Chapter 52: The Observer

After I quit sports, I drifted between countless part-time jobs.

“Hey, can someone with a bad back even do this kind of work?”

“I can do the packing. Just let me try.”

One of those jobs was at the wholesale market, working at the daily early-morning produce auction.

It was a job where I had to divide up the fruit that had been bid on, so the owners could sell it easily.

Even that put too much strain on my back, so I couldn’t last long at it, but…

“Eight thousand! I have eight thousand!”

Who knew something I picked up watching over someone’s shoulder would come in handy like this.

“All right, all right! If there are no more bids in the next 10 seconds, the auction ends. 10, 9, 8…”

【‘External Relations Department New Employee’ anxiously awaits the results.】

“7, 6, 5… Folks, we’re down to 5 seconds.”

【‘External Relations Department New Employee’ begs for no more bidding.】

Eight thousand points.

One observer offered eight thousand welfare points just to ‘experience’ me.

All for a memory that’s already passed, and just an hour at that.

A huge gain.

Even after deducting the 50% commission, I’d almost hit the mission goal of five thousand points right off the bat.

But, a little greed doesn’t hurt.

“Anyone not ready to give up yet? If no one else steps in within five seconds, it goes to our new employee.”

If I agitate the others just a bit more…

【‘Administration Department Crow’ snorts and places a bid.】

【10,000】

It worked.

“Ten thousand!”

The auction that started at a thousand points had climbed to ten thousand.

Spending ten thousand points on an hour of who-knows-what experience.

Not that I’m complaining.

‘If I have to do the mission anyway, I might as well make money off it.’

【‘External Relations Department New Employee’ lowers their head in disappointment.】

【‘Administration Department Crow’ lifts their chin, looking proud.】

The most active participants in the auction were four.

Besides the New Employee, the rest were all observers who’d been offering commentary from the start.

And among them—

【‘External Relations Department New Employee’ admits defeat and surrenders.】

【‘Administration Department Crow’ clicks their tongue, saying newbies should go learn the ropes.】

【‘Investigation Department Prince’ bows out, saying it’s over budget.】

The New Employee and Investigation Department Prince left the stage.

Apparently, even for them, it wasn’t a small sum.

Only two remained now.

Time ticked by.

【15,000】

An anonymous observer countered.

“Fifteen thousand!”

Fifteen thousand, huh.

After the commission, that’s a net gain of seventy-five hundred.

“I’ll start the ten-second countdown! 10, 9, 8…”

【The anonymous observer declares they’ll stop here.】

Even so, I counted down slowly.

Just in case.

“Three seconds left! Not five, not ten—three!”

And then, graciously, the Crow responded.

【‘Administration Department Crow’ declares no way and bids!】

【20,000】

Twenty thousand?

“Twenty thousand!”

【‘Investigation Department Prince’ asks if twenty thousand isn’t a month’s salary.】

【‘Administration Department Crow’ retorts that even with low pay, it’s not that bad.】

It was hard to tell if they were joking or serious.

“If there are no more bids within ten seconds, the auction ends. 10, 9, 8…”

【The anonymous observer laments their empty wallet!】

The last to give up appeared.

“…3, 2, 1.”

And then time was up.

Which meant—

“Sold!”

The person who would ‘experience’ me was chosen.

With that amount, two survivors could open the mid-tier shop. The price of 200 skeleton soldiers’ lives.

I’d earned that in the blink of an eye.

‘Even after the 50% commission, that’s a whopping ten thousand points.’

Add in the points I got as a reward from the last mission…

‘Incredible.’

---

【Observers who failed to bid smack their lips in disappointment.】

【‘Administration Department Crow’ can’t hide his excitement and pumps his fist!】

【Many observers are eager for hot-blooded youth content.】

The auction was over.

Regret for those who didn’t get what they wanted. Pride for the one who did.

And for me, nothing but unexpected cash.

[Are you some kind of pro at this or something?]

“I’m not sure what kind of pro you mean, but no.”

[Hmm.]

Harona’s voice dripped with disbelief, but a pro’s a pro.

[The auction money will come in right away. As a sponsorship.]

“That’s fine.”

[Channel access rights have been granted. Only for an hour, though.]

Work was always handled precisely.

[‘Administration Department Crow’ sponsors 20,000 welfare points!]

[After deducting the 50% administrator fee, the rest has been deposited.]

The money came in so quickly, a rare thing, that I couldn’t help but grin with satisfaction.

[Time limit is one hour.]

[Captivate your customer’s heart with compelling content!]

[The participant who earns the most in sponsorship will receive an extra reward.]

Just as my party left, the announcement echoed again.

[Participant ‘Lee Eunho.’ Entering your memory.]

[Warning: Beware of shock!]

