Ch.2Chapter 2 – The Request

Shin Jaehyuk, dressed casually, stepped out of his house. The sunlight, which he hadn’t seen in two months, struck his face harshly. Having been confined to his dark home, he squinted and raised a hand to block the light. The summer morning sun was particularly intense.

The quiet streets of Bongcheon-dong in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, came into view as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. It was around 10 AM, past rush hour. Though the local subway station was called Seoul National University Station, it was too far from the university’s main gate to deserve the name. Still, being relatively close to the university’s commercial district, he occasionally spotted college couples walking hand in hand.

Pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, Jaehyuk set off toward his destination. Even the baggy hoodie couldn’t hide his frail physique—the result of neglecting physical training while being holed up in his room. In a world where demons didn’t exist and there was no reason to fight, Jaehyuk saw no need for physical conditioning. Being an orphan, he wouldn’t even have to serve in the military. His orphan status was useful for at least that much.

Dragging his slippers on bare feet, he meandered through the alleys for about five minutes until he reached a familiar soup restaurant. It was the closest eatery to his home and one of his regular spots (though “regular” by hikikomori standards).

He pushed open the glass door, which had stickers reading “Pork Soup” arranged vertically. Since it was late for breakfast, the restaurant was empty. The bell on the door jingled, announcing his arrival. Hearing the sound, a middle-aged woman with permed hair emerged from the kitchen and made a fuss upon seeing him.

“Oh my! Student, it’s been so long! I thought something terrible had happened to you.”

“Haha… Hello.”

It was the restaurant owner, Jeong Malsuk. She seemed genuinely delighted to see him after so long.

“My goodness~ It’s been over two months since I last saw you, and you’ve lost half your face! What’s kept you so busy that you’re only coming now?”

“I just stayed home because I had no reason to go out.”

“Hohoho, such a joker.”

‘I really was just at home.’

Jaehyuk had the idle thought that people seemed to have trouble believing him as he took a seat at a corner table for two. The chair legs made a light scraping sound against the floor. After ordering pork soup, he browsed news articles on his smartphone while waiting for his food.

“Chopstick Murderer Sentenced to Death in Third Trial”

Amid global attention, the death sentence was confirmed at an unprecedented speed (…) Critics argue that “the investigation of the crime is insufficient” and “the execution is being rushed to appease foreign politicians and businessmen” as the execution was set for just one week later, despite the motive remaining unclear (…) In response, Supreme Court Chief Justice Ji-in stated, “While it’s true that we expedited the trial due to the attention from people worldwide and our citizens,” she emphasized that “there was absolutely no external pressure or intervention.” (…)

“Alpha Centauri Star System: Sudden Disappearance of Gravitational Interference?”

The Alpha Centauri star system, known as the closest to our solar system, has previously presented challenges for celestial observation due to unexplained gravitational interference surrounding it. However, on the 13th, the sudden disappearance of this interference caught the attention of astronomers worldwide. As the scientific community debates explanations for this phenomenon (…) Professor Nikolai of the University of Texas has suggested possibilities including “the sudden disappearance of a massive celestial body” or “alien intervention” (…) With observations of the Alpha Centauri system now certain to become easier, attention is focused on the possibility of discovering new habitable planets or extraterrestrial life forms. (…)

“Prime Minister Nominee Park Ju-gwan Sweating Profusely During Confirmation Hearing…”

The National Assembly’s confirmation committee held a hearing on the 14th to evaluate Prime Minister nominee Park Ju-gwan’s competence and qualifications (…) The opposition criticized the nomination of a former high-ranking army general, pointing to excessive military involvement in politics (…)

“Louvre Museum Hires Linguists to Decipher Leonardo da Vinci’s Secret Notebook”

On the 6th, the Louvre Museum announced the acquisition of a new secret notebook by Western art master Leonardo da Vinci (…) Some curators expressed concerns about potential forgery as the acquisition source remains undisclosed (…) The Louvre has hired linguists and cryptography experts to decipher the notebook, which is written in what appears to be a new language created by da Vinci (…) The art world’s curiosity is mounting about what revolutionary ideas Leonardo da Vinci wanted to hide from competitors so badly that he created a secret script. (…)

His left thumb swiped through the screen, chasing interesting news while his right hand used chopsticks to pick at side dishes like anchovies and radish kimchi. Reading the news while eating breakfast was one of his long-standing habits. Unlike in his previous life, he found it fascinating that he could easily access incidents and accidents from across the country. Even as a hikikomori confined to his home, he was curious about interesting events. Of course, keeping up with world affairs and information also helped with the “work” he occasionally did to earn money. Meanwhile, Ms. Jeong placed a bowl of pork soup on his table. For some reason, the portion was large.

