Chapter: 116. Slum (2)
It took about 5 seconds for the thief to become a thief.
With a thud, bowling ball Baek Sihyeon’s body slammed into him, sending the thief flying down the hallway like a bowling pin.
Did Baek Sihyeon adjust her strength, or is the thief just sturdy enough? Either way, there was no visible sign of a person who might be left disabled.
Instead…
Crash!
The flying thief collided with a pipe hanging from the ceiling, and the old, rusty, and twisted metal couldn’t withstand the impact.
Creak, creak.
With the sound of twisting metal, the muddy sewage poured down onto the fallen thieves below.
Thus, human trash mixed with sewage was created by sheer bad luck.
Hmmm. I’ve decided.
“Let’s get rid of the trash.”
Carrying that around would drag our dignity down to the depths of hell.
“Isn’t this your fault, Senpai?”
My dear student. It’s unjust for the master.
“Did I ever tell them to do theft for a living, or to stick their hands in the toilet? It’s all their own doing.”
“That’s true, but…”
Han Abin didn’t have much to say and let her words trail off.
Though she kept quiet, I could predict what she wanted to say: ‘Isn’t that a bit harsh?’ That was a disaster even I could see.
It would take several days of soaking in hot water to wash off that stench…
Not my concern.
“Hey, Sihyeon, let’s leave those guys behind and go somewhere else. I don’t want to dirty my clothes any more.”
My voice calling my student echoed in the alley.
With a vigorous reply, Baek Sihyeon returned, chasing the fleeing thief.
At a glance, it looked like she was running wildly, but the way she swiftly dodged the muck showed even she didn’t want to step in it.
“What was over there?”
“It was just the same here!”
Just the same, huh?
I glanced over the path we had taken and Baek Sihyeon’s return route.
…Wasn’t it all the same once we entered?
Lost in thought, I knocked on a pipe nearby, pretending there was something there, but all I got back was the echo of the hollow sound, without any useful information.
I could break through the wall and go straight, but that would likely alert any villain or monster who notices the commotion and might risk destroying someone’s home…
“Let’s go this way.”
I pointed to a side path.
The front was a mess of filth, and we had already passed the back, so sideways it was.
“Is that one a bit better…?”
Han Abin, having experienced an attack already, seemed to have built distrust towards me and asked warily.
“Trust your master a bit; I don’t want to be in a place like this for long either.”
I turned to her with a confident expression.
She took a big breath, seemingly reassured, but soon realized her mistake and her skin turned green.
“It’s better to breathe through your mouth. Or get used to it like I did.”
Saying that, I pulled out a protrusion from the wall and threw it behind me.
Thud.
The beautiful sound of flesh meeting metal echoed, and the escaping thief passed out.
Satisfied with the excellent throw, I nodded and slowly moved forward.
The remaining students looked at each other nervously, but in the end, they followed my lead.
In the corridor filled with an unknown rumbling and the sensation that the very building was shaking, the three pairs of footsteps resounded.
Riding the wind, I sensed a subtle difference, and I raised my head, pulling my nose up.
Amidst the terrible stink, the smell of burnt rubber wafted through.
“Let’s go this way.”
If this place has remained the same, there should be a resting spot over there.
Though it’s different from what we’re looking for, the very act of escaping this garbage heap, even if just for a moment, would be worthwhile.
“That’s already more than ten times…”
With a tone of complaint and fatigue wafting from her voice, Han Abin opened her mouth.
Have we really chosen a new path more than ten times? I can remember the occurrences of thieves.
The last one we encountered was the fourth.
The impact of choosing a path is significant, unlike the count of encounters, so it sticks in my mind.
Three civilians, one villain.
It’s baffling how they all ended up with valuable information but got stuffed into that sewage.
“If we go there, we can rest a bit.”
“I don’t believe you…”
“Then don’t. But that place is really a resting spot, I think.”
“Hey Sihyeon, let’s leave Abin and go together.”
I spoke to the quietly following Baek Sihyeon instead of the dying Han Abin…
However, strangely, Baek Sihyeon was quiet without answering.
She just followed behind, squinting and staggering in silence.
…Sihyeon?
Feeling something was off, I called her again, but still, she only swayed side to side.
Had she gotten hit by something from the villain earlier?
Was she mysteriously weak after all? Could it be that she had lost her mind?
“Baek Sihyeon!”
So the moment I grabbed her hand…
“Ah! Yes, it’s Baek Sihyeon! Is it another enemy? Where should I rush in?!”
What the heck?
Suddenly, Baek Sihyeon opened her eyes and began spouting nonsense.
She looked like she didn’t even know what was happening, creating a weapon from thin air and looking around her.
After scanning the surroundings for a moment…
“Master, where are the enemies?”
Could it be…
“Were you sleeping?”
“No.”
It’s a lie.
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
Seeing her continuously deny her mistake, a sigh escaped me as a master.
“Sihyeon. Even so, it’s true you slept, right? Denying it like that is a bit…”
Han Abin, despite being Baek Sihyeon, couldn’t let this slide and chimed in.
“As Abin says, Sihyeon, you were in the wrong here.”
Could it be because we both scolded her from either side? Baek Sihyeon seemed dejected, lowering her hammer and staring at the ground.
…I’m sorry.
The downcast voice of Sihyeon was a rare sound. It must be because she knows she did something wrong.
I continued to encourage Baek Sihyeon.
“To be exact, it’s not that you fell asleep while moving. If you could do that, it would actually be great.”
“Yes? Senpai, what do you mean?”
Hmm? Did Han Abin disagree with me?
“It’s not that dangerous a place; it’s good to rest when you can. But, Sihyeon…”
…Could it be that Senpai is also acting like that?