Blink!

The world went dark, then reappeared.

Blink!

Again.

And then, my head felt like it was going to split.

‘Ugh!’

It felt like I’d been hit on the head with a blunt weapon.

More precisely, like being pummeled and now suffering the aftershocks.

With a headache so intense I couldn’t tell if this was real or fake, I clutched my head.

I squeezed my eyes shut without thinking, then opened them.

Fwoooosh—!

The scenery changed.

The half-collapsed building became a red track and blue sky.

The survival supplies I’d carefully gathered became crates of sports drinks.

The silence left after everyone departed to their own memories turned into a lively atmosphere.

‘I’m back.’

The day before the accident, the day of my last competition.

The moment I shined the brightest.

‘I swept the 100m, 400m, even the relay. Reporters came in droves.’

They called me the future of Korean track and field.

It feels strange.

Maybe it’s because everything—the sights, the sensations, the smells—is so vivid.

Even knowing it’s all fake, it tickles my heart for some reason.

A feeling that’s both thrilling and bittersweet.

[There is one experience participant waiting.]

Once I got a grip on myself, I saw a whitish fog by my side.

Is… is that supposed to be fog?

It looked vaguely human, so I stared at it.

[You rascal!]

The human-shaped fog barked at me.

[What are you doing? Hurry and start!]

Looks like this guy is the Crow.

He was just over two meters tall.

Even with the blurry features and build, his broad shoulders and size radiated intimidation.

His face and outfit were so indistinct, I couldn’t guess his identity.

[Transferring bodily control to the designated participant.]

[Do you consent?]

I nodded.

I gave my answer with a nod.

At that moment—

Dooong—!

Something churned inside my body.

It didn’t move the way I wanted. Someone was forcefully shaking me from within.

Dooong! Dooong—!

A deep resonance rose from the abyss.

I staggered. Something inside me was reeling.

So I clung on, barely.

Like my soles were glued to the ground, like every cell in my body was stuck to something sticky.

And finally—

Splat!

I was ejected.

From my own body, which stood there intact.

‘!!’

I stared at myself.

It felt just like when I met my doppelgänger at the academy.

“It worked! It worked!”

I spoke.

With a mouth I didn’t open, raising arms I didn’t lift.

Meanwhile, I—

Shff!

My hands were semi-transparent. People passed through my body without noticing.

…Just like a ghost.

‘From skeleton to ghost now?’

I’m fighting so hard not to die, and yet I keep ending up dead and revived.

Ironic.

“Ha ha ha ha! This is fun!”

Whether he understood my feelings or not, the Crow seemed to be having a blast.

He kept touching my body all over.

He talked to himself, unconcerned with how strange he looked to those around.

He went around touching things that were clearly not his, marveling at them.

Watching him, I felt a little anxious, sure he’d cause some trouble.

“Lee Eunho!”

Someone approached and tapped his shoulder.

The Crow’s eyes lit up as he turned.

‘Those guys…’

…Who were they again?

“Why aren’t you warming up?”

“If your record’s good, you don’t need to, huh?”

“Cocky bastard.”

Ah, now I remember.

They were the kids from the other school I always ran into at competitions.

Always losing to me, always trying to beat me with their mouths.

No wonder I didn’t recognize them after ten years.

[Hey, it’s nice seeing these punks after so long.]

Huh?

My words left my head and echoed out, just like the administrators’.

This is a weird feeling.

Anyway, I was about to tell him to ignore those nobodies.

But the Crow beat me to it.

“Ha ha ha ha! Warm up? The ‘body’?”

He let out a laugh that didn’t fit at all in a gathering of young up-and-comers.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Is he nuts?”

Whispers spread all around, but the Crow didn’t care.

He just kept laughing, “Ha ha ha ha!”

[Is that funny or what?]

“Of course it’s funny! Asking this body to… warm up this body!”

The Crow laughed louder, and the faces of those standing in his way twisted.

They must’ve thought he was looking down on them.

Maybe that’s why—

“Hey! You wanna shut that mouth?”

“This guy’s acting weird. Is he really Lee Eunho?”

Their discomfort and confusion mounted as they approached.

“Hey, looks like a fight’s starting over there.”

“Ugh, why fight here?”

And right at that tense moment, our Crow—

“That’s right! I am Lee Eunho!”

He raised his arms high and shouted again.

“You! You’re my subordinate!”

And then—

Wham!

He hugged him.

…The guy who was picking a fight.

“…?!”

[?!]

“…?!”

Crazy bastard. He’s nuts. He’s actually nuts.

Everyone watching muttered under their breath.

Well, except for the guy being hugged.

“You crazy bastard!”

Whack!

The kid—whose name I can’t even remember—kicked out.

