The air was foul.
That was the first sensation the green-haired woman felt. Because it was the place where the Hero was born and raised, she had certain expectations.
However, the Concrete Jungle that replaced the blue forests didn’t possess even a shred of warmth.
‘Where should I find the Hero?’
Nobody knew where the Hero was.
No, it seemed they didn’t even know of the Hero’s existence.
The Hero she knew was not someone who would receive such indifference from others. He was noble, a savior, and a watcher.
‘He might be hiding his power.’
In the past, the Hero with great power suffered many tragedies because of it.
She had once heard him lamenting with sorrowful eyes, saying that it might have been better if he had no power at all.
She began her search again, holding onto the hope that the Hero would be somewhere.
Today, her condition felt a bit better.
On the first day she arrived, she couldn’t sleep properly because of the chill from sleeping on the bare ground. However, seeing the seniors who were homeless like her, she noticed them sleeping covered in paper.
Items made of paper were expensive, but this place was different.
To give out such high-quality paper, and for free at that.
After sleeping under a free Life Information Newspaper, she had managed to sleep quite comfortably. She had slept a bit, but hunger was gradually setting in.
She had some Elf’s Rations, but as the name suggested, it was only a small amount.
The Inventory she possessed contained currency and survival tools used by humans, but she never expected the System to be this damaged. Even if it was difficult, she had to find the Hero.
Day 4.
It was hard to find even a shadow of the Hero.
Day 5.
She ran out of food, but it was okay. In this place, there was something called a Free Soup Kitchen. It was tastier than expected.
Day 6.
She hadn’t known, but she learned that every street had its owner. It was information that had not been injected into her System knowledge. Even among the homeless, there were factions and groups.
Day 7.
There was a struggle among the homeless. She fought to protect her territory.
Day 8.
The homeless faction she belonged to was victorious.
Day 9.
The Free Soup Kitchen was delicious.
Day 10.
People began to call her “sister” constantly.
Day 11.
Strangers began to come by and greet her, introducing themselves as part of certain factions.
Day 30.
She got a job.
‘Should I have gone with pork instead of Hanwoo?’
“President, give us twenty more servings here!”
“Yes, yes, I’ll bring them right away. Hoho.”
My income has improved a bit, though.
“President, twenty more servings!”
“Yes, yes.”
Phew… I made a mistake. We came to a high-end Hanwoo restaurant for a company dinner. If it were just the others, it would have been fine.
But I completely forgot that Karin was here for a moment. I don’t know for sure, but this girl looks ready to devour several cows.
“Seoyeon, should I order you some rice?”
“No.”
“You should eat some rice with your meal.”
“No. I’ll just fill my stomach with beef.”
Dammit. If it were pork, I could at least cook it thoroughly to slow her down. Since beef is eaten lightly cooked, she devours it even faster. I can’t even count how many servings Karin has polished off by herself.
Seeing that, Seohyeonji spoke up with an envious look. “Seoyeon really eats well. I’m jealous.”
“Hehe. You should eat a lot too, sister. The Coach is paying.”
‘Maybe I should just shoot your head too?’
“I’m the type that gains weight the moment I eat,” Seohyeonji said.
“It’s zero calories if it tastes good, sister.”
‘That’s only for you.’
All the calories that girl consumed were being converted to her Territory, so she wasn’t gaining any weight. If she gained weight as she ate, she would have been a giant by now.
“Anyway, it’s nice to see you eating so well. I’ll grill more for you. Eat up,” Seohyeonji added.
“Hehe, I love you, sister.”
The sound of meat sizzling filled the air, and the drinks went around a few times. I’ll lose a lot of money, but I should at least treat the team members who are working hard. They need to eat well to work well.
“This is Hanwoo! It makes my head spin! It is extremely delicious.”
Eat a lot. I’ll be spending a lot for tomorrow, too.
“But Team Leader. Have you really never dated a woman?” Kim Taeyang asked with a flushed face.
“Me? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Usually, in creative works, the hero who transfers to another world is surrounded by heroines. Right, that’s only possible because it’s fiction.
I’m saying this because I’ve been there; there’s no such thing. It’s all just dark, sweaty men, and there’s no time for pink romance when you’re always fighting for your life.
“Coach never had a woman.”
‘This brat?’
I wondered why there were rumors that I was a lifelong solo, and it turned out this girl’s mouth was the problem. I feel a sudden urge to pull back all the beef she’s eating right now.
“Honestly, if I put my mind to it — “
“Ooh, Team Leader’s baseless confidence.”
