UR Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Haah. While Happy Bunny’s closed… where should I work?

Muttering to himself, I-bom quietly opened the Alba Monster website.

Getting scolded by his grandmother last night was nothing new, so he’d already brushed it off. What was really on his mind was money.

His job at Happy Bunny was his biggest source of income. It paid more than other shops, and he could also earn tips—and those tips added up nicely. Winter meant higher heating bills, clothing expenses, and all sorts of extra costs, so losing even a little income would be a problem. Puffing out his cheeks, I-bom clicked the mouse in earnest and began searching for “short-term part-time jobs.”

“Ugh… there’s not much I can actually do.”

He set the mouse down and plopped into the convenience store chair.

Whether it was because of the recession or simply because it wasn’t part-time hiring season, the search results for short-term jobs were the worst he’d ever seen. Haah. Biting his lips and licking them with his dry tongue, he felt the weight of the problem.

In the end, is a logistics center my only option?

He bookmarked one of the few decent-looking logistics center job postings and saved the phone number.

He’d worked hauling goods at logistics centers several times before. They were always short-staffed, so whether human or half-beastman, as long as your registration paperwork was in order, they hired without discrimination. The food quality was lousy, but it wasn’t like they were serving him dog kibble soaked in water—he could live with it. The only real drawback was that it was hard to use his phone during work.

I’ll call you again.

Without warning, Beom-ho’s voice rang sweetly in his head. That soft whisper was as electrifying as a shiver spreading from his fingertips through his whole body. Just thinking about him made a ticklish feeling stir inside him.

Ah, what’s wrong with me…

Pressing the inside of his neck where a red mark lingered, I-bom schooled his expression. Normally, family would have come first. In the past, the reason he hesitated about taking a logistics center job would have been the worry that he might miss a call from his grandmother—not from Eun Beom-ho. But now, he realized his priorities had shifted, and his lips drooped slightly.

Ding—.

Lost in thoughts of him, I-bom snapped back to reality at the bright chime of the convenience store door. He startled and called toward the entrance without thinking.

“Oh, welcome! This is Happy Convenience Store!”

“Whoa! You startled me…”

Seeing the customer flinch at his loud greeting, I-bom gave an awkward, sheepish smile.

“Oh? Sir…? Hello!”

The man entering the store was the same strikingly unique boy who had bought an energy drink last time. I-bom had wondered if he was an idol, an actor, or maybe a beastman living deep in the mountains. He smiled politely in greeting.

“Yes. Did you sleep well through the night?”

The boy grinned as he accepted the greeting. With his eye-catching hair and bold clothing, he cheerfully waved. Since there hadn’t been any customers all morning, seeing a familiar face was a pleasant surprise.

“Ah, yes! It’s nice to see you again.”

Though the boy’s words were odd, I-bom didn’t think much of it. He had sensed the boy had some unusual power, but he also knew the boy wouldn’t harm him. If he were dangerous, honestly… he would have already done something to him long ago.

“You’re not scared of me? You cried back then, but now you don’t even blink.”

The boy brushed back his perfectly styled curls, swaggering as he spoke. I-bom blinked and stared at him.

…If he had tattoos all over his body or a build as big as a door, combined with a sharp aura, he might have trembled the moment he saw him. But with his freshly styled ash-gray curls, a tattered cross pendant, ripped jeans, and overalls, there was nothing remotely frightening about him. In fact, he had the kind of looks that would make people mistake him for an idol and ask for an autograph.

“Ah… well, you’re not threatening me right now, are you?”

“Is that so? I guess you’re the fearless type?”

The boy smirked, trying to show off, but I-bom hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell him the truth.

“So, what are you here to buy today? Another energy drink?”

His eyes lit up with curiosity, happy for a bit of entertainment. With no other customers around, chatting with an interesting one wasn’t a bad way to pass the time.

“If you’re getting an energy drink, it’s better to wait until next week. Right now, they’re three thousand won each, so they’re a bit pricey. Next week, they go on a buy-one-get-one-free deal. And if you have a SamSam Card, you can get double mileage points, too.”

He leaned in and whispered, glancing around as if someone might overhear—though the store was empty. Seeing I-bom’s bright, friendly manner, the boy’s well-groomed brows twitched. Then he abruptly turned his head and spoke in a slightly sulky tone.

