Chapter: Scrapyard D-Section
Iseul's gift sensed her unease.
The radiation she had been unconsciously drawing in immediately slowed, its absorption rate dropping to an unnoticeable trickle—so subtle that no one could detect anything unusual.
"Uhooo…" She patted her chest over her racing heart, letting out a breath of relief.
Loadon tilted his head at his creator's lackadaisicalness, eyes flashing blue and green.
Standing a little taller than Iseul, his bulk was impossible to ignore, but he moved with careful grace, almost too aware of how much space he occupied.
*Now that I know I can slow down my absorption rate of radiation in the surrounding area… maybe I should just keep it to what I touch, or the junk I clear out.*
Iseul thoughtfully analyzed the shift.
She could feel how much the radiation had calmed, no longer moving in heavy waves but instead in little breeze-like currents streaming toward her—steady, slow, and manageable.
She silently marveled at her gift and its strange sentience.
Iseul hadn't realized how long she had paused. She didn't know everyone had stopped walking, waiting on her.
Unnie Choon-hee and Hae-won exchanged glances when they noticed Iseul and Loadon still rooted in the same spot.
"Mm… is something wrong, jagi?" Choon-hee asked with concern, stepping closer and breaking Iseul from her inner thoughts.
Hae-won slipped to her side, sliding an arm through Iseul's with surprising care.
"Eh—huh?!" Iseul jumped at the sudden contact, startled by the warm arm curling under hers.
She looked up and saw the worried faces of Hae-won and Choon-hee.
Then she caught her hyungs staring too, all of them wearing serious, concerned expressions.
*Hmm?!! Did I miss something?*
Iseul glanced at Loadon for help, but he only looked back at her with the same blank confusion.
His height and bulk made it impossible to ignore, yet he remained calm, simply tilting his head and waiting.
*Why is everyone staring at me?* She awkwardly shifted her weight to her other foot, rocking in nervousness.
Her mind immediately leapt to the worst. *Do I have something on my face?! Something disgusting?!*
Her expression changed from confusion to horror, then panic, then pale dread.
"Just make it quick, okay! There's no saving me—save yourself!" Iseul sniffled, tears brimming. "Take care of my siblings, okay? Can you promise me this?"
Hae-won and Choon-hee exchanged glances, both confused and amused.
"Iseul-ya, sweetie," Hae-won said carefully, "what are you even talking about?"
Choon-hee's eyes danced with laughter. "Save ourselves? You're beyond saving, you say?" Her voice was thick with amusement.
"Feeling alright, sweetie? You sure you're okay?" Hae-won chuckled, giving Iseul a light tap on the forehead.
Iseul grabbed her forehead where it was tapped, looking at her unnies with grievous betrayal.
Tears spilled freely now.
"Is it gone yet?! Or is it still there?!" She stomped her foot in frustration, feeling ready to dig her own six-foot grave.
Understanding flashed across both women's eyes, and laughter overtook them.
"Ahahahahahaha!" They doubled over, shaking with laughter at Iseul's dramatic performance.
In that moment, Iseul realized the truth—there had never been anything on her face. It was all in her head.
The men had turned at the commotion, just in time to see Iseul's pale, tearful face… and Hae-won and Choon-hee laughing until their shoulders shook.
???!!!
*What is going on here?!* they all thought collectively, faces twisted in bafflement.
The women finally wiped their tears, still laughing, and walked past the men with a red-faced Iseul close on their heels.
They entered the scrapyard, completing their check-in and scan protocols.
Afterward, they moved quickly through the F section to the E section gates, finishing approvals before reaching the D section.
The gates there were crowded—small and large scrapper groups filled the area, anywhere from seven to fifty people each.
This was normal. Low-ranked gifters rarely worked alone; they banded together under scrapper bosses. Everyone was required to share their finds, big or small.
To Iseul, that was ridiculous.
'Why work so hard for pennies when you can have the whole pot?'
Thankfully she had met Hae-won and Joon-seok earlier on; otherwise, she'd have been pressured into joining one.
It was a while before it was their turn.
They all quickly scanned their Zepenet bands before entering and making their way to the appraisal center.
Iseul went about her usual routine, but this time she rented six bags instead of the usual four.
She also rented two trolleys with extra carts attached.
"Loadon," she said, crouching beside him, "let's get you set up on these carts. That way we can move more stuff faster."
Loadon's bulk made him tower over her as he adjusted his stance beside the first trolley.
his eyes flashed blue hearing her words.
"Understood," he rumbled in his deep, calm voice, shifting his weight so the carts wouldn't tip under his size.
"Careful of the carts," Choon-hee said, smirking.
"Mech, try not to crush everything in sight."
He tilted his head. "I will not crush." But the mere presence of his weightful movements made everyone around move a little aside, giving him space.
Iseul moved forward, sliding pieces into the trolleys while keeping a careful eye on their surroundings.
'Stay subtle. Don't draw attention.'
"Check this pile," she murmured to Hae-won, pointing to a heap of twisted metal and energy chips half-buried in rust.
"Could sell well if we sort it right." "Nice catch, Iseul-ya,"
Hae-won replied, lifting a heavy panel to place it in a trolley.
"Keep an eye out for anything else hidden in there."
Choon-hee laughed as she kicked aside a pile of broken circuits.
"Or the other scrappers will get jealous and start a fight."
"Ugh… let them," Iseul muttered under her breath.
*We're here to make profit, not friends.*
Joon-seok grunted as he hefted a scrap panel onto a trolley.
"Careful with that stack! Don't squash anything valuable."
"Relax," Choon-hee said, "Iseul-ya's got an eye for it. She knows what's worth keeping."
Iseul's heart hummed with quiet pride.
*Maybe if I work smart, I can make a solid profit today. Enough to prove the scouts wrong about me.*
The group continued working, voices bouncing across the busy D-section.
Everyone had a rhythm now—digging, sorting, tossing low-grade scraps into empty carts, and carefully storing anything high-value.
"Loadon, this one's tricky," she murmured, sliding a small piece into the cart.
"Hold steady while I sort."
Loadon shifted his massive frame, letting out a quiet hum as he held the cart perfectly still despite its weight. His presence was reassuring, like a walking anchor amid the chaos.
"Good. Now let's move to the next heap," Choon-hee said, pulling up a rusted alloy panel. "Don't miss anything valuable."
Hours passed in the same rhythmic dance—digging, sorting, sliding trolleys.
The group barely spoke beyond calls of caution or excitement when a rare find appeared.
"Found something shiny!" Hae-won shouted, tossing a glimmering energy chip into a bag.
"Nice! That'll sell well," Joon-seok cheered.
Iseul paused briefly, feeling a rush of pride. *I'm doing this. I'm making it work.*
Her gaze flicked to the crowded gates of the D-section, noticing the scrapper groups.
None had paid much attention to them, allowing Iseul and her team to operate without interference—a small victory of strategy and skill.
"Alright, keep moving. Don't slow down!" Choon-hee called, sliding a trolley forward.
"Got it!" Iseul replied, crouching over another heap of corroded circuits.
She meticulously sorted, tossing lesser pieces into empty bags and keeping the most promising scraps for later appraisal.
Hae-won and Joon-seok worked in tandem, their coordinated movements keeping pace with Iseul. Loadon lumbered behind them, ready to lift, push, or stabilize whenever the piles threatened to collapse.
As the sun climbed higher over the scrapyard, the group continued, laughter and chatter mixing with the metallic clatter of carts and trolleys.
Every find, every careful sort, brought them closer to a profitable haul—and closer to the confidence Iseul needed for the challenges ahead.