#23
Cha Do-hyeok’s expression as he uttered the word revenge was, how should I put it, both calm and somewhat angry. In the subtle atmosphere where conflicting emotions could be felt, Ha-seong also maintained his silence.
“That’s the one thing I want. Like I said earlier, I’m not interested in what your identity is, where you came from, or why no one knew you were S-rank until now.”
Only then did Ha-seong realize it. The identity of that subtle emotion visible in Cha Do-hyeok’s eyes.
“What I really want is someone who can help me, someone who has the power to help me.”
It was refined anger. Clean and pure anger hadn’t boiled over yet, but it existed, surging beyond those eyes.
“……Are you asking me to kill someone?”
Having read that anger, Ha-seong could tell. That it was anger directed at ‘someone.’ So naturally, he thought that what Cha Do-hyeok wanted might be the death of whoever that anger was directed at.
“Well, you’re half right and half wrong.”
Do-hyeok glanced at the snail shell placed on the table. The remaining time was floating above it, and before he knew it, only 10 minutes remained. The problem was adding trivial words during their conversation.
“What do you mean by that? Half right and half wrong.”
What Cha Do-hyeok said was hard to understand at once. What was right and what was wrong? Shouldn’t he know what it was about to choose whether to do it or not? But Do-hyeok seemed to want to end the conversation here and smoothly pushed the snail item toward Ha-seong.
“Let’s end the conversation here for now. Think it over carefully, and if hyung really intends to help me, we’ll talk again then. I’ll tell you everything at that time.”
“Hey, how can that be?”
Do-hyeok really seemed like he was going to get up and leave, starting to gather his outerwear.
“I don’t know whether hyung will help me or not, so I can’t tell you everything.”
Selfish bastard. So Ha-seong needed to know exactly what it was about to make a proper choice, right? What was he supposed to do if he only spoke vaguely like that?
“Think about it and let me know.”
As Do-hyeok pulled his chair back and stood up, the snail shook loudly with a buzz. It meant timeout.
“Ah.”
As he was glaring daggers at that selfish back, the guy suddenly whirled around and approached Ha-seong.
“By the way, let me tell you one thing……”
Do-hyeok pressed his hand on the table and bent his upper body toward Ha-seong. The pupils that were already pushed together due to Cha Do-hyeok’s presence were growing even larger.
Ha-seong just silently listened to what was being said in his ear.
“……Well then, I hope you make a good choice.”
Do-hyeok walked leisurely toward the entrance as if he had truly finished what he had to say. During that time, it seemed like a few brave citizens approached him asking for photos, but Do-hyeok consistently ignored them and disappeared.
“What a strange guy.”
Ha-seong watched the disappearing figure and muttered while leaning deep into his chair.
“Excuse me……”
At that moment, a woman sitting at the table right next to him quietly spoke to Ha-seong.
“Are you also a Hunter? Perhaps from Nameless Guild……”
“No. I’m not a Hunter.”
Ha-seong now smoothly spouted the set words like a vending machine when pressed. Then the woman said, “Ah, excuse me,” and returned to her seat. How nice it would have been if Cha Do-hyeok had also easily believed Ha-seong’s words that he wasn’t a Hunter like that person.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had somehow gotten involved in an even more complicated matter, but at the same time, that look he had seen in Cha Do-hyeok’s eyes earlier wouldn’t leave his mind.
Ha-seong spent a few more minutes spacing out in the cafe before slowly getting up. Before going home, Ha-seong stopped by a nearby mart and headed straight to the vegetable section without hesitation.
“Please ring this up.”
“Yes. Customer! Uh…… are you sure you’re purchasing all of this?”
“Yes.”
The face of the employee who had been dealing with Ha-seong with a kind smile and bright tone was colored with bewilderment, but Ha-seong calmly asked for a volume-based garbage bag too and fumbled for his card from his wallet.
“Yes. Customer, one volume-based garbage bag. And eight heads of cabbage in total, that’s 32,500 won.”
Ha-seong swept the cabbages into the volume-based bag, greeted them, and left the mart.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a customer who likes cabbage that much. Will he be able to eat all of that before it rots……”
The employee tilted their head while watching Ha-seong leisurely walking away, shaking the bag. The employee’s worry would be meaningless. Far from rotting, it would all be devoured while still fresh.
“Hey, pig. I swept up some cabbage for you.”
Ha-seong returned home and shouted while putting the cabbage in the kitchen. At this timing, there should be a response like “Really, Ha-seong-nim?!” and the sound of scurrying footsteps, but somehow the house was quiet.
“Are you sleeping?”
Well, after running around spectacularly today, it wouldn’t be strange to be knocked out. But the pig’s figure wasn’t visible anywhere in the house – not in the usual place where the pig sprawled out sleeping, not in the bathroom, nowhere in the house.
