Bad luck, not bad luck
Late Sunday night, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
The back alley at Exit 7 of Gongdeok Station is full of restaurants specializing in seagull meat, as befits an area belonging to the second barrier in the metropolitan area.
Although it is not possible to eat meat every day like residential areas in the 1st barrier, including Gangnam 3-gu and Seongbuk-gu, there were commercial districts with office workers as the main target.
Indeed, under the blue signboard, the customer who had just entered the store was also on his way home from work at the Seongbuk-dong mansion.
“Eugene! here!”
Is it because it is past 11pm?
In the quiet atmosphere for a weekend, a woman in her twenties sitting at a table in the corner greeted me and called me by name.
In response, manager Park Yoo-jin also waved his hand and gave a sincere smile.
The person who made the appointment was Lee Eun-jung, a one-year-old sister who was born and raised together in the neighborhood.
“how have you been doing?”
“So~ but your face has become half-faced, you Gi-bae.”
“Yeah. What happened to you, sister? The color is different from mine. Looks like you ate some powder?”
“It’s because everyone likes the original version.”
It was so comforting to have a conversation that was so useless that I was afraid to sit down.
Even though we hadn’t spoken a few words, she felt as if some of the hardships of the past two days had been washed away.
yes.
The word hardship was indeed accurate.
Aside from secondary tasks such as dealing with Lee Yong-soo’s telemetry model (combat strategy analysis) or responding to official documents from the International Association of People with Distinguished Ability.
After the battle, I had to submit another copy because I couldn’t properly take care of the report, so I ruined a letter of resignation and a live interview.
But anyway, my close friend sitting on the other side of the table, whether or not he knew this feeling, opened the menu and clicked his tongue.
“The price has gone up again. 88,000 won per person? 180 grams? If I try to eat seagull meat, I will become a real bird.”
“I’ll pay.”
“Aigoo, Mana-sama. I’m not saying this sister is expensive because she doesn’t want to pay. Didn’t the volume of goods increase like a joke the other day? Soon, the price of pork, which is about 90,000 won, is high, huh? It will go down like the ground is going out.”
In succession, Lee Eun-jung, who works in the shipping industry, casually spits out potentially sensitive information.
It was a ship from the United States that entered the port, and Europe is said to have frozen seafood exports due to an incident.
“What’s the fuss about?”
“Wave, what?”
“On the news-”
“Okay, I exchanged emails with the person in charge. Western France and parts of northern Germany have been breached. For the time being, it seems that the European Union will be busy filling its own consumption.”
“Ah, working at a shipping company will help you understand that.”
“… … .”
Soon, a subtle silence passed over the table, and the atmosphere was refreshed as a fire plate, soju, and meat were served at the right time.
In addition, additional side dishes such as bean sprouts seasoned, vegetables for wraps, pickled green onions and oil sauce were ordered.
If I were alone, I would have eaten with only meat, sauce, and kimchi as the basic table setting, but on a day like today, I deserved to enjoy the joy through small luxuries.
“Let’s bake. I’m hungry.”
“Did you not eat dinner?”
“I didn’t eat. It was over by 10.”
“… I will be under a lot of stress Are you having a hard time these days?”
“yes.”
“… why? Lament your life. This sister will be happy to listen.”
While seagull meat is placed on the heated grill and spits out delicious screams, this time, Park Yu-jin takes the right to speak and complains.
Even if I can’t explain in detail due to security regulations… There was plenty to talk about.
“Leaving aside everything else, I don’t speak well for now.”
“Are you not answering? It’s not cheap.”
“It’s not like that, so what? You rarely express your intentions, and even that, it feels like you’re spitting it out as condensed as possible?”
“Aha.”
“You know what?”
“I have no idea.”
Eunjung Lee tried to chime in, but it didn’t make sense, so at the end, she playfully shrugged her shoulders.
widely!
Followed by, one drink at a time.
