Chapter 2 - I Dont Think it is a Dream #2
Yoo Cheol-ho’s actions after his accomplice was caught were simple. It was the same as fox hunting, if a fox’s cave was lit on fire, then it would fall prey to the hunters waiting outside.
If there was a definite hideout, it was better to keep hiding there.
’The place where Yoo Cheol-ho is located is 20 bus stops away.’
A serial killer that had the whole nation in an uproar was in such close proximity.
Tae-hyuk pulled out the wallet from his pocket and checked its contents.
‘Um. It have about 3,000 won in total.’
It was said that a man should always have 3,000 won on him. He had no idea that would be true.
It was only enough for a round-trip bus fare. Furthermore, if he used up all of it then he would have to starve for lunch.
‘If I had known that then I would have eaten more for breakfast.’
He hadn’t even eaten half a bowl of stew due to thinking about Yoo Cheol-ho.
It was like in the military or the prison. It was an unspoken law that those who left food behind would soon regret it.
’Damn. This is just like a real criminal.’
It was within walking distance but Tae-hyuk decided to take the bus. It was noticeable if a student wearing a uniform was walking the streets during class time. Due to his delinquent looks, he was often picked up by police officers on patrol and lectured.
Every time Ha-ran was contacted, he would have to see her in tears.
‘Indeed, I should take the bus.’
What did he want to do when he met Yoo Cheol-ho?
Tae-hyuk’s mind became complicated.
What if Yoo Cheol-ho was really at the location where he was going now? Then it would be proof that what he thought was a dream actually wasn’t.
Then...
Would he really go to jail in five years after being falsely accused?
As a result those events, his older sister Seo Ha-ran and younger brother Seo Tae-min would be ruined.
‘Fuck. It is like hearing that I have a terminal illness...’
However, it was better to know and be prepared than to be ignorant.
Tae-hyuk got on the bus towards his destination.
He pulled his baseball cap deep over his face, just in case he saw a face that he knew.
‘Um. It is past the time to go to work so there aren’t many people on the bus.’
There was only an old lady and a man with a baseball cap positioned like Tae-hyuk’s.
He had bumped into the man when he got on the bus.
But there was something suspicious about him.
’It is so empty in here, so why is he sitting next to someone?’
Tae-hyuk, who had sat in an empty seat, turned and closely observed the two of them.
It was at that moment.
Brr!
There was a vibration from between his crotch.
Tae-hyuk looked around with surprise.
’Fuck... If anyone saw that then they would think I was a pervert.’
There was something in the pocket of his school uniform that was vibrating.
’Uh, is it a mirror? Why is it in the pocket of my uniform?’
It was the mirror that he used to look at himself this morning. The demon carved on the outside still looked really ominous.
Tae-hyuk squinted and looked at the mirror..
His face was reflected but there were still some strange letters written.
[Crime Skill: Robbery has been acquired.
-You can acquire one random item when bumping against another person.
-The probability of success depends on your dexterity.
The letters came and then disappeared.
Tae-hyuk’s mouth trembled.
‘What is this...?’
At the same time, new letters emerged above his head.
[Seo Tae-hyuk]
-Title: God of Crime
-Rating: Commoner (Lacking conditions for upgrade)
-Skills Possessed: Robbery (Lv 1)
’Did I learn the Robbery skill just now? Why? WHY?!’
Tae-hyuk realized that the demon mirror wasn’t an ordinary item.
In the first place, he had clearly left this on Tae-min’s desk, yet it somehow ended up in his pocket.
He thought that the demon looked like a true dick. A really dick-like thing.
Anyway, if the words on the demon mirror were true, then he had just learnt a crime skill.
Tae-hyuk looked around.
It wasn’t difficult to find the reason.
‘If there is a result, then there needs to be a cause.’
After Tae-hyuk’s arrival on the bus, the old lady started to snore as she dozed off.
The man sitting next to her then revealed his true colours.
‘Pickpocket!’
