TOP 12

Chapter 12 – Trauma (1)

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“It’s Anbin.”

“……”

“Your younger brother by a year, Kim Anbin. That’s right.”

Grandpa Kim Pyeong’s shocking statement.

For a moment, I was frozen in place.

I had thought, No way, no way… but it really was Kim Anbin.

…Hah. Well, at least it’s nothing dangerous.

That alone was enough to ease my nerves.

I relaxed a bit and spoke reluctantly.

“That’s him?”

“Come to think of it, you haven’t seen him in quite a while, have you?”

True, I hadn’t seen him in about three years.

But still—could a person really change that much in just three years?

He must weigh at least 150 kilos.

And not the muscular kind either—just completely unmanaged obesity.

The Kim Anbin I remembered had never been that out of shape.

He wasn’t anything impressive, but at least an average build.

Not that it’s any of my business…

I couldn’t call Anbin a friend, even as a joke.

Still, having lived together for a few years, seeing this drastic transformation was… startling.

Then Grandpa Kim Pyeong suddenly lowered his voice and addressed me.

“Yujin.”

“Yes?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

Why did I have the perfectly clear feeling I already knew what he was about to say?

“I’m not doing it.”

I voiced my refusal outright, but Grandpa was persistent.

“Can’t you find a way to straighten Anbin out? He’s been holed up in his room, gaining weight, and his personality’s turned rough…”

As he spoke, he clasped my hand tightly.

“That’s not going to work on me.”

I rejected him without hesitation.

I wasn’t some kind of therapist. How on earth was I supposed to “fix” that?

More than not wanting to do it, this was simply impossible from the start.

“If you told him a bit about what you’ve been through, maybe he’d feel something. Real hunter stories, you know. I’m begging you, just this once.”

“If that could’ve changed him, it would’ve happened long ago.”

“Haa… At this rate, when I die, how will that poor boy survive on his own…”

Even after repeated refusals, Grandpa resorted to playing the sympathy card.

Still useless.

No was no.

“…Haa.”

Then—

“Grandpa.”

“Mm?”

I let out a deep sigh and looked straight at him.

I’d spent seven years right by his side.

If there’s one thing I knew, it’s that this man wasn’t the type to genuinely make such a request.

Granted, I hadn’t seen him for about three years…

But there was no way he’d completely changed in that time.

I spoke firmly.

“Drop the act.”

“…Tch.”

He clicked his tongue.

Then his expression changed in an instant.

From pitiful and pleading to calm and calculating—his real self.

So it was all an act, just a ploy to get me to work for free.

Confirming that, I smirked.

“Your acting style hasn’t changed. But it still doesn’t work on me.”

“When an old man talks like this, aren’t you supposed to at least pretend to agree?”

“Pretend? That’s enough?”

“…Forget it.”

Shaking his head, Grandpa switched tactics.

“Just talk to him once. In return, I’ll grant you one request, no questions asked. Deal?”

“No labor fee?”

“Right.”

My request to meet Ji Hyun-woong carried a fee of one million won.

So he was essentially offering me one million won just to say a few words to Kim Anbin.

And on top of that—

“You’ll need some time before you can meet Hyun-woong anyway. You’ve got nothing else to do in the meantime, right?”

“That’s true.”

Having no urgent business at the moment was part of it.

But more importantly—

If I play this right, I could pull in a solid chunk of capital.

Grandpa Kim Pyeong had money.

Understandable, given his… less-than-legal dealings.

If I handled things well, I could make quite a lot.

And I’ll need money to operate as a hunter anyway, so it’s not a bad idea.

I decided it was worth considering.

“All right, let’s hear it first.”

I’d listen, then decide on my terms.

Grandpa sighed once more and elaborated.

“Sigh… That damn ‘awakening.’ I think he went astray because he never awakened.”

“…Awakening?”

“Yeah. Whenever I say anything, he just says he’ll be fine once he awakens and doesn’t listen. Life’s not something you can get by on luck alone.”

“……”

But something about that didn’t sit right with me.

He’s saying Anbin’s unawakened?

The Anbin I sensed didn’t match the Anbin Grandpa was describing.

And in that moment—

Got it.

A good idea struck me.

“Grandpa.”

“Speak.”

“If I awaken Anbin, how much will you pay me?”

“…!”

He looked genuinely shocked.

“That… That’s impossible—”

“It’s possible.”

“If you could do that, I’d pay you… ten million won—”

“Grandpa?”

“…Thirty?”

“Fifty.”

“Yujin, you brat! I raised you!”

“Fifty million for an awakening? That’s a steal!”

“……”

I grinned.

This was a fight I couldn’t lose.

“Yujin, I want to give it to you, but I don’t have that much. If you’d just lower your—”

“I’d love to be fooled, but let’s see… I already know you’ve got…”

I listed off his stash of emergency funds.

His face twisted.

“…Fine. Fifty.”

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Tch.”

Fifty million won secured.

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“Is it good?”

【Mmm!!!!!】

Frill nodded vigorously, wearing a blissful smile.

