Episode 38: I Don’t Believe, I Don’t Buy, I Don’t Do (9)

The next morning, Sodam was in a surprisingly good mood. Her fingers felt warm for a change, and there was a single 900-won triangular kimbap left at the convenience store.

“It’s always sold out whenever I go, but today there’s one left. Guess I’m lucky.”

It was laughable to get so excited over a few hundred won, but she couldn’t help it. Every little bit she saved would make life just a bit easier for future Sodam. With gas and electricity bills being too precious to waste, she wasn’t even cooking, leaving cheap convenience store food as her only option.

Already, she was shivering from the absurd cold in her home, and skipping proper meals was slowly wearing her down.

It wasn’t the first time she’d lived like this, so thankfully, she was somewhat used to it. Otherwise, either her body or her spirit might have collapsed long ago.

“…Still, I really need to start working soon.”

After using up her savings to pay this month’s interest, the money she’d saved from guiding Juyul had officially run out. The only silver lining was that each guiding session paid a few hundred thousand won, allowing her to chip away at the principal, no matter how small.

But no matter how many chestnut-sized payments she made, the debt still loomed like a mountain. If Juyul returned tomorrow and called for her, she’d gladly sprint over and guide him with every ounce of energy she had. Her finances were racing toward rock bottom that quickly.

Yet, knowing Juyul’s return schedule, she couldn’t just sit around and wait.

‘In the original story, it was late autumn when he came back, around the end of the maple season.’

Walking to work every day, refusing to spend money on transportation, Sodam had become acutely aware of the changing weather. The humid, sweltering air was giving way to cool breezes, and the green leaves that once sparkled in the sunlight were gradually turning red and yellow.

In about a week, people would be flocking to see the last of the autumn foliage.

‘So… at least another week before he comes back. How am I supposed to manage living expenses until then? I can barely scrape together enough for rent as it is…’

The body’s original owner had left her with not only the debt but also a mountain of overdue interest, as if they’d expected some miraculous payoff from this “Muyeon” mess.

Even after throwing the large sum she’d received from the subjugation expedition into the abyss of her debt, she was only now starting to make a dent in the principal. It was like scooping sand with her bare hands. And with Juyul nowhere in sight, the pressure was suffocating.

The bigger problem was that even if she worked nonstop guiding Espers, she’d barely make enough to cover next month’s interest. But the out-of-touch association seemed to have no intention of assigning her any work.

‘If they don’t give me anything by the end of today, should I file a complaint? Maybe stage a one-person protest or something.’

She almost wanted to shout at them, Why didn’t you drag me along on Juyul’s overseas tour if this was how it was going to be?!

Of course, imagining herself tagging along to take care of an exhausted Juyul while their romance blossomed was a one-way ticket to disaster. She couldn’t actually want that—no way, absolutely not. But the fact that she was even considering it showed how desperate she was.

Chewing on her triangular kimbap absentmindedly as she walked, she eventually reached the association’s parking lot with nothing but an empty wrapper left in her hand.

‘Alright. Today’s the day I make money like my life depends on it. I’ve decided.’

Clenching her fist in determination, the crinkling sound of the plastic wrapper in her palm seemed to agree.

After tossing the wrapper into the trash bin tucked in the corner, Sodam dusted off her hands and felt an inexplicable surge of confidence. Today seemed like it would be the perfect day.

…That notion began to falter the moment she stepped into the association.

“Good morning, Guide Maeng.”

“Good morning! The weather is amazing today, isn’t it?”

“Huh? The air quality is actually rated as ‘very bad’ today.”

“…Really? Guess I’d better wear a mask on the way home!”

So that explained why the sky had seemed a little hazy earlier. She had casually assumed it was about to rain, but it turned out that the gray blur wasn’t clouds—it was fine dust.

‘Eh, my lungs are probably already marinated in fine dust. What’s a little more going to do?’

She forcibly shoved aside the creeping unease that began tickling at her toes and replaced it with an overly positive mindset. That same attitude stayed with her when she finally entered the Guiding waiting room.

“Wow, there are more people here than usual today.”

Typically, you could count the number of people in the room on one hand, but today was different. Though there weren’t even ten people, it was still the most crowded she’d seen it all week, leaving Sodam a little surprised.

“Ah, the association held interviews for new Guides yesterday. There might be even more joining soon.”

New recruits, huh. Given the association’s history of singling her out for neglect, Sodam couldn’t help but think her opportunities might vanish entirely with more competition.

‘This could really be my last chance. Please, let my name get called just once today.’

With a desperate, sincere heart, she prayed that even a single assignment would land her way. To make sure she wouldn’t get overlooked, she’d already double-checked that her name was properly written on the attendance records before swinging open the waiting room door.

As soon as she did, all eighteen eyes in the room snapped toward her like needles piercing her skin.

“…Uh, hi, everyone.”

