[ Pretending to Forget (3) ]
“Hunter Han Yujin!”
Park Hayul shouted, his voice filled with both relief and worry. At the same time, the expressions of the Hunters who had been on guard turned to ones of surprise.
“No way… is it really Han Yujin?”
“What’s Han Yujin doing here? I heard the Haeyeon Guild Leader keeps him wrapped up so tight he never shows his face!”
“Shit, does that mean Han Yuhyun is here too?”
The group started looking around, clearly alarmed. Well, of course, they wouldn’t think I came alone. But I did.
“Did the Haeyeon Guild Leader really come too?!”
Park Hayul’s face, streaked with dried blood from his nosebleed, lit up with excitement. Even after getting beaten up, this guy still loves Hunters. That’s some serious devotion.
“I’m alone.”
“Huh? But-!”
“Just close your eyes.”
I stepped to the side and activated the shield skill from my Black Fairy Earring over Park Hayul. He shouted something in response, but I had maxed out the barrier, which even blocked sound, so I couldn’t hear what he was saying. It’s a B-rank barrier, so as long as I don’t screw up, he won’t get a scratch. I should probably avoid using poison, though.
“…Alone?”
Kim Yongjin muttered in disbelief. So suspicious.
“If I wasn’t alone, don’t you think someone would’ve jumped out by now? As you all know, I’m in a pretty well-protected position, right?”
A lot of people would freak out if they saw me messing around here like this. My words made the group sigh in relief.
“This F-rank must’ve lost his mind.”
One of the D-rank Hunters started stepping toward me, but Kim Yongjin stretched out his arm to stop him.
“Hold on. There’s something up if he’s that confident. Just the fact that he followed us without being detected means he’s not ordinary.”
“But his stats are definitely F-rank, aren’t they? He was certified by the Association.”
“Even with good equipment, he couldn’t be more than C-rank. He’s a windfall just sitting there.”
Windfall? The real windfall is our little Chirp. Round and fluffy and always rolling around.
“Well, I guess I should say it’s nice to see you again. We’re meeting for the first time, but not really. You know what I mean.”
The group looked at me with confused expressions, as if I was talking nonsense.
“…I saw you on TV, but…”
“No, we’ve met in person. Actually, I’ve come back in time. Pretty shocking, right?”
Saying that to people I killed four years ago feels strangely satisfying. It really drives the point home. Yuhyun came back too quickly for it to feel real.
“A full five years! Ah, I met you guys four years ago, a year from now. After that, we never met again. Because I killed you. It’s really nice to see you again. Since you’re going to die anyway, why not do me a favor and act as my confession booth?”
Might as well get this off my chest.
“…What the hell is he talking about? Is he crazy?”
“I know I must seem like a madman, but it hurts when you say it out loud like that. And you guys aren’t exactly models of sanity either. If I’m at fifty, you’re at five hundred. Especially you, Kim Yongjin, you’re a real psycho. Honestly, it was a shame I killed you so easily back then.”
Getting a second chance like this… I should be thanking the heavens. Guess that really would make me seem insane. It’s not like I enjoy killing people. But sometimes, life throws you into a situation where you lose control. Even though everything that happened between us technically didn’t happen, those bastards ruined a lot of lives and were going to ruin even more. That hasn’t changed.
“But thanks to you, I was able to pull myself together.”
By my second year, I’d settled down. I couldn’t form a permanent team, but I had no problem finding capable Hunters to work with… Wait a second. Come to think of it, that was right when MKC collapsed and Haeyeon took their place.
That was also around the time when things calmed down after the Awakening Centers were established. I didn’t get hassled by Haeyeon as much anymore, at least until the dungeons started going crazy. …Could it be that my little brother sent people to keep an eye on me?
And when Yuhyun himself came running into the dungeon, that was right when Haeyeon had secured the number one spot in Korea, and his duties as Guild Leader had started to ease up.
“Hmm, I guess people shouldn’t have too much free time.”
If he’d been busy fighting with other guilds, he wouldn’t have had time to do something insane like arriving right before the dungeon gate closed. At best, he would’ve sent a couple of A-rank Hunters.
“That guy’s definitely not right in the head.”
I could hear them whispering about me as if they were watching a lunatic. That’s unfair. My mental state is mostly intact.
“I don’t remember the lottery numbers, but I did really come back in time. Want me to tell you something interesting? Curious about which S-rank Hunters will appear next? Or maybe you’re more into the hot new dungeons? How about the stock market? Hey, Lee Dongwan, that stock you just bought is going to be worthless in a month.”
That guy was such a whiner, complaining about it even a year later.
Anyway.
