Chapter 34
To be completely honest, I didn’t think much of this incident.
Haven’t I seen bad people before?
Just as there’s a shadow wherever there’s light, a world without villains doesn’t exist.
I had simply received a mission, entered a gate, and, by chance, encountered some trash—what they call “villains” here.
It was no different from stepping in dog crap.
To me, this incident was nothing more and nothing less.
But, apparently, others saw it differently.
“Villains spotted at the Level 3 Gate in Gangwon Province!”
“Confirmed victims: 47. Families in tears.”
“What was the government doing while this escalated? Criticism mounts.”
“Police Spokesperson: ‘Villains are a group that threatens public safety. A thorough investigation is underway.’”
I wasn’t aware, but it seems these so-called villains are categorized as absolute evil in this society.
Assault, intimidation, murder, human trafficking—you name it, they’re involved in all kinds of serious crimes.
Apparently, eradicating villains is so important that it’s considered the main duty of the police, who are responsible for public safety.
So it’s no wonder that people are anxious, knowing that villain organizations are hiding everywhere in our society.
The public’s anxiety about villains was beyond what I could have imagined, and that’s why the newspapers, articles, and TV reports were all making such a fuss.
But here’s the thing—I wiped out a villain’s hideout.
Villains, levitation stones, not even a speck left behind.
So what did our dear Ms. Kim Yeon-hee, my mother, do when she found out?
“Oh my god! I’m going to lose my mind!!”
She beat the living daylights out of my back.
Thoroughly.
“Are you insane?! Do you even know what those people are, and you went after them by yourself?!”
“But Jun-woo and Merry were with me… Ow, that hurts!”
“It should hurt! I’m hitting you because I want it to hurt! You could have escaped! If you’d just ignored them and called your mother, I would’ve taken care of everything.”
“I didn’t want to bother you, so I just… Ouch!!”
“Be quiet!”
Mom was more upset than I’d ever seen her before.
Her scolding went on for quite a while. She smacked my back so much it felt like it had been roasted under the summer sun.
She’s got quite the energy.
Of course, it didn’t hurt at all. In fact, I was secretly happy that her hands were still so firm—proof of her good health.
Anyway, once she calmed down, my mother got right to work.
She transformed into Kim Yeon-hee, the CEO of Optimum, one of the world’s top five agencies.
“Director, it’s Kim Yeon-hee. How have you been? It’s been a while. About the Gangwon Province incident…”
“Commissioner, this is Kim Yeon-hee. Hoho, yes, I’ve been well. About the Gangwon Province villain case… Yes, yes, my son was involved…”
“Mayor, this is Kim Yeon-hee. I’m contacting you because I’m worried about the big incident… Oh? Really? Well, my son was involved…”
The conversations were all quite repetitive, but they were effective.
Mom didn’t want my name to be mentioned in connection with this incident at all. She was adamant that nothing good would come from being entangled with villains at such a young age.
I tried to reassure her, saying it was fine, and that her son wasn’t weak enough to be defeated by such trash.
But all I got in return was another round of nagging and back smacks.
“From now on, if anything happens, call me before the police. Got it? Just look at this time—if you had called me before handing over the captured villains to the police, it would’ve been resolved so much more easily.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ugh, really… My eldest son is out there bounty hunting to make extra cash, my daughter is running around slicing villains like she’s possessed, and now you’re doing this.”
“Hmph.”
“Don’t get cocky. That wasn’t a compliment. This is all because of Park Geon. As a father, he should be setting an example, not running around playing hero. What do you expect the kids to learn? He’s dead meat when he gets home.”
By the way, Park Geon is my father.
A man who lives and dies by his sense of honor. He can’t stand injustice, is kind to the weak, and stands up to the strong—a true romantic hero of our time.
…Or at least, that’s what I found when I looked him up on the Tteokmuwiki.
While my father’s tales of heroism are never-ending, according to my mother, he’s nothing but a pushover.
“Honor? A romantic hero? What a joke. Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it’s not the same as being a sucker.”
“But calling Dad a sucker is a bit…”
“He’s a sucker. Trust me, your mother is right.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
And so, as she continued to grumble about my father, my mother efficiently erased all information about me and my two friends from this incident.
As expected of the CEO of Optimum, she handled the situation with flawless precision.
And with that, I returned to my everyday life.
So what am I doing now?
I’m here to eat.
With the kids.
At a buffet.
“Wow, is this really a buffet? It’s amazing. So cool.”
“Oppa, look! Pork cutlets! I want to eat pork cutlets!”
