The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 44

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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 44. Where One Belongs

He couldn’t remember how he’d made it home.
Seol Jihoo stumbled up the stairs with a blank expression and pushed open the front door.
Beneath the window that held a reddish glow, twilight cast a long shadow across the worn laptop that sat half-open on the floor.
He leaned against the wall without strength and shut the notebook that still hung open. The man who had been so earnestly calculating this morning now seemed like a fool.
Even a little.
It would be a lie to say he hadn’t harbored even a sliver of hope.
But the gulf between imagination and reality was vast and merciless.
The world was as cold and unforgiving as night itself—a perfect inverse of all he’d dreamed.
Out of habit, he stuck a cigarette between his lips and let smoke drift aimlessly into the air.
Cough, cough. His throat burned. His eyes stung. And so the tears he’d been holding back spilled down his face.
“Have you fallen for my lies before?”
Who was there to blame?
“What is this—gambling? Betting?”
Who was there to fault?
“Take it. If what you said is the truth.”
The world tilted ninety degrees. His temple struck the floor. Seol Jihoo stared blankly at the tilted room spinning before him.
His head swam too violently to feel the pain. He couldn’t catch his breath.
Everything felt wrong. As if he wasn’t meant to be here at all.
‘There’s nowhere for me to be.’
The moment that thought crystallized, a faint spark returned to his dulled eyes.
There was a place where he belonged—one that had appeared not long ago.
‘Paradise.’
Yes. If it was there.
His fumbling hand found a small piece of paper in his pocket.
He held the paper for a long time, fingers trembling. Part of him wanted to tear it to shreds right then—but there was someone he needed to wait for.
Besides, his body felt terrible. A sudden chill made him shudder. Maybe if he got some sleep, he’d feel better. With a sharp sniff, he crawled under the blankets.
The cold room fell silent.
‘…So lonely….’
With the blanket pulled over his head, Seol Jihoo quietly closed his eyes.
Meanwhile.
– Your phone is currently off. After the tone, please—
“Why won’t he pick up his damn phone!”
Kim Hanna snapped her phone shut with irritation, her brow furrowing.
“Did he run off with the money? Though he didn’t seem that stupid….”
After chewing over her thoughts for a moment, she slung her handbag over her shoulder and started walking.
“You think you can hide from me?”

Kim Hanna tracked down his address and rang the doorbell, then knocked, but the apartment was silent as a tomb.
‘He’s not home?’
Kim Hanna closed her eyes and focused her senses. A presence flickered clearly from inside. Her expression darkened at once.
Knock, knock!
“Hey! Open the door! I know you’re in there! Seol Jihoo!”
Kim Hanna raised her voice as she pounded on the door, her lower lip tightening.
So this was how he wanted to play it?
In frustration, she grabbed the doorknob and turned it hard.
“Was I the one who gave you the money in the first place?”
Click. The front door swung open smoothly.
‘It was unlocked?’
More than shock, she felt the hollow embarrassment of having wasted over five minutes fumbling at the entrance.
Kim Hanna stepped inside, looking around, then immediately clamped a hand over her nose.
The stench hit her like a wall—cigarette smoke, rotting food, stale clothes, all mingling into a foul reek that assaulted her nostrils.
She surveyed the room and recoiled. Cigarette butts piled high in a rice bowl like a porcupine’s spines. The rising nausea sent her hurrying toward the sink, but the moment she glimpsed the kitchen sink, her eyes widened in horror.
Gag!
She retched violently. For someone as fastidiously clean as she was, this room—rank as a garbage dump—was revolting in every way.
Gag, urgh—ugh!
Still retching, her tear-filled eyes turned toward the back of the room. There, beneath the blankets pulled up over his face, lay Seol Jihoo, asleep.
“You’re insane! Absolutely insane!”
Kim Hanna strode forward, her voice sharp with rebuke.
“Hey, stop!”
The moment she swept the blanket away with her foot, she froze.
“Ugh… ugh….”
