S Chapter 11

“If we find anything, it’s one hit per ten won.”

“Hey, inflation’s up. Let’s make it two hits.”

“My friend~ let’s keep it nice and easy.”

I am a sparrow, and this is a mill. Ha. Shin Jukyeong had to grit his teeth and suppress the rising symptoms of his ‘Justice Realization Addict’.

‘I want to discipline them.’

If he just had three minutes, he could capture all of them and turn them into modern-day slaves. They would be desperate to help grandmothers with their luggage, bite their tongues rather than jaywalk, and eagerly volunteer for community service.

‘I’m too busy, so I’ll put up with it.’

He clicked his tongue in regret and spoke.

“I have no money.”

As he tried to walk past them again, his shoulder was grabbed.

“This bastard. Hey, we’re veterans at this. We’ve never seen a single guy claim he had money doing this. But if you search them, it all comes out, everything.”

What a thing to be proud of. Make sure to list it on your resume later.

“Oh? Wait, I know him. You’re Shin Jukyeong, right? Top of the class.”

“He’s him? …What do girls see in this guy? He’s ugly.”

Even a squid is making judgments.

“His family’s super rich, though.”

“Ah, is that why he’s popular?”

They were snickering and making a racket among themselves. In the midst of it, cigarette smoke billowed up. Thanks to it, Shin Jukyeong was on the verge of going crazy. Saliva gathered in his mouth and he swallowed it with a gulp.

But Thug 1 seemed to have misinterpreted his reaction.

“We won’t hit you, bastard. Loosen up your expression.”

They must have thought Shin Jukyeong was scared and swallowing nervously.

“Just lend us some money, and we won’t touch you, okay?”

The thug struck Shin Jukyeong’s cheek with the back of his hand. After putting on a show of bravado, they burst into laughter among themselves. Judging by their reaction, they seemed to perceive Shin Jukyeong as an ‘easy target’. Sure enough, they slowly started with pathetic threats.

‘How ridiculous.’

Still, thinking back to his active duty days, these guys had manners. At least they warned him they’d hit him if he didn’t give them money. Back then, buildings would explode for no reason. A warning? They’d be gentlemen if they even made sure he had time for a meal.

And that wasn’t all. When they caught terrorists, they’d often get their hair pulled by angry civilians. Dozens of his colleagues suffered from alopecia areata. Looking back now, he wondered if they weren’t just the neighborhood punching bags.

“Do you think this is a joke?”

As Shin Jukyeong stood silently, lost in thought, Thug 1 pushed his shoulder hard. Shin Jukyeong thought that character education should also be made mandatory and pondered how to handle the situation.

He considered just subduing them appropriately, but then again, some of them knew who he was, which made it tricky. For now, he had to maintain his ‘ocean sunfish’ attitude to disappoint his father. Rumors about the guy who had been ailing from a failed Ability Manifestation beating up delinquents would be problematic.

‘Hmm, what should I do?’

At that moment, an idea flashed.

‘…What about a rumor that I got beaten up instead?’

Shin Jukyeong’s eyes widened as he stared at the Biker Gang family. It was a bizarre idea, but not a bad choice at all. After all, his father lived and died by his reputation.

Considering he didn’t give up even after Jukyeong’s failed Ability Manifestation, there would be no escaping by conventional methods. So, he had to use everything he could.

His father would be primarily enraged not by the fact that his son was bullied, but by the fact that he ‘came home beaten’. The secondary rage would come from his ‘own reputation being tarnished’. Ah, he could already hear it. Something about “a man” and “that kind of grit”…

‘A brilliant future is unfolding.’

Shin Jukyeong felt a surge of excitement. It was fortunate his father was such a wonderful, unfilial parent.

“Speaking of which, didn’t this guy fail his Ability Manifestation?”

“Damn it, Shin Jukyeong’s become a total pushover.”

‘Yes, I am a pushover.’

Shin Jukyeong remembered the ancestors’ saying that even dog poop can be used as medicine. They truly were wise people, he thought anew.

“This bastard’s laughing?”

He stared at Thug 1, who was approaching with a clenched fist.

“Ready?”

He answered silently to the sneer. Anytime.

He got beaten up.

‘…Damn it.’

Hair splayed in every direction and tissue stuffed up his nostrils. He was utterly wrecked. They say you’re different when you go into the bathroom than when you come out; was this it? He felt terrible.

He thought they were just kids, but the moment he took one hit, he realized his mistake. He was definitely ‘ㅋㅋㅋㅋ’ right before he got hit, but after being clobbered, he became ‘ㅋㅋ…?’. And before his bewilderment faded, he was subjected to a joyous beating by the Biker Gang family. They thrashed him so much, he wondered if this was the spirit of Korea.

