Holy B-Class Life

#018

Yoon Pa-ran frowned at Yoonseul’s words.

It was truly unexpected. And it was the most serious of all the things that had happened so far.

“Why?”

“Well… We received a notice from the government.”

“What?”

With a troubled face, Yoon Pa-ran looked at the document Yoonseul handed over.

It was a kind of official document sent by the government. It stated that they had failed the subsidy application review again, and that they could apply for subsidies again in some areas.

In simple terms, it meant if they wanted to receive subsidies again, they should move the orphanage.

“These bastards think moving is easy?”

“Sigh… The reason for the subsidy rejection is the same as last time. This is serious.”

Two years ago, the subsidies that had been supporting the orphanage were suddenly cut off completely.

They tried to find out why through every possible means, but couldn’t understand the reason. Only after Yoon Pa-ran went to the relevant department and turned it upside down did they hear the nonsense that it was due to ‘decrease in the number of children’.

Even though at the time, the orphanage was caring for more than ten newborns.

Since the subsidies were cut off, they didn’t accept new children. They did their best to send the existing children to good homes due to the uncertain future.

As they did their best, the nonsense about ‘decrease in the number of children’ was gradually becoming a reality.

“Coincidentally, someone contacted us saying they want to buy the orphanage land. I’m troubled.”

“…Someone came saying they want to buy the land?”

Yoon Pa-ran’s face wrinkled at the news that someone had expressed interest in purchasing.

Their neighborhood wasn’t a place with particularly expensive land prices. The orphanage building was large and occupied a wide area, but it wasn’t valuable.

And now someone conveniently came saying they want to buy it?

“How much are they offering?”

He asked without much expectation, but the director’s response was even worse than he anticipated.

“Well… From what I heard, it seems to be the same people who came two years ago…”

“What? Those guys came again?”

After the subsidies were cut off two years ago, the director considered moving. With the thought of reducing the size of the large orphanage a bit. It was just before Ju-hee was about to enter elementary school.

However, the guys who came at that time offered a ridiculous price. When they said it wasn’t enough even to move with that amount, they spouted nonsense about just closing down the orphanage.

He remembered they even brought a list of orphanages to move the children to, as if they were being generous. But the director, after visiting those places, felt something was off and couldn’t send the children there.

At that time, Yoon Pa-ran also had an unusually ominous feeling, so he supported that decision.

“The price they’re offering is lower than last time. But this time, they’re not telling us to send the children somewhere else.”

As an urgent measure, the director took out a loan using the orphanage land as collateral. But since it wasn’t valuable land to begin with, it wasn’t much help.

Yoon Pa-ran was also in the early stages of his hunter life and didn’t have much money saved up. Because before he settled down, a lot of money was spent on equipment and medical expenses.

He tried to offer what little money he had saved, but Yoonseul flatly refused. Whether stubbornness is inherited even without blood ties, she absolutely wouldn’t let Yoon Pa-ran spend money.

However, they could only hold out for a year. For some reason, even the donations from local companies for social contribution gradually decreased.

From then on, Yoon Pa-ran started making donations without listening to Yoonseul.

Until today, the two of them had been struggling to protect this place.

“Something feels off.”

Some kind of intuition or unknown sensation irritated Yoon Pa-ran’s nerves.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that the subsidy cut was really for that reason. But these people who were quiet for two years suddenly expressed interest in buying right after the official document arrived?

It felt like a stench was emanating from that piece of paper called an official document.

Seeing Yoon Pa-ran’s angry demeanor, the director opened her mouth with a weak smile.

“Pa-ran.”

Her wrinkled hand gently touched Yoon Pa-ran’s shoulder.

Though it was a feeble force, Yoon Pa-ran tried to suppress his temper, afraid he might hurt her if he moved.

“Mom can handle this, so don’t worry too much. I’m already so grateful that you’re taking care of Ju-hee and Min-woong.”

Her words were far from satisfying to Yoon Pa-ran.

Especially now that he knew the orphanage’s circumstances all too well.

“Mom feels so sorry that you’re pouring all the money you earn here. From now on, you should save for your future.”

“…”

“With the money you save, you could find a normal job later. Something not so dangerous.”

The person who hated Yoon Pa-ran becoming a hunter the most was Yoonseul.

At that time, she cried her eyes out when Yoon Pa-ran awakened, begging him not to do such dangerous work. However, for Yoon Pa-ran, who hadn’t learned much else, being a hunter was still the way to earn the most money.

It seems her worries had grown again after seeing him being carried out unconscious this time.