Pained groans spilled from his lips. His breathing came in ragged gasps, labored and strained. His hair was soaked through, and beads of sweat dotted his neck.
“Oh….”
Kim Hanna’s irritation melted at once. She crouched down and gently raised a hand. Her palm against his forehead burned with fever. Heat radiated from him in waves.
…….
She hadn’t realized he was ill, and now she felt guilty for doubting him even for a moment.
“…Idiot. How could you sleep in a place like this and not catch something?”
She muttered the words like a complaint, then sighed. After one more sweep of the room, she shook her head firmly.
“Goodness… the man who managed fine on his own in Paradise, and now look at him on Earth.”
Speaking as though there was nothing for it, she pushed herself up.
“You’ll have to bear the cold for now. First I need to air this place out—I’ll catch something myself if I stay here.”
Creak, creak! She flung open every window, then rolled up both sleeves with force. Crack, crack. As if eager to put her strength to use, she straightened her back and twisted her head side to side.
One corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk.
“Now then… where should I start?”

Seol Jihoo was dreaming. A dream he hadn’t had in ages—bittersweet and strangely comforting.
Yu Seonhwa had come to him, nursing him through his suffering with care. She’d scolded him for the state of the room, dragged him to one corner, and started cleaning.
While the washing machine ran, she’d slipped out to buy detergent and air freshener, then washed his clothes, scrubbed the kitchen and dishes, cleared food waste and organized the refrigerator, swept and mopped the floors, wiped down the windows, and even scoured the bathroom.
After hours of deep cleaning, she’d complained of hunger and boiled ramen. Watching her ponytail sway gently had filled him with warmth. It felt like stepping back into the past.
The only thing that struck him as odd was that she wore formal dress. He could understand if it were her uniform, but Yu Seonhwa had never worn formal clothing before….
Suddenly, a spicy aroma wafted through the air. His mouth flooded with saliva.
Half-asleep, Seol Jihoo swallowed and blinked his eyes open.
‘Was it not a dream?’
He jolted upright, propping himself up on his elbows.
“Well, well?”
A familiar sarcastic voice reached his ears.
Kim Hanna stood holding a tray, her eyes glinting with amusement.
“You can smell food like a ghost.”
“Kim Hanna?”
“Come eat if you’re awake.”
“Why are you….”
“I told you. If you didn’t answer my calls, I’d come find you at home.”
Kim Hanna spoke without inflection.
Seol Jihoo stared blankly around the room. Seeing his living space transformed from a garbage dump into a livable space, his jaw went slack.
‘My room was this spacious?’
Dishes neatly organized on shelves, floorboards gleaming. The cool, pleasant fragrance felt almost foreign. It had gone beyond merely livable—he wanted to call it his sweet home.
“…A complete transformation?”
“What are you talking about?”
Kim Hanna snapped at him tersely.
Seol Jihoo pressed his fingers to his temples.
“So it was you….”
He’d thought it was Yu Seonhwa.
“That’s right, you bastard. Do you have any idea how many trash bags I went through? What’s that tone—are you disappointed?”
“No, I’m not. Thank you.”
Startled, he waved his hands defensively, and Kim Hanna let out a snort.
“You should be grateful. How do you even sleep in a place like this? Bacteria must be crawling all over. Ugh!”
The mere thought made her shudder, and she set the tray down on a small table. She glanced down at him.
“Aren’t you going to eat? I boiled two bowls generously.”
Steam rose from the pot in gentle wisps. Watching her extend wooden chopsticks toward him, he found it impossible to refuse. Come to think of it, he’d eaten nothing since morning.
So the hungry young man decided to address his appetite first.
Slurrrp.
‘Delicious.’
The noodles had bite, the broth was spicy yet refreshing with the finely chopped scallions sprinkled throughout. Watching the youth focus silently on devouring the ramen, Kim Hanna chuckled softly.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I do have a knack for cooking ramen. Eat plenty.”
“Yeah.”
