Damn Hunter Life Chapter 36
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Rather than amazement that Won Ha-ri had voluntarily reached out to me for the first time.
The thought that hit me first was whether this really had to be discussed now, and that I didn’t welcome it.
‘Woo Sae-geon called me over when I was already unable to sleep properly.’
I had used all my energy delivering that blow to the boss monster. My legs were shaky and my eyes were closing – I was thinking I needed to pass out first before eating or anything else.
Plus, what was with Ja Hyeong-woo’s jacket being so big and heavy, pressing down on my shoulders in real time.
Anyway, for various reasons I wasn’t in any condition to have a separate conversation with Won Ha-ri, but since this young kid was requesting a conversation with me for the first time, it didn’t seem right to refuse.
Fortunately, Won Ha-ri let me sit on a bench as soon as we entered the deserted building.
‘What could this kid have to say to me? This isn’t some new form of harassment, is it?’
Tick, tick, Won Ha-ri’s impatience was clearly evident from her toes rubbing against the ground.
She seemed to have something to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it, then at some point made up her mind and threw it out directly.
“I was being stupid. I’m sorry.”
Won Ha-ri quickly averted her gaze from mine looking up at her and pressed her lips together. She seemed unable to bear the embarrassment.
What is this apology about?
“What? The gate incident? Shouldn’t that just be considered an accident?”
“No. …Everything that’s happened until now.”
Come to think of it, Won Ha-ri was using formal speech. Like she does with other successors.
Won Ha-ri avoided eye contact even more, as if her neck had twisted. I just blinked, not immediately understanding.
It’s true that I’ve been continuously, moderately treating her well while trying to slowly dissolve Won Ha-ri’s wariness.
That’s true, but she’s opening up this quickly?
‘Just from that little bit I did for her?’
I hadn’t done anything yet, but Won Ha-ri had caught me off guard instead.
Won Ha-ri, whose nature wasn’t bad, seemed to feel relieved somewhere after acknowledging her rashness once.
“…I have one real older brother. Unlike that side, he’s gentle and innocent.”
Anyone could see my expression had hardened.
Right, I could accept the apology part. But I didn’t expect Won Ha-ri to tell me this much. Really.
Skipping over all the original story content, she was telling her story for the first time to none other than the scoundrel Gyeon Gang-hyeon…
“My real brother was always better than me at everything, so I studied like crazy out of jealousy. But my brother accepted everything even when I got really irritated with him. He was kind of a pushover.”
“He’s very different from me.”
The words slipped out as a mutter. For a moment I thought I’d misspoken, but Won Ha-ri just nodded slightly and didn’t say anything special.
From this kid who was still too young, the next words came out that were too heavy for a child to say.
“He died when he was exactly my age. After being in the hospital for about 3 years…”
When she raised her head, Won Ha-ri’s dry cheeks without tears were revealed. Won Ha-ri’s eyes directly captured me, so thin that my facial bones were visible.
“I watched someone dying up close for a long time, so I know what it’s like. …Gang-hyeon oppa also looks like he’s going to die when I watch him.”
Won Ha-ri accurately distinguishes between someone who’s simply thin and someone who’s thin from illness.
The Busan gate video – there’s no way Won Ha-ri wouldn’t have seen it. In the video, I delivered a blow and spat blood from the aftermath.
Won Ha-ri’s heart must have been racing when something was triggered by that scene.
Beep. Beep. The IV lines swaying dizzily and the fluctuating machine sounds. Medical staff running around competing with each other, and in the middle of it all, her brother convulsing and foaming at the mouth.
‘When someone stimulated that trauma again in the present, you tried to keep your distance by deliberately disliking them. You, Won Ha-ri.’
The reason Won Ha-ri cried in front of me after defeating the python was because she was scared.
But it wasn’t the monster that was scary.
She was scared that the body temperature of the person she was holding was too cold.
I looked at Won Ha-ri with complicated eyes. Though it wasn’t intentional, I felt sorry for the things I had made Won Ha-ri remember.
Why did Won Ha-ri, who had experienced such things, have to meet me again?
“…Instead of apologizing, could you just grant one wish of mine?”
I could see Won Ha-ri’s intention to change the subject from the heavy atmosphere. So I also ended up muttering like a joke.
“Do you have any conscience?”
“…Never mind if you don’t want to.”
“What is it?”
At that, Won Ha-ri moved her lips soundlessly.
I looked closely and was briefly at a loss for words.
“…I won’t die. I’m just extremely weak. Really.”
“Keep that promise.”
Afterward, Won Ha-ri added that my complexion was still better now than the first day we met. She also casually asked what kind of treatment I had received.
I guessed the time point Won Ha-ri was talking about was when the mouse familiar returned and helped me after I passed out that night.
‘I thought no one noticed back then… but there was a kid who recognized that change.’
I had actually been aware of the reason Won Ha-ri particularly avoided me for some time.
