TL/ED: Ham⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌s⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌terminator

Jenny was quite a capable BH editor.

Being a competent BH editor meant having the talent to maximize visual aesthetics.

It involved the skill of removing or modifying unnecessary emotions and the sense to emphasize or minimize specific sensations appropriately.

Perhaps that was why. At first, she made a lot of money.

After producing a few BH experiences of upper-class life, vain commoners willingly opened their wallets.

The steadily increasing numbers in her account were incredibly satisfying. In the first month or two, she even indulged in picking and choosing whatever she wanted at hotels, just like the protagonists in the videos.

Of course, that pleasure did not last long.

“...Experiencing extreme poverty? Are you crazy? Who would watch something like this?”

“Who else? Rich bastards would. Those pigs have so much money that now they even want to buy the experience of poverty.”

That was what the PD she worked with said, revealing his yellowed teeth.

The raw footage he brought was utterly horrifying.

A beggar in filthy clothes became the target of someone's rage and was brutally beaten. Afterward, the beggar, with a tattered body, wandered the streets, unable to bear hunger, and reached for food waste. As he hurriedly filled his stomach, the sudden outburst of a shop owner startled him, causing him to flee - only to be hit by an unmanned truck.

The video faded out with the sight of the beggar sprawled on the ground, bleeding, as the crowd passed by indifferently, treating him like discarded junk.

Her head burned with anger.

Who had even implanted the BH in the first place?

To make things worse, the beggar was just a child.

“Refine the sense of touch and taste properly. If it's too painful or disgusting, there’ll be an uproar. Hmm, I guess we should tweak the sense of smell too. Damn bastard eating that kind of filth. Ah! Don't forget to minimize suicidal impulses. And...”

Jenny could not remember the rest of the PD’s directing.

The only thing she vividly recalled was the moment she clung to the toilet, vomiting her guts out.

That day, Jenny quit her job.

She donated all the money she had earned to support the poor. It was much later that she saw on the news that the charity she had donated to was actually a fraudulent organization.

Editing was the only skill she had, so when she eventually returned to working with BH, Jenny only took on public service projects.

Videos about workplace safety regulations, evacuation guides for public facilities, and similar materials.

Her salary had dwindled to almost nothing, but at least she did not feel guilty.

Then, she was kidnapped.

By gangsters trying to enter the illegal BH business.

The kind of scum you could easily predict.

Forcing drunk customers into sexual exploitation.

She put up a fight, refusing to create such content even if it killed her.

At first, they cut off her food. The second time, they cut off her water.

That was a day ago.

Was this the kind of pain that child had suffered?

And people wanted to experience something like this? Those crazy bastards.

As her mind grew hazy, a loud banging and fierce shouting began to alternate outside the door.

What was that?

Just as Jenny struggled to lift her head,

Crash!

The metal door bent inward.

Immediately after, the doorknob rattled violently up and down, then suddenly stopped, as if the person outside had realized it was locked from the inside.

A brief silence. Then - Bang!

With the hinges ripped apart, the door flew off, revealing a figure pushing through.

A face she did not recognize. A man, silhouetted against the crimson light, gripping the bloodied head of a gang member in one hand, spoke.

“Jenny?”

“...Huh?”

“Blonde hair, green eyes. It’s you.”

Jin said, shaking his hand with a flick.

Following his motion, the gang member he had been holding slammed into the wall, leaving a trail of blood as he slid down.

“W-Who are you?”

“I came to rescue you.”

Jin bent his knees to examine Jenny.

Her hollow eyes. Her pale complexion.

The way she lay on the floor, her hands and feet bound behind her, was a pitiful sight.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Your brother told me.”

Jin said as he slipped a finger under the cable tie binding Jenny’s wrists.

With a sharp pull, there was a pop! and the restraint snapped apart.

“Ugh.”

Jenny rubbed her now freed wrists, aching from the pain, as she watched Jin use the same method to release the bindings on her ankles.

“…Are you solo?”

“Probably?”

Snap! The second cable tie broke apart.

It was an incredible display of brute strength.

Jenny was shocked. Jin was shocked, too.

'I’ve gotten stronger, huh?'

Even though he had just gained one more perk, he felt twice as strong as before.

No wonder it was the final skill.

“Can you walk?”

“Sorry… I can’t put any strength into my legs.”

Jenny tried to prop herself up with her hands but collapsed back down.

Anyone who had gone three days without food and an entire day without water would end up like this.

In truth, she was feeling so dizzy that she could barely stay conscious. The blaring emergency alarm sounded so loud that she could not tell if it was real or just a hallucination.

“Then just lie there for a moment.”

Jin took off his jumper and rolled it into a makeshift cushion.

After placing it under Jenny’s head, he pushed himself up with one knee and took a step forward. As he crossed the threshold, his widened field of view caught sight of the distorted faces of the thugs.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me…”

“What kind of bullshit situation is this?”

