[ Let’s Not Talk Behind Backs ]
The way Moon Hyunah smiled so brightly, as if she had nothing to hide, was getting on my nerves. Saying she wasn’t trying to sow discord? Yeah, right.
Just then, her phone rang.
“Oh, looks like it reached your brother’s ears already.”
She held up her phone to show me the screen. The name ‘Crazy Bastard 2’ was displayed.
“The original ‘Crazy Bastard’ is, of course, Seong Hyunjae.”
“…Are you going to answer that?”
“Do you want to?”
She handed me the phone. I pressed the call button.
[Moon Hyunah, you—]
“Yuhyun.”
I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
[…Hyung?]
“Yeah. It’s me.”
[…Where’s the Breaker Guild Leader?]
“She’s sitting right next to me, grinning ear to ear.”
“I’m not grinning that much.”
Moon Hyunah muttered.
[Are you alright? She didn’t say anything weird, did she?]
“She was talking behind your back.”
[…What did she say?]
“To summarize, she said you’re not normal. But don’t worry about it. Honestly, she’s just as bad, so it’s nothing new.”
[…Huh? Wait, what?]
Yuhyun’s voice was full of confusion. Moon Hyunah’s eyes also widened in surprise. I smirked as I looked at her.
Think you’re the only one who can talk behind someone’s back? I can do it too. Or, well, since I’m saying it right in front of you, it’s more like talking in front of your face.
“Should I tell you a little story? It happened a year ago, in spring, to be exact. April 2nd, around 5 PM, at the CS convenience store in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province—”
“Han Yujin!”
Moon Hyunah screamed and snatched the phone away, quickly turning it off. Her cheeks were tinged with a hint of red.
“No way, you couldn’t possibly— But… no way…”
“Seems like the Breaker Guild Leader knows the story?”
“Almost no one knows about that…”
“It’s not completely unknown, though. I happened to hear it. Whose mouth it came from is a secret.”
The embarrassing and insane thing that Moon Hyunah wanted to hide would become a card to chip away at her pride four years from now. By then, it would be an open secret, but right now, it wasn’t widely known.
It was such an unforgettable, impressionable incident.
“…I can’t even kill you to shut you up, damn it.”
Her eyes glared at me with murderous intent.
But she can’t touch me. We’ve already signed the contracts. Unless she wants to face a 5-on-1 battle, including the Hunter Association, she has no choice but to hold back.
And since she’s the one who needs the mounts the most, she won’t risk losing that over something like this. Without me, she won’t be able to get her hands on a top-tier mount for another two years.
“That’s why you shouldn’t talk behind people’s backs. What goes around comes around. You talk behind someone’s back, and your own dirt comes to light.”
I gave her a sweet smile, and she ground her teeth in irritation.
Just then, her phone rang again—probably Yuhyun calling back. Moon Hyunah’s eyes flicked nervously up and down.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“…You’ll keep your mouth shut?”
“It’s a loss for me too, but I don’t want to hear more insults about my brother. Let’s both keep quiet, okay?”
“Deal.”
She answered the call and brushed off Yuhyun’s concerns with some vague excuses. When she got the phone back, her expression looked like she had chewed on something sour.
“You’re not as easy as I thought, Han Yujin. I never imagined that story would come up. Can I trust you?”
“Of course.”
“If it got out, I’d be embarrassed and lose face. I’d probably want to hide for about six months. But that’s all it would be. However, I will personally hunt down whoever spreads it.”
Her voice was calm, but I could feel the sincerity in her words—especially when she talked about ‘hunting down’ the person. It seemed her patience had its limits.
“Don’t worry. Moon Hyunah, you’re a dear customer of mine. If you went into hiding for six months, that would cause me all sorts of trouble too. Why would I do something like that?”
“You’re good with words. There’s nothing else, right?”
Of course there’s more. I’ve always been an avid viewer of hunter-related shows.
