I Was A Porter - Chapter 22

The  First Step (3)

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There weren’t many by-products from Mantis, but at the second gate they went to, an 8^th-grade gate, a Black Sungazer thrived. There was high-demand for Black Sungazer, as it was stuffed and sold for high-value ornamental purposes.

In order to avoid damage to the Black Sungazer’s body, Seung-ho killed it by rupturing its internal organs with magical powers. Se-hyun also took extra care in removing its internal organs.

Se-hyun searched through the torn organs and found the mana stone. The body of the Black Sungazer stink terribly, but as it was carried to the vehicle, the winter air concealed its smell.

As soon as he defeated the monster, Seung-ho began to write a temporary work contract. He was satisfied with Se-hyun, and told him to be comfortable with him.

“Se-hyun, contract.”

He showed the contract to Se-hyun as they loaded the body in the vehicle. Se-hyun read it carefully, and signed it after confirming that it contained what they had verbally agreed to.

He told Se-hyun to bring the body home and begin selling the by-products, and told him that he will just take a taxi to go home.

After watching Se-hyun leave, he called his mother, who was worried.

He called her as well after catching the Mantis, and her mother may have gotten more worried because they took a long time with processing the Black Sungazer.

“Uncle, are you coming home?”

It was Seong-ah who answered the phone.

“Where is Mother? Did she come home? Why is it you answering the phone?”

“Grandmother is in the kitchen with my mom. You should come here because there is no one at your house.”

“It will take forty or thirty minutes. You should eat first without me. I may be late.”

“Okay, come quickly.”

Seung-ho hailed a taxi. It was the rush hour though, and there was heavy traffic.

It took him 15-minutes longer than he estimated.

He thought that running will be quicker, but he can’t run around the city every day like a crazy guy.

Everyone was finished eating when he arrived at Lee Min-ju’s place.

“Ah, we’ve cleaned up already, what do you want to eat?” His mother greeted him.

“Mom, sit down. I’ll handle it.” Lee Min-ju scooped up a little kimchi jjigae and brought out a few side dishes and served them for his brother.

His mother wanted to hear what Seung-ho did today, and sat down at the table with him.

“Wow, you look better today. How surprised I was yesterday when you came in all bloody…”

“I hired someone to work as a porter. Now, I won’t get blood on me.”

“That’s good, but always be careful,” his mother said.

“Mom, brother is eating. Let him have some food,” Lee Min-ju said.

Seung-ho’s eyes widened at Lee Min-ju, but she ignored it lightly.

“Okay,” his mother got up, “enjoy your meal.” She left so Seung-ho could have a comfortable meal, and Seung-ho, who hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, filled his empty stomach.

“Wash the dishes before you go to bed!” Lee Min-ju yelled.

“Yeah.”

He couldn’t figure out whether it was Sia or Seong-ah who answered.

His mother spoke loudly. “What are you doing, ordering your kids at this time? Let them sleep. I’ll do it.”

“Mom, we have rules at our house.”

“The rule is anyone who is free must do the chores. Sia is busy studying – I’ll do it! Sia, don’t leave your room and stay there.” Seong-ah responded.

Seung-ho understood what Seong-ah mentioned to him about the difficulty of living together.

Lee Min-ju was starting to nag. “Mom, why are you doing the dishes? You, brother, why did you leave it when you had nothing to do?”

Seung-ho was in trouble, then he saw Seong-ah slowly opening the door to her room and gesturing him to come in.

Lee Min-ju and his mother continued their heated debate.

“We only need one washing machine, so throw away the one that you have at home; we will take our refrigerator too, and the bowls…”

They weren’t even living at the same house yet, but they are already fighting.

As soon as Seung-ho entered Seong-ah’s room, she began to ask him about what happened today.

“What did you catch today?”

Sia, who was already lying in bed, turned around and looked at his uncle, also interested in the story.

“I caught two Mantis and a Black Sungazer.”

“We should search-“

Sia immediately got up and started to tap on her phone. Then, she cried out.

“OMG! What is this? Is this a Mantis?”

The photos she had on her phone screen were mostly corpses that were torn apart. It was gross, but a breathing, whole Mantis was even more ugly.

As Seong-ah frowned and looked at Seung-ho, he repeatedly shook his hands and denied it.

“No, no, it didn’t look like that. I kept it clean.”

Seung-ho tore its belly and left it running with intestines flowing on the floor, but they didn’t need to know.

“Did you take any pictures?”

“It was dark in the Mantis gate, but I took a picture of the Black Sungazer.”

It was difficult to show anyone how the Mantis looked after Seung-ho attacked it, but he deliberately took the picture of the Black Sungazer.