The two of them focused on their meal for a while. The noodles disappeared in moments.
“Not quite enough.”
Kim Hanna licked her lips with her tongue and watched Seol Jihoo eat the broth with a wistful expression.
“Want me to mix some rice into it?”
“Hmm… oh, rice.”
“I bought instant rice. I went out again because I ran out of trash bags.”
Kim Hanna quickly brought the rice. It had cooled to a pleasant temperature, likely warmed at the convenience store.
The two of them mixed the rice into the broth and shared the bowl amicably.
With their bellies full, their bodies grew heavy and drowsy. Even though he’d slept earlier, his eyelids felt like lead. Kim Hanna let out a small laugh.
“Look at you. Getting sleepy just from eating rice.”
He stirred, picked up the tray, and brought out a packet of medicine.
“Let me—I’ll do it.”
“Don’t be silly. What’s a sick person doing? I brought medicine, so take it and get some proper rest. We can talk tomorrow.”
Seol Jihoo clamped his mouth shut. The thing he hated most was injections, and the second thing he hated most was medicine. You could call it childhood trauma.
Kim Hanna hummed as she finished washing the dishes, and when she saw the medicine packet still sitting there untouched, she grew irritated. She quickly succeeded in forcing him to take the medicine, then left with the promise that they’d see each other in the morning. Night had already fallen outside, and she needed sleep too.
“I’m heading out now, so rest up properly. And don’t you dare not answer my call tomorrow.”
And just as she was about to leave, she felt his hand grab hers.
“Kim Hanna.”
“What?”
“Don’t go.”
“…What?”
The urgency in his voice made Kim Hanna flinch.
Late night.
It struck him then—he’d made a mistake.
“I…”
“Hey.”
Kim Hanna turned her head and spoke firmly.
“You’re an Invitee, and I’m the one who invited you.”
“I know.”
“If you know that, you can’t act like this. Don’t you think that’s presumptuous? Do I look that easy to you?”
Her tone was edged with irritation.
Seol Jihoo, who had been staring blankly as if confused by her sudden words, finally spoke in a hollow voice.
“I want to go.”
“…Huh?”
“Right now. I want to go right now.”
Kim Hanna blinked.
The flush crept up her neck for only a moment.
The instant she recognized the strange fervor burning in the young man’s eyes,
“Let’s go. Right now. We can, can’t we?”
Her eyes narrowed.
‘It can’t be.’
She’d felt something off about him all day—the unusual silence, the strangeness of it all.
In truth, what she had worried about was Seol Jihoo resisting and refusing to go back to Paradise after returning to Earth.
But the reality was the opposite.
Not even a full day had passed, and Seol Jihoo already wanted to return to Paradise.
The faint spark of life returning to his face was the most unmistakable evidence.
The way he gripped her hand—as if clutching a lifeline—made Kim Hanna think one thing.
This wasn’t right.
This was dangerous.
There were people like this sometimes. Earthlings who became so entranced by Paradise’s allure that they cast aside their lives on Earth. A reversal of priorities.
Such Earthlings almost always died young, intoxicated by the thrilling euphoria Paradise offered, chasing ever more dangerous thrills as time wore on.
Earthlings called such people “Paradise Addicts.”
Of course, from Kim Hanna’s perspective, Seol Jihoo’s enthusiasm for Paradise was something to celebrate, but he wasn’t a contractor yet—he was certainly no disposable pawn to be used once and discarded.
He was an Earthling who would become her steady support going forward, an important partner. Or rather, a precious gem to be carefully nurtured and refined.
She wanted Seol Jihoo to maintain balance between the two lives, not to become addicted to Paradise.
He’d only been once—and only experienced the neutral zone—yet he was already craving Paradise this badly. It was rare.
‘Something happened to him.’
Thinking back on Seol Jihoo’s past, it was easy to guess why.
“No.”
Kim Hanna refused outright.
“Why?”
“Because we need to finalize the contract first.”
“Just sign it now. What’s the difference?”