As they clash until a piece of seagull meat runs out, the manager’s true intentions are revealed without hesitation.
In other words, it was a feeling that did not come well.
“At first it was just fine. Isn’t that what I’ve been longing for? But when we bumped into each other… I couldn’t predict where Mr. Yong-soo would bounce. This is the biggest stress. Live broadcasting, and other things as well. Just everything.”
“What is Yongsu to a 15-year-old? call it water It is unfamiliar.”
“… It’s already too late. my sister doesn’t know Mr. Yongsu, no, he is not an ordinary kid. You can only feel it when you meet in person… Anyway, there is such a thing.”
“What do you keep feeling?”
“Really. Is the atmosphere different? When I’m stubborn, my firm eyes sink like this-“
“Why are you stubborn in the first place?”
“that is… … .”
A bird whose body movements are getting bigger and his pronunciation is completely muffled because he puts the energy of alcohol on his hard body.
The direction of the conversation is suddenly twisted with the post-battle report as the destination.
It was a topic that could never be left out if the person involved wanted to share their upsetting experience, and Lee Eun-jung, who actually belongs to the Supervisory Bureau, also induced it.
It wasn’t anything particularly strange.
and after a while
The woman who heard about the situation, even if it was rough, tried to stab it.
“Wow, what an eccentric personality. I’m not saying it was written that way on purpose. What exactly did you write down?”
“… baby, you can’t say that.”
“… yes. Hmm, is it because you’re also from District 3?”
“sister!”
“Why, that’s not very wrong. Compared to us from District 2, the environment in which we grew up is different. Daring in good terms, easy to buy and hit in bad? Overall difficult to understand? Because that is a characteristic of the men living in the Third Wall.”
“I know, I know very well. Have you met him?”
“right. I got it right.”
Soon, the opponent showed intentional knocking, but Park Yu-jin couldn’t react in time because he remembered the boy’s behavior, which was difficult to understand.
Come to think of it, I often muttered to myself.
Like ‘get off’ or ‘shut up’.
However, the flashback doesn’t last very long.
After the drunken spirit was blown away by the discriminatory remark of ‘from District 3’, even the stories that were not very different felt like swearing at my side.
Naturally, the behind-the-scenes talk was full of excuses, recognition, and self-reflection.
“He’s still a good person. No, I think he’s a good person. I went to the funeral home this morning, and asked about the treatment of the war dead… … .”
“funeral?”
“yes. There is such a thing. Anyway, what are the advantages? He’s talented, and he’ll do any request. Besides, if you think about it, it’s all my fault that I made mistakes, right? How annoying it must have been for a right-hander to hurt his right hand and ask him to write. Even at dawn, and without being able to rest comfortably. That too-“
“Then what about the live interview? Is that your fault too?”
“Wow, in the end, it must be my fault, right? I have a license as an image-making instructor, and I checked all questions beforehand to see if there would be any problems with the broadcaster… … . I also showed the script to Mr. Yong-soo, so in the end… … .”
The moment when the end of the words became blurry.
The sound of boisterous laughter that suddenly came from the next table put an end to it.
The two middle-aged men couldn’t stop laughing, giggling with reddish faces, wondering what was so funny.
Of course, the first words he said after catching his breath were related to a live interview.
“… Because it really hit me. It was hard being shot by an agent of the Administration Bureau.”
“I was as shocked as the parrot. I thought it was a broadcast accident because something fluttered during the interview.”
“It’s a broadcast accident, hahahaha. It seems to me that he is one of the two. Either I made a mistake because I was nervous, or I was a real jerk.”
“Is not it. But on the other hand, it was also cool inside. How terrifying are the officials of the Administration Bureau? You know Mangwon-dong next door, where is my mother? There, at the beginning of the year, in an attempt to subdue the Awakened, he overturned the entire neighborhood, but left a mess behind? All the windows were broken, and even the gas pipe burst… There was no uproar like that.”
“Huh, didn’t they pay for it?”
