Hyperspace Operation VVIP Porter - Chapter 2

He woke up in the hospital.

Something weighed down on the bed other than his body. The person beside him was… Yoojin.

 

“Yoojin-ah.”
“Mmm…”

 

Yoojin, with her empty gaze and relaxed expression, raised her head puzzledly.

Her beautiful big eyes were swollen, revealing how much she had cried.

 

She looked into Jihoo’s face, her lips trembling as she spaced out for a while.

 

“Oh… Oppa… You’re awake…? Are you okay? Oppa, are you alright?”

 

At a loss for words, she began to cry.

 

“Yeah, I’m okay. What happened to me?”

“Hing… You stupid! I told you not to go. I told you to be careful! What’s this? You’re too much!”

 

Jihoo was flustered by the way she was wailing and firing her words quickly, but he suddenly became anxious when he realized that Yoojin was crying.

 

‘Wait, am I crippled? Paralyzed?’

 

He gulped as he tried to move his limbs.

Fortunately, they seem to be moving well.

When he slightly raised his hands and feet, he confirmed that he still had all the body parts that he needed.

He examined himself carefully and he didn’t see anything abnormal with his body.

 

“Yoojin-ah, I think I’m okay. Look. I’m fine.”

“Fine my ass! Your fever flared up all three days, and you were almost dead!”

 

Right when Yoojin’s tears were about to burst again, a mediator luckily appeared.

 

“Oh, patient Yoo Jihoo seems to be awake. Wait a minute.”

 

The nurse approached Jihoo, checked his IV fluid, body temperature, and several other things before leaving, and said that the doctor in charge of him will be notified.

 

The doctor came in soon and examined Yoo Jihoo, finding that his condition was all normal.

There was nothing wrong with his body, it was just that he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

 

Not long after, Seungho was notified and he came running.

 

Hearing the details from him, Jihoo found out that he was in a coma for three days.

Everyone seemed worried since he sweated so much yet his body temperature wasn’t going down.

The hospital had no clue as to what the cause was.

Being in a condition where he seemed to be on the brink of death, and then waking up one day as if nothing happened, Jihoo’s case puzzled his doctor.

 

Seungho asked about the day of the incident with a worried face.

 

“How did you fall into it? Did you miss it?”

“No… I was just leaning against the wall to take a nap, and then the wall sucked me in and I rolled down.”

“The wall sucked you in?”

“Yeah, and I fell into a strange room of light… The people who rescued me probably saw it. A room surrounded by strange hemispheres and bright lights…”

 

The frown on Seungho’s face was odd.

 

“Uh… No. You were stuck in a really dark well when you fainted. I heard you fell down like that while you were dozing off. You would’ve drowned if the rescue team didn’t arrive on time.”

“It was dark? A well? There was water? No way…”

“Oppa, I think you should rest some more. Hurry up and lie down again. Sleep some more, get some rest. Let’s take our time before leaving the hospital, okay?”

“No, I’m really fine. And hospitalization is so expensive… I’m really okay.”

 

However, in the end, he could not overcome the joint forces of Yoojin and Seungho, and he had to stay in the hospital for one more day before being discharged.

 

‘What happened…’

 

Even while he tried to rest, Jihoo’s mind was in turmoil.

What he saw was not an illusion, and, of course, not a dream.

* * *

 

The next day, after returning home from the hospital, Jihoo called Seungho first.

 

— Hey, Jihoo-ah. Did you get discharged? You alright now?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Hyung, I’m all sharp again. By the way…”

— Yeah, what is it?

“That… B-class dungeon collection work is over, right?”

— It ended long ago, yeah. You know the gate closes within 24 hours after the dungeon is cleared.

“Right…”

— But we worked our first time, so the leader took care of us. I bet the money is transferred to your account.

“Oh… really? I haven’t checked yet. Thanks. By the way, hyung, will that kind of work be open again?

— I dunno… I’ve never really been to a B-class dungeon before this. And hey, you can’t You should take a break. Why are you trying to get back to work so soon?

“No, I’m telling you, my condition is really okay now.”

— Yah, if I take you with me, I’m never hearing the end of it from Yoojin. She’s in school today so she asked me to keep an eye on you.

“Haha, it’s not your fault though, hyung. Sorry about that. Anyway, alright. I’ll call you again.”

 

He checked his bank account right away and confirmed that ₩ 40,000 was deposited.

He was given that much when he accomplished not even ⅓ of the total time he should’ve been working, and he imagined that he would’ve gotten 150% times the amount if he worked in full.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt disappointed.

 

When he confirmed again that his body was really okay, the stress of financial troubles caught up to him again.

The cost of moving places, their increased rent, and the burden of hospital fees added on top.

It was obvious that Yoojin had to compensate for it.

 

He wasn’t even tired, so Jihoo thought that it was no time for him to rest.

He should buy some Bacchus and go to the offices where he worked with D-class collection teams before.

