Murim Login - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 52
Six in the morning.
Driver Kim picked up his first passenger of the day. And within ten minutes, he regretted it.
‘Bad luck’s attached itself to me.’
On the surface, he looked like a perfectly normal young man. With a muscular, solid build and a handsome face, he appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties at most.
But then…
“Sniff sniff.”
Something was off. Very off.
“Hmmm.”
He clutched a drink box like it was treasure, cracking it open every thirty seconds to sniff at it. And his body trembled as if he were under some kind of spell.
‘What the hell is this guy doing?’
Driver Kim felt a chill run down his spine. In over a decade of driving a taxi, he’d never encountered this type of troublemaker.
Just as he continued to glance sideways at the young man in the back seat—
“Mister.”
“Y-yes?!”
His heart nearly stopped.
The young man’s eyes, which had been vacant just moments before, now gleamed like those of a beast.
“There’s a truck behind us.”
“A t-truck? A blue one?”
“Yes. I think it’s been following us since that intersection back there.”
“What? Well, I suppose it might be…”
“It could be a tail.”
What kind of absurd nonsense was this?
Driver Kim’s eyes darted around frantically, and eventually he gave the answer the young man seemed to want.
“R-right, I’ll take a side street.”
The young man clutched the drink box tightly until the blue truck disappeared from view, as if someone might snatch it away from him.
“Sniff sniff.”
Of course, he didn’t forget to sniff at it in the meantime.
‘This guy is completely insane.’
The air conditioning in the cab blew cold, but cold sweat drenched Driver Kim’s back. And this was just the start of the day.
Definitely a day cursed with bad luck.
* * *
Vroom.
The moment I handed over the fare and closed the door, the taxi shot off like a bullet.
Anyone watching would think a monster was chasing him from behind. I clicked my tongue in disapproval—what if there was an accident?—and entered the Apartment Complex.
I held the drink box I’d received yesterday close to my chest.
‘Three hundred million won.’
That’s roughly the same amount I’d saved up over three years of work back when I was an F-rank Hunter. Of course, none of it remains now.
‘I spent it all paying off debts.’
There was a time when I was drowning in debt, but by gritting my teeth and pushing forward, things gradually improved. I even managed to move my family to a safe apartment near Ilsan. Lately, life has been like a roller coaster.
If the system disappeared, I’d plummet like a roller coaster in free fall….
No. I’m coming home after months away—I need to stop thinking like that.
‘Which building was it again? Which unit?’
Since I only visit once every couple of months, this always happens.
I stared at the densely packed Apartment Complex before pulling out my phone and making a call. After the dial tone rang for a while, someone finally answered.
Click.
– Hello?
I’d expected her to still be asleep at this early hour, but Ha-yeon’s voice was crisp and clear.
“You’re already awake?”
– Of course I’m awake. What time do you think it is?
“It’s not even seven yet.”
– You have to wake up early to study well.
My Younger Sister never ceases to amaze me. Elder Brother Jin Ho, who treats early morning like one of the seven deadly sins, should’ve heard that.
– Why are you calling?
“I’m outside the house right now.”
– Huh? Outside the house?
“Yeah. But I forgot where our place is.”
– …Again? You’re something else, seriously. Wait a sec.
I held the disconnected phone and waited a few minutes before a girl emerged from one of the building entrances, dragging her slippers across the ground.
Even from a distance, I could feel that aura of utter indifference. Seeing that expression of pure annoyance, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ha-yeon!”
“Don’t yell. You’ll wake people up.”
…Yeah, that’s my Younger Sister right there.
“What’s the occasion? You didn’t even say anything.”
“Do I have to announce it when I’m coming home?”
“You come so rarely that I thought the neighborhood association president visited more often than you.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“It really is.”
The elevator stopped then. Ha-yeon stood before the front door, entered the passcode, and turned the handle.
And there….
“My son!”
There stood someone beaming with joy. Wrinkled hands and half-permed hair. That expression of delight like a child receiving a surprise gift.
My throat tightened for a moment, and I scratched my chin before breaking into a grin.
“I’m home, Mom.”
I’d finally returned.
To that place where my family was waiting. Home.
* * *
Sizzle, sizzle.