She was biting into an ice cream I’d taken out of the fridge.

【This place has stuff like this? Is this heaven?】

“…That good, huh?”

Being an ice spirit, I’d figured she’d like ice cream.

But she liked it even more than I’d expected.

【I love it! It’s so good!】

She took another big bite.

After munching happily for a while, she held out her hand.

【More!】

I flatly refused.

“No.”

【Why!?】

“Behave and I’ll give you more.”

【Hmph.】

She pouted, but I ignored it.

You can’t give in to every tantrum. You have to know when to say no.

And—

“It’s work time.”

I had things to do, and lounging around eating ice cream wasn’t one of them.

That “work” was the Make It Look Like I Awakened Kim Anbin project.

Obviously, I didn’t have some convenient ability to awaken people.

The guy’s already awakened.

Anbin was already a hunter.

Grandpa just didn’t know.

He’ll probably be mad later when he finds out.

Not my problem.

Should’ve checked before making the deal.

He’s the one who taught me that a sucker contract is the sucker’s fault.

Anyway—

“How should I handle this…”

Strictly speaking, I didn’t have to do anything.

I could just say, Actually, he’s already awakened. Ta-da! and be done.

But—

“That would be a bit too shameless.”

Since I was getting paid, I might as well figure out what was wrong with him and fix it.

Besides—

“Good chance to leave Grandpa with someone useful.”

If I turned Anbin into a functional hunter, Grandpa would have someone capable by his side.

In a world where monsters could appear any time and other hunters might cause trouble, having your grandson as a hunter was a big advantage.

So in a way, it’d be repaying Grandpa.

Also, it’s fifty million won.

With that in mind—

I flung open the door to Anbin’s room.

Bang!

“Anbin! Your big brother’s here!”

“W-what the hell!?”

The bulky figure glued to his online community scrambled in panic when he saw me.

“Get out!”

“You’ve gotten pretty snappy since I last saw you.”

“Kim Yujin!”

“And ruder, too.”

“You…!”

He glared hard at me, but I wasn’t even remotely intimidated.

I’d survived daily harassment from hunters who cut down monsters for a living.

The glare of a shut-in was child’s play.

“So, what were you looking at?”

I glanced at the online forum he’d been staring at.

“Don’t look!”

He tried desperately to block the monitor, but I caught a glimpse.

<Why Life Sucks Without Awakening.txt (4)>

• If an eruption goes off in front of you, you’re dead. Am I right?

└ lol true

└ haha no way to survive

└ damn I wish I’d awaken!

“Hm.”

Looked like a community where unawakened folks shared their misery.

A thought crossed my mind.

Could it be… he doesn’t know he’s awakened?

But—

No way.

It’s impossible not to feel the mana in your own body, and awakening lets you see the System.

No way he wouldn’t notice.

Which means there’s only one explanation…

I tested my theory.

“Do you want to awaken?”

“…Why do you care? Just get lost!”

“You think things would change if you did?”

“…Obviously! I’m only like this because I haven’t awakened yet. Once I do—”

“Once you do?”

“…Tch. Why should I tell you? Just get out of my life!”

There were small pauses before his answers.

There could be many reasons, but I knew this one—

Awakening denial syndrome.

Probably the most accurate description of his condition.

Not uncommon.

Some people, when faced with the reality of having to fight monsters, reject the fact that they’ve awakened at all.

Come to think of it… his parents were killed by monsters, weren’t they?

Most cases stemmed from trauma.

That would explain him hiding his awakening.

Then he shoved me.

Thud!

“Screw you! I’m not taking advice from a porter who awakened and still does grunt work!”

…Okay, I take back my understanding.

I may have gotten over it now, but that used to be my trauma.

All right. Shock therapy it is.

Not because I’m mad.

Definitely not.

“Hey.”

“What!”

“You’ve awakened.”

“…H-how do you know that!? What do you know!?”

He flinched, stammering.

Didn’t expect to be found out, huh?

“Mana. If you don’t keep it contained, everyone can feel it.”

“…Shit.”

Grandpa couldn’t sense it since he’s unawakened, but any hunter could.

Anbin wasn’t even trying to hide it.

And he’s not just a 1-star either.

His mana was at a 2-star level.

A fresh awakening with 2-star mana?

He’d be treated very well.

Though with that body, maybe not…

That could be fixed with some training.

If he wanted to, that is.

“…You don’t get it.”

“What don’t I get?”

“Fight monsters? I can’t! I can’t do it!”

His words got harsher, but beneath them was a faint trace of fear.

Tch.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

This isn’t something that’ll be fixed with normal conversation.

It’d take something drastic.

How to…

Just then—

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

A scream from outside.

And—

Keek, kik!

High-pitched cackles.

Goblins?

Sounded like an eruption gate had opened.

And then—an idea.

“Anbin.”

“What!”

“Let’s go out.”

“What? No—ahhh!”

I grabbed him by the back of the neck.

“Sorry, but you don’t have a choice.”

And jumped straight out the window.