Campfire in the Middle of Winter -1

“Ughhh, this is tough.”

While sitting blankly in her chair, Taehwa suddenly spoke.

The way she sat in the chair—almost lying down with her legs stretched out—was steeped in terrible boredom.

“Why does that old geezer have to talk so much…”

“I know, right…”

I nodded in agreement.

Yawning from boredom, I secretly take out my phone.

The teachers must be bored too, as they silently permitted such behavior.

Of course, I couldn’t openly watch videos or anything like that.

‘A text?’

But checking messages should be fine.

Tap tap, I move my fingers to switch screens.

It was a message from him. To be precise, a group chat message saying we should all gather at his house after the end of the winter break ceremony.

“Looks like the ahjussi is planning something again.”

“Yeah. It’ll be nice to see him after a while.”

“Huh? You haven’t seen him lately either?”

I nod at Taehwa’s question.

For a few seconds, a heavy silence hung between us.

“…Is he cheating?”

“What cheating?”

“Hmm… suspicious… I thought for sure that ahjussi would come pick us up during the break ceremony.”

“He must be busy with something.”

Certainly, Taehwa had a point. It had been quite a while since I’d seen him.

The last time we met was almost… a month and a half ago?

After getting examined by the witch, he practically disappeared.

I don’t know what deal he made with the witch, but he seems to have been quite busy. He even quit his part-time job to focus on his villain activities.

And then today, out of the blue, he sent a message about going on a trip.

“Hmm…”

Come to think of it, it’s annoying.

Couldn’t he at least contact me to ask how I’m doing?

Only texting once every two or three days and occasional phone calls.

I was worried every time news about Kraken appeared.

‘I should scold him when we meet.’

Thinking this, I unconsciously look up.

For a moment, frustration crosses my face, then hope appears.

“Well… anyway, don’t waste this long winter break, and all of you—”

I inwardly rejoiced.

Finally, the end of this long ordeal was in sight.

And at last, the principal sighed and said “Well…” as he prepared to deliver the final blow like a warrior readying for the last strike.

“That concludes today’s ceremony. I hope you all have a meaningful winter break.”

For a few seconds, a silence like the calm before an explosion hung in the air.

The momentarily quiet students soon erupted in cheers.

It was the beginning of a long winter break.

“Ugh… finally over…”

Noah was more excited about the end of the ceremony than the start of the break, stretching her back.

Enjoying the crisp, popping sound of her bones, Noah puts on her bag.

Taehwa, likewise putting on her bag, asks Noah.

“Noah, where are you going after this? Want to go to a karaoke room together?”

“Karaoke?”

“Yeah! Let’s go together after a long time. Since it’s break now, we have plenty of time—”

“What are you talking about? Did you forget? We have to go to ahjussi’s place right away.”

“…Ah, right.”

Taehwa smacked her forehead and continued.

“Let’s eat some bungeoppang before we go!”

“Bungeoppang?”

Noah’s expression immediately soured.

What kind of food was bungeoppang again?

Once a reliable winter snack and friend of common people, but now a traitor that abandoned everyone to become a slave to dirty capitalists.

“Ugh… ughhhh…”

“Noah?”

“Bungeoppang, two for 1,000 won…? Don’t cross the line…”

“Hey, snap out of it!”

“Ugh… huhhhh…”

Unable to just watch Noah stagger around, Taehwa patted her shoulders.

“It’s okay. I know a place that sells three for 1,000 won for sure.”

“…You’re a rare good friend these days.”

“Fri…end? Hmph! Anyway, that place is pretty famous. Starting about a week ago? It suddenly became popular—cheap, delicious, the owner is friendly and gives good service.”

“Service?”

How good could the service at a bungeoppang place be?

Maybe an extra fish-shaped pastry if you spend a few thousand won?

“The owner makes heart signs with his hands and takes pictures with you.”

Huh?

“That’s the service?”

“Yes. That’s why everyone goes there now. Cheap, delicious, and a feast for the eyes.”

Taehwa pointed at her eyes as she spoke.

Her face showed clear excitement as she said this.

Come to think of it, I might have heard something about this.

Lately, more students have been sharing photos taken with some person.

Of course, I wasn’t interested.

“Hmm…”

She must have taken my silence as agreement.

Taehwa grabbed Noah’s hand and headed for the store.

With the added temptation of her offer to treat me, there was no reason to refuse, so Noah quietly followed Taehwa.

After walking for about 10 minutes.

“It’s snowing.”

“The first snow of the year.”

“Ugh… having to see the first snow with a girl…”

“You should find someone like ahjussi too.”

