Chapter 10 - Solo Awakening as an Ex-Rank-Munchkin
Na Dan-sik showed Yu Il-sik the contract he had received from Jin Seon-hui.
“It says here the signing bonus is 500 million won. Is this for real?”
Yu Il-sik asked, his face a mask of disbelief.
It was an unbelievable amount.
“It’s conditional, but yeah.”
“Conditional?”
“It’s if I accomplish a task designated by the Association.”
“They’re not going to make you do anything unreasonable, are they?”
“I made it clear that I’m a beginner. Don’t worry about that.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Still, it’s a pretty incredible offer.”
Yu Il-sik let out a breath he’d been holding and leaned back against his chair.
Na Dan-sik chuckled and shrugged.
“I think so too. And I’m going to meet the Association President.”
“What? Who are you meeting?”
Yu Il-sik stared at Na Dan-sik, his face a picture of shock once again.
“The Association President asked to see me.”
“Dan-sik, pinch my cheek.”
Na Dan-sik pinched Yu Il-sik’s cheek.
“Ow, ow. It’s not a dream.”
“Of course it’s not a dream.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d live to see the day my friend meets the Association President.”
“Is it that amazing?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
“You better, you punk!”
Yu Il-sik poured soju into a glass.
“Let’s have a toast! Cheers!”
“Hey, stop drinking. Didn’t you say you’re leaving tomorrow morning?”
“It’s fine. Did you forget I can drink like a fish?”
“How are you going to drive?”
“You are, obviously. I’m sleeping here tonight. That’s why I brought my car.”
“You….”
He was speechless.
Still, he wasn’t mad.
It was a good thing to have a friend he could open up to.
Fortunately, they didn’t drink late into the night.
They had run out of soju at home.
He’d had a hard time stopping Il-sik from going out to buy more.
But when he asked if Il-sik was going to meet the kids reeking of alcohol, he quietly went and lay down.
He couldn’t show up smelling like booze in front of the younger kids from the orphanage. He lay down on the floor as if it were his own house and fell fast asleep.
He was even snoring loudly.
Na Dan-sik took a shower, came out, and laid out a blanket next to Yu Il-sik.
The snoring was loud, but he figured Il-sik must be exhausted, which made it understandable.
And more than anything, he was in a good mood, thinking about seeing the kids tomorrow after so long.
***
The next morning.
Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik set off for the orphanage in a small car.
It was the Cheonsa Orphanage, located on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province. The Director was Sister Oh Mari.
A short while later, they arrived at the orphanage.
It had been a long time, but the orphanage was still as neat and tidy as ever. The building was old, but the Director took excellent care of it.
From the entrance, he and Yu Il-sik carried boxes of gifts. As they entered the yard, children were running around and playing.
“Hey! It’s Mr. Il-sik!”
“Mr. Dan-sik is here too!”
The children spotted Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik and came running over.
“Hey kids, have you been well?”
“Yeah!”
“Mr. Dan-sik, it’s been a while.”
Boram, the oldest child at the orphanage, greeted him familiarly. Boram was in middle school.
“Boram, long time no see.”
“Seriously, that’s not cool, mister.”
“Sorry.”
“These are gifts for the kids, and this one’s for you.”
He had prepared a separate package with things Boram needed.
It was art supplies. Boram loved to draw.
“Thank you, mister.”
“Don’t mention it. Is the Director inside?”
“Of course. You should go in.”
While Boram took care of the other children, Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik went into the Director’s office.
“Director, we’re here.”
As Il-sik offered the first greeting, the Director saw Na Dan-sik and welcomed them warmly.
“Il-sik, and Dan-sik, you’re here too.”
“Have you been well, Director? It’s been too long.”
“I’m just grateful you come to visit like this. Have you been well?”
“Yes, I’ve been doing fine.”
Director Oh Mari was 65 years old this year.
It had only been a year since his last visit, but she seemed to have aged quite a bit.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“That’s just what happens when you get old. But Dan-sik, you look well.”
“Do I?”
“Yes, your face is glowing.”
Na Dan-sik chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
Just then, Yu Il-sik slung an arm around Na Dan-sik’s shoulder and said.
“Director, Dan-sik became a Hunter.”
Oh Mari looked at Na Dan-sik, her expression asking if it was true.
“Yes, that’s what happened.”
Oh Mari took Na Dan-sik’s hands.
Her wrinkled hands were so warm.
“You, a Hunter… That’s wonderful news, Dan-sik.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Even if you’re a Hunter, don’t do anything too dangerous.”
A note of concern crept into Oh Mari’s voice.
Na Dan-sik nodded.
“I won’t.”
Oh Mari then turned to Yu Il-sik.
“Il-sik, how have you been?”
“Same as always for me.”
“I heard you got into a big company. Is that not true?”
“Big company, small company, they’re all the same kind of organization.”
Yu Il-sik shrugged.
The Director clicked her tongue.
“Still, you worked hard to get in, so keep at it.”
“I am working hard. You worry too much.”
“Watch your mouth. Dan-sik, you keep him in line.”
“Don’t worry, Director.”
Yu Il-sik chuckled and stood up from his seat.
“We should get going, we need to prepare lunch. I’ve prepared a special barbecue today.”
“The children will love that.”
“Let’s go.”
Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik went out to the yard and prepared the barbecue.
They lit charcoal in the grill and cooked the meat, sausages, and mushrooms that Yu Il-sik had bought.
The children were ecstatic, as if it had been a long time since they’d seen meat.
“Mr. Dan-sik, give me lots of meat!”