 

(T/N: Bacchus is a Korean energy drink.)

 

He got dressed and left the front door recklessly when he had to reenter his room, realizing that he forgot his phone and wallet.

 

‘My phone, where’d I put it? …Oh, it’s here.’

 

He grabbed his wallet next when he thought that he should bring a bag.

 

Plop—

 

In a flash, his phone and wallet disappeared!

 

“Oh?!?”

 

‘Do I really need to rest… Am I going crazy…?’

 

He rubbed his eyes, but his phone and wallet just wouldn’t reappear.

 

The next second, he looked at his hand and confirmed that the phone and wallet had disappeared like a mirage just seconds ago, and a translucent window appeared in front of him.

Like augmented reality, a window appeared on his retina just like a year ago when he first awakened as a hunter.

However, the content was completely different from back then.

 

[Hyperspace Operation]

 

[Activate Hyperspace Operation Lv. 1]

 

Skill A. Space Compression Storage Lv. 1 — Total capacity of 8 m3

 

– Current Capacity: 0.001075%

– List: Yoo Jihoo’s Smartphone (Image)

 

‘What’s this…’

 

Jihoo stared blankly at the window and realized that the object listed on it was none other than his cell phone.

He held out his hand to try to take his phone, but, as if passing through a hologram, his hands passed by the screen.

 

‘The heck… What about my phone? I’m not done paying off the installment. How do I take this out?’

 

If it went in, then shouldn’t it be able to come out too?

 

“Come out! Come back! Take out! Output!”

 

He looked at the window and uttered useless words for quite some time, but the longer his phone was away from his hands, the more he got anxious.

And then, just like when one wants to specify where to install a building or an item in a game when the screen is on standby for operation…

He specified a location in his mind, focusing on seeing his phone in that specific location and…

Viola!

It came into being

 

“Ahk!”

 

A cellphone that suddenly appeared two meters high in the air began to fall, and Jihoo managed to catch it with both hands.

 

‘Phew… I almost dropped it.’

 

* * *

 

Abandoning his plan to head out, Jihoo decided to focus on the strange phenomenon that happened to him.

He spent long hours trying to figure it out.

 

He took out a notepad that he often uses and began to write the strange phenomenon that happened.

 

What occurred to him seemed to be of a nature that could be called inventory, subspace, or whatever.

 

Jihoo experimented with putting and removing various items in his room, and he found that there seemed to be no limit to the type or number of items that he can put in this unknown space.

He confirmed that an item’s weight had no effect either.

However, there seems to be a capacity limit since the % value increased every time he added a new item.

 

He caught a cricket that infested their bathroom, and he confirmed that it was impossible to store living creatures in that space.

 

‘The limit 8m3 is for level 1…’

 

He drew a cube on his notepad and used his limited mathematical knowledge to compute it.

 

‘How much is eight cubic meters… is it a cube with two meters on each side?’

 

Then that’s 8,000 liters.

 

He remembered that the large rubber bowl used to make kimchi for large restaurants can carry 800 liters.

Eight thousand liters would be ten of those things, and Jihoo realized that it was pretty big.

 

To his surprise, the objects that he put into this subspace were carefully cataloged with images, and the proportion of the object to the total capacity was expressed in percentage.

 

While he was at it, he experimented some more.

When he put a 2-liter water bottle filled with water, he confirmed that 2 liters were recognized in the space.

When he emptied the water bottle, it showed 0.1 liters registered, confirming that only the volume of the plastic bottle was recognized.

Air does not appear to be counted in the capacity percentage.

 

Amazed and surprised, he wondered if this would open up new opportunities for him,

But Jihoo was afraid to have expectations.

 

‘What in the world is going on… Maybe a rare reawakening phenomenon? Yeah, that’s the only explanation.’

 

He thought so, but Jihoo’s mood quickly turned cold.

 

He was excited as he experimented with his new ability, but he was reminded of the cold reality.

He knew that hunters who overcame the odds of evil and had reawakening were all powerful warriors.

Those kinds of people rise to stardom and become powerful hunters who can influence an entire dungeon attack operation.

 

If he had a reawakening… 

He should have something like an especially powerful combat ability that can burst an enemy camp at once, or maybe some magical skill that can deflect lightning, or maybe a healing ability that can treat all dying allies…

 

But what the hell is this?

 

‘A backpack skill…? No, a storage capacity skill?’

 

‘Damn it, damn it… whatever it is, it’s not much help.’

 

Jihoo squatted, hunched down in one corner of the room as he felt dizzy from when reality hit him like a bullet train.

He sighed as he swept his hands across his face.

 

‘Sigh… Why is everything like this? Why am I… Why do I always…’

 

He has a powerless ability that would make him perfect for a role as a shuttle.

Like the nerds who carry big bags to school, he’d be a hunter who carries around large luggage who’s…

For the lack of a better word, unsightly. 

