If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Downstairs neighbor (2)]
There was once a quarrel over food at the Mistflower party.
It was the time when the liberation of Uijeongbu was successful.
Those who participated in the liberation gathered together to honor the deceased and enjoyed eating and drinking for several days.
The Mistflower Party wasn’t present at that gathering. Instead, they had their own celebration upon returning from Uijeongbu.
It was more comfortable for them and also for other participants who didn’t belong to any specific faction during the liberation of Uijeongbu, freely moving between the frontlines and rear areas.
However, there were still some issues arising from their actions at the frontlines.
The private celebration among themselves was enough for them.
‘Everyone, you’ve all worked hard! Today, Eunha said he doesn’t mind, so let’s eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves!
However, before the after-party, let’s hear a toast from the leader of the Mistflower Party, Player No Eunha!!
‘…Hah, cheers.’
‘Ugh, it’s my fault for trusting you. Cheers everyone~!’
Eunha was taken away by Yoo jung and forced to join the after-party.
The round table was filled with the food that had been singing so loudly on the front lines: kanpunggi, tangsuyuk, pizza, chicken, hamburger, bossam boiled pork slices), cake, and gopchang (grilled intestines).
The conflict was over the sweet and sour pork.
‘Stop! What are you doing, Dongsaeng?’
‘Oh my, Unni. What am I doing? I’m just putting sauce on the sweet and sour pork~.’
‘What? Are you trying to pour it on? You can’t! I’m supposed to dip it!
‘Parang oppa, eat it however you like’
‘Hey, what about me? Of course I have to dip my sweet and sour pork.’
The twin sisters and Jin Parang were arguing over the sauce for Tangsuyuk.
The party members, who were drinking and talking, raised their voices and intervened between the three.
‘Of course you need to dip it to enjoy the true flavor of the soup. Isn’t it good that you can just eat it, dip it, and pour it at the end?’
‘No, it’s not. Tangsuyuk is only delicious when the sauce is soaked in the tempura.’
‘Then why are you eating the sauce, not the tempura? Don’t you know that if you pour it on, the tempura gets soggy?’
‘Hey, dumbass. What are you?’
‘Bastard.’
The middle-aged man, who claimed to have killed a child infected by a monster with his own hands, passionately argued with a flushed face due to alcohol.
The caster who was betrayed by someone he trusted and had to wander around underground markets, adjusted his glasses and countered with a dismissive attitude.
The ranger who lost his finger in his own trap but still grinned, stabbed the waist of a girl who was eating chicken with his elbow.
The girl suffering from aphasia did not let go of her rifle even in that moment. She manipulated her mana to display the words ‘dip it’ on her mask.
‘Hey, so when you eat a man, do you dip it in cream and lick it off, or do you put it in a jug of cream and eat it?
‘Sis, that’s not the same as this, but don’t you think it would be fun to play in a bathtub full of white cream?
‘Hey, hey, twins, you. We were just talking about tangsuyuk, don’t get your food mixed up.’
‘Sis, I wonder why Parang is so inflexible, but oppa, I suddenly have a question, is it blue down there too?’
‘Hey, what are you talking about while eating?’
‘They say that blue reduces appetite, though I don’t know about others, but Parang’s partner is probably a true angel. Be grateful.’
‘Hey! You girls who only have 19+ stuff in your heads!’
Even though it was a post-party gathering, it was still too noisy.
The party-goers, who had consumed alcohol, chatted and babbled nonsensically.
Eunha remained silent, leaving the chattering people alone.
He understood the reason why they were talking without any thought; it was because they lived without thinking.
Several people had died at the Mist Flower Party.
Yet there was no mourning for the dead.
The people who joined the Mistflower Party either had no love for life, or they were insane and thought only of living and dying.
There was no need for them to mourn their fallen comrades, as they all knew they would die somewhere on the battlefield one day.
‘Eunha, don’t be crabby, eat a little. You haven’t eaten much lately.’
Eunha continued to sip his soju without speaking.
Yoo jung, seeing him like this, set out a plate with some food.
He looked at his partner, who had been serving him until then.
Their eyes met.
She tilted her head as if to ask what was going on.