Some of them muttered curses as they spotted their groaning comrades on the floor. Then, heavy, thudding footsteps echoed from behind them.

Someone was pushing through the crowd of thugs.

“Who the fuck did this?!”

The man who emerged, face twisted in rage, resembled a gorilla.

A massive brute with cybernetic arms, each fitted with large hydraulic cylinders on the elbows.

“You fucking bastard. Was it you? You stormed through my business like a goddamn horny mutt humping everything in sight?”

That’s quite the way to put it.

Jin smirked.

It was not entirely wrong.

Whether he was a horny mutt was up for debate,

But he had torn through the guy’s business.

Should’ve hidden her better.

Might’ve been easier to find.

“Looks like you were after my editor. I don’t know who sent you, but you’re dead. You should’ve known your place before picking a fight, you tiny-dicked bastard.”

The gorilla-faced man’s intense gaze scanned Jin up and down.

Not just a figure of speech - h⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌is cybernetic eyes, embedded deep in his skull, flickered red as they analyzed him. Then, as if realizing something was off, his brow furrowed.

“…You don’t have a single implant?”

His tone was like someone witnessing a man living upside down.

To be honest, someone completely free of implants was practically a rare species.

Not that such people did not exist at all.

There were Purists, those stubborn old-fashioned types who rejected implants altogether.

The descendants of swords and magic, resisting the era of technology.

Or simply their followers.

But the man who had just wiped the floor with his subordinates showed none of the characteristic mana glow that Purists typically possessed.

Which led the gorilla-faced man to a conclusion of his own.

“…Are you an Enhanced Human?”

At the same time, Jin kicked off the ground.

Talks way too fucking much. Do you fight with your mouth or what?

Boom!

In an instant, Jin closed the gap and twisted his body slightly, pulling back his fist before swinging it with all his might.

An overhand right hook, powerful enough to generate wind pressure.

The gorilla-faced man flinched and raised his left arm.

A moment later, the impact rang through the underground space,

Bang!

“…Fuck!”

The force sent shockwaves through his entire arm, making him curse.

But Jin was not finished. His left fist shot forward in a brutal body shot, hammering into the gorilla man’s exposed midsection.

“Gah…!”

He wheez⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌ed, the air forced from his lungs. But somehow, he managed to stay on his feet, thanks to his reinforced outer shell.

Artificial skin designed to withstand bullets.

Guess it was worth the money.

It bought him enough time to counterattack.

“You bastard!!”

He gritted his teeth and swung both arms.

No, swung was not the right word, it was more like he fired them.

As the pistons in his cybernetic arms pumped beneath his elbows, his steel fists launched forward, hammering Jin’s torso at a speed of ten strikes per second.

Dudududududu!!

Jin staggered backward under the relentless barrage of blows, powerful enough to demolish thick concrete walls in an instant.

It felt like being pelted with shot puts at point-blank range.

His arms, held tightly in a guard, instantly went numb.

This is cheating!

Jin grit his teeth.

Just blocking would not get him anywhere.

No matter how tough he was, if this kept up, he would end up as nothing more than a pile of minced meat.

So, Jin drastically lowered his stance.

To the surrounding thugs, it looked as if his legs had given out. Cheers erupted immediately.

“Boss! He’s done for!”

“Finish him off!”

But the gorilla-faced man did not join in their laughter.

Because the enemy before him had vanished.

If he had collapsed flat on his back, that would have made sense.

But he simply disappeared.

No way…!

The next moment, a sickening crack came from his ankle.

“Argh!”

Huh. This part isn’t so sturdy, huh?

Jin had twisted his opponent’s ankle as if wringing out laundry, then swung his arms in a wide arc.

Following the motion, the gorilla-faced man’s leg swung outward, sending him toppling into an awkward, unstable fall.

Out of reflex, he thrust his hands to the ground to catch himself,

And Jin did not miss the opening.

Whoosh!

A full-power kick slammed into the gorilla-faced man’s face just as he turned his head.

His head snapped back.

Crack, the sound of something breaking that should never break.

His stiffened upper body toppled backward like a felled tree.

His cybernetic arms, unable to detect any more biological signals, let out a deflating hiss as they went limp.

Thus, Kirk, boss of Steel Hands, died.

Remembered in Jin’s mind only as that gorilla bastard.

“...Boss! What the fuck!?”

“H-He’s really dead?”

“This has to be a joke, right? This doesn’t make any sense…”

As the surrounding thugs reeled in shock at their boss’s sudden death, Jin casually dusted off his hands and glanced around.

At a moment like this, there was only one thing any self-respecting gamer, especially one who had ever played Musou games, had to do.

Taking a deep breath, Jin shouted at the top of his lungs

“I have defeated the enemy commander!”

***

A late evening in Metropolis, where the gray skyline swallowed the sun.

A man sat hunched in the far-right corner of Rumpumpumpum’s second floor, anxiously staring out the darkening window.

His name was Jackie.

Chewing furiously on his thumb, he suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

“…!”

