Chapter 201: Box (1)
“Chief Song, you’re working hard as always.”
Moon Hyunah raised one hand in greeting. Song Taewon, as usual, received the greeting with little change in his demeanor. In fact, he seemed even calmer than when dealing with other S-Class Hunters.
‘Well, Hyunah causes fewer incidents, at least.’
I wasn’t sure about the past, but recently, she hadn’t been involved in any major trouble. She was intense, but she stayed within limits. That probably made her a relatively comfortable counterpart for Song Taewon. They didn’t seem particularly close, but they matched well enough.
They actually suited each other quite well, didn’t they? Looking at Moon Hyunah as a guild leader, they might unexpectedly make a good pair.
“There are quite a few people here. Looks like they’re from MKC. Probably here over contract issues.”
Moon Hyunah commented. Was that why Song Taewon was standing guard like this? If high-ranking Hunters who had gone through bad experiences decided to cancel their contracts, things could explode, and he’d have to step in.
“I’ll go get a queue number.”
“No need.”
Moon Hyunah made a call somewhere and then turned back to me.
“Someone will come for us soon.”
“Isn’t that an abuse of power?”
“It’s just a matter of which department handles it. This is an overseas issue, and that department is relatively free, so we can go up without waiting.”
I see. The overseas department, huh? Maybe I should save their contact info just in case.
While we waited, Song Taewon never once looked in my direction. I wanted to ask why he hadn’t answered my calls, but I held back. Seong Hyunjae’s words were still nagging at me.
‘Since there are regular employees around, maybe it’s fine here.’
Seong Hyunjae was annoyingly perceptive, so it was better to be cautious.
“This way, please.”
After a short wait, an association employee approached and guided us. When we mentioned the issue with Japan, the person in charge frowned.
“We did receive the information from Sesung Guild, but if we lose control of the domestic slime dungeon, public opinion will turn sharply against us.”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
If anything, we’d be the ones taking it back. Promoting this in advance might actually be a good idea. Yerim and Haeyeon’s reputations would skyrocket.
Just then, there was a knock, and the door opened. The man who entered had been a familiar face during the ranking matches. He greeted me with a bright expression.
“Hello, I’m Choi Youngjun, head of the Hunter Association’s PR department.”
He smiled widely.
“I heard you have more good news this time.”
“Are you trying to sneak in and take credit again?”
“I’m merely offering cooperation. Director Han, you’re not entirely against it, are you?”
Sharp as ever. Well, he was good at his job. He had handled things efficiently during the last ranking match, even joining in on complaints about the National Assembly.
“For now, can you guarantee Hunter Park Yerim’s victory? We need to prepare for any fallout in case of a loss. It’s best to control the hype to a manageable level.”
“As long as Japan follows the contract terms, her win is assured. Even if there are slight variables, we can handle them.”
Even if the Ama Guild Leader handed out SS-Class equipment, it wouldn’t be enough to shake the odds. It wasn’t like we lacked SS-Class gear either, and Sesung Guild was on our side now, so we could just borrow from them.
How about setting the rental period at around 50 years?
Since the format was essentially the same as the ranking matches, discussions progressed swiftly. We decided to finalize the details after further communication with Japan.
“Let’s start leaking the information gradually. Include the opponent Hunter’s name and the beach location as well.”
“When can the breeding facility portal key be replaced?”
“That’s not within my jurisdiction, so I’m not sure.”
Choi Youngjun answered apologetically. Not sure if he really meant it. Before leaving, he casually mentioned that they were considering relocating the facility to Yeouido.
“I thought you wouldn’t be interested. That’s unexpected.”
“As you probably know, we’re trying to operate the breeding facility independently these days. MKC’s building is still intact, so we could keep the house and facility as they are while moving just the main building and other sections.”
It was a fabricated excuse, but it sounded plausible. Not that I had any real intention of moving. With three S-Class Hunters in the guild right next door, where would we even go?
“Are we finally done? I need to use the restroom.”
Moon Hyunah, who had downed two iced teas, got up. Since I was on my second cold coffee, I followed her out. Naturally, we went into separate restrooms.
The restroom was attached to the department, so it was a bit smaller and quite clean, except for some grime on the sink edges. Restrooms showed a noticeable difference when cleaned thoroughly. Nowadays, there were plenty of good cleaning supplies.