“…”

“Haha, I guess no one’s going to say hi back…”

The oppressive silence was suffocating, leaving Sodam awkwardly shuffling to a corner of the room. No sooner had she leaned against the wall than the sharp gazes returned, slicing over her from head to toe. She didn’t need to make eye contact to know that they were all evaluating her stats, her rank, her everything.

Most of them, being regulars in the waiting room, quickly recognized her and lost interest. But just as the mild commotion settled into silence again, a new disturbance entered the room.

Thud—

“Hello! I’m Han Dalam, an E-class Guide rookie. Oh, um…”

“…”

“Haha, uh, I look forward to working with you all, seniors!”

The moment the door, shut tight since Sodam’s entrance, burst open, a new arrival appeared—the very person Sodam had been dreading to meet: Han Dalam, one of the original story’s secondary heroines.

Her soft, wavy brown bob framed a pair of wide, doe-like eyes, a dainty nose, and rosy lips. Unlike the casual, relaxed attire of the other Guides, she was dressed impeccably in a formal suit, as if out of an FM manual. There was no mistaking her identity—there was no way this was just someone with the same name.

Even in the tense, frosty atmosphere, Han Dalam cheerfully bowed, greeting everyone with a persistence and determination that clearly marked her as heroine material. It was evident why she would eventually stand steadfast at Juyul’s side.

Even the guide stationed by the door like a sentry, who had been glaring daggers at their rivals, unconsciously stepped aside to let Dalam pass. It was as though some unspoken rule dictated that extras couldn’t block the path of main characters.

‘Well, I guess that’s a relief… Still, is it already time for Han Dalam to appear? If Juyul’s coming back soon, the timing makes sense.’

Just as the guide by the door quietly slipped into an empty seat, Sodam realized she too needed to step aside and make way for Dalam. To ensure the heroine reclaimed her rightful place in the story, Sodam began piecing together the original plot.

‘How did Han Dalam make her debut again? I think she just appeared out of nowhere while Juyul was floundering in the Guiding room after his overseas trip… Wait, could it be?’

At the time, Sodam had assumed that Juyul’s team had randomly picked any available Guide. But now, seeing Dalam’s sudden entrance into the waiting room, she could infer a more plausible scenario.

‘In the original story, I was already dead—well, Maeng Sodam was. The other Guides must’ve had an even stronger aversion to Juyul, especially the newbies. They probably avoided him like the plague.’

Experienced Guides who had worked with Juyul once would have refused outright, while the newbies, terrified by tales of “Maeng Sodam’s ghost stories,” would have been too scared to step up. Juyul’s only remaining options would’ve been a Guide sitting idle in the waiting room—likely someone seen as “flawed”—or a determined soul like Han Dalam.

Knock, knock.

“Um, Esper Baek Juyul has requested a Guiding session…”

And just like that, Dalam probably raised her hand with the same cheerful confidence she had earlier when introducing herself.

“Ah! There she is.”

The events were unfolding exactly as they had in the original story, down to the smallest detail. If things were this perfectly aligned, Sodam could accept that Juyul’s return, which she’d thought was still a week away, might have been bumped up to today. After all, her involvement in his Guiding had already caused ripples in the story.

‘Well, whatever. The sooner he deals with monsters, the better.’

The hollow feeling in her chest began to ease, replaced by relief that the original story seemed to be finding its footing again. As the cheerful staff member approached Dalam, who was still awkwardly standing in place, Sodam let out a breath of relief.

“…Wait, huh?”

“Guide Maeng Sodam! We’ve been searching the entire building for you because you weren’t answering your phone!”

The staff member walked right past Dalam, stopping directly in front of Sodam, who sat there with a dumbfounded expression.

Still stunned, Sodam pointed a finger at herself and asked, “M-Me? Not Han Dalam?”

“Pardon? Esper Baek Juyul specifically requested Guide Maeng Sodam. Han Dalam? Oh, she’s the new recruit. Anyway, no, he didn’t mention anyone else.”

Sodam extended her finger toward Dalam as if to redirect the situation, but the staff member only shrugged in confusion before continuing. Sodam’s next question slipped out without even passing through her brain.

“…Why?”

“Sorry?”

“Why me, of all people…?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? He’s already received Guiding from you before going on his subjugation missions, so you’re probably the Guide he feels most comfortable with. Espers usually prefer Guides they’re familiar with.”

The staff member’s confused expression softened into a smile, clearly interpreting Sodam’s reaction as disbelief at being chosen. They had no idea her real shock came from the fact that the timeline she knew was being rewritten.

“Now, now, I know you’re happy, but we’re already behind schedule. You didn’t answer your phone, and we lost so much time looking for you. …Ah, Esper Baek Juyul has just arrived! Let’s go, hurry!”

“Wait, what? I never said I’d do it! Why—?”

“Oh, don’t be modest! Let’s go!”

Ignoring Sodam’s protests with a bright grin, the staff member grabbed her hand firmly. The moment she was caught in their spiderweb-like grip, her fate was sealed.

As Sodam was dragged off in a daze, the remaining Guides stared after her with a mix of dismay and resignation, while Dalam’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and intrigue.

 

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