‘Yoo jung, why did you….’
Why are you following me?
Why did you join the Mist Flower Party?
The words never came out of his mouth.
Eunha, who wanted to die, never deliberately tried to care about anyone.
If he cared about someone, he felt like he’d be left searching for a reason to live in despair.
‘What? What happened?’
‘No, it’s nothing. So, which side are you on?’
He ran a hand through his hair and turned his head away from her, who was staring at him.
Eunha lifted his glass and took a long drink, not touching his food.
He offered her a toast with his beer, as if saying it couldn’t be helped.
Before he raised his glass to his lips, he glanced at the group gathered around the table.
‘Why are they fighting? They can just split it in half and eat.’
‘So which side are you on?’
‘You want to know? Curious? What do you want to know about me? I’m in the mood today, so I’ll answer all your questions, Eunha.
Perhaps it was the effect of alcohol.
At that moment, she downed her beer in one gulp and playfully teased, laughing cheerfully about something.
On the other hand, Eunha seemed sober. He gave up on getting an answer from her.
‘Baekryeon, how about you?’
Eunha turned to Baekryeon, who was eating bossam right next to him.
She blinked, having lost sleep waiting for him to return safely while the battle to retake Uijeongbu was being carried out.
Baekryeon swallowed the bossam she had been silently chewing.
She locked eyes with Yoo Jung,
‘Hehe, it’s a secret!’
‘Baekryeon-ah, Baekryeon-ah, you should do what your sister taught you!’
‘500 won if you want to know!’
‘…What did you teach her?’
Eunha couldn’t hide his round face amidst the lively party atmosphere.
☆
«Well, surprisingly, it’s not bad.»
«Wow, it’s delicious!»
«I prefer spicy chicken or garlic flavor.»
«True, who said anything about getting too immersed in the game? Still, it’s tasty.»
The kids cleaned up the room to have the chicken.
Seated on the floor, they eagerly tore open the chicken boxes, without anyone mentioning it, they enjoyed the combination of cola and chicken.
«Oh, my money… My precious money.»
After eating a few pieces of chicken, Jung Geum joon took a deep breath.
Yet, he was still forcing the chicken into his mouth.
«Ha, it’s so damn delicious.»
Eunha, who was eating fries next to him, remembered how he had taken out his wallet to pay for the delivery earlier.
The wallet was full of bills.
What was he doing?
He looked like an old man, but considering the amount of money in his wallet, it was hard to imagine him as an old man living at home without a job.
«Hyung, how old are you?»
Coincidentally, Eunhyeok’s mouth was sprinkled with cheese as he asked.
«Eighteen.»
«You’re not swearing now, are you?»
«Yeah, I’m eighteen, kids.»
«So, you don’t go to school?»
«What do you do to live?»
The kids’ curiosity arose, and Geum joon reluctantly answered each of their questions.
He had given up trying to avoid their questions and found himself answering them one after another.
«I don’t plan to work; why bother going to high school? I’ll just live like this, eating what I want, doing what I want.»
«You’re like a freeloader.»
«Huh, really? Kids these days know everything.»
Geum joon looked at Eunha with an absurd expression.
Then he shook his index finger.
«I’m not a wastrel. I’m a nitji. It’s not that I can’t work; I choose not to.»
The kids exchanged glances.
There was no need for chatter.
They were in agreement.
The neighbor downstairs was making ice cream melting noises. (1)
«When you’re done, go back to your house. I’m going to finish my game, so don’t disturb me.»
«I’ll eat a little more.»
«Hyung, can I try after you?»
Geumjoon waved his hand in front of the kids, as if shooing away bugs.
Huh?
Eunha noticed something in the corner of the room.
It was a safe.
Why was there a safe here?
Eunha looked at the safe, puzzled.
Geumjoon noticed his gaze.
«Hey, little one. Why are you staring at it?»
«What’s that?»
«It’s a safe. Haven’t you seen a safe before?»
«I’ve only seen it in movies.»
«What’s inside the safe?»
«What’s inside? My precious money is inside. Don’t stare at it like that. My safe will wear out.»
For what reason is the safe in the room?
