Chapter 63

“So, I said I’d teach Ha Seo-ho how to make a good impression…”

“Si-ho and the Manager will join us.”

When Si-ho puffed out her small chest and spoke, Josia turned her gaze with reddened cheeks.

Though her eyes were narrowed, so who knows where she was looking.

“…Really?”

Then, as she turned to me and asked, I nodded.

“Really.”

If I don’t, you’ll just keep following me around, won’t you?

“Alright.”

In the end, Josia readily accepted our advice.

After that, we found a break room.

Since no one was there at the time, we sat down and started talking. Josia scratched her head.

“Since when have you liked Seo-ho?”

“Since high school. At graduation, I realized I might never see him again.”

Seo-ho is 25, so it’s been at least five years of unrequited love.

Hearing that, I turned to Si-ho.

“Si-ho, has Seo-ho ever dated anyone?”

“Nope. He’s an idiot.”

What kind of existence is Seo-ho to Si-ho?

From what I see, the main reason Seo-ho hasn’t dated is his sense of responsibility towards his family.

‘Maybe things will change once Si-ho becomes an adult.’

If Si-ho starts to become independent, maybe Seo-ho will relax a bit.

“Right. That’s the problem. Ha Seo-ho, he openly shows he dislikes women.”

Josia also seemed downcast, as if that’s why she hasn’t confessed yet.

“I’m not just pining for nothing.”

“But aren’t you quite close with Seo-ho?”

“He probably thinks I’m just picking fights for no reason.”

Spot on.

“If I don’t chase after him, Ha Seo-ho will definitely forget about me.”

“Ah, come on, surely not.”

“Kang Ha-chan, you don’t know much about his narrow social circle.”

To me, he’s just a sweet younger brother.

Every day, he sends me polite texts like, “Brother, did you have a good lunch?”

“Is there really a way to make a good impression on Ha Seo-ho?”

Josia hung her head gloomily, as if she had given up long ago.

Having been in unrequited love for so long, she seemed clueless about how to move forward.

The problem is, I don’t know either.

What would a lifelong single like me know?

When I turned to Si-ho, she spoke as if it wasn’t difficult.

“Just get close to the Manager or Si-ho while avoiding Seo-ho.”

“Avoid him? Seo-ho?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Josia looked like she couldn’t understand.

Of course, I had the same expression.

“Seo-ho is an idiot, so he has almost no social connections. He’s actually weak to people who get along well with those around him.”

Hearing that, I remembered how Seo-ho had asked for my number and approached me first.

It must have been because of Si-ho.

“And if someone who gets along well with others acts like they’re not interested in him, he’ll try to get along with them too.”

“But Seo-ho and I have known each other for seven years now.”

“That doesn’t matter. Seo-ho doesn’t really pay attention to you, Josia.”

I suddenly felt sorry for Josia.

Josia also looked like the world had collapsed on her from Si-ho’s sharp words.

Scary kid.

“So, if you show that you get along well with Si-ho and the Manager, Seo-ho will try to get along with you too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Seo-ho will approach you first, and when he starts contacting you, then you can act close. He won’t reject you then. But don’t follow him around every day. You shouldn’t be the one following him; make him follow you.”

As she said that, Si-ho looked at me.

Because everything Si-ho was explaining was what I had inadvertently done to Seo-ho.

Had I unconsciously been strategizing to win over Seo-ho?

Thinking I had a better chance than Josia, I let out a hollow laugh and nodded.

“Si-ho is right. If you do that, Seo-ho will definitely come around.”

I can vouch for it since I’ve been through it.

“Can I write down what you just said?”

After hearing our conversation, Josia even opened her phone’s memo app.

She must be really serious.

And so, from that day on, Josia’s strategy to win over Seo-ho began.

She would appear next to me whenever she had the chance to chat.

Originally, she was quite talkative, so she didn’t even need to pretend to be friendly.

While talking to her, Seo-ho would come over, and she would naturally step aside as Si-ho had advised.

“…Brother Ha-chan, have you become close with Josia?”

“Talking to her, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

So, I hinted to Seo-ho, who casually asked me, that I was close with Josia.

Meanwhile, Si-ho also came to the academy and stuck by my side, showing Seo-ho that she was pretending to be friendly with Josia.

Though her real purpose for coming to the academy seemed different, that’s how it looked on the surface.

I wondered if it was okay for her to come and go from the Hunter Training Academy without permission, but then again, she was a hunter, so what was the problem?

Moreover, since my initial goal was to quietly graduate from the academy, Josia would subtly adjust her conversations with me and step aside when crowds gathered.