“It’s nice seeing you again like this. You guys don’t know what it’s like, but when you come back and all the things that happened never happened, it leaves you feeling unsettled. I tried not to think about it at first. I wanted to lay low and live quietly. And most importantly, I didn’t want to think about how all the people who died because of me are walking around alive now… I tried not to think about it.”
It’s not like they were just people I knew who died. I survived because of them. And I inherited their memories. When I saw their bodies in front of me, their thoughts about me would come flooding into my mind. With Yuhyun, I got random pieces of his life since his memories covered a lot of time. But for most, it was the memories from right before they died. That part never failed to come through.
If it was just someone I knew casually, it was tolerable.
But if it was someone who had cared about me, it was unbearable.
If they were a good person, if they had nothing but fond memories… the sound of them calling my name echoed in my ears for days on end. I felt like I’d lose my mind if I didn’t force myself to forget them.
But now, they’re all alive again. How am I supposed to explain what that feels like?
I buried those feelings for years. It’s not like with Yuhyun, who still knows me.
They don’t even know who I am anymore.
Just like these guys here.
Should I feel happy? Sad? Should I say I’m sorry or that I’m grateful? Before that, is it even okay for me to contact them? To meet with them? After all, I survived because they died.
There’s no one I can talk to about this. So I just pretended like I’d forgotten.
“What do you think? Some of them were genuinely good people. I spent days drowning in alcohol, half out of my mind because of it.”
As if they didn’t want to hear any more, the group began shifting into a battle formation. The least they could do is respond. I sighed and drew the curved blade I got from the D-rank dungeon as a reward.
“Surround him and take him down!”
At Kim Yongjin’s command, two of the Hunters with shields flanked me. A C-rank defensive Hunter activated his skill and quickly moved to cover my rear. I grabbed him by the collar and flung him to the ground with a swift toss.
Boom!
I then drove the curved blade into the forehead of the shield-bearer on the left and snatched his shield, throwing it at the guy on the right.
Crunch!
“Guh!”
The shield shattered upon impact, and the Hunter holding it couldn’t withstand the force and tumbled backward.
“What the hell?!”
While the D-rank Hunters panicked, Kim Yongjin turned tail and tried to run. Quick to judge the situation, aren’t we?
Thorn Trap.
“Ugh!”
Kim Yongjin fell flat on his face like a frog hit by a rock. I slashed at the defensive Hunter’s leg as he struggled to get up and then used Thorn Trap on the remaining Hunters.
“Maybe I should call someone? Hmm? Yongjin?”
I walked over to the trembling Kim Yongjin.
“I still remember your phone number. But what should I say? You don’t know who I am. Still, I can’t just keep pretending not to know. Those people are still living out their lives too. They haven’t awakened yet, but once the Awakening Centers are established, they’ll become Hunters, just like you guys, and enter dungeons. Just like that chaotic mess.”
I neatly severed one of Kim Yongjin’s legs and released the Thorn Trap.
“Aaaagh! Ugh, you… you bastard, what the hell are you?!”
“I don’t have to take responsibility for everything just because I came back in time. After all, it technically never happened. But still, the memories remain with me. If I keep pretending none of it happened, I’ll just be a piece of trash.”
What am I supposed to do?
I activated Thorn Trap again, this time pinning Kim Yongjin to the ground as I pulled out a small vial of magic stone powder from my inventory. I casually sprinkled it around the area. The nearby monsters hadn’t all been cleared yet. They’d be coming soon enough, attracted by the scent of blood and the powdered magic stone.
“Let’s hope we never meet again.”
I let out a quiet sigh and turned away. I glanced over at Park Hayul—who, despite my instructions to close his eyes, had clearly been watching the whole thing. He was now vomiting from the sight.
I walked over to him and dispelled the barrier.
“You okay?”
“…Yes, I-I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“We should get out of here. The monsters will start coming once they catch the scent of blood.”
“Y-yeah, of course.”
I led Park Hayul back along the path we came, retracing our steps.
“Now that I think about it,” Park Hayul muttered weakly, “I really should’ve listened when you tried to warn me…”
We were almost back near the dungeon gate when Park Hayul, who had regained some of his composure, spoke again. It seemed like he thought I’d been trying to persuade them with words. I guess because he hadn’t heard anything while he was behind the shield.
“I wasn’t trying to persuade them,” I said. “I was just talking to myself. Don’t worry about it. I heard those guys had hurt a lot of people.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And one more thing—everything that happened today needs to stay a secret. I’m not supposed to be wandering around like this. Also, my Stealth skill is classified.”
Park Hayul’s face lit up with excitement again. It’s surprising how quickly he bounces back. It’s probably because reality hasn’t hit him yet. Some people are like that. They act fine the day of the incident but fall apart two or three days later, crying and having a breakdown.