Eunha couldn’t understand his behavior. In a world where monsters ran rampant, banks sometimes failed to do their job, but it was rare for anyone to keep a safe in their home.
Does he have a lot of money?
Eunha thought again of the wad of money in his wallet.
It was on a different scale than simply having more money than others.
«Hyung, are you a hidden child?»
«What? What hidden child?»
Brushing aside the hair that covered one of his eyes, Geumjoon asked in disbelief.
He frowned as he realized it was the hand that had been eating the chicken.
«Min…, maybe he’s related to the landlord, like a distant relative?»
«Me? Where do you see any resemblance between me and that old man?»
«That’s right. If we insult our grandpa, he’ll get angry.»
«Yeah, and who compared me to that old man… Wait, what did you just say…?»
«My grandfather is much, much more handsome!»
«Huh! Hey, spit up my chicken road.»
Geum joon was furious, and he grabbed the back of his head with his greasy hands and glared at Hayang.
Although she thought she was giving a powerful look, it was like a rabbit trying to look powerful – even if it’s a rabbit, not a dog.
«Ha, I can’t touch this old man because he’s too old to be touched.
What a waste of my money. You guys, if you’re done with the chicken, go away!»
«Hyung, lend me your game!»
«Oppa, I’ll leave when I go, but I’ll eat all the chicken.»
Apparently, Jung Geum-joon knew the identity of Min Jun-sik, the owner of the rowhouse.
He didn’t seem to like him.
Eunha wondered if the two men were related in some way, but Geum-joon didn’t seem to be lying.
Who on earth is this person?
Judging by the way he called Min Joon-sik an old man, he either had some sort of relationship with him or had enough money, power, or whatever to not have to bow down to him.
Mr. Jung…, oh, no.
The only chaebol he knew of with the surname Jung was the Donghae Group, the tenth largest in South Korea’s financial hierarchy.
He rejected the possibility.
It’s unlikely that Jung Geumjoon is related to the Donghae Group.
Why would a relative of the Donghae Group live in a place like this?
Besides, as far as he knew, it wasn’t Jung Geum-joon who would become the chairman of Donghae Group in the future.
Before the regression, there was no succession dispute in Donghae Group like there was in Dawn Group or Eternal Group.
The chairman had preemptively prevented succession disputes among his heirs by enforcing the principle of the eldest son.
There were even rumors that he sent those who were not legitimate successors out of Seoul.
So it’s unlikely that Jung Geum joon was related to Donghae Group.
How many people in Korea have the surname Jung?
Eunha nodded as he swallowed his chicken tenders.
«…Ha, they really cut me off without any hesitation. Did they think I would go sleep after doing that?»
No, I don’t think so.
Eunha decided to pretend not to know.
But as he walked home, he saw something he couldn’t ignore.
«Ugh, because of those kids, I wasted my mana and couldn’t even sleep properly. My money is burning away.»
Geum-joon slammed the door shut with one hand and held a stack of bills in the other.
The bills gradually lost their shape as they burned.
It was all he could see through the crack in the door, but the bills had become mana and melted into his body.
«…What kind of house is this?»
Stepping outside, Eunha looked up at the rowhouse with a desperate gaze.
On the fourth floor was Min Joon-sik,
Mr. and Mrs. Julieta on the third floor,
Eunha’s family and Minji’s family on the second floor,
and finally, on the first floor, a strange young man who turned wads of money into mana.
The neighbors were unusual.
There were no normal neighbors.
Except for one.
«Hey, Muk Minji.»
«Don’t call me Muk Minji.»
«What does your dad do?»
«He’s a math teacher.»
«…Yeah, that’s at least normal.»
«What are you talking about?»
«Is there anything like your mom being a secret child of a chaebol, or your dad having a birth secret?»
«Hey, No Eunha.»
Minji called Eunha with a frown.
Minji twirled her fingers around her temples.
«What happened to your head from watching too many dramas? You should at least be able to separate drama from reality.»
…Uh, yeah.
But I never thought I’d hear that from you.
Notes!
(1) making ice cream melting noises: think of it as a symbol of escapism. Ice cream and the act of melting could symbolize a desire to escape from reality or avoid facing problems.
