Free Web NovelThe man volunteered to be Hojin’s mentor.
He said he himself had once longed to awaken more than anyone and could guide him well. freёwebnovel.com
After the service, the two moved to a café near the church.
“How did you find out about our church?”
“I happened to meet the deacon on the street. She gave me her card back then...”
“Wow! You’ve been chosen?!”
When Hojin looked puzzled, the man explained kindly.
“The deacon sometimes brings new members, and among us we say they’ve been chosen.”
The deacon was someone with the special ability to see a person’s aura.
“Ah—did you not know?”
“Know what?”
Hojin tilted his head, and the man leaned in to whisper.
“The deacon is an Awakener herself.”
“Oh.”
Hojin had only guessed, never heard it directly. So she was indeed an Awakener.
“I had my suspicions.”
The man smiled broadly and continued proudly.
“Did you know this too? Everyone the deacon brings here has awakened.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. I’m actually the unusual case.”
He told Hojin that although he himself hadn’t been chosen, he still awakened—so Hojin would surely succeed too.
“It took me a long time since I wasn’t chosen, but what matters is that I made it in the end.”
Hojin nodded. He had come here determined to awaken by any means. No matter how long it took, becoming an Awakener was all that mattered.
“I’m glad to meet you like this. Actually, today I came to say my final farewells to those I prayed with.”
“Where are you going...?”
When Hojin asked cautiously, the man answered with a smile.
“From next week I’ll be moving to the Awakening ministry.”
Guwon Church held separate services for ordinary people and Awakeners. The church encouraged fellowship among Awakeners and needed their help with upcoming tasks.
“So today will be the first and last time we meet.”
Hojin felt a pang of regret at not seeing him again.
“I didn’t think you’d be transferred. I feel bad—what can I do?”
The man offered to ask the deacon to assign someone else, but Hojin declined. A mentor who wasn’t an Awakener seemed meaningless.
“Rather... if you don’t mind, could you share your experience with me?”
“My experience? Of course.”
He gladly told Hojin about all the prayers and methods he’d tried. He’d desperately wanted to awaken and had tested most of the methods found online.
“Aside from encountering a blood fiend, I’ve tried nearly everything. The most effective for me was drinking an Awakener’s blood.”
“Blood?”
“Yes. But since I wasn’t chosen, I had to go that far. You probably won’t need to.”
Those chosen had little karma, so they awakened easily without such efforts. But Hojin was anxious—he wanted to awaken quickly to win Roy back. He would be Roy’s only one again. If it sped up his awakening by even a day, he’d do it.
“So, about the blood—”
“How to obtain it?”
Hojin nodded slightly, and the man, embarrassed, explained.
“I once got it from Tomato Market a few times, but after a trip to the ER, I asked friends instead. Cough. Sorry, I’ve had a cold lately.”
They joked that summer colds were rare.
“I don’t recommend Tomato Market because you can’t know when it was drawn, and they might lie about its grade.”
Blood was harder and more expensive to find in higher grades.
“So if you’re going to do it, I suggest getting it from someone you know.”
Several faces came to Hojin’s mind—Roy, Taeeon, Yeonwoo, and Galbi. But the higher the grade, the better...
Roy?
Hojin was one of the few who knew Roy was S-rank. Remembering Roy, he shook his head violently.
He was desperate, but thinking of drawing Roy’s blood...
I must be crazy.
Imagining Roy wounded was horrifying.
“Are you all right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I’ll figure out how to get it myself.”
“All right. I’ll pray that your prayers reach the New Heaven Lord quickly.”
“Thank you.”
✧
Hojin returned to his routine. His family never noticed his three-day hermitage. Deokseon didn’t either—she only thought, “He said he was sick, so I guess he must’ve suffered.”
But inside, Hojin was rotting with dread.
How can I get blood?
After parting with his mentor, the first thing Hojin did was install the Tomato Market app. The mentor had said that since blood trading was illegal, traders used slang: “ABC juice”—a health drink of apple, beet, and carrot, whose color resembled blood and whose initials masked its nature.
[Title: Want to buy ABC juice]
Seeking in-person deal in Seoul
└ It’s pricey for juice, so they must want a cheap deal
Three days passed with little result. Only one message: “Do you want D-rank?”
