THWACK-
A sharp pain shot through his head.
"Ugh!"
Shi-woo's eyes snapped open.
RUSTLE-
He cradled his head in his hands.
It felt like he'd been hit with a knuckle sandwich.
RUMBLE-
The bus swayed.
"Heh-heh."
A middle-aged woman covered her mouth, giggling.
"Oh, man."
He'd apparently dozed off and banged his head against the window.
TINGLE-
The impact must have been loud; the bus driver was glaring at him in the rearview mirror.
'Guess I dozed off.'
Flushing with embarrassment, he looked out the window.
'Huh?'
He recognized the neighborhood.
Up ahead was the bus stop.
'Whoops!'
DING-
Shi-woo hurriedly pressed the stop button.
Which led to,
SCREECH-
HISS-
A sudden stop, and the driver opened the door, telling him to get out.
BEEP-
A warning to get off or the door would close.
TAT-TAT-
He quickly exited the bus.
VROOM-
The bus roared away, as if angry.
Shi-woo, still groggy, watched the bus disappear, spewing exhaust.
'He's the one who drives like a maniac.'
Well, at least he hadn't missed his stop.
THUMP-THUMP-
He turned towards home.
It was a run-down neighborhood.
Once a bustling area, it had become desolate as the world changed.
"Aaah!"
Shi-woo felt heavy.
Was it the fatigue?
'Must be the forced drinking.'
He'd been stressed by Jang Dong-pil, and it was late.
He doubted he'd have the energy to shower.
He was too exhausted.
'I'll just crash.'
CLOMP-CLOMP-
He walked towards his house.
A two-story building, about five minutes from the bus stop.
The first floor was a martial arts studio, the second a home.
The stairs to the second floor were on the left.
CLICK-
He unlocked the door.
CLOMP-CLOMP-
Climbed the stairs.
CLANK-
Opened the front door and entered.
SNORRRE-
It sounded like a monster, but it was just his father, Jin-ho Lee, snoring.
"Phew."
Shi-woo shook his head, locked the door, and headed to his room.
THUMP-
He tossed his suit jacket onto a chair.
PLOP-
And collapsed onto the bed.
CREAK-CREAK-
The old bed springs groaned.
He didn't care.
'Ugh… why am I so tired…'
He felt himself sinking.
As if the bed was sucking him in.
He felt like he'd run a hundred laps.
Too tired to even change, he fell asleep.
The surroundings seemed to darken.
Just as he thought, 'Is this it?'
GRAAAH-KAAAH-
A grotesque monster appeared.
A six-legged beast with knife-like horns.
The bull-sized creature bared its teeth.
Filthy teeth, covered in blood and flesh.
SNAP-
It opened its mouth wide.
GRAAAAH-
And lunged.
'I have to dodge!'
His instincts screamed, but,
"Gasp!"
Shi-woo couldn't move.
He didn't know why.
WHOOSH-
The monster was upon him.
"H-huh!"
Still, he couldn't move.
Finally,
CRUNCH-
The monster's sharp teeth sank into his neck.
"Aaargh!"
Shi-woo felt his neck being torn and his eyes snapped open.
"Huu!"
He felt dazed.
'Was it a dream?'
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed.
Then,
RUSTLE-
Reality hit, and he felt coldness on his neck.
"Wh-what?"
Someone was pointing a wooden sword at his throat.
Father?
Cold eyes.
A frigid expression.
It was his father, Jin-ho Lee.
He asked in a low voice,
"Who are you?"
Who else?
His son!
"F-father!"
"Don't call me that! I don't have a commie son!"
"C-commie? What are you talking about?"
Jin-ho tilted his head.
"Hmm? Your voice is my son's. And you're wearing his clothes. But your face… why are you a commie?"
"Commie? My face?"
As Shi-woo stared at his father, bewildered,
"Why are you making a fuss so early? I told you, it's just a rash."
His sister, Shi-yeon Lee, brought a mirror.
"Did you eat something weird? Your face is covered in red spots."
"Spots? Red spots?"
Startled, Shi-woo snatched the mirror from his sister.
"Ah!"
It was true.
Red spots all over his face!
"Wh-what is this?"
"Hmm. Judging by your fuss, you must be my son."
Jin-ho, having retrieved the wooden sword, asked with a sly grin,
"Son, did you go somewhere nice last night? Mess with a shady woman? Did you get an STD?"
"Dad!"
"Father!"
Shi-woo and Shi-yeon shouted in unison.
Shi-yeon even blushed.
"Tch, you're all grown up, why so sensitive? No wonder sex education is so poor. I worry about the future."
But Jin-ho casually left the room.
"Haa… really."
His father had his quirks.
But that wasn't the point.
Shi-woo looked in the mirror.
A man with a red face.
'No wonder he called me a commie.'
He could see why his father mistook him.
"What is this?"
"Oppa, do you have measles? Let me see. Hmm. You seem to have a fever."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Shi-woo touched his forehead.
He didn't seem to have a high fever.
And he didn't feel too sick to move.
'Did I awaken as a Hunter?'
He looked at his face again.
The red face was the problem.
It was nothing like a typical Hunter awakening.
'Hmm.'
He was disappointed.
But more than that…
'How can I go to work like this?'
Shi-woo sighed and picked up the phone.
He stood up and said to his sister,
"Don't worry about me."
"How can I not? Look at you."
"I'm fine. Go eat breakfast. You have a part-time job."
Shi-yeon looked at him, worried.
Then,
"Phew. Okay."
She shook her head and left the room.
No one in this family had it easy.
They needed to earn every penny.
What was money, anyway?
It was sad.
'Hmm.'
Shi-woo composed himself.
Then,
CREAK-CLANK-
THUMP-THUMP-
He headed to the rooftop.
The time on his phone was 7:30 AM.
It was time for his boss, Seung-deok Oh, to be awake.
DING-
Shi-woo pressed the call button.
RING-RING-
After a few rings,
(Hello?)
His boss answered in a low voice.
"Sir, it's me, Shi-woo."
(What is it so early?)
His voice was gruff.
"Sorry to call so early, sir. I think I'm sick. I need to go to the hospital this morning."
(What are you talking about? You're going to be late?)
He only heard that he was taking the morning off.
"I'm sick."
(What about Jang Dong-pil's contract?)
"I couldn't get it signed."
(You incompetent fool. What can you do if you're so weak?)
He was scolding a sick person?
CLENCH-
Shi-woo quietly clenched his fist.
He wanted to shout.
But,
(What? Why aren't you answering?)
What could he do?
Rank was power.
"I'm sorry, sir."
(Sorry? Do you know how busy we are? You're skipping work?)
The company wasn't busy at all.
Shi-woo, who'd worked there for two years, knew that.
It was just his boss