Vacation (3)
[Citizen Kim Dabin's trust level has increased.]
[Citizen Kim Dabin's trust level has reached 100.]
[You have acquired 'Telepathy.']
Kim Dabin's telepathy seemed to be the most useful ability gained so far.
There was a similar ability, the Ring of Communication, but it only allowed communication with vassals.
Now, with the acquisition of the telepathy ability, it was possible to communicate with ordinary citizens as well.
At that moment, Kim Dabin spoke up.
"Jaehyun, do you have a moment?"
"Why?"
"There's a dessert place I really like. I wanted to introduce it to you. My treat!"
"Really? Where is it located?"
Just as he was about to use the Gate of the Absolute, Kim Dabin said,
"Today, I feel like walking. I want to take in more of the city scenery."
"Shall we, then? I was out for a walk myself, actually."
"Perfect. It takes about twenty minutes to walk to the café from here. I'll guide us."
Following Kim Dabin's lead, they began walking toward the bustling area.
The shopping district right in front of the apartment complex looked even more developed than it did before the monsters began appearing.
This was likely because the "home territory" had expanded outward from the apartment complex, leading to a revitalized local economy.
"There are a lot of sushi places."
"That's true."
Perhaps because of the days when sea monsters were hunted for food, there were plenty of sushi restaurants around-even though they weren't near the
sea.
Next to sushi places, barbecue joints were the most common.
Maybe because it was lunchtime, the smell of grilled meat spread in every direction, enticing passersby.
There were also other places: spicy chicken stew, homestyle Korean meals, pork cutlets, ramen shops, and so on.
All sorts of restaurants lined the street, and many people were waiting in line outside.
'This might be the first time I've actually come out and seen it all like this.'
It felt a bit different from viewing it through the Eyes of the Absolute.
'Most of this food I've already tried, though...'
All of these restaurants were once busy uploading their food to the marketplace in the early days.
A 5% fee was considered just a delivery cost, and since the uploaded food wouldn't spoil or get cold, it was relatively cost-effective.
Thanks to that, it was easy to buy meals through the marketplace.
Even now, tons of dishes were being uploaded daily, and many people continued to use the system.
'I used to wonder why anyone would bother opening a physical store...'
Now that he was seeing it in person, it made sense.
"So, what I did back then was..."
"I still can't forget that time. Because..."
"Great job, everyone!"
The lively chatter and bustling atmosphere-
Everyone had missed it.
All those things that used to be part of everyday life, taken for granted.
Meeting people, sharing drinks, enjoying good food, and having relaxed conversations—
It was that kind of ordinary life they longed for.
Looking at a packed restaurant, Kim Dabin spoke up.
"I think I should start organizing team dinners from now on."
"That sounds good."
"Oh."
"What's wrong?"
"I just realized I didn't bring any cash. I left in a rush. We probably need cash to eat at the restaurant, right?"
Seeing her worry, he reassured her.
"Don't worry. Cash isn't really used much these days."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's still used, but most people prefer the marketplace instead."
South Korea had already shifted into a largely cashless society after the rise of card payments.
The recent surge in cash use had been due to the high transaction fees in direct trades between citizens.
But with the arrival of the marketplace system, the paradigm had completely changed.
"You're saying people use the marketplace?"
"Yes."
"How does that work?"
Since Kim Dabin had been tied up with office work, she wasn't aware of the latest developments.
Even though she was well-versed in administrative matters, she couldn't know everything.
"Look at the people coming out of that restaurant over there."
"...Is that paper?"
"Yep. That's basically a receipt. They upload that slip onto the marketplace at the listed price, and consumers buy it from there."
"Ah..."
With a stunned look on her face, Kim Dabin continued.
"That's incredible. I didn't think the marketplace could be used like that...
Although no one knew who first came up with the method, it had now become a universal practice among all restaurants.
"The café you're going to, Ms. Dabin, will probably be the same, so there's no need to carry cash. And..."
I summoned a bundle of cash stacked in the corner of the room using the warehouse.
"Even if it's cash, there's nothing to worry about."
Passing through Jeonpo-dong Café Street and arriving at Seomyeon gave a more bustling city vibe.
There was no trace left of the streets once filled with destroyed buildings and
corpses.
Now, just like in the past, there were clothing stores, hot dog stands, arcades, and coin karaoke rooms all operating.
I muttered a question I had always wondered about.
"By the way, how are all of these being run? Surely not all the owners survived."
I continued watching the streets come alive through the eyes of the Absolute Being, but I still didn't fully understand how it all worked.
Then Kim Dabin casually offered an explanation.
"Basically, the places are rented out to those who were first to occupy them. And if someone has reasonable grounds to claim ownership of a building or house just as you instructed-we recognize it as private property. If the building owner hasn't shown up, then ownership is transferred to the business owner who was renting and operating the store. It was an idea to revitalize the commercial areas, and I'm proud it's worked better than expected."
