The Bridge to Do Jiwan

“My name’s Lee Jungho. You’re Shin Jiho, right?”

“Yes….”

The man who introduced himself as Jungho looked older at a glance.

He told me to call him hyung, so I nodded.

Though this was our first real conversation, it seemed he already knew Shin Jiho.

Apparently, we had passed each other in the hallway of this studio building a few times.

He said he learned my name when a package was mistakenly delivered to him once.

“You little punk. You always walked around looking gloomy, so I thought you were weird. Turns out you really are weird.”

Hyung chuckled.

I realized the first “weird” had meant something bad, while the second was meant humorously.

Embarrassed, I reached for a drink and then paused.

“Ah… thank you. For the porridge. And the drinks….”

“It wasn’t much. Think of it as a housewarming gift.”

Calling it a housewarming gift was strange, but it seemed he was saying it that way so I wouldn’t feel burdened.

In heaven, something like this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Everyone was individualistic.

Whether I lay crying on the ground or not, no one would have cared.

‘At most, they might have advised me to cry somewhere less public.’

Back then, I hadn’t understood this kind of help and concern.

But now, as Shin Jiho, I was truly grateful.

“So, do you have some kind of worry? I don’t know if I can help, but tell me. Sharing concerns makes them lighter.”

He added that if it was too hard, I didn’t have to talk.

But I told him about Shin Jiho’s situation.

The massive debt.

And how there was no clear way to repay it.

‘Well… debt is something I can repay.’

Unlike Shin Jiho, I wasn’t too anxious about it.

Not because I intended to ignore it, but because with my abilities, earning money would be easy.

‘Unlike angels, humans have limited lifespans.’

And fragile bodies.

Unless carefully maintained, their physical functions sharply declined from their thirties onward.

I couldn’t extend lifespan.

But I could restore health.

With holy power.

‘If I completely repair Shin Jiho’s damaged body, I’ll be able to properly use divine power….’

What if I approached wealthy families and offered to fix their ruined bodies?

I could earn money that way and repay the debt.

Of course, I couldn’t say any of this.

So I only explained Shin Jiho’s situation.

Hyung fell into deep thought.

“Hmm… what about filing for bankruptcy?”

“There are loan sharks involved. I don’t know if bankruptcy would end it.”

“Ha… really? Then what do we do? Are you working?”

“…No.”

A big reason Shin Jiho had chosen death was because he lost his part-time job.

Loan sharks had shown up at his workplace.

The owner, wanting to avoid trouble, fired him.

One might wonder why they would sabotage his livelihood when that made repayment harder.

But they didn’t want him to earn money legitimately.

‘They wanted to make me a mining s*ave.’

Though Shin Jiho was only D-rank and weak as a Hunter, D-rank was still enough to enter dungeons.

Some dungeons produced minerals.

Loan sharks often sent people like me there as forced labor.

‘If you enter as a mining s*ave, there’s a 99% chance you die.’

Even if you survived the 1%, you couldn’t leave the dungeon until the debt was repaid.

By then, your career would be severed.

Keeping up with society would be overwhelming.

And you’d be starting from zero.

No one would hire you.

To survive, you’d drift back to loan sharks.

Your life would loop endlessly.

‘That’s the terrifying part.’

Even surviving wasn’t truly living.

So Shin Jiho chose to escape through death.

And succeeded.

As no solution emerged, the mood darkened.

Silence lingered.

Then Hyung spoke hesitantly.

“…Then, do you want to try working where I work?”

“Where you work?”

“Yeah. It’s subcontracted… but under a major corporation. If you work there, loan sharks won’t approach easily.”

“A major corporation?”

“Yeah. Domun Group. Domun Guild’s assist team.”

Assistants were essentially errand workers.

Sometimes even miners.

But better than mining slaves.

“It’s not mining work, right?”

I needed to meet Do Jiwan quickly.

I was about to decline when Hyung added,

“No. Our team directly assists the Guild Leader. You know him, right? Do Jiwan. We assist the dungeons he enters, so no mining.”

“Hyung. I’ll do it.”

I grabbed the chance immediately.

As Shin Jiho, meeting Do Jiwan wasn’t easy.

He wasn’t a chaebol.

There was no connection.

But now, my neighbor was offering to become that bridge.

I couldn’t miss it.

“Good choice, punk. I’ll tell the company. You can even get daily pay if you need urgent cash.”

He told me to come to work with him tomorrow and rest for now.

Before leaving, he took out 100,000 won and handed it to me.

“Hyung, it’s okay.”

“Who said it’s a gift? It’s a loan. Pay me back later.”

He forced it into my hand and hurried back to his room.

I was deeply grateful.

‘We only properly talked today… yet he cares.’

My chest tightened.

I swore I would repay this kindness someday.

Since Shin Jiho had canceled his phone plan before intending to die, I had to re-register at the agency.

‘At least he paid the bills before canceling.’

Using his lingering memories, I accessed his bank account and withdrew everything.

1,000,000 won.

His entire fortune.

Including Hyung’s 100,000 won, I now had 1.1 million won.

I needed clothes.

Shin Jiho had thrown them away before dying.

I bought clothes and shoes.

Cut my hair short.

His face, once hidden by long hair, looked pale and gloomy from lack of sunlight.

“Oh my, you’re quite handsome.”

The neighborhood hairdresser laughed cheerfully.

I paid and returned home.

The next morning, Hyung’s eyes widened.

“Oh? You cut your hair?”

“Yes. I thought it might get in the way at work.”

“Good choice! You look refreshed.”

He seemed happy seeing my changed demeanor.

Yesterday I had been hopeless.

Now I showed will to live.

“Do I need to prepare anything else?”

“No. Clothes and gear are provided. Just bring yourself.”

Following him, I got into his car and headed to the company.

“Boss, I brought the kid I mentioned yesterday.”

As soon as we entered, he greeted a middle-aged man.

After I bowed, the man told me to follow him into his office.

“Did you bring your résumé?”

“Yes. Here.”

He scanned it and clasped his hands.

“Assistant work isn’t that hard. Honestly easier than construction labor. Except when dangerous situations arise.”

“Yes.”

“Yet this industry is always short on people. Even under a major corporation like us. Know why?”

“Yes. Roughly….”

“Why?”

“Because only Hunters… can be assistants.”

Hunters cleared dungeons.

Hunters assisted them.

If one side killed monsters gloriously while the other ran errands, how would the latter feel?

Especially when pay differed greatly.

“That’s right. You’re D-rank? Even lazily clearing D-rank dungeons earns twice what assistants make.”

The higher the dungeon rank, the wider the pay gap.

Hunters risked their lives.

But people only saw the money.

So many left assistant work quickly.

“I don’t want half-hearted people. I don’t need those who quit chasing Hunter glory.”

“……”

“I don’t usually accept rookies. But you’re Jungho’s recommendation. Don’t make me regret it.”

In that sense, I was the perfect recruit.

For Shin Jiho, who had nothing, there was no surer way to stay by Do Jiwan’s side than this.