“Here, here! Sweet and sour pork! Hyung, can I eat that?”
“Hey, mister! Is there no kimbap? Sushi? Is sushi the same as kimbap?”
“Look, you just put whatever you want on your plate like this. You can eat as much as you want, so don’t get greedy—just take as much as you can finish.”
“Okay!!”
Why did we suddenly come to a buffet? Well, there’s a story behind that.
Because of those damned villains, my gate runs have been temporarily banned.
With the weekend time suddenly free, I thought about what to do and ended up coming to the orphanage. The kids’ faces had been lingering in my mind.
Thanks to my frequent visits, the kids came running to me with bright smiles.
They were so adorable.
It was healing for my soul.
After reading them some storybooks and helping with various tasks around the orphanage, it was finally lunchtime.
As we headed to the dining hall on the first floor, Hyeon-ji, with her princess-like ice-blonde hair, casually asked,
“Oppa, have you ever been to a buffet?”
“A buffet, all of a sudden?”
“Well…”
Here’s the story.
Kim Hyeon-ji, who had just started first grade this year, had a classmate who was having a birthday party at a buffet. All the kids gathered around in awe, but Hyeon-ji, who didn’t know what a buffet was, felt left out and sad.
I guess this is the age where the gap between kids with and without parents is most stark.
Eight years old, starting elementary school.
Once they step out of the family’s embrace and into the new world of school, they inevitably become acutely aware of the differences between themselves and their peers.
The younger kids, who hadn’t reached this stage yet, expressed innocent curiosity with questions like “What’s a buffet?” or “Is it a restaurant?” and “It must be delicious.” But the older kids, who had already gone through it, looked at Hyeon-ji with a sad understanding in their eyes.
They must have seen themselves in her. Ordinary experiences for their classmates must have seemed so out of reach for them, who had no parents.
It was heartbreaking.
Seeing Hyeon-ji’s hesitance reminded me of myself back in the day, rummaging through trash cans.
I couldn’t stand it. How much could it possibly cost?
It’s not like I’m short on money or skills.
Just thinking about the kids worrying over something like this made me feel pathetic.
“Everyone, get dressed. We’re going to a buffet for lunch today.”
And that’s why we ended up at this buffet. I brought all the kids from the orphanage along.
We went into a private room with our food.
The kids were happily enjoying their meal in the lively atmosphere. Just watching them filled me up.
My mother was right; we needed a private room for the kids to eat without feeling self-conscious.
As expected, Mom, you know everything.
“Is this heaven? It’s so good! I’m so happy!”
“Wow, look at that shrimp tempura! It’s huge! Really huge!”
“Meat, meat. I love meat. Look at this, I can eat it all in one bite. Nom!”
“Hey, keep it down and eat.”
“Beee~ Unnie’s nagging again.”
“Yeah, it’s just us here anyway!”
“Hyung, this place is awesome. I want to eat here every day. Are all buffets this good?”
“Well, yes, but this buffet is one of the most expensive. It might even be the priciest in the country.”
“Really? Whoaa…”
“Be sure to thank Gi-hyeok hyung.”
“Thank you, hyuuung!”
I waved them off, telling them to just eat.
The kids were excited by the sight of food they’d never seen before. The older kids sat among them, helping them eat.
They were so considerate. I should give them some meal tickets on the way out.
Who cares how expensive it is? I’ve been making bank with all those gate runs, so my bank account was overflowing. If seeing those smiles is the cost, I’m more than willing to pay.
“Well then, I’ll dig in too.”
Time to start my meal.
I picked up my chopsticks.
First, carbs.
I cleared a plate piled high with sushi. As soon as the plate, hidden under sushi, was exposed, it was quickly cleared.
Next up, protein.
I inhaled a plate full of beef tartare like it was noodles. Even the decorative greens didn’t stand a chance.
“This place is interesting.”
The blog was right; their beef tartare is excellent. The chewy texture and perfectly balanced seasoning make this place a top-notch spot for raw beef.
I definitely need to get another plate, I thought, as I reached for a third plate… something felt off.
I looked up to see the kids staring at me with wide, sparkling eyes.
Their mouths were agape.
“Whoaaa—!”
“Hyung, you eat so much.”
“It’s like watching a mukbang.”
“Tall oppa, if I eat like you, will I grow tall too?”
I gave them a thumbs-up in response.
The boys, inspired, started focusing on their plates, declaring they would grow tall too.
And with that, I cleared the first round.
Feeling refreshed, I moved on to round two. As I grabbed a new plate, including the aforementioned beef tartare, and opened the door… huh? There’s a doll sitting in my seat?