“Huh? I didn’t order the large size.”

“It’s on the house, dear. Eat up. You remind me of my son, so…”

The woman stared at his face for a moment, then trailed off as she returned to the kitchen. She must be thinking about her son again. While everyone in modern society has their own story, Jaehyuk thought she was particularly pitiful.

Ten years ago, she lost her elementary school-aged son. Anyone who had lived in this neighborhood for a while would remember how she frantically posted missing person flyers on telephone poles day and night after that day. Since her son’s disappearance—a child she had raised alone without a husband—she treated every student his age with kindness, as if they were her own son. Thinking that her son would be about that age now if he had grown up. After learning that Jaehyuk was an orphan, she became especially attentive to him.

Sometimes Jaehyuk found her attention and kindness burdensome. But he thought it would be more comforting to her if he gratefully accepted her kindness rather than rejecting it. Jaehyuk picked up his spoon with gratitude. The warm broth filled his empty stomach as it flowed down. It gave him a feeling of warmth inside.

* * *

“Come again, student~”

After paying, Jaehyuk opened the glass door and stepped outside the restaurant. A clear bell sound rang out, seeing him off. Picking his teeth with a toothpick, he checked his bank balance on his banking app. His living expenses were running low, probably because he had bought groceries in bulk that morning. He had a substantial emergency fund saved up penny by penny, but that was money to be used only in serious emergencies. Having lounged around at home like an unemployed person for two months, it was time to earn some money.

“I guess I need to contact that guy again.”

Jaehyuk let out a shallow sigh, recalling the voice of an acquaintance who was pleasant but somehow slightly unsettling.

* * *

Back at his detached house, Jaehyuk turned on the boiler control device mounted on the wall. After pressing the buttons in sequence—up, down, up, up, down, and then the power button—there was a clunking sound as a hidden door in the wall slid open smoothly. The secret door opened sideways, revealing a spiral passageway.

The secret passage led underground. Fluorescent lights on both sides of the passage lit up in sequence with Jaehyuk’s movements, illuminating his way. He passed by rooms labeled Supply Room, Server Room, Food Storage, Bedroom, Figure Display Room, Movie Theater, Workshop, Manga Room, and Fitness Room, until he reached a particular door. The sign next to it read “Workshop.” Jaehyuk entered the passcode on the door lock and went inside.

It was an enormous room, unbelievably large for being underground. Amazingly, one entire wall of the workshop was a massive monitor, with a large computer tower humming beneath it. On the opposite side, a closet was stocked with various electronic devices and several burner phones.

Jaehyuk grabbed one of the burner phones from the closet and dialed a number saved as “Mr. B.” The phone rang several times. With a click, a young American man’s voice came through the speaker.

“Yes~ Mr. B speaking.”

“You’re still in good health, I see.”

Mr. B.

Despite his light and cheerful voice, he was the boss of “Gehenna,” the largest information organization and broker group in the criminal underworld. Gehenna was an underground intermediary organization that received illegal job requests through the deep web, either handling them directly or introducing them to freelance fixers. Its subordinates had secretly infiltrated all over the world. This large organization, boasting a history of over hundreds of years, was known by code names like “the Guild” or “B’s Ear.”

The nickname “B’s Ear” was particularly famous because Gehenna’s successive bosses always called themselves “Mr. B.” The exact meaning remained unclear, but fixers speculated that the boss position was inherited by the eldest son of some secretive family whose name began with ‘B.’ The behavioral pattern of Mr. B periodically taking leave every few decades added credibility to the theory, suggesting it was for training his successor.

How did Jaehyuk, an orphan, manage to buy a detached house in expensive Seoul on his own? How did he illegally modify that house to install secret spaces? How did he fund his hikikomori lifestyle? The answer to all these questions was the person greeting him from the other end of the phone.

“Oh! It’s been a while, our MVP. Have you run out of money already?”

“Someone listening might think I’m just after money, old man.”

“You only contact me when you need money, you hikikomori. Otherwise, you refuse help saying you have enough money. What did you spend it all on this time? Blew it all on dungeon RPGs again?”

When Jaehyuk was deeply into gaming, he had spent all his job payment on random boxes in gambling-like games. The young man’s sarcastic remark about this made Jaehyuk bristle.

“I’m not crazy enough to…”

“So young Jaehyuk was indeed a crazy kid.”

