Damn Hunter Life Chapter 47
* * *
Isn’t this a scam?
…I can see him rolling his eyes and thinking hard about it.
He obediently opened his front door with his own hands, yet every one of Yang Pyo’s movements was full of suspicion. Regardless, I leisurely walked past him inside and admired the unfamiliar house structure.
Yang Pyo always thinks ‘Is this right? Is that right?’ but keeps missing the mark every time. That’s why in the original work, even when he was doing well, he sometimes showed sluggish movements.
His reaction to my proposal to stay by his side all night was the same. He thinks it might be a scam, but he can’t reach the conclusion that it actually is a scam. He just goes “uh, uh” and fumbles around before letting it pass.
‘This time you really don’t need to be suspicious.’
The current time is 10:17. Yang Pyo might not know, but it’s time for me to sleep. Therefore, after finishing all my sleep preparations at home, I moved to Yang Pyo’s house with just a pillow tucked under my arm.
Yang Pyo was also dressed in a t-shirt and shorts that he wore as pajamas. It felt strange for me to face someone who was practically a stranger in our sleepwear.
‘A pajama party. Even until this morning, I never expected I’d be sleeping over.’
“Didn’t you bring pajamas?”
“This is my pajamas though?”
Yang Pyo stopped at the corner of the entrance, then stared intently at the sobok I was wearing, seemingly seriously pondering what difference this had from outdoor clothes.
“We don’t need to stay awake together, just being next to each other is enough, right?”
“Uh, yes.”
Good, I don’t need to pull an all-nighter. It’s fortunate that what I need to do tonight isn’t beyond my capabilities.
I can confidently say that pulling an all-nighter with my body is impossible even before trying.
“You live pretty simply.”
Yang Pyo’s house was about the size of a slightly spacious family home. If this were South Korea, it would be excessive for a 19-year-old male student to live alone, but at Hunter School, the story was different.
When we first entered the school, successors were given the authority to luxuriously customize their own homes. That’s why most of us, including me, have two-story hanok houses with gardens as standard, right?
‘Only one bathroom too.’
Like a scoundrel, I looked around someone else’s house without the owner’s permission. Yang Pyo followed behind me, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
“When you live alone, having a vast house is kind of scary. Sounds keep echoing too.”
“Makes sense. Would Won Ha-ri or Hae Mi-jun be scared of being alone too?”
“Well, I wonder?”
At the end of the short hallway, I could see a rack with two golf clubs. From what I could see, it was the only expensive item in the house.
Is golf a hobby? He can’t even play it here though. Interested, I stopped abruptly, and Yang Pyo, who was coming from behind, bumped into me.
“Are you hiding something weird? Why do you keep following me around? Are you going to follow me into the bathroom too?”
“It’s not like that?”
Only then did Yang Pyo step back in surprise.
I wasn’t a guest Yang Pyo needed to entertain, nor was I a friend to laze around playing games with. So after finishing the house tour, all there was to do was…
In Yang Pyo’s spacious bedroom, we each found our spots and sat silently looking at our phones.
Besides the bed, the bedroom had a comfortable-looking armchair. It was probably furniture Kim Sang-ju had used. Or conversely, something Yang Pyo used.
When Yang Pyo first settled into the armchair, I stared at him intently.
“I get the bed?”
“I changed to new bedding. But if it’s still awkward—”
“That’s not it, you look cramped in there.”
“I’m fine. I’m not going to sleep anyway.”
Even though I was with him, he still assumed he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
But they say that having someone nearby reduces seizure-like trembling and negative emotions.
Rustling, I climbed onto the unfamiliar bed. The blanket was a bit thin but not bad. I could feel Yang Pyo’s gaze resting on my back.
“I fall asleep quickly. Wake me if there’s any problem.”
“Yes. It’s a bit awkward to say, but please make yourself… comfortable. I’m the one receiving help here.”
I flopped face-down on the pillow and turned on my phone. Besides the mood light on Yang Pyo’s side, there was now a small light in the room.
Though Yang Pyo had taken my phone, he didn’t delete the recording. I was looking at my phone screen briefly when Yang Pyo suddenly spoke.
“But why now…”
I turned my neck to look back.
When our eyes met, Yang Pyo’s eyes widened in surprise. He tried to hastily smooth things over with words like “no, no, it’s nothing,” but I had already heard clearly.
Why now… why now…?
Why should I have to hear such words?
“Why now,” he said. Does he mean I helped too late? But the Kim Sang-ju situation was something I accidentally overheard and ended up helping with, right? The logic doesn’t add up.
Then another hypothesis occurred to me.
‘What if it’s not about the Kim Sang-ju incident, but about “me”?’
“But why now…”
The flow of thoughts in my head retraces a past I didn’t directly experience.
Yang Pyo and I had the same earth attribute.
The first meeting of successors, even before the original timeline.
When everyone first met, if Yang Pyo was timid but couldn’t stand being alone… which earth attribute user would he have tried to become friends with?
Woo Sae-geon, who held absolute power as a tyrannical leader at the time? Jin Seol-woon, who was burdensome as a celebrity and was in panic from the shock of having to pause his activities?
…Only Gyeon Gang-hyeon.
‘The previous Gyeon Gang-hyeon would have accepted Yang Pyo’s approach, eaten meals together, and done everything. Until he failed to awaken, he had quite a cheerful personality.’
But many things happened between them, and Gyeon Gang-hyeon chose to isolate himself.
My head felt heavy. I pressed my fist firmly against my lips, which had started trembling from the sense of defeat.
This… it seems like Ja Hyeong-woo isn’t my only target for karmic debt.