Thanks to that, I didn’t attract much attention.

“Lately, there are a lot of people around Ha-chan.”

So, as I spent my days at the Hunter Training Academy.

Today, since neither Si-ho nor Josia were around, Eun-namu approached me.

“Ah, it just happened. That’s how it turned out.”

I could fool others, but I couldn’t fool Eun-namu, who shared the same room and classes with me.

So, she had caught on to my relationship with Josia.

Originally, she had seen through my relationship with Seo-ho too, so it was no surprise.

I thought the academy would be a quiet place, but somehow I got caught up in this mess.

“It’s fun being with Ha-chan.”

“Sorry for being noisy.”

“That’s part of why it’s fun.”

With her usual lazy smile, Eun-namu looked at me.

Knowing that despite her male appearance, she was female inside, I felt a bit embarrassed and had to avert my gaze slightly.

“I’m glad I came to the academy.”

Come to think of it, why did Eun-namu come to the Hunter Training Academy?

It seemed like she needed a hunter’s license, but I knew nothing about her.

Eun-namu wasn’t the type to talk about herself.

‘Was it the same in Baeksan’s world?’

I don’t know.

But talking to her often made me feel quite comfortable.

She had a charm that made people around her feel at ease.

“Eun-namu.”

“Yeah?”

“What will you do after the academy ends?”

Hearing my question, she blinked once.

Then, as if I had said something strange, she started to laugh softly.

“After the Hunter Training Academy, isn’t there usually something set?”

“Well, yes.”

I stopped speaking.

I heard from Baeksan that you’ve been killing returners.

I couldn’t possibly ask her that.

The sunset was spreading beyond the sky.

The shadows stretching from the sunset cast over Eun-namu’s face, and for some reason, that made me feel uneasy.

Was it because I knew she was a returner?

Even the returners around me were living with so much pain.

Then, Eun-namu must be the same.

“Just thought I’d tell you to contact me if you have any troubles after the academy ends.”

“So, you’re planning to keep in touch with me even after the academy?”

“Eun-namu, you weren’t? I’m hurt.”

“Sorry, want a band-aid?”

We both laughed like that.

“You’re crazy. I told you not to get involved, but you’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you? Hey! Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me! Kang Ha-chan!”

I decided to pretend I didn’t hear.

‘Four more days.’

Time flies.

Before I knew it, the Hunter Training Academy would end in four days.

Then, at that moment, my phone buzzed.

Picking up my phone, I soon had to doubt my eyes.

[Domi Oppa, I’m coming there tomorrow.]

Suddenly, Ayu said she was coming to the academy.

Why is Ayu suddenly coming to the academy?

After receiving a text from Ayu yesterday, I’ve been pondering over it.

Ayu isn’t a hunter.

While it’s not completely off-limits for non-hunters, the Hunter Training Academy isn’t a place just anyone can enter.

‘Then, why would Ayu come?’

The answer was very simple.

‘Something related to returners happened at the academy.’

Realizing that, I fell into deep thought.

The reason returners have to step in is mostly related to returners.

And who is next to me right now?

‘Eun-namu.’

I looked at her, who was munching on a sandwich for lunch.

As she ate the sandwich with her small mouth, she met my eyes and alternated between looking at me and the sandwich before holding it out to me.

“Want some?”

“Don’t treat me like a dog.”

“Your eyes said you did.”

Watching her eat the sandwich again, I made a complicated face.

If Ayu really came for Eun-namu, what should I do?

‘It’s not right to judge based on my standards.’

Even though I’ve become close with Eun-namu, I don’t know what she’s been through.

As Baeksan said, she might have been killing returners all along.

Given that she’s hiding her identity and dressing as a man, the possibility was high.

Returners are victims caught in dimensional movement, but as Ayu once said, not all returners are good people.

There are those like Giraseong who commit crimes without a second thought.

‘If that’s the case.’

Should I tell Ayu about Eun-namu right away?

While I was lost in these thoughts, I finished my meal and got up.

Buzz-

Just then, my phone, which I had set to vibrate, started ringing.

Checking the number, it was Ayu calling.

“Hello.”

[Domi Oppa, I’m here! I’m at the main gate.]

Hearing that, I turned to Eun-namu.

“Eun-namu, I have something to take care of. Can I go for a bit?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Leaving Eun-namu, who was waving her hand, I quickly headed out.

Coincidentally, there was no one at the main gate, and as I looked around, someone tapped my shoulder.

“Ayu.”

Turning my head, there stood Ayu, poking my cheek with her finger.