Chapter 6
After the match ended.
A modest party was held at my senior’s house to celebrate my undefeated promotion.
Hyeongsu-nim and Soyeon, whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while, welcomed me warmly.
“Taemin-ssi, why has it been so long? Have you been doing well?”
“Ah, Hyeongsu-nim. Coming empty-handed weighed on my mind the entire way. I was in such a rush that it completely slipped my mind.”
“Oh, forget about a present. Weren’t you out suffering in that rough place in Africa? Seeing you in good health is the best gift there is.”
Hyeongsu-nim smiled warmly and patted my shoulder.
For the record, she was one of the very few people who knew that I had served in the 9th Operations Unit and had been operating as a mercenary ever since.
Our peaceful exchange of greetings did not last long, however.
Setting down chopsticks and spoons on the table, Hyeongsu-nim went straight for the throat.
“By the way, Taemin-ssi, when are you getting married?”
“Uh… marriage? We-well, there has to be someone for that. I don’t really have anyone in mind yet.”
“What about children? You aren’t planning to not have any, are you?”
“Haha, I haven’t really thought that far ahead….”
At my lukewarm response, Hyeongsu-nim adjusted her apron and firmly planted herself across from me.
“Aren’t you at an age where you should start thinking about it? It’s not like you’ll get married a day or two after meeting someone. You need to date and get to know each other for at least a year or two.”
“Th-that’s true.”
“Do you think babies just appear out of nowhere? After getting married, you’ll want to enjoy being newlyweds for a while, right? That means you’d have a child in two years at the earliest. Have you calculated how old you’ll be then, Taemin-ssi?”
A barrage of nagging rained down upon me.
Facing Hyeongsu-nim’s impeccably logical pressure, I quickly pulled out my wallet and redirected the arrow toward Soyeon, who had been watching me intently from the side.
“Haha. Hello, Soyeon! How’ve you been? Here, some pocket money from your uncle!”
“Waaah, Unclllle! I missed you! But Uncle, do you still make hamburgers out of pork belly?”
The unexpected question made me choke on my own saliva.
“…Huh? Soyeon, what do you mean by that?”
“Daddy told me! He said whenever he goes out to eat meat with Uncle, it’s so embarrassing he wants to pretend he doesn’t know you! Shoving meat between lettuce, putting bread on top to make a burger, and grinning like an idiot is the absolute worst thing to look at!”
“Haha, did Daddy say that?”
While smiling at Soyeon, I covertly glared daggers at my senior.
This guy….
“What, did I say anything that wasn’t true? Seeing you shove garlic in there like it was a pickle made me question my own eyes, you punk.”
My senior gave an irritating shrug and topped off his soju glass.
Good grief. Better not say anything.
Even as I thought that, my hands were already wrapping a well-browned piece of pork belly snugly between two slices of white bread I had prepared in advance.
“Here, Soyeon, say ah.”
“Aaaaah.”
I popped the lovingly assembled pork belly burger right into Soyeon’s mouth.
“How is it? The burger Uncle made ā good, right?”
Chewing with puffed-out cheeks, Soyeon mumbled,
“…Tastes icky.”
“Pfft.”
Watching from the side, Hyeongsu-nim finally failed to hold back and burst into laughter.
The recipe I had prided myself on as sheer perfection crumbled into ruins before the palate of a seven-year-old niece.
This wouldn’t do. Staying passive would only keep me on the back foot.
I threw myself into grilling pork belly to stop their mouths.
“Now, now! Hyeongsu-nim, have some meat first. This came straight up from Jeju Island just this morning. Soyeon loves eating it with kimchi, right? Here, say ah.”
The sound of pork belly sizzling across the grill filled the gap in conversation.
Hyeongsu-nim’s radar showed no signs of shutting down, though.
“Taemin-ssi, should I set you up on a blind date? A new employee joined our office recently, and she’s so poised and pretty.”
“Hyeongsu-nim, the meat is going to get cold. Let’s talk after you eat….”
“Is meat the issue right now? It breaks my heart to see that handsome face of yours going to waste! Now that you’re back in Korea, settling down steadily should be your top priority. Oppa told me you’ve been playing some game lately?”
A game…?
I cut my eyes toward my senior.
He was now outright pretending not to hear, twirling his soju glass and feigning distraction.
“It’s not just a game; it actually has quite a bit of business potential….”
“Ugh, men are all the same. It’s always either business or dreams. Soyeon, if your uncle sits in the corner of his room playing computer games all day, can he grow up to be a cool adult or not?”