I know plenty, but running my mouth recklessly would only lead to headaches—especially since there are others who, unlike the murderous S-Class in front of me, wouldn’t be so restrained.
As long as no one picks a fight with me first, I’ll stay quiet.
“Would you believe me if I said there wasn’t?”
“Oh, right. You’re ‘Crazy Bastard 2’s’ brother. I thought you were a bit naïve, but I really made a stupid mistake. I’ll have to remember this.”
…Naïve? Have I been acting that way? I thought the negotiations went well.
“…Have you been underestimating me this whole time?”
Moon Hyunah snorted at my question.
“Of course I underestimated you. Think about it. A freshly awakened F-Class who still looks like a civilian says Han Yuhyun is mild-mannered. That’s basically like wearing a sign that says, ‘I’m a total newbie who knows nothing about the hunter world.’”
Ugh. I guess I can see why she would think that. Officially, I’ve only been awakened for less than a month, so I must look like a rookie. In reality, though, I’ve been a hunter longer than anyone else in that room, but who would ever suspect that?
To them, it must’ve seemed like some half-civilian was talking about his brother from a civilian’s perspective, calling him ‘mild.’ Of course they’d think I was an easy target with some useful skills, ripe for probing… just like Moon Hyunah had been doing earlier.
“No wonder they were being so unusually friendly.”
A sigh escaped me.
“I hope the others won’t be as much of a headache as you.”
“Hey, don’t be so cold. Just call me ‘Unnie,’ okay?”
Moon Hyunah had regained her composure, resting her chin in her hand with a teasing smile. Unnie, my foot. Mentally, I’m thirty.
“I’m only rushing things because of the mounts. The others will approach, but not as aggressively. You and your brother really are two of a kind.”
I guess I’ll be sticking to the guild building for a while.
Moon Hyunah flicked her fingers, and I could feel the air around us shift. The voices of the people outside the sound barrier rushed back in.
“Mister!”
Yerim came running over, casting a sharp glance at Moon Hyunah.
“You promised not to bother him! Didn’t you?”
Did they make such a promise? I guess Yuhyun wouldn’t have agreed to let her meet me otherwise.
“Did I bother him? We were just having a conversation.”
Moon Hyunah raised her hands in mock innocence. Well, to be fair, she didn’t actually touch me.
“Ugh, Unnie, seriously!”
“Oh, are you picking a fight now?”
Moon Hyunah jumped to her feet and pulled Yerim into a big hug.
“You’re going to ruin your makeup!”
“You look better without it at your age~.”
The two seemed to get along better than I thought. What if Yerim actually joins Breaker in three years? That guild collapses four years from now. Of course, the future might not play out the same way, but…
…Maybe I should just recruit Moon Hyunah myself.
She’s a hunter who’s too talented to let rot in the aftermath of a scandal, even if she is an annoying woman.
‘Applying the keyword wouldn’t be too difficult.’
Sure, there’s the whole man-woman dynamic to consider, but Moon Hyunah is likely to visit me often because of her interest in the mounts. She’ll probably come by regularly to check on the monsters I’m raising.
She even came out of her way to meet me today.
So, with enough joking around and friendly gestures, I could gradually apply the keyword to her.
The real problem would be the additional effects of the keyword.
‘It’s unlikely she’s never had a caretaker in her life.’
Unlike Yu Myungwoo, who grew up largely neglected, Moon Hyunah had been an athlete who made it to the world stage. She must’ve had plenty of people supporting her—parents, coaches, trainers, maybe even mentors.
If it ends up being sports-related, it wouldn’t be so bad. I could handle her viewing me as her coach or maybe even her dad. If she starts calling me ‘Mom,’ well… I could live with that. She’s older than me, so it’d just come off as a joke.
I could establish trust with the keyword and then nudge her away from Breaker when things start going downhill there.
‘We won’t get along, but having her in Haeyeon wouldn’t be a bad thing. She’s got solid skills, and she works well with Yerim.’