He flinched and turned his head,

Only to see a plump middle-aged man carrying a tray stacked high with fries.

The man scanned the area, found an empty seat, and plopped down.

Jackie exhaled heavily, turning his gaze away.

Was this a mistake?

The anxiety would not leave his mind.

Finding a proper Solo in Downtown was no easy task.

Their price was one thing, but even getting a chance to meet one was another.

By the time he had gone through brokers, asked around, and done everything he could, his sister had been on the verge of death.

So he had asked a man whose name he did not even know to rescue her.

It had not been hard to tell that the guy was not a real Solo.

There was no such thing as a Solo who did not know what BH was.

But Jackie had no choice.

He had been that desperate.

“…Haah.”

His deep sigh fogged up the window.

How much time had passed?

His heart - no, a heart that did not even feel like his, pounded with unease.

Then, once more, he heard footsteps on the stairs behind him.

Hope, crushed countless times before, resurfaced once again as Jackie turned his head.

And then he saw.

The fake Solo, carrying someone limp over his shoulder.

The man he had no choice but to believe in.

“There you are. Sorry, got a little lost.”

Jin raised an eyebrow as he walked over.

“J-Jenny!”

Jackie sprang to his feet the moment he saw his sister’s face as Jin set her down on the couch.

In a frenzy, he checked her eyelids, held his fingers under her nose, and frantically called out to her.

Meanwhile.

“Ah, my back…”

Jin let out a groan as he slumped onto the couch.

There was not a single part of his body that did not hurt.

He had taken blows, been stabbed, and suffered cuts while dealing with the remaining thugs.

This fucking hurts.

Normally, when you take down the enemy boss, the rest should lose their will to fight, right?

Thinking about how those thugs had charged at him with burning rage despite that, he could not help but sigh.

Well, at least he had gained a ton of skill points.

Even if he did not need them now, they would surely come in handy later.

“You… really saved her?”

“What, did you hire someone else while I was gone?”

“N-No, of course not.”

“Then why are you asking the obvious? I’m already exhausted as it is.”

Jin said as he looked at the unconscious Jenny.

“Those Steel Hands bastards locked her up and starved her. I gave her a little water for now, but you should start with an IV before giving her food. Soup would be good too.”

At that moment, Jackie suddenly dropped to his knees and started crying, tears streaming down his face like raindrops.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Hey, hey. What’s with you?”

Few things were as awkward as watching a grown man cry right in front of you.

As Jin waved his hands awkwardly, Jackie, still sobbing, fumbled inside his jacket.

It was obvious he was about to pull out the payment, so Jin quickly stopped him.

“Let’s not do this so openly, yeah?”

“O-Oh. Sorry.”

Realizing his mistake, Jackie quickly wiped his tears.

Man, this guy’s way too softhearted.

Jin let out a deep sigh, momentarily forgetting that he himself had cried like a baby looking for his mom just a year ago.

As he watched Jackie gather himself and sit down, a strange sensation brushed against his skin.

A pale face covered in cold sweat.

Breathing irregular, tinged with the metallic scent of blood.

Lips trembling ever so slightly.

A mechanical whir layered beneath his heartbeat.

The scent of dying earth and wood.

Jin absorbed the information, not with his eyes but with his en⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌tire body, before slowly speaking.

“Where did you get the money?”

“What?”

“The payment. Where did you get it?”

“...”

Jackie was silent for a moment before licking his dry lips and answering.

“I sold my organs.”

“Your heart, right?”

“H-How did you-?”

“That’s not important. Why the heart of all things?”

“...Because it’s in the highest demand.”

Which meant he had sold his perfectly fine heart and replaced it with the cheapest of the cheap implants.

No wonder he seemed off from the start.

“Fuck… seriously.”

Jin scratched the back of his head roughly.

“Just give me 100,000 credits.”

“What?”

“Just 100,000 credits. I was gonna take this job for that much anyway.”

“…What are you saying…”

Jackie stared in shock before his eyes welled up with fresh tears. Jin added before he could say anything else.

“Listen till the end. You’ll pay back the remaining 1.9 million credits little by little. Every Wednesday at 7 PM, right here on the second floor of Rumpumpumpum. I pick the menu. Got it? Just so you know, I eat a lot.”

“A-Alright.”

“Then hand it over. I want a waffle.”

Jin held out his palm.

After taking the 100,000 credits that Jackie handed him with shaky hands, Jin stood up and spoke.

“Take good care of your sister. And get yourself a proper heart implant. Even if you go for something cheap, what you’ve got now is too cheap. At best, you have five days left with that thing.”

“…Thank you.”

“I’m off.”

With that brief farewell, Jin turned and walked away.

Jackie shouted toward his retreating figure, his voice filled with emotion.

“Thank you! Really, thank you!”

Jin did not respond. He just waved his hand lazily as he descended the stairs.

After buying two waffles from the first floor, he stepped into the darkening streets.

Another ordinary day in Downtown was coming to an end.