Chapter 63

EP 12 - Those Who Bear the Burden (1)

“......”

I stood somberly, looking down at the two people. The second set of my parents was inside the transparent coffin, their blackened blood vessels still not fully settled.

I sighed softly and closed my eyes for a moment. I felt like I could fall asleep right away, but my anxious heart kept me awake.

Whenever I closed my eyes, I thought of the funeral parlor. Perhaps it was because it was the most memorable place in my life.

My father, who ran a business, left behind countless debts everywhere. My mother, who didn't die instantly, passed away after four surgeries and remained in a coma, which left us with almost no remaining assets.

I also had a piece of metal embedded in my abdomen, which caused my intestines to rupture, and my body was filled with fecal matter. I heard that the doctors worked extremely hard to save me. I was even in a coma for about two months.

Thanks to this, I held the funeral with debt collectors rather than funeral staff.

No one who borrowed money from us showed up, only those who lent us money came, and some even pretended to have lent us money.

I placed my hand on the transparent coffin.

Inside was my family.

My uncle, who chased away the debt collectors with a tray in one hand, and my aunt, who sold her house to pay off the debts. And my sister, who hugged me and cried bitterly.

“......”

None of them are by my side.

* * *

As I dozed off in the car, Yang Il-ho glanced at the rearview mirror with a puzzled expression.

“Bro, is something wrong today?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Umm... No, it’s nothing.”

“Every time you add a nasal sound at the end of your words, I’ll give you a slap. Are you holding the steering wheel straight?”

Yang Il-ho focused on driving, making a whining sound.

“......”

A few things have changed since I became a politician.

First, I've become better at hiding my emotions. I was already somewhat like that.

“Aah, Aiueo. Ganjanggongjanggongjang... Cough...!”

My voice has also changed a bit. It's a bit hoarse, I guess.

I sat gloomily in the back seat of the car, looking at my reflection in the window. I then pulled down the skin under my eyes with my index finger.

“Dark circles are really bad...”

My cheeks were also sunken, making me look sharp, irritable, and sensitive. It's not that I am actually sharp, irritable, and sensitive.

“Hey, turn off the heater.”

“I didn’t turn it on.” “Shut up.”

I said to Lee Ho-jeong, who was sitting in the passenger seat and flipping through my schedule.

“Hey, I weighed myself this morning. I seem to be lighter than you.”

“What did you weigh?”

“60.”

“What?!”

Lee Ho-jeong exclaimed in shock.

“I’ve been eating so much chicken breast to maintain my figure! How can it be 60, 60?!”

“Jealous?”

“52!”

Yang Il-ho said cheerfully.

“54.”

“Shut up.”

“......”

I chuckled and said to the guys.

“Hey, since I got into politics, I’ve changed a bit, you know.”

“Thinned out?”

“That’s too blunt. Anyway, don’t you think I’ve changed a bit?”

“Lately, you’ve been testing our loyalty too often—”

“That’s not what I mean. I’ve developed dark circles, my hair is turning white, my voice is hoarse, I’ve lost weight, and I look sharp and irritable. Don’t you think I’ve changed a bit like that?”

As I muttered, touching my chin, Lee Ho-jeong, the fact-bomber, seemed a bit annoyed and stabbed me in the heart.

“It’s because you got 200 injections in your arm. It’s not because of politics.”

*

“Has politics ruined you?”

“Not that much.”

“Do you not enjoy politics anymore?”

“Well, if I have to say, yes.”

Lee Ho-jeong, sitting in the passenger seat, chuckled and handed me a chocolate bar she had stolen from a collapsed convenience store.

“Your blood sugar must be low, right?”

“A bit.”

Nom. It was cheap chocolate, but it tasted really good since I hadn’t had it in a long time. Maybe because I’ve been eating only Spam and Hattoban.

“Honestly, watching you as a legislator, it’s understandable. I mean, I’ve never experienced it myself.”

“Hey, you. Who becomes a legislator to enjoy it—”

Lee Ho-jeong’s grin cut me off.

“Really?”

“......”

“Surely you didn’t become a legislator to serve your country?”

Lee Ho-jeong was right.