If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Downstairs neighbor (2)]
There was once a quarrel over food at the Mistflower party.
It was the time when the liberation of Uijeongbu was successful.
Those who participated in the liberation gathered together to honor the deceased and enjoyed eating and drinking for several days.
The Mistflower Party wasn’t present at that gathering. Instead, they had their own celebration upon returning from Uijeongbu.
It was more comfortable for them and also for other participants who didn’t belong to any specific faction during the liberation of Uijeongbu, freely moving between the frontlines and rear areas.
However, there were still some issues arising from their actions at the frontlines.
The private celebration among themselves was enough for them.
‘Everyone, you’ve all worked hard! Today, Eunha said he doesn’t mind, so let’s eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves!
However, before the after-party, let’s hear a toast from the leader of the Mistflower Party, Player No Eunha!!
‘…Hah, cheers.’
‘Ugh, it’s my fault for trusting you. Cheers everyone~!’
Eunha was taken away by Yoo jung and forced to join the after-party.
The round table was filled with the food that had been singing so loudly on the front lines: kanpunggi, tangsuyuk, pizza, chicken, hamburger, bossam boiled pork slices), cake, and gopchang (grilled intestines).
The conflict was over the sweet and sour pork.
‘Stop! What are you doing, Dongsaeng?’
‘Oh my, Unni. What am I doing? I’m just putting sauce on the sweet and sour pork~.’
‘What? Are you trying to pour it on? You can’t! I’m supposed to dip it!
‘Parang oppa, eat it however you like’
‘Hey, what about me? Of course I have to dip my sweet and sour pork.’
The twin sisters and Jin Parang were arguing over the sauce for Tangsuyuk.
The party members, who were drinking and talking, raised their voices and intervened between the three.
‘Of course you need to dip it to enjoy the true flavor of the soup. Isn’t it good that you can just eat it, dip it, and pour it at the end?’
‘No, it’s not. Tangsuyuk is only delicious when the sauce is soaked in the tempura.’
‘Then why are you eating the sauce, not the tempura? Don’t you know that if you pour it on, the tempura gets soggy?’
‘Hey, dumbass. What are you?’
‘Bastard.’
The middle-aged man, who claimed to have killed a child infected by a monster with his own hands, passionately argued with a flushed face due to alcohol.
The caster who was betrayed by someone he trusted and had to wander around underground markets, adjusted his glasses and countered with a dismissive attitude.
The ranger who lost his finger in his own trap but still grinned, stabbed the waist of a girl who was eating chicken with his elbow.
The girl suffering from aphasia did not let go of her rifle even in that moment. She manipulated her mana to display the words ‘dip it’ on her mask.
‘Hey, so when you eat a man, do you dip it in cream and lick it off, or do you put it in a jug of cream and eat it?
‘Sis, that’s not the same as this, but don’t you think it would be fun to play in a bathtub full of white cream?
‘Hey, hey, twins, you. We were just talking about tangsuyuk, don’t get your food mixed up.’
‘Sis, I wonder why Parang is so inflexible, but oppa, I suddenly have a question, is it blue down there too?’
‘Hey, what are you talking about while eating?’
‘They say that blue reduces appetite, though I don’t know about others, but Parang’s partner is probably a true angel. Be grateful.’
‘Hey! You girls who only have 19+ stuff in your heads!’
Even though it was a post-party gathering, it was still too noisy.
The party-goers, who had consumed alcohol, chatted and babbled nonsensically.
Eunha remained silent, leaving the chattering people alone.
He understood the reason why they were talking without any thought; it was because they lived without thinking.
Several people had died at the Mist Flower Party.
Yet there was no mourning for the dead.
The people who joined the Mistflower Party either had no love for life, or they were insane and thought only of living and dying.
There was no need for them to mourn their fallen comrades, as they all knew they would die somewhere on the battlefield one day.
‘Eunha, don’t be crabby, eat a little. You haven’t eaten much lately.’
Eunha continued to sip his soju without speaking.
Yoo jung, seeing him like this, set out a plate with some food.
He looked at his partner, who had been serving him until then.
Their eyes met.
She tilted her head as if to ask what was going on.
