The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C30
$30
I was the petty one. Or maybe I was actually enjoying it while pretending not to.
Getting closer to Seo-heon was impossible, and drifting apart was frightening. So I tried to just stand there and watch as Seo-heon drifted away.
I should have done better.
“Woo-hyun.”
Seo-heon called me.
“You’re really difficult.”
For once, we were on the same page. There was no one more difficult for me than you.
“Lee-han. We’ll solve our problem ourselves.”
During the meal, Seo-heon didn’t touch the fish I had returned. Lee-han also seemed uneasy, moving slowly like a priest performing a ritual rather than eating. After what felt like an eon, the meal ended. All three of us left a lot, but no one wanted to eat more.
While Lee-han went to take a phone call, I cautiously spoke to Seo-heon.
“Seo-heon, I’m going to talk with Lee-han for a bit before coming in. I’ll see you at the meeting this afternoon.”
“You were with him all day yesterday, what more is there to talk about?”
Seo-heon’s mood was getting worse.
These are probably the problematic parts.
To me, it just seemed like he was acting compulsively and obsessively because things weren’t going his way, but to others, it might have looked like jealousy or obsession.
“It’s not something we can talk about outside. I know I’m not in a position to say this, but let’s choose the time and place for our conversation.”
“You’re not answering me.”
Seo-heon wasn’t backing down easily. But I didn’t want to say that Lee-han had misunderstood about you and me, and that’s why I wanted to talk with him.
“I have something to say in case you’d be troubled if I suddenly left the guild.”
“So you still want to leave the guild.”
The longer the conversation went on, the more disadvantageous it became for me.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking these days.”
“I’m glad you seem to understand my feelings a little.”
Seeing Seo-heon’s eyes sink deeper, I tried to brush it off with a joke.
“I really need to go now.”
Seo-heon didn’t try to hold me back any further. The sticky discomfort he must have been feeling seemed to have infected me as well. I moved towards Lee-han.
“So you’re calling me to clean up the mess you made, right?”
As I approached carefully because he was on the phone, harsh words were spilling from Lee-han’s mouth. Lee-han belatedly noticed me and his eyes widened.
“Yeah. Okay. Get it sorted out before I get there.”
Lee-han, who hurriedly ended the call, scratched his head, seeming embarrassed.
“I’m still young, so if I don’t speak strongly, I get ignored.”
I see. It’s impressive that he’s risen to that position at such a young age, but it must be challenging as a leader.
I nodded in understanding and called Lee-han outside. His slow footsteps following behind made it seem like he was ashamed of having his phone conversation overheard.
“Lee-han.”
The park behind the cafeteria was empty. It was a park I used to walk in often when I frequently used the guild cafeteria, as it was usually deserted. Fortunately, there was still no one in the park now. I turned around to look at Lee-han.
“Yes?”
Lee-han’s forehead was slightly damp with sweat.
“You know I like Seo-heon, right?”
Lee-han’s lips tightened. The lack of response meant it was the correct answer.
“Hyung, I…”
“Wait, Lee-han. Just wait a moment.”
My head was a mess. I had prided myself on treating him like a normal friend, but now I thought that might not have been the case. The wind blew, and my clothes fluttered.
“Is the reason you dislike Seo-heon related to my question?”
For Lee-han, who followed me well, that might be the case. Sometimes, there were people who would get angry as if it had happened to them when they saw someone they cared about being rejected by someone else.
“I can’t say it’s unrelated. But it’s not just because of that.”
It felt like scattered puzzle pieces were roughly coming together.
“Lee-han. My feelings are solely my own. You don’t need to try to protect me.”
“But that person is stringing you along.”
So that’s how it looks to Lee-han, who knows my feelings. A bitter taste filled my mouth.
“If you want to criticize someone, criticize me for liking someone who has a lover. Love isn’t a right, and we shouldn’t get angry just because the other person doesn’t respond.”
Lee-han’s eyes touched a distant place before returning to my face. It was a bit embarrassing and awkward to have this conversation with a younger brother I cared about. What must Lee-han be thinking now?
“Kang Seo-heon probably thinks it’s his right to receive your love?”
