and managed them that way. But that brilliant plan got blown to pieces the moment the whole of Seoul was taken hostage in this once-in-a-millennium WWE spectacle. What choice did they have? They had to go begging to companies, packaging it as public-private cooperation.
"So here's the problem. After me, who was the most capable resource in the ability user squad?"
"Uh... the platoon leader, I guess? The way he pummels monsters' faces with his super strength is terrifying..."
Thwack!
"Ow—!!"
For a student who can't grasp the context of the question and only focuses on the given fingerprint, an appropriate punishment is needed.
"Where'd your eyeballs go, you crazy bastard!! It's freezing!!"
"What, does ice do 4x damage? You're definitely a fire-type soldier though..."
It's impressive that someone would voluntarily expose their own weakness, but—
"You idiot, you should pick from discharged soldiers who aren't career military—!!"
"...Then that'd be me, wouldn't it? The reconnaissance ratio and combat ratio both point to me..."
"Oh hell, this bastard's gonna be next year's biggest free agent... the future of this country is so dark."
The correct answer is a reality so shocking and hard to accept... but the Jeong Ilhwan in question has no house and no savings.
"If you really need to save yourself through your own efforts, the fastest way would be to go to a big corporation that literally buys people with money..."
But there's one stumbling block that even the recently discharged soldiers would find repulsive.
"Is it that bad? Seeing every single one of them go to a private military company PMC after discharge?"
No matter how versatile ability users are as premium human resources, the current situation is too busy fighting gates for anyone to care about that. The government has the power to shake companies during emergencies, but—
You want to slap golden dog collars on freshly discharged soldiers and drag them back to war? If you put pressure on companies with tax audits, they won't be able to invest in new personnel for technological advancement at all.
"Yeah, they commute and take days off like normal people, but it's just repeating the same shit infinitely."
They get paid well, but after leaving the military, they have to live like they're still in it. Would the guy who just barely escaped really want to go back into the endless cycle of fighting monsters?
"Sigh... I was just getting to the end of this once-in-a-lifetime crazy show, and I really don't wanna do something like that again."
The answer is No. Anyone with a normal thought process would obviously want to return to civilian life. In that process, it's reality that companies have to shower them with money to bend their will. But—
"You're lucky to have me. If it weren't for this, you'd be going into civil service to take out a loan. How depressing."
"...Fuck, thanks, Chomok."
For once, a genuine miracle happened where the military senior looked like he was on the same level as God.
"What, you and me are both in a position where we can't even stand the smell of rank anymore, so what's the big deal?"
Friends are, by nature, people who end up doing similar things. It's not easy to stop someone who desperately wants something other than guns and pepper spray.
Thanks to his desperate studying, Jeong Ilhwan—who became both a reserve professor and a full scholarship recipient—had been suffering from PTSD at the mere smell of gunpowder or anything being cooked.
"I'm so sick of getting up every day to see monster faces and then running away. This endless loop of life is over."
"Yeah, I've pretty much been holding on with that mindset the whole time."
Unlike the ambiguous relationships he maintained with other acquaintances and friends, when a comrade you fought and ate with side by side speaks sincerely, you can tell right away. The bleakness and frustration welling up from his chest—you've felt that emotion yourself, haven't you?
"So before we go on this operation, there's one thing I want to check."
"Hm?"
To his friend who was on the verge of real burnout from being burned and burned again, he'd at least throw him a bone.
"You don't hate your military specialty, do you? If you do, tell me now."
"If ability user numbers keep growing, demand in this field is gonna explode in the future. It's not bad."
Once the final stumbling block—and his dissatisfaction with transfers—was checked off, all that remained was execution.
"Good. Then trust me completely and move for once. You won't regret it."
"...Ah, I'm already anxious. Didn't the whole school get flipped upside down the last time I heard this in high school...?"
No matter how much he complained about feeling uneasy, Jeong Ilhwan—whose nose had stretched to meter-level proportions—reluctantly agreed.
"Yo, last time too you ended up punching that guy's school. When I say trust me, you do it, right?"
"Ugh... another high-ranking person's head is about to fly off again..."