Who becomes a civil servant to serve their country these days? I did it because I wanted some power.

“Someone who graduated from Korea University wouldn’t come to the National Assembly to be a legislator’s assistant for 20 years, right? We’re the same. I graduated from Sky University, but anyway.”

Just looking at Yang Il-ho, who held various youngest titles and even passed the final bar exam, it was clear he had a law degree. Why would someone with a law degree serve coffee to a hysterical legislator? It’s because he had political aspirations, just like me, trying to get a badge by catching a bone thrown by a legislator.

In this way, it’s safe to say that National Assembly aides are almost all aspiring legislators.

“But now, the legislator you are, isn’t it different from what you imagined? Right?”

“Right.”

After the bread incident, there was no more extreme job than this.

Sleeping less than six hours, not getting paid when the government collapsed, having my lifespan shortened, not being able to go anywhere because of reporters, and someone pointing a gun at me at any moment.

“To me, it seems natural. If you live like that, anyone would want to die. Initial enthusiasm doesn’t last forever.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like being a legislator...”

Tsk.

“......What’s for dinner tonight?”

I’m tired of politics. Politics.

*

To be honest, I feel a lot of disillusionment lately.

What have I really gained from all the hard work?

Of course, I’ve gained fame, power, and various other things, but losing my family and health makes me feel a bit empty.

It’s a kind of political aversion, or maybe just a slump.

I worked hard to change society, but then a black sheep appeared and everything turned to nothing. Of course, it’s not as bad as turning to nothing, but still.

It’s also tiring to be caught between people. One political decision can affect so many lives, which is quite a burden.

In short, the burden is a bit heavy.

And I’m a bit tired now.

So it was tough.

Meanwhile, my family is sick, and my sister is already running around the most dangerous places in South Korea to find a treatment. She might come back as a corpse.

“Sigh......”

I sighed softly in front of the door, trying to steady my mind.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Then I knocked slowly, as neatly and cleanly as possible.

“Come in...”

“It’s been a while, Angel—”

As soon as I opened the door and entered, I paused for a moment. To be precise, I froze awkwardly.

“Come in...”

“Legislator Han, it’s been a while!”

In front of President Cheon Geum-soon, who bowed with a hunched back, was Hong Seon-ah, sitting with her legs crossed and waving her hand gracefully.

The atmosphere was completely different, and the size difference was so extreme that they were polar opposites, but to me, they both looked like similar beasts.

What is this? A den of snakes.

Hong Seon-ah smiled.

“I heard you were coming, so I dropped by!”

“...Ah, yes.”

Her hair, which used to be red only at the tips, was now half-light red.

“...Are you dyeing your hair neon now?”

Hong Seon-ah’s hair really ‘glowed.’ Faintly.

She smiled casually and flicked her mid-length hair. Or, it had grown into long hair since I last saw her.

“What can I do about being too powerful? Firegirl Hong Seon-ah is still—”

“Please, stop it.”

“Eeek......”

Even when she made a whining sound, her expression was lively. Cheon Geum-soon, sitting opposite, weakly touched my sleeve.

“It’s been a while, dear...?”

“Ah, yes. I heard you’re making some money with mana stones these days.”

“It’s all thanks to you, of course...”

Just before the Han Seung-moon Foundation was forcibly dissolved by the prosecution and special prosecutor, I donated all the mana stones I had accumulated to the GS Group.

And she is forming a mana stone market at the right price as I instructed, and also taking control of the market.

I sat in the empty seat and asked about her well-being.

“I heard you created a PMC. Aegis, right? I remember the logo with the golden shield and GS on it.”

“After not seeing you for so long, you start with criticism...?”

I glanced at Hong Seon-ah, who was sitting opposite her. Her face was fresh, and she looked like she had just come from a broadcast, with her makeup done.

“Is it because Hong Seon-ah is the guild leader? How are the two of you getting along?”

I broke the hunter’s nationalization and helped create a market economy for hunting.

Cheon Geum-soon smiled bitterly.

“Take her back. She’s draining my energy...”

“Ahn, sister, why are you like that.”

“Don’t be so familiar...”

“Ahn, sister.”