‘Yoo jung, why did you….’
Why are you following me?
Why did you join the Mist Flower Party?
The words never came out of his mouth.
Eunha, who wanted to die, never deliberately tried to care about anyone.
If he cared about someone, he felt like he’d be left searching for a reason to live in despair.
‘What? What happened?’
‘No, it’s nothing. So, which side are you on?’
He ran a hand through his hair and turned his head away from her, who was staring at him.
Eunha lifted his glass and took a long drink, not touching his food.
He offered her a toast with his beer, as if saying it couldn’t be helped.
Before he raised his glass to his lips, he glanced at the group gathered around the table.
‘Why are they fighting? They can just split it in half and eat.’
‘So which side are you on?’
‘You want to know? Curious? What do you want to know about me? I’m in the mood today, so I’ll answer all your questions, Eunha.
Perhaps it was the effect of alcohol.
At that moment, she downed her beer in one gulp and playfully teased, laughing cheerfully about something.
On the other hand, Eunha seemed sober. He gave up on getting an answer from her.
‘Baekryeon, how about you?’
Eunha turned to Baekryeon, who was eating bossam right next to him.
She blinked, having lost sleep waiting for him to return safely while the battle to retake Uijeongbu was being carried out.
Baekryeon swallowed the bossam she had been silently chewing.
She locked eyes with Yoo Jung,
‘Hehe, it’s a secret!’
‘Baekryeon-ah, Baekryeon-ah, you should do what your sister taught you!’
‘500 won if you want to know!’
‘…What did you teach her?’
Eunha couldn’t hide his round face amidst the lively party atmosphere.
☆
«Well, surprisingly, it’s not bad.»
«Wow, it’s delicious!»
«I prefer spicy chicken or garlic flavor.»
«True, who said anything about getting too immersed in the game? Still, it’s tasty.»
The kids cleaned up the room to have the chicken.
Seated on the floor, they eagerly tore open the chicken boxes, without anyone mentioning it, they enjoyed the combination of cola and chicken.
«Oh, my money… My precious money.»
After eating a few pieces of chicken, Jung Geum joon took a deep breath.
Yet, he was still forcing the chicken into his mouth.
«Ha, it’s so damn delicious.»
Eunha, who was eating fries next to him, remembered how he had taken out his wallet to pay for the delivery earlier.
The wallet was full of bills.
What was he doing?
He looked like an old man, but considering the amount of money in his wallet, it was hard to imagine him as an old man living at home without a job.
«Hyung, how old are you?»
Coincidentally, Eunhyeok’s mouth was sprinkled with cheese as he asked.
«Eighteen.»
«You’re not swearing now, are you?»
«Yeah, I’m eighteen, kids.»
«So, you don’t go to school?»
«What do you do to live?»
The kids’ curiosity arose, and Geum joon reluctantly answered each of their questions.
He had given up trying to avoid their questions and found himself answering them one after another.
«I don’t plan to work; why bother going to high school? I’ll just live like this, eating what I want, doing what I want.»
«You’re like a freeloader.»
«Huh, really? Kids these days know everything.»
Geum joon looked at Eunha with an absurd expression.
Then he shook his index finger.
«I’m not a wastrel. I’m a nitji. It’s not that I can’t work; I choose not to.»
The kids exchanged glances.
There was no need for chatter.
They were in agreement.
The neighbor downstairs was making ice cream melting noises. (1)
«When you’re done, go back to your house. I’m going to finish my game, so don’t disturb me.»
«I’ll eat a little more.»
«Hyung, can I try after you?»
Geumjoon waved his hand in front of the kids, as if shooing away bugs.
Huh?
Eunha noticed something in the corner of the room.
It was a safe.
Why was there a safe here?
Eunha looked at the safe, puzzled.
Geumjoon noticed his gaze.
«Hey, little one. Why are you staring at it?»
«What’s that?»
«It’s a safe. Haven’t you seen a safe before?»
«I’ve only seen it in movies.»
«What’s inside the safe?»
«What’s inside? My precious money is inside. Don’t stare at it like that. My safe will wear out.»
For what reason is the safe in the room?
