*Crunch—crunch—*

The Mimic’s small cheeks puffed up, looking ready to burst.

She was diligently devouring a dish that cost a hundred thousand won per plate.

Watching her, Yoo Ayoung swallowed hard, her throat dry, as she replayed their conversation.

‘So. This kid’s a refugee from Scenario 1, and Gangwoo Oppa took her in, right?’

She had calmed down somewhat now, but that first meeting with the Mimic had been sheer panic.

A daughter, all of a sudden? The moment she heard those words, her heart had plummeted.

She had clearly come to meet Oppa to talk about Jiyeon.

But what did it matter if Oppa was married or had a kid?

Forcing herself to calm down, Yoo Ayoung still began to spiral into an involuntary fantasy.

‘A daughter… Did he get married? Jiyeon never mentioned that… So, a past lover had the kid!!! She looks about six, so when did it happen…’

One fantasy spawned another, and in the end, she lost her composure and never even brought up the real topic: Jiyeon.

But she did pick up on something from their brief exchange.

—This kid is a refugee from Scenario 1 zones. I registered her with the Association and decided to take her in.

The story of where this little one came from and why he had called her his daughter.

Yoo Ayoung felt a wave of relief at those words, unbidden.

‘He’s amazing.’

And then, admiration.

He must already be strained just dealing with Jiyeon’s affairs, and yet he’s even taking in and raising a child.

Having grown up in the same orphanage as Ha Gangwoo, Yoo Ayoung found herself drawn even deeper to his actions.

Yoo Ayoung, having apparently found her calm, now noticed her surroundings.

The steaks set in front of her and Ha Gangwoo.

A pricey dish, priced at three hundred thousand won a plate.

But that was hardly an issue.

She could afford to pay that much for a single meal.

But the real problem was the stack of empty plates beside the little girl.

‘She eats way too much…’

Even a rough count put it past fifty plates.

And still unsatisfied, the little girl flagged down the waiter.

“I want this, please!”

Sauce smeared across her face, she jabbed a tiny finger at the menu.

[Red Drake Tenderloin Sirloin Steak – 100,000,000 won]

A steak with a batshit price tag.

The waiter faltered for a second, then asked carefully.

“That’s our finest dish, priced at a hundred million won. Shall I prepare it for you?”

He double-checked because it was part of the VVIP course.

At those words, Mik’s eyes sparkled as she looked between Yoo Ayoung and Ha Gangwoo.

Ha Gangwoo just shoved another piece of steak into his mouth, silent.

Yoo Ayoung tried hard to avoid Mimic’s stare.

A hundred million won for a single meal. I’d rather just buy a B-grade Potion and be done with it…

But then again — she’d brought Ha Gangwoo here to show off her financial muscle.

Breaking into a cold sweat, she barely managed to choke out.

“Yes… please.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

Whether the waiter read her mind or not, he cleared the empty plates and left.

Watching him retreat, Yoo Ayoung silently lamented.

Even if it was S-rank Boss meat, a hundred million was insane.

“Haaah…”

‘How much does all this add up to…?’

She shoved the steak into her mouth and started running mental math.

At least a hundred and thirty million won.

Her head spun at the ridiculous sum.

‘What do I do… Should I break my savings account?’

She was a third-year Player actively clearing Scenario 3, so her income was solid enough.

But the items she’d burned through for those clears were all exorbitantly priced — her wallet wasn’t exactly fat.

Just as Yoo Ayoung was agonizing over the unexpected expense,

“You said you had something to say. What is it?”

Ha Gangwoo set down his fork and spoke to her.

“Ah! Well, you see…”

The reason Yoo Ayoung had asked to meet him was simple.

“I want to help you.”

“Help me? With what?”

“Anything about Jiyeon. I’ll help with everything. The Hope Repository must cost a fortune in upkeep.”

Originally, Yoo Ayoung had meant to persuade him to give up.

The Hope Repository.

The facility fees were astronomical, and using it was like a marathon with no finish line.

And even if a Resurrection skill ever appeared — would they even be able to use it? They’d probably demand an absurd amount of money.

No matter how you looked at it, the only end to the Hope Repository was despair and pain.

So she’d intended to convince him to let go.

But yesterday, she’d understood.

The despair that hit her when she heard about Jiyeon’s death — for a moment, her whole world crumbled.

That was when Ha Gangwoo slowly opened his mouth.

*Jiyeon is in the Hope Repository.*

In that moment, Yoo Ayoung had felt it.

That feeling of a blocked chest suddenly bursting open. The feeling of hope blooming in the midst of despair.

And so Yoo Ayoung made her mind up to help Ha Gangwoo.

