Preparation

When had I started being extorted by Sin Seoyeon?

"You’re holding out until the end. Hey, dickhead. You lost all sense?"

Sin Seoyeon walked up and slapped my cheeks repeatedly. As I stood there taking it, memories of the past came to mind.

—Lend me some money.

I don't know exactly when it started, but I remember being seriously extorted after entering university.

—Money…? You borrowed some last time too. I still haven't gotten that back.

—Ah, shit. Why are friends nitpicking over stuff like that? We're not complete strangers; we went to the same elementary, middle, and high school. Can't I pay you back a little late? It's not like I'm saying I won't pay you back.

—Still, that's a bit….

—Wow, I'm disappointed. Are you really gonna be this stingy?

—.......

At first, I trusted her because she was a friend.

We had been pretty close in elementary school.

I probably deluded myself into thinking that the kindness she had shown when we were young still remained somewhere inside her.

That once she matured, she would return to being that innocent kid.

'Yeah, what a grand delusion that was.'

There was nothing like that, and I saw plenty of ugly sights over ten years.

That was the conclusion I reached.

A person who has fallen once does not change.

—Hey, are you really not gonna lend money to a friend? I'm really in a hurry. You're the only one who can help me.

—Hoo. This is the last time.

The money lent that way never came back, and once the debt exceeded roughly four million won, she started openly extorting money from me.

Thwack.

"Fuck, does my word mean nothing to you!"

Just like that, she would kick my shins, use violence, and take my money as if it were only natural.

"......."

Honestly, it was hard to understand how a girl a full head shorter than me could act so wild.

She was in a weight class where I could end it with one punch to her face.

But our country is a nation ruled by law.

Such undignified acts carry severe punishments.

Especially if you throw a punch at a woman, you can see the penalty jump dramatically.

Moreover, there was another reason she was so confident.

"So our Seoyeon was here. What are you doing?"

"Ah, oppa, you're here?"

Sin Seoyeon, who had been fuming in front of me, hell-bent on extorting money somehow, turned around with an innocent, bright smile as if she had never been like that at the sudden sound of a man's voice.

Thud. Thud.

Three men walked over; with dyed hair, tattoos, and cigarettes in their mouths, they looked like the very picture of delinquent college students.

'Ah, come to think of it, these guys were around too.'

The university I attend is a four-year college in the capital region, a school where even the worst students can get in as long as they pay bribes, hit by the combo of a population cliff and low birth rates.

It wouldn't be strange at all for a few thugs who don't fit the school atmosphere to roam the campus.

Guys who blatantly looked like they had been delinquents back in school sneered at me.

"Were you hanging out with your high school friend again?"

"Yeah. I had some free time. But oppa, what brings you here at this hour?"

"I came because I missed our Seoyeon. But you seem different today. I saw on my way over that something seemed off; should I help?"

Then Sin Seoyeon turned to me and flashed a smile. The meaning in her expression was obvious.

「Whip out the money now?」

I hesitated for a moment.

Whether to beat these bastards to a pulp or not.

「What are you doing?」

When I looked at the three seniors, they rolled their fists, asking what I was doing not handing over the money already.

'Haa.'

Honestly, having just been fighting a dragon the size of Yongsan to the death a few minutes ago, those glaring eyes looked incredibly petty.

I felt like I could half-kill them in five minutes, but I didn't have time to waste like this now.

'Getting entangled in a needless violent incident and dragged to the police station is a waste of time. Let's not engage.'

When I put my hand in my pocket, Sin Seoyeon smirked with a satisfied expression.

"Should've given it earlier, right? Huh? You wouldn't have to make me lose face either."

"......."

"What? Angry? Does it feel bad being treated like an ATM? Then acquire enough ability so you won't be ignored."

At this point, Sin Seoyeon is nothing more or less than a thug.

But when the world is turned upside down, she changes.

She gains absurd abilities and is reborn as an S-rank mage. One whom everyone looks up to, one whom every man desires at least once in his dreams.

But my position doesn't change.

I had never once looked down on her.

"Got it? If you don't want to be ignored, succeed and make it big. Then I'll treat you like a person too. Kekkek."

But this life will be a little different.

"But why is it taking so long to take out the money? Aren't you going to hurry up?"

"What."

"Huh?"

I whirled around and moved my feet.

"Wha, what?"