Though completely unlike the person who was precious to her and with a different personality, she still saw overlaps.
Even after being left alone, Won Ha-ri’s words continued to linger in my ears.
“Don’t die while you’re with me. Don’t get sick either.”
I returned home feeling a bit bitter. My stomach was growling but I had no appetite at all.
Whether I closed my eyes or opened them, the scene of the python monster charging at me wouldn’t leave my head. I could only escape it after consciously taking deep breaths several times.
At some point, Squeaky had emerged from my clothes and was silently watching me.
I barely managed to eat a few spoonfuls and fell asleep.
When I woke up and looked at the clock, forget being late – lunchtime had long passed. At this point it was truancy.
Since I was already late anyway, I ate my meal properly and slowly arrived at the training ground.
Won Ha-ri was already out there absorbed in training. The first thing she said when she saw me was asking if I had eaten enough.
A very Korean question. At first I answered that I had eaten well without thinking much of it.
‘But I didn’t know she’d check that three times a day, every day.’
Won Ha-ri’s eccentric behavior became more diverse as days passed. Her overnight transformation was scary.
“Switch places with me. This side puts less strain on your back.”
When had she stopped being obsessed only with her own training, she started watching me exercise closely.
“Isn’t that too high intensity? Please reduce it.”
She somehow ended up having a battle of wills with the status window training instructor she used to serve respectfully, with me in between.
“You’ll catch a cold if your sweat cools.”
She’d put some soft towel on my head and rub vigorously to wipe off my sweat.
“Don’t sit here, it’s cold.”
Whenever I tried to sit somewhere, she’d quickly lay down a towel first.
She wouldn’t let me drink cold water, then brought me warm lemon tea without being asked.
When I looked at her, she’d repeat knife-sharp statements like “Only while we’re training together.” While saying that, she handed me some box, which turned out to be red ginseng. She told me to take it every evening after dinner.
‘Maybe by doing this to me, she’s resolving the regret of things she couldn’t do for her real brother because she was too young then.’
Since the kid wants to do this, what can I do to stop her, but it would be better if she only did it when we’re alone.
The successor building isn’t used by just Won Ha-ri and me.
When Jin Seol-woon passed by the door and caught a glimpse of Won Ha-ri serving me and me being served, he stepped back and stood at the doorway again, looking at us strangely.
All the other Twelve Zodiac members looked at us that way.
‘Hey, it’s not like I’m making a middle schooler 7 years younger than me run errands.’
Since I couldn’t talk about Won Ha-ri’s past, misunderstandings only accumulated.
Among them, Ma Cheon-ah entered the training room where I was and walked energetically toward Won Ha-ri, her black martial clothes rustling in what seemed like a size larger than mine.
“Ha-ri, what happened?”
“It’s nothing strange. I can’t tell you but…”
Won Ha-ri gave her own explanation, but Ma Cheon-ah didn’t seem to believe it much.
“Did he get dirt on you? Don’t do that and tell unni. Should I break all his bones into pieces?”
…That was chilling.
After skill practice, while I sat against the wall resting early since I was completely drained, Won Ha-ri, who seemed fine perhaps due to her youth, continued with training to infuse metal attribute into her sword.
“It’s not working well. It’s difficult.”
[The method of handling attributes must be realized by oneself. Unfortunately, there is no senior who can guide successor Won Ha-ri.]
“You mean the others don’t have matching attributes…?”
Soon it was break time and the AI instructor disappeared. Even during rest time, Won Ha-ri continued practicing ability manipulation that showed no progress no matter how much she tried, looking dejected. She bit her lower lip so much from struggling that it turned white.
I was half-dozing when I opened my eyes.
I saw something from Won Ha-ri who was concentrating, thought about what it was for a while, then just spoke up.
“Won Ha-ri, try removing some strength in reverse. Your energy seems to be moving too stiffly right now?”
“Huh? Um…”
“The feeling is, breathe more slowly and your heartbeat should be a little faster.”
Won Ha-ri, who was trying to follow my words, tilted her head with an expression like she was on the verge of understanding.
Then she suddenly fixed her gaze on me.
“Gang-hyeon oppa. Can you see other people’s attributes?”
This time I was surprised.
In principle, it’s impossible to pass on techniques to awakeners of other attributes. If it’s not your own attribute, the brain doesn’t understand or learn the other person’s abilities at all.
But only I am bypassed by that principle.
Since Won Ha-ri found out anyway, I experimented with Won Ha-ri alone and also went snooping around other training grounds. And a definite conclusion emerged.
I was capable of seeing, reading, and connecting all attribute skills.
‘Then teaching Hae Mi-jun with water attribute wasn’t thanks to the mouse familiar either?’
I had been timing when to confess to Hae Mi-jun that ‘the secret was the mouse familiar’… I’m glad I didn’t say anything.
Because it was completely wrong information.
That was my ability. Not Squeaky’s.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