Mom was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. A pleasant aroma drifted past my nose.
“Our Mrs. Kim is absolutely thrilled that her son’s finally home.”
Ha-yeon plopped down beside me, scratching her belly.
The worn sofa sagged under her weight. What a pig.
“Are you preparing a lot of food?”
“Yeah. A real feast. Thanks to you, I’ll eat well.”
I answered, but my eyes remained glued to my phone screen.
“You haven’t seen your brother in so long—aren’t you happy to see me?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, you could at least say I worked hard and give me a shoulder massage or something.”
Ha-yeon let out a deep sigh.
“Why are you like this, Tae-kyung? We’re not that kind of siblings.”
“…Look at your manners.”
We bicker like this all the time, but somehow it still stings.
I mean, I barely survived a brush with death and just came back!
“You got emotional just now. You did, didn’t you?”
Her sense of perception is downright supernatural.
“Go get ready for school. Cafeteria addict.”
“Yeah. Today’s the school anniversary.”
My fists trembled. I wanted nothing more than to smack that annoying back of her head, but that would mean I’d lose.
“You want to hit me, don’t you? Your fists are shaking?”
“You’re lucky you’re a girl. If you had balls instead….”
“Mom! My brother is sexually harassing me!”
“Hey, hey!”
“He said something about my b—mmmph, mmmph!”
Ha-yeon thrashed about with her mouth covered, hitting and pinching. But she was only nineteen, so it didn’t hurt at all.
Then by chance, her flailing leg struck a drink box that had been carefully placed in the corner of the sofa.
Thwack.
Splash.
The box burst open. Bundles of yellow bills scattered across the living room floor.
In an instant, Ha-yeon’s body went rigid.
“Stop fighting and eat breakfast…”
And then Mother emerged from the kitchen.
The living room froze as if someone had hit pause, with only the sound of the stew simmering gently in the background.
Sizzle, sizzle.
I opened my mouth with an awkward smile.
“Can we talk after we eat?”
“…Son?”
“Uh-huh.”
It seemed breakfast would be delayed considerably.
* * *
I recounted the events so far to my family, embellishing the story appropriately.
Awakening to C-rank, and the source of the money too.
“That’s how it happened.”
The reactions split into two categories.
“I see.”
Mom nodded blankly, her expression distant.
And then.
“Proof.”
“….”
Right, I didn’t expect you to believe me anyway. With a sigh, I tossed her my wallet.
“What?”
“Check it out.”
Ha-yeon stared at me with skeptical eyes before rummaging through the wallet. Since there was barely anything in it, it didn’t take long to find ‘that’.
“Whoa.”
A single card in her hand. It was the C-rank Hunter license I’d received from the Hunter Association two days ago.
“This isn’t forged, is it?”
“Want it to be?”
“Guess it’s real.”
“Forging that would be a serious felony, you know.”
“And that money? Like you said, did that Choi Team Leader person or whoever give it to you?”
“How many times do I need to tell you before you believe me?”
“About 350 times?”
Despite her words, she seemed to believe me now. The silver-gleaming C-rank Hunter license, the neatly stacked bundles of 300 million won.
Both were completely out of place in this shabby, cramped living room.
Mom, who had been sitting with a vacant stare, murmured like a groan.
“What in the world is happening….”
Ha-yeon laughed with a weary chuckle, like someone who’d seen it all.
“Right? Life really does throw everything at you.”
“You’re not even twenty yet.”
“It’s just a figure of speech. But Mom.”
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Something’s burning.”
“Right, the stew!”
Mom’s half-closed eyes snapped open. I hurried to get up, but the kitchen was already devastated.
Mom rushed in after me, stamping her feet.
“Oh no, what do I do!”
The broth had reduced to almost nothing, and the fish had turned into charcoal. I’d been looking forward to a home-cooked meal for the first time in a while, but….
Well, this turn of events isn’t so bad either.
“Let’s go out to eat instead.”
Mom, who would normally have launched into a tirade about restaurant prices, and Ha-yeon, who would have asked for chicken delivery, both stayed quiet this time.
“Younger Sister.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
“Grab the money.”
“Got it.”
