3. I'm on My Way Now, So Wait.
“Whatever I do from now on, I need to build my body up first.”
When he had been Patrick, his original body had been akin to a killing machine.
Muscles forged through every manner of martial art and the agility of his physique had been unparalleled.
That was precisely why he found this body all the more detestable—a body that panted and gasped after handling a mere pair of thugs.
No matter how worn down by life it had been, he simply could not adapt to a body that tired out so quickly.
“Excuse me. Wait a moment!”
Minseong, his face sullen, was heading back into the shabby gosiwon when someone dashed out of the entrance office.
A man in his mid-twenties with unkempt hair and black horn-rimmed glasses.
*At a glance, this guy’s the type who doesn’t exercise beyond breathing.*
Minseong stopped and looked at the gosiwon manager.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes.”
Even after rummaging through his memories, he couldn’t find the man’s name.
He hadn’t given his name since the day Minseong moved in, so everyone simply called him the manager.
It wasn’t just Minseong; most of the people living at the gosiwon did the same.
The manager adjusted his glasses with an expressionless face and spoke.
“This month’s rent didn’t come in either. You’re aware of that, right?”
“…….”
With no money to pay the interest and being hounded by loan sharks, there was no way he would have money for gosiwon rent.
“I’d like it if you could vacate the room by next week.”
When Minseong slightly furrowed his brow, the manager continued as if making excuses.
“The rent has been delayed too many times, so it’s problematic. This isn’t a free lodging facility—do you intend to stay without paying?”
Well, it’s not like he’s wrong.
“More than anything, those… loan sharks come by often, don’t they? Every time they come, it’s noisy, and we get a lot of complaints. Whenever they’re lurking around, the atmosphere turns hostile, too. Everyone’s terrified and up in arms.”
The manager lowered his head as he spoke.
“So, I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you would move out.”
Every word he said was correct, so Minseong couldn’t argue.
Even in Minseong’s memories, it was clear that the loan sharks had shown up nearly every day to make a scene, inconveniencing the other residents.
They had probably deliberately shouted and rampaged even more to pressure Minseong.
By common sense, there was no gosiwon that would welcome such things.
It was a sufficiently understandable situation, so Minseong nodded with a sigh.
“I understand. I’ll do that.”
Minseong hadn’t planned on staying at the gosiwon for long anyway.
“Ah. Really?”
The manager had expected Minseong to beg for leniency, so when he unexpectedly agreed to leave readily, his face brightened.
“I’m glad we understand each other. I’ll deduct the two months of overdue rent from the deposit and return the rest to you.”
“Do as you please.”
The deposit was nothing but petty cash.
After giving a rough reply, Minseong turned around and left the gosiwon.
He had originally planned to return to his room on the third floor, but with things turning out this way, he had no choice but to get moving immediately.
“First, I need to get some money.”
There was no point in checking the original body owner’s bank account.
Why?
Why would he bother checking when there was only 8,400 won in the account, enough to make his blood boil?
The only reason that awkward sum of 8,400 won remained was because you couldn’t withdraw less than 10,000 won from an ATM.
“I’m the very picture of a beggar.”
The worn-out wallet contained only a few thousand-won bills.
“I really don’t even have enough to eat and survive.”
Well, no wonder the original owner had tried to take his own life.
Minseong let out a deep sigh and stuffed the worn wallet back into his rear pocket.
“Fine. It’s not like there’s no way to make money.”
Dressed roughly, Minseong left the gosiwon and trudged down a steep hill.
***
“Let’s see.”
The place Minseong headed wasn’t a bank, but a nearby franchise cafe.
The important thing was that the Wi-Fi worked well and the tables were spaced apart enough that no one paid attention to what he was doing.
*It’s not like I have to go to a bank to get money.*
Who stores money in cash these days?
Minseong downed the iced Americano he had ordered to justify taking a seat—without even a straw—and picked up his smartphone.
The date displayed on the screen was March 8, 2017.
*It’s been exactly one week since I died.*
His living situation had changed drastically, but at least the timeline wasn’t too far off—should he call that fortunate?
He brushed aside stray thoughts and downloaded an app from the app store.
Bit Wallet.
An app used as a cryptocurrency wallet.
When he pressed the wallet recovery button in the menu, a message appeared asking for a 12-word recovery phrase.
Without delay, Minseong entered the words he remembered in order.
“success, contract…….”
After entering the last word and pressing the recovery button, the screen immediately transitioned.
Once he entered the wallet name and payment password, the recovery was complete.
To leave no trace and to be easily usable anywhere in the world, he had stored mission funds in coin.
There had been several cryptocurrency wallets containing such operational funds, and he had restored one of them.
“Step one is out of the way, at least.”
Although the crypto wallet had been restored, there was no guarantee the operational funds remained intact.
If it was an empty wallet, then succeeding in recovery would be a complete waste of effort.
