Chapter 19

Even Yoon Ji-eun, who is currently a B-class, is a Hunter with A-class potential.

But this time, it’s already an A-class Hunter.

Of course, this is an extremely rare case.

Even a C-class Hunter can easily surpass the salary of a regular corporate employee, and from B-class onwards, they can be considered to be in a different world from ordinary people.

So, even Yoon Ji-eun, who just lacks experience, is an incredibly talented individual in terms of ability.

And from A-class onwards, the level itself truly changes.

Not only can they single-handedly block most dimensional gate phenomena, but they also earn the right to challenge the Tower of Apocalypse.

The Tower of Apocalypse.

For humanity, the existence of this tower, which causes dimensional movement and gate phenomena, is the biggest headache.

Ordinary people can only see the existence of the Tower of Apocalypse but cannot approach it no matter what they do.

However, from A-class Hunters onwards, they can enter the Tower of Apocalypse just by thinking about wanting to go while looking at it.

Of course, this includes Returners.

‘Clearly, the current cleared floor is the 21st.’

For hundreds of years, Hunters and Returners from all over the world have only managed to clear up to the 21st floor.

Considering that it’s speculated to have 100 floors, only 1/5th has been cleared.

The problem is that even if those who challenge it clear the final floor of the Tower of Apocalypse, no one knows what it will give.

It’s just a vague speculation that if the entire Tower of Apocalypse is climbed, the dimensional movement and gate phenomena that appeared with it will disappear.

To everyone, the Tower of Apocalypse is an unknown entity.

And earning the right to challenge such a Tower of Apocalypse is the A-class standard for Hunters.

A level of power that the state can manage one by one, enough to be called the saviors of the Earth.

That’s what A-class is.

‘How many are there in our country?’

Since I haven’t seen the recent Hunter indicators, I can’t be sure, but from what I remember, there were about 40.

S-class is just a handful.

“Is it okay to entrust such a child to me?”

I wondered how they managed to get an A-class person in the first place, but I decided to let it go.

The chairman of this company is presumed to be Baekseolhyang, who holds a high position in the World Returner Association.

With her power and connections, arranging an A-class Hunter wouldn’t be difficult.

But the problem was that I couldn’t understand why such a high-level talent was being entrusted to me.

“Right? Even so, I think it’s a hasty decision to entrust her to Mr. Ha-chan, who is still a newcomer.”

The team leader also showed some agreement.

“The problem is that this child is only 19 years old. And Mr. Ha-chan is currently handling a Hunter of a similar level.”

“Hmm.”

So, the reason this child was assigned to me was the same as I initially thought.

A-class Hunters are high-level talents, so it’s clear that they would feel a sense of distance from those around them.

Moreover, being only 19 years old would be a barrier to getting along with other Hunters.

In such a situation, even though Yoon Ji-eun is still B-class, she has A-class potential, so I was handling her.

‘They must have wanted to pair her with Yoon Ji-eun, not me.’

The higher-ups must have decided to pair the two of them regardless of who the manager was.

“Yoon Ji-eun highly values Mr. Ha-chan. Hunters also have manager evaluation reports. Mr. Ha-chan got a perfect score there.”

“I don’t think I’ve done anything worthy of such high praise.”

“Anyway, it’s a fact that Yoon Ji-eun likes Mr. Ha-chan, right? The most important thing between a manager and a Hunter is trust.”

Since Yoon Ji-eun trusts me a lot, they must have thought that changing the manager would cause backlash.

So, in the end, an A-class Hunter of the same age as Yoon Ji-eun ended up being assigned to me.

“Isn’t my team getting a bit too big?”

“Please. The higher-ups said they would fully support us. They even mentioned bonuses.”

“I’ll work hard to become the company’s loyal dog.”

From today onwards, I resolved to bury my bones at Rodri Company.

Anyway, that’s how I ended up receiving a new Hunter member.

Her name is Ha Si-ho.

As mentioned earlier, she is a 19-year-old A-class spatial Hunter.

Today, since she was at home, I visited her house to greet her.

I had already informed her parents in advance, and since they were very concerned about their daughter’s Hunter work, I decided to greet them beforehand.

‘Thinking about it, Yoon Ji-eun’s parents are more of the laid-back type.’

At 19, it’s the time to study.

