Ch.39Free

“Does that make sense, eating that much and still saying he’s hungry?”

It definitely shouldn’t make sense, yet he’s loading up his tray with food like he’s performing a circus act.

Double portion, mound of rice—these words aren’t enough to describe it. It was a special double portion, a special mound of rice.

This was his 35th tray, but in reality, it should be counted as four times that amount.

The woman watching the man return to his seat, Yu Anna, entered the makeshift kitchen behind the serving counter where volunteers were busy cooking, and said with a smile:

“What’s the status of our remaining ingredients?”

“They’re… they’re almost gone… That man alone emptied three pots.”

“We always bring plenty… What should we do, Anna?”

“I’ll have to go to the nearest mart for more ingredients. The quality might drop, but we can’t let anyone go hungry today because of him.”

Sighing, Yu Anna searched her pockets and pulled out a gold hero-exclusive card.

This card had fingerprint recognition functionality, making it impossible for anyone but Yu Anna to use it for payment, so she had to go herself.

After signaling to the large male volunteers, Yu Anna boarded the truck that had brought the food and went to the nearest mart, where she filled her cart with vegetables and meat.

When Yu Anna returned to Black Bear Park after her urgent shopping trip, she could hear even louder cheers from the residents.

“44! 44! 44!”

“Wooooow!”

What’s all this commotion about? Don’t tell me he’s already on his 44th plate?

Yu Anna entered the kitchen in shock to assess the situation.

The volunteers were sweating as if they were working in a high-end restaurant rather than a free meal center. When they saw Yu Anna return, instead of looking relieved, they wore expressions of despair.

“Aaaah! The ingredients finally arrived!”

“No! Please let us rest!”

“Ugh… uuugh…!”

As the male volunteers placed onions, potatoes, and meat beside those who were cooking with the last remaining ingredients, the volunteers’ groans increased.

But only briefly—with quick hands, they continued cooking and refilled the empty pots.

The residents in line each received their food, and then the man, much taller than the other residents, got back in line again.

Yu Anna approached the man, clenching her fists and trying to calm herself.

I shouldn’t get angry just because he eats a lot. He came here because he’s hungry too. Everyone should leave equally satisfied…

“Did… did you enjoy your meal?”

“It was delicious.”

He’s not saying he’s hungry anymore? Good, he should enjoy his food. After eating that much… he must be full now, right?

Betraying Yu Anna’s hopes, the man stood in line at the serving counter and filled his tray with food.

“You’re… eating more?”

“I’m eating more.”

“I… I see…? That’s quite impressive…?”

“Hmm, what do they call this… a thumbs-up, right?”

As the man gave her a thumbs-up, Yu Anna felt a throbbing pain in her head.

Thumbs-up, my foot! This is going too far, isn’t it?!

As the newly filled pot was half-emptied by the mountain of food on his tray, the volunteers sighed while the residents cheered.

And so once more—surely this is the last time, right?

Just say this is the last time, please?

Really, come on!

“That was good.”

“Ah, ha, ha, ha…?”

In the end, the man who had continuously filled his tray with food only said he was finished after eating much more.

Yu Anna’s smile, which had already exceeded its limit, didn’t look like a smile at all.

As the man placed his tray at the return station, the residents who had stayed at the meal center even after finishing their own meals erupted in cheers.

“57! He stopped at 57!”

“Hahaha! You should have eaten a bit more!”

“Wooooow!”

“Amazing! Awesome!”

Yu Anna twitched her eyebrows as she watched the man pat his stomach with a satisfied expression and then raise his fist triumphantly.

Is he really human? Where did he put all that food?

If he were wearing clothes, one might suspect he was secretly hiding the food inside, but the man was only wearing worn firefighter pants, clearly showing his sturdy upper body.

The man, who seemed twice Yu Anna’s height, approached her with an admiring voice.

As he came right in front of her, Yu Anna blinked in surprise at his mountain-like build and his clearly defined muscles despite having eaten so much.

“You seem to be the leader of this meal center.”

“I’m not a leader… whoa, wow.”

“Amazing. I never thought I could actually eat until I was full.”

“You’re… finally… full now…? Is that really a full stomach? That?”

“This is the first time I’ve eaten delicious food until I was full.”