I had put my hand in my pocket not to take out money, but because there was something I wanted to check.

In the old days, I used to walk around with my hands in my windbreaker or jacket pockets.

Even when it wasn't cold, I did that for no reason.

Was it for style? No way. Thinking about it now, it's just laughable why I did that.

'It's familiar yet uncomfortable. As expected, it's right to keep your hands outside so they can move at any time. Seems like I really did regress with my memories intact.'

I just wanted to confirm.

Whether I had truly regressed, how different I was from my past self—I just wanted to know that sense of dissonance.

Money? Why would I give something like that?

"Hey, dickhead! You want to die?! Get back here! You really want to die?!"

To those bastards who didn't have the guts to follow me out to a crowded place to extort me, I quietly flicked them my middle finger.

Yeah, fuck off.

***

Now then, what should I do?

"Come to think of it, I need money to prepare for the Tutorial."

Thanks to Sin Seoyeon making a fuss about money, money, money, what I had to do came to mind immediately.

The problem was how to get the money.

I checked my account balance on my smartphone.

[Balance: 124,238 won]

"Ah, I was completely broke at this time."

This was far from enough.

"Maybe there's some money rolling around the house?"

I racked my memory, returned home, and immediately searched every corner of the house. Yeah, nothing came out.

'Well, of course.'

An empty house. Furniture and necessities existed, but in a house without a single person, only loneliness lingered.

My parents had passed away long ago.

My mother died giving birth to me, and my father suffered for years battling cancer while raising me alone....

When I was desperate for money, I had already searched the house thoroughly and used up every bit of cash.

Just as you can't find treasure in a treasure chest that's already been looted, my current farming yielded the same result.

"No money."

But there was something worth money.

I raised my head and saw the only inheritance my father left behind when he died.

An apartment. Although I hadn't been able to pay off all the debt from when we lived there, so it was still tied up as collateral, this should do.

"It was always a love-hate object, so this is rather fortunate."

The world is going to end anyway, and I have to leave this place. Then let's get money with this apartment and spend it rationally.

'Selling is hard. There's only three days left; the world will end before I receive the payment.'

Then there's only one method.

"Time to take out some loans."

***

I already had a loan; would they give me an additional one?

"Oh?"

It was possible. As real estate policies had relaxed and the collateral ratio became more generous, the bank gave me nearly 200 million won.

'Can I borrow more?'

Actually, 200 million was enough to somehow complete my preparations.

But the day after tomorrow, the world will end.

Money disappears, and debt disappears too.

'Wow, then wouldn't it be fine to make an even bigger play?'

Perhaps because I had already endured countless trials and lived risking my life for ten years, I felt more anticipation than fear about going to cause trouble.

I even felt exhilaration at going to do things I had never done in my life.

"Welcome. What brings our young customer here today?"

[Iseongmang Capital]

The place I visited was a private lending company.

"I came to borrow money. With collateral."

Would they, or wouldn't they?

"Done."

The other party, who readily agreed, appraised the apartment and proposed lending 250 million won.

'Hmm. Then I'll have 450 million won in hand.'

It was an amount that could accomplish just about anything.

I looked at the contract.

Loan Amount: 250,000,000 won

Interest: 14% per annum

"......."

"Haha, the interest rate is a bit high."

The interest rate was predatory as hell, but so what. Tomorrow the earth would disappear.

But the moneylender, unaware of that fact, spewed honeyed words with a face that clearly thought they had hooked a complete sucker.

"We have to do at least this much to lend. Ask around. The interest is at least 4% higher elsewhere."

"......."

"If you don't want to, forget it. We lowered it considering everything."

"I'll do it."

Then immediately a beaming face.

'Sigh. Learn to manage your expressions.'

Being treated so openly like a sucker, how should I put it, made it hard to stay still. Since I'm doing this anyway, should I act even more like a sucker?

"Could I borrow more if I raise the interest rate?"

"Hmm. That's a bit difficult…."

"Please. I have my reasons. I'll pay it back within a month or two."

"…Sigh. Normally it's not allowed, but well, you seem to be in urgent circumstances, so it can't be helped."

Hot damn, and so they lent me more.

They raised the interest to 18% and looked like they were going to die from happiness.

'What a smile—one that would saddle me with debt and sell my organs.'

Well, I only had a few hours left before I'd never see these people again anyway.

"Thank you."

"Sigh, we're the ones who should be thankful, customer."