Cheon Geum-soon accepted the macaron Hong Seon-ah fed her. It seemed she had met her match.

“I heard from Minister Yoo Jae-kyung that your business is doing well these days.”

“Damn brat.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, no...”

Right. Yoo Jae-kyung had used the Financial Services Commission to dismantle one of Cheon Geum-soon’s subsidiaries.

The Financial Services Commission was a direct subordinate of the State Affairs Adjustment Office, but all the commissioners were high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, so the Minister of Economy and Finance was essentially the boss.

So it’s understandable that Yoo Jae-kyung would seem like a mortal enemy. GS Group had risen to the fifth largest in the business world, and the Financial Services Commission was waiting to strike, so Cheon Geum-soon’s dark circles looked particularly deep.

Knowing that she owed me, she didn’t ask for any favors, so she must have been waging a financial war with the most powerful minister in the country in some unknown place.

“Still, I heard Aegis is at the top of the industry?”

“There’s no top in startups... We need to lay a solid foundation first.”

Cheon Geum-soon was modestly downplaying it, perhaps feeling uneasy about the subtle praise.

She’s quick-witted.

But she’s not as petty as a politician.

“Still, isn’t this the era of PMCs?”

With awakening agents starting to be released and the number of awakened people increasing through the Government Complex Gate, various PMCs began to appear.

They were still a minority, but the amount of money flowing into the industry was not small. This was because the potential of the mana stone business was virtually infinite.

“Using mana stones from PMCs to make potions, electricity, and new technologies, you’re doing a lot of R&D, right?”

Translation: You’ve made some money, haven’t you?

“That’s right... The amount of mana stones coming in from that side is more than expected. Hong Hunter is very skilled...”

Translation: It’s not because of you.

Hong Seon-ah smiled proudly.

“I burned down the Taebaek Mountains!”

“You got a lot of flak from Greenpeace. Anyway, is it easier to work now?”

“After burning it down, I just have to clean up the half-dead ones! Sometimes there are ones that don’t burn, but my friends are so skilled!”

The people at Aegis were originally from under Kim Chun-sik, so they were skilled. Aegis was essentially a gathering of guild defectors.

“......”

David Kim has been drinking soju gloomily ever since Hong Seon-ah left with the kids. I should keep that a secret.

Whether someone should die for someone else, or whether a few should sacrifice themselves to save more people, is a question without an answer.

As I looked at the floor gloomily, Cheon Geum-soon yawned and asked me.

“By the way, why are you here...?”

“Ah, well, what...”

I laughed awkwardly.

“I decided to have a small party with people I know.”

“Huh?”

Cheon Geum-soon’s face was suddenly filled with confusion. Hong Seon-ah maintained her usual expression, which was hard to read.

“Well, you know, there are people who have helped me so far. I thought it would be nice to gather them in one place, treat them to some food, and strengthen our bonds.”

I invited them to the party.

“Since it’s a tough time, I can’t make it big, but I would be grateful if you could come and brighten the place...”

“I’ll come!”

Hong Seon-ah raised her hand with a smile, but Cheon Geum-soon muttered with a puzzled expression.

“......What kind of party?”

*

“Now, let’s begin the 1st National Party Convention! - !”

- Wowaaa!

A thunderous cheer echoed through a large baseball stadium, and I clapped standing up, outwardly moved but inwardly indifferent.

“Representative Han Seung-moon is here! Please give him a warm welcome!”

- Wowaaaaaaa!

- Kyeoohhhh!

- Wowaaaaa!

An even louder cheer erupted. My face appeared on a large screen, and it was being broadcast live on all channels.

Seated next to me were Cheon Geum-soon and David Kim. Both were popular figures in society, so they were S-class human shields.

As I stood up, smiling brightly and waving, I saw Cheon Geum-soon clapping with a stiff expression. She must have been grinding her teeth, uncomfortable with the situation.

If the National Defense Party wins the election, what will happen to Cheon Geum-soon, who participated in the National Party Convention?

Therefore, the rich always had to maintain an ambiguous distance from politics, but she was now in a position called the flower of politics.

...Yes, the flower of politics.

Spring flowers have bloomed.

The presidential and general elections are approaching.