Without realizing it, she reached out toward the man’s abs, then quickly withdrew her hand as if burned. For a moment, Yu Anna felt a sense of fulfillment at the man’s sincere voice and innocent gaze.

But only briefly—when she thought about how much this human had devoured, her curiosity outweighed any sense of accomplishment.

At this meal center, it was Yu Anna’s rule not to ask who the visitors were.

Even criminals, once fed and sent on their way, sometimes became honest workers.

Nevertheless, Yu Anna became curious about who this man in front of her was.

Is he really human? Isn’t this more like a monster disguised as a human? Or just a pig? A superhuman who awakened the special ability to eat a lot?

But that’s over now… Yu Anna sighed and gave the same farewell she always gave to other residents.

“I hope you live well with the strength from today’s meal.”

“Hmm… you’re not asking for money?”

“No, this is a free meal center for hungry people.”

“That’s truly amazing, genuinely free…!”

Does Yu Anna know? That it’s extremely rare for this man to show such emotion?

The man, who opened his mouth and even clapped his hands, extended his hand—as large as a pot lid—to Yu Anna.

What’s this? Hesitantly taking his hand, Yu Anna’s delicate hand was vigorously shaken in his rough grip.

“You are a very impressive woman, the fourth most impressive person I’ve ever met.”

“Well, fourth doesn’t seem that special…”

“No, fourth is remarkable. As impressive as Yarikiri.”

“Yari? Yakitori? You mean chicken skewers…? We didn’t make those today?”

Is he perhaps mentally challenged? Confused by the incomprehensible conversation, Yu Anna checked if her hand was still intact after being released from the man’s grip.

What huge hands, Yu Anna suddenly felt like a child again.

Meanwhile, perhaps afraid she might ask for money, the man had already retreated to the park entrance. He gave Yu Anna another thumbs-up, this time with both hands.

This time with both hands, Yu Anna blinked blankly as she watched the man continue to extend his hands while walking backward.

“He’s like a typhoon….”

Afterward, Yu Anna silently nodded at a volunteer’s comment.

Indeed, whatever he was, he was truly like a typhoon.

Suddenly appearing, sweeping away all the food, then quickly disappearing, and afterward, though exhausting, somehow manageable.

And a man she hoped wouldn’t come back.

“…Surely he won’t come again tomorrow.”

“Hahaha… surely not.”

“After eating that much, he should be full for a month….”

Yu Anna continued cooking the remaining food with the volunteers, sighing.

After that, even those who ate a lot only had three or four bowls. Yu Anna smiled much more brightly than usual at the big eaters and asked about their well-being.

And so the day ended, and the very next day, the last day of the weekend.

That man came again.

“Is that him? Did he really eat 57 plates? Is that possible?”

“Wow! It’s Mr. 57!”

“Mr. 57!”

“Hee, heeee….”

“What? Why is he here again today…? After eating so much yesterday…?”

The man who boldly appeared at the meal center was easily spotted by everyone due to his towering height, whether they wanted to see him or not.

Yu Anna and the volunteers who spotted the man trembled their arms, feeling the muscle pain.

Amid the residents’ laughter, the man approached Yu Anna, gulping down the saliva pooling in his mouth.

Yu Anna handed him a tray with trembling hands and greeted him.

“Oh, you came again today…?”

That’s as far as greetings go at the meal center—it’s a rule not to ask for names or identities.

But Yu Anna, unable to contain herself, moved her lips and asked for the man’s name.

“Um, by the way, what’s your name…?”

“Hmm… my name.”

The man scratched his shaggy hair as if thinking for a moment, then answered.

“I’m called Han Mu-ryo.”

“That’s a name that sounds quite free-loving….”

How can a person’s name be Mu-ryo (free)…? Wait, maybe it’s actually a cool name?

Yu Anna’s thoughts didn’t last long after handing over the tray.

“HAN! MU! RYO! HAN! MU! RYO!”

“Wooow! He eats so well!”

“Director, I think you’ll need to go shopping again.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha….”

The volunteers, having experienced yesterday’s events, cooked quickly, but he ate even faster.

He had already eaten 55 plates. Yu Anna, who had already gone shopping once, prepared to go again.

Perhaps the news of Han Mu-ryo’s food fighting show had spread widely throughout District 4, as the number of residents who came for meals today was twice that of the previous day.

