My efforts to change Rashid’s mind continued. For the past few days, I had been following Rashid around relentlessly.
No matter where Rashid was, I was always nearby. Whether it was during a general education class, while eating, during individual training, or even when using the public shower, I was right beside Rashid, lathering up with soap.
At first, Rashid didn’t seem to care whether I followed him or not. He probably thought that if he ignored me long enough, I’d eventually back off.
“Hey. Stop. Following me.”
However, as my persistence showed no signs of stopping, Rashid finally threw in the towel. He stopped ignoring me and addressed me directly.
“No matter how much you chase me, I won’t do it. Evaluation.”
“Why won’t you do it?”
“I’m going to drop out.”
“So, why are you dropping out?”
Rashid had announced that he would be leaving the school before this upcoming practical evaluation. But he did not disclose the detailed reasons behind his decision to drop out.
I was curious about the reason. Why had Rashid suddenly chosen to drop out?
By the way, this is a scenario I’ve never seen in the game either. So it’s something I need to know more about.
“Will you stop following me if I tell you the reason?”
“I’ll decide after hearing it.”
If he didn’t reveal it here, this tiresome tug-of-war would continue. Rashid seemed to want to avoid that and began to speak.
“I have to sign a contract.”
“Contract?”
As I tilted my head, Rashid pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.
“This is… a guild contract.”
It was a form I was quite familiar with. I remembered receiving a similar one from Ryu Jung-min, the guild leader of Yeonmoon.
Rashid had received the same document. Upon closer inspection of the contract, the name “Venus Guild” caught my eye.
By the way, Venus Guild is one of the five major guilds representing South Korea.
In other words, it’s a big corporation.
“They’ve offered quite a high signing bonus.”
“Ooh.”
“The decision period is until next week, right?”
“Ooh.”
There was a reason for Rashid’s hurry to drop out. It was because this contract had a limited time window. If a decision wasn’t made by next week, all the current terms would be invalidated.
Rashid had judged that he couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
“Still, isn’t it too early to sign the contract? Rashid, someone with your potential could benefit from taking more time to increase your market value.”
Rashid is still a first-year student. He has endless potential for growth. If Rashid were to stay and continue his schooling, he would undoubtedly become an even more accomplished awakener than he is now.
Naturally, his market value would increase as well.
“I have to sign the contract now.”
But Rashid didn’t seem to want to wait for that future. He remained resolute.
“I’ve told you the reason. I’m leaving.”
With that, Rashid stood up and left. I didn’t chase after him any longer.
I just watched him from afar.
“A guild…”
There are occasional cases where a player contracts with a guild before even graduating.
There could be many reasons. For example, some people can’t adapt well to school life, or they might urgently need a large sum of money.
Rashid’s reason might fall into one of these categories.
…
By the way, ever since a while ago, the back of my head had been tingling at intervals. It felt as if someone was gently scratching my head, which was quite irritating.
It wasn’t as if I had lice in my head. It was because someone behind me kept staring.
Just who could that be? I decided to turn around and check.
“Eek…”
There, directly behind me, stood Arna. The moment our eyes met, Arna slightly flinched.
“It’s you.”
It was somewhat unexpected that Arna had been watching me all this time. Why was she doing so?
I decided to ask her straight.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Huh? Ah, um… err…”
But Arna was unable to provide a clear answer. Her words stumbled, and she even began to sweat nervously while darting her eyes in every direction.
It was a surprisingly flustered appearance for Arna.
“If you don’t have anything important to say, I’ll be on my way.”
When a person asks but receives no response, it likely means there’s nothing serious. I decided to continue on my way.
“Wait, just a moment!”
As I started to take my first steps, Arna quickly grabbed my collar.
She then began to speak.
“Uh, have you been really busy lately?”
“Sort of, yeah.”
“Uh… have you found a partner for the practical evaluation yet?”
“No, I still haven’t.”
“Ah, that could be a problem, couldn’t it?”
With that, our conversation came to a halt. Arna stopped speaking.
…
It was Arna who initiated the conversation, so there should have been a specific purpose behind it. Yet Arna simply stood there, scratching her cheek.
What kind of person does this?
“Did you grab me just to ask that?”
“T-that…”
“If you have nothing else to bring up, I’ll take my leave. As I said before, I’m quite busy.”
“Huh!”
I shrugged off Arna’s hand and turned around.
Now is not the time to hang around with Arna.
The practical evaluation is coming up next week. I need to find a partner as soon as possible; otherwise, I might have to retake the course.
It would be absolutely unacceptable to retake an elective subject.
“Wait, just a moment!”
Arna seemed to be calling out to me from behind, but I decided to ignore her easily.
After all, Arna wasn’t the priority right now.
After the day’s regular classes had finished, I briefly left the school and visited a nearby neighborhood.
I arrived at a slum area filled with dilapidated houses.
The first thing that caught my eye were the banners hanging all over the place. They were all bright red, attracting attention immediately.
[No Relocation Measures Against Forced Eviction – Guarantee the Right to Survival!]
[Whose redevelopment is this for? Residents, are you supposed to die? We strongly oppose redevelopment!]
[We just want to live here!]
Even though the sun was still out, the atmosphere here was quite eerie. It wasn’t just the banners. Trash scattered along the streets, remnants of collapsed buildings, and feral cats wailing incessantly.
There were hardly any people in sight. One might think ghosts would pop out at any moment.
It was practically a slum.
“Hey, you look like my brother.”
But even in such a worn-out neighborhood, it was still a place where people lived. A little girl approached me and spoke.