‘No matter how I think about it, Father’s real sons are those anger management disorder bastards, not me.’

…No, that’s not right.

‘It’s me too.’

Why did he keep forgetting that his body was nineteen? That’s why it hurt. Damn it.

‘Biker Gang family, watch your backs at night.’

Shin Jukyeong, looking disheveled, glared down the alleyway, then abruptly turned his head.

‘But what did I forget… Ah!’

He had been so focused on ruining his reputation that he had forgotten about U-dam.

‘To forget the most important thing.’

It was unfair. His body had rejuvenated, but why was his memory still the same?

‘Home? Where did he go?’

Shin Jukyeong quickly activated his ability. His brother’s presence was felt towards the bustling downtown area.

‘Hmm?’

He was puzzled but decided to follow anyway.

Unlike school, it was a large area, so it took some time. So, in a hurry, he tracked his brother’s traces one by one… cafe, pool hall, coin karaoke, shopping center, then back to a cafe. It was a schedule that would make a celebrity cry. The last stop was a large arcade with flashing neon signs.

‘Is he the type who plays well alone? Did I really misunderstand him? If so, what about those scars? Just a simple fight?’

Shin Jukyeong tilted his head in confusion. Just then, the children moved en masse. He was about to follow, wondering if U-dam was among them, when.

‘Oh? That’s…!’

Something that immediately caught his eye appeared.

‘Rakun!’

His youngest brother Gong Eun’s favorite Kkuku was hanging there like a slab of meat in a butcher shop. And it was labeled ‘Limited Edition’.

Shin Jukyeong was entranced as he approached it. He could already picture Eun, softy smiling as he received the doll. At the same time, his combat power surged. Moreover, one game for a thousand won? Only a fool wouldn’t play this. Shin Jukyeong quickly pulled out a banknote. It was money he had protected from the Biker Gang family.

‘It was a good thing I didn’t give it to them. Wait for me, Eun.’

For someone who had experienced everything from ground battles to air battles, this much gambling was nothing.

…At least, that’s what he thought before he lost fifty thousand won.

Thump!

“Ah…”

Thump-thump!

“Ah… almost…!”

Swoosh!

“Ah, oh!”

Wham!

“Phew…”

Displaying flashy techniques, the 51st round began! -but he lost like a dog in 3 seconds!

‘Unbelievable. I missed that? This is a scam. I’ll sue immediately.’

He had never played a game before, so he expected to lose a few rounds. That was a natural result. He admitted that. But failing over 50 times was undoubtedly a machine defect. Why? There was a reason.

‘Because there’s no way I could be this bad.’

Yes. Shin Jukyeong was quite the self-assured type.

‘So this is how they provoke children’s pride to extort money? How laughable and childish.’

He folded his arms and glared at the machine. His gaze was so cold it was chilling. Shin Jukyeong didn’t know that most people would play one or two rounds and then move on to another game, not persevere as stubbornly as he did. Of course, it was also due to his personality that he saw things through to the end once he started.

Just then.

“That’s not how you do it.”

A listless voice was heard. Shin Jukyeong rolled his eyes, a displeased look on his face, and found the owner of the voice.

“…?”

“…?”

The four-heads-tall kid and Shin Jukyeong stared at each other. The kid, with innocent eyes, was munching on candy. Did this bean-sized thing just speak? It was just as he tilted his head in confusion.

“You’re really bad.”

“…!”

Shin Jukyeong was extremely flustered. Such humiliation was truly rare. A mere infant mammal who had barely figured out how to wash his hair, daring to say such a thing?

“You little bean flour, don’t you know to fear adults?”

“My brother doesn’t wear a school uniform. You’re wearing a school uniform?”

“What?”

“My brother goes to university and is super tall.”

“…?”

“He’s also good at studying, and strong. But you, big brother…”

The infant mammal who had scanned Shin Jukyeong curled his lips.

“Hah…!”

Shin Jukyeong made a visibly offended expression. He really didn’t want to do this, but it was just too pitiful for someone to live with such incorrect information, so he had to say something.

“I don’t want to crush a growing sprout, but listen carefully, little bean flour.”

Shin Jukyeong didn’t want to be childish either. It was just, well, anyway… it was like that.

“No matter how amazing your brother is, he wouldn’t even reach my toes. You see. In the distant future—”

“So what, refrigerator?”

“…?”

“So what, microwave?”

Calm down, Shin Jukyeong.

“You don’t understand, do ya~”

But why was he getting angry? Shin Jukyeong slowly opened his mouth, suppressing an inexplicable tremor.

“…Kid, if you’re looking for home appliances, they’re across the street—”

“Didn’t ask, TV.”

He didn’t know. From that point, he seemed to have lost his reason. When he came to his senses, he was whacking the kid on the head.