Chapter 101

My head hurt. It felt like hours had passed, but there was still a weird ringing sound in my head. It was like the headache you get when you eat ice cream too fast. What was it called again? Ice pick headache? I vaguely remembered it from a question the gym teacher asked the protagonist in a game.

Anyway, since I killed someone in front of a lot of people, I was locked up in the underground prison for a while. The Crown Prince, Ricardo, and everyone else reassured me not to worry. Airi and Camelian Peony couldn’t even come in, and Glacia had to undergo separate investigations as an important witness.

From what I heard, the families and clans of the girls Hoon had brought with him were going absolutely nuts. Was it Glacia or Butter Stir-fry? Those bastards, and even that horned chick, were from some well-off clan. They insisted that I should be charged with murder and demanded the death penalty for brutally killing an innocent person.

But I heard my backing was stronger, so I was overwhelmingly in the clear. After the Crown Prince, the Winterheart Family, and even the Carven Family… I heard some sorcerers who followed Werner also joined in. Honestly, it was a miracle the fight even happened.

“Ha… damn it…”

I was getting bored of playing with the tiny pebbles rolling around the prison floor. It wasn’t like it was my first time killing someone, nor was it the first time I turned someone into a lump of meat. I was just a bit thirsty and way too bored.

Let’s be real, even Hoon must’ve prepared to die when he stepped into the arena, right? So, I did nothing wrong.

The prison had no color. Iron bars, gray walls, and the black darkness beyond the bars. It felt like I’d gone colorblind, and it brought back old memories.

The first time I encountered color while trapped in a dull, gray space.

—

I was an orphan. I’d bow my head at subway stations, holding a plastic basket, asking for just one coin. If someone gave me a 1,000 or 10,000 won bill, I’d treat them like a lifesaver. Maybe because I was young, people pitied me and sometimes gave me food or clothes.

But the rules there were cruel. Drunk homeless people would target my basket, and I had to fight back every time. Kicking them in the groin, poking their eyes, or hitting their heads with rocks or bricks.

One day, I hit a record-breaking 33,200 won in sales and was excited to buy the most expensive lunchbox from the nearby convenience store. But that day, a homeless guy who’d been drinking threatened me with a soju bottle.

I handed over the basket, and as he started counting the money, I smashed the back of his head with the soju bottle and stabbed his neck with the broken glass. My dusty clothes were now covered in blood, and I thought about getting new ones from a clothing donation bin on the way to the convenience store.

“Kid, where’d you learn to do that?”

I thought, “Oh crap.” This had happened a few times before, and I’d always been dragged to an orphanage. Of course, I always ran away because I hated those chicken coops.

“None of your business, mister.”

“Kid, are you hungry?”

“Can’t you tell by looking at me?”

“Then follow me. At least you won’t go hungry.”

I knew resisting was pointless, so I followed him. He’d probably take me to the nearby police station and then to an orphanage. But I’d just run away again.

But the car passed the police station, and he started asking me questions.

“Kid, how old are you?”

“Dunno.”

“Kid, what’s your name?”

“Dunno.”

“Do you have any family or relatives?”

“If I did, would I be like this?”

“Hahaha… perfect.”

The man laughed heartily and handed me a bottle of water.

“Thirsty? Drink.”

The atmosphere made it seem like something bad would happen if I didn’t drink, so I gulped it down. My parched throat was soothed, but I immediately passed out.

When I woke up, there were hundreds of kids around my age. I was dumbfounded, sitting on a hard metal chair, looking around.

Everything there was gray too. The walls, the floor, the people—all gray.

The adults who brought us there started beating us without warning. Some kids were bleeding from their heads, others had broken teeth or bruises. My nose was bleeding, and my lip was split. The adults told us we’d died and were reborn through the beating.

They said they’d give us new names. But all they did was give us numbered tags. My number was 204.

“Now, we’ll call two numbers at a time. Those called will be partners from now on! You’ll eat, sleep, train, and carry out missions together! Don’t forget that!”

Then they gave us silver bracelets with our numbers on them.

They started calling numbers, and finally, it was my turn.

“200 and 204!”

I stepped forward, and a black-haired girl walked out, grinning. I didn’t get what was so great about being stuck in this dump. Her smile, the only thing shining in that gray space, annoyed me.

The adults led us to a room labeled [200204].

“From now on, this is your room. If you cause trouble, you’ll be punished accordingly.”

I nodded vaguely, but the girl raised her hand and answered cheerfully.

“Okay~!”

What’s so great about being stuck in this dump? The adult left us in a room with two old beds as the only furniture. The girl turned to me with the same smile and held out her hand.

“Hi, 204, right? Nice to meet you! I’m 200! We’re best friends from today, right?”

I didn’t know what nonsense she was spouting, so I answered bluntly.

“What’s a best friend? Speak so I can understand.”

“You know, like… the closest friend! Soulmates! Jajangmyeon and mandu! SpongeBob and Patrick! Red and Green! Luffy and Zoro!”

“I get the friend part, but what’s with the rest? Red? Green? SpongeBob? Patrick?”

“You don’t know them?”

“No, I don’t. And I have zero interest in being friends with you.”

Back then, I was a bit prickly, so I was cold to her. But that girl kept chattering nonstop during meals, free time, and even after lights out.

“Damn, you’re so noisy.”

“Wow, you’re swearing at a cute girl like me?”

“Seriously, shut the hell up. You’ve been yapping nonstop, it’s driving me crazy.”

“Wow, you’re good at swearing!”

200 clapped her hands like it was a compliment. Normally, people would swear back or throw a punch.

“Ugh, just shut up, you idiot…”

“That’s not my name.”

“Then what is it?”

“Yibai.”

“Idiot, that’s our number.”

What’s so great about being called by a number?

“It’s our new name. At least it starts with ‘Yi,’ so it’s better than ‘Chil.’ That’d be weird.”

“What are you even saying…”

“Let’s think of the numbers as our names… got it? I used to have a name, but I like this new one too!”

“Good for you.”

“Why are you like this, Bai?”

“What?”

I never had a real name, so being called by some weird name was ridiculous.

“Yi is our surname, and my name is Bai, and yours is Bai. How do you like it?”

Her idea was simple. 200 and 204, so Yi would be the surname, and Bai and Bai would be our names.

“Yeah, that’s a really dumb idea.”

“Hmm, if you don’t like it, should I give you a name? How about… Chunsik? Daesik? Dusik? Mansik?”

“I hate all of them. And why do they all end with ‘sik’?”

“…Because it’s cute?”

“Just let me sleep, please.”

“Nope, I’ll keep talking until I give you a name.”

After all that, I was exhausted. I’d slept like the dead on the way here, but that day was full of events, and Yibai stressed me out.

“Just call me Bai, damn it.”