Chapter 13. The Smell of Money
The moment Kim Do-yoon woke up, he checked the bed.
Twelve silver coins were neatly arranged on the old blanket.
He had already checked them several times last night.
Every time he woke, he touched them again, worried that everything had been a dream and they would vanish by morning.
But the silver coins were still there.
Cold.
Heavy.
Unfamiliar letters and symbols that did not belong to any country in reality were clearly engraved across their surfaces.
"So it's real..."
Do-yoon picked up one silver coin and stared at it for a while.
Then he opened the calculator on his phone.
Estimated value of one silver coin...
Around 500,000 won.
Twelve...
Six million won.
Do-yoon stared at the number on the screen, then silently lowered his phone.
His heart began beating faster.
Six million won.
It was the largest amount of money he had ever possessed at one time.
Do-yoon looked up at the low ceiling of the semi-basement room.
Black mold spread across the corner where the wall met the ceiling.
The old fluorescent light flickered with a faint buzz.
He could also see the tiny window that let in cold wind during winter and rainwater during summer.
Six million won would not suddenly make him rich.
He could not buy a large house.
It would not completely free him from poverty.
But there was one thing he could do.
"I could let Mom rest for a month."
He thought of his mother, who worked day and night for him.
She could not rest even when she was sick.
She worried constantly about rent and living expenses.
She always chose the cheapest things.
Do-yoon had watched all of that and had never been able to do anything for her.
But now...
Things were different.
He still had not found a safe way to exchange the silver coins for real-world money.
But at least there was a possibility.
Do-yoon placed the coins into a small pouch and hid them deep beneath his bed.
The moment Do-yoon entered the classroom, everyone's attention turned toward him.
He was becoming used to it.
"He's here."
"Hey, doesn't Kim Do-yoon look way more handsome now?"
"Was his face always like that?"
"I don't think so."
Whispers came from all over the classroom.
Do-yoon walked to his seat as if he heard nothing.
But he did not think they were entirely wrong.
Even he saw changes every morning when he looked in the mirror.
His rough, pale skin had become noticeably clearer.
His constantly tired eyes looked sharper.
His narrow shoulders were slowly becoming broader.
The shape of his body beneath his clothes had grown firmer.
He did not know whether it was the effect of the potion...
Or Pride reshaping his body.
Maybe both.
"Kim Do-yoon."
Do-yoon looked up at the familiar voice.
Han Seo-yeon stood in front of his desk.
"What?"
"Let's eat lunch together today."
The moment she said it, the noisy classroom became strangely quiet.
Do-yoon stared at her without answering.
Everyone else looked between the two of them.
Several boys openly looked jealous.
Seo-yeon finally noticed their reactions and narrowed her eyes.
"Why are they all staring like that?"
Do-yoon tried not to laugh.
"Nothing."
"You imagined something weird, didn't you?"
"I didn't."
"Liar."
Someone behind them muttered enviously.
"I wish Han Seo-yeon would ask me to eat with her."
"Me too..."
Do-yoon finally laughed.
Not long ago, he had been treated like an invisible person in this classroom.
No one approached him first.
Some students did not even want to sit beside him.
He had never imagined a day like this would come.
At lunch, Do-yoon and Seo-yeon sat together in one corner of the cafeteria.
The moment she put her tray down, she immediately asked,
"So what did you actually do?"
"About what?"
"Your face."
Do-yoon stared at her in disbelief.
"What's wrong with my face?"
"You seriously don't know?"
"I don't."
Seo-yeon put down her chopsticks and examined him closely.
"You have some secret, don't you?"
"No."
"Liar."
Do-yoon answered by eating his soup.
Seo-yeon refused to give up.
"Dermatology clinic?"
"No."
"Exercise?"
"A little."
"Then plastic surgery?"
Do-yoon nearly spat out his water.
"Are you crazy?"
"Then explain it."
"Does it make sense for someone to change this much in a few days?"
"Maybe I've just been sleeping well."
"Did you not sleep before?"
Do-yoon could not answer.
Students sitting at the next table laughed while listening.
In the past, these were the same kinds of people who would have moved away simply because Do-yoon sat nearby.
Now...
They naturally listened to the conversation and laughed along.
All of those changes felt strange.
People changed their attitudes more easily than expected.
Once his appearance changed...
Once he gained power...
Once the people around him treated him differently...
Even people who had never noticed him before suddenly saw him.
That realization did not make him entirely happy.
After class, Do-yoon did not go straight home.
He stopped at a nearby convenience store.
Today, he wanted to conduct an important experiment.
He took a shopping basket and walked between the aisles.
Chocolate.
Candy.
Instant noodles.
Coffee mix.
Soap.
He chose different kinds of items that might not exist, or might be difficult to obtain, in the other world.
When he placed the full basket on the counter, the employee looked at him strangely.
"Preparing for some kind of event?"
Do-yoon hesitated before giving a vague answer.
"Something like that."
The total was 64,000 won.
For the old Do-yoon, that would have been a large amount of money to spend casually.
But compared to the value of silver coins...
It was a reasonable investment.
After paying, Do-yoon packed everything into a large bag and returned home.
He locked his room.
Then focused on the mark on the back of his hand.
The air rippled.
A white Dimensional Gate opened in the center of the room.
Do-yoon put the bag over his shoulder and stepped through.
Do-yoon emerged into an alley in Arkel.
Liana was waiting.
She leaned against a wall with her arms crossed.
"You're late."
Do-yoon checked his watch.
"Only five minutes."
"Seven."
"Can't you overlook two minutes?"
Liana firmly shook her head.
"People who make money need to keep appointments."
Do-yoon laughed.
"Were you a merchant or something?"
"No."
Liana answered casually.
"I was poor."
Do-yoon fell silent.
It was a short sentence.
But strangely heavy.
Liana always looked strong and confident.
But she probably had not always possessed good weapons and armor.
Maybe she understood the importance of time and money because she had experienced hunger, cold, and helplessness firsthand.
Liana noticed the bag.
"What's that?"
"Today's merchandise."
"You're not planning to eat all of that, are you?"
"How could I eat all this by myself?"
Do-yoon opened the bag.
Chocolate.
Candy.
Instant noodles.
Coffee mix.
Soap.
Liana stared blankly.