“Is signing all there is to it? I have things to tell you, and don’t you want to know anything? Have you even thought about what we should do going forward, how this is supposed to work?”
“…We can figure that out later.”
Her blunt tone made Seol Jihoo’s voice soften.
“Look, I haven’t slept either. Do you have any idea how exhausted I am from cleaning? And yet—”
Seol Jihoo’s expression turned helpless.
“Go get some rest. You look like you’re about to collapse. Besides, when the time comes, I’ll send you off whether you want to go or not.”
“…I understand….”
In the end, Seol Jihoo raised the white flag.
A moment later.
The light went out.
Watching Seol Jihoo’s steady breathing, Kim Hanna’s expression grew complicated.
She stood in the entryway for a long time, caught in thought, before finally settling down at a distance and draping the discarded My over her body.
Just in case he tried to slip off to Paradise when she wasn’t looking.
Her keen senses would jolt awake at the smallest sound.
As his Guardian, she couldn’t allow him to flee to Paradise, no matter what.
‘Really, what a handful this one is.’
After watching Seol Jihoo for a while longer, Kim Hanna yawned and closed her eyes.

Kim Hanna woke at dawn, confirmed that Seol Jihoo was still asleep, and quietly finished her shower. She’d only meant to wash her face, but the sweat from yesterday’s deep cleaning had been relentless.
She’d brought clothes with her just in case, and by the time she emerged, Seol Jihoo was already awake, rubbing his eyes at the sound of the shower.
Once Seol Jihoo finished washing up as well, the sun had already risen.
Kim Hanna dragged the young man out of the room and into a quiet corner restaurant, where she ordered their meal.
While they waited for the food, Kim Hanna demanded to hear everything that had happened the previous day, and though Seol Jihoo was reluctant, he explained in detail.
Her reaction upon hearing the account was something to behold.
“What? You spent over a hundred million won?”
“…….”
“I’ve seen some idiots in my time, but are you actually him? Are you really the capable one I knew?”
“…….”
“Listen! I told you to factor in the time ratio, didn’t I? If a son who was a gambler just a month ago suddenly quits gambling and brings home fifty, sixty million won, what do you think his family’s going to think? What kind of explanation could there possibly be?”
Kim Hanna was fit to tear her hair out. She’d deposited the money in good faith, thinking he’d handle it wisely. The man who’d managed such intricate, delicate matters so flawlessly in Paradise had done a complete one-eighty the moment he arrived on Earth. Privately, she couldn’t fathom how someone could be such a fool.
“You absolute idiot—”
In her exasperation, she reached over and tapped the back of his neck.
“…No, look. I understand your heart was in the right place. But you should’ve brought maybe two or three million won instead. Apologize, say you’re done with gambling and ready to work honestly, mention that you’re busy lately and you’ll reach out occasionally, and rebuild things gradually. What, did you think it would all fix itself in one move? This is a relationship that’s been broken for years.”
Faced with such irrefutable logic, Seol Jihoo could only scratch his head. Even if his mouth had ten openings, he’d have nothing to say.
“Haaa….”
Kim Hanna exhaled one long sigh after another, then fixed him with a sharp stare.
“This won’t do.”
“?”
“We haven’t signed the contract yet, but the moment you do, I’m invoking Guardian Authority.”
“Guardian Authority?”
“You want to make peace with your family, don’t you?”
Seol Jihoo nodded as though it were obvious.
“I’m not planning to meddle in your general affairs, but that part—I’m going to have a say in.”
Just then the food arrived, giving Kim Hanna’s tirade a brief reprieve.
“Eat. Let’s talk while we eat.”
Kim Hanna picked up her spoon and continued.
“Listen to me. I had an employee back when he was in college who went over there. He made something of himself, established a decent position, earned a reputation, and got recruited by Shin Young. And just recently, he even got married.”
“They have marriages there too?”
“It happens. But that’s not my point.”
She waved her hand, as if that detail were irrelevant.
