Second dimensional mercenary

Second-Dimensional Mercenary Volume 1, Chapter 3

“What are you staring at? I’ve become a bit more respectable, haven’t I? You feel like there’s a halo around me, don’t you?”

Lee Ji-gyeong raised his chin and smirked at my gaze.

“Yeah, it shines, like dog oil.”

“Haha. Dog oil, huh? Why not just say it honestly?”

“…Fine, honestly, I’m envious. I heard you’re doing well these days?”

Without hesitation, I raised my hand.

In the Republic of Korea, no, in Capitalist Korea, the greatest good is a stable job. From that perspective, Lee Ji-gyeong is a man who practices the highest form of goodness, so it’s only natural to be envious.

“You’ve pulled yourself together. You used to make your parents worry a lot, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah, I did.”

It’s a bit rude to nod when the person is right there, but in his case, that’s the truth.

The wandering years of adolescence. Everyone goes through it, but for him, that period stretched all the way into his mid-twenties.

He gave up on college early, and his parents tried to get him to learn a trade and get a job, but even that was filled with drinking and fighting every day.

His parents probably had their hearts torn to pieces. Especially since there was a respectable college student (me) next door.

“Sorry, this is a sudden topic.”

“…Really sudden. What is it?”

I tilted my head at his unexpected apology.

“I used to wish for you to fail a lot. I was envious of your family… I even resented it.”

Lee Ji-gyeong, his face tanned from the sun, looked like a man in his mid-forties as he spoke heavily.

“You and I were both troublemakers in middle school. Then suddenly, you started studying on your own. Your father kept telling me to learn from you, like I should be more like you. Damn it.”

I had expected this, but hearing it from him still felt new.

Ah, the fleeting youth.

“I bet that pissed you off. Next door, a respectable college student, and your son was a rebellious punk… I knew it wasn’t easy for you. But it’s all about insecurity. That’s why the wandering lasted longer.”

“…Yeah, and my father got involved too.”

I smiled bitterly as I recalled the past.

My beloved and respected father. He was great in many ways, but one of his bad habits was excessive bragging about his children.

I don’t know what made him so proud, going to a high school senior’s house to boast about college acceptance letters.

Sigh. Dad, people would laugh if they heard that.

“So you must’ve been happy to see our family like this, right?”

“No, no. That’s not it.”

At my bitter remark, he quickly waved his hands in panic.

“What kind of nasty thing are you saying? No, not at all. In fact, I thought this way. You never know what’ll happen in life. Even if I’m envious, I’ll just keep quiet and not resent it.”

A face that was tense but firm.

Ah. This kid has really grown up.

“Yeah, yeah, life is unpredictable. Hey, I heard your salary is 5,000? That’s impressive?”

“…Well, about that. After tips, it’s around that.”

He rubbed his chin.

“Wait, you’re excluding tips?”

“Caddies actually make more in tips. If you serve the chairman well, you can make… around 8,000 a year.”

“Eight thousand!”

Wow! This guy really has a glow behind his face!

“Caddies are caddies, but I’m more of a mid-level one. I follow corporate chairman and CEOs, but the really good caddies follow the players. Have you seen players like Park Sherry on TV? World star… LPGA… golf players… blah blah blah.”

I couldn’t understand half of it. I thought caddies were just the ones who carry golf bags, but this is no joke.

‘Sigh, what’s the use of a college degree if it costs millions in tuition?’

A college graduate is worse off than a high school graduate working as a caddie.

Did this guy used to envy me? That’s really a thing of the past! Now I envy this guy to death!

‘Damn it, someone change things! Someone!’

The Republic of Korea is a democratic country. It means that the will of the people is the highest priority.

Wait, should I change the wording? North Korea, for example, has the official name ‘The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,’ so technically, it’s a democracy in name. Let me clarify again: the Republic of Korea is a capitalist society.

The word ‘ism’ in that context is quite meaningful.

