Chapter 26: 26 We Shook Hands

Ok, ok. I could have just denied everything and moved on. But what did I say? In every crisis, there was an opportunity, and I, being the suicidal idiot that I am, simply couldn’t resist. Instincts, man. You can't fight 'em.

I’d been wanting to involve Hajin for a while now, and honestly, what better way than having him confront me instead of me crawling to him? It was perfect! Sure, Kim Hajin would be naturally suspicious of me—no way he wouldn’t be. Hell, he might even accuse me of being some Co-Author of this twisted reality. So if he was going to suspect me anyway, why not lean into it? Use those suspicions to my advantage every single chance I got.

And when the truth eventually shone its blinding light, he’d realize I wasn’t an enemy at all. I was an ally.

Was it a convoluted strategy? Absolutely. Would it work? Maybe. Would it get me killed? Oh, probably. No big deal. But what if it worked? If it did, Kim Hajin would see me as a fellow countryman... not just any countryman but one from Earth, where we both originated. And if I managed to convince him I was a transmigrator like him in the same way he did, we’d be comrades, brothers-in-arms, living the dream together.

Writer. And. Reader. Hand-in-hand.

Was I treating my life a bit too lightly? Yes. But when you’re obsessed with the story like I was, there’s no other choice. I wasn’t about to screw things up. I’d gladly die for my favorite characters, and I wasn’t even lying.

"Before you shoot or anything, I just want to say… I’m a big fan."

Kim Hajin lowered his gun, blinking in confusion. “I’m sorry, I think I misheard.”

"Nope. You heard me right, I’m a big fan."

“Forget about it,” Hajin muttered, clearly eager to end this bizarre exchange as he turned around to escape the awkward mess he’d created. “Just know that I don’t trust you. And I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

But no, no, no. Not so fast. I wasn’t letting him off that easily. I took a step forward and grabbed him by the shoulder. “What’s that all about? You think you can just walk away after that? Sorry, pal. We need to talk…”

I couldn’t say it was the “parley” that saved my ass. No, I reckoned Hajin must have been under a lot of pressure, causing him to feel agitated and lash out. I felt for him.

“You know what? Screw it. Let’s go grab a drink at the nearby café,” I suggested, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m sure we all have our own episodes we go on and on about when we’re stressed. I’m not an exception. Even someone as bitchy as I can dive into episodes of paranoia.”

When Hajin finally lowered his gun, I sighed in relief. That was a bit too close for comfort.

Still, I saw an opportunity here. Why not embrace the suspicion? As a temporary friend, my connection with Hajin wasn’t as thick as I might have hoped. Maybe I could expose him to my truth little by little. One day, I’d tell him my origin, and together we could find allies in each other.

“It’s been on my mind a lot lately,” I said, taking a sip of my Americano. “Hero work is dangerous.”

We settled into a small café, sharing a table. I took a moment to savor the mix of bitterness and sweetness in my coffee. Hajin, meanwhile, sipped his latte, listening to me with passive interest. This was my chance, and I hoped he’d bite.

“I’m thinking about a different career path while still making use of my Hero License. Hajin, how about becoming my first client?”

Hajin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my sudden offer. I pressed on.

“I’m planning to avoid the frontlines as much as possible in the future, so I thought I’d set up a firm. I want to become a professional image manager to promote heroes and guard their popularity…”

I had been brainstorming this idea since the beginning. I didn’t even know if such a job existed, but my imagination knew no bounds. The only thing I could say for sure was that there was money in anything that could be price-tagged. After tossing and turning on my bed and brainstorming ways to get closer to Hajin, I finally decided on this odd job idea.

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“Come on! I’m going to strap you into a rocket towards stardom! It’s been my dream job to become an agent for a celebrity. I’m confident you’re already halfway there.” Of course, saying it was my dream job was a lie. It had been my ‘dream’ to play the role of an agent someday, but not like this.

Okay, there was this saying—keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Using Kim Hajin’s suspicion of me, I figured he’d probably accept my ridiculous offer. It wasn’t as if he could threaten me with murder right now if I wasn’t doing anything bad. He wasn’t like Chae Nayun, who would likely go on a murder spree the first chance she got if she found her reasoning logical and righteous. To be fair, the regressed Chae Nayun had been in a war before, so she probably thought like a disgruntled war veteran or something.

