#133
“Well, no…”
Yoon Pa-ran hastily began speaking. In truth, he was puzzled why he had to struggle with such an awkward feeling.
Thinking about it, he had never experienced reconciling with someone while growing up. As a child in the orphanage, he would simply yield to the older kids rather than fight. Conflicts in gates usually ended in extreme outcomes, like with Won Dong-hyun.
So Yoon Pa-ran realized he lacked immunity to these kinds of situations.
Is it normal to feel this awkward, to have trouble making eye contact, to want to run away a little?
“Anyway, it’s certain they’re targeting the orphanage. This time it seems they want to secure that land. Recently, movements were detected of Kim Tae-jun trying to push for that area to become a safety special zone.”
“Oh, I see. A safety special zone?”
Though Yoon Pa-ran’s reaction seemed strange, Dan Joo-hyuk continued providing important information. Yoon Pa-ran tried to focus on his words while pretending his awkward response was nothing unusual.
Hearing “safety special zone” snapped him to attention. The situation was no longer as simple as just holding out to become a safety zone.
It was suspicious from the start, coming from Kim Tae-jun. Given how hunters who visited safety special zones often had severe episodes afterwards, it was clearly not a good thing.
Even if the guy was just blinded by the privileges of a safety special zone, it didn’t matter. For Yoon Pa-ran, Kim Tae-jun had become someone who must be stopped.
The strange power he possessed was the energy of monsters, incompatible with Yoon Pa-ran’s own. So the gate anomalies must certainly be related to him.
“Shouldn’t we let people know this gate anomaly is connected to him too?”
“We can’t confirm the exact mastermind, so we’re not stirring things up for now. Besides, Kim Tae-jun can’t possibly be a hunter.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It would be hard to escape my notice.”
“Ah…”
“Anyway, I’ve informed everyone who needs to know about his identity to be on guard. Even the government realizes this is no ordinary matter.”
“I see…”
Knowing the government was also keeping an eye on Kim Tae-jun was somewhat reassuring. The fact that Dan Joo-hyuk was leading this effort made it even more credible. There weren’t many trustworthy people, considering hunters like Heo Sang-yeon.
What can I do in this situation?
While Yoon Pa-ran was lost in deep thought, Dan Joo-hyuk quietly closed the distance again. Just short of their thighs touching.
Unaware of this, Yoon Pa-ran spoke again. Wanting to overcome the awkward atmosphere, he kept his gaze focused on the water droplets on the juice glass.
“When we met Hunter Heo Sang-yeon before, he said that hunters who met Secretary Kang suffered many post-injury aftereffects. Does that mean Secretary Kang used that stone?”
“It seems so.”
“For what purpose?”
“This is just my guess.”
Suddenly, Dan Joo-hyuk’s voice was heard up close. As soon as he realized this, Yoon Pa-ran stiffened without even turning his head.
Eventually, his voice crept intimately into Yoon Pa-ran’s ear.
“Could that stone be used to control people? Considering your experience too. You said it was a mental attack, right?”
He naturally reached out and rubbed one of Yoon Pa-ran’s knees. With each pass of his fingertips over his knee, Yoon Pa-ran gradually stiffened while holding his breath.
Did I say mental attack? Well, it certainly felt like I was under some kind of attack right now.
“O-okay, I got it.”
Stammering, Yoon Pa-ran abruptly stood up.
This wouldn’t do. The awkwardness was driving him crazy.
Today especially, every time Dan Joo-hyuk got close, it felt too strange. There was an odd tension in his lower abdomen too.
He thought his mood might improve if he went out for some exercise, away from Dan Joo-hyuk.
Having decided this, Yoon Pa-ran immediately moved towards the entrance. However, before he could take a single step, one of his arms was firmly grasped.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran answered more firmly than ever before. For some reason, Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t say anything for a long while.
But he didn’t let go of the arm he was holding either, so Yoon Pa-ran started to feel uneasy.
Did I say I was going home too suddenly?
Glancing at his expression, it indeed didn’t look good. With his gaze lowered to the floor, he seemed deep in thought…
“Why?”
Seeing that face, the words impulsively sprang out. Regret at not having kept quiet and the judgment that it was better to have asked clashed chaotically inside him.