I mentioned earlier, right? In a democracy, the will of the people is the highest priority. Then, what’s the top priority in a capitalist society?

Capital. Money is the most important thing in society. People come second.

Knowledge, degrees, conscience, all that doesn’t matter. The greatest value is money.

Does it sound strange to say money is good? Well, some religions that preach goodness teach people to live kindly, but for them, the highest value is faith.

Without faith, it’s hell. They don’t care if you live kindly and accumulate virtue; if you lack faith, you’ll suffer forever in the eternal hell.

Just like faith is the highest value in religion, money is the highest value in capitalist South Korea.

At least, in 2012 South Korea.

‘I would sell my soul to get a job.’

I agree. Unless you rely on illegal methods like robbery, murder, or pillaging, the most legitimate and fastest way to make money is through a job.

A stable job is the ultimate good.

“Should we talk for a bit?”

After passing the drink for a while, Lee Ji-gyeong’s face hardened.

“Suddenly, what’s this about? Didn’t you want to meet because you had something to talk about?”

“…Can you tell?”

“Yeah, a lot. So, stop now.”

Hmm, this guy is quick to pick up on things. He’s nothing like before. He used to be like a fish that would bite the hook easily.

I sighed and hesitated a little before speaking.

“Give me the dog’s phone number. You know him, right?”

“Dog?”

“Bastard.”

At my words, Lee Ji-gyeong’s face stiffened. There’s only one person I ever call a bastard.

“Jo Minsoo? Why?”

“He came by our house today.”

“Ha, that bastard’s gone crazy. He’s got no place to go.”

As I mentioned before, he lives next door to us. So, naturally, he knows about the situation between Minsoo and me.

“Now that he’s living well, I guess his conscience is waking up. Yeah, he said he’s making money now.”

“…Is he making a lot of money?”

“Yeah, a lot. More than me. He was talking about his salary being in the tens of millions.”

Chug!

Lee Ji-gyeong quickly gulped down his soju.

I just listened. Yeonwoo also mentioned Lexus and Armani. No joke, he’s really making a lot of money.

“He’s an insurance broker. I guess it suits him. It’s all about dealing with people and flattering them.”

Kick!

I smirked slightly.

“So, in the end… it’s basically the same thing he was doing before, right?”

“…Multilevel marketing and insurance are different, Cheol-ho.”

“It’s the same. He’s selling people out, right?”

At my words, Lee Ji-gyeong’s face hardened slightly.

“It’s different. It’s a legal job, and he’s just getting some help from his network. Multilevel marketing and insurance are as different as armed robbery and the police. Are you saying that because I’m holding a golf club and the chairman is holding one too, we’re on the same level?”

“Well…”

I hesitated. It wasn’t because his logic made sense. It was because, thinking about it, Lee Ji-gyeong…

‘Ji-yeon is an insurance broker, isn’t she?’

Damn, I just realized. In my anger, I ended up grouping Minsoo and Ji-gyeong’s sister together. That was such a rude mistake.

“And he’s changed a bit.”

Slurp.

Lee Ji-gyeong sighed and poured more alcohol.

“Did you… meet him?”

“By chance last month.”

Chug!

Lee Ji-gyeong emptied his glass in one go.

“We were out golfing with the chairman, and I ran into that bastard. But when he saw me, he dropped to his knees right there.”

“…What?”

Dropped to his knees? That bastard?

I was momentarily speechless.

Jo Minsoo. The guy who thought he was the best in the world.

The same guy who caused irreparable damage to our family and then yelled, asking what he did wrong.

“Looks like he came to his senses. He was really a bastard back in the day.”

“Hmph. Even if he came to his senses, he’s still a bastard…”

“Cheol-ho, you might not have seen it, but that place was a golf course, a golf course. It’s the spot where the chairman and CEO are often gathered.”

Lee Ji-gyeong shook his head.