Clink—Chew, chew—

The restaurant was quiet, filled only with the soft strains of classical music and the sound of Mimic eating.

At Yoo Ayoung’s words, Ha Gangwoo fell silent.

‘He’s uncomfortable with it after all…’

In that stretch of waiting, Yoo Ayoung thought.

Ha Gangwoo had only been living as a Player for a single month.

No matter how exceptional his Trait, covering the Hope Repository’s costs would be a stretch.

By now, he was probably scraping by on loans just to hold on.

She could tell from the atmosphere she’d felt yesterday and the look on his face right now.

Her Oppa had reached his limit.

That was why she’d picked this restaurant in the first place — to show off.

To demonstrate she had the financial muscle to handle a bill like this.

Ha Gangwoo slowly rose from his seat, staring intently at Yoo Ayoung’s face. His expression carried a bittersweet satisfaction.

“Thanks. I appreciate the thought, but I’ll pass. I’ve got things to do, so I’ll head out first.”

“What? You don’t have to feel burdened! I’ve got plenty of money!”

Yoo Ayoung said hurriedly, but Ha Gangwoo’s resolve was firm.

“Let’s go, Mik. If I really need help, I’ll reach out next time.”

“Ah! W-Wait… just…”

Yoo Ayoung watched Ha Gangwoo’s receding back with a blank stare, then let out a deep sigh.

‘He really feels pressured…’

Come to think of it, Ha Gangwoo had always hated accepting help, ever since they were kids.

A stubborn bastard who’d rather tough it out alone no matter what. Yoo Ayoung didn’t mind that about him.

‘Nothing I can do about it.’

Yoo Ayoung sat alone at the restaurant table and started eating the leftovers.

And then she realized.

[Bill: 220,415,000 won]

The meal she’d just eaten cost over 200 million won.

‘I might have to break it…’

She’d thought even at worst it’d be around ten million won, but two hundred million?

‘Haa… let’s just get to work.’

Forcing herself to stay calm, Yoo Ayoung checked the Gate report for today.

[Gate Report]

Grade-B

Applicants: 6

Applicant List

-Ha Gangwoo: Grade: L / Level: 98.

-Joo Chihun: Grade: D / Level: 102

-Sang Daesu: Grade: F / Level: 110

……..

…..

….

.

‘An L-Grade Player, huh…’

She’d been shocked when she got the report yesterday. To think an L-Grade Player had appeared while she was in the Scenario.

And the moment she saw the name, a question formed.

‘Ha Gangwoo? Could it be Gangwoo Oppa?’

But Yoo Ayoung shook her head.

‘No way.’

Because no matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

Gangwoo Oppa had only been Awakened for thirty days. There was no way he could be level 98.

And if he really was an L-Grade Player, wouldn’t he have said something himself?

That was why Yoo Ayoung was certain it was just a namesake.

Clink—

Ten minutes passed like that.

After reviewing the entire report, Yoo Ayoung stood up.

‘Nothing left to do.’

Glancing at the time, there were still four hours left until the Gate assembly.

Her oppa had left earlier than expected, leaving her with dead time.

‘I’ll just head over early.’

Nothing else to do anyway. Yoo Ayoung decided to go to the Gate ahead of time.

She picked up the check lying on the table and headed toward the counter.

That’s when she caught the staff whispering with flushed faces.

“I told you I was right, didn’t I? Crazy. I should’ve gotten an autograph.”

“Whoa… seriously. But he looked totally different from the videos—so intimidating I couldn’t even talk to him.”

“Right, I almost kicked him out for looking so shabby. Good thing I kept my mouth shut.”

Yoo Ayoung tilted her head and handed her card and the check to the employee.

‘Who are they talking about? Some celebrity came by?’

Who could they have seen to get this worked up?

She was about to ask out of curiosity.

But before she could get a word in, the employee took her card and check, eyes sparkling.

“Your companion already paid the bill.”

“Huh?”

‘Companion? What are they talking about?’

Yoo Ayoung was baffled. But the employee pressed on, unfazed.

“What’s your relationship with the person who just left?”

“The person who left?”

“Yes, Mr. Ha Gangwoo!”

“Gangwoo oppa?”

Everything was a blur.

How did the staff know Gangwoo oppa? And he paid a 200 million won bill?

As Yoo Ayoung stood there dazed by the incomprehensible situation.

From a distance, she caught more staff chatter.

“No way, she called him ‘oppa’—must be his girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? That’s insane. Well, with a face like hers, it makes sense an L-Grade Player would hit on her.”

‘L-Grade.’

The moment she heard that word, the whole bewildering scene clicked into place.

The Gangwoo oppa she’d met after so long was the same person as the legendary L-Grade Player Ha Gangwoo.

