Chapter 8

#8. Face Contribution?

After ending the call, Jae-in had a peculiar expression on his face. Just from the photographer's proposal for a photo book shoot, it seemed as if he had done an excellent job with the photos yesterday.

However, he had ended up extending the shooting time and was eventually cut off in the middle. He also heard from the assistant that it didn't match the concept.

'This person seems to be abnormal, just like the guild members.'

If it was a similar photo shoot to what he did yesterday, he was willing to help once, but not for an entire photo book where he would be the sole model.

What exactly did they see in him to ask him to be the model for a photo book? This was someone who had held several solo exhibitions and worked with many celebrities.

'Light and a boy? Surely they don't mean me as a boy?'

Moreover, the theme of the photo book was enough to make him shake his head. Thanks to the Juju Berry potion he took last night, he looked younger, but he wasn't at the point of being called a boy. Besides, he had only met the photographer yesterday, so they hadn't seen his current face. Yet, they were still talking about boys. It seemed the photographer had no discerning eye.

"Since I've refused, that's settled. Now I need to check the rest."

He needed to verify all his awakened abilities before deciding whether to report them or not. If he only had abilities that were too difficult to reveal, he planned not to report them. Jae-in, who enjoyed his own company, was confident he could live quietly and act as if nothing had happened.

'If there's a skill worth revealing, I'll register it; otherwise...'

Awakened individuals are required to report, but there is no legal enforcement. Not reporting doesn't result in fines or restrictions on employment or overseas travel. However, any damage caused would have to be fully compensated by the individual, and insurance wouldn't cover it. Therefore, most people reported their abilities.

The same applied if they committed a crime. If the perpetrator was an unreported awakened individual, they would receive a harsher punishment without any leniency. It was better to report if possible.

"If it's a minor ability like bending spoons, there's no need to hide it."

In the original world, most awakened abilities were the kind that would appear on TV shows. People who awakened abilities like bending spoons, cooling beer cans, or compressing trash reported them without hesitation.

Superpowers, contrary to their name, were quite common in this world. It was so common that the theory that all humans would eventually awaken superpowers was widely accepted. Almost everyone could be considered a potential superpower user.

'Treatment abilities seem fine to reveal. Action with finger hearts, or crosses, sounds plausible.'

- Ding!

- Ding!

- Ding!

Jae-in glanced at his smartphone, which was constantly ringing with alarms. While he was pondering whether to register as an awakened individual, he kept receiving messages from the photographer. Despite his clear refusal, the photographer seemed to have lingering hopes and was urging him to reconsider.

"Even if you don't do the photo book shoot, could you please drop by the studio anytime? What does that even mean?"

Jae-in hesitated as he tried to turn off the loud alarms. The content of the message on his smartphone was strange.

What could be the reason to visit someone's workplace without any purpose, especially after refusing their model proposal? He could read a book instead of wasting time in an awkward place. This photographer was truly strange.

* * *

While Jae-in was pondering the photographer's proposal and whether to register as an awakened individual, Jae-hyun was also deep in thought. His problem wasn't particularly difficult. He was trying to figure out what item to give his brother so that he would accept it without feeling burdened.

"Let go! You crazy people!"

"Don't resist and just hand it over."

"Park Yeon-hwa! Control your crazy team members."

"Na-eun. One more on the other side."

"Okay! Block Sean."

Unlike him, his team members were having a tough time. They were trying to catch the guild member who had taken Jae-in's photo yesterday and take their smartphone.

"Give it back!"

"Why are you doing this? Are you crazy?"

"Taking photos of civilians without permission is illegal, you know?"

"Whether they're civilians or not, taking photos secretly is wrong. It's common sense."

"Na-eun is right."

"When did you start caring about this? You're so unreasonable!"

It started today. More precisely, when Jae-hyun offered a reward to the guild members who were grinning at his brother's photo.

The offer to delete the photos from the guild members' phones in exchange for an invitation to dinner with his brother was worth it. Even the most unethical person could become a law-abiding citizen.

"Team leader, how many are left?"

"If we only count those confirmed by the CCTV, five are left."

"Okay. Let's finish them quickly."

"Sure. Let's do it before other team members join."

Including Sean, who subtly joined the effort, there were three of them. They needed to finish before other team members noticed and interfered. The fewer people invited, the better.

While the team leader and two others were active, Jae-hyun was selecting potential items.

A bracelet that blocks a certain amount of physical damage, a necklace that blocks mental interference. These were the best items he could exchange with his guild points. Other items were too flashy or bulky to use regularly.

'If my brother just awakens, it would be perfect.'

Potions and items for awakened individuals were rarer than those for civilians. The demand was much higher, but the supply was limited. The guild warehouse didn't have many, and it required twice the points to exchange for an item with the same performance as one for an awakened individual.

He had accumulated a significant number of guild points over the years as a striker team member, but it wasn't enough to get enough civilian items. Waiting for a mission that included civilian rewards was too urgent. His brother's appearance was shocking, and protective items were needed urgently.

"Jae-hyun. I've deleted all the photos. Keep your promise."