Ignoring the annoying local broadcast, I continued.
“If you feel like sleeping, make sure to inform everyone around. That way, your comrades can take care of you. If you don’t let them know, they’ll react slowly, and you might end up separated.”
“Senpai? Am I the strange one?”
Abin, be quiet.
No matter what Han Abin’s reaction was, Baek Sihyeon’s eyes sparkled, seeming energized by my advice.
“Master, I’m going to sleep now!”
Our little student, eager to put her newfound knowledge immediately into practice!
“That can wait a bit.”
However, I can’t allow it right now.
“You’ll be able to rest comfortably soon.”
As I said that to my students, I quietly moved forward through the alley.
Unlike the places we had walked so far, there was not much muck to squish through.
No pipes that made us keep our heads down, and the electric wires that tried to trip us were absent from this corridor.
It must be because a lot of people used it.
Thus, I increased my pace.
As the sounds of footsteps behind me faded away, I felt an intensified sensation.
The sticky, greasy texture and slipperiness.
The smell of burnt ash.
Perhaps it’s because I used to come and go here frequently, but familiar sensations began reviving memories in my mind.
Vividly imprinted in my memory is the memory of a particular market.
And not long after, a narrow corridor opened up into an expansive space. That scenery entered my field of vision.
Not the corridor created inside a building, but a wide alley formed between buildings.
If there’s even a slight gap in the ground, they aim to expand their territory by building up.
What an unusual sight it was, an open space in a straight line.
Though clothes hanging between buildings and electrical wires seemingly about to collapse were hidden under a canopy of nylon tarps to block the rain, sunlight wasn’t reaching.
Instead of natural light, the gray lamps, stained with grease, cast a dim light.
“Senpai, it’s too fast… Wow…”
“Wow… Amazing.”
The late-arriving students were astonished, seemingly surprised by the sight.
It was only natural.
This place had a totally different atmosphere from what we had passed through.
“Grilled skewers all for 500 won!”
“Good quality ice for 250,000 won!”
“We have soap and toothpaste. All for 10,000 won!”
“Hey there, I can cut your hair and pull your teeth too! I can give you a good deal!”
“Hey, you there! Come here and don’t forget to take out the insides!”
A huge market vibrant with people.
Even in the slum, the merchants seemed to struggle to prove their worth, as the walls of the buildings flanking the market were consumed by signboards.
Of course, the signs were so rusted and dirty it was impossible to determine what kind of store was what, but they loudly called out to attract customers.
“I’ll have one skewer.”
With my students having followed along, we approached a nearby stand to order some skewers.
“Yes, it’s 500 won.”
“Do you accept outside currency?”
“What’s the year of issue?”
Familiar currency checking.
Outside, you wouldn’t even bat an eye at coins, but inside here it’s a different story.
I pulled out a 500-won bill and stared at it.
It was hard to tell due to the poor lighting, but rotating it around helped me get a rough idea.
“2011.”
“That works.”
“Still riddled with counterfeit bills, huh?”
I flipped the 500 won at the vendor and asked that.
“Yes, the probability of not accepting anything from 2015 onwards is quite high, so be careful.”
The vendor replied, giving information about the latest counterfeits.
By the way, 500 won for grilled skewers.
The prices are still a mess.
I know that there are many fakes, so bills aren’t used here, but does food still cost 500 won?
While I was thinking that, the vendor confirmed the year of issue and began deep frying the skewers I ordered in black oil.
I should gather as much information as I can.
“How’s the current exchange rate?”
The vendor suddenly quieted down.
Does he want me to buy one more?
“Give me one of those too.”
I flicked another 500 won coin.
“Yes! Thank you! And about the exchange rate? Nowadays, coins are 115, while bills are 240.”
240, huh.
Tsk. I should have brought them in coins.
“Where’s the nearest exchange office?”
“If you go into that alley, there’s an exchange office certified by the association, so you should use that one.”
With one hand holding the skewers, the vendor pointed toward a dark alley.
“Good luck with your sales.”
“Thank you!”
I stuffed two blackened skewers into my mouth and turned back to my students.
My students approached me, fascinated by the mysterious black skewers but recoiled once they confirmed what they were.
Creak.
The firm taste of scorpion skewers filled my mouth.
Damn, they were undercooked.
With the crunchy taste expected from the fry, all I tasted was the sliminess of undercooked insides.
At least the tails seemed to have been treated, so I could taste the crispy flavor and the spicy seasoning, but that was it.
It was exactly worth 500 won.
“What’s that… what is it…?”
…It’s a scorpion, right…?
“It’s a specialty bug skewer of the landfill.”
Stuffing the remaining two scorpions into my mouth, I rolled the one that was at least chewable in my tongue and offered the last one to my students.
“Want a spider? This one should be pretty good.”
While the prickly hairs that played along my tongue and throat were slightly concerning, it’s an interesting stimulus once you get used to it. The insides would surely be cooked enough to kill off any potential poison.
…“I’ll pass.”
…“Do I have to eat it?”
Both of them showed intense revulsion on their faces.
Well, it’s understandable if you’re not used to it.
“If you don’t want it, then let’s head for the exchange office.”
I tossed the empty skewer from my right hand and pushed the spider into my left hand.
Though the spider lacked the crunchy texture of the scorpions, when I bit down reflexively due to the prickly hairs on my tongue…
Splurt.
Juices flowed out from inside.
Chewing through a bitter base flavor while heading towards the exchange office mentioned by the vendor, it felt like the spider was worth its weight in gold.
My students seemed so frightened by the falling empty skewers they hurriedly turned away, but they would get used to it in time.
This is all about social experience. Social experience.
There are indeed people in Seoul who eat bugs.
You might not have known this.
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