“That was when I was at an age where computer games were fascinating. Besides, you’re the one who installed computers at the orphanage in the first place.”

This enduring connection with this man began when Jaehyuk was at a church-supported orphanage. When this handsome, black-haired Westerner first visited the orphanage with bodyguards, offering donations, Jaehyuk thought he was just an ordinary young rich man. He donated substantial cash, installed computers at the orphanage, and bought numerous programming and information security books. Of course, it was all calculated generosity—an investment to cultivate excellent hackers who could serve as his operatives.

A few years later, he returned to the orphanage and sought out orphans with hacking talent to make contracts with them. Unfair contracts that would allow the orphans to escape their immediate bleak reality, but from which they could never break free.

If Jaehyuk hadn’t had memories of his previous life, and if he hadn’t shown prodigious talent in hacking, he too would have been bound by an unfair contract with Mr. B. Fortunately, thanks to his unnaturally mature attitude and exceptionally excellent hacking skills, he was able to negotiate with broker Mr. B as an equal at the bargaining table. Thus, their relationship continued to this day, with Jaehyuk handling difficult requests that Mr. B’s exclusive hackers couldn’t manage.

“If the nuns had known about this sinister hacker cultivation plan, they would never have allowed it. Sister Grace still thinks I work for your information security company.”

“So, do you dislike being a fixer?”

“Of course not. I can make good money easily. Thanks to that, you’ve also gotten to know the best hacker.”

“True… Hackers who could breach the US Department of Defense if they wanted aren’t common.”

“If you’re grateful, at least tell me your name. It’s awkward to keep calling you ‘old man.'”

Despite their close relationship spanning over 10 years, Jaehyuk still didn’t know his name. As befitting the boss of an underground organization, he thoroughly concealed his identity—so thoroughly that even a hacker of Jaehyuk’s caliber couldn’t uncover it.

“Why would I tell my real name to a hacker like you? You’d dig up all my personal information in a day, no, an hour. Just call me Mr. B comfortably~.”

“Come on, at least tell me what the ‘B’ stands for.”

“It’s B for Broker, as I’ve told you many times. Simple, memorable. Perfect for a broker!”

As expected, Mr. B dodged the question with his usual glibness. Since Jaehyuk hadn’t really expected an answer anyway, he wasn’t particularly disappointed. Wanting to move past the small talk and get to the main point, Jaehyuk brought up business.

“Anyway, forget the name. I’d like to take on a job. My living expenses are running out. Got anything suitable?”

The young man burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. I knew you were short on cash. Well, there are two jobs you might be interested in. One is definitely tough but pays well, and the other is tricky but offers potential bonuses depending on your performance. Which one do you want to hear about first?”

“The first one, please.”

The faint sound of mouse clicks could be heard through the phone. Mr. B explained the job with an expectant tone.

“Alright. The client is a new cult called Paradise Church, and the reward is 20 billion won after my commission!”

“20 billion for one job? What kind of cult has that kind of money?”

“The job involves stealing a few forbidden books hidden in the deepest part of the Vatican’s Secret Archives. Of course, getting the physical copies is impossible since only cardinals and above can access them, so it’s the scanned backup files on a private server. But as with all highly secure places, this server can’t be hacked from outside the archives. So if you take this job, you’ll need to hire at least one more fixer who can infiltrate the deepest part of the archives and install a relay device. Naturally, you’ll have to split the reward with them.”

Jaehyuk tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. Even considering the additional hire, a minimum of 10 billion won at once wasn’t a bad payment. It would allow him to continue his hikikomori lifestyle for at least a few more years. Even longer if he was frugal.

Just then, Jaehyuk felt a sharp pain in his head. Something that could only be described as intuition screamed at him not to delve deeper, not to accept this job.

‘Right, not only the job details but the client itself is suspicious. A cult willing to pay 20 billion for a single file already reeks of trouble. What if I get entangled with the Vatican and end up screwed?’

After Jaehyuk remained silent for a while, an impatient Mr. B spoke first.

“So, will you not take this job?”

Jaehyuk pondered for a moment before speaking.

“No… I’ll pass. It feels off.”

“Off? What does?”

“Just a feeling. A feeling that I might discover something I shouldn’t know…”

Mr. B tried to persuade him.

“Only the brave can grasp the truth. And are you really going to give up 20 billion won? Just because of a hunch?”

“Why do you sound so disappointed? It seems like you really want me to take this job.”

“Well, it’s a major job after a long time… and the commission is substantial. But if you don’t want it, what can I do…”

Hiding his disappointment with a laugh, Mr. B began to introduce the next job.