The Crow caught his foot easily, without even blinking.

Thunk!

With his ankle caught, the kid’s balance shifted and he smacked his head.

“Y-you bastard…!”

The Crow replied nonchalantly.

“Oh dear! So you’re not a subordinate but an enemy?”

He twisted the wrist, just as calmly.

Crack!

“Arghhhh!”

And of course, the ankle in his grip—

That was the ankle of a player about to compete in the national tournament, by the way.

Arghhh!

The guy screamed in pain and fury, trying to stand, but the Crow never let go.

“You lunatic!”

“What the hell are you doing before a match?!”

He handled the others who charged in just as easily, with one hand.

Then, shouting, he asked:

“All right! Who else should I defeat? Where is the enemy camp?”

His eyes sparkled.

Ha.

This guy has seriously got the wrong genre.

This isn’t a battle series—it’s sports.

“Where? Who has made your blood boil like this?”

But—

[They’re not enemies…]

Maybe I’ll play along a little.

For customer satisfaction.

[It’s the will to win the match.]

“A match? What match do you speak of?”

[Here, this lane… no, just beat the people on this red track.]

“Oho!”

It’s just a memory anyway. Who cares what happens?

“So I just have to beat everyone on this field! Got it!”

No matter how roughly I explain, he twists it to his liking.

“Where are the weapons?!”

[There aren’t any. It’s all about your body’s strength.]

“Of course! A true warrior should win with his bare hands!”

What a shounen manga protagonist.

“Wait, don’t tell me I have no troops either?”

[Of course not. Just think of it as an extreme situation.]

“Aha! So you’ve thrown me into an extreme scenario on purpose! Understood!”

Nothing bad for me.

So—

[That’s enough, right? Go have fun.]

Step.

I turned around without hesitation.

I had a mountain of things to do outside.

“Where are you going?!”

[Uh… to investigate?]

“What? You’re not going to watch my exploits?!”

The Crow yelled, eyes wide.

[You can see better from a distance, right?]

“Oho! You’re clever! Ha ha ha ha!”

He burst out laughing again.

Until the gang of angry kids rushed him and I left the stadium.

---

Plop!

I left the stadium and took a seat on a bench nearby.

As far in the corner as possible.

It was a spot I’d never have sat in, not even by accident.

‘Even the things I don’t remember are recreated here.’

A place I didn’t know. People I didn’t know. Smells I didn’t know.

Everything was recreated.

It was no different from reality.

Except for the “rankings” floating above.

〔Live Sponsorship Rankings〕

1. Lee Eunho (20,000 points)

2. Kim Sae-ah (1,000 points)

3. Song Guyoung (500 points)

4. -

5. -

Because the 20,000 points from the experience fee all counted as sponsorship, of course I started at number one.

[The participant with the most sponsorship will receive a special reward.]

The administrator probably thinks I’m aiming for the number one sponsorship reward.

Not entirely wrong.

But the real reason I put someone else in my body—

“Connect.”

[Participant Lee Eunho, would you like to access the ‘Eye’?]

—was to become an ‘Observer.’

“While the experience is ongoing, I’d like to be given observer rights.”

[What? Why would you want that?]

I slipped in the condition as if it were nothing.

‘Thank goodness she let it slide.’

A lightweight mission to rate the participants’ appeal.

It’s not like failing means death, just a bonus game.

At first, I thought so too.

But—

‘This changes everything.’

[Participant Lee Eunho, ‘Eye’ connection complete!]

Information.

Other than me and the companions I’ve met so far—who else is still alive?

What kind of “core memories” do they have?

If I’m lucky, maybe even their special skills.

[Set your observer name.]

I could know it all.

And all one-sidedly.

[Anonymous.]

Is there any greater advantage than this?

Fwoosh—!

Hundreds of screens popped up, like a grid.

Someone’s memory. A bookmark stuck right in the middle of their life.

‘200, 210, 220… That’s more than I expected. Must be only Yongsan District survivors.’

If not for these circumstances, I wouldn’t want to snoop on so many memories.

Leisure. Travel. Romance. The stuff of daily life.

And packed in between, assault. Murder. Arson…

‘Are these memories from after the mission started?’

It was obvious everyone chose the most exciting, stimulating memories possible.

People beating, killing, and toying with each other—just for “excitement.”

And then—

Right next to a memory of nasty school bullying—

‘Ji-eun?’

A close-up of a woman’s face caught my eye.

Short hair, pale skin.

Her eyes were closed. Maybe she was sleeping.

But then…

‘Huh?’

She was being held in someone’s arms.

[She… had a boyfriend?]

I didn’t know that.

Just as I was about to look away, thinking I shouldn’t keep watching—

A familiar face caught my eye.

Wait. That’s…

[…Me?]