#57
Title: Management Bureau and Modern Hunters
Author: Anonymous
Content: Aren’t the Management Bureau and modern hunters too incompetent? Everyone’s been praising them so much that their discipline has loosened. Just look at this incident. They should step up and resolve it quickly. What are the other hunters doing?
That’s what I’m saying. The civilians there were almost in danger because of the hunters in the first place ㅇㅇ.
There are also rumors that it’s just because of a personal grudge against that hunter who got shot. Then there’s no reason to make such a fuss about it.
Please do some work~ Management Bureau~
⌙ Hunters should step up too. There are so many guilds rotting in South Korea right now, what is everyone doing?
⌙ Agreed. What is Nameless doing? It’s the number 1 guild in name, but they’re quiet even though this chaos happened~
⌙ Cha Do-hyeok has never been interested in this kind of thing ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s a guild that only thinks about their own profits.
Below that comment, curses about Nameless began pouring in enthusiastically. Though the original post wasn’t about that content, the comment section had somehow transformed into a place for bashing Nameless and Cha Do-hyeok. It was quite diverse, starting from saying that the country was being too lenient because Cha Do-hyeok was the only S-rank, to ridiculous suspicions that Nameless must have some kind of connection with the Management Bureau.
This is why those bastards who only pound keyboards in their rooms are no good. In the previous world where Ha-seong had lived, things like the internet or social media weren’t well developed. This was one of the things he couldn’t adapt to when he came to this place.
At first, he found the small world where people shared their thoughts without hesitation fascinating, and thought it was just good, but he learned not long after that wasn’t the case. After learning that it could become a world where people hide behind the name of anonymity and slander and curse someone without hesitation, Ha-seong didn’t particularly enjoy doing such things unless it was for information gathering purposes.
Yes. Like these things that were harshly criticizing Cha Do-hyeok right now.
“Bastards who couldn’t say a word if they stood in front of Cha Do-hyeok.”
Ha-seong’s face gradually contorted. Reading posts cursing Cha Do-hyeok, it strangely felt dirty as if they were cursing at him. Of course, even though Cha Do-hyeok was rude, strange, and weird, he wasn’t someone who should be carelessly talked about by these people’s gossip.
After much contemplation, Ha-seong immediately created an account.
⌙ People who live comfortably and safely thanks to the only S-rank sure have a lot to say.
Like that, Ha-seong delivered a blow to the comment cursing Do-hyeok. Actually, those words were also a small voice of his heart that Ha-seong had harbored while living as a hunter in the previous world. It was one of the things Ha-seong had wanted to shout moment by moment when all that came back despite working hard and saving people was citizens’ distrust and curses.
After that, Ha-seong diligently went around posts leaving comments. He was essentially playing the role of Cha Do-hyeok’s guardian.
“What are you having so much fun with on the laptop?”
Was it because he was too focused? He didn’t even know the house owner had returned.
“Ah shit, you startled me.”
Ha-seong was so surprised that he quickly closed the laptop. Then Cha Do-hyeok squinted and looked at him with suspicious eyes.
“What, why? I was just looking at this and that because I was bored. But why did you come in without making any sound?”
To be honest, in terms of the skill of not making sounds, Cha Do-hyeok seemed superior to Ha-seong.
“This is my house.”
Who makes sounds when entering their own house? Do-hyeok made Ha-seong shut his mouth with logical words.
Since Ha-seong couldn’t say anything, Do-hyeok slowly turned his gaze to the laptop. He was curious about what he had been doing, but he didn’t particularly plan to force it open and look.
“Take this.”
Do-hyeok withdrew his gaze from the laptop and placed a small shopping bag on the table with a thud. Ha-seong, who had been looking at the white, small shopping bag with suspicious eyes, opened it slightly.
“What is this?”
“A phone.”
As he said, there was a rectangular box inside the shopping bag. Even Ha-seong, who didn’t know much about phones, could tell it was an expensive, latest model.
“It’s inconvenient to contact you without a phone.”
“Uh… thanks.”
He hadn’t thought about it. Of course, since his phone was completely smashed, he had been thinking he should buy another one. He had only been thinking about it, trying to postpone spending his precious money as much as possible.
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
I asked Shin-woo to buy the most popular one, Do-hyeok muttered and tilted his head. Not liking it? That couldn’t be. This was obviously the latest model to anyone’s eyes. It was just that he hadn’t known he would pay attention to such things. Much less that he would directly buy a phone like this.
“No. Just.”
Come to think of it, Do-hyeok had also taken care of Boss Kim, who had almost become like a duck egg in the Nakdong River after Ha-seong entered Nameless as a purifier. He was a guy with unexpectedly thoughtful aspects.
“Then get up. Let’s go out soon.”
“Yeah.”
Ha-seong and Do-hyeok rode together in a car to the Management Bureau. But unlike last time, outside the Management Bureau was bustling with a tremendous number of people. It had been quiet and peaceful then. Looking closely, they seemed to be reporters holding cameras and microphones.
“Hey hey, those reporters are no joke. Can you go?”
Ha-seong tapped Do-hyeok’s arm. Ha-seong’s face wasn’t known, so they might just think he was a Management Bureau employee, but the guy sitting next to him wasn’t.
“We’ll go around to the back entrance.”