Water automatically flowed from the faucet as I washed my hands. Just as the sound of running water stopped—
Creak.
The entrance door to the restroom opened. There was a separate door at the entrance to this restroom. It opened, then closed again. A pair of dress shoes softly tapped against the tiled floor.
It was normal for someone to enter a restroom. But despite that thought, I had a bad feeling.
Casually, I turned my body as I wiped my hands dry. At the same time, I caught sight of the man standing at the entrance.
It was Song Taewon.
‘Avoid meeting Song Taewon alone for a while.’
Seong Hyunjae’s words flashed through my mind.
Even though we had only exchanged a brief greeting earlier, here we were.
“It seems like you have business with me.”
I spoke calmly for now. If he had just come to use the restroom, he wouldn’t be standing there like that.
“You could have waited outside. I was about to leave anyway.”
My damp hands were bothering me. Of all things, there was a dryer instead of paper towels. The noise was loud, and holding my hands under it felt awkward.
“Hm, I guess you don’t need to watch over the reception desk anymore?”
“There was a minor disturbance, but it has been handled.”
“You must be having a tough time with the MKC Guild issues. Everyone must be on edge.”
For now, the atmosphere still seemed okay. I kept a casual smile as naturally as possible.
“Let’s go out and finish this conversation.”
“I came here on purpose after hearing you went to the restroom.”
I see. Now, how should I respond? Honestly, I still didn’t feel much of a sense of crisis. Was it because of my Fear Resistance? Or was it because Song Taewon’s demeanor remained calm?
‘…I really don’t know.’
Fear Resistance was a great skill, but in situations like this, it was a problem because it was like having my warning system turned off. Maybe I should deactivate it when there’s no one around to protect me.
“So, what business do you have with me?”
He didn’t answer my calls, and yet here he was. But pressing him about it now wouldn’t be a good idea.
Tap.
The sound of dress shoes tapping against the tile echoed again. Song Taewon took one step, then another toward me. The restroom wasn’t large, so even those small steps brought him uncomfortably close.
He was taller than me, much more built. The actual difference in strength was even greater. I should have felt intimidated, but it was only a rational understanding, nothing more.
Running was obviously impossible. Should I at least try shouting? But that might provoke him unnecessarily.
I met his gaze as he looked down at me. His expression was hard to read. As expected, he was difficult to figure out. I took a slow, shallow breath.
‘…It’s not a life-threatening situation like poison or a curse.’
Even when my Fear Resistance level dropped before, I had managed to get by. I could always turn it back on if needed.
Staring into those dark eyes, I deactivated my Fear Resistance skill.
A chill ran down my entire body.
My heart pounded rapidly, my mouth went dry. At the same time, my mind was engulfed in a sharp, red warning—an unmistakable instinct.
The man in front of me wanted to kill me.
Maybe it was just the shock of fear suddenly rushing in, clouding my judgment. But the suffocating pressure weighing down on me was real.
Song Taewon’s figure blurred slightly in my vision. My body nearly collapsed under the weight of it all, but he caught me and held me upright.
Instinctively, I reached out and tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge an inch.
“Did you lower your skill on purpose?”
He asked in a low voice.
Song Taewon didn’t know that I could deactivate resistance-type skills. But it was common for such abilities to be adjustable.
I tried to answer, but only ragged, shallow breaths came out.
Should I turn it back on?
No. Against Song Taewon, staying in this state might be the better option. As befitting someone with F-rank stats.
“Han Yujin.”
I needed to check his expression. I needed to decide whether to call for help or to make him more aware of my weakness so he’d back off. But despite thinking that, my head remained bowed, my entire body trembling.
A damp imprint appeared on Song Taewon’s clothes where my hand had touched him.
My mind was still functioning, I was still breathing, my heart was still beating.
The moment I felt even slightly steadier, I activated Grace. If he took it away, it would be over, but—
‘…At this distance, I should stay still for now.’
Moon Hyunah was nearby. If I screamed, she would definitely hear me.
But Song Taewon was much faster. No, he might not even let me scream—he could cover my mouth the moment I tried. He wasn’t someone who would miss my reactions.
“Han Yujin.”
