Chapter 51

Chapter 7 – The Lightning Genius of Hunter Academy

A few days later, I was eating an ice cream in front of a convenience store.

Thanks to Baeksan, I had started basic physical training, so I was repeating jogging and training every night.

“Eat that and run more.”

“Aren’t you working me too hard?”

I complained while taking a bite of my melon-flavored ice cream, but Baeksan just snorted.

“You’re being let off easy because of your injury. Once you recover, you’ll miss these days.”

Already terrifying.

Even though it had been a while since I started training, I was still suffering from muscle pain every morning, making a tired face.

I did ask for this, but he’s really using me without mercy.

At that moment, my phone started ringing.

Ji-eun’s number was displayed, so I answered the call.

“Yeah, Ji-eun.”

[…Brother Ha-chan, did you awaken as a Hunter?]

Although I was injured, it didn’t affect my daily life much. I was still going to the hospital every day and continuing my work at the company.

Baekseolhyang would always give me things like red ginseng whenever we met at the company, as if she was dissatisfied.

Anyway, before I went to resolve the Gwak Sa-yeon incident, I had a bit of a disagreement with Ji-eun.

To be precise, I hadn’t told her about my situation, so she was understandably upset.

‘She probably felt like I didn’t trust her enough to tell her.’

Especially since Ji-eun had feelings for me, it must have hurt her more.

Because of that, our relationship had become a bit awkward recently.

I tried to act as usual, but Ji-eun seemed down.

It seemed like she was bothered by how she had acted coldly toward me.

Since I had submitted a leave request to attend the Hunter Academy, which is essential after awakening as a Hunter, she must have heard from the team leader.

Ji-eun, who has good communication skills, always hears things from here and there.

“Yeah, that’s what happened.”

[So, is that why you kept getting hurt?]

“I awakened my ability, but it didn’t quite fit. I’ve been struggling because I lack talent.”

I answered with an awkward laugh, and Ji-eun fell silent.

[Did you not tell me because you have to quit your job as a manager if you awaken as a Hunter?]

There have been many cases where people quit their jobs after awakening as Hunters and switched to being full-time Hunters.

Being a Hunter is dangerous, but the pay is good, and if you’re capable, you can receive much better treatment than in a regular job.

So, Ji-eun must have misunderstood when she heard I had awakened.

“No, I don’t plan to do that.”

[But…]

“Ji-eun, I’m your manager. I’m here to support you all until you become official Hunters.”

[Right.]

“So, I don’t plan to give up my position so easily.”

This Hunter registration is just a precaution in case of future legal disputes.

It’s not for becoming a full-time Hunter.

[*Sniff*]

At that moment, I suddenly heard Ji-eun crying.

Startled, I called her name, and she spoke with a trembling voice.

[I… I thought… you didn’t tell me… because you were worried… I’d leave… if you told me…]

No, that’s not it.

Ji-eun seemed to have misunderstood and kept sniffling.

I scratched my head and looked up at the night sky with a troubled expression.

Well, if she’s going to misunderstand like this, maybe it’s better to just let it go.

“Ji-eun, stop crying. I’m not going anywhere.”

[Okay, *sniff*.]

After a moment of hearing her blow her nose, Ji-eun stopped crying and spoke to me.

[I’m sorry. I acted like a child.]

“It’s okay. It’s understandable.”

[…Can I act like a child one more time?]

I tilted my head in confusion.

She usually acted mature for her age, so why was she acting spoiled now?

Well, Ji-eun must have a lot on her mind too.

“It’s okay.”

[Oppa, I miss you.]

But then she hit me with an unexpected direct line.

A bit flustered, I stayed silent, and Ji-eun asked softly.

[…Is that not okay?]

Her voice, filled with emotion, came through the phone.

Hearing her slightly damp voice made me self-conscious.

‘Damn, I’m too old to be acting like this with a nineteen-year-old.’

Knowing how Ji-eun developed feelings for me, I felt pathetic.

Ji-eun is usually proactive but doesn’t cross the line.

Because she knows that if she confesses, I’ll most likely reject her.

To me, Ji-eun is like a younger sister who needs to be taken care of.

No matter how much she approaches me, the age difference is unavoidable.

But today, perhaps because her emotions were heightened, she was dangerously close to crossing that line.

“Uh, I’m in the middle of exercising.”

[You said I could act like a child though.]

Seeing Ji-eun whine with a slightly drawn-out voice, I made a troubled face.

“Can you hold on with a video call?”

I was certain.

If Ji-eun met me right now, she’d go out of control in some way.

And the outcome wouldn’t be very good.

[Okay. I won’t be greedy anymore.]

I let out a sigh of relief.

At the same time, I wondered if it was okay to just let it go like this.

‘Would it be better to let her confess and reject her?’

It’s nice to be liked, but with the age difference and knowing her feelings, I couldn’t bring myself to accept her emotions.