Considering the dangers of the Hunter profession, ordinary parents would naturally hope their child would just study.

Yoon Ji-eun’s parents are unique in that they don’t scold her for dyeing her hair yellow while attending school and end the conversation with a simple, “That’s just how Yoon Ji-eun is, teacher!”

‘She must have inherited that personality.’

As I reminisced about Yoon Ji-eun’s personality, I got off the bus.

A common apartment complex in Korea came into view, and I passed the security office at the entrance and went inside.

“Let’s see. It was Building 203, Unit 1302, right?”

Checking the address I was given, I found the apartment and pressed the call button at the entrance of Building 203.

[Ah, you’re here! I’ll open it for you.]

Just then, a voice that seemed to be her mother’s came from inside, and I was able to enter the apartment.

“Why am I so nervous?”

Is this how teachers feel when meeting parents?

Since I would be responsible for someone else’s child for a while, I took a deep breath and adjusted my tie.

Ding-dong~

When I rang the doorbell, footsteps could be heard from inside.

As the door lock clicked and the front door opened, there stood Si-ho’s mother.

Since someone who would be taking care of her daughter for a while was coming, she seemed to have dressed carefully, wearing designer clothes.

“Hello. I’m Kang Ha-chan, an employee of Rodri Company, who will be taking care of Ha Si-ho.”

As soon as I saw her, I politely greeted her and handed over the business card I had prepared earlier with both hands.

She took the card with a slight smile.

“Welcome. I’m Si-ho’s mom. I was waiting for you. Please come in.”

After hearing her greeting, I took off my shoes and entered.

A typical family home came into view.

Having lived alone since my parents passed away, the sight of a family home felt nostalgic in some way.

Clunk-

At that moment, a door not far from the entrance opened.

There stood a man in his 20s, and he looked at me with sharp eyes before turning his head towards his mother.

Oh, he’s handsome.

Although his sharp eyes were a bit of a flaw, they added to his masculine charm.

“Mom, who is this?”

“Ah, this is the manager from Rodri Company who will be taking care of Si-ho. Seo-ho, you should greet him too.”

“Si-ho’s manager?”

Upon hearing that, he looked somewhat uncomfortable.

It seemed he was Si-ho’s older brother.

Then, I suddenly tilted my head at the name Seo-ho.

It must be Ha Seo-ho, but where have I heard that name before?

“Your name is?”

“Kang Ha-chan.”

While I was blankly staring, he asked for my name, and I quickly answered.

Then, he ruffled his messy hair as if he had just woken up and quietly said,

“Si-ho has a bit of a personality.”

“What’s wrong with my personality?”

As soon as he spoke, a young woman’s voice came from another room.

Turning my gaze, there stood a girl shorter than average.

Her black hair was tied in a ponytail.

Just like her handsome brother, she had a very pretty face.

With a face as sharp as her brother’s, if she weren’t so short, she could create quite an intimidating atmosphere.

She was wearing a white T-shirt and dolphin pants, likely dressed comfortably since she was at home.

“Ha Seo-ho, Si-ho is about to get angry.”

“Stop talking in the third person. How old are you?”

“I said she’s about to get angry!”

“What are you two doing in front of the manager!”

Upon hearing Si-ho’s words, Seo-ho was about to say something more when their mother scolded both of them at the same time.

Seo-ho sighed at her scolding and approached me.

“Can you give me your number? If Si-ho does anything problematic, you can contact me.”

“Ah, sure.”

That wasn’t a difficult request, so as we exchanged phone numbers, Si-ho tried to say something to him but was dragged away by her mother.

“You! The manager is here, and look at what you’re wearing!”

“Ah, mom, my nose is bleeding again.”

While being scolded by her mother, Si-ho suddenly got a nosebleed and went to her room.

Even though she’s a Hunter, maybe her body is weak.

Her small stature made her seem even more fragile.

“Sorry. She’s a bit immature.”

“It’s okay.”

Her mother sighed deeply, seemingly embarrassed.

Shortly after, I sat at the table and faced Si-ho, who had changed into her school uniform, and her mother.

Si-ho was looking at me with a blank expression, probably because I seemed quite awkward.

‘Well, this is the normal reaction of a 19-year-old high school girl.’

Unlike Yoon Ji-eun, who only learned how to tease people, her completely different reaction made me feel somewhat at ease.

