S Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“This rascal, this rascal!”

This kid is amazing. It was my first time getting caught up in a psychological battle. To break my composure with just a few words. It’s something no criminal has ever managed to do.

“Waaah! I’m gonna tell my big brother everything!”

“I’M the big brother!”

After bickering with the little mammal for a while, I suddenly wondered why I was even doing this here.

Ah, damn it. Shin Jukyeong sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Because of Eun’s gift, he had forgotten about Yang U-dam again. At this rate, he felt like he was disqualified as an older brother. He hastily followed the trace, but Yang U-dam had already left. Shin Jukyeong consciously held back his curses because of the little kid.

‘Damn it all…’

But if I gave up on Rakun here, all the time I’d wasted would be meaningless.

“Hmph! I’m gonna hit you too!”

He grabbed the hand that persistently attacked only his thigh.

“Do you know how to do this?”

“…Hmph, heheh… My brother is super strong… You’re dead…”

“If you get it, 30,000 won.”

“Now that I look again, big brother, you’re really handsome and tall, and in the future, you’ll be a very excellent—”

“Are you gonna do it or not? I don’t have time.”

“Yes! I’ll do it! Woo-heheh.”

The little kid raised his hand excitedly and walked towards the game machine.

There isn’t always something to learn only from elders. Even young people can be born with enough talent to surpass adults. Shin Jukyeong was currently witnessing that talent firsthand.

Clack, smack! Thump!

His hand movements were extraordinary. Indeed, is this what a life of only eating and playing games looks like? With a few simple movements, he snatched Rakun. It made him doubt if this was the same claw that used to drop targets without any strength. What is that little kid? The God of Claw Machines?

But the real challenge starts now. He couldn’t let his guard down. If it dropped at the entrance, all his efforts would be for naught. The claw, made to extract money, wouldn’t be easy.

“Hmph.”

As if scoffing at Shin Jukyeong’s worries, the little kid chuckled.

“…!”

He was insane. Honestly, Shin Jukyeong hadn’t expected anything, clutching at straws, but he never thought the kid would show off such skill. Shin Jukyeong’s mouth hung open as he watched the plushie being lifted in the kid’s hand. Exclamations of awe burst from the surroundings as well.

“Here.”

The only one whose expression didn’t change was the little kid. He handed the plushie to Shin Jukyeong and shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t just get it for anyone. You’re lucky, mister.”

Now, he looked like a man, not just a little kid.

“30,000 won.”

Before Shin Jukyeong could even feel overwhelmed with emotion, the demand came flying in. Now that he had the plushie in his hand, he wondered if 30,000 won wasn’t just buying it at its actual price, but if he had made a promise, he had to keep it. That’s what an adult does.

“…Here.”

As he pulled money from his pocket and gave it to him, the little kid turned his back without hesitation.

“Then go. I might want to hold onto you more.”

“Huh? Uh-uh…”

“Oh, right. This is a bonus. Since you gave me 30,000 won. Think of it as a special service.”

With a faint farewell, the little kid handed him the Mask he was wearing around his neck.

“No, I don’t need—”

“Exchanges and refunds are not possible.”

He even delivered a line that would drive the Consumer Protection Agency crazy, then disappeared.

To state the belated conclusion, Shin Jukyeong could not find his brother. Not because of the arcade, but because of a fateful encounter with a Biker Gang that had taken over the streets. Shin Jukyeong’s already precarious Smoking Cessation Stress and Justice Realization Addict symptoms burst through their limits due to the hooligans’ antics.

Feeling a mad rush of dopamine, he swept them all clean. And he did it with his bare fists, wearing that strange Mask.

Ah, there was one fact Shin Jukyeong overlooked…

(Video)

Comments

– ??Who is this

– Isn’t that Mask from that comic? ㅇㅇ

So who is it?

How would I know, you idiot?

Why are you cursing and acting like that, you idiot?

– Fck hahaha I feel refreshed^^

– Is he a rookie?

No, doesn’t seem like it.

– His street cleaner form is crazy

– The bully in charge of bullies hahaha

– The video is blurry so I’m not sure, but aren’t those school uniform pants?

Hahahaha oh my, ‘school uniform’ my ass

The future of Korea is bright^^ Destroying streets since he was a minor~!

As ifㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Re (X) Rae (O)

If you Manifest abilities as a minor, you all get badges. Shows you haven’t been to school ㄷㄷ

?I’m from 00 University haha

What major at 00 University?

Humanitiesㅡㅡ

Oh god, please

– Where is that Mask from?

Why is this otaku-bastard acting up here?

– Anyway, isn’t that an Unregistered Hunter? Isn’t that a big deal? What is the Hunter Association doing?

Indeed. The online community was buzzing even then.

“Ugh…”

His voice was completely gone. Shin Jukyeong shakily pushed his upper body up, wiping his haggard face. His condition was a mess, like the day after heavy drinking. His stomach was queasy and his head throbbed.

‘If I had actually drunk alcohol, I wouldn’t feel so unfairly treated.’

