The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 186

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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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Episode 186. An Unexpected Change of Mood (1)

Burst!
Light erupted.
Opening his eyes, Seol Jihoo saw an unfamiliar room.
He turned around three or four times with an odd sensation before it finally struck him: ‘Oh. This is my room.’
He pulled open the window, and the cityscape that unfolded felt strangely distant.
Cars along the street, densely packed houses, students in uniforms heading home from school…
Seol Jihoo gazed at the modern city landscape as the sun dipped lower, his expression vacant, and then scratched his head hard.
His scalp itched terribly—it had been days since he’d washed.
So he stripped off his clothes and went straight to the bathroom.
Whoooosh! Water poured fiercely from the showerhead.
Feeling the hot water pounding against his body, Seol Jihoo gently closed his eyes.
‘Hot water comes out so easily like this….’
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t impossible to find in Paradise either, but to secure the amount needed for bathing, one had to go through tedious procedures.
Only now did it truly sink in that he’d returned to Earth. One by one, the events from Paradise washed over him like fragments of a dream.
“Sigh…”
He collapsed under the cascading water.
Though Seol Jihoo didn’t know it, he’d just emerged from the second of four battles—the fiercest and most terrifying he’d faced across both cycles of his Paradise life—and his legs had simply given way at the thought.
Once he finished washing thoroughly and stepped out, his body felt refreshed, but Seol Jihoo quickly ran into the obstacle he’d been dreading.
There was nothing to do.
More precisely, he had no idea what to do.
After meaninglessly opening and closing the refrigerator, Seol Jihoo felt thoroughly adrift.
He cranked up music and wandered through the room, he opened whatever books he saw, but nothing held his attention for more than ten minutes.
He switched on his laptop to read the latest news, but found the information reports passed along by the Assassin’s Guild far more engaging.
When there was nothing left to try, an unbearable silence suddenly descended.
Finally, he turned on the TV.
By the time he’d pulled a beer can from the refrigerator, lit a cigarette, and leaned against the wall, his mind was already churning with some nameless unease.
Kim Hanna’s warnings and Jang Maldong’s counsel kept echoing back and forth in his ears.
“This is boring…”
Seol Jihoo muttered to himself and lit the cigarette.
Yet he didn’t take a single sip of the beer he’d opened, and the cigarette only released thin white smoke into the air.
He stared at the screen with hollow, lifeless eyes as people laughed and chattered.
“You don’t understand anything.”
Soon the cigarette—which he’d never actually inhaled from—burned down to the filter just as the screen switched to a commercial.
…
He hung his head lifelessly.
He couldn’t explain to himself why he felt this way. The moment he’d returned to Earth, all the strength seemed to drain from him.
And it hadn’t even been half a day since he’d come back from Paradise.
Seol Jihoo stared endlessly at the bare floor and spoke softly.
“…I’m so damn lonely.”

After sitting powerlessly in his room for a long while, Seol Jihoo fled from his studio apartment.
By now evening had passed and the twilight was deepening.
Though he had nowhere to go and nothing to do, Seol Jihoo simply walked.
Without purpose, without direction—just walking.
His near-automatic steps halted the moment bright light caught his eye.
Until then, he’d been repeatedly touching the paper in his pocket, wrestling with indecision, when he suddenly lifted his head.
The electronic display of the subway entrance was shining brightly.
Hongdae Station, Exit 2.
‘That’s right.’
A faint spark of life returned to his utterly darkened face.
Without hesitation, Seol Jihoo joined the flow of people moving up and down the stairs.
After finding Exit 8 and emerging, he wandered aimlessly once more.
He’d expected to get lost, but found it faster than anticipated.
‘Delicious Pork Belly Restaurant.’
Seol Jihoo looked up at the sign of the three-story building with a somewhat bewildered expression.
The lights were still on, but there weren’t many people inside, perhaps because it was getting late.
The bell chimed as the door swung open.
“Welcome— oh my.”
The Employee’s eyes widened at the sight of Seol Jihoo, and she hesitated.
“Are you still taking customers?”
“Oh, yes! We close in about an hour, but how many are in your party?”
“Just me.”
“Just one? Right this way, then.”
Seol Jihoo lowered his voice a touch, embarrassed, but the Employee guided him to his seat without missing a beat.
“What can I get you?”
“I heard the meat here is excellent.”
“Oh, absolutely! It really is. How about pork belly?”