He took it to show his mother that he hunted safely.

The photos were of the monster spread out, flawless as a doll.

“Ughhh – it’s ugly.”

The girls didn’t like reptiles.

“Seong-ah, do you think a monster would be pretty?” He asked while laughing.

He knew, in fact, that there were pretty monsters.

An example would be vampires. Male and female vampires were each unique and beautiful.

At first, Seung-ho also wanted to co-exist with monsters and live with them peacefully.

However, he was eventually driven to murder an entire village of them.

Monsters and humans can never co-exist.

* * *

A Benz stopped by the side of the road, breaking through snowflakes that fluttered like petals.

Khan went out of the stopped car, approached the backseat and opened the door for the passenger.

Drax slowly disembarked from the car. Kanyu put an umbrella over him, but Drax refused.

He folded the umbrella and followed him, starting his report as they walked.

“How long are you staying in Korea?” Kanyu asked.

Although it had just been a short time, Drax already had his shoulders covered with snow.

Upon arriving to the house, he took off his coat and handed it to Kanyu.

“Three days. On the first day, I’ll attend a 20^–year dramatic reunion; on the second day, there are events scheduled at the Association. On the third day, we can have a small autograph session at the airport before I leave.”

Drax began to climb the stairs, with Khan following him closely, holding the coat in his arms.

“Tell me the news.”

“Lee Seung-ho’s measurements came out. The result was overwhelming.”

Drax’s footsteps stopped, and he slowly turned around to face Kanyu.

“It’s over 20,000,” Kanyu continued. He was surprised as he saw Drax shiver.

“20,000?”

He was surprised to see Drax display emotion. Drax’s pupils were slightly shaking.

“Yeah, I guess living with monsters for 20 years-”

“What are Baldrow and Eid doing?”

“I am going to call France and request for cooperation…”

“Tell them to come straight to Korea. Tomorrow.”

Drax continued to walk up to his room.

He paused before he turned the doorknob.

“Twenty thousand… ” he murmured, his voice filled with complex emotions.

* * *

Seung-ho received the call from the manager Choi Myung-soo that morning.

“Seung-ho, you must attend.”

“Yeah?  I wasn’t trying to attend anything.”

“Please do not be late. Are you really going?”

“Yes, thanks. I won’t be late, so don’t worry.”

“Please. Never… ”

Seung-ho kept on telling him that he won’t be late and he thought there would be no end to the call, but eventually, Choi Myung-soo hung up.

He didn’t want to go through the motions of preparing himself to attend an event, but there was a good reason to.

Drax is coming to Korea.

Suddenly, he remembered the person who would be most excited about this, and dialed Min-jong.

“What’s wrong?” he heard from the other line.

“Listen, this would be exciting for you. Just stop talking, okay?”

“What’s going on? I know Drax is coming to Korea.”

At that moment, Seung-ho almost yelled. How did he know?!

Instead, he calmed himself and continued to speak. “Drax said he was coming to Korea to meet me tomorrow. It will be staged as a dramatic meeting of two people who reunite after 20 years, and the Association informed me that they will release the news today.”

“Hyung, I’m going out tomorrow…”

“You can’t come. Even if you come, you can’t ask the question.” In Seungho’s voice, there was an unresolvable determination.

“…”

Beyond the mobile phone, only Min-jong’s harsh breath was heard.

“I know what you’re thinking, but this is going to be an official event. It will be hard to slip in. If you do get in and start asking, don’t think about it because I’ll be the first one to hit you.”

“Yeah… ” Min-jong’s voice was weak.

He shook his head and let him go. “Then take care of yourself and I will go there this weekend.”

Seung-ho immediately ended the call. He didn’t want to hear Min-jong’s pitiful voice again; it would weaken his resolve.

He sat alone, deep in thought about Drax’s visit.

Soon, another call came in. It was Se-hyun.

“We’re going to rest. We won’t go to gates today and tomorrow,” he said immediately.

“Oh, may I know why? I thought we’re going to do two again today.”

“I’ll meet Drax tomorrow, so let’s take a break for two days, then catch up.”

“Okay, I understand now. By the way, Drax has been abroad for what… 3 years?”

“Do you like Drax too?”

“No, it’s not that I like him, more like I respect him. I’ll take re-measurement today and rest tomorrow.”

“Yeah, let’s take a rest,” Seung-ho said, then hung up.

He stared at the gray sky gradually darkening with clouds. It seemed like it would snow.

Tomorrow, he would see Drax again. Drax was his hero, but the words Min-jong told him was disturbing, and he sat there, staring at the sky with complex emotions.