“The thing is, the person he married isn’t from there. What do you think happened?”
“I don’t know. Seems like it’d be complicated, doesn’t it? There’s always the risk of being discovered.”
“Right? But here’s the thing—it actually works out fine. He goes to work at the office in the morning, logs in, spends a couple of days there, then comes back around afternoon. On days he’s late, he just says he’s working overtime. If he needs more time, he takes a business trip, short or long term.”
“Someone could still come looking for him at the office though.”
Kim Hanna shrugged.
“What’s the problem? On those days, he just shows up and works there.”
“What if you slip away to see me, or something urgent comes up?”
“No problem. If anything happens at home, they call the office directly. I tell them I’m out on a brief errand, our staff logs in, and I’m there in a heartbeat.”
“That’s quite thorough management.”
“The company’s reach. And it’s also why I’m going to look after you.”
Seol Jihoo nodded, tilting his head slightly. Kim Hanna’s tone was certainly forceful, but he didn’t find it unpleasant. It sounded less like interference and more like she was offering her help.
“So in the end, you’re saying you’ll exercise Guardian Authority?”
“Exactly. Though honestly, I don’t even need to invoke Guardian Authority for this. It’s my duty as someone granted Recruitment Authority.”
“Recruitment Authority?”
“Right. You think authority comes with rights alone? There are responsibilities and obligations attached to every privilege.”
Kim Hanna, who had been chewing her kimbap thoughtfully, caught herself. In Paradise, she was so accustomed to his competence that she often glossed over things, assuming he’d understand them anyway.
“The rights aren’t anything grand. Just the ability to use a seal, and to distinguish whether someone belongs there or not—that level of thing.”
“You can actually do that?”
“Of course. Otherwise, how would I have believed you based on just that oath alone?”
“How do you tell the difference?”
“Show me your palm.”
Seol Jihoo readily opened his right hand. Kim Hanna shook her head.
“Not your right hand. The palm where I stamped you.”
Only then did Seol Jihoo extend his left palm, tilting his head in puzzlement. From his perspective, it was just an ordinary hand—there was nothing to see.
But Kim Hanna seemed to see something; she was nodding to herself.
“There it is now. It’s clearer because yours is gold.”
“You can see it with your eyes?”
“Yes. There are three methods of distinguishing, altogether.”
Kim Hanna drew her chopsticks to her lips, then held up her index, middle, and ring fingers.
“First is recognizing by face. But you can do that too. Second is seeing the mark. Though that has a drawback—you won’t know where the mark is placed. Some people stamp it in… sensitive spots.”
Seol Jihoo found himself genuinely curious about what qualified as a sensitive spot.
“Third is sensing the aura.”
“The aura?”
“The mark has a unique aura to it. But that requires proximity, and considerable concentration.”
The moment Paradise came up, Seol Jihoo’s eyes brightened with fascination.
“Anyway, we’ve gotten sidetracked.”
Kim Hanna clicked her tongue and pulled a contract and pen from her bag.
“The point is this: I want you to manage your life in both places harmoniously, like the subordinate I described.”
“That’s—”
“Listen. I’ve been there far longer than you, and I’ve seen far more people. On top of that, I’m the one who actually recruited you and sent you there.”
As she spoke, Kim Hanna’s voice took on a grave, measured tone.
“I’ll be honest with you. When I started this brokering work, I never thought I’d end up saying something like this.”
Kim Hanna took a sip of water and adjusted her glasses as she continued.
“I felt it clearly yesterday. Whatever happens there, here you need strict oversight.”

“Above all, I won’t tolerate seeing my Invitee drowning in addiction over there.”
With that, Kim Hanna slapped the contract and papers down in front of Seol Jihoo.
“You understand, and if you’re confident, sign.”
Seol Jihoo, who had been silent until now, picked up the pen. The moment he pulled the contract toward him,
“Don’t forget.”
She spoke sharply.
“Your place is here.”

(To be continued in the next installment)

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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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