Taking the baton from her mother, Soyeon chewed with stuffed cheeks and said,
“Nope.”
“What do you have to do to become a cool adult?”
“You can’t be a picky eater, and you gotta sleep early and wake up early! If you only eat bread like Uncle, you’ll get chubby and nobody will marry you!”
“….”
“Pfft, bahaha!”
With trembling hands, I set down the tongs and looked at my senior.
By now, he had buried his head in the table, shoulders heaving as he wheezed to stifle his laughter.
…Just what kind of pathetic clown had he been painting me as?
“Unclllle. You gotta sleep over today. Promish?”
Once the gathering reached a mellow point, the situation came to a temporary close with Soyeon swaying on her feet from drowsiness.
Hyeongsu-nim took Soyeon into the master bedroom to put her to bed, leaving just the senior and me in the living room at last.
In the wake of the passing storm, only empty soju bottles and a cooled grill remained.
Emptying the last drop of liquor into his glass, my senior spoke.
“You seemed pretty flustered today, didn’t you?”
“It was chaotic. More than Africa, even.”
At my response, he let out a dry chuckle.
“Noisy as it is, that’s what living like a human being looks like. A hundred times better than rolling in the mud where bullets are flying.”
“That’s true.”
Fingering my empty glass, I nodded.
It was peaceful here, undoubtedly.
Even if I had to listen to nagging until an entire bag of bread was gone, I didn’t need to spend the night staking my life on survival.
‘He looks happy.’
He had once been a man with neither family nor a home to return to.
Seeing him finally find his place and live an ordinary life put my mind at ease.
Gazing briefly toward the bedroom door Soyeon had vanished behind, my senior cleared his throat and set down his glass.
“Anyway, congratulations. Watching you cut in at the very end gave me goosebumps. How on earth did you spot that tiny opening?”
“Wasn’t bad, was it?”
“Not bad? The community boards are in an absolute uproar right now!”
“Well, at least they know talent when they see it.”
We both broke into giggles, playfully smacking each other’s forearms with a sharp
Honestly, it still hadn’t fully sunk in.
To think I had genuinely pulled off an undefeated promotion.
Especially that final moment where I slipped inside Ninja’s guard and drove a blow into his chest ā even I had to admit it looked pretty damn cool.
“I knew you’d do well, but I didn’t expect you to cross over into the pro league this fast.”
“Making boatloads of cash is just a matter of time now, right?”
“Naturally. From what I looked up, the first fight purse for fighters who promoted undefeated usually starts at ten million won.”
Pausing midway through raising the soju glass to my lips, I furrowed my brow.
“They said I can’t just fight whenever I want, though. Then isn’t it barely any different from the amateur league?”
“Come on, the pro league is on a whole different level. The extras attached from here on out are entirely different.”
“What else gets attached?”
“Allowances and sponsors.”
He held up two fingers.
“A win bonus is standard, and the ad sponsorships tied to your video view counts or popularity are massive. With a title like undefeated promotion pinned to your name, do you think corporations will just sit back? And there are bonuses, too.”
“Ah, I heard about that. Fight of the Arena, Performance of the Arena, was it?”
“Right. Don’t they pay a hundred million won for each?”
Stunned for a moment, I stared blankly at him.
“They give a hundred million won as a bonus?”
“That’s why everyone risks their lives for the main card, the upper numbering. Just winning brings in decent money, and if you sweep the bonuses on top of that, making hundreds of millions in a single match is completely doable.”
Listening to him, a grin broke across my face as I downed the liquor.
So that was the deal.
The alcohol running down my throat tasted far sweeter than before.
, incredible.
Hundreds of millions in one match….
“Guess I’ll have to aim for the bonuses too.”
“You’re more than capable of it. Looking at you today, your movement seemed even sharper than during your active-duty days.”
“Really?”
We burst into laughter again, smacking each other’s forearms with a solid
Maybe because spirits were high, it felt like slipping right back to the days when we operated together.
Just then, his smartwatch sounded with a crisp chime.
“Oh, hey. It’s here. The contract.”
Since he had handled everything from application to reception, the notifications were routed to his device as well.
Abandoning the drinks, we headed over to the monitor.
And the moment we checked the contents with expectant heartsā
“Mmh.”
“…?”
Both of our brows furrowed deeply at the same time.