With a tense heart, Minseong pressed the button to check the balance.
[Bitcoin $ 1,350.33 ↑1.33% : 500BTC]
“As expected.”
No one had touched it—that was certain.
He should have felt good seeing the balance intact, but a bitter laugh escaped him instead.
The fact that the money remained meant his comrades hadn’t withdrawn it. Which meant…….
Minseong clenched his teeth and suppressed his emotions.
The next task was to transfer the Bitcoin in the wallet to a domestic cryptocurrency exchange.
He decided to use the account that the original body owner had gone bust with while investing in coins.
At least he was spared the hassle of opening a new exchange account, so from his perspective, he had the original owner to thank.
Though he couldn’t exactly praise the guy, given how poorly that investment had turned out.
Nemesis might have been able to trace the Bitcoin being moved, but since it was a crypto wallet shared only among team members, the chances of being caught were extremely low.
“Unless there was a survivor, that is…….”
Besides Sing and Amber, there had been one more team member in charge of support.
But seeing how the funds remained, it was highly likely that the teammate had fallen victim to the murderer just as he had.
Since it took a few minutes for the coins to transfer, Minseong sipped his iced Americano and waited leisurely.
Shortly after.
As soon as the Bitcoin entered his exchange account, he immediately sold all 500.
Once he placed the order, the trades were all executed smoothly without difficulty.
[Total Assets: 816,949,650.00 KRW
Available: 816,949,650.00 KRW
In Use: 0 KRW
Withdrawable: 816,949,650.00 KRW]
The previously empty account was now filled with over 800 million won.
After transferring all the money to the linked bank account, Minseong leaned back against the sofa and said,
“First, I should change my clothes.”
***
Minseong went to a department store, took the escalator, and headed to the menswear floor on the fifth floor.
With his current financial power, he could have swept through the luxury brand hall and still had money left over, but that wasn’t his taste.
He especially disliked things plastered with logos in the name of luxury.
Moreover, when carrying out missions, he couldn’t afford to draw attention, so he tended to avoid such things even more.
He believed it was enough to have clothes that were comfortable to move in and looked neat and tidy without appearing too shabby.
Glancing around the stores, Minseong spotted a decent suit specialty shop and went inside.
“Welcome.”
Unlike the other places, an older employee greeted him here.
Judging by the graying hair at his temples, he appeared to be at least in his fifties.
“Is there something you are looking for?”
The employee was neatly dressed in a suit, whereas Minseong wore worn sneakers, jeans, and only a single cotton T-shirt.
He looked completely out of place and didn’t appear to be someone who would buy clothes, but the employee dealt with him politely.
Liking that attitude, Minseong nodded and said,
“I came to buy suits. I’d appreciate recommendations for good ones. About four or five sets—something light for everyday wear, and something for formal occasions.”
“Understood.”
Saying that Minseong had come to the right place, the employee led him inward.
“Our brand is a specialty custom shop using the finest Italian fabrics. We provide suits tailored to our customers with detailed makings at reasonable prices, so you will be satisfied.”
As he spoke, the employee recommended several suits that might suit Minseong.
After changing clothes in the fitting room and comparing various fabrics, Minseong picked a few he liked.
“You want to buy all of these?”
The employee, who had been thinking he’d be lucky to sell even one suit, asked with a startled face.
Six suits, ten shirts, ties, and belts included—the clothes Minseong had chosen were piled on the table like a small mountain.
“Yes, it’s a hassle to go around buying more here and there.”
Minseong calmly replied, producing a newly issued card he had stopped by the bank to get before coming to the department store.
*He’s the real deal!*
The older employee didn’t know why Minseong had come in such attire to confuse him, but he smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
He had heard that the truly rich come to department stores in tracksuits and dragging slippers as if they just left home—he had finally met the example he had only heard about.
Having secured a proper sale for the day, the employee smiled with an excited face and seated Minseong on a leather sofa.
“We have an in-house alterations specialist, so we can take your measurements and adjust them to fit perfectly right away. If you wish, we could even make them bespoke from the start, but…….”
“That takes time, so let’s do that later.”
Clothes weren’t that important to him anyway, so Minseong declined the employee’s enthusiastic offer.
As he was having simple refreshments while being measured, the employee returned with the card, the payment completed.
The amount stamped on the receipt was 8.7 million won total.
Considering that a single white shirt could cost over 1 million won at luxury brands, it was certainly a conscientious price, just as the employee had said.
“Please come again, sir.”
Shortly after, as Minseong left the store carrying shopping bags filled with neatly altered clothes that fit him, the employee bowed his head to see him off.
After that, Minseong moved through the department store without hesitation.
Whenever something caught his fancy, he would touch it once and buy it outright, so before long, his hands were heavy with shopping bags.
When he finally left the department store after some time, his attire had completely changed.
His long, unkempt hair was a bit bothersome, but with this appearance, he could boast of being presentable anywhere.
