Chapter 49
The vacation was over.
It was time to go back.
"Ah. That was fun."
"Well, of course you had fun."
He'd been practically glued to the woman he'd fallen for at first sight, and he'd even gotten an autograph from the idol he was rooting for; how could he not have had fun?
"Haha..."
Cheolhon smiled awkwardly and opened the car door.
It was time to go home.
"We're going on a date next week."
"Oh. Congratulations."
"Where do you think would be good?"
"As long as there's love, it doesn't matter where you go."
It wasn't as though I could see the date going badly in Cheolhon's future.
They were already so lovey-dovey it was like an affection event, so whatever they did would be fun.
"Should I just go on a business trip far, far away?"
"Haha..."
"I'm kidding. And where would I even go? I'll be staying home for a while, so Cheolhon, do whatever you want."
If he didn't leave the house, Cheolhon had almost nothing to do.
So it would be better for him to use that time to go on dates or whatever on his own.
"Yes! Thank you!"
"Then please drive safely."
While Cheolhon drove, I dozed off in the passenger seat.
When I opened my eyes after a bit, we were home.
"Thanks for the ride."
"I was just doing my job. Then get some good rest."
Cheolhon went into the next house, and I went back home too.
Coming back to the house I'd left empty all this time made me feel at ease.
Then maybe I should start streaming.
As soon as I turned on the stream, viewers came in quickly.
-Huh? Bro, what's the occasion?
-Streaming at this hour?!
[Kkungsil donated 100 gold!]
[Bro! My Kkungsil at home won't eat!!]
"Kkungsil, the reason your cat isn't eating is because it doesn't like the food. Try switching from Catsrang to Health Baekseo."
[Kkungsil donated 100 gold.]
[Really? Thanks lol]
-So cat food selection got chosen before the question of when I'll get a girlfriend...
-You can't resist cats.
-So, is the cat cute?
[Yang Jujoga donated 100 gold!]
[Recommend something for dinner tonight!]
"Yang Jujoga, why are you asking what to eat for dinner when you've already ordered jajangmyeon? And stop drinking. You drank yesterday too."
-Yang Jujoga : eheh.
-Eheh is...
-Bro!! My little brother looks like he got beaten up at school, but he won't say anything!
"Your little brother is just embarrassed that he got hurt after falling while dancing like an idol, so let it go."
-What a fucking bastard...!!
There were a lot of trivial requests.
There was nothing particularly problematic about them.
People don't always have serious problems.
After looking into ten people's futures and ending the stream, I felt hungry.
It was already one in the morning.
Honestly, I should be sleeping, but I still wanted to put something in my mouth.
Maybe I should go to the convenience store...
I shoved on some slippers and shuffled out.
"Oh? Noah-hyung?"
"Oh. A viewer?"
"I was just watching the stream a moment ago."
The convenience store clerk recognized me.
I greeted him lightly, and as I set a triangle gimbap and cup ramen on the counter, he rang them up and asked.
"Hyung. I'll buy these for you, so could you read my fortune?"
"Sure."
He was buying me food; how hard could it be to read his fortune?
When I nodded, he asked cautiously.
"I'm preparing for the civil service exam, and I failed once before... should I keep going?"
The civil service exam?
I could see a prep book sitting next to the table.
I bought a deck of playing cards from the convenience store, shuffled them, and held them out.
"Hmm..."
The card was turned over.
It was the Joker.
The clerk's eyes sparkled.
"This one will be a bit tough, but you'll pass next time."
"Ugh... really? I studied pretty hard."
"Yeah. I can see you've studied a lot. And you're even working part-time to make ends meet, right?"
"I have to do at least this much. So? What about after I pass?"
"Nothing special."
Literally, nothing out of the ordinary.
A life anyone could easily have.
The kind of life most of the people I met lived.
But it was a peaceful life that someone else would envy.
That was what lay ahead in his future.
However, if he stopped studying just because I told him he'd pass, the future would change.
After hearing that explanation, the clerk let out a sigh.
"Well, I do plan to keep studying properly."
I figured as much.
Since his future hadn't changed even after hearing it from me.
"A peaceful life, huh. Nice."
He snorted, pulled out his card, and slid it into the card reader at the counter, but he still kept talking while the payment went through.
"Still, sometimes I imagine this: a G-cup S-rank beauty dropping from the sky and saying, 'Hero, only you can save our world! Please save us!!'..."
"There was an anime I watched a long time ago with a story similar to that..."
"Heh-heh. It was 'Welcome to the Land of Swords and Magic.' But even someone special like you, hyung, have you ever imagined something like that?"
"Of course."
"What kind of fantasy?"