Ha-yeon swept up the stack of bills as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
* * *
“Sir, I apologize, but our Fine Dining Restaurant has a dress code….”
The manager of the upscale establishment—where a single course meal cost tens of thousands of won per person—offered an awkward smile.
“A dress code?”
“Yes. As you can see, all our other guests adhere to it as well.”
Seriously. Men and women alike, everyone was dressed in formal suits, dresses, the works.
‘Damn, anyone would think we wandered into a ballroom.’
Was this the eighteenth century in France?
For someone who’d only ever eaten at soup restaurants, this was a massive culture shock.
“Let’s just go somewhere else.”
“Yeah, Ha-yeon knows a lot of good places around here.”
My family seemed even more embarrassed than I was, so we simply left.
Our reflections in the restaurant’s glass window showed three figures who’d clearly dressed carefully for a rare meal out, yet everything we wore bore the unmistakable mark of budget market finds and years of wear.
‘Was money really that tight?’
I’d scrimped and saved on food and clothing, sending most of what I earned back home.
Even when I was an F-rank Hunter, I worked twice as hard as others, so it shouldn’t have been a meager income.
“Son, should we go get some grilled pork belly? Is greasy food too much for this early in the morning?”
“Grilled pork belly sounds great. Mom, you know what’s good. A friend went to that meat restaurant at the intersection ahead and said it was amazing.”
Just grilled pork belly.
My wallet held a C-rank Hunter certificate, and my bag was stuffed with stacks of cash. There was no way I didn’t know that—I could afford to splurge without worry.
‘That’s why I work in the first place.’
Someone once said it.
That happiness can’t be bought with money. That happiness has no price tag.
Personally, I’d like to say one thing to anyone spouting that nonsense.
‘Screw that.’
Money is what you lack when you can’t spend it. And after agonizing over how to use this money all last night, I’d finally made a decision.
At least for today, I would spend generously for my family.
Now, that resolve swelled to something far greater.
“Let’s eat dinner a bit later.”
Without waiting for a response, I flagged down a passing taxi.
“Where to, sir?”
“Mirae Department Store.”
The largest and most expensive department store in the area. My mother’s eyes widened in the rearview mirror.
“The department store?”
Meanwhile, Ha-yeon’s lips curved up with mischievous delight.
“Nice. My rich older brother’s buying me clothes too.”
As expected, the kid’s sharp-witted. Quick to catch on. I let out a soft chuckle.
“Buy whatever you want.”
“Really?”
“Pick out Mom’s things first.”
“Okay.”
“You’ve got some filial sons there. Ha ha.”
At the Restaurant Manager’s jest, Mother finally smiled.
* * *
“You’re really buying everything?”
“Everything.”
Once the final confirmation was done, Ha-yeon tore through the department store like an unleashed colt. Her eye for scanning clothes was sharp, and her movements so swift that you’d suspect she was an Awakened. At first, Mother kept her eyes on the price tags rather than the garments themselves, but gradually she began moving with purpose.
Mother, who initially focused on price tags, eventually began actively participating.
“Oppa, how about this?”
“Isn’t it too short?”
“This one!”
“That works.”
“This too!”
“It’s pretty. Excuse me, miss, do you have this in a larger size?”
Two hours passed like that, and then I felt my body changing.
‘I’m dying.’
Severe breathlessness and leg pain for no apparent reason.
A helplessness similar to when I faced Jo Pil in Murim wrapped around my entire body.
“Oppa, how do I look?”
“Ugly. Get out of my sight.”
“Son, try this on.”
“I think I’ll pass on trying it. I’ll just take it as is.”
I have no idea how many outfits we bought that day or how much we spent.
But by the time we finished shopping and were leaving, a high-ranking official from the department store saw us out.
“Welcome.”
The manager of the Fine Dining Restaurant, known for his strict dress code, didn’t even recognize us.
“Wow, I’ve never eaten anything like this before.”
“Right? How do they make the dishes so beautifully?”
Mother and Ha-yeon’s cheeks flushed as they whispered to each other.
We’d spent dozens of times the cost of the tens of thousands of won course meal, but it was a day I didn’t regret at all.
“But I want to eat rice. This is too rich.”
“Why are the portions so small here?”
…I pretended not to regret it.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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