 

* * *

Beep beep — Ding—

 

“Oppa, I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

“You didn’t go out, did you oppa? You didn’t try to go to work, right?”

“Yeah, of course. I can’t work with this body. I need to rest more.”

 

Although he was pricked by a needle, Jihoo managed his expression skillfully.

 

“You mean it?”

 

Yoojin stared at him as if she couldn’t believe it.

 

“Of course. I know my limits too.”

“By the way, I called the house owner to say that we’d delay moving in a little because you were hospitalized.”

“What did they say?”

“They said it’s okay since the house is empty anyway. We can move in anytime we want.”

“Really? Then let’s go right away. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? I can’t. I canceled the rental car because we didn’t move out on the original schedule. I need to book one again.”

 

‘A rental car? What a waste of money.’

 

Jihoo thought about telling Yoojin what had happened to him.

He wondered if she’d be too surprised, but Jihoo’s worries dissipated quickly.

There’s no need to think twice if he can trust Yoojin or not.

No one in this world cared more about him than Yoojin.

On top of that, he can’t really keep a secret from the gum-like Yoojin.

 

“Yoojin-ah, about the rental car. I think we don’t need one.”

“Why? Did you rent a different one already? Or will someone lend you a car?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then what…?”

“Hmm… I think it’s easier to show you.”

 

Jihoo showed Yoojin how he could place and remove things in the house and put it in some sort of a subspace.

From large closets to desks, things began to disappear and reappear in their apartment.

As expected, Yoojin was stunned.

 

“!! Wha-what the! Oppa, what are you doing? How are you doing that? This is…”

 

Yoojin, who was so surprised that her eyes were about to pop out, sat down.

Jihoo slowly explained what happened to him in great detail.

Her emotions changed from shock to admiration.

After hearing everything, Yoojin was lost in thought.

 

Jihoo did nothing wrong, but she felt nervous.

Yoojin, with her arms folded in front of her, spoke after a few seconds.

 

“Oppa, I think… You should quit those collection teams and go do that thing.”

“What thing?”

“Moving service!”

“Moving service?”

“That ability is perfect for the job, oppa. You should quit those collection teams that take too much toll on your body, and I’m going to quit my part-time job so we can start this moving service.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.”

“Hmm… I think it’s a good idea.”

“Right? Right?”

“But moving services are not just about carrying huge luggage. I heard these days they’re supposed to package things and organize and clean stuff as part of the job.”

“Hmm…”

 

Yoojin’s eyebrows narrowed, confirming that she hadn’t thought about it that far.

 

“There’s certainly a lot of details. But it’s true that the biggest part of the job has to do with moving stuff, right?”

“That’s true. Because of that, those services need huge trucks, porters, and everything.”

“Then if we have to do all the small details too, how about getting another person?”

“Another person? Who?”

“Seungho oppa. We’re close with him and he’s trustworthy.”

 

He is indeed reliable, but Jihoo wasn’t sure if that hyung would like the nature of the job.

 

The next day, Jihoo and Yoojin’s moving out ended quickly.

 

Everything was carried out by putting all their luggage in the subspace and going to the new house before taking it out.

It ended quickly because there wasn’t much housekeeping to do.

 

After moving in, the two quickly invited Seungho for a small housewarming party.

That evening, after Seungho finished work, he came with housewarming gifts such as tissue rolls and laundry detergents.

 

“Come on in, hyung. Aigoo, why’d you buy so much?”

“Yah, this is nothing.”

“Oh, hi oppa.”

“Hey, Yoojin-ah. You guys worked hard. Why didn’t you call me when you moved? I’m strong, you know? You two are gonna get sick.”

“No, it was really easy. Not tiring at all.”

“Really? Did you get a moving service? Good job. It’s best to hire one.”

“It’s not that… come here first, hyung. There’s something I wanted to talk about with you?”

“Huh?”

 

While they ate dinner, the two floated the idea of starting a moving service.

Yoojin gave a heated explanation, and Jihoo helped with a few details in the middle.

 

When he actually showed his ability to Seungho, the latter was so surprised that he looked like he would pass out.

 

Yoojin worried that he’d be laughed at for having a reawakening ability equivalent to being a warehouse, but Seungho’s response was pure admiration.

 

“What do you think, hyung?”

 

After wrapping up their explanation, the two waited for Seungho’s reply.

His reaction was quite odd, showing surprise, expectation, and excitement, yet also ridiculousness and sadness.

Jihoo has never seen Seungho make a face like that.

Finally, Seungho spoke.

 

“Impossible… It’s just… ridiculous. Why’d you think of a moving service?”

“Eh?”

“What do you mean ridiculous? Why?”

“This… amazing ability would be used in a moving service?”

 

Jihoo scratched his chin at the unexpected response.

 

“Hmm… I guess starting a moving service is a lot of work, right? Then how about cargo transportation?”

“Aigoo, what nonsense are you on about? You should go to a dungeon! The top-level dungeons too!”

“Eh?”