“Ah, come to think of it……”
Thinking about it, when he finished the gate purification work earlier and moved locations to have a quiet conversation with Cha Do-hyeok, he hadn’t managed to take the pig with him. It seemed like it was somewhere nearby…… No matter how much he tried to remember, where the pig had been remained hazy.
“Hmm……”
Ha-seong pondered for a moment then called the Management Bureau customer service main number.
– Yes, this is Hunter Management Bureau customer service.
“Ah, I wanted to ask about something.”
– Yes. Please go ahead.
“By any chance, among today’s lost items, was there a pig?”
– Excuse me? A pig?
The employee seemed flustered as their decibel level increased slightly.
The reason Ha-seong called customer service after much deliberation wasn’t special. When dungeons opened unexpectedly like today or incidents involving civilians occurred, there were always lost belongings and luggage that people couldn’t manage to take with them scattered around the area. And the Management Bureau would collect, manage, and store these items.
So if he lost a pig, he should ask customer service. A pig was still a lost item.
“Yes. I was wondering if a pig came in as a lost item due to the gate that opened this morning.”
– Please wait a moment, I’ll check for you.
The employee seemed a bit dumbfounded but still seemed to be diligently typing on the keyboard with thorough professional spirit.
– Thank you for waiting, customer. I’m sorry, but among the lost items that came in from that incident, there is no…… pig.
“Is that so? I understand. Thank you.”
Ha-seong hung up and fell into thought again. Where should he look for this guy? After thinking, he finally reached a conclusion.
“Well, it’ll probably find its way back on its own.”
It knew where home was, and if someone discovered it, they would hand it over to the Management Bureau. If they mistook it for a real pig instead of a monster and reported it to the zoo…… that would be a bit troublesome.
Ha-seong pushed the cabbage into the refrigerator, saying he had bought it for nothing.
* * *
“Hey, Cha Do-hyeok.”
“What.”
“I have something I’m curious about.”
“I do too. Why aren’t you going to your room and doing this?”
Do-hyeok looked at Won-hyeok, who had settled into his room, with disdain.
“That’s not the problem right now. By any chance, are you……”
Won-hyeok looked at Do-hyeok with a quite serious face, a very grave face at that.
“Dating?”
“What?”
“Just be honest with me. Are you dating?”
“Why are you acting crazy again?”
“Then what’s this! This photo!”
Photo? Instead of responding with a face asking what he meant, Do-hyeok looked at Won-hyeok. Then he got up holding his phone and approached, placing the phone on the Guild Leader’s table with a thud.
“This! Do you know your photo is circulating on StarStagram right now?”
StarStagram? What’s that again? Anyway, that bastard Kang Won-hyeok sometimes made it confusing whether his dream was to be a Hunter or an influencer.
“What photo.”
“Look at this. This scene of you being affectionate with a man at Star Cafe, which you won’t go to even when I suggest it, a place you’d maybe go to once!”
Won-hyeok tapped on his phone screen. Do-hyeok’s gaze naturally turned to the screen as well.
Cha Do-hyeok sighting at cafe today.
……In the post with that title, there was indeed a photo as Won-hyeok said. A photo of Do-hyeok and Ha-seong together. The timing it was taken happened to be when Do-hyeok bent his waist to speak to Ha-seong for the last time.
In other words, it was a composition that made Won-hyeok’s ridiculous talk somewhat understandable.
“Really? Hey, just be honest with me. Hm?”
While saying this, Won-hyeok also kindly showed him the comments on the post.
– Wow, how long has it been since a Cha Do-hyeok sighting.
– He’s so handsome ã… ã… ã…
– But who’s the person in front? He seems handsome too, are there no photos of him?
– Could it be his lover?
“Hey.”
Do-hyeok called Won-hyeok quietly.
“Yeah. I’m ready to listen.”
Won-hyeok nodded and patted Do-hyeok’s shoulder.
Since getting to know Cha Do-hyeok, he had never once seen that guy dating anyone. Far from dating, he had never seen him take interest in anyone other than himself. As a joke, Won-hyeok would go around saying that winning the lottery five times in a row would have higher odds than seeing Cha Do-hyeok dating.
“Get lost.”
“Hey! Then what is this?”
Do-hyeok waved his hand dismissively as if it wasn’t worth talking about. It was a signal that he was really annoyed now, so get out.
“Petty bastard. Not even telling me.”
Won-hyeok snatched his phone away while pouting his lips. And he headed toward the door making loud footsteps as if to show Do-hyeok.
“……Hey. Kang Won-hyeok.”
“What.”
Do-hyeok hesitated for a moment then stopped Won-hyeok, who was just about to grab the door handle and leave with his lips protruding like an octopus.
“Send me that photo.”
Having made an inexplicable request, Do-hyeok again gestured to Won-hyeok to really get out now.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
