On weekend mornings, his eyes naturally opened on their own. His body was never one to feel fatigue to begin with, but even so, it had been a while since he’d started a day feeling this good after regressing.
Cha Eui-sung hummed an old ballad as he neatly organized his documents and contact list.
‘Now then… dungeon items to slip into the Assemblyman’s hands… come to think of it, it might be a good idea to set up a few minor accidents in advance too.’
The memories of the future were remarkably useful. It was like having a strategy guide for a complex game. Just knowing when, where, and how a dungeon would change could earn him not just money, but people as well.
In his past life, he had been part of the Hunter Association and often found himself at odds with government agencies. But this time, he planned to sell and exploit his knowledge and connections to gain favor with several key government figures.
And that was because, at this point in time, the Hunter Association still had that person.
‘Oh Se-dan.’
The name had risen to the surface the moment the nausea from regression subsided, like a spasm of loathing. That bastard—he was still around.
Whenever he thought of Oh Se-dan, what came to mind first was that unreadable expression, his impeccable acting, his masterful social maneuvering. He had been a well-known Hunter affiliated with the Hunter Association, and Cha Eui-sung had studied him, copied him, and grown stronger in pursuit of success.
To be honest, he hadn’t harbored any personal grudge against him. Oh Se-dan was simply an obstacle—someone who needed to be removed for him to rise. Until the moment his true colors were revealed, he’d been a meticulous and flawless superior.
Sure, he’d quietly taken out a number of irredeemable Awakened criminals behind the scenes… but so what? After Oh Se-dan vanished, it was almost as if Cha Eui-sung had inherited his position—and eventually followed a similar path.
‘And I’m the one who got rid of him.’
After losing a political power struggle, Oh Se-dan had been sentenced to 38 years in prison. But not even three years into his sentence, he was killed in an internal riot at an Awakened detention center. Hand to heart, Cha Eui-sung swore he had never planned for his death—it had genuinely left him feeling unsettled.
Still, with that loose end gone, a strange sense of relief had taken root. Wasn’t it from that day that he began to truly devour the Hunter Association?
Drip…
Freshly brewed coffee filled the white mug. Cha Eui-sung sipped the drink—though it had no real effect on him—and reviewed his meticulously compiled notes one by one.
They were packed with information, but he couldn’t rely solely on them. Humans always brought change. Just like unexpected fluctuations in the flow of money or dungeon mutations, there had always been minor variables throughout his regression.
The greatest of them, without a doubt, was the destruction of Earth itself. He’d expected political backlash if he missed something, but never in his wildest dreams did he think a meteor would crash down.
Even thinking about it now made his head throb from sheer frustration.
Bzzz—
While downing coffee in deep thought, his phone vibrated. Cha Eui-sung, shaken from his reverie, perked up and checked the sender.
[Hello. This is Moon Tae-young from Cheongse Elementary Branch School. I’m reaching out because I have something to say about the handkerchief you gave me yesterday.]
‘I knew it.’
Moon Tae-young. He’d expected a message the moment the shopping bag was opened, but it had come later than expected. He had even kindly included his business card inside.
[Ah, hello. How did you get my number?]
[Didn’t you mean for me to find it?]
[Oops~]
He sent a casual interjection, and received no reply for a while—perhaps the other person was dumbfounded. Imagining the stiff face beneath those glasses, Cha Eui-sung couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
[I’ll return the handkerchief. I didn’t open the box, so it should be refundable.]
[Why though? Just use it.]
[I appreciate the thought, but I can’t accept an expensive gift.]
[It really didn’t cost that much.]
[I looked up the price.]
[Ah haha…]
The brand name was clearly visible. Only an idiot would miss that.
[It wasn’t a gift. It was compensation. I ruined the handkerchief you gave me before.]
[The one I gave you was 8,000 won. It was used. And it was worn out, so you don’t need to compensate me.]
[Hmm… I gave it because I was grateful, but now it feels like I caused you trouble.]
[Then I’ll come pick it up next week when I visit about the transfer. Don’t worry too much.]
Much later, a very ungrateful-sounding thank-you message arrived. Moon Tae-young was probably thinking about the owner of that handkerchief right now, counting the days until they’d meet again.
‘Yeah, just keep waiting. Think about me the whole time.’
Though it had only been a few days, he had no intention of letting his mind stray from him, not even for a second. The Savior Gauge, which he’d glanced at, disappointingly showed no movement—but if he kept hovering close to him like this, change would eventually come.
Smirking, Cha Eui-sung downed the rest of his coffee. It was only then that he realized he, too, had been thinking about Moon Tae-young from the moment he opened his eyes until the moment he drifted off to sleep.