“Sorry for showing you such a sight. Our Si-ho doesn’t get along well with Seo-ho.”

“No. I also have an older sister, so they actually seem close to me.”

“Ah, you have siblings.”

If my mother were still alive, she would probably be around the same age as Si-ho’s mother.

In fact, Seo-ho and I didn’t seem to have much of an age difference.

Perhaps because of that, Si-ho’s mother smiled with a slightly softened gaze.

“I see. But I’m still a bit worried. Seo-ho is a Hunter, and now Si-ho has awakened as a Hunter too.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, when I heard that Seo-ho was a Hunter, something flashed in my mind.

Ha Seo-ho.

How could I have forgotten that name?

Perhaps because he looked different from what I usually saw on TV, dressed casually at home with messy hair, there was a momentary cognitive dissonance.

‘S-class Seollsan Iri, Ha Seo-ho.’

One of the few S-class Hunters in South Korea, known for his cold demeanor and the nickname “Seollsan Iri,” which he hates so much that he even vomits, but fans love it so much that it stuck.

He refuses all photo and video shoots, and any footage or photos taken of him from a distance are treasured like gold by fans.

‘That’s why I didn’t recognize him.’

I had seen Seo-ho’s photos before, but they were all from a distance, fighting to block dimensional gates.

‘To think that he’s Si-ho’s older brother.’

Is there a genetic factor to being a Hunter?

An S-class Hunter’s younger sister is an A-class.

It seems like a blessed gene.

“Please take good care of Si-ho.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best. I’ll keep in touch regularly so you don’t have to worry.”

As her mother bowed and requested, I quickly responded.

“Then, Si-ho, you too.”

“Please take care of me.”

Si-ho made a slightly dissatisfied expression but followed her mother’s instructions and greeted me.

Still, she seemed like a child who listens well to her parents.

After that, I barely declined her mother’s offer to stay for dinner and went outside.

Meeting the parents of a minor Hunter I was assigned to was more tiring than I thought.

Ring-ring~

While walking, I suddenly heard my phone ring.

For a moment, I thought it was a work call, but fortunately, it wasn’t.

“Hello.”

[Ah, oppa, hello. I went for counseling today.]

The voice on the phone was as pleasant as ever, like a jewel.

The owner of that voice was none other than Blackstar’s Yoo Ah.

My gaming friend, Ggotbi.

Since that day, Ggotbi has been calling me like this after her counseling sessions.

She says it helps her feel better to talk to someone, and it also eases my worries.

‘She must feel lighter after relying on someone for the first time in her life.’

I’m glad the conversation we had back then had an effect.

“Your voice sounds brighter these days.”

[The doctor specializes in Returners, so they were really helpful. I should have done this sooner.]

Hearing that, I felt relieved.

[It’s all thanks to you, oppa. Thank you.]

“I didn’t do much. Take care of yourself. Don’t get too caught up in work.”

[Take care of my mind, not my body?]

“Your body is healthy.”

As a Returner, Yoo Ah is physically much stronger than me.

That’s probably the biggest reason she could handle such a killer schedule.

[Hehe, okay. If anything happens, I’ll call you right away. You’ll answer anytime, right?]

“Of course, I’ll even fly overseas if needed.”

[That’s a big deal. Maybe I should schedule an overseas trip starting tomorrow.]

“I guess I need to get a passport.”

As we joked around, it was clear that Ggotbi had become much more at ease.

[Yoo Ah, who are you talking to so happily? I’ve never seen you laugh like this!]

[Is it a boyfriend? Are you dating, Yoo Ah?!]

Just then, a lively voice came from the other side of the phone.

It was a girl’s voice, and it sounded familiar, so I realized who they were.

‘I thought I heard car noises earlier.’

They must be fellow Blackstar members.

[Ah, ah, uh, sorry! Oppa, I’ll call you later!]

As a flustered Yoo Ah quickly hung up, I looked at my phone and shrugged.

This made me realize that I’m friends with a celebrity.

“I hope the misunderstanding gets cleared up.”

Rumors of an idol dating someone can be fatal, so maybe it’s better to text from now on.

Thinking that, I got on the bus to go home.

Today, I’ll go home and start with weapon restoration. Hehe.

I had forgotten the fact that I was quitting that damn game.