The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C3
$03
[I’ll go talk for a bit and come back.]
Seeing me standing there blankly, Seo-heon patted my shoulder and went outside with that man. I stood there for a long time, holding my phone displaying the completed reservation screen. An ominous feeling crept up from my ankles.
[Woo-hyun, what are you doing here?]
With the guild leader gone, people flocked to me. Pretending not to notice my wavering heart, I responded to them. After three or four politicians or their lackeys came and went, the invited celebrities approached.
[Could we take a picture together?]
[Yes, of course.]
Some asked for photos, and
[Could I get your contact information?]
[It’s a rule not to exchange numbers at events like this. I’m sorry.]
Some wanted to actively build a friendship with me. Many people wanted to know an S-rank hunter from a famous guild personally. Thanks to the current glory, even my past infamy had become blurred.
[I just got an urgent call… I’m sorry, but I’ll have to step out for a moment.]
I think I’ve done enough face-saving for the important people. I bowed to the people and went outside. Seo-heon, who said he’d be away for a moment, hadn’t returned. I thought I’d look for him while taking a walk in the garden.
What conversation could be taking so long?
As I walked aimlessly along the ornate garden, following where my feet led me, I ended up in a secluded corner. As I was about to turn back, I sensed someone’s presence. I tiptoed through the trees, following the sound. At the end of my gaze, I caught sight of Seo-heon.
Normally, I would have immediately gone to talk to him, but now he wasn’t alone. Moreover, the kind eyes that used to look at me were directed towards the man I saw earlier.
Unconsciously, I held my breath and hid. Their faces were getting closer and closer.
Time passed slowly. Seo-heon’s lips touched his.
I couldn’t understand what I was seeing. Their lips parted briefly, then met again with a fresh laugh.
Seo-heon’s gestures contained a kind of heat I had never felt. My heart stopped for a moment, then started beating wildly. The ground collapsed. Someone was pulling me down to the floor. I lost my balance, unable to resist.
At the rustling sound, Seo-heon turned his head sharply. For a moment when he discovered me, confusion flashed across his face.
[Sorry. Did I interrupt?]
I asked, stepping back without knowing what I was babbling.
[Oh dear.]
Seo-heon looked genuinely troubled. He couldn’t hide his expression of dismay.
[I didn’t plan to tell you yet…]
There were many things I wanted to ask – why he had intended to keep it a secret from me, what exactly he didn’t want to tell me – but they didn’t come out of my mouth. My throat choked up and a pain like my heart was being squeezed came over me. I wanted to rip this heart out.
[Let me introduce you. This is Kwon Ho-jun. We decided to start dating today.]
[Hello.]
Thanks to Kwon Ho-jun’s shy greeting, my sense of reality returned. Belatedly, my face burned with shame at my own emotions.
My flimsy confession plan was thrown in the trash without ever seeing the light of day. For the first time, I regretted falling for Seo-heon.
[I heard you’re really close friends. My father speaks highly of you too.]
[Ah, yes.]
[Did you have something to say?]
Seo-heon gently pulled Kwon Ho-jun’s shoulder as if touching something precious, while looking at me indifferently.
[No. Nothing special to say. I just came looking for you because the party seemed to be wrapping up. You must be busy, so I’ll go first.]
I wanted to run away immediately. I couldn’t bear to see Seo-heon looking happy anymore. It wasn’t a place for someone like me to intrude.
[Didn’t you say we’d go somewhere together after this ended?]
Seo-heon asked as I was turning around. I took a deep breath and gave an answer I didn’t mean.
[No, it’s fine. It’s not like today’s the only day.]
And so my birthday became their anniversary. After that, I never spent another birthday with Seo-heon.
***
“Go home first today.”
Seo-heon, who had been dating smoothly for three years now, was currently trying to soothe a sulky-looking Kwon Ho-jun.
“Why? I just got here.”
Seo-heon seemed to find even Kwon Ho-jun’s whining adorable, looking at him with eyes full of affection. They were a well-matched pair.
“If we make Woo-hyun feel too lonely, he might cut ties with us.”
It was unfair to use me like that. If we’re being honest, today’s dinner was Seo-heon’s suggestion, but his skill in gently shifting the blame to me was even bewildering.
“It doesn’t matter if we eat later. If you had prior plans, go with Kwon Ho-jun. I’m fine talking later.”
