At the tender age of seventeen, Ki Seok-tae found himself burdening his young daughter with worries about money. His heart ached, but he masked his feelings with a bright smile.

“Ha ha. Sweetheart, why are you worrying about money? Don’t stress over it.”

“But still...”

“I said don’t worry, okay? I can afford something like chicken. We’re not that strapped.”

Chicken, now costing 80,000 won per serving, was no trivial expense. Despite his reassurances, the truth weighed on him. But wasn’t earning money for the sake of his children?

Just as he was about to place the order for chicken, something caught his attention—his daughter Sun-hye’s hand, red and swollen. Only then did he notice she was wearing long sleeves despite the heat. Hastily, he rolled up her sleeves to reveal bruises.

“What... is this?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Sun-hye tried to hide her bruises.

“Nothing? Who did this to you?”

“It’s really nothing...”

“Who. Did. This?”

“...”

Ki Seok-tae’s stern tone made Sun-hye tear up.

No. He couldn’t press her like this. She had done nothing wrong.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Just tell me. Who hurt you?”

“Well...”

“Yes? Go on.”

“The teacher.”

“Teacher? You got hit at school?”

“...Yes.”

“Why? What did you do wrong?”

“...”

“It’s okay. Tell me. You can trust me.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“And they hit you until you were bruised?”

“There is one thing I can think of...”

“What is it? What could you have possibly done?”

“Cleaning.”

Ki Seok-tae couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Cleaning?”

“Yes. The teacher said I didn’t clean properly, so they called me over and hit me.”

The idea was absurd. To beat a child so severely over cleaning?

There had to be another reason. And that reason was likely...

“Bribes.”

Since the upheaval, much had changed. Talented teachers had flocked to private schools, leaving public schools for wealthier students, while poorer families had no choice but to rely on public schools.

The teacher shortage meant some took on homeroom duties for years, and the long-abandoned culture of bribes had returned.

Although he had heard of such things in the news, Ki Seok-tae never imagined it would happen to his daughter.

“Damn it!”

He wanted to report the teacher to the police immediately, but doing so might lead to retaliation against Sun-hye. He lacked evidence.

A powerless, connectionless man like him could only follow the unspoken rules.

“It’s okay. Dad will take care of it.”

“I’m sorry...”

“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s fine.”

Ordering chicken for his kids, Ki Seok-tae stepped outside and lit a cigarette. Taking a few drags, he headed to the nearest ATM and withdrew money. Unsure of the appropriate amount, he withdrew 2 million won—the most he could afford.

Then he headed straight to the school. Fortunately, he found Sun-hye’s homeroom teacher just as they were about to leave the staffroom.

“Teacher?”

“Yes? Who might you be?”

“I’m Sun-hye’s father.”

“Ah, Mr. Sun-hye’s father. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m sorry for the late introduction. Work keeps me very busy...”

“I can see that.”

The teacher’s gaze swept over him. Embarrassed by his hastily thrown-on clothes, Ki Seok-tae felt his face heat up.

“So, what brings you here?”

“My daughter came home with bruises.”

“Oh, that.”

Oh, that?

Suppressing his anger, Ki Seok-tae forced himself to stay calm.

“You may not know this, but Sun-hye can be quite disruptive. She struggles to focus in class and even disrupts others.”

“So, you disciplined her?”

“Well, among other things. I saw her slacking off during cleaning. You know that’s not acceptable, right?”

“...Yes.”

The staffroom was empty; it seemed most teachers had already left for the day.

Ki Seok-tae took out the envelope of money and handed it to the teacher. The teacher accepted it without hesitation and, with practiced ease, counted the cash inside.

“What’s this?”

“Teacher, please take good care of my daughter...”

“Mr. Sun-hye’s father.”

“Yes, teacher?”

“Do you really think 2 million won is an appropriate amount? Do you know how much a carton of eggs costs these days?”

“I’m sorry. My income isn’t great...”

“Well, I’ll take it for now. But next year, this amount won’t suffice.”

“Next year too?”

“Most parents contribute annually. Some even bring gifts during holidays.”

“...”

“Well then, I have other appointments, so I’ll be going.”

The teacher paused as they exited the staffroom and turned back with a smirk.

“Oh, and Mr. Sun-hye’s father.”

“Yes?”

“Next time you come to school, try to dress better. Other teachers might find it disrespectful.”

“...”

“Good day.”

Sighing deeply, Ki Seok-tae trudged back home. But when he arrived, he couldn’t bring himself to go inside. Instead, he wandered aimlessly.

Walked and walked, until he found himself back where he started.

The small restaurant.

The door creaked open.

“Welcome... Oh? Mr. Ki? What brings you here?”

“You’re still open, right?”

“Of course. Have a seat wherever you like.”

Seok-tae sat at the counter, looking utterly defeated.

‘This is different from before,’ thought Seo-jun, the owner.

Seok-tae’s usual vigor was gone. Even his voice lacked its usual strength.