“Are you looking for my brother?”
She was a girl who probably hadn’t even entered elementary school yet. Her dark skin and unruly afro hair were quite memorable.
Her name is Nelly Belkalem. Just by looking at her, one could instantly tell she was Rashid’s younger sister.
Nelly also recognized that I was related to Rashid’s school because I was wearing Han-yul Military Academy’s uniform.
“My brother isn’t home yet, but is there something wrong?”
The little girl showed no signs of being wary like one might expect from someone so young. Most children at that age tend to shy away from strangers.
Moreover, Nelly spoke fluent Korean. Her command of the language far surpassed her brother’s.
“Is there something wrong with your brother at school? Is he being expelled?”
“That’s not the case. Rashid is getting along quietly without issue.”
“Phew. What a relief.”
Nelly sighed with relief. That she was already worrying about her older brother at such a young age was quite impressive.
When I was young, I used to throw tantrums in front of my mother, making a fuss about side dishes and not wanting to go to daycare every morning. I even got slapped on my cheek by my dad.
Looking back, I had a childhood worthy of appearing on “My Precious Kid.”
Mom, Dad, I love you.
“By the way, this neighborhood seems pretty quiet. Are there no other people around?”
I looked around the area. During the entire time I was speaking with Nelly, not a single person passed by.
“The redevelopment has driven everyone away. Those banners are from a long time ago though. You could say pretty much everyone is gone now.”
It seemed the redevelopment project had already been approved. The fact that the buildings were still standing suggests that construction might still be far off.
“Which way is Rashid’s house? Are his parents also at home?”
As a matter of fact, I didn’t know much about Rashid.
From the start, when designing Rashid’s character, I only set the most basic details. Aside from his sister, I wasn’t quite clear if he had other family members.
“Parents? They’ve both passed away.”
“…”
“My mom was beaten to death by Muslims for secretly trafficking alcohol in Saudi Arabia.”
“…”
“And my dad was caught by Somali pirates while selling catha leaves in the Red Sea.”
“…”
“By the way, catha leaves are drugs, if you didn’t know.”
“…”
There didn’t seem to be anything a little girl not yet in elementary school couldn’t say. How on earth did Rashid educate his younger sister?
Well, judging by her speech, Rashid might be the less intelligent sibling.
“Anyway, why are you asking about my parents?”
“It’s nothing important…”
I was going to ask if Rashid had mentioned anything about dropping out. It’s rare to find parents who would let their child drop out so easily. I came all the way here banking on that, but disappointingly, it was fruitless.
Gurgle-
Just then, a stomach growl echoed out.
For the record, it wasn’t from my stomach but from Nelly’s.
“Uh, I haven’t eaten lunch yet…”
“You haven’t eaten lunch this late?”
“They do give food at daycare, but today it was chow mein. I can’t eat chow mein. It’s hard to distinguish if sauce splatters on my face.”
“…”
Nelly had moved onto what could only be described as dark comedy. I found it hard to respond with any meaningful words.
I couldn’t laugh or feel sad about what she said.
She was indeed a child capable of making people feel quite awkward. Nelly Belkalem.
“Let’s go eat then.”
I couldn’t just stand there and watch a child suffer from hunger. This is where one ought to willingly open their wallet.
Who knows, I might even win Rashid over by treating his sister to a meal.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Pork belly! I want to eat pork belly!”
Nelly didn’t hesitate and immediately chose her meal upon being asked.
Pork? I tilted my head in confusion.
“Pork belly is haram food, right? Earlier you mentioned you’re from an Islamic background.”
“It’s fine!”
Nelly swallowed her saliva once before continuing.
“Neither me nor my brother believe in that stuff!”
*
If Rashid had to pick the most enjoyable moment out of his daily routine, it would be the time he returned home.
Even though it was a shabby house with very little furniture, it felt like living in a hotel compared to where he used to live back in his hometown in North Africa.
Back then, he didn’t even have a proper home. The streets were his bed.
Even when Rashid escaped from his hometown to reach France, there wasn’t much difference. He managed to survive by eating discarded bread crumbs thrown at him by people.
Looking back now, he wonders how he managed to live like that. Coming to South Korea was indeed the right move.
At least here, he had a proper place to call home. The water ran properly, and heating was available during the cold days.
Lastly, he was also able to send his younger sister to a daycare center.
“…”
Next year, Nelly would be entering elementary school. It would definitely cost more money than now. He’d have to send her to cram school, give her pocket money, and prepare her a personal room.
To accomplish all that, he’d need to move to a larger house. This would require a significant amount of money.
But there was no need to worry. He’d already secured a job. Plus, they were offering him a signing bonus. With that amount, it would be enough to secure an apartment.
It was time for this old house to go.
Squeak—
Rashid grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Any moment now, Nelly would come running out like a puppy.
She’d probably ask what’s for dinner tonight.
“Hey, it’s brother!”
“…”
But contrary to Rashid’s expectations, his younger sister didn’t come out into the hallway. She simply glanced briefly from her spot on the living room floor.
Nelly’s gaze returned to the grill.
Sizzle!
A barbecue party was in full swing in the living room. A burner, a grill, and pork belly slices sizzling to perfection occupied the space—things one would never expect to find in this house.
Where on earth had all this come from?
“Don’t just stand there. Come and sit down. I’ve already prepared your share, Rashid.”
Yes, it was all thanks to that guy.
The man sitting across from Nelly, leisurely grilling the meat, was none other than the person who’d been tirelessly following Rashid for the past few days.
It was Shin Yoon-seong.