"A Gate opens, and I get the power of the game character I raised."
A Gate opened in downtown Seoul.
And me, gaining special Hunter powers and living a comfortable life.
That was what special meant to me, and what I wished for.
Though now I had a different kind of specialness.
"Anyway, eat up. Thanks~!"
"It's nothing. See you again later."
I said a quick goodbye to him and went home.
I poured water into the cup ramen and heated the triangle gimbap in the microwave.
An ordinary day was passing by.
.
.
.
The next day.
As soon as I woke up in the morning, I washed up and went out for a walk in the park.
There were many people heading to work, and many like me who enjoyed morning walks.
"Young man! You're out again today?"
"Haha. Ma'am, are you taking Pposil out for a walk?"
An older lady I'd gotten to know from often coming to this park for morning walks smiled and spoke to me.
At the leash in her hand, a small white puppy was whining.
"Yeah. Our Pposil likes morning walks."
"I see. May I pet Pposil?"
"Sure. Our Pposil really likes people's hands, you know."
I stroked Pposil's head.
Just like when I'd petted him a few times before, he wagged his tail furiously when I stroked him.
Hmm. Should I get a dog too?
I thought about it for a moment, but someone like me, who had even killed a cactus back when I was in the orphanage, probably wasn't fit to raise anything.
"Phew. I should rest for a bit."
While I was petting Pposil, the lady sat down on the bench beside us.
Then she slowly began drinking water from the bottle she had brought.
"But you're a streamer? Something like that, right?"
"Yes."
"Is the stream doing well?"
"Not bad."
"Oh dear. Must be nice. That sort of thing is talent too. Talent. I have no idea what my daughter is trying to do..."
"Haha. I'm sure it'll work out."
"Since she got into college, she's been acting like she owns the place lately."
Ever since entering university, she comes home drunk every single day.
What if she ends up meeting a bad guy like that?
How is she going to get a job? And I hear other kids still study like crazy even after getting into college; is this really okay?
I couldn't help smiling at a story so typical of mothers with daughters.
"Your daughter will be fine."
In the lady's future, her daughter never got caught up in any trouble.
She would simply go to college normally, work at a normal job, and get married normally.
That was all.
"Phew. I really hope so."
"Don't worry too much."
"Parents are just like that when they have kids."
I gave a bitter smile.
Since it was something I'd never experienced even once.
"Oh my. I should get going now. Pposil, let's go."
-Woof woof!
The lady left with Pposil.
Watching her go, I let out a sigh.
I should head off now too.
.
.
.
Things had been pretty quiet these past few days.
Everyone I'd met had some bad thing happen to them, but these days even when I ran into Kang Injeong, he was just doing ordinary paperwork.
This is normal.
Even the Conan BGM that used to pop up from time to time felt like it was fading away.
-Isn't that the calm before the storm?
"Ah, what are you talking about."
There can't possibly be anything happening, right?
Anyway, I had fun joking and laughing with the goofy viewers, and then I ended the stream.
Maybe I should head to the convenience store again soon?
-Bwoooong!!
Then I heard a sound that shattered the calm.
When I checked, it was a call from Hong Siyeon.
A video call, too.
Wasn't she on a business trip in the U.S. right now?
I checked the time.
It was 11 p.m.
In U.S. time, it was 10 a.m.
That was a perfectly reasonable time to call.
"Hello?"
I pressed the call button, and a moment later a red-haired beauty appeared on the screen.
A woman whose beauty shone like sunlight.
The beauty with distinctive golden contact lenses was neatly dressed and smiling brightly.
She really did have a beautiful smile.
-Noah! Have you been well?! Do you know where I am right now? I'm at a middle school in Atlanta! My grandma made me come meet one of her friends!!
She was all smiles.
As always.
-The principal here is an old friend of my grandmother's. I need to talk to him about an investment proposal...
She said it briefly, then grinned.
-When I go back after this business trip, I'll buy you lots of gifts! Heehee. I've already bought quite a few...
"Ms. Hong Siyeon."
-...Yes? Noah. Why are you suddenly so serious...
"Please stand up first."
-...Yes.
Hearing my voice, Hong Siyeon also turned serious.
She looked around and then stood up.
"The security guards are beside you, right? Move with them toward the principal's office."
-The principal's office... Yes. Understood.
The place she was in was the school cafeteria.
She should not be there.
At my instruction, Hong Siyeon ran quickly.
The guards beside her looked puzzled, but without saying anything they followed along with her.
-We've arrived. We're at the principal's office now.
"Then hang up and call 911 immediately. Tell them there's a man with a gun who has broken into the school you're at right now."
I had a feeling things had been going too smoothly lately.