Chapter 7

Chapter 7 This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #3.

Chapter 7 – This is all Thanks to Good Neighbours #3

Seo Ha-ran left work 30 minutes later than usual.

After finishing her work, she usually cleaned up the things that the other workers didn’t. Today, however, the workload was greater than usual.

‘My younger brothers will be waiting…’

She often felt uneasy when walking down dark streets.

She wondered if she was doing well as a parent. She worked 12 hours a day, and yet still couldn’t afford to buy good clothes for her brothers.

“Cough!”

She suddenly coughed. She had inhaled heavy dust all day at the factory.

In addition, she lived in a cold, damp place where that didn’t receive any sunlight, so she always had a cold.

‘Still, tomorrow is my payday. Let’s have a samgyupsal party!’

Her younger brothers would be able to eat their fill.

She felt strength surging when she thought about her younger brothers.

‘Eh, that person is?’

There was a familiar shadow in the alley.

“Hmm, Tae-hyuk?”

“Um, how did you know?”

“Noona knows everything.”

Ha-ran smiled at her brother who came out to meet her when she came home late from work.

Tae-hyuk said bluntly.

“Why are you so late? I thought I was going to die from the cold while waiting. Let’s hurry.”

“Yes! Isn’t it cold?”

Ha-ran suddenly ran to Tae-hyuk and grabbed his arm.

[Robbery has been used.]

-You have failed in stealing the opponent’s belongings…

‘Ugh. Fortunately, it failed.’

“Ah, why are you doing this again?”

Tae-hyuk turned his head, but didn’t exactly hate it.

He took off his coat and put it on Ha-ran.

Ha-ran smiled sweetly.

Although her brother always showed a rough face, she knew that his heart was warmer than anyone else’s.

“Ah, right. Wear this.”

Tae-hyuk gave her a blindfold.

Ha-rank tilted her head.

“Is this your hobby these days?”

“…It’s not like that. Today is Noona’s birthday, so I’ve prepared a surprise party.”

“Ohh… Party?”

Ha-ran’s eyes shone in excitement. Her heart was still that of a teenage girl, after all.

Her eyes were covered as her brother guided her.

It should have taken them a long time to arrive at their home, though. Unexpectedly, they arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes.

“We’re here.”

Ha-ran slowly took off the blindfold and opened her eyes.

“Wah, a good home.”

It was like a house seen in a drama, a spacious three room house.

Additionally, there was even a luxurious sofa and a hanging chandelier. There was also a TV that seemed to be 50 inches wide.

Ha-ran asked just to make sure.

“Did you borrow a friend’s house for the birthday party?”

“No. This is our house.”

“… What does that mean?”

“Come on, everybody has been waiting. We should go inside.”

Tae-hyuk grabbed Ha-ran’s hand and dragged her inside.

He then brought her to a room with a sign that said, ‘Seo Ha-ran’.

There was a great cheer as soon as the door opened.

“Happy birthday Noona!”

“Congratulations on your birthday!”

Bang! Bang!

Firecrackers popped out.

Ha-ran covered her mouth in surprise.

She was so shocked that she couldn’t even scream.

Ha-ran looked around the room.

It was a dream room with a frilly bed and even cabinets. 

If she slept in here, then she would always feel like a princess.

“T-Tae-min ah! … And who are you?”

Inside the room, her younger brother, Tae-min, and a big stranger were both wearing a cone hat.

“Ah. This is Cho Kang-suk hyung. He helped me out quite a lot.”

Once Tae-hyuk introduced Kang-suk, Ha-ran greeted him with a bow.

“Haha! Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you from Tae-hyuk. I am Cho Kang-suk of the Gang-dong police station’s 2nd team.”

“Detectives…?”

Tae-hyuk said in a voice so small that only Ha-ran could hear.

“He is just a neighbourhood fool.”

“Ah, this child.”

“Have you eaten dinner yet? There isn’t much but let’s eat.”

There were beef steaks and a gorgeous cake. There was even a salad made of various fruits.

The recipient of this party was rather confused.

Ha-ran thought it might be a dream and pinched herself on the arm.

“Ahat!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a dream.

“Tae-hyuk What’s going on? What is this house?”

“Ah. It is like this.”

Tae-hyuk explain the situation in a simple manner.

He had chanced upon the whereabouts of a wanted criminal, so he filed a report and received a reward.

The money was then used to buy a house for his sister.

Ha-ran’s face reddened as she heard the story, and grabbed Tae-hyuk’s cheek as she pulled him out from the room.

“N-Noona. Isn’t this good?”

