Trash of the Count's Family

Cale started to speak.

“Jung So Hoon.”

“Why are you suddenly calling my name? Are you still not fully awake, sir?”

The person grumbling back was sitting in a corner of the room eating cup ramen.

Cale just stared at him. That made Jung So Hoon frown as he put down the chopsticks in his hand.

“…Should I boil another one?”

“I want regular ramen instead. Make sure to add an egg.”

“Ow.”

Jung So Hoon who got up while grumbling slowly headed to the small kitchen.

“Team leader-nim! Is this the time to be eating ramen? Are you eating one too because that punk is eating one?”

A woman who seemed to be in her early thirties gathered the documents on the table before frowning toward Cale.

“Kim Min Ah.”

She was the one who had shaken Cale awake earlier. She had headed toward the documents once Cale had opened his eyes.

“Yes, yes sir. My name is Kim Min Ah and that punk’s name is Jung So Hoon.”

“Ah, come on, assistant leader-nim. Please stop saying punk this, punk that. It's not nice to hear.”

“Not nice to hear?”

Kim Min Ah snorted as Jung So Hoon, the man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties grumbled.

“Should I make one for you too, Assistant Leader-nim?”

“No egg for me.”

“Ah. Looks like I’ll need to use two pots.”

Jung So Hoon looked through the cabinet and pulled out a pot as he grumbled.

Cale blankly sat there watching this.

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah.

Agent Jung So Hoon.

These two people were Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo’s team members. One was in charge of the support team while the other was in charge of the attack team.

Cale quietly sat there before starting to speak.

Kim Rok Soo’s voice had been coming out of his mouth since a few moments ago.

“I didn't come to work today?”

“Yes, sir. How about we go to work now?”

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah was glaring at Cale.

Cale lowered his head to see that he was wearing a track suit.

He could see Kim Rok Soo’s messy bed hair when he looked at the single mirror in the room.

“Team leader-nim, I didn't even go to the morning Time Attack to come to wake you up. Do you understand? You know how much they pay for those!”

Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah was in charge of one of Cale’s team's attack squads.

She was one of the members of the vanguard.

“I have a lot of documents to organize as well.”

Agent Jung So Hoon grumbled while putting the noodles and seasoning into the boiling water.

He was a supporter with healing abilities who had come out of a guild that shut down about two years ago.

The pot with ramen was soon placed in front of Cale.

Tap.

Two pots of ramen were placed on the table that was mainly used for eating.

“Here’s some kimchi.”

Kimchi was placed between the two pots.

Agent Jung So Hoon had already gone through the fridge to find the location of the side dishes.

“…Ha.”

Cale gasped as if he was shocked.

The corners of Jung So Hoon's lips twitched in response.

“It's unbelievable, right? I am very good at making ramen.”

“Team leader-nim, we’ll eat quickly and head out. Okay?”

Cale listened to the two of them as he picked up his chopsticks.

He put some ramen in his mouth.

It was a familiar and nostalgic taste and just too good.

‘…This is an illusion?’

Cale was shocked because it seemed so real.

He slightly raised his head.

Agent Jung So Hoon had pushed his cup ramen to the side and was eating microwaved rice with kimchi. Assistant Leader Kim Min Ah was quickly gulping down ramen.

‘…The two of them are illusions as well?’

Once Team leader Lee Soo Hyuk, Choi Jung Soo, and the others had passed on, Cale had drawn a clearer line with his employees.

“Ah! Assistant Leader-nim, Eun Soo is coming back soon, right? She said she was going to her grandma’s house or something?”

“Yes, she’s coming back tonight with her dad. You have a day off next Friday, right?”

“Yes. It’s my dad’s birthday and he’s been nagging at me to come down for a while. I'll be heading home for it.”

“Ah, have fun. Did you get him a gift?”

“He says money is best. He wants cold hard cash.”

“Cash is indeed best.”

was because they had

people without families had gathered together, people with families to take care of had gathered

not get close even when his subordinates

Sluuuuuuuurp.

warmed up eating the

‘…Did she say despair?’

to show Choi Han despair when she cast the illusion on

that she

was the

eyes looked up

it

He was asking himself.

had he not ended up at the

was it not showing him

soon realized

met with Team leader Lee Soo Hyuk who he had to send off during the worst moment of

dead, but the moment Team leader Lee Soo Hyuk

“Heh.”

Team leader-nim, why are you suddenly laughing? Is my ramen so good that you

probably finds your

Cale started to laugh.

his eyes as Cale Henituse inside ‘The

had no regrets about the

cherished friends, family,

been a bit

happen to his team

was what he had

for Kim Rok Soo who did not show up for work, and his subordinates such as

would they have seen

it have been

it have been

had not been enough to let go of the new life

curiosity for him to

However…

“I'm sorry.”

It’s fine to laugh at

we had to come to get him.

and Kim Min Ah each brushed

quite serious for

He realized it.

realized the despair that came looking for

down at the car. Please come down once you're

I do the

Ah and Jung So Hoon once he was

ready and head down. You don’t need to

“Yes, sir!”

rush so please feel free to take your

Screeeech.

two of them opened the door and headed out of his rental

Cale quietly observed them.

scenery outside the door was Kim Rok

will see you in a

“See you soon.”

Clack!

closed and the automatic lock made an odd noise as it

was left alone in the

He looked around.

outfit he always

hand toward

the shirt with the tips of his

the first time in a long while and

“Fun my ass.”

Kim Rok Soo’s lips twisted up

Tick. Tick. Tick.

a noise that

hand headed inside the top of

is an item from

it was an illusion from

that Kim Min Ah and Jung So Hoon could not hear that

Tick. Tick. Tick.

from the

Kim Rok Soo’s track suit

Tick. Tick. Tick.

I head out that door

letter, the item from the God of Death was still telling him that his remaining time was going

realized the identity of

more of a fear than

identity of his

In this world…

“It doesn’t exist.”

not real in Kim Rok Soo’s

was just a story inside a novel

Rok Soo experienced as Cale was fake and just part of a

have a lot of

after

then looked toward the closed

world was outside

he would not head out the

“I need to go.”

wake up from

pretty good idea about what

medium that connected Kim Rok Soo

grabbed ‘The Birth

he grabbed

Shhhh-

as he

It really

There was nothing written

Cale had never read

in Kim Rok

a corner of the couch and reached

of a

held this back

the illusion would break with

needed to do with this book to

a normal

it? Burn it? Maybe

debated before just opening

Flip. Flip.

turned page

arrived at the last

the next volume.

after seeing the

“How boring.”

then closed the