The Youngest Bell Broker in History

Byul counts his money in the dark and keeps his face empty in the light. He is still in high school, but for two years he has sold gate-cleared materials under a false adult name, then tucked the profits into savings no one is meant to see. That secret keeps him fed, clothed, and one step ahead of the people who would use him up. It also leaves him alone. When an old brass bell turns up with a tone that does not match its shape, Byul is the one who notices the strain inside the metal and the way grown-ups start circling. Then Jaein, a senior from the same field, begins showing up where Byul works, speaks to him like a person, and leaves him a borrowed umbrella that he does not return right a...