‘Good grief.’
The injustice of it all only made him more determined not to let him slip from his thoughts.
***
Tuesday. In front of a small house with moving boxes being hauled inside.
Instead of the expected parents, the one who arrived with the eleven-year-old child was none other than Kim Jeong-baek.
“Been a while, huh? Haha…”
Kim Jeong-baek stood there awkwardly, looking unusually clean and dressed up. He clearly meant to present himself as the child’s guardian, however poorly he pulled it off.
“I tried to come early this morning, but, you know, traveling with a kid and all… ended up running late.”
“……”
“Oh, this is Kim Seo-ryong. She’s eleven…”
Despite a name that sounded like she could wrestle a bear, the girl beside him was tiny, lifting her head to scan Cha Eui-sung with sharp, curious eyes.
Cha Eui-sung blinked as he looked back and forth between Seo-ryong and Kim Jeong-baek.
‘What the hell? Who is this kid? Where did she come from? Did Kim Jeong-baek have a child?’
As far as he remembered, the only things Jeong-baek ever raised were guppies that would gorge themselves to death if overfed.
So then where the hell had this little one come from? No way he’d lose his mind over 3.5 million won and go kidnapping someone… right?
Ignoring the wary and inquisitive gaze from Seo-ryong, Cha Eui-sung tilted his head slightly and stared at Kim Jeong-baek—clearly signaling for an explanation.
“She’s my niece, actually.”
“Your niece.”
“She fits all the conditions you gave me. More importantly, I don’t have to sweet-talk a guardian, so it’s safer.”
“……”
Maybe the prolonged silence made him anxious, because Kim Jeong-baek’s face twitched uneasily. Cha Eui-sung simply stared at his slick, baby-faced mug that looked like it hadn’t fully matured yet.
And then, surprisingly, Seo-ryong, who had been curiously observing him, gave Kim Jeong-baek a light nudge and turned around to enter the house on her own.
As if she’d read the room. Like she was used to this kind of situation. The kid had an uncanny sense for her age.
The moment she disappeared, Cha Eui-sung let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.
“Mm. Mr. Kim Jeong-baek. I thought I was paying you well enough.”
“You are.”
“Then why go through this trouble for an extra 3.5 million won a month?”
“Mm, I think there’s some misunderstanding here. She really does meet all your criteria. I’m not dragging in some random kid just to pocket some extra cash. Don’t you trust me?”
To be fair, Kim Jeong-baek had always been impeccable with his jobs. Cha Eui-sung had warned him repeatedly not to get greedy and attract the Hunter Association’s attention, but once the guy committed to a task, he saw it through.
“Where’d you dump the real guardians? Did they consent?”
“I got the paperwork signed. They don’t give a damn anyway.”
That line alone made it clear—there was a messy story behind this.
“…Is this going to be a long story?”
“Nah. I don’t feel like giving a sob story. I’ll just tell you what you need to know.”
And so, nudged into listening, he heard the tale—one as stale and worn as they came. The child who’d be playing the role of Cha Eui-sung’s fake niece for a while: Kim Seo-ryong. Age, eleven.
Her parents made a living by selling in-game currency for real cash. A perfect match in personality and worldview, but wholly unfit for parenting.
“She’s my sister’s kid, but damn it, if I hadn’t Awakened, I’d have smacked her around regularly.”
So Seo-ryong had drifted in the grey space between neglect and indifference before finally being outright abandoned. Kim Jeong-baek, unable to just stand by, had taken her in.
“I’m not just saying this because she’s my niece, but you won’t find a smarter, more aware kid than her. And besides, I was planning to get her transferred anyway.”
He’d said he’d keep it short, but ended up spinning the tale for a full thirty minutes. Tch. Cha Eui-sung slowly closed his eyes and pressed at his temples.
He had no desire to hear the reasons for her transfer directly from Kim Jeong-baek’s mouth. The moment he put on his most disinterested face, the explanation finally came to a halt.
“So, can she act at all?”
“Acting…”
“I don’t care if it was drama club or traditional percussion—can she convincingly call me her uncle and follow my lead?”
“Don’t worry about that. I was gonna find someone else, but Seo-ryong insisted she wanted to do it herself.”
Of course she did—like uncle, like niece. She jumped right on the high-paying gig. With a wave of his hand as if to say fine, whatever, Cha Eui-sung signaled his consent. Kim Jeong-baek went inside, and not long after, came back out with Seo-ryong.
Considering what had just happened, it couldn’t have been a pleasant exchange—but the girl, now stepping out again, didn’t seem all that rattled. Aside from a hint of nervousness, her eyes gleamed with curiosity and excitement.
They’re both living rent free in each other’s head😂