Currently, S-Class dungeon teams are composed of one S-Class hunter and a few A-Class hunters, but once dungeon difficulties increase, there will be teams with multiple S-Classes. Yuhyun and Yerim can’t be on the same team since their attributes clash, but Yerim and Moon Hyunah would be a great match.
A powerful single-shot attacker and a wide-area specialist who excels at binding enemies. Yerim even has a wide-area buff.
Once they get their teamwork down, they’d make a fantastic pair.
‘The more I think about it, the more appealing this idea sounds.’
Yeah, whether she becomes Yerim’s partner or mine, I’ll do my part as her guardian and try to reel her in.
With that decision made, I watched the two playing around. It was oddly heartwarming. I hope they continue to get along well.
The broadcast went off without a hitch.
There weren’t any particularly difficult tasks. I just had to explain a bit about Peace, answer some questions, and do simple things like checking his bite strength and reaction speed by throwing a ball.
They asked me to show how much I care about Peace, but that was the easiest part. I love the little guy, after all.
I’m really glad Peace is going to be Yuhyun’s mount. If he’d had to be sent far away, I’d be heartbroken. At least when Yuhyun isn’t on a dungeon raid, I can still keep him with me.
“Mister, are you drinking a mana potion again?”
After the shoot, I put Peace down for a moment and pulled out a mana potion. Yerim walked over and asked.
“Want one? It’s orange-flavored.”
“The smell is like orange, but it barely has any sweetness, and it’s super sour. The apple-flavored one’s bland and gross too.”
I think it’s fine. It’s not like I drink it for the taste.
I uncapped the bottle and downed it in one go. Yerim watched with concern in her eyes.
“That’s your third bottle today. Is it really okay to drink that much? Isn’t there a recommended daily limit?”
“Why would there be a limit? It’s just for recovering mental fatigue.”
I can’t exactly tell her that using Promising Talent drains my mana.
No matter how hard I looked, there was no one worth checking out today. With so many people around, I only had time to scan for any high-tier status windows. The best I saw was a C-Class in both skills and stats.
‘One of the camera operators has a C-Class special skill, but…’
I didn’t want to waste the once-a-month optimization for someone like that. I never know when an A-Class or higher might pop up, so I need to save it.
Why couldn’t the Awakening Center specialize in non-combat skills? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Maybe I should just open my own private Awakening Center. Since I can see what skills people are likely to get, I could create the perfect environment for their awakening… Wait, that sounds like too much work.
“Mister! Why are you spacing out again?”
Yerim shouted as she bounced up and down.
“You said it was for recovering mental fatigue, but you’re still dazed right after drinking it. Are you sure you’re not sick? Chronic fatigue could be a sign of something serious…”
She looked startled by her own words, her face paling. I’m not seriously ill. I’m perfectly healthy, even five years from now.
“I was just thinking for a bit. Peace, come here.”
“But Mister, your stats are F-Class! Don’t you think you should get a health check-up? When was the last time you had one?”
Sure, F-Class is weak, but I’m still just an ordinary person. I’m fragile compared to S-Classes, but I’m not that bad off.
“I don’t remember, but I’m fine. Hey, hey! Who are you calling?”
“The Guild Leader. I’m going to tell him to schedule you a full check-up—”
“No! I’m fine, really!”
I don’t want to go to the hospital! And a full check-up? That means they’ll want to do an endoscopy! Sure, I could do it without sedation, but that would be awful.
“Kim Seonghan always worries about your health. You should take better care of yourself.”
Yerim put her phone back in her pocket, grumbling. That guy only worries because he thinks I’m an old man.
“Um, can we take a picture with you?”
At that moment, two girls who looked like celebrities approached us. Both were F-Class, fully unawakened.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Can we pet him?”
“Just in case, no touching.”