“I give it to you, but I give it to the extent that I can’t. It’s very tricky. You have to apply for reimbursement separately for each item.”
Suddenly, the joys and sorrows of Park Yoo-jin and Lee Eun-jung are mixed.
As the hero’s manager, he personally confirmed that the public’s reaction was not bad, but as an agent of the management agency, he was offended by the way he cursed at his institution.
Of course, the joy of one side did not last long.
“Then it should be cool inside. Administration… oh i got it now You mean the part where you fucked the director?”
* * *
Seongdong-gu, Geumho-dong, 12th basement floor, Headquarters of the Supervisory Bureau.
“… Just hang up.”
After receiving the report over the phone, the director turns his head and looks down at the intermediate exam site through the window.
Quad Deuk-!
On the outside, he seems to be just waiting for the test results, but in his heart, he is belittling the agent who failed the mission.
I tried entrusting it to him because I had a personal relationship with manager Park Yoo-jin, but in the end, it proved my belief that ‘people from Region 2 are less useful’.
At best, the only information obtained was that it was not the HT group’s intention to submit the post-battle report insincerely, and that there was a conflict during the rewriting process.
“Chief, the results are out.”
“Well.”
then suddenly
A man in a middle management position approached and talked to him, and soon the test results were disseminated through the speakers in the hall.
[Date and time unspecified.]
[Numbering unassigned, code 6.]
[Exam ends.]
[Confirm shield destruction.]
In response, the director opens the door by pointing to a doll with six jewels inside the exam hall. It was a question of whether the test was done properly because it seemed to be fine on the outside.
“Since Aurigo is a mind-specialized monster, its defenses are much stronger than its main body. The core is not a doll, but a shield made of jewels.”
“Then was it successful?”
“According to standards-”
“It’s frustrating… Get out of the way.”
After a moment of being bruised by the unsure voice, he gets closer to the microphone and brings out a sad voice.
Grade 4 melee, Kim Woo-hak.
It was an intention to please him as much as he had brought in a precious bloodline with difficulty.
“Woo Hak-ah, this is your uncle. How are you? Is it a success or a failure?”
[I woke up, but it was a failure.]
“Why? why is it failing Please explain in detail.”
[I can’t wake up at once like the video. Rather than a lack of ability, it’s a technical limitation. With ‘Smashing’, ‘Muscle Tissue Control’, and ‘Identification of Weaknesses’, it takes 1-2 seconds even if it is not enough to break the protective barrier… … .]
“great!”
[…] … ?]
Before he could even finish his words, the general manager of the Supernatural Persons Management Bureau showed a smile all over his face.
If the doll was a ‘fictional level 5 monster’, the nephew who responded to the test is a ‘virtual dragon’.
There was nothing wrong with the numbers in the post-battle report, but this made it clear that the skill list was written down as a lie.
“Chief Kim, attach your opinion to this and bring it to me.”
[…] But Uncle, do you really have to do this?]
“Woo Hak, this is not a simple matter. If wrong information is uploaded, it is a small hero’s personal crisis, and a big one is disgrace to the country.”
As soon as he was laying out suitable reasons, the director’s mind suddenly passed by last night’s TV screen.
On one side sat the anchor, on the other the damn kid.
‘Agent Balfour. Huh, the director must have been very embarrassed. I heard in advance that Lee Yong-soo was on the scene during the Awakened test. Haven’t you been contacted separately?’
‘… Who?’
‘The director of the Supernatural Personnel Management Bureau.’
‘… … .’
‘… Well, looking at Lee Yong-soo’s expression, I think I heard something wrong or there was a misunderstanding. Still, it seems certain that the director wants to be friends. If I asked you to have a meal together, how would you respond?’
‘no. I hate it.’
‘… … ‘
Do you think there is such a gossip in the world?
As the HT group is the background, he said that he would not be able to take revenge openly, but he would have to accept what he had to accept.
The director gnashed his teeth.