A national-level protestor who could only feel satisfied when the picture he wanted was completed. The moment he started pouring his soul into building his friend's job portfolio.
Of course, what Jeong Ilhwan needed first and foremost was money. And not just any money—enough to buy a house where every family member could have their own room.
"What the hell! ...No, this is too much. I don't need this much. I'll give it back..."
Staring at the banking app with a dazed expression after suddenly receiving the loan, the young man seemed burdened by the amount—larger than the earnest money he'd imagined.
"Aigo, you frustrating person. This is investment capital deliberately set aside to create a buffer!"
From Kim Chomok's perspective, it was nothing but exasperating nonsense to prop up the kid's value.
"...Buffer? Investment capital? What are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand!"
"You have no money on hand? The amount he's trying to woo you with is just enough to drain your pockets—it won't help you pay off debt."
There's a difference between buying a young man who's desperately scrambling to get a job because his house is on the brink of collapse, and buying a young man whose house has no problems. The amounts themselves are different. If he can create a buffer with the money he's invested, why would he need to receive the leftover cash? He can just charge the person who eventually buys Jeong Ilhwan an extra fee later.
"No, I actually wanted to give you more, but I figured you'd hate that too, so I just gave you this much."
The young man, whose countless pains of being gripped tight had vanished in an instant, trembled as he spoke.
"Now use the money freely, and let's move in a way that makes people say, Huh? That kid was definitely a deadbeat just now?"
What Jeong Ilhwan needed right now was a modest amount of luxury—the kind young people always splurge on when they get money. No real returns expected, and if you don't know what he's spending it on, that's just peak comedy, isn't it?
"Hm... when you go back in this time, when's your next day off?"
"Uh... you get it the very next day? Three times total... but why are you asking?"
"Perfect. While you're inside, practice pretending to be drunk and then being sloppy. Come out ready."
Since the host of this operation is affiliated with the university, the fastest way to spread rumors is to gather female students. The semester's over, so there's no need to keep a clean brain for grades. And even if they show up hungover the next day, they won't miss any exams.
The department had hardly any opportunities for students to gather together, thanks to the student council being blown to pieces. And in that situation, a returning student shows up saying I'm treating everyone to celebrate my readmission!?
And that person is Jeong Ilhwan—someone who, at the very least, nobody hates.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!! Jeong Ilhwan! Jeong Ilhwan! He's the host—!!"
"Everyone, let's party! Finals are over, so starting next semester I'm treating everyone for my readmission—!!"
With free booze and snacks on offer after exams ended, a flood of people came pouring in.
"What's going on? Ilhwan senior was just suffering not long ago and he's still in the red..."
"Apparently some guy with money suddenly offered to buy the drinks..."
Naturally, his recent activity logs from constantly searching for temporary housing on SNS were still there. Some students thought huh, did he suddenly hit the jackpot? at the sudden change in position, but—
"Senior! Did something good happen? Did you get a job or something?"
"Hm hmm. I'm not here to tell you about that. Eat, drink, and have fun."
Some students weren't above throwing questions to try and detect specific information. And of course, the reason the students were quietly moved to ask such questions was the dean and the National Assembly member behind him.
"Hm, did that kid make a deal with someone...? He shouldn't have, but..."
"Looking at the earnest money that appeared, it seems like he's got something going... ugh, this is killing me."
The two of them, who couldn't hide their shock at the target who'd been reported as desperately needing cash just moments ago, now staring at each other.
"The delivery address for Jeong Ilhwan's university mail has changed to a villa with three rooms."
"He suddenly shows up wearing a watch and dressed in a decent brand? And he's suddenly drinking whiskey?"
Anyone can see this isn't the behavior of someone being squeezed by financial hardship. But there's something neither the information sources who spread the word nor the dean who used them knows.
"He supposedly rambled about 'patents' after getting drunk, and said things like I'm not scared of exhaust fumes at all?"
"Ah, I heard every word clearly."
"Ugh... did he really get some kind of upfront deposit from a major corporation? Mountains over mountains, ugh..."