“Two servings, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Once the cheerful Employee had gone, Seol Jihoo began scrutinizing every corner of the restaurant with quiet intensity.
There had to be a reason Jang Maldong had suggested this place.
Surely something related to Paradise lay hidden here somewhere.
But after checking twice and finding nothing out of the ordinary, just as he was considering heading upstairs, his order arrived.
Whether or not this was the restaurant’s usual practice, the Employee showed no signs of reluctance—she smiled brightly and even grilled the meat for him herself.
As the meat sizzled and fragrant smoke curled upward, his investigative instincts began to fade.
The pork belly was thick and well-marbled, the fat and lean meat in perfect balance, and it looked genuinely delicious.
Seol Jihoo swallowed hard, his mouth filling with saliva, and opened it again.
“Could I also get a bowl of rice?”
“Of course! One more bowl of rice coming up!”
As they say, the rice tastes best after a good meal.
He stuffed a piece of meat the Employee had cut for him and a heaping spoonful of fluffy rice into his mouth.
The tender meat and perfectly cooked grains made him groan with pleasure.
He never knew food could taste this good.
Hunger is the best seasoning, and Seol Jihoo polished off the two servings of pork belly and the bowl of rice with ease.
Then he ordered another four servings, which startled the Employee.
“F-four more servings?”
“Yes. I can finish it all.”
Seol Jihoo proved his words by devouring each piece of meat the moment it finished cooking, as if afraid it might disappear.
He concentrated on eating, sweat dripping down his face.
He knew that eating so much at once wasn’t good for his body, but the aroma had triggered a sudden, unbearable hunger that gripped his stomach.
Once his stomach had tasted that rich flavor, it demanded more and more, and Seol Jihoo abandoned all dignity and ordered again.
In the end, he cleared ten servings of pork belly, four bowls of rice, one serving of soybean paste stew, and a large bowl of cold noodles before finally feeling satisfied.
“Phew…”
‘That was wonderful.’
After eating his fill, he felt a small surge of energy returning to him.
As Seol Jihoo wiped his sweat-soaked forehead with a tissue, his eyes suddenly blinked.
He’d been so absorbed in eating that he hadn’t noticed—the restaurant had grown dark.
Most of the lights were off.
Not a single customer remained in the scattered tables.
The only thing visible was the Employee’s arm, scrubbing away the grease caked on the grill.
“You sure have an appetite.”
At the flat-toned remark, Seol Jihoo finally came to his senses.
It seemed she had waited for him to finish.
“I—I’m so sorry. I was just very hungry.”
Seol Jihoo fumbled for his wallet.
He was about to offer a generous tip out of guilt.
“Come on. What’s fifty thousand won?”
There came a light, almost playful laugh.
“Didn’t I tell you when you first came in? My labor is quite expensive.”
‘What?’
As Seol Jihoo finally looked up, his expression went blank.
The Employee who had guided him to his seat was nowhere to be found. In her place stood a vaguely familiar face.
“An extra hour on the clock, plus grilling the meat for you the whole time.”
The reason he hadn’t recognized her immediately was the dissonance between the appearance he’d seen at work and her current civilian clothes.
“…Pisora?”
“You catch on quickly, don’t you.”
Pisora let out a short laugh, yanked off her apron, and flopped into the chair across from him.
Seol Jihoo hadn’t expected to run into her here, so the question spilled out before he could stop it.
“What are you doing here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. How did you even find this place?”
“My instructor told me to come.”
“Your grandfather? He’s only been here once. Why did he tell you about it?”
She shrugged both shoulders with an air of indifference, then asked back.
“Anyway, so you finally came to? You’re awake?”
Seol Jihoo found himself nodding in agreement.
“Good. I was worried you might not wake up at all.”
…….
“Sorry about that, really. I wanted to stay longer, but something urgent came up, so I had to rush back. Since I was already here, I figured I’d take care of some business while I was at it.”
Seol Jihoo shook his head.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Pisora wasn’t wrong, and he had no reason to begrudge a teammate returning to Earth.
It was just the timing that bothered him.
After leaving the hospital, there was so much he wanted to do, but being swept along by the moment like this—returning this way—left a sour taste in his mouth.
“Pfft.”
A sudden burst of laughter broke the silence.
Pisora’s shoulders shook as she flashed her white teeth.
“Man, this is hilarious.”
“?”
“Surim. That girl who’s been glued to this place. You didn’t notice her?”
Seol Jihoo tilted his head, confused.