While it would be nice to have a meal with Seo-heon after a long time, I was also afraid of feeling miserable if I saw him thinking about his lover while in front of me. When I weighed the pros and cons like this, the scale tipped towards giving up small happiness.
“We have to go to the association in a few days, and we need to talk about that too.”
He brazenly brought up work as a topic, even though he hadn’t mentioned anything like that in front of me before. When he used work as a weapon, I had no escape. Kwon Ho-jun seemed to understand and nodded.
“Should I assign a hunter to escort you home?”
Kwon Ho-jun was in a unique position of being affiliated with the guild while using guild members as bodyguards. There were two main reasons for this.
One was that Kwon Ho-jun, as Seo-heon’s lover and a barely C-rank hunter, was an ideal hostage for those targeting the Ihwa Guild. The other was that he was the child of a famous politician, which doubled the threat of kidnapping.
I could understand the complaints of some guild members who disliked wasting manpower because of Kwon Ho-jun.
“Yes. The person my dad assigned is scary, and I’m not sure if they have the ability to protect me… A hunter chosen by you would have guaranteed skills, right?”
Kwon Ho-jun’s voice trembled slightly with anxiety. It was understandable to be afraid, given that there had been an attempted attack by an unknown assailant two weeks ago.
“I’ll assign one A-rank and one B-rank hunter.”
If you’re going to do that, why don’t you just take him home yourself?
I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say and tried to persuade him once more.
“Are there even any hunters available right now? Everyone must be busy these days.”
“Lee Han has been free lately.”
My head throbbed. Lee Han was an Ihwa Guild member who didn’t particularly like Seo-heon and strongly disliked Kwon Ho-jun. Being sensitive and extremely shy, it was clear he would be heavily stressed by this kind of task.
“Isn’t there anyone else?”
“I’m a bit scared of Lee Han too.”
Kwon Ho-jun, who had been listening quietly, interjected.
Lee Han is scary? He’s basically a gentle kid, but I guess when he sits there silently without saying anything, he might look intimidating because of his large build. He has scars here and there too.
But I had no intention of forcing Lee Han to become friends with someone. So I didn’t bother to clear up Kwon Ho-jun’s misunderstanding.
“Then I’ll choose someone suitable and send them.”
Seo-heon immediately called for other people, as if mentioning Lee Han’s name had been a joke. Standing by the window, he watched with sharp eyes until the end as Kwon Ho-jun got into the car, escorted by bodyguards.
Can he be that worried?
At times like this, I had useless thoughts like what if I were a C-rank hunter instead of an S-rank hunter. Even though I knew that no matter how much I struggled, Baek Woo-hyun could never become Kwon Ho-jun.
“It’s not like you’ve left a child by the river, don’t worry too much.”
“He’s precious, we need to take good care of him.”
To Seo-heon, Kwon Ho-jun was the only irreplaceable person, so it was understandable to call him precious.
“Shall we go eat then?”
“Let’s do that.”
Pretending to be unbothered, I went down to the first floor alongside Seo-heon. The guild members in the lobby brightened up and waved when they saw us.
“Where are you two going?”
“We’re going to have dinner at the restaurant in front.”
“Enjoy your meal!”
“Thank you.”
The nearby restaurant where Seo-heon brought me was quite famous, a place difficult to even enter without a reservation.
“You came with Woo-hyun today. How shall we prepare for you?”
I gave a light bow to the sociable chef’s greeting. I knew without asking who he usually came with. From the VIP treatment, I could feel how generously Seo-heon must have tipped when he came to this restaurant with Kwon Ho-jun.
I thought Seo-heon would naturally respond with a friendly smile, but he stared blankly at the chef without answering, as if something displeased him. The chef’s face gradually paled, as if trying to figure out if he had done something wrong.
“What are you doing? Let’s go in quickly.”
“Okay.”
Until the end, Seo-heon didn’t respond to the chef.
“Why are you in a bad mood again?”
“How could I be in a bad mood when I’m here to eat with you?”
“But you gave the chef a hard time.”
“His perfume was too strong.”
At this unexpected answer, I tried to recall, but I hadn’t noticed any unpleasant scent.
“It’s problematic for someone who cooks to do that. Hunters have sensitive senses, you know.”
“Is that so?”
As we were taking off our shoes before entering the private room, news sounds leaked from the next room. It was a low volume, but Seo-heon and I, with our good hearing, could hear it clearly.
[Mr. Gryce, a B-rank hunter from Sweden, has successfully resurrected, causing a big stir day after day.]