Wait, could this actually be a good thing?
Taking a moment, I calmly assessed my current situation.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large red bird swooped down, landing in the middle of the street. The young child was just about to walk into the alley when the bird blocked his way.
“Long time no see, Antonio.”
“Sent by Casimir, I presume?”
“You arrived earlier than I expected. I was informed it would take three days.” Antonio set his knitting aside.
“So, did you meet Fabio?”
“All this time, and not even a ‘how have you been’ from you.”
“Why did you bring the girls if we’re just going to sleep separately?”
A voice filled with frustration echoed throughout the cabin. Catching Bobby’s grumbling, William, with his neatly shaved head, shot him a sharp look. The flickering candlelight cast shadows that accentuated the firm muscles of William’s arms.
Seojun had already mentally packed his bags. Though he couldn’t brag about being the best clerk at Fred’s store, finding someone as competent as him wouldn’t be easy. For years, he had loyally served at the secluded Hamon convenience store without a single grumble. Naturally, he was bound to feel a sense of loss.
Seojun’s mind wandered through daydreams of traveling through America in a truck. His striking features were etched in a distant gaze, fingers absentmindedly tracing the surface of a lemon. Suddenly, the convenience store door swung open once more.
“Indeed, Antonio is truly a generous person.”
I roughly grasped what had happened.
Antonio must have known that I received a blessing not in accordance with the Order. Fearing that if I wandered near the Order’s altar without knowing anything, I might be branded as a heretic and face challenges.
There was a time when Independence Day meant August 15th to Seojun, not July 4th. Back then, his family name was different, but his first name—Seojun—stayed the same.
A jolt of surprise ran through me upon seeing the system message.
What? Hypnosis?
“You seem surprised.”
“Huh?”
“What startled you?”
My mind raced to find a plausible excuse.
A young man in a bright red uniform vest, which could easily remind one of a die-hard Republican supporter, stood in front of a beverage display, rubbing his smooth chin. He looked thoughtful, trying to figure out the best way to organize the jumbled assortment of drinks in front of him.
The day I first entered Antonio’s house, I realized something:
There are subtly expensive items everywhere.
Though Antonio lived modestly and it wasn’t immediately obvious, there were several items that a lower-class clergyman like him shouldn’t typically possess.