She seemed to be talking about the employee who’d shown him to his seat, but he didn’t remember anything particular about her.
“I was wondering why she suddenly got so diligent—I mean, that girl normally bolts the second closing time hits, right? But today she’s insisting she’ll finish up and leave herself. And I’m thinking, what got into her? So I come down on a hunch, and there she is.”
Pisora pointed at Seol Jihoo with her chin a couple of times.
“When I told her to just go, her lower lip stuck out so far it looked ridiculous. Did you see her glaring at me when she left just now?”
Pisora giggled, saying the girl was absolutely adorable.
Seol Jihoo listened quietly for a moment, then murmured under his breath.
“You should’ve just let her stay.”
The laughter stopped dead.
“What?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
“Why? Are you interested? A man with a girlfriend shouldn’t be like this.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You’re lying again… But okay, say that’s true—why would it be better if she stayed?”
“Because she’s pretty.”
Seol Jihoo answered plainly.
“I mean, isn’t that how it works? Man or woman, when you see an attractive person of the opposite sex, your eyes are drawn to them, and you want to strike up a conversation. It’s a shame, really.”
At his wistfulness, Pisora’s eyes flared up in an instant.
“Listen to you. The way you talk, it’s so subtly irritating. So what are you saying? That I’m not pretty?”
“That’s not what I meant. Everyone has their own taste, you know?”
“That’s funny. Taste or whatever—how could she possibly be prettier than me? Face, body, I’m way better than her.”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open.
“…Wow…”
Pisora’s face was utterly incredulous at his reaction.
“Wow? Like, ‘wow’? What is that? That stupid exclamation?”
Seol Jihoo watched her spirited response for a moment, then chuckled softly.
Pisora made an even more exasperated face.
“That’s enough. If you’re all better, then get up and help with the cleanup.”
“I’ll help you close up.”
“Are you giving me medicine after the poison? That’s enough—just go already. You think I didn’t notice you were deliberately getting under my skin?”
“Okay. Then let me pay. Thanks for everything today.”
Seol Jihoo stood up from his seat without hesitation.
As he walked to the register, he heard an exasperated “Ha.” from behind him.
“You’re really leaving?”
Pisora’s voice carried a note of discontent.
‘She just told me to go.’
When Seol Jihoo turned back with a reluctant expression, Pisora pouted her lips.
“No—Grandfather told me about this place.”
“Yes.”
“Did he say anything else? Any message for me?”
“Nothing. He just said to come here.”
“Hmm… Well, there must be some reason for it.”
“What reason?”
“I have no idea either.”
Seol Jihoo stared at Pisora as she spoke with such casual certainty.
“Just—”
She seemed to have something on her mind, her fingers fidgeting.
“…have a drink with me.”
Then she gave up, letting her arm fall.
“Watching you eat made me hungry. I waited an hour for you—you can spare an hour for me, can’t you?”
Without waiting for an answer, she began clearing the table with brisk efficiency.
Seol Jihoo opened his mouth quickly.
“I said I was leaving—”
“Don’t be so stiff about it. You don’t look like you have anywhere to be anyway.”
Now it was Seol Jihoo’s turn to feel cornered.
“Stop standing there like a statue and help me clean up. I’ll call it even for the meal.”
This woman.
Seol Jihoo muttered under his breath, shaking his head side to side.
‘What is she even doing?’
He’d felt it before.
She was a woman whose moods changed like water coming to a boil.

Once closing time was done, Pisora checked the lock several times before turning to leave.
She led the way, claiming to know a good budae jjigae place nearby, and sure enough, she stopped in front of a restaurant with a sign reading “Delicious Budae Jjigae Restaurant.”
‘Why are all the restaurant names like this…’
While Seol Jihoo was bewildered, Pisora took the young man’s hand and pulled him inside.
“Here. Grab a glass. Cheers.”
“…Cheers.”
The clink of soju glasses followed.
“Ahh!”
Pisora downed the glass in one go, her eyes narrowing slightly as she hunched her shoulders.
“…That’s strange. It’s the same ramen, but why does it taste so different?”
She picked up a strand of perfectly cooked ramen with her chopsticks and tilted her head in puzzlement.
Seol Jihoo touched his glass, which wasn’t quite empty.
Watching Pisora eat and drink while muttering to herself, curiosity suddenly stirred in him.
“Pisora—”
“Hold on.”
Pisora raised her hand before he could finish.