Why am I even having these thoughts while working at a company?

Relationships are just so complicated, and I could only smile bitterly.

[*Sniff*! Ah, just a second. Oppa, I just cried, so my face is a mess! Can I call you back in a bit?]

This is driving me crazy.

I told her it was okay.

Then, Ji-eun giggled, and after some busy sounds, the call ended.

Staring at my phone, I realized my ice cream had melted and sighed.

Baeksan, who was sitting cross-legged on the convenience store counter, looked at me and spoke.

“So, you noticed that kid Ji-eun’s feelings?”

“Huh? Ji-eun?”

Even to Baeksan, it seemed obvious that Ji-eun liked me.

“Well, it’s obvious.”

“If it’s obvious, then why?”

Baeksan looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, then clicked his tongue as if he understood.

“So that’s how it is.”

“What is?”

“You think that kid is okay, don’t you?”

“No, what nonsense are you talking about?”

When I looked at him in disbelief, Baeksan just kept clicking his tongue.

“Other guys tend to avoid girls like her because they’re like flowers on a cliff. If you get too close, you’ll fall. You’ve experienced that with that crazy woman, so you’re unconsciously avoiding them all.”

I tilted my head at the mention of “flowers on a cliff.”

It was strange that Gwak Sa-yeon was brought up.

“Listen well. If you keep this up, you’ll really get into trouble someday.”

“Alright, alright, I get it. Just wait until I’ve trained enough to easily handle the Returners. Let’s see if you can keep this attitude even after standing on equal ground with them.”

Baeksan floated into the air as he spoke, as if he didn’t want to hear any more of my conversation.

Just as he was about to fly away, he stopped, as if remembering something.

He looked down at me from the air and smirked.

“If we’re talking about possibilities, that kid Ji-eun is the most likely candidate. I’m looking forward to seeing how things turn out with her.”

With that, Baeksan went off for a night stroll.

Even though he said he had to stick with me 24/7, he often left on his own.

“Whatever.”

I threw the ice cream stick in the trash and sighed, then started walking again.

I figured I’d run a bit more until Ji-eun called again.

‘Lately, I’ve been spending less time gaming because of the nightly training. It’s bittersweet.’

As I reminisced about the days when I was a gaming addict, I suddenly heard a faint sound.

I was near a park, and the sound seemed to come from the bushes.

‘A drunk?’

If it was a drunk, I thought I should at least report it so they could go home.

As I approached the bushes, I came face to face with a large man leaning against a tree.

He was about 190cm tall.

With a very masculine appearance and tattoos all over, his black and white hair reminded me of a tiger.

At the same time, there was an aura around him that made me feel like I shouldn’t get too close.

“Ugh…”

Hearing him groan, I quickly approached him.

“Sir, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

He looked like someone who could have been stabbed, but he seemed genuinely unwell.

I kept a certain distance and asked if he was conscious, and he groaned again before lifting his head.

His yellow eyes met mine.

“…Can you buy me a piece of bread?”

So, he was just a beggar.

I couldn’t just ignore him, so I bought him several pieces of bread and two cartons of milk.

Maybe because I’ve experienced the hardship of not having money to eat, I couldn’t just walk away.

‘Here I am, getting bread from a stranger. What am I doing?’

But as he started devouring the bread and milk like a man possessed, those thoughts disappeared.

Well, I’ve been fed by Ayu before, so I’m just paying it forward.

The world is too harsh if it’s all take and no give.

“Haa, I’m alive.”

After finishing all the bread and milk, he spoke with a relaxed expression.

Despite his rough appearance, his face wasn’t particularly scary.

In fact, he had a rugged handsomeness that women in their late 20s would probably like.

“Thanks. You saved me. It’s been a while since I met someone as kind as you.”

He spoke with a Gyeongsang-do accent.

Maybe because I have a gaming friend from there, it felt familiar, and I smiled.

“It’s just helping out. I’ve been hungry before too.”

“Ha, you’re really kind. I have a friend as kind as you, and you remind me of him.”

He laughed heartily and rummaged through his pocket, pulling out something.

It was a business card.

A black card with the word “Beom” printed in silver.

“I can’t repay you right now, but take this. If you ever run into trouble or meet someone who looks dangerous, show them this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s like an invincibility skill in a game. It’ll get you out of a pinch.”

He seemed to enjoy games.

Since he was offering it as a way to repay me, I took the card and put it in my pocket.

He smiled contentedly, brushed off his pants, and stood up.

“I’ll definitely repay you next time we meet. If we get the chance, let’s meet again.”

“Ah, sure. Go home safely.”

“Hehe, got it. I’ll go home.”

With that, he walked away, waving his hand.

He really must have just been starving.

‘What is this strange familiarity?’

Scratching my head, I started running again.

A while later, Ji-eun called, and I answered.

By the way, Ji-eun was fully made up.