“I don’t drink those sugar-loaded chemical waters. That time, I only bought one because my son… no, uh, my brother had brought one home and I was curious.”

“Ah, I see. Are you on some kind of diet? Must make eating a bit tricky if you avoid stuff like that.”

I-bom smiled brightly and asked in a friendly tone.

Since the neighborhood convenience store often had middle-aged hikers coming and going, chatting with customers wasn’t anything unusual for him.

So he spoke casually, but the boy’s expression was subtly one of “what on earth is this?”

“…Anyway.”

Then, as if deep in thought, the boy lowered his brows, before setting his face with a firm, determined look.

In the sunlight glinting through the window, his eyebrows seemed to meet the light.

His skin was pale and translucent, his ash-gray hair matching his gray eyelashes.

I-bom found himself staring blankly at those unique lashes.

Was he a beastman? A half-blood? Either way, the color struck him as beautiful.

“Alright, I’ll drop the enchantment, so let’s just be honest. If we’re going to talk, face to face, knowing each other’s names is basic courtesy.”

The boy took a deep breath and nodded.

“What’s your name, clerk? This isn’t some trick or spell. I’m asking because I need to know if we’re going to talk. I don’t want to risk talking down to a young human if it turns out you’re someone of a higher standing.”

“…Really?”

I-bom shuffled back suspiciously.

The boy had said he’d drop the enchantment, but it was still clear he had some kind of unusual ability.

“Yes. I’ll go first. My name is Eun Pyeong-hwa.”

I-bom stopped backing away and gave a small smile.

Even his name sounds like an idol’s.

“Alright? Want to shake hands?”

The boy lifted his chin confidently and extended his hand.

“Ah, sure…”

I-bom raised his hand a little hesitantly, then placed it lightly in the boy’s, giving a gentle handshake.

“I’m I-bom… Kang I-bom.”

He had an odd way of speaking, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

Maybe a little immature and eccentric, but not malicious.

And since the boy had given his name first, there was no reason to keep hiding his own.

I-bom slowly looked at the young man before him.

His pale skin had a faint blue undertone, and there was something in his mysterious appearance… vaguely reminiscent of Eun Beom-ho.

And if he resembled Beom-ho, I-bom felt he could probably trust him.

“Alright. I-bom, are you okay talking to me? I mean, you don’t feel your heart pounding, or like you’re going to faint, or anything like that?”

At some point, the boy had leaned right against the counter, staring intently at him.

I-bom’s smile faded, and he closed his mouth in surprise.

Is this some kind of cult recruitment? Or a celebrity promotion?

He tilted his head.

“…Um, I don’t really watch TV, so I wouldn’t know… Are you, uh, a celebrity? I’m not very good at recognizing faces, sorry.”

Avoiding the boy’s gaze, I-bom reached into the drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.

Maybe I should just get an autograph and send him on his way.

“No? That’s not what I meant. Sure, I’m famous—everyone knows me—but what I’m curious about is why you can talk to me so normally. Most people lower their heads the moment they see me.”

“Well… I’m not really sure myself.”

He must be the kind of person who gets a lot of attention, and I-bom not recognizing him might be bothering him.

Tilting his head, he replied while holding a marker and paper.

“Well then… if you give me your autograph, I’ll look you up later. Here, I’ll give you the paper—”

He smiled and held out the paper and marker to the boy.

Step, step—bang.

From far away came the sharp sound of shoes striking the floor, growing closer.

Then the convenience store’s glass door burst open with a loud crash.

I-bom’s eyes widened, and he turned toward the source of the noise.

Standing at the entrance, dressed impeccably in a three-piece suit, was Eun Beom-ho.

His face was pale, and he was breathing heavily as if he’d rushed over.

“Oh, Beom-ho.”

Not knowing what was going on, I-bom raised a hand in a cheerful greeting.

He’d already been thinking about him after that “I’ll call you” earlier, but he hadn’t expected him to actually show up.

His cheeks warmed and he smiled faintly, but Beom-ho strode over with a hard, icy expression.

“What do you think you’re doing.”

“…Pardon?”

A long shadow stretched right up to the counter.

But his gaze wasn’t on I-bom.

He was staring straight at the boy.

As I-bom blinked in confusion, looking between the two, Beom-ho spoke a word he never expected.

“Father.”