“Bom?”
“Uncle.”
With skin as white as snow.
Eyes that seemed to hold jewels.
A doll-like girl who embodied all the beauty in the world.
Park Bom.
She was a gift that arrived in spring.
“Why did Bom come here?”
“I want to be with Uncle.”
“Really? Then shall we? Come sit on Uncle’s lap.”
The youngest at the orphanage, Bom.
Contrary to her bright and radiant appearance, she had a personality as cold as the dead of winter.
Like many of the kids here, Bom had her own story. But to outsiders who didn’t know, she might have seemed like a child with some issues, given how she avoided contact with others.
Yet, strangely enough, Bom was particularly fond of me.
I have no idea why.
From the moment we first met, she followed me around like a duckling trailing after its mother.
“Uncle eats a lot.”
“Uncle usually eats this much.”
“If you eat too much, you’ll turn into a pig. Oink, oink.”
“Then Uncle will be a pig from today. Oink, oink, oink~.”
I didn’t dislike Bom either.
Actually, I liked her.
A lot.
She reminded me of the only child I ever grew attached to in my past life.
“Sophia. So. Ph. I. A. Can I call you Uncle?”
“I won! You promised, right? You said you’d grant my wish! Uhmm… I don’t have one right now… I’ll make a wish later.”
“Uncle, I have a wish. You have to be happy. For Sophia too…”
She was a good kid. Maybe the reason I started liking kids in the first place.
That’s why she was precious to me, someone I wanted to protect.
Even though I couldn’t protect her in the end.
“Uncle, your face looks bad. Are you sad? Does it hurt?”
“It hurts, because of Bom.”
“…Because of Bom?”
“Yeah, my heart hurts so much.”
“Kyaaa~!”
I hugged her and gently swayed her around, making her giggle uncontrollably.
“It’s so strange to see Bom laugh.”
“Yeah, she’s totally different from when she’s with us.”
“Bom really likes oppa.”
“Kids are always accurate with their instincts. They recognize my true worth.”
The older kids laughed and teased me when I joked.
“Everything okay with you guys? School going well? The teachers aren’t giving you a hard time, right?”
“Aww, it’s fine.”
“Rumor has it that Optimum is sponsoring our orphanage. Who’s going to mess with Optimum?”
“Yeah, we’re pretty lucky.”
“Lucky, huh? Seriously, if anything comes up, let me know anytime. Speaking of which, I gave the younger kids presents, so you all should get something too. What do you want? Just say the word.”
“Come on, hyung, not again.”
“It’s okay. Really, we’re fine. We’re eating too, aren’t we?”
“They say this place is super expensive, so thanks a lot.”
Their responses were so mature.
These were kids ranging from middle school age to 18, who were about to leave the orphanage.
In an ordinary family, they would still be at an age where they could whine and fuss, but here at the orphanage, they’ve become guardians and older siblings.
They didn’t grow up because they wanted to.
Not at all.
Just like a weed toughens up under the harsh elements, reality had forced them to grow up.
So, every time I visit the orphanage, I always ask, “Is there anything you need?” But they always insist there’s nothing.
But not today.
Today, they have no choice.
I’m a man of my word.
“Refusal is not an option. Tell me what you need. I’ve made a ton of money recently. I must buy you something.”
“Rea… really, we’re fine.”
“There’s nothing we need. Really. We mean it.”
“Seriously, the director even gives us an allowance.”
“If you keep refusing, I’ll decide for you. I saw a department store on the way here. How about we raid it today?”
“Really, there’s nothing…”
“It’d be a waste of money.”
As the kids shook their heads fervently, someone unexpected spoke up.
“Phone.”
“Huh? What did you say, Bom?”
“Phone. The oppas and unnies need phones.”
It was Bom, who was nibbling on the tteokbokki I had prepared for her on my lap.
A phone, huh…?
Now that I think about it, the phones these kids have… they’re all pretty old. And even then, only a few of them actually have phones.
“Bom says you need phones.”
“It’s just… we can’t really keep in touch with each other.”
“…These days, there are some weird people around, so we’ve been feeling a bit anxious. We thought it would be nice to have phones.”
“Heh~.”
The nerve of these kids. Lying to an adult like me.
This won’t do. I need to give them a good scolding.
“Let’s go.”
That day, every child at Hope Orphanage got their very own phone.
The kids’ faces lit up with joy as they held their phones.
This is enough. What more could I ask for?
Their smiles are the best healing for me.
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