[ Special-Grade Bait (2) ]
The ratings are going to skyrocket.
During an interview with the world’s only Beast Tamer, the Haeyeon Guild Leader showed up, and then, out of nowhere, an arrest was announced. And this was all on live television.
If I could have watched this scene on TV, it would’ve been fantastic. Unfortunately, since it’s happening to me, I don’t get to enjoy it with popcorn.
Ah, my life. Sighing inwardly, I turned off my Fear Resistance skill. Immediately, Song Taewon’s gaze felt heavier on me.
“W-What do you mean, arrest…?”
I stood up, feigning panic. Peace, who had been sitting on my lap, hopped down with a small whimper. Blue tilted her head, not understanding the situation.
“Um, I’m just…”
Song Taewon pulled out handcuffs equipped with an inventory lock. It’s been a while since I’ve seen these. First time since my regression, in fact. I thought I’d left that kind of life behind, but now I’m being cuffed on live TV. What a life.
“What are you doing?”
Yuhyun stepped in front of me, his voice chilling. His acting is spot on.
“If you didn’t hear, I’ll repeat—”
“I heard your ridiculous nonsense loud and clear. You’re pinning an unbelievable accusation on an F-rank hunter who’s barely been awakened for two months.”
“If his innocence is clear, he’ll be released shortly. Now, please step aside.”
As the tension between them steadily increased, I couldn’t help but feel a slight tremble. At least I didn’t have to pretend to be scared.
“Yuhyun, calm down. Maybe… maybe I did something wrong.”
“Hyung!”
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but don’t get involved because of me. You’re a guild leader.”
Looking scared, I stepped forward. Is the camera getting a good shot? This is embarrassing enough that I don’t want to do it again, so I might as well make sure to cement the image. Look how harmlessly human I am—even as an S-rank’s family.
As I moved toward Song Taewon, Yuhyun grabbed my arm. That should be enough. I was about to turn and reassure him, but the look on his face made my chest tighten. He’s overdoing it a bit.
“It’s… it’s okay. I’ll be out soon.”
“Can’t you just not go? I’ll handle this.”
Come on, Yuhyun. We agreed you’d show some respect for the law, even if you’re upset.
“I don’t want to be a burden to you… Sorry.”
I dropped my gaze to the ground as I muttered an apology. Maybe it was because I’d turned off Fear Resistance, but I felt genuinely uneasy. As I shook off Yuhyun’s hand, Peace came over to me.
-Grr…
He let out a sorrowful whimper, just like we practiced. My Peace, so smart. I knelt down to pet him.
“Good boy, Peace. Daddy will be back soon, so be good and wait for me.”
-Kyuu…
“Blue, don’t cause any trouble.”
-Kyoo?
Blue tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand. Her clueless expression was a perfect contrast to Peace’s. Sure, this was an overly dramatic farewell scene just for being detained, but a little melodrama wouldn’t hurt for what’s to come.
After a final pat on Peace, I turned back to Song Taewon. The cuffs clicked shut around my wrists, and, as if on cue, more familiar faces appeared.
“Yujin!”
“Mr. Yujin!”
Myungwoo and Noah rushed over, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. I’d told them they didn’t need to get involved, but they’d insisted on seeing me off.
“Why are they even cuffing you? Do they think you’re that strong?”
“Isn’t it stuffy down there? No windows or anything…”
Noah, with experience in confinement, looked genuinely concerned, mentioning how the lack of ventilation in summer made it even worse. Myungwoo immediately protested about the lack of dehumidifiers.
“I’ll visit you as soon as possible.”
“I’ll come too.”
“But really, why the cuffs? With an S-rank here, isn’t that a bit much?”
Myungwoo glared at Song Taewon. Everyone’s acting so well… I mean, they are acting, right?
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying about me. And thank you, too, Mr. Noah.”
“It’s time to go.”
Song Taewon took hold of my arm.
“Hyung!”
-Graa!
“Yujin!”
“Mr. Yujin!”
…Okay, that’s enough, guys. People are going to think I’m off to my death. With Song Taewon dragging me along, my entourage followed close behind. Even the camera crew, determined not to miss a shot, tagged along. The path to the parking lot was in full view, and more than a few onlookers stared as I passed. Keeping up a fearful expression was harder than I thought. I should’ve covered myself with a coat or something.
