Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 89

Chapter 89

When I turned my head in the direction of the sound, a gloomy-looking man was standing there. 

With disheveled bangs that almost covered his eyes, he was wearing a slightly worn black hoodie… At a glance, he exuded a melancholic aura.

…I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before. 

‘…Is he the black version of the “Death Note” L?’

It’s a bit more somber and darker than that, though. The gloomy man, who was taller than me and seemed to be staring at me too intensely, slowly opened his mouth again.

“How do I get there?”

“Oh.”

“….”

“To go there, just cross the crosswalk you see there and then keep going straight.”

“It’s nearby… Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome.”

The man expressed his gratitude by bowing slightly. I, who didn’t expect such a grand gesture, awkwardly returned the gesture, also bowing.

It was a situation where we suddenly exchanged greetings. Now, as we lifted our heads and looked at each other, an awkward atmosphere filled the air to the point of suffocation.

‘…I wish he would hurry up and leave.’

He just needed directions; why is he still here…

Even after about 30 seconds passed, the man seemed to have no intention of moving. In the end, I decided to move first.

Since the place I was in was sparsely populated, I quickly walked towards a busy street where people were bustling. Upon doing so, the man also started walking behind me.

‘…What’s going on.’

He’s not following me, right? I didn’t even offer to guide him…

Maybe our paths just coincidentally overlap…?

I have to go to the bustling street first because that’s where he seemed to be headed…

Although you shouldn’t live with prejudice, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy. No matter how strong I am as a hunter compared to an ordinary person, he could be a hunter as well.

Of course, the <Survival Instinct> didn’t kick in, but you never know; maybe he has a hiding skill.

As all sorts of worst-case scenarios ran through my mind…

“Oh, Ms. Yeon-oh! You’re here. I came to greet you.”

Kang Yoon-soo was walking towards me, waving his hands. However, for some reason, the attention of the people around him wasn’t focused on him.

Even just his appearance was enough to make reporters hold up their phones. Well, it’s good news for me who was hiding in the alley because I didn’t like attracting attention.

“Mr. Yoon-soo, how did you know I was here?”

This person has a track record.

As I looked at him with a suspicious gaze, Kang Yoon-soo claimed his innocence with a wave of his hand.

“Seung-hoo told me that Yeon-oh would be coming. Oh, Seung-hoo is dealing with an urgent matter right now, so he’s preoccupied with that. That’s why I was waiting here on his behalf.”

“…Seung-hoo?”

“Yes. Seung-hoo tells me everything. It’s easier to handle unexpected situations if I know where he is.”

“…Ah.”

Hmm… He’s certainly an S-level hunter; if the Gate Saturation incident happens, he’ll be the first to be deployed. It would be problematic if they didn’t know where he was at that time. 

I nodded, putting aside my suspicions about Kang Yoon-soo. Then, Kang Yoon-soo extended his hand, smiling coolly as if escorting me.

“Alright, let’s go into the Janwol building.”

“…Yes.”

I didn’t get his offered hand. Even as we walked towards the prominently visible building, I couldn’t help but wonder.

‘…He’s not still there, is he?’

Glancing back discreetly, fortunately, I didn’t see the gloomy man. If there had been something suspicious, Kang Yoon-soo would have already dealt with it.

Brushing off the unnecessary anxiety, I urged Kang Yoon-soo to hurry.

Kang Yoon-soo squeezed his hand disappointedly, showing a tinge of regret. 

“If you hold my hand, we won’t be recognized by others.”

“Are you saying we can be invisible?”

“No, not really… just make us moderately unrecognizable. It’s a trick I use all the time with reporters gathered in front of buildings.”

By the way, it’s a handmade tool he created by infusing it with skills and mana power. That would be convenient…

Oh, come to think of it… Was the reason I couldn’t recognize Han Seung-hoo when he first entered my house because of this?

Kang Yoon-soo must have taken care of Han Seung-hoo. It was strange that I couldn’t recognize him from a distance at that time, even though he had a distinctive appearance.