“I had no idea Hunter Han Yujin was this strong! There were two C-ranks, and you took them out like nothing! Are you actually B-rank or higher in stats?”
“No, I’m not. But my abilities are a secret too.”
“Of course!”
“You can keep a secret, right?”
“Absolutely! You can count on me!”
His confidence was almost endearing. I flashed him a reassuring smile, though I wasn’t really trusting him.
I had decided to bring him on board, but I wasn’t going to trust him blindly before I knew more about him. That’s why I made sure to show him everything.
The original plan was just to show him my Stealth and Thorn Trap skills, but things got a bit more intense than expected.
After witnessing all this, he’ll definitely feel an urge to talk about it. He’s in an industry where people constantly talk and socialize, after all. Celebrities like him are surrounded by chatter, and it’s only natural to want to share what they know.
‘Now that things got more dramatic, his lips might be even looser than I expected.’
If he can’t resist spilling what he knows, that’ll be the end of it.
As far as anyone knows, I’m safely confined within the Haeyeon Guild with tight security. I didn’t even reveal my presence on the way here. I stayed hidden the whole time, even when I took the bus. If Park Hayul talks, I’ll make sure he’s the only one who witnessed it, and he won’t be believed no matter what he says.
‘If he keeps his mouth shut, then I’ll keep him around. If not, I’ll just use him to advertise my special skills and that’ll be the end of it.’
I’ve got three A-rank special skills, so at least one of them should be useful. Hopefully, all the effort I put in won’t go to waste.
“I really don’t know how to thank you enough. I always believed Hunters were good people. You know, they’re the ones who protect us from dungeons breaking, right?”
…Maybe all that effort was a waste after all. Park Hayul continued to smile brightly as he spoke.
“Can I call you hyung? You’re five years older than me. I’m twenty.”
“Ah, sure.”
He’s the same age as Yuhyun, but how are they so different? Twenty is still young, but even so…
“Can we exchange numbers-?”
“Not yet. And make sure you delete the messages I sent you as soon as you leave the dungeon. It’s better to erase any trace of this awakening broker stuff.”
I should probably double-check to make sure he deletes those messages. Can they be recovered, though? I didn’t outright say I was coming to save him, but still.
“And don’t contact me for the time being. If you get caught reaching out to me, it’ll be a hassle.”
At my words, Park Hayul’s expression crumpled like a puppy that had been abandoned.
“For how long?”
“Two weeks or so. I’ll reach out to you first.”
“I’ll keep the secret and wait patiently. Please, don’t forget about me. Please.”
We’ve barely known each other for long, yet he seems so desperate. He’d probably follow any keyword commands I gave him without hesitation.
“I’ll set up the shield for you again. Wait here quietly while I finish clearing the dungeon.”
“Yes, hyung! Be careful!”
He waved enthusiastically, flashing me an innocent smile. I let out a sigh. Yeah… he’s probably not cut out for this.
After getting back home, I took a shower and changed clothes. During that time, my SNS follower count had increased by tens of thousands. There were even a lot of foreign comments. I deleted the messages exchanged with Park Hayul and uploaded an old video of Peace when he was just a baby.
I also saw that both Yuhyun and Yerim had sent me messages.
[Hyung, are you on SNS now?]
[Mister! Mister! Mister!! Please follow me back!]
So Yerim uses SNS too, huh?
[Yeah.]
[What’s your account?]
I replied, and after a moment, I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the keypad.
Then, slowly, I typed out a number I hadn’t forgotten. I pressed the call button, and soon, someone picked up.
[Hello?]
It was a familiar voice. A voice I thought I’d never hear again. I thought it had faded from my memory, but it was still so clear.
‘What do you mean, there’s no team that’ll take me? You know I’m not welcome anywhere.’
‘It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Yujin. This’ll pass. Just give it time.’
All those buried memories came flooding back. I didn’t realize I remembered so much. Laughing seemed better than crying at this point.
“I’m sorry. I think I called the wrong number… Have a good day. Always.”
I hung up.
For now, I need to figure out what to do about the Awakening Centers that’ll be opening soon. I can’t let that whole mess happen all over again.
[Yuhyun, do you have time? I have something to talk about. It’s important.]
[Is it urgent? I have someone over right now.]
[Who?]
No response for a moment. And then, an unexpected message popped up from someone else entirely.
[It’s fine. Come up and we’ll talk.]
It was the Guild Leader of Sesung. And then Yuhyun messaged me again.
[You don’t need to come.]
[No, I’ll be there.]
It involves someone related to all of this, after all. Better to have two people than just one.
–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