Fortunately, the vehicle waiting wasn’t a small car but a specialized police car, reinforced for hunters. Not that it would hold up against even a mid-tier combat hunter, but still.
I climbed in under the pitying gazes of my friends. I really hope everything goes according to plan.
It was a strange sight.
The young man standing in the rain was an ordinary human, someone who could be easily crushed with just a bit of pressure, like wet mud.
But on either side of him were creatures even Song Taewon found difficult to handle. And yet, they were looking at him with affectionate eyes, like loyal dogs.
At first, he found it surprising. Then he was suspicious. Could they be treating this F-rank, easy-to-control person as a pet? Maybe they put a leash on him and treated him like a toy.
But the ordinary person among the monsters—Han Yujin—was the one who was truly abnormal.
Han Yujin’s gaze was filled with unmistakable affection. He looked at the monsters beside him with tenderness, fondness, and even a bit of worry in his eyes.
Just like a regular person would with other humans.
“…Understood. I’ll make the announcement as soon as possible.”
Ending the call, Song Taewon sighed briefly. The live broadcast had a massive impact. An F-rank, practically a civilian, being dragged away by an S-rank hunter was sensational, especially when surrounded by family, pets, and friends.
‘At least there wasn’t a child involved.’
If Park Yerim had been there, the public outcry would have been even greater. As it was, complaints were piling up.
Song Taewon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A human being who embraced monsters as if they were his children and found contentment in it. He still couldn’t quite figure out how to deal with that.
He sighed once more and started walking.
‘I’d rather not get hurt.’
Obviously, handcuffs aren’t made for comfort. And since these were for hunters, they were particularly heavy. I fidgeted my handcuffed wrists on the table, moving them idly.
When I told my little brother I’d serve as bait to expose the corruption in the Association, he naturally objected. It had taken multiple contracts and written assurances to convince him.
‘If I end up with any bleeding injuries, I promised to stay put without further complaints.’
Myungwoo and Noah each took a copy of the contract as well. What had started with me saying “I’ll be fine” had escalated to a body waiver agreement. Even if I did get hurt, I could just secretly use a potion, but the best case would be not to get injured at all. If they found out, I’d have three contracts shoved in my face. And if Yerim had been here, it’d be four.
Creak.
The heavy metal door opened, and Song Taewon entered the interrogation room. His face was as stern as ever. With his S-rank looks, he’d look much more approachable if he softened his expression a bit, but maybe that sternness suited his job.
“You carry a gun with you.”
“It’s for non-awakened individuals.”
He replied curtly. Like he needed a gun against civilians. A rock would do just fine.
“I’ll start by saying I’m innocent. We’re not being recorded, are we?”
“There’s no recording or surveillance. Was the black dragon Hunter Liette?”
“It was just a monster passing by.”
“Though the matter regarding Han Yuhyun was indeed mishandled, you went too far.”
“What can I do if it collapsed by chance? They’ll just have to rebuild.”
“About half of that is taxpayer money.”
For a moment, I felt guilty. Taxpayer money, huh. Makes sense.
“…I’m B-rank, so I pay my taxes in full. I’ll be working internationally soon, and paying even more. Haeyeon offered to handle my taxes, but I’d rather pay honestly.”
I’d be content earning just enough to live comfortably. What’s the use of having tons of money? I’ll just become a high-income, diligent taxpayer, so give me a break, will you?
A brief silence passed. Song Taewon, sitting across from me, spoke with an unreadable expression.
“I haven’t decided to cooperate yet. I could simply release you right now.”
To serve as bait, I needed to leave the perfect protection I had. Sure, I could just wander around the streets like a fool, but that would be a blatant trap. Anyone with a brain would be suspicious.
So, the chosen method was detention. The Association’s hunter detention center was heavily influenced by the Association, and if Song Taewon stepped away, only mid— and low-level hunters would be left.
It would be an easy environment for someone to sneak me out. Besides, hunters occasionally staged escape attempts, so if I vanished, it’d be easy to excuse. A few days ago, I even had Noah knock out some hunters and fake a gate-related report to give them an excuse.
“You can’t back out now.”
But once I was detained, Song Taewon would protect me due to my importance, so his cooperation was crucial. He’d need to leave his post briefly for my ‘kidnapping’ to happen.