‘It seems Yang Pyo had grown more attached to Gyeon Gang-hyeon than I thought.’
And I had become a shameless person who disappointed a younger brother three years my junior, and was now belatedly trying to settle my karmic debt.
I wanted to look back at Yang Pyo behind me, but on the other hand, I hesitated to do so readily.
It felt like Yang Pyo would be making some different expression. Like he would unsettle me once again, just like Ja Hyeong-woo.
“It’s really nothing. I misspoke. What I was trying to say was…”
My silence must have made him anxious. Yang Pyo finally brought out an excuse.
“Why… are you doing this much for me? You, no, hyung…”
I organized my facial muscles properly, composed myself, and sharply turned to look at Yang Pyo.
I smiled brightly, trying to look as light and thoughtless as possible.
“To escape my rock-bottom image, get recognized as a hunter, and receive pension benefits.”
I’m a shameless person, alright.
How’s that, Yang Pyo? Feel a bit less burdened?
* * *
“Phew…”
The wildcat monster from the last gate. The scene of the large boss being torn to pieces by Ma Cheon-ah’s sword kept coming to mind.
Yang Pyo tried to scatter his thoughts by playing a golf game on his phone.
At least the situation was better because Gyeon Gang-hyeon had come to sleep over. It was definitely better, but…
‘We are together, right?’
That bastard Kim Sang-ju had a habit of snoring in his sleep. Normally it shouldn’t be pleasant to listen to, but Yang Pyo liked it. The snoring sound made him feel that someone was beside him.
But today’s sudden short-term roommate was too quiet, even too quiet.
He glanced toward the bed from time to time, but could only see blankets bunched up at the foot. This corner on the opposite side of the bed head had too limited a view.
Yang Pyo gradually shifted his chair closer to the bed.
He still couldn’t see well, and couldn’t hear breathing either. Frustrated, he dragged his chair and positioned himself right in front of Gyeon Gang-hyeon’s face.
‘Now it feels like I’m with someone.’
He flicked his finger on the screen to hit the golf ball.
The ball flying over the green grass seemed to gradually become blurry.
The more he swung, somehow instead of getting closer to the hole, it only went to strange places. He made mistakes without realizing it. He hit without looking at wind direction or ground contours…
Then he suddenly snapped awake.
‘Did I just sleep?’
Yang Pyo realized he had just dozed off. He couldn’t believe it. So easily…?
It wasn’t a misunderstanding due to wishful thinking about wanting to sleep—it was real. A pleasant drowsiness pressed down on his eyelids. He had struggled so desperately but sleep wouldn’t come, so why now?
The only thing that had changed was the person beside him.
‘Because of that fucking bastard Kim Sang-ju, and now meeting one different person… I’m really pathetic and pitiful.’
Gyeon Gang-hyeon, who had only felt awkward because it had been so long. Surprisingly, that same Gyeon Gang-hyeon was as comfortable as Kim Sang-ju had been when he believed he was a friend.
While closing his eyes, not wanting the drowsiness he’d finally caught to fly away, Yang Pyo tried to deduce the reason.
Because even if I show an unseemly side, I believe that Gyeon Gang-hyeon hyung is more… than me, so it’s okay?
Is it because I don’t feel like putting on airs with this hyung?
“Uh… Gyeon Gang-hyeon hyung?”
Gyeon Gang-hyeon drowsily lifted his eyelids.
His eyes were narrow, drunk with sleep. In that state, he stared intently at Yang Pyo, but seemed unable to distinguish where he was.
Reluctantly, Yang Pyo introduced himself.
“I’m Yang Pyo. Do you remember?”
“…Ah.”
Why, what? Gyeon Gang-hyeon asked drowsily.
“I’m sleepy too.”
“…Really? That’s good.”
His voice, full of drowsiness, came out a beat late each time.
“Should I leave?”
“No. You seem to be sleeping already. I’ll just go to the sofa outside…”
But what if he was left alone and became wide awake again, with terrible scenes returning?
At the sudden assumption covering his mind, Yang Pyo stiffened. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say he’d go to the sofa—
The next moment, Gyeon Gang-hyeon, who could barely open his eyes, said something as if he had read Yang Pyo’s psychology.
“The bed’s big, why don’t you come up too?”
At dawn, Yang Pyo woke up once.
Even though he woke up, he felt like he could fall asleep again. He was grateful that he was still sleepy.
His vision returned enough to see his surroundings. Somehow, Yang Pyo was lying face-to-face with the person next to him.
Being stuck on the same bed with someone he wasn’t close to, and a man at that. While he thought it felt strange, he didn’t feel like he should pull away. If it had been a friend, he would have become wide awake and felt nauseous.
‘But this hyung seems kind of cold? Does he have low body temperature?’
Even though he was properly covered with blankets, the arm touching his fingertips was cold. Just leaving it alone made him somehow anxious…
Yang Pyo, whose reasoning wasn’t quite clear since he was half-asleep, realized that the other person was small enough to fit in his arms and simply embraced him.
‘This way he won’t catch a cold. If this hyung makes a fuss in the morning, I’ll say I don’t know because I did it while sleeping.’
Due to Yang Pyo’s body temperature, the other person gradually warmed up too.
By the way, he’s really thin. I can feel his bones. Hardly any muscle. But continuing to touch him feels strange… even though we’re both men, why does it feel strange…? His thoughts became muddled here and there before Yang Pyo soon fell fast asleep.
Though Yang Pyo doesn’t know the inside story, Gyeon Gang-hyeon’s night sweats aren’t a symptom that improves by warming up his surroundings.
Nevertheless, his body temperature gave stability to the other person. Gyeon Gang-hyeon didn’t push him away in his sleep.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
