Side Story 24. That Man

Your ramen is the best, Seol!

Today again, Hugo was starting his morning at Seol Jihus ramen restaurant.

Hey, I see youve got some new ramens on the menu, Seol!

Ah, yes.

But whats up with these names? Seo Yuhui Ramen? Phi Sora Ramen?

Um. Yeah, things just turned out that way.

Seol Jihu let out a cough.

Hugo didnt seem to mind.

Anyway, your ramen tastes so good that I feel guilty about eating them alone. I want everyone to have a bite!

I mean, you can always bring them here.

Seol Jihu answered simply to Hugos loud exclamation.

Oh, Id love to, but unfortunately, theyre not Earthlings.

Yeah? Do you want it to go, then?

No, no, thats okay. Theres a whole bunch of kids, and I also dont want the noodles to get all mushy on the way.

I see. Wait a second. Kids?

Seol Jihus eyes widened.

Hugo, youre married?

No way!

Hugo jumped in surprise.

As if! Im still single.

But, you just said.

Oh, that? Thats nothing. Im just looking after a few kids.

Hugo smiled awkwardly before suddenly shooting up from his chair.

Man, that was good! Now that my stomachs full, I gotta go do some work.

Yeah, right. I bet youre going off somewhere to drink.

Quipped Chohong, who was eating ramen in the seat next to Hugo.

But seriously, whats with the hurry? Youre always stalling to spend more time with l.u.s.t Unni, but today you seemed to be in a rush.

I told you. I have work.

What, like an expedition or something?

Not in Paradise. Im going back to Earth.

Earth? Oh, youre going there?

Chohong smirked.

Youre so devoted to them~

Listening to their conversation, Seol Jihu tilted his head.

Where are you going?

Hmm? Ah, nowhere. Just home.

Home.

Seol Jihu asked, turning his eyes away.

Where are you from again, Hugo?

Hugo stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head around and grinned.

Detroit!

*

Richard Hugo was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother abandoned Hugo and his little brother at an orphanage shortly thereafter.

Its common, really, for a kid whos brought up in a not-so-ideal environment to perform poorly at school, fall in with the wrong crowd, and spiral down the wrong path. Stories like his were common in Detroit, especially in the slums.

By the time he became an adult, Hugos life was full of weariness. He spent all day roaming the streets with his friends and often got into fights. His day began with alcohol and ended with alcohol. He wanted nothing from life, but sometimes when he was completely drunk and walked along the Detroit River, he felt the urge to jump into the dark waters. He had no hope, no dream.

Even that day, Hugo was staggering along the streets at night. Only the sound of falling rain filled the air until suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rang out.

Hugo scoffed. This was no surprise to him. Gunshots were heard at least twice a day in some parts of Detroit. He clicked his tongue and continued walking.

But by coincidence or by a quirk of fate, Hugo had to stop before he could even walk a few steps. He saw a woman running toward him from the opposite direction, panting and puffing.

The woman also noticed Hugo and came to a sudden stop. A look of fear crossed her face. Her suit was soaked in the rain but still looked pricey and certainly out of place for the neighborhood she was in. Hugo couldnt help but wonder what someone like her was doing here at this hour. She seemed to be running from a mugger with a gun.

Ah. f.u.c.k.

The woman saw Hugo and bit her lip. She seemed to have mistaken him as the muggers comrade.

Stupid. She shouldve just handed over her wallet. Then at least her life wouldnt be in danger. Hugo thought to himself as he turned away from the woman. He didnt want to get involved in something like this.

The woman stared at Hugo as he tried to walk past her toward the side road.

A light flickered in her eyes.

Help!

Realizing that he was just a pa.s.serby, she shouted quickly. Of course, that did nothing to change Hugos mind, but at least it kept him on the scene long enough for the three muggers to arrive.

The trio flinched at the sight of Hugo and raised their guard.

Who the f.u.c.k are you? Are you friends with this b.i.t.c.h?