Every single statement Jeong Ilhwan made while pretending to be drunk was, in fact, contaminated information Kim Chomok had devised. The dean, with his gloomy expression, had fallen for the nonsense. Perhaps because the possibility of his new business succeeding was dropping by the minute.
"Hm hmm, thanks. Make sure to tell the professors for next year's third-years too. I can't change what's ahead, but I can attach something else."
"Kehe, as expected... thank you. Then I'll see you next semester!"
The dean, who could've easily changed even the alphabet, showed a slightly weakened version of his power—
"Heh heh, I knew it. Your questioning intent was too obvious."
Sitting on a withered, twisted tree branch in front of the building where the dean's office was, two pairs of eyes watched the dean quietly parting ways with the students.
"Heh heh, those kids said all that stuff while pretending to be drunk, so I told them to go home."
"But he wasn't actually drunk, was he? The information that you and I don't get drunk easily... the normal people clearly can't handle that."
Under the premise that a fire-type ability user doesn't count as drinking when he hits 88 degrees, they'd successfully fooled the information channels who never got drunk even while sober.
Clang!
The two of them clinked the leftover brown drink bottle from last night together, making a clear sound.
"Alright, next we'll use your beloved miniature-size girlfriend until the day you report back to your unit. Let's wait for that."
"Ptooie—!!"
Jeong Ilhwan, who'd accidentally sprayed the precious liquor from both his nose and mouth, collapsed in silent agony.
Once they'd given the impression of having something going with a big corporation, the next step was to create competing buyers.
"No matter how much corporate secrecy there is, professors are collaborators, so they'll talk."
If you keep listening, you might eventually identify the affiliated company, like catching a mouse retreating. Now that some time has passed, they'll have to desperately scramble for the next batches.
"...So you came to visit a soldier on leave at this hour? You've really lost it..."
"Hey, if you don't want the checkpoint destroyed, follow my orders and take a photo with me. This is a command."
It was the moment Corporal Jeong Chorong's sanity shattered with a clean snap. That day, the insane guy just happened to be on duty.
He'd already screamed and claimed PTSD on his previous visit. The second time around—
"Do you really have to visit your friend, and that friend who's been stuck at the tail end of his military service? Just stay home!"
"Ah, you've been posting on SNS like you're some hotshot's daughter to try and spy on the other side! Help me out here!"
"You're fucking insane! You're supposed to be requesting cooperation, not spilling the beans!"
Upon hearing the purpose of this visit, Jeong Chorong was genuinely appalled.
"Ehehe, your future husband-to-be is inflating his value like crazy! You gotta— serve your man!"
FWOOOM!
"KYAAAAAAH! Are you out of your mind?! This person is—! Just dodge and take ONE hit—!"
"Aigo, your forward momentum is fine but if you keep flying around like that, nobody gets hit."
After screaming at the insane zero-privacy policy that made you question your ears, in order to overturn the pathetic corpse of the man who'd exposed his inner thoughts—
"Huff... huff...!! You... I'm gonna stab you right in the solar plexus one day! Wait...!!"
"Hahahaha, slowpoke! With that level, you won't survive the monster field."
Jeong Chorong, exhausted from punching vehicles and civilians, collapsed.
"When you're done, hurry up and take a photo with Ilhwan and have a meal together. I brought bossam and it's getting cold."
"I'll kill you... urgh...!! I'll kill you...!!"
Not long after, she lay on the ground gasping for breath, overwhelmed by the crushing gap in strength.
#bossam #notkidnapped #idontwant_to_be_corporal
The one photo uploaded by the cameraman with an impossible price tag—the one that had already been fully extracted—sent shockwaves through everyone.
"Something's happening. The companies can't even approach directly, so now they're going after the military... isn't that platoon leader's father a general?"
"Fuck, is this kid only doing good things?"
The school side, which had thought they just needed to kick out companies, was caught off guard.
"Ugh, if they'd come at us before the university offer, we could've kidnapped them for even more money!"
"A major player just appeared out of nowhere?! Is this for real?! This bastard's playing dirty with the game!"
The few companies that had been planning to interfere with someone else's auction also started scrambling to change their recruitment strategy. They'd been potential buyers who planned to invest a little and eat alone, but once the auction-style bidding started, you start thinking differently. But what could they do? The situation wasn't exactly favorable for looking away.