Seohyeonji. I want to put that smirking lip back in its place.
“I thought everyone here didn’t have a partner?” I asked. But why are they only picking on me?
“Actually, I have one…”
“Aw, Team Leader, of course we have partners. Ah, how disappointing.”
Kim Inho and Kim Taeyang spoke almost at the same time.
I immediately went to check, and they really had them. There was a photo of them making heart shapes with their hands affectionately with their girlfriends. Suddenly, I was speechless.
“You guys have girlfriends while working for me?”
“Uh, Team Leader. Isn’t that a problematic statement?”
I thought they wouldn’t have time to date because I worked them so hard. Wow, capable people really are different. I should manage their time even more tightly and crush them. Break up, break up.
“Still, it’s reassuring that I have my brothers.”
“Why are you looking at me?”
You don’t have one either.
“What are you saying? I just haven’t said anything because I have too many ears listening everywhere.”
What, does he have one too? Then again, he’s a fairly popular celebrity, so there’s no reason he couldn’t find a partner.
“Ah, Team Leader. Now that we’ve had some drinks, let’s play a truth game for fun.”
“Truth? I’ve always been truthful.”
“Come on, if you want, Team Leader, we can introduce you to someone anytime. If you put your mind to it, they’d be lining up!”
Kim Taeyang was praising me for once. Then, with a satisfied smile, he pulled something out. It was a device shaped like a human palm. There were sensors at the fingertips, and it was designed to strap onto the wrist. It was the Lie Detector I’d seen on variety shows.
“The indispensable item for a truth game, the Lie Detector!”
“Whoa, Kim Taeyang, look at this preparation.”
‘Why does he carry something like this around?’
“The voltage is higher than the ones you find in stores, so even for a Hunter, it’ll sting quite a bit. You won’t be able to hold it in,” Kim Taeyang said, looking at me.
Is he challenging me? He clearly came here with me as his target. I grabbed Kim Taeyang’s hand as he smiled meaningfully and strapped it into the Lie Detector. Caught in an instant, Kim Taeyang blinked in surprise since it happened in the blink of an eye.
“Huh? Team Leader?”
“Now, what does our Taeyang think of me?”
“Isn’t that question prone to misunderstanding — “
“Don’t dodge the question.”
Say it clearly.
“Of course, you’re the person I respect and… ah, damn it!”
Kim Taeyang’s hand twitched. He met my eyes and slowly looked away. How interesting.
“Now, here comes the next question.”
“Te—Team Leader?”
“Have you ever wanted to hit me?”
“Aw, that’s just ridiculous.”
“Answer me.”
“Of course not… Gack!”
Kim Taeyang’s body trembled. The device was definitely legit. After about 10 minutes, Kim Taeyang was shaking like a frog struck by lightning. This was more fun than I thought.
“Inho.”
Inho looked at me with fear. I nodded. Inevitably, Kim Inho sat in the seat of truth.
“I respect the Team Leader the most and trust him the most. It’s all sincere!”
Kim Inho gave a passionate confession. The foreign guys whistled. The Lie Detector lit up the truth lamp. Oh, Kim Inho!
“Inho, haven’t there been many times you wanted to hit the Team Leader?” Kim Taeyang suddenly asked from the side.
‘This guy. He’s framing our Inho.’
Our Inho was different from Taeyang. He said he respected me.
“Uh, that. How could I ever think of such a— hmph!”
Kim Inho’s body began to tremble. His fingers, which had slipped off the sensor, stiffened as if electrocuted. Sweating, Kim Inho looked at me.
Kim Inho, even you.
“Pfft.”
Seohyeonji laughed seeing the two Kims getting hit. The two Kims and I watched Seohyeonji. Her lips returned to their place as she stopped laughing.
“What? What is it?”
Seohyeonji stood up in surprise as she saw the three of us approaching. The two Kims held her from both sides, and I secured the Lie Detector to her hand.
“What? Why me! Let go of me right now!”
It was already equipped.
“I am the prettiest in the world,” I prompted.
“What?” Seohyeonji narrowed her eyes and glared at me. “That goes without saying.”
…
‘Look at her saying that with a straight face.’
“Do you have a partner right now, or not?”
“Why are you curious? I told you earlier!”
“Uh-huh. Hurry up.”
My intuition said she had one.
“I… but does this hurt a lot?”
At Seohyeonji’s question, Kim Taeyang showed her his finger. It was still red and swollen. Seeing that, Seohyeonji lowered her head as if giving up.