Her eyes sparkled, perhaps because the topic related to her work.
"What about stores with no owner?"
"The person who revitalized the shop gets to keep the profits. That's why a former café part-timer ended up becoming the owner."
"What if the original owner shows up?"
"By default, the rights go back to the original owner. But we require them to compensate the person who revived the business. If they can't pay, the shop is then co-managed, with shares divided."
"Weren't there any problems?"
"There haven't been many cases like that yet, so things have been resolved smoothly."
When I silently looked at her, Kim Dabin tilted her head and asked,
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
"No, it's just..."
"Just?"
"I just thought I'm really glad I met you, Ms. Dabin."
Honestly, without Kim Dabin, I felt society would still be struggling to get back on its feet.
"
'...Thank you for the compliment. But honestly, Director Jo Jun-pil and
Attorney Lee Jong-seok worked even harder than I did."
There were many capable individuals among the citizens.
Former 30-year civil servants, lawyers, detectives, firefighters, doctors, and so
"They're definitely impressive too, but placing the right people in the right roles-that's all thanks to you, Ms. Dabin."
"...Thank you."
Thanks to Kim Dabin's efforts, Seomyeon had regained some of its former liveliness, but not all the scars had healed.
The farther we got from the central apartment complex, the more the number of shops dwindled, until eventually, we began to see abandoned buildings left in ruins.
There were no corpses, but we could still spot bloodstains here and there or debris left behind.
'Still, this is a huge improvement.'
The revival was still limited to areas near the apartment complex, but I had no doubt the reach would gradually expand over time.
"There it is."
The café Kim Dabin brought me to was on the second floor of a quiet building.
It was a moderately sized café with about ten tables, and I was surprised to see that all the seats were full except for one by the window.
"Looks like a lot of people come here?"
"Yes. The cake here is really good."
While it may have once been at the center of Seomyeon, now the café was on the outskirts, with hardly any foot traffic.
Yet so many people were here-it had to mean the cake really was that good.
"What would you like?"
"I'll have an iced Americano, please."
"Two iced Americanos and one Nutella chiffon cake, please."
"Got it. Your order has been placed."
Mollet Café also used a similar payment method.
They wrote the number 89 on the café's business card and uploaded it to the exchange, and Kim Dabin had found and purchased it.
After confirming it, the owner handed over a pager and said,
"Please wait at your table."
Café Mollet had a cozy interior filled with cute decorations that created a warm atmosphere, which I really liked.
Sitting on a couch where plush dolls had already claimed their spots, we waited briefly before the coffee and cake arrived.
"Try it."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy this."
The moment I poked the chiffon with my fork, I could already feel the delightfully fluffy texture.
Taking a bite of the soft, sweet cake instantly lifted my mood.
Just as Kim Dabin had confidently said, the dessert was excellent.
"It's delicious."
"Right?"
With a knowing smile, Kim Dabin took a bite of the Nutella chiffon and smiled with happiness.
Then she turned to me and asked,
"Mr. Jaehyun, do you know where chiffon cake was first created?"
"Huh?"
"Chiffon means 'rag' in French, but you can think of it as silk.
It was given that name because it has an elegant taste, like silk. It's a dessert that first appeared in the 1940s. But..."
I could understand how Kim Dabin was able to handle things so meticulously.
'She's really smart.'
Even if someone's really into desserts, can they really know this much?
While listening to the long history of chiffon, time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we had finished off the cake.
"That was fun. Should we get going now?"
But Kim Dabin was even more serious about desserts than I had thought.
"Should we have just one more before we go?"
Only after studying the history of another cake were we finally able to get up.
But then-
"Phew. Let's go now."
""
"Yes! The next café is called Knockout, and the tiramisu there is really good!"
Ah.
That day, I was only freed from her after we visited three cafés and studied a total of six different desserts.
***
Most of South Korea's military forces were concentrated near the front line close to the 38th parallel.
Because, officially, the war had not yet ended.
Naturally, the rear areas had relatively weaker military presence and weaponry, and as such, artillery was rarely stationed in the rear.
In truth, the rear wasn't considered combat force but more of supporting troops, due in part to the fact that the capital, Seoul, was located quite close to the front lines.
The rear's role was mainly to train recruits, educate reservists, and run civil defense drills.
However, there were a few exceptions where rear units played a critical role.
Hanbit, Kori, Wolsong, Hanul-
These were nuclear power plants stationed in the rear areas.
If anything were to happen to a nuclear power plant, the entire country could face a catastrophic crisis.
And that was why-
With the appearance of monsters, the related military units made every effort to defend the nuclear plants.
But there were limits to what they could do.
And today-
KABOOOM!
Something exploded at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]
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