Do-hyeok, having already been informed by Woo-bin, familiarly went around to the back of the building and started walking.
“Ah, shit.”
It was after seeing that there were several reporters at the back entrance too that something like a curse came from Do-hyeok’s mouth. They must have set up positions even there with such indomitable will. Then one reporter was about to turn his head toward where the two people were standing.
Ha-seong quickly grabbed Do-hyeok’s arm and hid behind the building right next to them.
“Can’t you ask Woo-bin-ssi to come out?”
“Wouldn’t it be the same even if he came out?”
Ah, Ha-seong hummed low. Well, the people they were waiting for right now would be precisely the Management Bureau officials. Especially direct officials like Woo-bin, who had been put in charge of this assault incident.
“Hmm…”
Ha-seong fell into thought for a moment. If Do-hyeok approached the entrance, reporters who recognized him would surely swarm. They would be interested in Do-hyeok, who appeared at the Management Bureau unrelated to the incident, and would also ask why he came here. There was a high possibility of bothering Do-hyeok now that such an incident had occurred.
“Ah. Wait.”
Then Ha-seong seemed to remember something and opened his inventory to take something out. It was a silver object that looked like a bracelet at first glance. Ha-seong suddenly put that bracelet on his wrist and then pressed it tightly to secure it firmly. Then a status window appeared.
[Item ‘Bracelet of Concealment’ is being used. While wearing the bracelet, the presence of the owner and companions is completely erased.]
“Bracelet of Concealment?”
Without him saying it, Do-hyeok smoothly recited the item’s name. As expected, his eyes were tinted blue.
“Hey, don’t use that just anytime.”
Ha-seong fiddled with the bracelet.
“What is that? It’s an item I’ve never seen before.”
It probably would be. This was an item that belonged to quite a low grade. It had the tremendous effect of completely erasing presence like an invisible person while worn, but there was a separate reason why it was still a low-grade item despite that.
“Give me your hand.”
Ha-seong extended his hand. Then Do-hyeok tilted his head and just looked down at his innocent palm.
“If you read the status window, read the description too.”
Do-hyeok’s eyes rippled with blue light again.
[Item activation condition: Can be activated when there are 2 or more people including the owner.]
This was precisely why this item belonged to the low grade. It did hide presence, but when used alone, it had no effect whatsoever. In other words, it could only be used when there was someone other than the owner.
And the problem didn’t end there. Even if it could be used when together, the method was a bit peculiar.
“But why the hand?”
“You have to hold hands for it to activate.”
There had to be physical contact between the owner and whoever wanted to use it together. Because of these troublesome and inconvenient activation conditions, this item wasn’t sought after by hunters despite having the tremendous effect of cleanly erasing presence.
“…Hyung only has strange things.”
“Never mind that. Hurry, your hand. How long are we going to do this?”
Do-hyeok hesitated for a moment then extended his right hand. And when the two hands touched, the bracelet on Ha-seong’s left arm briefly glowed.
“Let’s go now.”
“……”
Do-hyeok silently stared down at their clasped hands. Did he not hear the words to go? Ha-seong slightly shook their hands.
“I said let’s go.”
“Ah, yes.”
The two people slowly came out from behind the wall and walked toward the Management Bureau main building. Meanwhile, Do-hyeok threw suspicious questions about whether this really had reliable performance, but in reality, the reporters didn’t even glance at them as the two passed by.
As if they had really become invisible, they paid no attention or interest to the two people whatsoever. It felt like only Do-hyeok and Ha-seong, just the two of them, were left on the path walking to the main building.
Even while walking, Do-hyeok kept glancing at their clasped hands. It was strangely ticklish and uncomfortable. The problem was that the discomfort wasn’t entirely an unpleasant feeling. It was also the first time since that day that he had held someone’s hand so tightly like this.
That person’s hand had been this warm too, it seemed.
“…hyeok. Cha Do-hyeok.”
Then he felt his arm being shaken once more from the side. When he came to his senses, the two had already safely entered the Management Bureau.
“What were you thinking about that you couldn’t hear me calling? Anyway, it’s fine now.”
Since they had safely entered inside, Ha-seong let out a sigh of relief and was about to let go of his hand.
“…Hey, you can let go now.”
For some reason, Do-hyeok didn’t move his hand at all. Since they had safely entered inside avoiding the reporters’ eyes, there was no reason to be holding hands together anymore.
“Come to think of it.”
“Yeah.”
“I think it would be better not to let people inside the Management Bureau know I came either.”
But you came in just fine then? When Ha-seong looked at him with such eyes, Do-hyeok shook his head.
“Think about it. Between me being noticed by Management Bureau employees and not being noticed. Which would be better?”
“Uh…”
Ha-seong looked into space and fell into thought. Hearing it like that, this was also ambiguous.
“If we have to choose, not being noticed would be better…?”
“See? So let’s just go like this.”
Do-hyeok gripped Ha-seong’s white, small hand tighter. It was a kind of declaration of intent not to let go. While Ha-seong was hesitating, he took a step. Since he suddenly walked away holding his hand, he had no choice but to follow.
Ha-seong still tilted his head wondering if this was right. Ha-seong probably didn’t see it. Do-hyeok’s quite satisfied expression.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