“I don’t have one…”
‘I knew it. Don’t act so high and mighty.’
I was about to mock Seohyeonji when Kim Taeyang suddenly asked a question. “Have you ever seen the Team Leader as a man?”
‘Why are you dragging me into this all of a sudden?’
At Kim Taeyang’s unexpected question, Seohyeonji’s lips trembled.
“Oh, sister can’t speak?”
As Kim Taeyang smiled deviously, Seohyeonji scoffed as if it were absurd. “This is so ridiculous. I don’t have a single bit of interest, okay?”
“Sister.”
“What? Why? I answered, so that’s enough!”
“It’s not that. You have to put your finger on it.”
Seohyeonji was keeping her hand off the sensor.
“Ah, what are you talking about! No, aaagh!”
Seohyeonji let out a short scream but then immediately put on a composed expression.
‘Wow, as expected of an actress.’
Watching her pretend to be relaxed while tears welled up in her eyes, Kim Taeyang spoke up. “Sister, I’m sorry…”
“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you’re having. It’s not like that person is a woman, he’s a man! What kind of question is that?”
Seohyeonji huffed and pushed the Lie Detector toward me. The two Kims stood on either side of me.
“Do you think the three of you can take me on?”
“…”
Knowing my words were true, everyone was silent.
“If you’re prepared to take, you should be prepared to be taken from. I’m not a thug.”
It wouldn’t be fair if it ended like this. I obediently put on the Lie Detector. I’ve always been a truthful person. Even with something like this, there was no need for me to lie.
“Ahem. Team Leader, about Sister Hyeonji…”
‘I knew it.’
“She’s a colleague.”
Everyone looked at the Lie Detector. Naturally, it was the truth.
“What kind of novels or cartoons are you guys watching? Why would colleagues have other feelings for each other?”
“Ah, right?” Kim Inho answered half-heartedly.
“Team Leader, are you by any chance afraid of ghosts?”
“Why would I be afraid of those? You can just hit them.”
Honestly, I was scared in the past. But I’ve overcome it now. I experienced last time that there’s nothing that can’t be solved with physical force.
“Wow, Team Leader, was there really no opponent you were afraid of?”
“There was.”
‘What’s with those “that’s impossible” looks?’
I had times when I was weak too, and there were certainly opponents I feared. Honestly, the Demon King. I won in the end, but he was a difficult opponent. The ocular techniques he used were annoying, and if you dealt damage to him, the same damage would return to us…
“Hehe, we really need to introduce a girlfriend to our Team Leader soon. How can you live to be age 30 without even being able to kiss once?” Kim Taeyang’s spirits rose as he started acting up.
“Actually, I’ve done it all.”
“Huh?” Kim Taeyang blinked, seeing that my words were true.
“Not like a one-time thing when you were young.”
“I’ve done it many times.”
“How, how much?”
“Almost every day?”
“…”
“You end up doing it a lot during a war.”
“…!”
When holding a funeral for a fallen comrade, you kiss their forehead. Wishing that peace would reside in their death. I’ve sent many comrades away. Every time I sent a comrade away, my resolve grew. I had to become stronger.
“Uh, have you also… slept… with someone?”
“Slept? I sleep every day.”
“No, that… you know what I mean. With the opposite sex.”
Kim Taeyang’s cautious question made Seohyeonji and Kim Inho scan my mouth and the Lie Detector.
“Of course. It’s obvious, I’ve slept with them a lot.”
It’s fine when there’s a siege or when there are barracks. Under difficult circumstances like being pursued by the enemy, men and women sleep all tangled together. These people, who don’t know the horrors of war, wouldn’t understand. But why were the questions so weird?
“I have something I’m curious about for you guys — “
“Let’s stop now, it’s not even fun.”
“Wait, wait a minute. That… you said you’ve never had a girlfriend…”
‘This is a bit of a pride-damaging question.’
At age 30. This wouldn’t do; I really should get an introduction from somewhere.
“I haven’t. Ah, more accurately, there was no one I considered a partner.”
The faces of the three of them were a bit strange, as if they were looking at a filthy person.
“Lowlife…”
“All of a sudden?”
‘What are all three of them talking about?’
It wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t touching. I took off the detector and left my seat to go to the bathroom. The three of them began to whisper to each other with shocked faces.
“I didn’t know he was that kind of person…”
“I know, you really can’t tell with people…”
They must have been drunk. Just then, the voice of a news briefing caught my ear.
— Messages saying “Looking for the Hero” are spreading through Seoul, centered on SNS.
‘What is that now?’
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