This was good news for Yu Anna, who had been worried about how to attract those in District 4 who valued pride over hunger and wouldn’t come to free meals even if their bodies were deteriorating.

Free meals and the entertainment of Han Mu-ryo—Yu Anna steeled herself, thinking she should be happy that the residents of District 4 were enjoying themselves, and went shopping.

Today’s record was 68 plates. When Han Mu-ryo walked out patting his stomach and placed his empty tray at the return station, cheers filled the park.

“Amazing! Han Mu-ryo!”

“Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!”

Amid the residents’ cheers, Han Mu-ryo closed his eyes and waved his hand, as if acknowledging he wasn’t the best.

Then, approaching Yu Anna, he grabbed her wrist and lifted it high.

“I am not the best… The best is this woman who is like Yarikiri!”

“Wooow! Yari, Yarikiri…?”

“What’s that…? Does it mean something suggestive?”

“Director Yu Anna isn’t suggestive, is she? She’s pure! Not suggestive at all…?”

What is this about? As the residents looked at each other in confusion at Han Mu-ryo’s exclamation, Han Mu-ryo took a deep breath and shouted so loudly it seemed the park might fly away.

“YARIKIRI!!”

“Wooooow! Yarikiri! Yarikiri! Yarikiri!”

Amid the cheers for something they didn’t understand, Yu Anna waved to the residents with a blank expression.

And so, like a typhoon that swept through the meal center again, the man disappeared like a typhoon.

“Whoever he is, he’s an interesting person!”

“Isn’t Yarikiri that thing where you leave work as soon as you’re done?”

“Is it like saying ‘I’ve finished eating so I’m leaving’?”

“Yarikiri must be something good!”

Even after the man left, the residents continued to laugh and chat over their meals, enjoying the new entertainment.

Seeing this, Yu Anna thought, well, if it’s good, it’s good… as she cleaned up the meal center.

Thinking, surely he won’t come next week, right?

#

After discovering the paradise of free unlimited meals, my life changed.

I learned why people look forward to weekends so much, and that weekends are truly wonderful.

Thinking about the weekend makes me happy even when eating less of unappetizing food.

I feel good despite citizens unnecessarily clinging to me, tirelessly feeding me meat laced with sleeping pills, or those who have been increasing in number again and attempting to capture me.

After a week passed, on the weekend, I returned to the utopia that had appeared in District 4.

Just coming here makes my mouth water… As I was gulping down my saliva, I made eye contact with the leader of this place, the woman who had frozen upon seeing me.

Wondering what dishes would be served today, I was looking behind the woman when she walked briskly toward me with an unusual emotion.

Reading the woman’s unusual emotion, I slowly gulped down the remaining saliva in my mouth.

“…Mr. Han Mu-ryo?”

“Hmm?”

“Mr. Han Mu-ryo… sigh, from today, please limit yourself to just 30 plates.”

“Aaaah!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

Boom! With the shock of being hit in a vital spot by Starlight’s attack, I opened my eyes wide, and feeling that what was coming had arrived, I clenched my fists tightly.

The people standing around me sighed on my behalf, then soon nodded while murmuring.

“I shouted first, but that’s right, isn’t it?”

“This guy eats way too much. Last week I had to wait in line for 10 minutes because he depleted all the food.”

“Me too, it’s really rare for food to run out here.”

“You heard that, right? If you eat like last week, other people will suffer.”

That can’t happen. Looking around the meal center filled with people who clearly don’t get to eat well regularly, I slowly nodded my head, still in shock.

It was indeed unbelievable that I had filled my stomach twice, but still, this unbearable disappointment…

“So just 30 times, and that’s still a lot—you know that, right? I think it’s strange too, but since I’ve seen you eat that much, I’m allowing you this much.”

“Aah….”

Indeed… unlimited and free cannot coexist.

As I nodded again, the woman reiterated:

“Eat only 30 times, Mr. Han Mu-ryo, understood?”

“I am… not Han Mu-ryo.”

“What?”

Today, my newly shining world roughly collapsed.

Unlimited, free… names that cannot coexist, and unlimited has departed.

Nevertheless, this place is still free, that noble word still shines even if dimmed.

But I cannot bear this emptiness…

“Call me Heo Mu-ryo….”