No matter how gentle and well-behaved Peace is, he’s still a monster. The only reason he’s allowed to be here today is because the Hunter Association gave special permission, and I had A-Class and S-Class hunters like Yerim and Moon Hyunah with me. If it were just me, I wouldn’t be allowed to take him outside. It’s still illegal.
Thanks to Peace, it seems like the laws around tamed monsters might get changed sooner than expected.
“Can I take a picture with him too?”
Seeing the two girls take their photo, another person approached us. Soon, the crowd started to grow, one person after another joining in.
Were they just waiting for someone to break the ice? I won’t be coming out in public often, so I might as well do it.
“Peace is adorable!”
“Do you have an SNS account?”
An SNS account, huh? Maybe I should make one. I’ve got plenty of pictures and videos of Peace saved up. Especially the ones from when he was smaller. He’s still cute now, but he was even cuter back then.
“I don’t have one yet, but I’ll think about it.”
“Please make one!”
Yeah, yeah. I guess the world deserves to see how cute my baby is.
Just then, a commotion stirred at the back of the crowd. The people parted, and a man walked through. Immediately, both Yerim and I, along with everyone else, turned to look at him.
Whoa, seriously…
“He’s disgustingly handsome.”
…Yerim, could you be a little more polite? But yeah, she’s right. He really is disgustingly good-looking.
And his awakening potential stats were B-Class, with A-Class skills.
[Unawakened ? Park Hayul
Awakening Potential: B-Class
Optimized Initial Skills:
Can’t Look Away (A)
Feels Comfortable to Watch (A)
Perfect Finishing Touch (A)]
All his skills were A-Class, and judging by the names, they seemed to be special skills. Something related to his appearance, maybe?
I guess a face like that really is a talent. Even if he awakened with S-Class stats, I bet his face wouldn’t change much. Stat boosts aren’t about making you more handsome—they’re just about balance. If your features are already perfect, there’s not much they can improve.
“Excuse me, could I have your autograph?”
Park Hayul asked Yerim, blushing. He’s probably a celebrity, but the roles are reversed here.
“…An autograph?”
“Yes! I really respect and admire hunters! This is my first time meeting an S-Class in person. I wanted to visit the Association when you went to get your grade confirmed, but I had a scheduling conflict. Then I heard you were filming here today, so I came as fast as I could!”
Park Hayul couldn’t hide his excitement as he politely handed over an autograph sheet. Some people do act like that. There are fans who treat hunters like celebrities, especially the S-Class ones who are also usually good-looking. As time goes on, the fanbase only grows.
But it’s kind of funny to see someone who’s even more handsome than an S-Class acting like this. And once he awakens, he’ll at least be a B-Class.
‘Optimized awakening is probably impossible for him.’
Those skills look like ones he’d never get through the Awakening Center. If he’s not careful, he could end up as a half-baked hunter with good stats but terrible skills.
Not that I’d want to recruit him either… Ugh, just thinking about using the keyword on a face like that makes me cringe.
He’s a good-looking actor. I’m sure he’ll be fine on his own. No need to get involved.
“I’m currently shooting a movie. Would it be alright if I sent you a ticket to the premiere? You don’t have to come! I just… I’d like to send you a small gift and the invitation, at least…”
“Uh, yeah. Send it to Haeyeon Guild.”
“Thank you so much!”
He’s got it bad. But a movie, huh. I tilted my head in thought.
I don’t remember seeing an actor that good-looking. Maybe I missed it because, around this time, I wasn’t paying attention to pop culture. Still, with a face like that, he should’ve appeared in plenty of things afterward. He’s not someone you’d easily forget.
So why don’t I remember him? Did he retire early?
“Han Yujin!”
Having secured Yerim’s autograph, Park Hayul now turned to me with a rather intense gaze.
“Could I get your autograph as well? Maybe a paw print from Peace too?”
“…Just the autograph.”
Let’s get this over with quickly. We probably won’t run into each other again anyway.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt