The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C35
$35
[Using B-grade skill, Body Enhancement. A courageous energy fills your entire body, increasing your defense.]
As I used the skill, I rapidly expanded my muscles and ran at full speed towards the expected landing point.
[Using A-grade skill, Wind of Fire. The wind becomes a shield protecting allies at your request.]
If the person fell maintaining that speed, I would be fine with Body Enhancement, but the impact on the falling person would be significant.
I created a wind with a faint red glow to try to reduce the falling speed, but it only diminished the momentum without completely removing the impact. As I caught the person, there was a crack sound and the phone I was holding shattered.
“Th-thank you.”
The person who fell was Jingyu, Lee-han’s team member. Fortunately, Jingyu also seemed to have enough Body Enhancement to withstand this level of impact, as he got up and bowed repeatedly without major issues.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Lee-han, who followed, shouted angrily. It was natural as a team leader given the dangerous situation.
“I’m sorry! I used a skill I’m not yet skilled at controlling and got impatient. I really messed up.”
“It’s fine as long as you’re not hurt.”
No one was injured, and the shattered phone was just a matter of buying a new one or repairing it. Jingyu returning safely and getting scolded was unavoidable, but this was fortunate all things considered.
“Sigh… We’ll return for today. Submit brief reports by team when you get back.”
It was a mission without any major incidents.
***
Perhaps because I had several sleepless nights before going on the dawn mission, I was unusually drowsy. After nodding off repeatedly, I checked the clock and it was already pointing to 12 o’clock. Suddenly wide awake, I hurriedly got up and headed to the bathroom.
“Why did I fall asleep on a day like this?”
I complained to myself as I washed quickly and thoroughly. I looked for clothes to change into while just drying off with a towel, but couldn’t find any suitable clothes. I needed to wear a black suit rather than my usual functional combat outfit, but couldn’t find anything satisfactory.
Is there really not a single decent suit?
Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a suit. Even for official occasions, there was no need to dress up when meeting only among hunters, so it was even more so.
I avoided such occasions in the first place anyway.
The old clothes I managed to find after rummaging through the closet had faded colors from years of neglect.
I don’t want to wear old clothes.
I neatly put the faded clothes back in the closet. Though time was tight, it seemed better to stop by a nearby clothing store. Suddenly I noticed my phone that had completely broken down at dawn. It seemed I wouldn’t have time to get it fixed today.
If there’s an urgent matter requiring a call, they’ll contact me on the guild’s dedicated device.
The place I was meeting Seo-heon was somewhere we could go with our eyes closed, and neither of us was the type to be late for appointments. Even if we were a little late, Seo-heon also had a device, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
In the end, I left the house wearing my usual clothes and leaving my phone on the desk. Then I entered the clothing store closest to the guild. I had often seen it in passing, but this was my first time actually coming in. There weren’t many people in the spacious store.
“Excuse me, are you Baek Woo-hyun?”
A customer who had been glancing at me since I entered approached and spoke. Fortunately, there was nothing but goodwill in their eyes.
“Hello.”
“Wow, I work near Ihwa Guild but this is my first time seeing you. Would it be alright to ask for an autograph?”
Sometimes there were people who requested autographs like this. At such times, while I felt embarrassed, I was mostly grateful. It’s easy to think guilds only need to be strong, but it was better to leave a good impression on the public. Support for the guild made it easier to win dungeon bids and get work.
In that sense, I was a minus factor for the guild for a while.
When I first joined, I heard there were opinions questioning why they needed to bring in the son of a criminal when the guild was establishing its position as a skilled guild led by a young guild master.
So I heard that when I had just joined, Seo-heon also got quite a bit of flak from various places. That’s why I didn’t want to be a burden on the guild, so I worked harder, and as I gradually produced results, people started to view me positively.
I should at least do this much for those who view me favorably.
If anything, I felt sorry that I was just writing my name neatly for such a simple autograph.
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
I could feel subtle interest from here and there, but since these were the kind of looks most hunters would receive, I pretended not to notice. Even more so for hunters from guilds frequently exposed in the media.
“What kind of clothes are you looking for?”
As I was awkwardly looking around at clothes, one of the staff members approached with a somewhat flushed face and spoke to me.
“Do you have any plain black suits?”
“How about this?”
The staff member with neatly styled hair naturally guided me with a professional attitude. However, what the staff showed me was far from plain – a three-piece suit that looked like it could be worn at an awards ceremony. Faced with the expectant gaze, I spoke with difficulty.
“Do you have anything lighter?”
“Ah, I just thought it would suit you so well. Are you perhaps going on a date? Or do you have an important event like an awards ceremony?”
I couldn’t tell someone cheerfully talking about happiness that I was going to my parents’ columbarium.
“No. I just have some people to greet.”
“Then how about this?”
The clothes the staff recommended this time were much more subdued. This level wouldn’t be considered overly dressed even if I walked around in it.
“Yes, this looks good. Can I try it on?”
“Of course!”
The clothes fit perfectly. Though my ankles were fully exposed, it seemed to be the original design rather than being too small.
It’s not great for mobility, but it’s not uncomfortable.
This was enough since I wouldn’t be fighting today. The stiff feel of the new clothes tickled around my neck.
“It suits you well. You look good in anything, but formal clothes seem to make your appearance shine even more.”
The staff member who recommended the clothes showered me with praise typical of service jobs. Though I knew it was part of the job, it was still somewhat embarrassing, so I discreetly turned my eyes in another direction.
I should pay quickly and leave. I don’t want to trouble them any further.
Whether at restaurants or clothing stores, leaving quickly was considered virtuous.
“I’ll pay for this. Is it alright if I wear it out?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll remove the tags for you.”
After quickly finishing the payment and leaving, the sky that had been clear in the morning was now full of clouds.
“I wonder if it’s going to rain.”
At 1:20 PM, it was an awkward time to go back for an umbrella. Except for about one minute a day, I was sturdy enough that getting rained on wouldn’t make me catch a cold.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t decided how to handle the notifications and pain today. It would be best to step away briefly before 7 PM, but the situation might not allow it.
It would be good to get home before 7 PM, but the timing might be awkward.
I kept walking, holding onto my anxious feelings. Since it wasn’t too far, I didn’t take a car. It wasn’t bad to leisurely scan the familiar alleys. Among the familiar scenery, different shops and buildings had come in, and there were also streets that seemed new.
What used to be here?
I saw a small building right in front of the meeting place. A trendy-looking cafe had opened there. Though small, it was cutely decorated and bustling with customers.
This was definitely not a cafe before, but a familiar shop. Seo-heon and I had stopped by here before. What kind of shop was it?
Normally I would have just passed by, but for some reason it kept bothering me. When I arrived in front of the park with my curiosity unresolved, it was 1:40 PM.
It seemed true that kids these days don’t hang around parks much, whether due to academies or for safety reasons. Despite it being a weekend, I only saw a few people walking dogs. My pace must have been faster than I thought, as I arrived earlier than the appointed time, so I decided to sit on a bench and wait.
As I sat quietly waiting for Seo-heon, unnecessary thoughts crept in and left their footprints.
Why was I trying to go to the columbarium?
Yesterday’s decision was somewhat impulsive. The guilt towards Hojun and the realization Lee-han gave me were just amplifiers. Maybe I had always wanted to do this.
After the arson incident, some victims had joint funerals, while others had separate funerals if their families wished. Of course, my parents weren’t among them.
I belatedly received only bone ashes in an urn. Perhaps feeling sorry that I just kept them at home, not knowing what to do with something I couldn’t even be sure was my parents, Seo-heon’s mother arranged a place in a columbarium. And I never visited even once.
I heard the location was moved once due to a terrorist attack, though I don’t know how they found out about it. It became a topic of discussion again for a while because of that, but it settled down only after it was revealed that the culprit wasn’t even a victim’s family member, but simply someone who did it to upload a video.
Seo-heon had casually asked if I wanted to go together before, but I refused. Though I tried to act nonchalant, meeting my parents whom I had turned away from was a nerve-wracking affair. Although I had about a year of life left, there were still battles remaining, and there was no guarantee I wouldn’t use the Flame of Life skill. It was better to assume I wouldn’t have another chance to observe my parents’ death anniversary.