"Then... should we target Kim Chomok? Pay a bit more than for Jeong Ilhwan and get a bigger profit..."
CRASH—!! BEEP BEEP BEEP—!
"MY CAR!! The installment isn't even paid off yet!!"
Skipping the replacement altogether, the overwhelming number one delivered a mysterious object from the back mountain.
"Hm, should I recommend him for career military? That kind of talent going into society is a waste."
"Why don't you at least bring it up? You gotta spend money to make money."
"Good point?"
The second-most capable guy, having abandoned his post, made the other potential buyers raise their hands again to repurchase. He thought they'd just be talk, but it seemed like they were getting anxious about the talent slipping out of their hands. With the original ace having already completed his defection, the military went into a panic trying to snag the second ace, and—
"Surrender. I surrender... if you give me everything reasonable, please let me switch to a civilian job..."
"Aigo, you should've done that sooner. Shall we start with the contract deposit?"
Before long, the university side was forced to present a blank check that said everything except what we can't do.
"Condition one: I am, at all times, a research collaborator. Don't expect more or less."
"...Hnn... I understand. You want to minimize our school's stake if the research results come out well, right?"
Money was pushed back by companies, and the career path was pushed back by the military. What was left for the university? They had no choice but to give up the future profits they could hold onto.
"Dammit, but if the freshmen all flock to our school... we won't be at a loss, right?"
The dean, desperately trying to find some comfort, but the bitterness was unavoidable. But the world doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, does it?
"Condition two: Research results regarding 'Kim Chomok' will not be shared. If I leave, the remaining data will be destroyed."
"What? Wait—wait just a second. You're saying he provides data to you?!"
"Yes, but if Kim Chomok doesn't want it, it can be deleted..."
"That doesn't matter at all!! What matters more is that you two look like you belong to us!"
Whether they share the research results or not, this single clause guarantees the university a one-two punch with Kim Chomok as their ability user. Even if I eat less, if I can deprive others of their chance, it's more than enough.
"More than enough! As long as this condition exists, the rest doesn't matter! Do as you please!"
"Hm, you really shouldn't be happy this early."
As the dean's face began to flush, Jeong Ilhwan calmly stated the final condition.
"Condition three: All expenses, including accidents caused by Kim Chomok during experiments, are the school and foundation's responsibility."
"...What? No, wait—wait just a second!! What the hell is that?! You're gonna just... let that crazy bastard loose...?!"
BANG!!
The dean, unable to withstand the overflowing stress, collapsed grabbing his own collar—a toxic clause. Now this university had to fervently pray that Kim Chomok never causes any accidents.
"W-we can't sign this! We know what kind of trouble is coming...!!"
They hadn't signed yet, so they could technically try to void the contract now. But—
"Hm, a sad incident might occur where the school's front gate disappears in the middle of the night."
"......"
It's not like some random guy—it's Kim Chomok. There's no way he'd stand by and watch a contract that's advantageous to him get cancelled like that.
"Sign it quickly. And don't forget to massively support me every time I do experiments."
--Or else, I might get in a little bit of a bad mood. It might get as bad as the graduate school building.
The scheming mastermind, Kim Chomok, casually popped out his ominous remark while smiling.
"Please take good care of that crazy bastard's value from now on? I'll be counting on you."
The face of Jeong Ilhwan, who'd already extracted enough profit from the loan—less than a month in—and the dean's signature, which had been forced open with bleary eyes, went into the notarized contract.
"See? I told you he'd get skinned alive. This is barbeque-level clean."
"You're ruthless. If you didn't have that ability, you'd have gotten beaten to death in some back alley."
The two who'd gotten their fill, the military and corporations who hadn't taken these two troublemakers, and the joyous—
"Kruuuuuh... the moment this period ends, I'm gonna rip up that fucking document...!! Five years, just five years...!!"
"Dean, your term is almost over—what the hell are you doing? At least say thank you once..."
"I don't know that man! I just visited because it's my alma mater!"
On the carpet of gloomy despair, they began to dance in circles.
It was winter.