It probably wasn't my imagination that "customer" sounded an awful lot like "sucker."

"Ah! Not that you would, but you shouldn't think about running away with the money. You know what I mean?"

Nod.

Borrowing an additional 100 million like that, a huge sum of 550 million won rolled into my account.

"Wow, how do I spend all this money in one day?"

People who are used to spending money know how to spend it, but a commoner like me doesn't know how to spend it even if told to.

So for now, I roamed around Seoul and bought the best versions of the things I needed.

'Since I don't know how to spend money, equipment comes first!'

When dragged to the selection process, electronic devices aren't allowed, but you can bring what you're wearing and carrying.

Knowing the future, I planned to exploit that loophole.

"Hoo, is the shopping done with this?"

After buying everything, 350 million won remained in my account.

Still a lot left. What now?

"Shall I eat something delicious?"

It's a world that's going to disappear anyway, so let's enjoy what I can.

So I looked around for where to go and immediately headed to a five-star hotel buffet.

"Welcome!"

I had wanted to enjoy fine dining if possible, but I heard you need to make reservations months in advance for those places.

Even though it was just a buffet, this place was almost fully booked, but since it was a weekday with few people, I was lucky enough to get in.

'Whew, starting tomorrow I'll be busy again with trials and whatnot, so let's eat well and enjoy myself at least for today.'

While eating with that in mind.

"Hm?"

"Dickhead?"

I ran right into Sin Seoyeon.

Ah, what bad luck to meet her here again.

"Who is it? A friend?"

"Ah, yes. A school friend."

Sin Seoyeon answered the middle-aged man in his forties standing beside her with a smile.

For reference, if my memory was right, he was definitely not her father.

'Sin Seoyeon is vain and has severe spending habits.'

So she's a bitch who would do anything for money.

To the point of squeezing classmates with violence, dating older men behind her boyfriend's back, and acting coquettishly.

'It's amazing she's still a virgin despite all that.'

Just how many men has she milked? I couldn't help but admire it.

"Hello."

"Yes, nice to meet you."

I greeted today's mark caught by Sin Seoyeon.

Perhaps liking my politeness, or perhaps because today was his first time meeting Sin Seoyeon, the man smiled a kind smile.

Ah, seeing that warm smile made me feel even more sorry for him.

"Excuse me for a moment, I have something to talk about with that friend."

"Yes, yes. Take your time."

Then Sin Seoyeon snatched my arm and dragged me to a corner.

As the crowds thinned, the girl who had been pretending to be modest and laughing demurely in front of many people revealed her true, sinister and wicked face.

"Dickhead. What are you doing here."

And finally, as we reached the passage leading to the restrooms, that secluded corner, Sin Seoyeon stopped me and revealed a cruel, sly smile like a lioness before its prey.

"Fuck, this pisses me off. You don't have money to give me, but you have money to come to places like this? Huh?"

Tap, tap. Her skill at kicking shins with the tip of her shoe was art no matter when you saw it.

I looked straight at her and asked.

"Aren't you tired of money, money, money?"

"Ha, are you lecturing me now? Our Minjun has really grown up. I guess I've been too lenient lately. Today I'll grab you and reset your fucking brain…."

"If you want money that badly, I can give you a lot at once."

Sin Seoyeon, who had been maintaining a menacing atmosphere, furrowed her brows deeply.

"What?"

"I said I can give you a lot of money if you want. How much do you want? Should I give you five thousand?"

"Do I look like an elementary kid? These days New Year's money starts at fifty thousand won. Stop flapping your lips…."

"I'm not talking about five thousand won. I'm saying fifty million."

"Bullshit."

She grabbed my collar and glared, so I manipulated my smartphone and showed her my account balance.

[Balance: 350,529,371 won]

"Does it still look like I'm flapping my lips?"

"Uh…?"

Time stopped for Sin Seoyeon. Her frozen fingers caressed my smartphone.

Tap. Tap.

Tap, tap, as if snapping.

Scrolling down and up, how many times did she check the balance?

"Uh, uh? Why do you have so much money…?"

Looks like our Seoyeon is quite surprised.

Well, fifty million is a large sum for a college student from a poor family.

"So, do you want to receive fifty million, or not?"

Sin Seoyeon, who had been completely mesmerized by the smartphone screen, stared at me blankly and batted her eyes prettily.