They said higher grades are better... Hojin thought he might contact the D-rank if nothing else.
Then—Tomato!
The app buzzed:
And soon:
[“KetchupMaster”: Hello. Is juice with five days until expiry okay?]
Per the mentor, “N days until expiry” meant the blood was drawn N days ago. So this was five-day-old blood. Though freshness had declined, Hojin replied eagerly:
[“Tomato5552”: Hello. That’s fine.]
[“KetchupMaster”: How many do you want?]
How many...? Maybe just one.
[“Tomato5552”: One for now.]
[“KetchupMaster”: Only one..?]
Too few? Flustered, Hojin corrected himself:
[“Tomato5552”: How much each? I’d like to buy as many as possible.]
[“KetchupMaster”: Oh. I have about 12. If that’s okay, I can give you all. It’s hard to dispose of.]
He’d give them all—12 units—for free? Hojin’s eyes widened.
[“KetchupMaster”: They’ve been in the freezer, so a slight expiry shouldn’t matter.]
[“Tomato5552”: You’re sure I can just take them?]
[“KetchupMaster”: Yes. But can we meet in my neighborhood?]
Was this fate? It happened to be near the academy. Hojin arranged to meet KetchupMaster as soon as classes ended, at Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station. Typical for a second-hand deal. Because of the item, Hojin wore a mask to minimize facial exposure.
Standing outside the station, he saw a man holding an insulated foil bag.
That must be him.
Hojin sensed immediately this was KetchupMaster. The man also wore sunglasses—he didn’t want recognition. Hojin approached cautiously.
“Are you... Tomato...?”
“Oh, yes. ABC juice—”
“Galbi?”
At Hojin’s murmur, the man’s brows furrowed. He’d come to give away freezer stock but was called by his least-favorite nickname. He resolved: even if this juice became trash, he wouldn’t let it go.
He snapped:
“I’m not him.”
“Sorry. I must’ve mistaken you. Are you here for a Tomato deal?”
“No, I’m not.”
Hojin apologized again, realizing his mistake.
Has he not come yet?
As Hojin fiddled with his phone, Bi ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) was walking away, swearing under his breath. Then—
Tomato!
A cute alert sounded from the man retreating.
It is him...?
As Bi’s steps hastened, Hojin chased after him.
“Excuse me. Aren’t you KetchupMaster?”
“Oh, no.”
He seemed certain, but kept denying it—so Hojin removed his mask. Bi’s eyes widened.
“Uh?”
“You’re Galbi, right?”
“It’s Bi, how many times?”
Bi snapped, and Hojin shrank back.
“Sorry. It just slipped out...”
“No need to be so glum... Just be careful next time.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, were you the one who posted on Tomato? Here’s the juice.”
Bi held out the insulated bag. Flustered, Hojin took it, glanced about, then asked softly:
“Thanks. Um... but is it really okay to just take it? I don’t know current prices, but I feel wrong accepting it for free.”
Hojin pulled a fifty-thousand-won note from his wallet and offered it.
“Huh? No, I said I can’t deal with it, that’s why I brought it—why money?”
“But still.”
“Still what? You’d be better off buying fresh ones with that money.”
Bi objected, but Hojin insisted. This friend of Roi’s was delightfully unpredictable.
“This is crazy. If you don’t want the money, then at least let me buy you a drink.”
“Sure! It’s on me.”
✧
They had nothing to talk about, yet here they were drinking coffee together. Contrary to expectations, Hojin spoke first.
“By the way, Bi, what’s your rank?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why ask my rank all of a sudden?”
Usually it was impolite to ask an Awakener’s rank before they volunteered it. Yet a hyung he’d only met twice was asking.
Odd as it was, Bi had no secret and answered readily.
“B-rank.”
“Really?!”
Was that so astonishing? How little did Hojin think of him to react that way? Bi felt awkward, when Hojin cryptically said:
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to ask you for help sometimes... Would that be possible? I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”
“Help with what?”
“Like the juice. And please keep today a secret from Roy...”
“Huh?”
Did this hyung really think Bi was the store owner? Bi felt he’d go insane.
