Episode 1. Do you want to continue?
“Tsk~ Tsk!”
I spat. I don’t know how long it’s been. Spitting on the street is… dirty.
It was dirty. So I couldn’t bear it without at least spitting. Han Ibi trembled with anger.
Is joining the company late considered some kind of ‘sin’? It’s my 5th year working part-time at a convenience store… It’s time I wasted trying to become a web novel writer.
Then I gave up everything. So the talent wasn’t even the slightest bit…
The world was cruel to the ‘futures’. A sales position at a mid-sized company that was difficult to join.
No matter how many times he did the same thing, all he got back was painful discrimination from the ‘soft guys classified as public recruits’.
A miserable level of salary. Promotion is always pushed to the bottom of the list.
He worked part-time for one year and as a contract worker for two years. But even that little bit has now been taken away.
After leaving the company, they asked me to join a ‘service company’. The sight of the shameless team leader’s greasy face proudly bragging about how hard it was to achieve was flashed through my mind.
A bastard worse than this dog!
However, what was even more infuriating was the fact that he had signed an ‘illegal’ contract converting it into a service.
What on earth is there to eat for a living?
I wanted to drink too much and sleep over, but… I don’t have any friends like that.
While Han Ibi was living a different life from others, she was a complete loner.
His only hobby is reading fantasy novels… but… huh?
‘Was there ever a comic book store like that?’
The gosiwon where Han Ibi lives is a crumbling five-story building in the corner of an entertainment district.
A building where you can’t even dream of an elevator.
However, I saw a sign for a comic book store just 2,300 meters away.
As expected, in the basement of a store that sells rotting used goods…
‘Why haven’t I noticed it until now?’
The three words ‘Comics Room’ were written in an old-fashioned white font on a black background reminiscent of the 80s.
But what caught his attention was the handwriting on top of it in A4 format.
– Burial disposal. Exhibition comics/novel books for sale at low prices.
Han Ibi took the stairs going down to the basement as if she was possessed by something.
The non-periodically blinking fluorescent lights represented the feeling of anxiety as if I was entering some kind of ‘devil’s dungeon’.
I walked up the despair-like cement steps one after another and stood in front of the old wooden door.
A yellowed poster and a rotten corner of the door welcomed Han Ibi.
Seeing that, Han Ivy hesitated for a moment, but eventually opened the door.
Wow~.
An unpleasant hinge sound.
The musty smell of old paper, unique to comic book stores, stung the tip of my nose.
Beep… beep beep… beep beep….
Even the sound of the automatic doorbell was bizarre. But that wasn’t why Han Ibi was so startled.
Mummy…!
Because there was a mummy… no, a seriously skeletal old man sitting at the counter.
It’s not a museum… There’s no way there’s a mummy in the middle of the city.
Still, Han Ibi, who prides herself on being a person of culture, stopped while trying to give a ceremonial nod. The old man was dozing off.
Even though it was around work time, there were no customers in sight. Has the business already stopped?
Anyway, since Han Ibi had already come in, she decided to take a look and walked inside.
Most of them were various comic books, martial arts novels, fantasy novels, and gangster novels.
Sexy works aged 19+ also caught my eye.
Of course, in line with the atmosphere of the store, I couldn’t find any new books even after washing my eyes and looking for them.
Then, suddenly, I found a martial arts novel tied with twine and lying around at the top of a bookshelf in a corner.
Han Ibi’s eyes widened when she saw that.
– Written by Han Mu-wan
A very familiar name.
Han Ibi picked up the book without realizing it. Dust was scattered over the space like snow.
“That’s difficult…”
A screeching sound, like wind leaking, was heard.
Han Ibi was startled and looked back. The old man who owned the counter was already awake.
“yes? “I… you mean?”
“exactly.”
“What do you mean, it’s difficult…”
“Aren’t you trying to buy it?”
“yes?”
“That book.”
“ah!”
Only then did Han Ibi discover the martial arts novel in her hands and speak.
“Ah… yes. So… I want to buy it.”
“That’s why it’s difficult.”
Han Ibi asked, looking into the old man’s wide-eyed, somewhat sad-looking eyes.
“Why?”
“That is my grandson’s memento. He disappeared while studying abroad in China. The owner was nowhere to be found, and the books were in a bag lying around in the rented room. iced coffee! “It’s been a while already, but I felt so bad that I couldn’t throw it away and kept it.”
* * *
Han Ibi trudged up the stairs of the gosiwon. Is it because of the cheap materials? The sound of footsteps echoed like thunder.
‘What kind of wind was blowing? Why on earth is this happening…’
Han Ibi looked at her right hand. His index and middle fingers were inserted under the twine.
And underneath it, a book was shaking.
– Yeomsaji Dream (蚦蛇之夢)
It was the martial arts novel that the old man said was difficult to sell. Han Ibi was thinking about the situation from before.
“Elder. This is a book my father wrote. This is the last novel I wrote before I passed away. I didn’t even have a draft, so I went to the publisher, but they were already bankrupt and I couldn’t get it. Please. Sell it to me.”
The old man’s slitted eyes widened slightly. Ebi Han added.
“If you don’t believe me, I can take off your family relationship certificate and show you…”
“That’s enough.”
“Elder. Instead of doing that, please think again. It’s not difficult. These days, the Internet has developed…”
“Just take it.”
“yes?”
“It would be better for you to keep that book.”
After that, the grandfather who owned the comic book store said nothing more.
Confused, Han Ibi hesitated a bit, but eventually brought the novel with her.