Lee-han looked quite troubled as he said this. I could feel him choosing between what he should and shouldn’t say.
Lee-han’s words aren’t entirely wrong.
At some point, Seo-heon had started taking my special treatment for granted. Maybe that unconscious expectation was underlying his attempts to hold onto me now. Of course, his ambition for the guild would come first.
“We’ve been together for a long time and have gotten used to it.”
“Hyung. That’s just an excuse.”
My heart pounded along with his intensely serious voice.
“Do you think he doesn’t know what I’ve noticed?”
Then it stopped abruptly. My heart seemed to be mounted high up, with no intention of coming down.
“Huh?”
A hoarse sound came from my throat. I understood what Lee-han was trying to say, but it was content I couldn’t accept.
“That incredibly cruel person, do you think he doesn’t know your feelings?”
“Why would he just leave it be if he knew?”
I reflexively asked back. It was a question I had been asking myself repeatedly.
“Because that way, you’ll keep liking him. He knows you’re the type who would run away out of guilt if you found out he knew.”
Lee-han knew me better than I thought. If Seo-heon had known about my feelings, I would have decided to leave much earlier.
“That’s just your opinion. You don’t need to build me up like that. If I leave the guild and keep a proper distance, everything will work out fine.”
It might take some time to find someone to replace me, but with Seo-heon’s abilities, it would be possible eventually. The task would be even easier if they hired an esper from another country.
And if I were to die…
He’d have lost one of his few friends. That’s all. Even if it’s painful for a while, with love and work, my existence would easily fade away. Just as it has been until now.
“You really think that, don’t you? He started following you around after you said you were leaving the guild, right?”
“Yeah. It’ll be temporary.”
Lee-han let out a big sigh.
“Okay. Hyung, you’ve thought it through well. That bas… I mean, Kang Seo-heon probably won’t let you go, but he can’t imprison you either.”
“Why would he do such an unnecessary thing?”
I laughed out loud for the first time. Kang Seo-heon imprisoning someone? Unless it was to extract a confession from an enemy, he wasn’t the type to do such a wasteful thing for no reason. And to do that just to keep me? I couldn’t help but laugh.
“No, you never know. If he does, send me a signal and I’ll rescue you. You saved me, so I want to help you at least once too.”
Unlike me, Lee-han spoke seriously, shaking his head.
“That won’t happen, but thanks for the thought.”
I made up my mind after the conversation with Lee-han.
I’ll have one last conversation with Seo-heon. And I’ll sort out my feelings too. Along with the confession that had grown stale from not being delivered.
***
“We will now begin the meeting for the S-class dungeon, Hetchling Nest attack strategy.”
Ms. Mi-yeon announced the start of the meeting in a rarely tense voice. It was a large-scale meeting with all guild members of team leader rank and above, including Seo-heon, myself, and Lee-han.
“First, I will explain about the Hetchling Nests that have appeared in other regions.”
The screen displayed an example from the United States. The attack methods, participating hunters, and obtained by-products were neatly organized.
“In the case of the United States, it was an electric attribute Hetchling. Compared to the dragons that have only appeared three times so far, the attack was relatively easy, but it is said that a rather long battle ensued as they took advantage of the nest.”
Impressive faces appeared on the screen. Despite the deployment of famous individuals whose names would be familiar to anyone in the hunter profession, it took a full two days to conquer the nest, already suggesting the difficulties ahead.
“I’ve heard that like dragons, each individual Hetchling has special abilities. I understand there’s a limit to patterning the attacks, but…”
Lee-han raised his hand and spoke. As Lee-han said, the most tricky aspect of Hetchlings was that, unlike other monsters, their attacks couldn’t be 100% patterned. If an unexpected attack were to land critically, the subsequent planned strategies could easily collapse like dominoes.
“That’s why Rocinante, who attacked the next Hetchling Nest, recruited a hunter with precognition skills. Standing in the same line as the healers, they read the attacks one minute in advance, successfully conquering the dungeon without casualties.”
I was reminded of Seo-heon talking about Halo.
Was this what he meant when he said he had no intention of using his prophetic abilities?