“I’m helping you cut out the Association’s rot.”
“I didn’t agree to boosting the Haeyeon Guild’s reputation and fostering distrust toward the Association. If you go missing now, the fallout will be huge. And since you made sure it aired on TV, they won’t be able to cover up the disappearance.”
Song Taewon’s voice was cold. True, I had been hoping for a bit of a bonus from this.
“I’m offering myself up; shouldn’t I get something in return? If the Association hadn’t been corrupt, none of this would’ve happened. They brought it on themselves.”
“Isn’t boosting the Haeyeon Guild’s image through the broadcast enough? Let’s keep the disappearance under wraps.”
“You’re being overly protective, Mr. Song. You know the Association’s done some shady things. They were even planning to open the Awakening Center without proper measures. Do you really want to side with them? As a civil servant, shouldn’t you put the citizens first?”
The Association is scum, even if it’s about something that hasn’t happened yet. The problem starts with incompetent people at the top.
It wasn’t always this bad. Setting up the official item marketplace and creating the hunter registration system were solid moves. The auctioning and management systems for dungeons were also well-structured.
But as soon as things stabilized, they started pushing out the original, experienced administrators. The current higher-ups haven’t even been in their positions for half a year.
“The citizens, huh?”
A faint sneer tugged at Song Taewon’s lips.
“If the Association loses its power, the first ones to act out will be the S-rank hunters. Isn’t that what you want, Mr. Han Yujin? To fool yourself into thinking you’re on equal footing with them.”
His voice, heavy and sharp, cut through the air. Without Fear Resistance, I would have felt an intense pressure.
“You’ve got me wrong.”
Sure, without the annoying Association, the kids would have more freedom to play, but…
“I’d be fine with the Association if it were in good shape, with competent officials like you at the top, Mr. Song.”
His gaze turned even colder. Should I use Grace or not? It doesn’t seem necessary yet.
“Only because I’m an S-rank?”
“It’s not that simple—”
Clang.
My chair scraped back as Song Taewon grabbed my collar and pulled me forward. I blinked, half-dragged over the table. Quick reflexes.
“What is it that you want?”
“World peace?”
The look in his eyes suggested he might choke me if I joked one more time.
“I want a lot of things, but none of them are achievable.”
“What kind of ambition do you have that you can’t achieve even at your position?”
“They’re modest things.”
“Then name one.”
“There are many, but recently, I wish Yuhyun could just go to school like a normal kid. Make friends, maybe even date someone. Maybe have a few drinks and come home late. I’ve never seen him drunk.”
I’ll probably never get the chance to scold him, telling him, “Why’d you drink so much?”
For the first time, Song Taewon’s icy expression softened.
“That’s….”
“It’s nothing, really. But who’s going to make it happen?”
To make that possible, I’d need to overturn the world, maybe even become a god. Honestly, I don’t want much. I just wanted the kind of things that would’ve naturally come true if I lived a decent life.
I smiled at his slightly unsettled face.
“Mr. Song, it doesn’t matter if you squeeze yourself into a small car, ride the subway, or carry a gun. I still want what I’ve always wanted. But some things just can’t be.”
His grip on my collar loosened, and I adjusted my shirt as I sat back down.
It was clear he was still holding onto his pre-awakening life. Like a tiger believing itself to be a house cat, cramming a single paw into a box it once fit into entirely, unable to move on.
‘How can I pull him out of that?’
Not that I’m one to talk. I came back in time for a second chance, but I still haven’t fully let go. At least I’m trying to adapt. Maybe Song Taewon needs a regression to move on?
“…I’ll cooperate.”
“Oh, then why don’t you go on a date tonight? I’ll be busy getting kidnapped.”
“I’ll also take responsibility for your disappearance. Even though I’m aware of your importance and past abductions, leaving my post would be a grave dereliction of duty.”
…This man, seriously.
“Do you really want to get scolded that badly? You’re already getting an earful as it is.”
Song Taewon didn’t respond. But from his expression, it was clear he didn’t mind bearing the heavy responsibility and taking the blame. Maybe he even welcomed it.
This person’s really twisted, too. That’s what it felt like.
The stage was set, but there was no guarantee that things would happen immediately. I wondered if I’d be stuck in detention for too long, but luckily, the guest I’d been waiting for showed up the very next night.
–TL Notes–
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