"Team leader. Did you delete all the photos?"

"Yes. I've checked all the phones of the people in the lobby at the time."

"Then I'll contact my brother. Let's have dinner tonight."

"Hehehe. Sure. Let me know when you set the time. Na-eun, let's go to the salon."

"Okay."

Since he received help in deleting the photos, he naturally planned to set up the dinner. A new determination to set up the dinner grew. If he didn't, he would have to face the wrath of both people.

'Their eyes are so fierce.'

Jae-in seemed to be quite handsome. Even Kim Na-eun, who had high standards, followed the team leader to the salon.

Jae-hyun marveled at his brother's appearance again.

If two people who had only met his brother for a few minutes and exchanged greetings were putting in this much effort, how much effort would fans put in to meet their favorite singer or actor? Their passion was impressive.

'Celebrity? Oh? What's wrong with my brother being a celebrity?'

He had a good face, a good voice, and a good personality. He could entertain himself and didn't cause trouble outside. He had even served in the military. His brother had the perfect personality to be a celebrity.

Moreover, at 23, he was old enough to be less influenced by his surroundings compared to when he was a naive child.

'Celebrity... It might be a good idea. Unless he gets plastic surgery, he won't have an easy life.'

Of course, he had no intention of letting his brother get plastic surgery. One healing spell would bring him back to his original face, and his brother wouldn't be that foolish.

Jae-hyun nodded, satisfied with his thoughts.

His brother was perfect for being a celebrity. It wasn't just because he was his brother; his brother was already someone who couldn't live a normal life. Even if he wanted to, his surroundings wouldn't let him.

'People said they were happy just to look at his face.'

This was what his friends and neighbors always said about his brother. They felt good just by looking at his face, even without any special actions. As his brother, he found it hard to understand.

Jae-hyun decided to subtly bring up the topic during dinner. He would ask if his brother had any interest in singing or acting and if he would consider it if an opportunity arose.

"Brother, tonight..."

* * *

Jae-hyun shook his head as he sent a message to come down, saying he had arrived. Even if he told them to go to the meeting place first, his team members followed him to the front of his house, causing him a headache. He planned to just have a quick meal and send them off, but it seemed they would stick around until the end.

'These annoying people. If it weren't for the help...'

The team leader was nagging, but that was part of his role, so it was understandable.

However, Kim Na-eun was different. A person who claimed to relieve stress by smashing frozen monsters with a hammer acting so politely in front of his brother was ridiculous. He didn't want to see Kim Na-eun putting on such a pretense.

As Jae-hyun clicked his tongue at the team members who followed him to his house, Jae-in was hesitating at the front door. Wearing a hat to cover his face seemed inappropriate for a dinner and felt like overkill. On the other hand, going out without any cover made his appearance stand out too much.

'It's almost sunset, so wearing sunglasses would also look strange, right?'

People would criticize him for being so particular. Still, he couldn't help it. Looking at himself in the mirror, he was surprised by how handsome he looked and felt burdened.

"Ah, just go. It's not like I'm meeting strangers. You, why are you following me around? Go inside, go inside."

He was already anxious, and the hermit crab was being annoying. It had been circling him since morning, cleaning the floor. It seemed to be polishing the spots where his feet would step, but he doubted a monster could do that.

Swoosh! Jae-in gently kicked the hermit crab away from his feet and closed the middle door, pushing it into the living room. If left alone, it would have cleaned the entire entrance and yard.

-Ding!

The doorbell rang, and Jae-in's figure appeared through the door.

Jae-hyun sighed when he saw three people get out of the car faster than him. They seemed to think they were bodyguards, running straight to his brother.

"Ah, hello, heep."

"Brother, hi!"

"..."

"Hello."

Jae-in greeted them as calmly as possible. Despite the three people suddenly appearing and staring at his face, he acted as if nothing was wrong, even if they froze, stuttered, or blushed and avoided eye contact.

"Brother?"

His younger brother, who had just arrived, rubbed his eyes and waved his hand above Jae-in's head.

"What? It felt like there was some lighting here..."

"What lighting? Stop making weird statements and let's go."

"Hmm. Brother, get in first. I'll be right there."

"Okay."

Jae-in got into the car, hearing his younger brother clicking his fingers behind him. He bit his lip to suppress a groan. He was trying to deal with unexpected system messages that appeared and disappeared four times.

Contribution. He was confused by the message that his contribution, which he had no idea how to increase, had suddenly risen. According to the description in the status window, contribution represented the merit of contributing to the growth of Earth's humanity. Why would his contribution suddenly increase?

'4 points? Could it be 1 point per person?'

All he did was face them and exchange greetings. It seemed too trivial to say it contributed to the growth of humanity. If that was really the case, it would be too embarrassing.

The three people, excluding his younger brother, were mere acquaintances. He hadn't done anything for them or given them any gifts. All he did was show his face and greet them.

Could that be interpreted as contributing to human growth?

'Could they be saying that showing my face is a contribution?'

Jae-in sincerely hoped his doubts would prove false.