“I guess I can finally contribute to your sales today.”

“Shall I bring you some soju?”

“Yes. As for the side dish... I’d like to order something expensive to really help your business, but circumstances won’t allow it. Sorry. Just grilled squid legs, please.”

“No need to apologize. I’ll bring them right out.”

Seo-jun returned promptly with the soju and grilled squid legs. Seok-tae began drinking.

One glass turned into two, then a bottle, then another.

By the time he finished his second bottle, an egg roll appeared before him.

“I didn’t order this...”

“You shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach. It’ll upset you otherwise.”

Ki Seok-tae let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Does it show on my face? You always seem to know.”

“…”

“May I ask you something, boss?”

“Go ahead.”

“When in your life have you felt the most powerless? The most drained… like you couldn’t do anything about it?”

“Well…”

“For me, it’s today. Life’s always been tough, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt this defeated, this hopeless. Why does living have to be so hard…?”

It seemed something significant had happened. But Seo-jun didn’t pry; if it was a story Ki Seok-tae wanted to share, he would do so on his own.

“That omelet rice you made earlier today was incredible. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day, even while visiting clients.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“When you’re a parent, it’s like that. When you eat something delicious outside, your thoughts turn to your kids. I rushed home after work, thinking I’d buy them some fried chicken. But then…”

Ki Seok-tae’s eyes reddened. He wasn’t crying, but it looked like he might at any moment.

Forcing a smile, he continued with a trembling voice.

“But then I saw bruises on my daughter’s arm.”

“…”

“When I pressed her, she said her teacher hit her. For not cleaning properly, apparently. But that’s just an excuse. The truth is, unlike the other parents, I hadn’t yet slipped the teacher any money.”

Bribes?

So they still happened.

Seo-jun quietly refilled Ki Seok-tae’s glass. Seok-tae nodded in thanks and drained it in one go.

“What could I do? A powerless, uneducated man like me doesn’t have the courage to defy the system. I withdrew two million won and handed it over. But the teacher didn’t seem satisfied. Asked me if I even knew how much a carton of eggs costs these days. Ha.”

“…”

“Sorry. I must’ve had too much to drink.”

“It’s fine. Sometimes you need someone to talk to. I guess today’s that day for you.”

Seok-tae looked surprised.

“Do you have days like that too, boss?”

“Of course I do.”

“Really? You don’t seem like it. I mean, you seem… perfect. Like you don’t belong here in District 12 at all.”

“I do live in District 12, though.”

“Oh! Please don’t take that the wrong way. I didn’t mean it as an insult. It’s just that you seem like someone without any troubles, like everything is under control.”

“Even I have my struggles.”

“That’s unexpected.”

Seo-jun refilled Ki Seok-tae’s glass again, speaking as he poured.

“I live with guilt.”

“Guilt…”

“Yes. A long time ago, I failed to save people I could have. A lot of people…”

“During the upheaval?”

Seo-jun, lost in his thoughts, let out a small chuckle.

“Yes. During the upheaval.”

“Most of us lost loved ones then.”

“Perhaps.”

A brief silence fell between them, broken only when Seok-tae downed another shot.

“What would you have done?”

“What do you mean?”

“If it were your daughter who came home bruised, and her teacher demanded a bribe—what would you have done?”

“Well…”

Seo-jun pondered the question. He had no children of his own. But if it had been his nephew, Seo-woo…

If he had come home after being unjustly hit by his teacher, who then demanded a bribe…

I might kill them.

A dark, intangible aura of malice briefly radiated from Seo-jun. Across from him, Seok-tae flinched.

Ah.

Seo-jun quickly reined it in. If it had been him, his instincts from his time in the demon realm might have surfaced, and he could have killed the teacher on the spot.

But the question came with another premise: being an ordinary person, like Ki Seok-tae.

Ordinary people don’t kill out of anger. Nor are those with the power to kill easily considered ordinary.

If so…

“I’d like to think I would’ve found the courage.”

“Courage?”

“The courage to defy the system.”

“Is that even possible?”

“It might not be. It could even lead to worse outcomes. But if I’m going to regret something either way, I’d rather regret trying than not trying.”

“Regret either way…”

Chewing over those words, Ki Seok-tae let out another self-deprecating laugh.

“Guess I’m not cut out for that. Pretty pathetic, huh?”

“Not at all. Don’t take my words too seriously. It’s just one person’s opinion.”

“…Thank you.”

Ki Seok-tae downed the last of his drink, paid the bill, and left the bar.

Park Yeon approached, rubbing his eyes groggily.

“Guilt?”

“Did you finish the dishes?”

“Of course. I’m getting pretty good at them, you know. Quick learner and all…”

“Glad to hear you’re a fast learner when it comes to dishwashing.”

“Damn it…”

Park Yeon’s expression made Seo-jun chuckle.

“Anyway, what’s this about guilt? You, of all people, feel guilt?”

“Just let it go in one ear and out the other. You’d find it an unpleasant story.”