MRUCM 04

Chapter 04

*Clink.*

Baek Hayun stopped her dishwashing hands.

From the living room, a gruff voice could be heard over the TV sound.

“Hey! Baek Hayun. Bring me some water.”

It was her uncle, Han Mansu. A middle-aged man sprawled sideways on the sofa, scratching his belly.

Hayun pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. Her hands trembled slightly as she poured it into a cup.

“Here you go.”

“Why are you so slow, kid? Can’t you move with a bit of pep?”

Han Mansu snatched the cup away.

“And you. Your part-time paycheck came in this month, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Bring it here. I’m behind on maintenance fees and don’t have money to pay.”

“Uncle… you already took last month’s too. This month I need to buy workbooks and pay for transportation—”

“Where do you get off talking back, you brat? Who’s the one feeding you and putting a roof over your head?!”

*Bam!*

Han Mansu slammed the cup down on the table.

“Who took you in when you were about to end up on the streets after your parents died? Huh? You ungrateful little—”

Eight years ago.

Baek Hayun’s parents had died in a traffic accident.

Before the grief could even subside, her uncle Han Mansu appeared. He became Hayun’s legal guardian.

And then—from her parents’ insurance money to even her missing younger uncle’s inheritance—Han Mansu, under the guise of being her legal guardian, swallowed it all.

That wasn’t the end. He squandered it all on gambling and stocks. And when that wasn’t enough, he started dipping into the monthly government stipend and even Hayun’s part-time wages.

“Hand it over, quick?”

His hand rose.

Hayun flinched reflexively. It was better to give the money than to get hit. She pulled crumpled cash from her pocket and placed it on the kitchen table.

“…This is all of it.”

“Tch. Peanuts. What am I supposed to do with this?”

Han Mansu counted the money, then turned his attention back to the TV.

Hayun bit her lip. She felt like crying, but held it in. Crying here wouldn’t change anything.

*Suffocating.*

It felt more like a prison than a home. Hayun fled out the front door like she was escaping.

—

The night air was cold.

At the playground in the old public housing complex, a single streetlamp flickered.

*Creak. Creak.*

Hayun sat on a rusted swing, staring at the ground.

She had nowhere to go. She could crash at a friend’s place for a day or two, but not every night. Eventually, when Han Mansu passed out drunk, she’d have to return to that hellish house.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped her.

If only her parents were still alive.

If only her young uncle—the one who went missing when she was little—were here.

She felt so pitiful, so alone.

“……”

That was when.

“Well, well. If it isn’t our school’s prettiest girl.”

Three shadows emerged from the darkness. Boys in school pants cropped short, smoking cigarettes—the local thugs notorious for causing trouble.

“No kidding. That’s Baek Hayun, right?”

“Hey… she’s even better looking in person.”

The one in the middle chuckled as he approached. The pungent smell of smoke wafted over.

Hayun shot up from her seat.

“…Move.”

“Where are you going? Come hang out with us oppas. We’re heading to the noraebang—wanna come?”

“No.”

“Don’t be so stuck-up. I’ll buy you something nice.”

The guy grabbed her wrist.

She broke out in goosebumps.

“Let go!”

“Shit. So high and mighty. Just come along while we’re being nice.”

Their eyes changed. This wasn’t just a prank anymore—they looked ready to drag her away by force.

Fear washed over her. She looked around, but there was no one to help.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“Shut up. Scream and you’re dead.”

The thug raised his hand.

That very moment—

“Take your hand off her.”

A low, dry voice.

From the shadows, a man walked out. He wore a hoodie and jeans—ordinary attire—but his aura was strangely out of place.

Baek Kangjin.

His entrance.

“What’s this ajusshi’s deal?”

The thug leader, Choi Minseok, frowned. His eyes scanned Kangjin up and down with arrogant contempt.

“Ajusshi, if you don’t want your bones broken, get lost. Don’t butt into kids’ business.”

“Kids?”

Baek Kangjin scoffed.

Plain mockery.

“All I see are a bunch of dumb beasts.”

“…What?”

“If you can’t understand human speech, you’re an animal. Am I wrong?”

Silence fell.

Choi Minseok’s face flushed red. No one in this neighborhood had ever disrespected him like this.

“This bastard’s lost his mind. Hey… stomp him.”

The two behind him chuckled and stepped forward. They pulled out folding knives and twirled them—a fairly intimidating gesture.

Hayun gasped.

“Ajusshi! Run! They have knives!”

But Baek Kangjin didn’t budge. Instead, he spoke in a bored, flat tone.

“Kids these days have no fear.”

“Bullshit. You’re about to get your ass kicked.”

Choi Minseok threw a punch.

It was fairly fast, but to Baek Kangjin’s eyes, it moved slower than slow-motion.

Kangjin sidestepped casually. Then he flicked his finger.

*Ting.*

In that instant—

“Huh?!”

The one who threw the punch suddenly froze. His face turned bright red, and he started scratching his neck.

“I, I’m itching!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I, I don’t know! My whole body’s on fire!”

Choi Minseok rolled on the ground, writhing. His skin began to swell and redden.

Acute urticaria—hives. The histamine-amplifying virus Kangjin had dispersed into the air had triggered his immune system.

“Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ugh-choo!”

The others were sneezing uncontrollably, their faces covered in snot. Tears and mucus poured out like faucets.

The situation was resolved in an instant. The three thugs lay sprawled on the ground, making utter fools of themselves.

“Wh-what did you do?”

“I can’t breathe!”

Baek Kangjin clicked his tongue.

Minnows not even worth killing. He crouched down and patted Choi Minseok’s cheek.

“Snap out of it.”

“S-save me…”

“You want to live?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“Then apologize.”

“I-I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!”