The old man didn’t even take money.
‘What do I need this for…’
Now, my father had only vague memories. There was no need for that… Then I thought to myself with a chuckle.
‘It’s a salt-and-pepper dream. It’s a title that really seems unlikely to sell. At least a hero, a Sega swordsman, a martial arts person, or even a Shaolin or a shaman. There must be something like this in it to decide whether to check it out or not.’
Even though I was an aspiring web novel writer who had failed, I knew that much.
Han Ibi, who had already entered her room, haphazardly threw the martial arts novel on the desk.
Then, as was his habit, he carefully took off his crumpled suit and hung it on a hanger.
In a gosiwon where people live close together, you have to be careful about whatever you do.
Wearing boxer shorts, he stretched out his legs towards the bed that extended under the bookshelves. I was planning to close my eyes for a while.
Then, a thought occurred to me and I took out my cell phone.
A ‘ringing’ sound pierced my ears.
– oh! Is it Eve?
“Yes….”
– Yes. Is there anything going on?
“yes. mom. “What’s the big deal?”
It’s okay.
Other than getting kicked out of the company I was working so hard for due to a contract job…
I heard my mother’s voice again.
– okay. Thank goodness. Still, how can anyone even have a decent job in such difficult times? Well, the rice cake shop Kim’s son is still playing hard at home at that age…
“Mom.”
– Yes?
“How is your health?”
– I’m fine, don’t worry.
There’s no way it’s okay.
It can be felt from the weak voice.
Hard work at a corner store and diabetes acquired about 10 years ago.
The mother I remember as being bright and pretty was already becoming a grandmother.
Surrounded by convenience stores that were increasing one by one, it was now difficult to even eat. But
my mother couldn’t stop. Because that was the only thing I had ever done in my life…
“Mom.”
– huh. okay.
“I… I found it.”
– what?
“Father… a book.”
My mother’s voice suddenly hardened.
– what?
“It’s the last book my father wrote. No matter how much I searched for this before, I couldn’t find it. “I found it by chance at a comic book store that was closing soon, so I bought it.”
– ….
“Mom. Are you listening?”
– …Evie.
“yes.”
– I don’t want to talk about my dad. So…
“…yes. mom. “I’ll stop talking about that.”
From then on there was an awkward silence.
This is the signal to end the call.
“is it so. mom. “I’ll hang up.”
– okay. Evie. I have to go to work tomorrow, so I need to rest. Let’s quit now. sleep well
“yes. “Mom too.”
– huh. okay. okay.
Click.
Now… it’s really time to sleep.
But I couldn’t sleep. How many cans of beer should I buy and drink? Mr. But this month we have already gone over budget.
The moment I let out a silent sigh. Once again, things at work confused my mind.
What did you think?
Han Ibi suddenly woke up. He pulled out a rusty box cutter from the pencil holder where he had haphazardly cut off plastic bottles and cut off the unsightly yellow twine.
Then I skimmed through volume 1. The faded, yellow pages represented the passage of time.
It’s fun… There was nothing like that.
At least here.
It was worth it. Shit. My father… he deserved to be ruined.
I just felt sorry for the company that published this book. So it’s ruined.
But Han Ibi read and read it again. Had he found traces of his father there? He didn’t even know why.
He read and read.
* * *
How much time has passed? The cheap clock on the desk showed four in the morning.
Before I knew it, the boring martial arts novel seemed to be rushing towards its end.
“No problem…”
Han Ibi muttered. Anyway, the company had been raising annual leave all week.
If you don’t even take a vacation after being treated like this, you will be criticized for being a clueless person.
Finally, the last page of volume 4 was revealed.
But surprisingly… it wasn’t over. I was concerned about the phrase (continued) after the last sentence.
Bold font that has never appeared before.
Are you saying it’s not 4 volumes?
At that time, the phrase (continued) appeared to be shaking wildly.
What… what is this?
[Do you want to continue…?]
It’s a woman’s voice.
Ugh! What… what do you mean?
[Do you want to continue…?]
Han Ibi muttered without realizing it, as if she was hypnotized.
“Oh, keep going… keep going…”
[Okay.]
All the lights in the room went out.
No, actually, this whole world….
* * *
[New player connected.]
The young man said.
“Have you… seen this?
said the old man.
“okay.”
“What on earth is this… what is the system thinking? “I thought new connections had stopped a long time ago.”
The old man spoke in a voice full of ridicule.
“Who cares? It’s a good thing that there are more prey. All you have to do is find the right time and eat it.”
“Hehehe. But it’s been so long… Shall we let the kids relax?”
“no. Let’s leave it alone until the flesh plumps up. I wonder if I have the ability to do that. “Don’t worry, you can find it whenever you put your mind to it.”
“yes. “Of course.”
* * *
It was dark… It was extremely dark…
Did I fall into a black hole?…
Moreover, I couldn’t hear anything. Complete silence and isolation that cannot be seen or heard!
Could it be… am I dead? Gosiwon lonely temple or something like that?
The moment when fear and shame intertwined and fiercely attacked Han Ibi!
Pot!
Just like when it went dark, my vision suddenly became brighter. It felt like my pupils were being hit by sunlight.
‘Ugh!’
Without realizing it, Han Ibi closed her eyes. But… this time the smell was the problem. A fishy smell… a very strong fishy smell…
Han Ibi held up her hand and plugged her nose. Then I feel a terrible touch. Fishy smell and warm temperature. Sticky sensation!
Han Ibi realized something. Her eyes widened.
‘Ahh!’
(Continued in the next part)