‘…Well, aside from that, it’s tempting.’

With that, at least, no one would recognize me.

Seeing that I caught on, Kang Yoon-soo smiled slyly, shrugged his shoulders, and spoke.

“I’ll make one for you when we enter Janwol. Making magical tools requires considerable effort, so I can’t just give them away.”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“Are you going to act that stingy?”

“I just want to live comfortably.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Strangely, Kang Yoon-soo quickly dropped the subject. If it had been before, he would have been more persistent in trying to scout me.

‘…Did he pick up on something?’

Did he sense where my mind was at? So, he might have decided it was better to back off appropriately.

…Anyway, he’s quite perceptive.

I sighed, then extended my hand to Kang Yoon-soo. He smiled and took my hand. I felt something enveloping my body.

“This is mana. A skill was also used, but… it’s a trade secret.”

“Even if you get a daughter-in-law, you won’t tell her?”

“Oh, if it’s a daughter-in-law, I’ll tell her.”

“Mr. Yoon-soo’s daughter-in-law must be lucky.”

“Yes, because it means we’ve earned it.”

…?

No, if the banter goes on like this, it might become real.

Surprised, I widened my eyes and looked at Kang Yoon-soo. He seemed to sense the awkwardness and kept his mouth shut, holding my hand tightly as we ran towards the guild building.

“It’s almost time for Seung-hoo to find Ms. Yeon-oh, so let’s go.”

“Yes, yes…”

In no time, we passed through the main entrance of the building and reached the elevator. Perhaps due to the rapid sprint, I found myself a bit out of breath.

Kang Yoon-soo, who was watching me intently, muttered as if amazed.

“Didn’t you used to not be able to run at this speed?”

“Well, I almost died, and it seems my stamina improved.”

“Hmm, that could be it. Well, we’re here. Let’s get off now.”

Following Kang Yoon-soo’s escort, we arrived at his office.

And there, at the place we reached…

“Now he’s coming.”

“…Sister.”

“Ta-da, surprise.”

…Seung-hoo, you look like you’re about to cry.

* * *

One hour later…

“…I thought today was supposed to be a date for just the two of us.”

One person muttered with a determined expression.

“Seo Yeon-oh, eat more.”

Another person didn’t witness the sight of food entering my mouth.

“Um, do you want some drinks too? The highballs here are pretty good.”

The last person was busy strategizing in the middle.

Caught between these three, I… just wanted to go home.

The reason for the sudden increase in dinner attendees was clear.

It all started with Kang Yoon-soo spouting nonsense.

“As of tomorrow, the government officially announces Yeon-oh’s resignation. On this joyous occasion, I thought we should all celebrate together. So, I planned a surprise party with Tae-il, Seung-hoo, and an eve party tonight, a retirement party tomorrow, and maybe an after-party the day after tomorrow.”

As expected from the leader of a guild, his execution speed was terrifying.

The restaurant Seung-hoo had reserved was already booked for the occasion, and preparations for the cake and various gifts for the retirement party the next day were also ready.

If this was Kang Yoon-soo’s solo plan, it might have been acceptable. But…

“…We should commemorate days like this.”

That’s what Jung Tae-il said, in agreement.

…After catching a lich, something went wrong with what we were eating.

Just when I think Han Seung-hoo is the only one on top here.

He held a gift box in his hand and extended it to me.

“These are mana stones I’ve been collecting for you. They’re of good quality and would be useful when your mana is running low. I planned to give you this as a gift when we met today…”

For these reasons, I gave in.

…Well, whatever. I decided to just enjoy it with the mindset of ‘do whatever you want.’

I didn’t have the energy to say, ‘Seung-hoo and I already had plans, so you two should go home.’ I felt sorry for Seung-hoo, but I just didn’t have the strength.

So, now, I was eating pasta, not knowing if it was going into my mouth or nose while being tormented by the three of them.

…Even in this situation, the food tasted tearfully delicious.