Chapter 56: I Have a Question

Because Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho were drinking together, the pace of grilling the meat had slowed down.

With no other choice, Karin started grilling the meat herself.

Others might eat it as a side dish for alcohol, but she was devouring the meat as if she bore a personal grudge against it.

She seared the grill once with pork fat, then dumped the meat all at once, hurriedly eating and grilling at the same time.

I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. During the day, it was one thing, but at night, there weren’t many people who recognized my face.

The miracle I performed gave people hope and made me famous. But it wasn’t as if my face was as widely known as a celebrity’s.

I called Seohyeonji.

There was only a single ring before I heard a voice from the other side.

-What is it?

“I called because I have something to say.”

Her voice was cold and sharp.

Honestly, I had hoped to see her today as well. It was a bit disappointing.

Taeyang and Inho will be my teammates going forward. But Seohyeonji is still uncertain.

She is both an Actor-Hunter and a celebrity. And I know well why she can’t choose just one path.

At first, I couldn’t understand.

-You said you were having a get-together today, didn’t you?

“You could come right now if you wanted.”

-I’m not going! Are you sure it’s okay for someone who just got out of the hospital to go out drinking so soon?

“I wasn’t hurt.”

-That’s just bravado.

She only says that because she doesn’t know how strong Karin is.

“Are you home right now?”

-I am.

“I’m coming over, so come out for a moment.”

Seohyeonji didn’t answer.

Thinking she might not have heard me, I was about to repeat myself when a delayed reply finally came.

-Right now? You’re coming here?

“Yes, I have something to say.”

-I-I was about to sleep, though?

“I’ll be quick. It’ll only take a moment.”

I could sense the surprise in her voice.

I could have told her the next time we met, but I wanted to finish everything today if possible.

-Is it s-something important?

“Yes.”

It was something important.

I intended to bring Seohyeonji onto my team.

Not as the celebrity Seohyeonji, but as the Hunter Seohyeonji.

-Okay. How long will it take for you to get here?

“I think about twenty minutes?”

-…Thirty. Come in thirty minutes.

With that, Seohyeonji hung up.

Did she have something to do at home? Anyway, I wasn’t planning on taking up much of her time, so it didn’t matter.

I went back into the barbecue restaurant.

I could see Karin’s glass of cola and Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho’s soju glasses clinking together with a cheerful sound.

Seeing Karin so happy over samgyeopsal made me feel oddly sentimental.

At first, she really seemed like a kid who wouldn’t bleed a drop if you pricked her with a needle.

Always expressionless, never smiling, like a doll.

She used to be terribly shy, but now, as long as there’s food, she gets along with anyone.

She hadn’t grown up as smoothly as other kids.

A young lord who was always forced to choose which life must be lost, now all grown up.

‘What is truly the right thing to do?’

I thought about not sending her back to her original world.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

No, she’d choose to go back.

She wouldn’t just abandon her people, now drifting as refugees on a floating island.

Even now, behind her smiling face, she must always be worrying about her people.

To her, they were the only legacy left behind by her parents, lost in a scream.

“Team leader! Where did you go, why are you taking so long!”

Kim Taeyang shook his soju glass at me. Looks like he wants to drink more, but there’s still work to do.

“I have somewhere to go for a bit, so keep eating.”

“Keep eating? I’m full, though.”

At Kim Inho’s words, Karin flinched. She timidly closed the menu.

Kim Inho’s pupils shook a little, but then he waved his hands and laughed.

“Uh, you’re still growing. You should eat more.”

“If eating made you taller, she’d probably turn into a giant from Attack on Titan.”

No one disagreed with me.

“But where are you going, it’s a little sad.”

“I’m going to see Seohyeonji for a bit.”

At my words, Kim Taeyang’s eyes went wide. Karin dropped the menu.

“Uh, right now? You made plans to meet?”

“I’m just dropping by her place.”

Why are they so surprised?

Is it a problem to go see a fellow teammate?

“Hey, let’s just call it a night and go home. I’m full.”

“Wait, didn’t you just order naengmyeon?”

“Nope. I’m so full I don’t need to eat anymore.”

Look at this one lying. Are you trying to look like you eat less, after all you’ve already eaten?

“I already checked with Taeyang and Inho, but I need to ask Seohyeonji too. It won’t take long, so wait a bit. You can keep eating or move somewhere else if you want.”