Baek Kangjin shook his head.

“No. Not that insincere crap. Tell me your real feelings.”

“What?”

“I said speak.”

Baek Kangjin flicked his finger again.

This time, a nervous system-disrupting virus—one that paralyzed the brain’s prefrontal inhibition function.

“Ugh… I, I am!”

Choi Minseok’s mouth moved on its own.

“I am trash who gets off on bullying the weak! Actually, I’m a coward who can’t do anything without my crew! And I stole from my mom’s wallet to buy cigarettes! I’m sorry!”

His booming voice echoed through the playground. Even he looked shocked, trying to cover his mouth—but it wouldn’t stop.

“And the Junsik next to me is just as pathetic! Last time he got caught stealing condoms from the convenience store! He said he was glad they let him off with a warning!”

“Hey! You right now—”

Junsik was horrified, but his mouth also opened.

“That’s right! I’m a chicken who hides behind Minseok! But the person I hate most is Minseok. Someday I’m going to betray him.”

Total chaos.

Baek Kangjin nodded in satisfaction.

“Good. I like your honesty. Now get lost.”

They fled screaming, running through the neighborhood broadcasting each other’s dirty laundry—quite the spectacle.

From now on, those three would have to live honestly for the rest of their lives. That was Baek Kangjin’s severe punishment.

Afterward.

Only silence remained at the playground.

Baek Hayun stared blankly at his back. She couldn’t understand what had just happened.

“……”

Baek Kangjin turned around.

His face illuminated by the streetlight—careless-looking, yet with eyes that held depth.

Hayun swallowed hard.

“Um… thank you. For helping.”

She bowed her head.

But instead of answering, Kangjin stared intently at Hayun. Just as the gaze was becoming overwhelming—

“You’ve grown.”

An unexpected comment.

Hayun looked up.

“Huh?”

“Hayun-ah.”

Her heart dropped.

*How does he know my name?*

Seeing her bewildered expression, Baek Kangjin smiled bitterly.

“It’s me. You don’t remember?”

“Who…”

“Ha. I’d be hurt if you forgot your uncle. Remember when you were little and I gave you a piggyback ride and almost broke your neck?”

In an instant.

Fragments of hazy memories surfaced in Hayun’s mind.

He was a bit prickly, but he’d always doted on her. He was always there in her memories of the happy times before her parents passed away.

But.

That person had gone missing ten years ago.

“…Uncle Kangjin?”

Her voice trembled.

Baek Kangjin slowly nodded.

“Yeah. Sorry I’m late.”

At those words.

Hayun’s eyes reddened.

She couldn’t believe it. The blood relative she thought was dead was standing right before her.

“Uncle… are you really my uncle?”

“Would I be fake? Want a DNA test? I’ll give you some of my buccal epithelial cells.”

Still the same tone.

Only then did it sink in.

Hayun couldn’t hold back—she ran and threw herself into Baek Kangjin’s arms.

“Uncle… Waaaaah!”

Ten years’ worth of sorrow burst forth.

The grief of losing her parents, the abuse from Han Mansu, loneliness and fear—all of it poured out in tears.

Baek Kangjin awkwardly raised his arms and patted his niece’s back.

Small and thin. Feeling only bones beneath his hands, rage ignited within him.

*Hyung. I’m sorry. I came too late.*

But at least he’d come now. Kangjin’s gaze cooled. He would make sure this child never cried again.

—

After crying for a long time, Hayun finally calmed down.

The two sat side by side on a bench. Kangjin got a warm cocoa from the vending machine and handed it to her.

“So… that bastard Han Mansu has you?”

Kangjin’s voice was calm, but suppressed killing intent lurked beneath it.

Hayun nodded and spoke.

“He’s on my mother’s side… so he became my guardian.”

“Guardian, huh. More like a parasite.”

Baek Kangjin had already figured it out.

His brother’s remaining assets, the insurance money—Han Mansu must have taken Hayun in to get his hands on it. Just looking at her worn-out sneakers and rough hands told him how she’d been living.

“Hayun-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Be honest with me. Do you want to keep living with him?”

“……”

Hayun couldn’t answer right away.

Truthfully, she didn’t want to spend a single minute with Han Mansu.

“You’ve got five years until you’re an adult? Can you hold out that long?”

“…No.”

A small voice.

But firm.

“I don’t want to. Being there suffocates me—I feel like I’ll die. But… I have nowhere to go.”

“Why not?”

Baek Kangjin said as he drank his cocoa.

“I’m here.”

“Uncle is…”

“I’d say I’m at least a hundred times better than that Han Mansu.”

Kangjin looked at his niece with confident eyes.

“Live with me. I’ll take responsibility.”

“……”

“Study what you want, eat what you want, wear what you want—I’ll give you all of it.”

Hayun’s eyes widened.

It was a dreamlike offer.

But at the same time, fear crept in.

“But… my uncle won’t just let it go. He won’t let me go because of the money…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

“Don’t fight… what if you get hurt, Uncle?”

“Haha.”

Baek Kangjin let out a dry laugh.

Hearing the strongest being worry about getting hurt by neighborhood thugs.

“Hayun-ah. Your uncle’s not the weakling he used to be. I’ll resolve it with words. Very sensibly.”

Of course, that “sense” might be a little different from Earth’s common sense.

Han Mansu would be left with trauma he’d never forget for the rest of his life. But she didn’t need to know the details.

Instead.

Baek Kangjin extended his pinky finger.

“Promise. From now on, I’ll protect you.”

Hayun hesitated for a moment, then linked her pinky with his.

Their small, warm fingers intertwined.

“…Okay. Promise.”

Her niece’s face, wiping away tears as she smiled.

That was enough for Baek Kangjin.