Chapter 12. The First Trade Between Two Worlds
The man beside Park Tae-seong did not smile.
Black suit.
Short, neatly combed hair.
Eyes almost completely devoid of emotion.
Those were not the eyes of someone looking at students.
They were the eyes of someone examining merchandise.
Do-yoon did not like that gaze.
Park Tae-seong watched him from a distance.
He no longer looked as confident as before.
He seemed nervous.
The area beneath his eyes was hollow.
But he had not completely broken down either.
The moment that man stood beside him...
A faint trace of confidence returned to Tae-seong's face.
Do-yoon's phone vibrated again.
Kim Do-yoon.
Park Tae-seong's father has contacted a private security company and a legal broker.
Do not confront them directly.
It was another message from Seo Ji-hoon.
Do-yoon slowly put his phone away.
Han Seo-yeon asked,
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Your face says otherwise."
Do-yoon did not answer.
Then Park Tae-seong approached.
He was not alone.
The man in the black suit came with him.
The students in the hallway instinctively moved aside.
Tae-seong stopped in front of Do-yoon.
"Kim Do-yoon."
His voice was low.
He was no longer mocking him like before.
But suppressed anger remained beneath the words.
"You've gotten pretty big lately, haven't you?"
Do-yoon looked at him.
"Just say what you want."
Tae-seong's lips twitched.
The man beside him spoke first.
"You're Kim Do-yoon?"
Do-yoon looked at him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm advising Representative Park's side. My name is Yoon Jae-moon."
Advisor.
The word sounded strange.
He did not call himself a lawyer.
Nor a bodyguard.
Advisor.
It sounded more like...
Someone who handled whatever needed to be handled.
Yoon Jae-moon slowly examined Do-yoon.
"Things inside the school are getting too big."
"Wouldn't it be better for everyone to settle this peacefully?"
Do-yoon did not smile.
"Peacefully?"
"If a misunderstanding between students turns into a fight between adults, things become exhausting."
"I've already been exhausted for a long time."
Yoon Jae-moon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Kim Do-yoon."
His voice lowered.
"There are more fights in this world that should be avoided than fights that should be won."
For some reason, those words sounded familiar.
Teachers had told him similar things in the past.
Let's settle this nicely.
Apologize to each other and move on.
You should endure just a little.
Peace demanded only from the victim.
Do-yoon looked directly into Yoon Jae-moon's eyes.
"I'm not avoiding things anymore."
Park Tae-seong's face twisted.
"You bastard—"
Yoon Jae-moon raised a hand.
"Tae-seong."
At that single word, Tae-seong clenched his teeth and stopped.
Do-yoon did not miss it.
Park Tae-seong listened to this man.
No.
He feared him.
Yoon Jae-moon spoke again in a softer voice.
"Let's make time to talk."
"The conditions won't be bad for you either."
He took out a business card and held it toward Do-yoon.
Do-yoon did not accept it.
Silence followed.
Han Seo-yeon quietly spoke.
"Are you threatening a student inside a school?"
Yoon Jae-moon turned toward her.
"Han Seo-yeon."
He recognized her immediately.
"Chairman Han Myeong-jae's daughter."
Han Seo-yeon's expression hardened.
Yoon Jae-moon smiled.
"It would be better not to involve yourself in unnecessary matters."
"The world is dirtier than you think."
The words were polite.
But it was a threat.
The back of Do-yoon's hand grew hot.
Pride writhed beneath his skin.
[Do not lower your head.]
Do-yoon clenched his fist.
But he did not move.
This was not the time to use his fists.
He slowly accepted Yoon Jae-moon's business card.
"I'll contact you."
Yoon Jae-moon nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Wise choice."
As they turned away, Park Tae-seong glared at Do-yoon one last time.
There was hatred in his eyes.
But beneath it...
Fear.
Do-yoon watched him and thought,
Even without the fruits, humans can become monsters.
After school...
Do-yoon did not leave immediately.
He deliberately went behind the library, near an old storage building.
Almost no one came there.
He called Seo Ji-hoon.
"Do you know someone named Yoon Jae-moon?"
A short silence followed.
Seo Ji-hoon's voice dropped.
"Where did you meet him?"
"At school. He came with Park Tae-seong."
"Be careful."
"He's not a licensed attorney."
"He often appears in dirty cases involving redevelopment, debt collection, and school disputes."
"A broker."
"Someone who operates between legal and illegal territory."
"He doesn't dirty his own hands."
"He moves other people instead."
Do-yoon looked through the window.
Students remained on the field.
It looked like an ordinary school.
But beneath it...
Adults were fighting.
"What should I do?"
"Do not meet him alone."
"Record every call."
"And starting today, we'll change your route home."
"Understood."
After ending the call, Do-yoon remained still for a while.
Reality was becoming increasingly complicated.
He had thought all he needed to do was deal with Park Tae-seong.
But behind Park Tae-seong were his parents.
Behind his parents was money.
And behind money...
People like Yoon Jae-moon.
Monsters in the other world showed their teeth and claws.
Monsters in reality handed you a business card.
Do-yoon touched the silver coins in his pocket.
He had not sold them yet.
Three silver coins.
About 1.5 million won in reality.
At first, that amount had made his heart race.
But now he understood.
1.5 million won could protect almost nothing.
It was barely enough to properly move a lawyer.
Not enough for security.
A house.
His mother's safety.
His future.
He needed more money.
Much more.
And money alone was not enough.
He needed power.
Power from the other world.
Power in reality.
Both.
That night...
After confirming that his mother had fallen asleep, Do-yoon quietly closed his bedroom door.
He focused on the symbol on the back of his hand.
At first, nothing happened.
Do-yoon whispered,
"Open."
His hand grew hot.
The air split.
A white line appeared in the room and slowly opened.
The Dimensional Gate.
Do-yoon put on a bag.
Inside were several empty bottles.
A small flashlight.
Bandages.
And a chocolate bar from reality.
He wanted to test whether he could bring real-world items into the other world too.
Do-yoon stepped through.
The night air of the royal capital, Arkel, brushed against his face.
He appeared in an alley near the guild.
To his surprise...
Liana was waiting.
She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.
"You're late."
Do-yoon paused.
"How did you know?"
"This is the third time you've appeared in the exact same alley."
Do-yoon said nothing.
Liana narrowed her eyes.
"You're not an ordinary amnesiac, are you?"
"I never said I was."
"You're getting better at word games."
Liana walked over and tapped his bag.
"What did you bring?"
"Something to trade."
"Trade?"
Do-yoon took out a chocolate bar.
Liana looked at the unfamiliar object suspiciously.
"What's that?"
"Food."