“For now, let me look into this in detail. If they come again saying they want to buy the land, contact me right away.”

“Alright. But absolutely no dangerous actions.”

“Ah, do you still think I go around picking fights?”

Yoonseul just smiled faintly at Yoon Pa-ran’s exasperation.

As he left the director’s office with a troubled mind, he chewed on his lip.

‘Kiss me from now on.’

For a very brief moment, Dan Joo-hyuk’s proposed contract passed through his mind, but he shook his head violently.

❖ ❖ ❖

Two more days passed.

The gate entry ban still hadn’t been lifted. It was frustrating, but in the current situation, he couldn’t enter the gate where communication would be cut off.

When the awaited phone call came, Yoon Pa-ran quickly went up to the rooftop so the other siblings couldn’t hear.

“Hyung. Did you find anything out?”

―Hah… Pa-ran. About that…

Park Min-soo struggled to speak to the urgently asking voice. Standing in a slouched posture, Yoon Pa-ran anxiously waited for his words.

Park Min-soo was two years older than Yoon Pa-ran. They kept in touch occasionally due to the bond formed growing up together at this orphanage.

In particular, he was the person Yoon Pa-ran knew who studied the hardest. Now he was working as a civil servant after passing the exam.

Two days ago, Yoon Pa-ran had pressed him to find out even rumors, though Min-soo said he didn’t know much as a low-level employee.

―Well… As I said then, there’s a limit to what I can find out. I just looked through some complaint records filed in the area near the orphanage while searching the computer system.

“Complaints? Why?”

His heart habitually sank.

All the children playing with Min-woong in the playground were from the neighboring area. The children attending Ju-hee’s school were from that district too.

―You know, people who make trouble just because there’s an orphanage.

“…”

There was deep fatigue in Park Min-soo’s voice. Why wouldn’t he understand? This was a sensation that could only be shared among those who survived in the same place.

―Well, those weren’t properly processed as complaints anyway.

“Damn…”

It was also the first thorn of the world that children from orphanages faced. Some people perceived orphanages as a kind of hate facility.

―Apart from that, I honestly didn’t find out much. There’s a rumor that the neighborhood might be designated as a safety special zone, but… it’s just a baseless rumor.

“Safety special zone?”

When an area is designated as a safety special zone, hunters are assigned there as a top priority. Since gates appeared randomly and equally in all areas, this was the best safety measure the government could provide.

If the orphanage was included in that safety special zone, it would be perfect. It would ensure the safety of the children.

―And about that official document, it’s a bit strange because usually, this form is issued after five consecutive selection failures.

“We’ve only applied three times so far.”

―Right. But this might be because the related manual has changed a bit…

It might be nothing, but it still felt unsettling.

As Yoon Pa-ran was lost in thought and couldn’t say anything, Park Min-soo carefully added.

―But that’s just a guidance, so in reality, there’s no guarantee you’ll be selected even if you move and apply again. You need to consider each local government’s regulations too.

With these words, Yoon Pa-ran’s mind grew increasingly cold.

He kept getting an ominous feeling. And most of the time, the ominous feelings Yoon Pa-ran had as a hunter tended to come true.

If this area was really going to be designated as a safety special zone. If someone was trying to drive out facilities like the orphanage in advance because of that.

The government support being cut off from the beginning might have been aimed at this too. It was truly a dog-eat-dog situation.

As Yoon Pa-ran remained silent, feeling strangely numb inside, Park Min-soo struggled to continue speaking.

―I’m sorry I couldn’t help more, Pa-ran.

When he even apologized, Yoon Pa-ran snapped back to his senses.

“Why are you sorry, hyung?”

In fact, it was already grateful that Park Min-soo had looked into this much.

The graduates of the orphanage all got along well enough to visit the director occasionally. However, there was no need to ruin their own future to help the orphanage.

“Thanks for looking into it. It’s fine now, so don’t investigate any further. Just be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.”

―Alright. I’ll visit the director soon.

Yoonseul always told Yoon Pa-ran the same thing. To prioritize himself more.

But that wasn’t what he wanted to do.

“Hah…”

Yoon Pa-ran, having ended the call, let out a long sigh. From now on, he had to handle things on his own, but honestly, he felt a bit lost.

Then suddenly, Yoon Pa-ran thought of Dan Joo-hyuk.

At first, the ridiculous contract that guy proposed flashed through his mind. Even if money was tight, there were other things to consider; it was absurd.

But then his feelings became a bit strange. Somehow, these coincidental situations felt like they were driving him somewhere.

Surely that bastard hadn’t pulled some strings, right?