“Whoa…”

Yoo Ayoung stood there for a long time, dazed, breathing out a sigh of disbelief.

***

In a deserted hallway of the Association.

Ha Gangwoo bent down to meet Mimic’s eyes.

[Examinee: Mik]

– Wait Number: 17

“Take this and wait in the waiting room, then go take the test, got it?”

“Yes!”

Mimic hoisted her admission ticket high, beaming a wide smile.

Ha Gangwoo ruffled her hair, then held out his open palm.

Ding-

[Loaded 1,000,000 Gold from Inventory.]

Gold came pouring out in a cascade.

“Whoa~! So much!”

Mimic picked up the coins, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

‘She’ll do fine.’

Ha Gangwoo planned to let Mimic take the Academy entrance exam on her own.

He felt a sliver of unease, but hadn’t Mimic already aced the notoriously difficult Job-Change Instructor’s test and even earned a Hidden class?

The Academy’s entrance exam would be a breeze.

“Do whatever you want after the exam.”

“Yes!”

Mimic took her admission slip in one hand and walked into the waiting room without a backward glance.

Ha Gangwoo watched her go, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

‘Easy.’

He’d assumed that having her in a kid’s form would be a hassle. It wasn’t.

Her intelligence outmatched most adults, and her raw power even exceeded his own.

With no hesitation, Gangwoo turned and headed for the Dobong District Gate.

***

“Figures — nothing but garbage here.”

At the academy entrance exam’s waiting room.

A scrawny teenager who looked about fifteen, Yoo Junsik, grinned as he swept his gaze over the candidates one by one.

A little brat, eyes darting nervously.

“Whoa~! It’s the exam!”

A clueless kid, yammering away without a shred of self-awareness.

Among them was even an adult well past twenty.

‘How much of a loser do you have to be to apply to an academy?’

Junsik smirked arrogantly, mocking the grown man.

The Association’s academy had a higher competition rate than private ones.

After all, it was a place where, with a bit of luck, you might get directly trained by a Ranker.

But adults rarely enrolled.

For an adult, completing a private training center was enough to enter the Tutorial — why waste time at an academy?

That a Player still wanted in only meant one thing.

A loser with no confidence in their Trait. A mediocre nobody stuck in the middle.

‘Pathetic.’

How trashy must a Trait be to bring someone this old here, waiting in line?

Junsik fixed the adult male with a look of pure contempt, as if he were a bug.

“The hell you staring at?”

The man, at least perceptive enough, scowled under Junsik’s gaze.

Junsik dismissed him, but the man’s appearance wasn’t something to ignore.

Tattoos peeking through his thick forearms — he looked like someone who’d thrown his weight around plenty.

But Junsik didn’t blink. Instead, he held the man’s eyes and prodded further.

“Tch… Kids these days have no damn sense of fear.”

Predictably, the provocation landed. The grim-faced man shot to his feet, his massive frame looming over Junsik.

“You gonna look down?”

A chilling rumble echoed through the quiet waiting room.

A standoff, one spark from violence.

“Waaahh—”

A child started crying from the tension.

“Stop it. Don’t you know fighting here gets you disqualified?”

A girl tried to break it up.

But the atmosphere didn’t ease.

As the stare-down between Junsik and the burly man dragged on.

“Why don’t you just hit me?”

Junsik’s taunt came.

“Huh…?”

The huge man grabbed Junsik by the collar and yanked him forward.

Junsik’s small body lifted helplessly off the floor.

The large man clenched his fist, ready to strike Yoo Junsik, then stopped mid-swing.

‘Fucking hell.’

Now he was being disrespected by a middle-school brat. He wanted to smash the kid’s mouth in right now, but he had to hold back.

Someone dreaming of becoming a Player couldn’t afford the stain of child assault on his record.

‘Haah… let it go.’

The man forced down his anger and shoved Junsik’s body with all his strength.

In that instant, Yoo Junsik was flung backward by the man’s force.

That was the moment.

Flash!

Something glinted across Yoo Junsik’s entire body, and then—shing—dozens of blades burst out like a porcupine’s quills.

“Huh?!”

The man could see the blades, but he couldn’t do anything.

Because the blades were too fast. They were about to pierce his face, abdomen, chest, legs—his entire body—in that split second.

Whoosh—

Something yanked the man backward.

“Woah!”

The man was thrown back by that force and tumbled across the floor.

‘What, what the hell!’

And then he saw it.

The boy, bristling with dozens of blades, and in front of those blades—a little girl so small she seemed almost pathetic.

That girl bravely grabbed hold of the blades and shouted.

“No bullying!”

That girl was none other than the Mimic.

Even before the test had started, the Mimic had gotten caught up in a petty incident.