ćDear Participant No. 2,749.On behalf of Nova Corporation, we extend our heartfelt congratulations on your undefeated promotion from the Japan Amateur League and your acquisition of a pro license.Nova Arena has witnessed the challenges of countless warriors since its founding.The record and performance you displayed stand out as an undeniably remarkable achievement among them.In particular, an undefeated promotion achieved in such a short span of time is a feat that will be recorded in the history of Nova Arena.Accordingly, we would like to inform you once again that you have officially been granted eligibility to participate in the pro league.ā Pro League Participation NoticeIt has been confirmed that you are currently unaffiliated with any legion.Under the regulations, a warrior who does not belong to a legion must be registered under the relevant country to compete in the pro league.To that end, the following procedures are required:Ā· Execution of a direct contract with Nova Japan ArenaĀ· Detailed briefing on pro league participation clausesĀ· Explanation of fight purse and bonus structuresĀ· Assignment of an officer to act as your secondĀ· Briefing regarding future schedule and matchupsThe above procedures will be conducted exclusively in person, and the signing of the contract will also take place on-site.ā Security and Identity MattersNova Arena devotes substantial effort to protecting the identity of our participants.At present, no employee of Nova Arena possesses knowledge of your real name, nationality, past background, or identity.The staff member handling this matter is also a dispatched personnel belonging to NJA (Nova Japan Arena) and will handle only the minimal information necessary for contracting and operations.Nova Arena pledges to uphold warrior anonymity and safety as our highest values.ā Inquiry Regarding Visit ScheduleTo proceed with the contract, an assigned representative from Nova Japan Arena will visit you in person.We kindly request that you reply with dates, locations, and time slots convenient for a visit.We will make every effort to coordinate around your schedule.Once again, we express our profound respect for your dazzling achievement and look forward to your performance in the pro league.Thank you.Nova Arena Operations Divisionć
Summarized, the message amounted to this:
Congratulating me on my promotion, stating that since I lacked a legion, I had to fight under Nova Japan Arena to participate in the pro league, and that doing so required an in-person meeting to sign the contract.
Furthermore, my handler was from NJA, no one currently working at Nova Arena knew my information, and they wanted to know when it would be convenient to visit.
Rubbing my chin, I frowned.
“So I need a legion. Where should I join…?”
At my muttering, my senior scolded me as if dumbfounded.
“Hey, you idiot. You made that grim face just over which legion to join?”
“Then what else should I worry about? That’s the biggest issue right now.”
I looked at him with an expression that genuinely couldn’t comprehend his reaction.
“Hey, punk. You wore a mask to hide your identity in the first place. Don’t you remember?”
“Ah, right.”
That had indeed been the case.
Blinded by the joy of undefeated promotion and the hundreds of millions in fight purses, I had momentarily forgotten.
Those guys hunting me back in Africa were likely still glaring with bloodshot eyes; joining a prominent legion carelessly would mean having my identity exposed in no time.
“What do I do then?”
When I asked, he let out a long sigh.
A moment later, he slurred his words.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“How exactly are you going to do that?”
“Can’t I just throw together a dummy legion on paper and shove you under that?”
“You’re going to create a legion, Hyung? Is that really so easy?”
“Who do you take me for? Whipping up a piece of paper or two is child’s play.”
Pondering his words, I nodded.
For now, that was truly the best option.
He wasn’t merely a capable information broker; he also doubled as a fixer who handled messy aftercare using that intelligence.
“What about the cost?”
“Forget it. I’ll do it for free, punk.”
“Come on, you cold-blooded miser…. Hurry up and tell me how much.”
At my distrustful tone, his voice rose in indignation.
“I’m serious! Hey, do you think I’d shake you down for money too?”
“Judging by how you usually operate, that’s well within your character.”
“This guy really ignores good intentions…! Fine, I won’t take a dime. Once you climb to the pro league and collect your bonuses, just treat me to a lavish spread of Hanwoo.”
“Really? I’m recording this conversation right now. No going back on your word!”
“…What sin did I commit in my past life to end up with a junior like you? Forget it, just drink, you punk!”
He huffed and gulped down his soju.
It was an extraordinary concession that could never have come from him under normal circumstances, but seeing his reaction, he appeared to be genuinely sincere this time.
Then again, the sun did rise from the west once in a blue moon.
I quietly slipped my phone into my pocket.
‘I’ll just deftly edit out the Hanwoo part.’
While there wasn’t a shred of doubt in my mind that Hanwoo, raised drinking in the spiritual energy of the Korean Peninsula, was the finest meat in the worldā
My wallet was far too light to endure the weight of that glorious beef.