“Me too! Me too!”
The children all held out their plates.
Boram mediated the situation.
“Kids, you have to sit quietly at the table. If you don’t listen, you won’t get any meat.”
“Aww, no!”
“We’ll sit.”
At the words of Boram, their little drill sergeant, the children hurried to their seats. Boram then served the meat.
Just watching the children eat made him feel full.
Na Dan-sik sat down with Yu Il-sik and Oh Mari.
“Director, please eat a lot.”
“Thank you, Il-sik. You eat a lot too.”
“I grilled yours to be extra tender, Director.”
It seemed she didn’t dislike Yu Il-sik’s consideration.
The meal ended in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
He hadn’t realized just how much the children had grown.
“Mister, let’s play!”
The children grabbed Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik by the hands.
Yu Il-sik smiled brightly and asked.
“What should we play?”
“Tag!”
“Soccer!”
The children’s opinions were divided.
“Alright, how about you play soccer with me, and tag with Mr. Dan-sik? How does that sound?”
“Okay!”
“I want to play tag now!”
Yu Il-sik was excitedly dragged away.
Na Dan-sik played tag with the others.
Perhaps because of his Awakening, his body felt light.
The sound of the children’s laughter as they ran around was pleasant to hear.
***
As the sun set, Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik cleaned up the yard.
They wiped down the barbecue grill and cleared the tables.
Afterward, the two of them had a cup of tea with Oh Mari.
Yu Il-sik handed Oh Mari an envelope.
“Il-sik, what is this?”
“I heard donations have been down lately. Dan-sik and I split it. It’s a little less than 10 million won.”
“You’re having a hard time too, why would you prepare something like this? It’s alright, there’s still donation money left.”
“The roof needs repairs for the winter, and heating costs aren’t cheap. Please take it. It’s not much.”
“What do you mean it’s not much? I know full well this is money you two worked hard for. Take it back.”
Smiling gently, Il-sik grabbed Na Dan-sik and stood up.
“We should get going now. And if you don’t accept it, just throw it away.”
“What?”
Oh Mari looked at Yu Il-sik, dumbfounded.
Na Dan-sik added a word.
“Director, please let us repay your kindness, even in this small way. The only reason we can live like decent human beings is because of you.”
“Dan-sik······.”
“It’s really not much. The children should be warm this winter.”
Oh Mari let out a sigh.
It seemed it wouldn’t be right to refuse any longer.
“I’ll put it to good use. Thank you.”
“We’ll really get going now.”
“We’ll come again, Director.”
As Na Dan-sik and Yu Il-sik took turns saying their goodbyes, Oh Mari nodded.
“Don’t see us out.”
“Alright. Get home safely.”
The two left the Director’s office, got into the small car, and drove away from the orphanage.
Boram and the children waved goodbye.
The car drove through the darkness.
Na Dan-sik gazed out the window, lost in thought.
‘I want to succeed.’
He was still a novice Hunter.
He wanted to become a proper Hunter and help the Director and the orphanage. Abandoned at the age of five, he had received Oh Mari’s warm care for over a decade.
The same was true for Yu Il-sik.
That was why Oh Mari was a lifelong benefactor and a parent to them. He wanted to be a good son to her.
‘I should buy her a massage chair next time.’
The thought of being able to help filled his heart with a sense of pride.
It was late at night when he arrived home.
Yu Il-sik dropped Na Dan-sik off and returned to his own place.
After he showered and came out, he saw he had a text message.
It was from Team Leader Jin Seon-hui.
[Mr. Na Dan-sik, would you happen to have time tomorrow? The Association President would like to see you.]
Na Dan-sik thought for a moment before replying.
[That’s fine.]
[Then, I will send a car for you at 10 a.m. tomorrow.]
[Yes, I understand. Thank you.]
He saw no reason to refuse.
Having made the appointment, he laid out a blanket on the floor and went to sleep.
***
10 a.m.
A black sedan picked up Na Dan-sik and departed.
The driver was silent.
A short while later, they arrived in Sangam-dong.
Buildings flashed by outside the car window.
The Korean Awakened Association was located in Sangam-dong.
When Gates first appeared, there were no countermeasures, and a break occurred.
That place was the World Cup Stadium in Sangam neighborhood.
The Gate exploded, causing a break that devastated the entire area. It was then that Awakened Hunters, including Kang Cheol-man, appeared and resolved the situation.
So that the day would not be forgotten, the government established the Awakened Association here and constructed the building.
He thanked the driver who had brought him and got out of the car.
Na Dan-sik looked up at the 50-story building that seemed to pierce the sky.
Its glass facade glittered in the sunlight.
People were bustling in and out of the building's entrance.
In the plaza in front of the building stood a massive sculpture.
It was a sculpture of a person holding a sword and shield.
The symbol of the Awakened Association.
Below the sculpture was a plaque.
[For Humanity]
The motto of the Awakened Association.
The lobby was spacious.
Jin Seon-hui was waiting in the lobby.
“Welcome, Mr. Na Dan-sik.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“Shall we go up, then?”
He nodded, and Na Dan-sik went up in the elevator with Jin Seon-hui.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. The Association President isn’t a scary person.”
“I can’t help but be nervous.”
Guided by Jin Seon-hui, Na Dan-sik stood before the Association President's office.
Jin Seon-hui knocked.
“Association President, I’ve brought Mr. Na Dan-sik.”
“Come in.”
Once permission was granted, Jin Seon-hui opened the door for him.
As he stepped inside, he saw a man in his sixties sitting at a large desk.
End.
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