Now that his outward appearance was taken care of, next he needed to secure a means of transportation.
Minseong turned toward a nearby certified pre-owned BMW dealership.
A new car would have been better, but that would require a considerable wait until delivery, so he chose a used car he could drive right away.
“Here are the keys.”
Taking the keys, Minseong climbed into the driver’s seat of a Black Sapphire-colored X6 M parked in the delivery bay.
When he pressed the start button, a beast-like growl rumbled out and the engine started.
Returning the dealer’s greeting, Minseong drove the car straight out of the delivery bay.
This wasn’t the end.
Lastly, he needed to find a place to live.
Since he could no longer stay at the gosiwon, he needed a place to stay for the time being.
“Right this way.”
Minseong walked past the door the staff member opened and moved into the room.
As soon as he entered, a wide city view packed with high-rise buildings spread out beyond the large window.
“The view isn’t bad.”
“The night view is even more beautiful. As you can see, the Resident Deluxe Room is decorated with a modern and contemporary design, and is equipped with a kitchenette, washing machine, and workspace, making it suitable for extended comfortable stays.”
Unlike a car, it was difficult to acquire a house and move in immediately, so he decided on a long-term stay at a hotel for now.
At a hotel, he didn’t have to worry about laundry, cleaning, or anything else, and he could use room service if needed, which was convenient.
After slowly looking around the room, Minseong confirmed that even though it was a four-star hotel, it was kept clean and well-maintained, and he nodded slightly.
“Then let’s sign for one month for now. I’ll decide later whether to extend.”
“An excellent choice.”
Minseong prepaid the month-long stay on the spot, ordered dinner through room service, and finally enjoyed a rest worthy of the name.
“Whew.”
Cool air conditioning seeped into his body fresh from the shower.
Minseong took a cold can of beer from the refrigerator and approached the window, gazing at the splendid Seoul nightscape.
“Returning to the organization will be difficult.”
He knew the contact methods, so reaching a handler wasn’t difficult.
The problem was that Patrick’s soul was now inside the completely different body of a man named Minseong.
A person’s body had completely changed; no matter how much he claimed to be Patrick, it was impossible to convince anyone.
“I died and came back to life in someone else’s body. Even I wouldn’t believe that.”
Minseong muttered with a bitter expression.
He then continued the thought he had been putting off.
“That dump truck. It was definitely waiting for us, knowing we were coming.”
Yes.
That was the part that kept bothering him.
Who on earth was it? What kind of organization?
He still couldn’t forget the eyes that had coldly looked down at him as his breath faded.
The St. Michael tattoo etched on the hand that pulled the trigger.
Recalling the murderer who had killed him and his colleagues, his vision blurred and his breath quickened.
“Keuk.”
His heart pounded heavily, and he felt blood rushing backward.
“Next time we meet…… I’ll repay you exactly what I received.”
A life for a life, blood for blood.
Minseong gritted his teeth hard and barely calmed his mind.
“I still have a long way to go.”
For now, let’s stay like this and slowly sort out the situation.
It had only been a day since he woke up in this body.
He had too much to do: settling his surroundings, retraining his physique.
“Besides, something strange happened when I fought those thugs during the day.”
Time had suddenly slowed down; he had been truly startled.
Just then, the smartphone he had left on the table rang, interrupting his thoughts.
“Hello.”
[Hey, Choe Minseong.]
Minseong furrowed his brow at the rough voice coming through the smartphone.
[I sent my boys to collect the interest, and you messed them up good.]
It was Jeong Gapbae, the owner of the loan shark office from whom the original body owner had borrowed money.
A cold voice naturally flowed from Minseong’s mouth.
“So?”
[This bastard really has lost his mind. You know where the office is? I’ll be waiting, so get your ass here right now.]
“What if I refuse?”
[Refuse? Then it can’t be helped.]
Jeong Gapbae replied with a slimy tone.
[Then we’ll have no choice but to collect compensation for my boys getting hurt from your family. Your sister works at a large bookstore in Gangnam, right? She’s quite pretty, too. Looks like she’ll suffer because of her worthless little brother.]
At those words, killing intent flared from Minseong’s body.
Sharing the original owner’s memories as they were, Minseong wanted to snap Jeong Gapbae’s neck right then and there.
“Touch a single hair on my family’s head. Then you bastards won’t be able to ignore what happens next.”
[You insolent little shit. Hey! Who do you think is scared? Looks like you’ve picked up some false bravado from somewhere. Get here right now, you son of a bitch.]
“I’m on my way now, so wait.”
Minseong ended the call and glared ahead.
The face reflected in the window was contorted like a vengeful demon.
Right, roughing up a couple of thugs wasn’t enough after all.
Of course, a guy who made a living as a loan shark and tormented others wouldn’t give up over something like that.
“I’ll make sure to finish this properly so you can never threaten me like this again.”