#58
“But you heard that? Do you have good hearing too?”
Seo Yi-young was genuinely impressed. Hadn’t they been quite far apart? As Seo Yi-young was reflecting on the situation, Choi Do-jun asked again.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“Did you agree to go?”
He thought Choi Do-jun would just let it slide, but surprisingly, he was being persistent. Was he truly curious? He seemed determined not to back down until he got an answer. Seo Yi-young let out a hollow laugh.
Maybe I should tease him a bit.
“What if I said yes?”
“……”
Yikes.
Seo Yi-young clearly saw it. The way Choi Do-jun’s jaw muscle twitched at his counter-question. Dangerous. He seemed to have touched a nerve, though he wasn’t sure why. Seo Yi-young, who had only intended to joke, quickly abandoned the idea when he saw Choi Do-jun’s ominous reaction.
“Why so serious? I was just kidding. You’ve been through hunter exclusivity contracts, so you know. Are contracts a joke? You know I can’t go.”
Only after he said this did the dangerous aura surrounding Choi Do-jun dissipate. Why were his moods fluctuating like this? He wasn’t usually like this. Had his personality changed? Seo Yi-young was thinking that even a hot-tempered person wouldn’t be this extreme when—
“Then come to my side.”
“…What?”
Seo Yi-young thought his ears were malfunctioning. What did he say? Come where?
“I’m formally offering to scout you.”
“…What do you mean ‘formally’? Isn’t your company just you?”
When Seo Yi-young said this, Choi Do-jun temporarily closed his mouth. His face clearly showed his disbelief. Doesn’t he manage his expressions at all? No, at this point, he doesn’t even have the intention to manage his expressions.
Is this the right attitude for someone making a transfer offer? Seo Yi-young wanted to ask Choi Do-jun directly. Of course, he didn’t actually do it.
“I’d like you to properly consider it before answering.”
“……”
Seo Yi-young was speechless. He hadn’t thought the offer was serious. Choi Do-jun must know how difficult it would be to transfer elsewhere. Especially, Hayan wouldn’t easily let go of Seo Yi-young, their flagship S-Class Healer. Despite knowing this, he was making such a sincere proposal, suggesting he was quite confident.
“…I’m expensive, you know.”
“I wouldn’t make such an offer without considering that.”
Good Lord. It seems he’s serious. Seo Yi-young barely managed to stop his jaw from dropping. This person was truly unpredictable.
“…I’ll… see how you do.”
It was all he could manage to say as he tried not to show his agitation.
“How I do?”
Choi Do-jun asked, tilting his head to one side.
“Yeah. As you know, I’m not short on money. So what else could it be? I’ll decide based on how much sincerity you show.”
“Sincerity, huh. I see.”
Choi Do-jun slowly muttered, rubbing his chin with his index finger. Just looking at his attitude, it was impossible to tell if he truly understood or not.
“How about helping with a dungeon conquest in America?”
He didn’t expect this counter. That would certainly be more than enough. If it weren’t for Choi Do-jun, Seo Yi-young would have died then. It was a fact he had to acknowledge.
“That’s right.”
When Seo Yi-young nodded and answered compliantly, Choi Do-jun’s eyes narrowed. His gaze was heavily tinged with suspicion, as if wondering what Seo Yi-young was plotting.
“No, why are you looking at me like that? I really think so. But, that happened before you made this offer. We should count from now on.”
Choi Do-jun exhaled briefly, as if exasperated. Since he didn’t say anything further, Seo Yi-young interpreted it as him accepting his words.
“But how did you get here so quickly? Even this private jet cuts the travel time by more than half.”
“Because I don’t need such things.”
“Huh?”
Seo Yi-young tilted his head, not fully understanding.
“I can also teleport.”
Choi Do-jun added as if to clarify. It was simple, but Seo Yi-young understood what he meant.
“…Crazy. That’s unfair.”
Choi Do-jun raised an eyebrow incredulously at Seo Yi-young’s muttering.
“Unfair?”
“Isn’t it? You can attack, shoot beams from your eyes, and now this. Oh, come to think of it, you just used your ability outside a dungeon. I should report you. Do you know the reporting number? No, I’ll look it up.”
“……”
There was clearly amusement in Choi Do-jun’s gaze.
“Go ahead and try.”
Is it just because Seo Yi-young is confused right now that he can’t accurately determine whether that was mockery or not?
“Wait. Then you could go like that too?”
“Only I can do that kind of teleportation.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Seo Yi-young’s mind became even more complex. He can go alone but doesn’t. He can go alone but doesn’t. He can…
“Why?”
Seo Yi-young asked, furrowing his brows. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a plausible reason.
“…Haah.”
Choi Do-jun now openly sighed.
“You generally lack subtlety.”
“What? What are you saying? I’m totally subtle! Who’s saying what to whom here?”