The man used careful hand techniques to prevent the old lady from waking up. He easily opened the locked handbag using a razor, and all he took out was a wallet.
If Tae-hyuk hadn’t known that something was going to happen beforehand, then he would have thought the man’s body had moved because the bus was shaking.
That’s how perfect the man’s skill was.
Tae-hyuk wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t seen the word ‘robbery’ on the demon mirror.
’What on earth is this mirror?’
Tae-hyuk chewed on his lips.
Was it truly a mirror that had a demon dwelling inside it?
The pickpocket tried to get off the bus before Tae-hyuk could calm his confused mind.
Duk!
The pickpocket was rushing like he could feel a gaze on him.
Then Tae-hyeok’s body was lightly bumped.
Once again, the demon mirror vibrated.
Brr!
Tae-hyuk made a crazy expression and looked at the mirror.
[Robbery has been used.]
-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent’s belongings!
“......”
The pickpocket had already escaped the bus.
‘Robbery?’
According to the message in the mirror, he had stolen something from the pickpocket.
Tae-hyuk bit his lip.
‘I should check to see what I stole first.’
Tae-hyuk searched through his pockets before a long wallet that he hadn’t seen before emerged.
’Oh my god!’
It was as he had thought. The pickpocket had stolen the old lady’s wallet then it was stolen again.
In this situation, the one accused of being the criminal would be him.
Tae-hyuk hurriedly got off the bus.
The the old lady’s scream rang through the bus.
“Omo! My wallet is gone!”
Tae-hyuk’s eyes shook.
There was no time. Tae-hyuk ran through the alleys.
‘Crazy...’
A pickpocket stole the old lady’s wallet.
And the pickpocket had the wallet stolen by Tae-hyuk.
If Tae-hyuk had been a little late getting off the bus then he would have been arrested by the police officer on duty.
‘What? God of Crime? Trying to make a good person a criminal!’
Tae-hyuk angrily threw the demon mirror with all his strength towards the ground.
Jjeok!
‘Wah...’
Rather than the fragile mirror breaking, the cement ground was the one that cracked.
This time he stepped on it.
“Uaack!”
It hurt like he had kicked a stone pillar. Tae-hyuk spat out curses and threw the demon mirror into a trash bin.
He then turned his body and left this place.
* * *
Tae-hyuk was worried about what to do with the old lady’s wallet.
It seemed like he was becoming a criminal without his consent.
‘Just like those guys.’
In his dream, Tae-hyuk had been imprisoned for 10 years. Unless he was in solitary confinement, it was impossible not to meet other criminals.
There were even those criminals convicted of atrocities.
Yoo Cheol-ho was one of those people.
They were monsters in a human guise.
Now, he wasn’t too sure that it was a dream. At any rate, he was a falsely accused death row inmate in his dream.
For 10 years, he had struggled to escape from that place. It had been a really painful, long time.
Would it have been easier if he knew that he had been postponing death for 10 years?
So if he became a criminal here, it would be like denying his very existence.
‘I need to find its owner’
But how?
He could go to the police station and give them the wallet. They would thank him for surrendering, and then they would handcuff him.
‘Well. It is best to just put it in the mailbox.’
Inside the wallet were 20 checkbooks worth 100,000 won each and ten 50,000 won bills. The total was 2.5 million won.
There was also identification. He would definitely put it in the mailbox that belonged to the owner.
‘She is richer than I thought.’
His heart shook at the tidy sum. It was enough to buy some new clothes for his troubled sister.
‘...Seo Tae-hyuk. What are you thinking? I don’t think that Noona would like that.’
Tae-hyuk pulled a 50,000 won bill from the wallet.
This was lost property, so to speak. If he returned it to the owner, then 10% was his.
Then he put the wallet in the mailbox.
’I can buy samgyeopsal and grill it with Noona.’
He thought as he placed the money in his pocket.
He froze in shock.
‘Crazy...’
It was the demon mirror that he had obviously tossed in the bin.