“Everything’s fine, but let’s not talk about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“What else? The war, obviously. Honestly, I’m dying of curiosity about your side too, but I’m keeping my mouth shut. Grandfather told me not to ask either, but when I think about my neck—I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.”
Seol Jihoo, who had been considering making another joke about how she’d tested her “trustworthy endurance” and gotten knocked out in one blow, decided to hold his tongue instead.
Besides, he had little to say about the war anyway, and what he wanted to ask had nothing to do with it, so he readily agreed.
“So why are you working part-time at a restaurant?”
“Why? Am I not allowed to work part-time?”
Pisora, in good spirits, cracked a rare joke.
Seol Jihoo sighed.
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I know. You can’t even take a joke.”
She sipped a spoonful of broth, smacking her lips contentedly.
“That restaurant… it used to be mine. I had to sell it off quick to an acquaintance to raise money for the children.”
‘Right.’
Though she’d been reduced to a beggar by Bok Jeongsik’s scheming, she’d accumulated considerable assets during her better days.
Yet the question lingered.
Surely her circumstances weren’t so dire that she needed to earn money through part-time work?
“But they’re good people. They always hire me whenever I need work. I told them they didn’t need to pay me, but they always make sure I get my daily wage.”
As Seol Jihoo turned these thoughts over, Pisora continued speaking.
“The reason I work at all is — my way of making sure I don’t forget, I suppose? I’m not good at explaining, but that’s about it.”
“To keep from forgetting?”
“Exactly. Think about it. I spent years rolling around in that place, and the longer my time there stretches, the worse the sense of disconnection gets whenever I come back to Earth, you know? Like someone addicted to a game, I start losing track of which world is actually real.”
This was something Seol Jihoo couldn’t help but deeply empathize with.
“I hated that feeling. How do I put it? Like that world was swallowing me up? Anyway, when I felt that creeping in, I decided.”
Pisora stuffed several sausages into her mouth at once.
Then she spoke.
“So that’s why I work part-time jobs.”
Seol Jihoo, who had been listening intently, wrinkled his brow.
“…It feels like you skipped a pretty significant middle section and jumped straight to the conclusion.”
“Even if I speak like a mess, you’ll understand like it’s perfectly clear. Half my life has been spent working part-time. If you took part-time work out of my life, there’s almost nothing left to talk about.”
“Ah… is that so?”
“Yes. I’ve tried almost everything except illegal work or entertainment. I grew up without much, you see.”
Pisora puffed out her cheeks and gazed at Seol Jihoo with an indifferent expression.
“When I work part-time, I can really feel that I’m on Earth. So whenever I come back, even for just a day or two, I always make sure to do it. Does that make sense?”
Seol Jihoo hesitated on what to say, then simply nodded in silence.
When he’d first seen her at White Rose, he’d cursed her for showing such poor home training — what kind of upbringing would let someone grow up so spoiled and careless — but appearances weren’t everything, as they say.
“While we’re on the subject, I’d recommend you pick up something like that too. Even keeping a diary would help.”
“A diary?”
“Imagine you suddenly died there one day. How confused would you be when you woke up on Earth? You need to do whatever you can to narrow that gap.”
He wanted to counter the argument, but each point she made was so practical that he couldn’t find anything to refute.
Because even if he abandoned Earth and decided to live in Paradise, it wouldn’t change much from the present.
The only thing that would increase was the risk of not knowing when he might die.
This war had made him feel that clearly.
If even one more of the Seven Great Armies had come…?
…….
By now he’d probably be lying in a hospital bed, stripped of all memory, suffering in torment.
‘Did he send me here to hear this?’
Because otherwise there’d be no real reason to make him meet with Pisora.
‘Wait a minute.’
As he kept worrying over what Jang Maldong’s true intent might be, a thought suddenly struck him.
Now that he thought about it more carefully, he remembered one more thing he needed to discuss with Pisora.
‘Could it be.’
Though he wasn’t entirely certain, Seol Jihoo made up his mind.
It was a problem that needed resolving sooner or later anyway.
“There’s one more thing I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“It’s not about the war, but it might be uncomfortable for you.”
Pisora, who had been stirring the broth with her chopsticks, slowly lifted her head.
“Hmm… now you’ve made me curious. Go ahead. I’ll listen and decide, so what.”
Seol Jihoo opened his mouth calmly.
“It’s about Lee Seol-ah and Seong-jin.”
Pisora’s complexion noticeably darkened.

(To be continued)

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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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