One of them asked, aiming his rain-soaked gun at Hugo.

No way. Im an innocent bystander who just happens to be pa.s.sing by.

Hugo raised his hands into the air.

What? Haha! Do you think were gonna buy that?

Hey, wait a minute, I feel like Ive seen him somewhere before.

Two men standing next to the man with the gun snickered.

The gunman gestured with his chin with the gun still pointed at Hugo.

I suggest you get lost. Not that way, but this way, so we can see you.

Sure, Ill get out of your hair.

Hugo moved slowly, with his hands still in the air. He could feel the womans gaze on him, but it didnt bother him. However, just as he was about to pa.s.s the trio.

Wait.

The gun changed its direction.

I changed my mind. I wanna play safe.

As soon as the gun locked on him, Hugo turned around at lightning speed. All the mugger could see the next moment was the thick arm flying toward his face.

Aaaak!

A terrified shriek rang out.

Tang! Tang! The sound of gunshots filled the alley.

Everything happened so quickly that the mugger couldnt make sense of what was going on. His vision distorted, and his back bent. He felt an explosive pain in his right shoulder as it was forcibly dislocated. And his handit felt empty. He clenched his fist instinctively. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

He felt the coldness of his own gun on his neck.

No

Tang! The sound of a gunshot filled the air.

Blood spattered everywhere.

The muggers body twitched once and then helplessly fell to the ground.

The remaining two finally realized the seriousness of the situation and began to move. One of them rushed at Hugo from behind, and the other quickly pulled his gun out as he moved away from Hugo.

Watch out!

The woman shut her mouth because she saw Hugo was already moving. Hugo turned around and smashed the muggers face with his elbow. At the same time, without even looking, he aimed his gun sideways and fired.

It happened simultaneouslythe mugger, who jumped from behind, fell to the ground with his hands wrapped around his temple, and the mugger with the gun flew across the alley.

Hugo looked down at the mugger on the ground with a scoff.

He aimed his gun at him without hesitation.

P- Please.

Tang!

The mugger stopped moving.

The pool of crimson spread wide across the ground and mixed with rain.

The woman, who had been watching the whole fight from the beginning, looked puzzled.

Hm. I wonder where theyre from. They aint bad.

She stared at Hugo with eyes full of shock as he examined the gun, turning it over in his hand.

Next time you run into people like them, keep your head down and just hand over your wallet. Youre gonna lose your life trying to save a couple of bucks.

Hugo lifted his arm to wipe the blood off his face and turned around. He hummed to himself as he walked out of the alley, waving the gun in his hand.

The woman stood dazed for a moment before hurrying after Hugo.

Wait! Hold on!

Hmm?

Hugo seemed surprised that she had followed him.

Just now. How did you do that?

Do what?

Everything!

Hugo was slightly taken aback.

What the. Are you sick in the head or somethin?

I dont know. Maybe.

The woman sounded strangely confident.

Leaving everything else aside How did you make that last move?

?

You got both of them without even looking.

You stopped me to ask that?

Hugo looked at her as if she was crazy.

I just followed my gut.

Your gut? Thats it?

The woman let out a laugh of disbelief.

No way. But you moved like you had eyes on the sides and the back of your head! Especially when tackling with the man with the gun.

She tapped the center of her forehead twice.

Hugo raised one eyebrow.

So why are you asking me all this? I guess Ill applaud you for not running away crying.

Have you ever considered your gut could be your talent?

Huh? Talent?

Hugo widened his eyes before bursting into laughter.

Aha. I get it now. You must be a recruiter for a basketball or a baseball club, no?

Something like that. You do have great instincts, as you say.

Okay, so now Im gonna become a professional sports player, make use of my talent, and rise to the top? Is that how this story is gonna go?

Hugo laughed.

I dont know.

The womans eyes lit up.

This game could be more fun than just playing with b.a.l.l.s.

The corners of her lips turned upwards.