Finally, Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been staring at the floor, raised his head.
He met Yoon Pa-ran’s eyes directly.
“Share some of your skill before you go.”
His expressionless face was filled with a faint smile again. As their gazes met, Yoon Pa-ran found he couldn’t look away from Dan Joo-hyuk’s slightly curved eyes.
“I’m entering a gate today, and I need that power.”
Standing awkwardly, Yoon Pa-ran swallowed dryly again. He should give the skill as payment for the good information he received today, but for some reason he hesitated.
The skin on his captured forearm felt too ticklish.
“Didn’t all the hunters who came out of the linked gates get leave?”
An official notice had come down for all survivors of the linked anomaly gates to refrain from entering gates for the time being.
It was called leave, but it was practically a quarantine measure. There was a precedent of people who survived the Gumun-dong anomaly gate having severe seizures.
“I didn’t hear anything about that.”
Dan Joo-hyuk replied nonchalantly. Yoon Pa-ran sighed softly, once again realizing the hardships of Gate Management Office employees.
“Well… Let’s do it next time. Why don’t you just rest today too?”
“…”
It was a sincere suggestion. No matter how gate-obsessed he was, even Dan Joo-hyuk should rest a bit. Yoon Pa-ran still felt uneasy remembering Dan Joo-hyuk facing waves of monsters alone.
It was also true that this strange sensation lingering between Dan Joo-hyuk and himself was hard to bear. Especially at the thought of their lips touching, the odd pain that had been swirling in his lower abdomen since earlier seemed to rise to his solar plexus.
Though he carefully suggested it to Dan Joo-hyuk, the other remained silent. He just kept directing that fierce smile at Yoon Pa-ran.
Damn. He really is gate-obsessed.
Feeling the unspoken pressure, Yoon Pa-ran anxiously chewed the inside of his mouth. He was thinking hard about how to persuade him again.
Then something pale appeared before his eyes.
[Trainee’s Trial]
Make the absorption rate of [Stealthy Extorter S] 40% with a kiss.
Reward for success: (Partial) latter part of [Sacred Energy S] content
Penalty for failure: De■th
“…Huh?”
“Ah.”
First, his heart nearly dropped to the floor. It seemed Dan Joo-hyuk had also seen something appear before his eyes. Nothing good ever came from status windows appearing simultaneously for everyone like this.
However, the more urgently he read the contents, the more Yoon Pa-ran’s face crumpled. The anxiety that had hit like a wave was suddenly gone.
“What is this!”
“Ah.”
Unlike system notices or gate anomalies, this status window had clearly appeared only for Dan Joo-hyuk and Yoon Pa-ran.
It was so special that it made Yoon Pa-ran jump.
“It’s a quest.”
Though they seemed to be looking at the same text, Dan Joo-hyuk spoke calmly. He was still persistently holding Yoon Pa-ran’s arm.
“Did you perhaps see something different…”
Wondering if it might be different content, Yoon Pa-ran urgently tried to shake off that arm and ask, but instead, Dan Joo-hyuk yanked his body towards him.
“Ugh.”
His balance collapsed towards Dan Joo-hyuk.
Finding himself suddenly straddling Dan Joo-hyuk’s lap face-to-face, his body automatically stiffened.
“What content appeared to make you so flustered?”
Unlike the flustered Yoon Pa-ran, Dan Joo-hyuk asked softly. He acted naturally, as if no one had ever sat on his lap before.
“No, something ridiculous appeared!”
While pulling in Yoon Pa-ran’s waist as he squirmed to escape, Dan Joo-hyuk leisurely began speaking.
A smile even more relaxed than before hung on his lips.
“Fill my skill to 40% or more with just a kiss, and in return, you’ll be told the latter part of your skill content.”
“…”
“And though the letters are obscured, the penalty seems to be death. Is that right?”
…To think he could react so calmly after seeing the same status window.
“…That’s right.”
“Then we have to do it. We have no choice.”
Eventually, he spoke in a rather monotone voice. However, Yoon Pa-ran suspiciously glared at that calm reaction.
This guy, he seems to be enjoying this more than before, doesn’t he?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