Choi Do-jun closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat, as if refusing further conversation. Seo Yi-young stared at him for a moment. Without adding or subtracting, without exaggeration, Seo Yi-young is alive now thanks to Choi Do-jun. The debt he owes Choi Do-jun today is substantial.
“Hey.”
“I’m listening, so speak.”
“About earlier in the dungeon, thank you for saving me. I didn’t thank you properly.”
Choi Do-jun opened his closed eyes. At least Seo Yi-young had expressed his gratitude. Regardless of everything else, it was thanks to Choi Do-jun that Seo Yi-young could safely exit the dungeon without dying or getting injured. Even if the other person is Choi Do-jun, it would be obviously uncomfortable to pass without a word of thanks.
After an awkward few seconds, Seo Yi-young spoke again.
“I think I’ll move over there.”
“Stay here.”
“What?”
The words “it’s uncomfortable, I don’t like it” rose to the tip of his tongue.
“It would look strange if we sat separately.”
“It’s just as strange to sit facing each other.”
It’s also a waste of seats in this spacious plane. But Choi Do-jun showed no signs of yielding. In the end, Seo Yi-young gave up on moving and leaned back into his seat.
“Hey, but did you get permission? If you’re doing this without authorization, won’t there be consequences?”
“That’s not something you need to worry about.”
“Look at how you talk. Even when someone worries about you, you act like this. Do whatever you want then.”
Seo Yi-young discovered a button to recline the seat. He immediately reclined and relaxed his body’s tension. He picked up a blanket from one side and covered himself. It smelled nice and felt very good to the touch.
It was regrettable that despite having gone abroad for once, he had to return immediately due to his schedule. But he could come again later. For that to happen, he needed to survive the dungeon. Even small rewards strengthen resolve. With renewed determination, he closed his eyes. The realization that he had safely returned from the dungeon wasn’t elsewhere. Just touching this soft bedding was enough.
Come to think of it, had there ever been a time when he had talked this much with Choi Do-jun? Not in Seo Yi-young’s memory. Despite getting heated, they surprisingly maintained a ping-pong of conversation. It made him think that Choi Do-jun was an ordinary person after all. If he mentioned this, Choi Do-jun’s expression would probably be worth seeing. Seo Yi-young glanced at Choi Do-jun, who was sitting across from him with his eyes closed.
[Next time, I should bring him useful information.]
Simultaneously, Jo Tae-su’s words came to mind. Instantly, his chest felt constricted. What was he supposed to do with Choi Do-jun? If it had been when he first came to this dimension, it might have been different, but now it was difficult to readily do so. He had gone through too much with Choi Do-jun for that. Even though Choi Do-jun spoke rudely, he had saved Seo Yi-young in dungeons multiple times. Including today.
Seo Yi-young sighed deeply. Being here like this, those intense moments in the dungeon all seemed like lies. Like a dream. Seo Yi-young pressed his index finger hard with his thumb nail. It hurt. Proof that neither entering the dungeon nor this current moment was a dream.
The fact that he could feel these complex emotions anew was all thanks to Choi Do-jun saving Seo Yi-young today. This debt must be repaid somehow. What would be the best way? What should he give? Recalling his previous visit to Choi Do-jun’s home, the house was so empty it felt desolate. Seeing that, Choi Do-jun didn’t seem like the type to have material desires. Even if he did, with the money Choi Do-jun earned, he could cover it all.
Seo Yi-young had these various thoughts, but they didn’t last long. His drowsy consciousness gradually became distant.
*
‘I’ll be going now.’
Seo Yi-young greeted the next shift worker and left the convenience store. But there was no time to rest. He had to walk briskly to reach the pub, his next part-time job. The hourly wage was quite good, so Seo Yi-young was working there while lying about his age. Fortunately, the pub owner was understanding of Seo Yi-young’s situation. As he walked down the street, Seo Yi-young turned his head toward the sound of commotion.
‘Today’s the day for the Awakening Counseling Center, right? What class? C-Class? Wow. C-Class is good.’
Hearing a middle-aged man’s voice, he hastened his steps.
Awakening Counseling Center. Seo Yi-young knew it well. Unlike naturally awakening to become a hunter, it was a place created by someone with the ability to awaken ordinary people. At first, some people suspected it was a scam, but the controversy quickly ended. There was nothing more to prove when people actually awakened and gained abilities at the counseling center. He had heard that there was now a waiting list that required waiting several weeks.
Seo Yi-young wasn’t in a position to go to the Awakening Counseling Center. If he could awaken, he would be able to do work with better compensation than now. But he couldn’t afford the large sum required for that awakening. If his parents were still alive, it might have been different. But now, having left the facility, the money he earned from part-time jobs was barely enough to cover monthly rent and food expenses. It was overwhelming. Even now, he was living frugally.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