I feel like youd be a good fit for it.

Hugos laughter suddenly stopped.

He sensed a change in the atmosphere.

She wasnt some naive tourist he thought she was. She smelled of danger.

Hugo instinctively pointed his gun at the woman.

Who are you?

Take a guess, but dont shoot me. I just meant you should answer my question.

I have a bad feeling that Ive been dragged into some sort of war.

There you go again with your instincts.

The woman smiled faintly.

Youre right. And those muggers were no ordinary muggers either. It wasnt my money they were after.

Thats why you surprised me. Although we are here and not there, its still very impressive that you killed three highly trained people with such ease. Ill even give you extra points for having no qualms about killing.

Hugo frowned. Not here but there? And she likes that hes familiar with murder? Everything about this woman screamed danger.

The woman noticed that Hugo was debating whether to shoot her or not and said quickly.

Arent you curious about what they were trying to take from me?

Without waiting for Hugos answer, the woman dropped her purse to the ground. She managed to open it with her feet, then she kicked it a few times, and the contents of the purse fell out and scattered across the wet ground.

Wallet, makeup kit, cell phone. Of them all, the woman kicked something about the size of an adult mans thumb toward Hugo.

Hugo carefully picked up the object that flew toward him, still pointing his gun at the woman.

It was a red stamp.

Huh. Is this a new type of drug?

Of course not. Open it, and youll see.

The woman chuckled.

Its a rare item. That magical stamp can give some people more pleasure than any drug.

Hugo stared at the woman without blinking.

That said, it is a red stamp but dont worry. I have a feeling that your talent will be useful there. Prove me your worth, and Ill take all the responsibility.

I have no idea what youre talking about.

Thats only natural, for now.

Stop beating around the bush. You keep saying there, but where exactly are you talking about?

I cant tell you that. Its not that I dont want to, but I literally cant because of the restrictions. Im not lying.

The woman winked at Hugo.

What do you want from me?

Hugo asked in a flat tone, clearly annoyed.

The woman replied with a smile.

Its simple. Read the manual, and stamp your body if youre interested. Thats it.

Hugo shook his head.

What a waste of time. Get lost.

Wait! Dont throw that away! Take this before you leave!

When Hugo tried to throw the stamp away, the woman quickly raised both her hands and pointed her chin toward the inside of her coat.

Are you serious? What is your deal?

Just take that stamp and this! Please!

Anyone who ran into this scene would be confused. The man with the gun was trying to walk away, and the woman, seemingly the victim, was begging him to take whatever was inside her coat.

Jesus.

Hugo noticed the womans desperate expression and rubbed the stamp in his hand.

Every day was always the same. But tonight, a strange curiosity took hold of Hugo. He approached the woman carefully and stretched his arm toward the inside pocket of her coat. Soon he found a slightly wet but fancy-looking envelope in his hand.

So this is it? You can get lost now.

Any chance you might want to read that here?

You have until the count of three. If you dont leave, Ill punch a hole in your forehead. One, two, three.

Hugo pointed the gun at the womans brow and placed his finger on the trigger.

The woman turned around and ran away.

You have to make it to the halfway point! My name is!

Hugo heard her yell something in the distance but paid no attention to it.

As soon as he got home, he opened the envelope and read the letter inside.

A disappointed look crossed Hugos face. Visit another world and enjoy an exciting adventure? He wondered if this was some kind of promotion for a new game. He also examined the stamp but couldnt find anything special about it.

Well, there was this one thing.

When he stamped his body out of curiosity, he thought the ink glowed briefly. But it was only for a moment, and the stamp soon disappeared without a trace.

I knew she was a fraud, he thought. At least it was fun while it lasted.

With a smirk, Hugo crawled into the bed.

And then.

A burst of pale light exploded around Hugo, who had fallen asleep, drunk.

At the same time, his body completely disappeared from Earth.

September 18th, 2015.

On that day, Richard Hugo entered Paradise for the first time.