“Maybe I should…”

As they reached the bungeoppang store under the first snow falling white, they could smell the savory aroma and see quite a line of people.

There were also quite a few people in line with impure intentions.

“Wow, the owner must be raking in money.”

“Let’s just buy quickly and go. It’s cold.”

Blowing warm breath from their mouths, the two waited for quite some time.

Finally, after the entire line cleared, it was their turn.

As the two approached the front of the store, they witnessed it.

“Today’s last customers, welcome!”

“…Huh?”

“…Ah?”

The all-too-familiar face of a man.

+++++

“Ahjussi, what are you doing here?”

“…”

“Even making heart signs with your hands.”

“…Bu…business…”

“Ha, must be nice for you? Surrounded by all these high school girls you like so much.”

“No, that’s not what I—”

“No? What do you mean? Are you saying you don’t care which high school girl it is as long as they’re high school girls?”

These days, I don’t know how many times I’ve thought this. It should start getting old by now, but I want to say it again.

Sometimes, Noah can be terrifying.

And I’m not joking. Seriously.

Her dull eyes like a frozen pollack. The shadows under her eyes.

The fierce aura like she might pounce at any moment.

With slightly trembling hands, I answered Noah’s question.

“What am I doing? I was selling bungeoppang.”

I’ve been short on money lately.

I quit my part-time job.

That witch keeps asking strange favors.

I needed to raise funds for what’s coming next.

When it’s winter, bungeoppang is the way to go! That’s what I thought when I started this business, which somehow became quite successful.

“Wow… ahjussi, you’re terrible.”

“Taehwa, did I do something wrong?”

“A complete playboy and harem king. A trash who seduces all high school girls.”

“That bad?!”

“At least that’s how it looks to Noah.”

I felt wronged.

With that feeling, I tried my best to explain to Noah.

At the very least, I couldn’t live with such an unfair accusation.

I faced Noah’s cold gaze with all my might.

“I didn’t plan this from the beginning.”

“Sure.”

“Just… suddenly a girl buying bungeoppang asked me to take a picture with a heart sign? Like, she was super energetic and speaking in a way I could barely understand, insisting I take a picture.”

“And then?”

“Ah… she’s at that age, I thought, and if I leave her be, she’ll disrupt business, so I took the picture and sent her on her way quickly? But then her friends came…”

“And it grew to this extent?”

Nod.

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

“I… I sent three texts a week and called once or twice…? This week… um… I was busy with villain work and the store…”

“Hmph…”

After telling the whole truth, I turned my gaze away.

For a few seconds, a tense silence hung in the air.

Unable to keep quiet any longer, Noah spoke up.

“…Well, thinking about it, I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

Noah said this with a faint smile.

It was a smile that seemed somewhat twisted.

I swallowed hard, and unconsciously tightened my grip on the kettle handle I was holding.

Hearing the sound of my grip tightening, Noah let out a mocking laugh, “Hahah.”

There was a slight pause before her next words.

“What else can they do anyway?”

“…”

“Photos? Let them take all they want. But what else can they do besides that? Right? Ahjussi?”

“Th-that’s right! Of course—”

“Because I’d get really angry if they did anything more than that.”

It was chilling.

I could only slowly nod my head.

Noah smiled again at that, and finally asked.

“But why are you suddenly doing business?”

“Raising funds.”

“Funds?”

“Yes, I mentioned I’m going camping, right?”

Noah nodded.

“Well, the place we’re going is not an easy one. I think we need to be thoroughly prepared.”

“Thoroughly prepared?”

“Yes. Buying tents, sleeping bags. Also need to buy warm clothes. We can’t freeze to death.”

At my words, Noah and Taehwa gave me questioning looks.

Well, it’s a natural reaction since they don’t know what kind of place we’re going to.

I’ve been extremely busy for the past month.

Looking for one particular place.

“You know about the Dragon Incident?”

“Yes, the incident where the Sword Saint grandfather slew a dragon in a mountain village in Gangwon Province.”

The Dragon Incident.

The incident where the Sword Saint living hidden in a mountain village in Gangwon Province slew a dragon.

The protagonist, the Sword Saint, and the ancient dragon died together, creating a massive magical energy mass that formed a dungeon.

No one knows where that place is, so everyone is searching for that massive power, that dungeon.

“Whoever conquers the dragon’s dungeon shall obtain great power.”

In the game, it was a place you could visit for a special power-up.

I always thought I should go there someday… but just thought about it.

The path is always random and not easy.

“But nobody has found it, right? That place.”

“Yes. I heard even the Association decided to treat it as just a rumor.”

But.

“I found it.”

I had just barely managed to find that place recently.