He called my name again. His tone was calm, even faintly gentle.
Or maybe that was just my desperate ears distorting it in hopes of survival.
Then, my body was lifted.
I was set down on the sink.
This wasn’t a place for children, and since it was used mainly by Hunters, who were generally taller than average civilians, the sink was much higher than those in regular public restrooms.
Because of that, I only had to lift my head slightly to meet Song Taewon’s gaze.
“…Sitting on the sink isn’t allowed.”
“It’s sturdy.”
I suppose that was true.
“Better than collapsing onto the bathroom floor, isn’t it?”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Slowly, I lifted my head.
His expression seemed somewhat troubled. He was hesitating.
So turning off Fear Resistance was the right choice.
“If you reach out your hand, I can’t resist. It would be over in an instant.”
“I know.”
“Then why…”
Carefully, without being provocative.
“Why me…”
Why do you want to kill me?
And why now?
I am weak. Song Taewon is not someone who harms the weak without reason. If anything, he wants to protect them.
Even high-ranking Hunters, despite their aversion, hadn’t tried to outright take my life.
Then—
“Are you afraid of me?”
I had asked something similar before.
But that was when I had doubled the effects of my offensive skills.
That time, I wasn’t acting as a person—I had moved like an item.
This time was different.
This time, why?
“Do you think I’m afraid?”
“Or is there another reason? I’d like to hear it.”
“…I believe you are dangerous.”
Song Taewon stated plainly.
“S-Class Awakened individuals are independent and individualistic. Until now, there hasn’t been anything strong enough to unify them. If there was any possibility, I thought it would be Sesung’s Guild Leader.”
It was true that Seong Hyunjae had more connections with other S-Class Hunters than most. He had even brought Noah and Evelyn to Korea without hesitation.
“You’re worried that I might unite the S-Class Hunters? But even if that were the case, it wouldn’t be an immediate problem. More importantly, we haven’t banded together to cause harm to others yet, have we?”
Not collectively, at least. And there were times when I had… encouraged it. Breaking the New Hunter Association building and the Awakening Center might have been a bit excessive—I do regret that. But Hong Kong? Honestly, that deserved to be wiped out.
“My younger brother alone—”
Song Taewon’s expression wavered. Clearly.
Yuhyun? Why?
“He even helped you recently. At my request.”
I spoke while keeping my gaze fixed on his face. Yuhyun. My little brother. What had happened…? That time with Choi Seokwon, that bastard.
“He’s an F-rank’s weak older brother, yet he still treats me as his brother and follows me well. You know that, don’t you, Chief Song?”
Was it that time? That moment? My heart, which had been racing under an inescapable fear, turned ice-cold. The muffled groans. The voice calling my name.
“Did it shake you? My brother. And you as well, Chief Song?”
I didn’t bother imagining what it must have looked like. I hadn’t asked anyone about it either.
“How did he seem? My brother.”
“…”
And one more.
“What about Seong Hyunjae?”
“He is the same.”
His answer came unusually fast.
It didn’t sound like he was stating a fact. More like a whispered wish. A hope that things hadn’t changed.
And at that moment, something clicked in my mind.
Seong Hyunjae, in Song Taewon’s perspective, was the pinnacle of a monster.
And perhaps, in the new world Song Taewon had been unwillingly dragged into, Seong Hyunjae was his anchor.
A fixed point keeping him from slipping further. A reference that prevented him from being completely swallowed up. As long as that perfect monster existed, Song Taewon could remain a reluctant monster—one that resisted becoming what he feared.
It was the reason he could continue holding onto a box that didn’t fit him, one that should have been discarded.
But if the monster meant to be his perfect counterbalance began to change—
“Seong Hyunjae is my partner.”
His black eyes darkened, sinking heavily. A chill ran down my spine, electric and sharp. My throat burned, my tongue stiffened, but I forced my mouth to move.
“But I don’t want to lose you either, Chief Song.”
Just like Seong Hyunjae said—I needed him.
So—
Bang!
A deafening noise suddenly echoed through the restroom.
It was immediately followed by a loud voice.
“Did you set up house in the damn bathroom?!”
The door was nearly kicked off its hinges as Moon Hyunah stormed in without hesitation and charged straight at Song Taewon.
–TL Notes–
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