“Hey, should I come with you?”

Why is she so eager to follow me all of a sudden?

“I’ll be right back. Just have fun. Here, card. You’re worried about the card, right?”

“Uh, no, not really.”

I handed over my card and headed outside toward Seohyeonji’s place.

It wasn’t far from the restaurant, so I arrived quickly. If that’s the case, Seohyeonji could’ve just come out to the get-together.

I called Seohyeonji in front of her place.

“Come out.”

“I’m already outside.”

Seohyeonji, already outside and wearing a black hat pulled down, walked over to me.

Maybe she hadn’t been home long.

Her face under the brim showed light makeup and she wore a faint perfume.

“Want to go to a café or something?”

“No. Do you want to get caught in a photo wandering around a café at this hour? You’re a celebrity now, you know.”

Saying that, Seohyeonji pointed to the side.

“There’s a park nearby. The coffee from the vending machine is good too, so it’ll be fine.”

“Vending machine?”

“I drink it sometimes.”

“Oh, okay.”

Even late in the evening, many people were out for a walk.

Even in a world where Gates open and Monsters pour out, humans still lay claim to the earth. As if they’re determined to create scenery just for themselves.

“Do you have any coins? I forgot to bring some.”

Not many people carry coins these days. I was no different.

So, I paid using the phone’s pay app. Seeing that, Seohyeonji flinched.

Did she really not know?

No, even I, after eleven years in another world, had gotten used to modern technology. Had she been off training in the mountains or something?

“Uh, when did they change the vending machine?”

“It looks like it’s been here for a while.”

“Oh, really? Maybe they upgraded it.”

Upgraded, sure.

“But you’re really okay? You went toe-to-toe with that Monster.”

“I told you I wasn’t hurt.”

“It’s hard to believe.”

We took our paper cups and sat together on a bench.

“People keep asking me stuff since they know I’m on your team. You’re really the talk of the town right now.”

“It’s better than being ignored, honestly.”

“That’ll only last a little while. You’ll get tired of it soon enough.”

At my words, Seohyeonji took a sip from her paper cup and murmured.

“But why’d you come here all of a sudden, in the middle of your get-together?”

“I had something to ask.”

“You couldn’t have picked a worse time to come and ask, you know? People are bound to misunderstand.”

Is there really anything to misunderstand?

But this isn’t something I can ask by text. Not even by phone.

Now that both Kims are clearly on my side, Seohyeonji has to make her choice too.

“What’s the exact name of your organization?”

“What do you mean?”

Seohyeonji looked at me, confused.

I licked my dry lips and spoke again, to make sure she understood.

The Gate opened, and the world was threatened by Monsters.

At first, everyone made a fuss as if the end of the world was coming.

But it was only for a while.

The military defended the Gates, and the Awakened appeared.

It wasn’t perfect yet, but the foundation for survival was newly written.

Even in the midst of all this, the consumption of entertainment never ceased.

Celebrities and celebrity hopefuls poured in every day. To survive in the oversaturated Red Ocean, you needed to stand out.

Seohyeonji debuted in a four-member girl group, working under the concept of being an Awakened Hunter.

At first, it was ridiculous.

All the members hated it, but they had no choice but to follow the agency’s concept.

It did create some buzz.

Though there were more malicious comments than praise.

With a decent song, they managed to hang in there for a while, and at times, they did okay.

But the limit was obvious. A group chasing only fleeting popularity soon disbanded, with each member looking for a new path as their contracts ended.

What Seohyeonji chose was the path of an actor.

She had the looks to stand at the center of a girl group, so debuting as an actress wasn’t a stretch. Of course, she needed acting skills as well.

She wasn’t confident in being witty on variety shows like the others or in acting coy.

A good face. Passable acting.

She started a new career as a supporting actress in a girl group.

Then one day, she landed Director Jang Jaeha’s project by chance: City of the Killer.

The plot was simple.

Gates appeared, and the world’s ideologies were turned upside down in a great upheaval.

After saving many comrades and defeating many foes, the protagonist suffered from PTSD and disappeared.

A city where once-heroic Awakened, drunk on their power, began to fall apart. And a psychopath who dragged the protagonist back into an incident to fight poison with poison.

Seohyeonji took on a difficult role.

But thanks to that drama, she shot to stardom overnight.

It was praised that former girl group member Seohyeonji convincingly played both a ruthless killer and a fragile soul.

