Chapter 3

– I Don’t Think it is a Dream #3
Tae-hyuk eventually gave up on getting rid of the mirror. It kept returning to his pocket, yet it wasn’t a possessed doll.
It just informed him of the situation through messages and vibrations. It didn’t like seem like it would do him any harm.
‘I guess I should go visit a shaman later.’
He put aside the mirror for now, and decided to think about Yoo Cheol-ho first.
‘Wasn’t Yoo Cheol-ho hiding in an empty church?’
If he had a smartphone, then he would search with a map app service. However, Tae-hyuk currently only had the flip phone that his sister had given him.
He had no choice but to go to a nearby PC room to search online.
Despite the fact that it was currently class time, the PC room was still crowded with people.
He noticed a few students in their uniforms.
‘They are also playing hooky.’
Tae-hyuk paid the fee at the counter, then sat down and turned on the computer.
‘The location of the church… Crazy. There are more than 20?’
The good news was that he knew that it was an empty church. Tae-hyuk called the churches one by one to check.
After a few minutes, he was able to get the information that he wanted.
‘There were two churches that didn’t answer the phone. He is certainly in one of them!’
Tae-hyuk moved in a hurry.
The first place he went to wasn’t correct. If that was true, then Yoo Cheol-ho was definitely at the second location.
‘Bingo…!’
The curtains were firmly closed over each window. However, he felt a strange presence inside.
The whole alley was half empty due to redevelopment. The church where Yoo Cheol-ho was hiding also seemed to be ruined.
‘Certainly, no one would ever imagine that an escaped prisoner would be hiding in a run down church.’
First of all, he had to confirm that Yoo Cheol-ho was inside.
‘How can I talk to him?’
He couldn’t knock on the door and ask for Yoo Cheol-ho ssi. It just wasn’t possible.
At that moment, he came up with a good idea.
Tae-hyuk got the address of the church from the mailbox and headed to a Chinese restaurant that was nearby.
It was a place where he used to do deliveries when skipping school.
It was lunch time. The phone was ringing, but the delivery motorcycles weren’t visible.
‘As expected, they are swamped with orders.’
Tae-hyuk called the Chinese restaurant.
He made an order for jajangmyeon and gave the address of the church. He also made sure to sound annoyed at the fact that the restaurant was swamped with orders, and that the delivery would be delayed.

Uh, is it Tae-hyuk? Did you come for a job again? Well, that is good, as there are a lot of deliveries.

The boss greeted Tae-hyuk as he opened the door to the Chinese restaurant.

Nope. I’m here to eat jajangmyeon.


Aye, don’t be like that. I’m unbelievably busy right now, please, just do 10! It is urgent so I’ll give you an hourly wage of 10,000 won.’
Tae-hyuk smiled pleasantly.

Then I’ll do it for just one hour.


Call!

Tae-hyuk changed into his work clothes and picked up the iron boxes containing the deliveries.
‘Let’s do a test.’
He decided to test if the Robbery skill he just learnt could also be used against the public.
As he passed the boss sitting at the counter, Tae-hyuk bumped against his body.
Then the crime skill was activated normally.
[Robbery has been used.]
-You have succeeded in stealing the opponent’s belongings!
‘What did I steal?’
Tae-hyuk put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a strange bundle of hair.
‘What is this?’
He looked at the boss and saw that his rich head of hair was gone.
‘Boss-nim… Isn’t he obviously in his 30s?’
Tae-hyuk’s eyes flashed.

This fell here.


Ack! When was this stripped off? T-Tae-hyuk… Don’t tell anybody about this. I’ll add another 5,000 won to your hourly wage.

The two men exchanged conspiratorial glances.
       

Your Jajangmyeon has arrived!

Tae-hyuk knocked on the firmly locked door and shouted.
There was no reaction from inside the church. He started using more strength to knock on the door.
There was still no reaction, so Tae-hyuk started shouting.

Aish! Delivery! Please come out quickly!

In the end, the person couldn’t bear it.
The closed curtain opened a little bit. The person inside was checking to see if it really was a genuine Chinese delivery person outside.
The iron door opened, revealing a man in clergy attire that could be seen from within the shadows.

I never ordered any jajangmyeon.


Aish! It’s right here.


Well. I happen to be hungry. How much is it?

The man opened the door a bit wider and slowly came out.
Tae-hyuk nearly dropped the iron box he was carrying.
‘Yoo Cheol-ho…!’
A murderer who killed seven people.
It was him.
‘He has a beard now, and is also in clergy attire, but it is definitely him!’
Tae-hyuk’s clothes became damp with sweat.
The fact that Yoo Cheol-ho was here was evidence that what Tae-hyuk saw wasn’t a simple dream.
Then…
‘Crazy. Then, in the next five years, I will be framed and taken to prison? Fuck off!’
Wait a minute.
Something suddenly popped into Tae-hyuk’s head. It was different from the time when he was framed without knowing anything.
Right now, Tae-hyuk knew what would happen in the next 15 years.
And…
‘I don’t know precisely what this power is, but there is also the mirror.’
Due to the power of the mirror, he was able to learn the Robbery skill from the pickpocket.
If that was so, then couldn’t other things be learned?
Perhaps Tae-hyuk could change the harsh reality that he remembered.
‘First of all, I have to find out how to learn skills.’
Tae-hyuk remembered when he first learnt Robbery.
He ran into the pickpocket as he got on the bus, and got the Robbery skill.
Shortly afterwards, he witnessed the pickpocket stealing the old lady’s wallet.
The condition required would be one of them.

My body feels a bit uncomfortable. Can you come in and put the food on the floor?

Yoo Cheol-ho said with a smile.
Tae-hyuk looked at his eyes, and saw the eyes of a beast determined to kill.
‘I cannot relax for even a second!’
If he did something even slightly suspicious, then he would surely be killed by Yoo Cheol-ho.
Tae-hyuk recalled the three murders after Yoo Cheol-ho escaped.
He suspected that they had noticed his identity and stabbed them dozens of times with a knife.
Yoo Cheol-ho was very quick.
Tae-hyuk wouldn’t be able to get away if he tried to escape.
Then…
He had to perfectly pretend to be a Chinese delivery person.
Tae-hyuk told Yoo Cheol-ho with a casual expression.

It is 5,000 won.


Wait a minute. Money…

There were no signs that Yoo Cheol-ho doubted Tae-hyuk’s identity.
Tae-hyuk smiled pleasantly.
‘It was good that I came in the disguise of a Chinese deliveryman.
People always let down their guard when they deal with people like couriers and delivery men.
Tae-hyuk remembered that Yoo Cheol-ho was previously arrested after being reported by a pizza delivery person.

Yes, the money is here.

Yoo Cheol-ho pulled out a 10,000 won bill from his pocket.
Tae-hyuk accepted it and gave back the change.

We’re currently swamped with deliveries, so I will come back later to pick up the bowl after an hour.

And the door closed.
Tae-hyuk sighed with relief.
He had safely escaped from the clutches of a crazy killer.

Try to enjoy it, as it will be your last meal in society.

Tae-hyuk laughed.
If he had known this before, then he would have also given Yoo Cheol-ho some tangsuyuk.