Hajin sat there in silence, deep in thought. Of course, he would be. There was no way he could resist the temptation of having a manager. After all, the more popular Hajin became, the more SP he’d accumulate, and the more powerful he could potentially grow.

The moment I caught a glimpse of hesitation in his eyes, I seized the opportunity, unwilling to let him go. “My job will involve setting up multiple social media accounts for you, advising you on ways to improve your image, and I’ll even be your errand boy. I already have a rough contract prepared. We can discuss it now, and I’m open to amending it as you like.”

“Hmmm…”

Hajin accepted my rough contract and began reading it with interest. “Why me?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “Why not Suho? I know you’re close to him. Moreover, 2 million won monthly… Hmmm… your monthly rate is 2 million won?”

Why? Was asking for two million won monthly too much? Or too little?

I quickly shook my head. “It’s a steal, I assure you! Think of all the benefits! Plus, I have a knack for getting people to like me—uh, I mean, you. Just imagine the endorsements! The sponsorships! We’ll make a killing!”

Hajin raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. “But it seems like you’re just trying to make a quick buck off my popularity.”

“Absolutely not!” I insisted, throwing my hands up in mock horror. “This is a long-term investment! You can think of it as laying the groundwork for your illustrious hero career. I’m basically doing you a favor here.”

He pondered my words for a moment. “And what’s in it for you, really?”

I grinned. “The satisfaction of seeing you shine like the star you are! Plus, you’ll be my first client! I can’t pass up the opportunity to ride on your coattails, can I?”

After a few moments of silence, Hajin sighed, clearly caught between exasperation and intrigue. “Fine. I’ll consider it. But I’m watching you, Hyon Hyung. One wrong move and…”

“Oh, please!” I cut him off, laughing. “I’m harmless! Besides, you can’t shoot your manager!”

“Right,” he replied, rolling his eyes but with a hint of a smile. “You’re lucky I’m curious about this whole ‘image manager’ thing.”

“Okay, let me reiterate my question. If not Suho or anyone else, why me?” Hajin asked, his brow still furrowed in suspicion.

I quickly jumped in to explain my reasoning. “At first, I thought about picking Suho as a client. But I changed my mind because I believe I’ll have more clout after making you famous. Come on, an Extra suddenly gaining a name? Now that is one hell of an achievement! Just imagine the number of heroes willing to come to me to get popular. After graduation, I’ll be setting up my firm and swimming in money in no time!”

“But…” He hesitated, the doubt still lingering in his eyes.

Seeing him falter, I switched gears, determined to make a substantial promise. “How about this? I don’t need to be paid for the process and the work I do. It’s the ‘result’ that I’m selling. You just need to invest your time with me and pay me 2 million won a month. I earn a bit of cash, and you get a shot at being famous. You might be wondering what certain benefits you’ll get out of this. Don’t worry; it’s all in here...” I tapped the contract in Hajin’s hand, prompting him to read more of it.

“You are very persistent…” he commented, his face a mix of fatigue and resignation. “Fine, I’ll put my trust in you. I will pay you 2 million won a month, but I’ll bail out if there’s no substantial progress.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that.

Kim Hajin then decided to sign the contract, feeling that it was in his best interest. After all, there wouldn’t be much of a loss to him since two million won a month was just chump change for the great Kim Hajin. Fame, while intangible, would prove valuable in boosting his capital too, so there was no loss in hiring me—as long as I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Still, did Hajin even need to worry about money? I regretted not asking for more salary. With his wealth of knowledge about the future, the more money he had this early on, the more he could leverage that knowledge.

I envied that part of him. I knew the future too, but not nearly as much as he did.

I smiled and extended my hand for a shake. Hajin took it, and I felt a sense of triumph wash over me. Oh, how I would certainly help Hajin become more popular so he could earn more SP! In the future, I planned to cash in this favor and have him use his SP for my sake. Hopefully, by that time, he’d kindly lend me his Setting Intervention.

“Welcome to the team, Hajin,” I said, beaming as we shook hands. “This is going to be an exciting journey!”