Seohyeonji wore a bitter smile.

It wasn’t that she was a good actress. It was because she had seen the spiral world of life and death so many times.

The next year, she was rated S-rank.

Many places wanted to hire S-rank Hunters as advertising models. On top of that, Seohyeonji was a celebrity, so she had plenty of publicity value.

Her agency wanted to use her status as an S-rank Hunter for promotions.

Seohyeonji wanted to object, but she had no choice but to accept.

Just because one drama hit it big didn’t mean she’d become a star.

She still had people she needed to support. For that, she had to gain popularity.

Most of all, for that person’s sake, she couldn’t give up her dream of being a celebrity.

She chose the Hanul Guild.

The agency and her Manager tried to dissuade her, but she’d already made up her mind.

They were peaceful days.

She became famous and was busier than ever.

She trained, not with her girl group sisters, but with two tough guys.

One was a delinquent-looking blond with a piercing in his ear. She thought it was dyed, but later laughed when she learned he inherited the color from his mother.

The other was a straight-laced young man who hated losing to anyone.

They seemed like total opposites, but they were very close.

Maybe a sense of camaraderie grew from suffering together under a devilish team leader.

-The Hunter has appeared here now!

On a live stream, she gripped her phone tightly without realizing it.

A gigantic Dragon’s breath burned everything, and neither the video nor his movements could be seen.

It was insane.

Who would charge at a building-sized Dragon with only a sword?

She thought for sure he was dead.

But in that desperate situation, he appeared again.

And in the end, he fought the Monster in front of everyone.

Seohyeonji saw her team leader’s back overlapping with someone else’s. She blacked out, and when she came to, the Dragon’s neck had been cut.

She’d never seen so many ambulances in her life, and the Special Forces were handling the aftermath over the radio.

Seohyeonji naturally looked for that man.

He was being carried off on a stretcher to an ambulance.

After that, Seohyeonji refrained from TV appearances and rested at home. For the first time in a while, she was free.

She ordered food she normally wouldn’t eat because of the calories.

The Deliveryman looked at her strangely, seeing her wearing a mask and hat at home, but she didn’t care.

She enjoyed a little escape, eating chicken and draft beer, and then her team leader’s face appeared on the TV screen.

It was strange.

A face she saw often, but on TV, it somehow seemed like someone she didn’t know.

That sly, wicked man, pretending to be all proper in front of the camera, looked ridiculous.

Even though our team leader isn’t that famous yet, you never know what might happen.

One day, a teammate said,

She thought it was just a foolish notion.

But now, she had to admit it.

Right now, Korea was filled with stories about that man.

His every move, things even she didn’t know, were being broadcast on TV.

‘So he was a good student after all.’

A famous classmate from a humanities high school was being interviewed on TV.

They said he was quiet, the type you wouldn’t even notice in class, and Seohyeonji gave a small, disbelieving laugh.

No way that was true about him.

Even now, whenever she closed her eyes, she saw him pushing Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho.

For some reason, she wanted to see him.

It wasn’t out of any romantic feeling.

The way he stood his ground against the Monster. That back, she couldn’t get out of her mind.

‘They said the team was having a get-together today.’

Kim Taeyang had reached out to her.

If the team leader had contacted her, she might have gone as a matter of courtesy.

But there was no way Seohyeonji, of all people, would be grilling samgyeopsal just because she was called.

That’s when the call came.

-I called because I have something to say.

Suddenly, he said he needed something from her.

Seohyeonji hesitated for a moment. She looked in the mirror and realized she was too casually dressed for being at home.

“…Thirty minutes. Come in thirty minutes.”

She moved quickly.

He was a terribly rude person. To say he’d come at this hour out of the blue.

Still, she didn’t think he’d come for no reason.

So, she didn’t let herself hope for anything. No, she didn’t even let herself think such things.

When she was ready and came out, she saw him walking from afar.

It had only been a few days, but it felt like ages.

No, maybe it was just strange to see him after only seeing him on TV.

She wondered if he always looked at her this way.

“I already talked to Taeyang and Inho, but I hadn’t told you, Seohyeonji.”

He always spoke formally to them, but today he was using casual speech. For a moment, she regretted not joining the get-together.

“What’s the exact name of your organization?”

“What?”

Suddenly, the team leader said something out of the blue.

“The name of the organization where all the villains gather.”

She fell silent.