“Minsoo, he’s making a salary in the millions, that’s why he came to the round. But back then, he didn’t care about the people around him. As soon as he saw me, he dropped to his knees, said ‘I was wrong,’ and tears were falling. That bastard, that fucking bastard. He must have really turned his life around, that’s for sure.”

Clink clink clink. Chug!

Lee Ji-gyeong knocked back another drink and glanced at me.

“Probably… he went to see you to apologize. He must have thought of you when he saw me. After all, we used to be friends.”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about? He’s my enemy.”

I responded coldly, smiling slightly.

Yeah, I used to be friends with that bastard. And because of him, my family fell apart. All because of the false guise of friendship.

“Ji-gyeong, how can you say something like that? You know what happened to my family because of that bastard?”

And now, after making money and settling down, he’s coming to apologize?

He should have just stayed a bastard until the end, not trying to act like a decent person now!

“Cheol-ho, I understand how you feel, but… your mother’s death was an accident. Just an unfortunate accident.”

“…You make it sound so easy.”

“The truth is what it is. I’m not trying to defend Minsoo, but accidents are accidents. You have to accept it. Don’t keep holding it in. That’s the only way…”

“Stop right there, Lee Ji-gyeong.”

Tap!

I slammed my hand on the table, cutting him off. If I kept listening, I felt like I might throw something at him before I got to Minsoo.

Perhaps sensing the change in my mood, Lee Ji-gyeong quickly stopped speaking.

“Yeah, talking about pointless things just kills the mood. Wow! But you’re really massacring the snacks today! Did you not eat properly?”

It’s impressive how smoothly he changed the subject, like nothing had happened. What a talent.

“All I’ve eaten today… was a cup of ramen.”

“Pfft, really? I’m treating today. Loosen up your belt.”

“Thanks, man.”

But if you’re going to treat me, at least take me somewhere decent. What’s this indoor food stall? You’re the one making 8,000 a year.

“Once a person loses their sense of proportion, they die. Just because you’re doing well now, does that mean you’ll always be well off? You need to save while you have it, or you won’t be able to save when it’s gone.”

Lee Ji-gyeong shook his head seriously as he looked at my face.

Ah, the world has changed a lot.

No, people have changed a lot. I threw out an old joke as a habit whenever I see him.

“Grateful for a crappy indoor stall like this. Sigh, how did I end up like this?”

“Ah, damn bastard. I told you to stop that already.”

Crunch! Crunch!

Lee Ji-gyeong’s thick arm wrapped around my neck.

Hack! Hack!

I burst into laughter, caught in my old friend’s headlock.

Ah, forget what I just said. Some things never change. So…

“Hey, let go already! Damn it, why are your arms so strong!”

Caddies who carry dozens of golf clubs around the 18 holes. Today, I really got a taste of where their strength comes from.

The next day, when I woke up…

“I got a job. I’m starting today.”

Yeonwoo suddenly announced. I woke up late after drinking the night before, and my eyes widened.

“Really? What kind of job is it?”

“It’s obvious what a woman’s job is. Accounting, coffee, and some general office chores.”

Yeonwoo answered in a strangely stiff tone.

“Right… Congratulations.”

I nodded, feeling somehow small.

I feel guilty. I should be the one getting things together at times like this. But here I am, still a pathetic unemployed guy.

In this tough economy, my father’s income alone barely supports me, Yeonwoo, and the three of us. Actually, it’s a deficit. So, the fact that Yeonwoo found a job is great news.

“But you’re starting at this hour? Not in the morning?”

Looking out the window, I saw the sun setting. It’s already after working hours, not time to start work. What kind of company starts at this hour?

“The regular job pays poorly. After taking out everything, it’s about a million won. But if I work the night shift, I’ll make 150, so I have to take that.”

“Night shift…”

So it’s a part-time job. I’ve heard that women’s skin ages quickly if they switch between day and night shifts, and now she’s working a night shift. It’s tough living in this world.