“That’s not it! A wanted criminal! What were you doing? It is dangerous! Huh? Are you hurt anywhere?”

At that moment, Tae-hyuk’s heart warmed on the inside.

She was more concerned for his well-being than this spacious house.

“O-Of course. Who am I? Noona’s little brother.”

Kang-suk, who had been listening from the room, interrupted their conversation.

“Haha. Noonim, don’t be so anxious. This is Tae-hyuk, who is a very sly guy. Even if he were to be thrown into Harlem, New York, he would still probably come out alive.”

“… Yes.”

Ha-ran grabbed Tae-hyuk’s ear this time and whispered.

“Then is he the detective responsible for catching the criminal?”

“Yes. He seems to have really become my hyung this past week.”

“I see.”

They gathered again and started the birthday party.

After singing happy birthday, they ate the food and talked.

“By the way, Noonim. You are much more beautiful than from what I heard in his stories.”

“Ey, don’t flatter me too much on my birthday.”

“Seriously.”

‘Kang-suk hyung…! You fall for women way too easily!’

Tae-hyuk’s head started hurting.

Tae-min, who was drinking juice on the side, suddenly approached Kang-suk.

“Detective Cho Kang-suk. I’ve seen the interview, and your speech on justice was great. Can I ask for your autograph?”

‘Tae-min also fell for him! A love triangle!’

Kang-suk chucked and signed while telling Tae-min to think of him as a hyung.

‘That reminds me, Tae-min. He wanted to be a lawyer?’

This time, Tae-hyuk wanted to see that dream come true.

It was at that moment that Ha-ran suddenly started to cry.

“Wahh!”

The confused Tae-hyuk asked.

“N-Noona. Why are you crying all of a sudden? Do you not like the food?”

“No, that’s not it…” I’m just so happy. My family living together in this nice home… The whole thing feels like a dream…”

“It isn’t a dream. So, the three of us will continue to live happily every after.”

“Y-yes.”

“Tae-hyuk, why is it just the three of you? What about me?”

Kang-suk interrupted.

Tae-hyuk waved his hand like he was shooing a bothersome fly.

“Hyung isn’t part of the family.”

“Chet.”

Ha-ran soon started to laugh again.

It was because Kang-suk started doing a strange dance.

It was surprisingly easy for Kang-suk to blend in with the family, as Tae-hyuk viewed Kang-suk as a trustworthy person.

‘A person like this is rare.’

In the past five days, he had helped Tae-hyuk in finding a home and buying furniture. He even used his arms to help move it.

If it were Kang-suk, then Tae-hyuk could entrust his family to him.

After thinking that, Tae-hyuk quietly left his seat and headed to his room.

The new house was so spacious that the three family members could each have a separate room.

‘I used 100 million to acquire this house, while the furniture costed 15 million won. The remaining balance is around 20 million.’

It would be the military funds for his work in the future.

Tae-hyuk sat at a desk and took out a notebook.

There were already many things written down. However, it still wasn’t enough.

There was a limit to the human memory, even more so if it was a dream. Therefore, he had to write down as many details about the dream before he forgot them.

Tae-hyuk saw what would happen in the next 15 years in a dream. Even if the ending was a tragedy, it was clear that this information would be very useful.

‘I should have memorized a lottery number.’

Most of the information that Tae-hyuk knew about the future was regarding criminals. They were huge criminals that caused a sensation around the country.

There were approximately 120 people.

Tae-hyuk opened the notebook and started writing down his own blacklist.

He wrote down things like: what had already happened, and what crimes were going to happen.

‘I also can’t forget about the crime skills.’

It didn’t matter if he couldn’t handle them properly yet. He should be able to make good use of them.

Tae-hyuk now had two weapons: his blacklist and the crime skills.

‘Who will be accused of murder?’

He would protect the small happiness he now possessed with his own two hands.

Tae-hyuk made this vow.

It was at that moment that the mirror suddenly vibrated.

[Due to a new contact, one affinity point has been acquired.]

“What? Did I get a point just now?”

Why did he get it all of a sudden?

Tae-hyuk didn’t even do anything.

Moreover, it wasn’t the end.

[The first upgrade condition, ‘Blacklist Creation’, has been completed.]

[Once all the upgrades conditions are complete, you will be able to upgrade to ‘Noble.’]

[If you become a Noble, then you can gain a wider variety of crime skills.]

Tae-hyuk muttered quietly after reading all the messages.

“Starting from a ‘Commoner’ and rising to a ‘Noble’? Am I going to develop into the God of Crime?”

His head started to hurt.