With a feeling like an electric drill boring into his temples, Shin Jukyeong sighed deeply, recalling yesterday.

First, he had to pay the price for using his abilities. He probably vomited blood twice on the way home, right? Even after getting home, he was harassed. Kang Seo-oh had relentlessly pursued him, questioning his late return.

Why was his uniform like that, was he hurt, what happened, what was he doing that made him late, and so on. He wanted to explain that it was nothing, but his mind was complicated with his brothers’ affairs, so he gave vague replies.

‘Sorry… I need some time to think alone. Let’s talk later.’

At that moment, seeing the boy left all alone, he felt a pang of guilt. But what could he do? He had a mountain of things to do even after getting home. First, he had to find Eun, who would have been alone all morning. He would be waiting for his secret friend ‘Kkuku’ who visited every evening.

Ultimately, that was the reason his condition was shattered. He should have stopped at a reasonable point, but he pushed past the limit he could endure. He heard his body cursing like a hallucination. If his physical body could possess a self, wouldn’t it have already been reported to the labor department and more?

“I’m stiff.”

Shin Jukyeong cracked his neck. Still, he was used to this level of fatigue. Today was the day he had to confirm the full story of his brother’s school violence. Shin Jukyeong got out of bed with an unusually heavy body.

“…Ugh!”

The moment his foot touched the floor, he stumbled heavily. What? A flurry of question marks appeared above Shin Jukyeong’s head.

“Cough!”

…Huh?

“Cough, cough!”

…Eh? He awkwardly placed a hand on his forehead.

‘Hot?’

He felt it again. A temperature exceeding his normal body heat. Shin Jukyeong’s eyes narrowed to the size of beans. He blinked, blinked.

“I have a fever…? Me?”

He didn’t know how many years it had been since he had a fever, let alone a cold. He wasn’t in his right mind. His body was going wild. It needed to whine in moderation, the brat. It didn’t know common decency and was crossing the line. Was it choosing to strike instead of reporting to the labor department?

“I told you to rest today.”

“Cough! No, I’m not… Cough!”

“Are you going to be okay?”

Shin Jukyeong nodded at the kind question. His leg wasn’t broken, so there was no reason he couldn’t go. Moreover, Shin Jukyeong had experienced being a Korean office worker for the first time. It was an unwritten rule to go to work unless there was a natural disaster. It was time to show the perseverance of an office worker born from madness.

“If it’s too hard, you must leave early, okay?”

“Haa, don’t worry. …Cough!”

“Th-the school too…”

“Cough…?”

“Ah, no… No, it’s nothing.”

Kang Seo-oh stopped talking mid-sentence. He waved his hand, smiling awkwardly. Shin Jukyeong didn’t ask further. He wasn’t a delicate person, and he figured Kang Seo-oh would say what was necessary. It was as he was finishing the conversation and putting on his shoes.

“I said I don’t want to!”

“Cha Jae-min, are you really going to do this? Are you going to upset your mother?”

He heard arguing voices from behind.

“Ah, Mom, why are you really doing this to me?!”

“Don’t raise your voice in the house. What if Father sees you? Aren’t you going to behave properly?”

“Father, my ass…”

“Cha Jae-min!”

‘…?’

Wondering what it was, he turned his head and saw two people arguing. It was Jae-min and his stepmother, Cha Hee-yeon. He wondered what was going on so early in the morning. Shin Jukyeong debated whether to intervene. Generally speaking, it would be right to scold a rude younger brother… but because he was an older brother without the right to do so, he hesitated.

‘More than anything, the timing…’

Shin Jukyeong rolled his eyes in distress. Oh dear, this was awkward. He couldn’t intervene, nor could he leave.

Just then, his eyes met with Jae-min, who looked furious. His mouth was twitching, indicating he was quite angry. However, unwilling to show a rough side in front of his mother, he clenched his fists tightly instead.

“…Haa, …Alright.”

The time it took for him to agree was too long. He must really dislike it.

‘I even think I heard his teeth grinding.’

He definitely heard a grinding sound. What on earth was he told to do that he was expressing such strong aversion? First place in school? Allowance reduction? Forbidding dating? A date with Father?

‘I don’t know.’

As Shin Jukyeong was lost in thought, Jae-min moved.

“Toge, ther!”

One step per syllable.

“If we, go!”

A voice filled with resentment.

“It’ll be fine!”

“Ugh?!”

He, who had gotten close without Shin Jukyeong realizing, grabbed the back of Shin Jukyeong’s neck. It was a careless touch, as if handling an animal. As Shin Jukyeong’s feverish body swayed, Jae-min expertly caught him. It was simply a habit from taking care of his frail mother, not a conscious act. It was truly an unintentional action.

“Oh, what? Ah, damn it…”

“…!”

Unintentionally, Shin Jukyeong fell into the arms of his younger brother, who was two years his junior. Two grown male students were perfectly interlocked. As parts that shouldn’t touch made contact, both Shin Jukyeong and Jae-min’s faces turned pale. Their expressions were covered in goosebumps.