Eunha couldn’t understand his behavior. In a world where monsters ran rampant, banks sometimes failed to do their job, but it was rare for anyone to keep a safe in their home.
Does he have a lot of money?
Eunha thought again of the wad of money in his wallet.
It was on a different scale than simply having more money than others.
«Hyung, are you a hidden child?»
«What? What hidden child?»
Brushing aside the hair that covered one of his eyes, Geumjoon asked in disbelief.
He frowned as he realized it was the hand that had been eating the chicken.
«Min…, maybe he’s related to the landlord, like a distant relative?»
«Me? Where do you see any resemblance between me and that old man?»
«That’s right. If we insult our grandpa, he’ll get angry.»
«Yeah, and who compared me to that old man… Wait, what did you just say…?»
«My grandfather is much, much more handsome!»
«Huh! Hey, spit up my chicken road.»
Geum joon was furious, and he grabbed the back of his head with his greasy hands and glared at Hayang.
Although she thought she was giving a powerful look, it was like a rabbit trying to look powerful – even if it’s a rabbit, not a dog.
«Ha, I can’t touch this old man because he’s too old to be touched.
What a waste of my money. You guys, if you’re done with the chicken, go away!»
«Hyung, lend me your game!»
«Oppa, I’ll leave when I go, but I’ll eat all the chicken.»
Apparently, Jung Geum-joon knew the identity of Min Jun-sik, the owner of the rowhouse.
He didn’t seem to like him.
Eunha wondered if the two men were related in some way, but Geum-joon didn’t seem to be lying.
Who on earth is this person?
Judging by the way he called Min Joon-sik an old man, he either had some sort of relationship with him or had enough money, power, or whatever to not have to bow down to him.
Mr. Jung…, oh, no.
The only chaebol he knew of with the surname Jung was the Donghae Group, the tenth largest in South Korea’s financial hierarchy.
He rejected the possibility.
It’s unlikely that Jung Geumjoon is related to the Donghae Group.
Why would a relative of the Donghae Group live in a place like this?
Besides, as far as he knew, it wasn’t Jung Geum-joon who would become the chairman of Donghae Group in the future.
Before the regression, there was no succession dispute in Donghae Group like there was in Dawn Group or Eternal Group.
The chairman had preemptively prevented succession disputes among his heirs by enforcing the principle of the eldest son.
There were even rumors that he sent those who were not legitimate successors out of Seoul.
So it’s unlikely that Jung Geum joon was related to Donghae Group.
How many people in Korea have the surname Jung?
Eunha nodded as he swallowed his chicken tenders.
«…Ha, they really cut me off without any hesitation. Did they think I would go sleep after doing that?»
No, I don’t think so.
Eunha decided to pretend not to know.
But as he walked home, he saw something he couldn’t ignore.
«Ugh, because of those kids, I wasted my mana and couldn’t even sleep properly. My money is burning away.»
Geum-joon slammed the door shut with one hand and held a stack of bills in the other.
The bills gradually lost their shape as they burned.
It was all he could see through the crack in the door, but the bills had become mana and melted into his body.
«…What kind of house is this?»
Stepping outside, Eunha looked up at the rowhouse with a desperate gaze.
On the fourth floor was Min Joon-sik,
Mr. and Mrs. Julieta on the third floor,
Eunha’s family and Minji’s family on the second floor,
and finally, on the first floor, a strange young man who turned wads of money into mana.
The neighbors were unusual.
There were no normal neighbors.
Except for one.
«Hey, Muk Minji.»
«Don’t call me Muk Minji.»
«What does your dad do?»
«He’s a math teacher.»
«…Yeah, that’s at least normal.»
«What are you talking about?»
«Is there anything like your mom being a secret child of a chaebol, or your dad having a birth secret?»
«Hey, No Eunha.»
Minji called Eunha with a frown.
Minji twirled her fingers around her temples.
«What happened to your head from watching too many dramas? You should at least be able to separate drama from reality.»
…Uh, yeah.
But I never thought I’d hear that from you.
Notes!
(1) making ice cream melting noises: think of it as a symbol of escapism. Ice cream and the act of melting could symbolize a desire to escape from reality or avoid facing problems.
