#49
Name: Han Shin-woo. Age: twenty-one. Shin-woo, who had awakened relatively later than the average age when others awakened, was always slow at everything. Even after awakening and jumping into the hunter world, he was slow at finding what he was good at and adapting to that world.
And when he first felt the joy of taming monsters, Shin-woo felt great exhilaration. Some hunters sneered, saying who goes down the path of a taming master these days and that it was outdated talk, but Shin-woo didn’t give up. Like a scholar walking a solitary path, he silently maintained his convictions.
The only one who extended a hand to such a Shin-woo was precisely this Nameless. As some hunters said, taming masters were indeed a disappearing trend these days and were frequently kicked out of guilds for not being of much help in combat. After all, even the hunter world had its trends. When he was wondering whether he should just work solo or enter even a small-scale guild, Nameless suddenly came with a scouting offer.
The truly deserving number 1 guild. The guild all hunters wanted to enter. Shin-woo entered there with joy as if in a dream, further developed his skills, and eventually grew into a taming master with no equal in South Korea.
But trials soon came to him even as he walked the path of success.
‘I’m to be the Guild Leader-nim’s executive secretary?’
‘Yeah.’
When Kang Won-hyeok suddenly called him to talk, what he brought up was a bit absurd. Suddenly telling him to be an executive secretary. Of course, it was a good position and proof that he was recognized, but the problem was…
‘The Guild Leader-nim…? Me…?’
The problem was that it was Cha Do-hyeok. Though he had entered this guild, one of the most incomprehensible things was precisely the Guild Leader. There were many modifiers describing him. The only S-rank, crazy bastard, rude bastard, etc. To be an executive secretary beside such an unknown person. He couldn’t be inclined to do it.
‘Shin-woo, you can’t refuse.’
‘Why?’
‘Cha Do-hyeok was the first one to suggest recruiting you to Nameless.’
With those words, Shin-woo immediately accepted to be an executive secretary. The person who had changed his life was precisely the Guild Leader. Then, executive secretary or whatever, he could even be a driver. So what if he was rude and crazy?
Though he started as an executive secretary with such spirit, Shin-woo immediately regretted it. Cha Do-hyeok seen from afar was rude, crazy, and so fourth-dimensional that his inner thoughts were incomprehensible, but Cha Do-hyeok seen up close was even more rude and even more crazy. And fourth-dimensional what? Shin-woo couldn’t understand at all what that person was thinking about while living.
It had been quite a while since he had decided to just accept it without trying to understand and only do what he was told. With that mindset, the secretary work was quite manageable. But now Han Shin-woo was facing another huge question in his secretary life.
“Excuse me…”
Shin-woo stood in front of Do-hyeok’s desk and carefully called him. To be precise, this was about the third time he was calling him.
“Excuse me… Guild Leader-nim.”
He had come in because there was something to report, but after Cha Do-hyeok told him to come in, he was now just staring intently at his phone like that. Cha Do-hyeok was strange and incomprehensible, but thinking that there were various people in the world made it somewhat okay. But lately, Cha Do-hyeok had become even stranger.
“Guild Leader-nim!”
“…Why are you shouting?”
Do-hyeok furrowed his brow and looked up. The words “because you don’t answer even when I call you” rose to the tip of his tongue.
“I’ve been in here since earlier because I have documents that need approval…”
What on earth was he doing on his phone? Cha Do-hyeok wouldn’t let go of his phone. Usually, he didn’t carry his phone around much, which had been frustrating more than once or twice. Shin-woo had thought that to Cha Do-hyeok, a phone was just a heavy stone, nothing more, nothing less.
But lately, there were many times when he would just stare at his phone like that, he would only look at his phone even during meetings, and when returning from dungeon raids, he would immediately look for his phone first. What, did he get caught up in stocks or something? Shin-woo had such trivial thoughts as he placed the documents on the desk.
“Then talk, why were you just standing there blankly?”
Do-hyeok put down his phone and picked up a ballpoint pen.
“I’ve been calling Guild Leader-nim continuously since earlier.”
“Talking back again.”
Do-hyeok carelessly scrawled his signature on the documents. Really, it was as arbitrary a signature as its owner. It was when he finished signing and slammed the document folder shut.
The phone beside him vibrated with a buzz. Then Cha Do-hyeok picked up the phone at the speed of light, at the speed Kang Won-hyeok would line up faster than anyone when udon came out in the guild cafeteria.
‘What, is he really doing stocks or something?’
Shin-woo glanced at him and picked up the documents.
“Shin-woo.”
“Yes… Yes?”
Did he see him secretly glancing? Shin-woo inadvertently let his voice crack.
“Is sending texts in some kind of code trendy these days?”
“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”
Then Do-hyeok showed his phone right in front of him instead of speaking. Shin-woo slightly frowned and read the text that appeared on the screen.
[Hey, something happened before I go to work so I’ll explain when I get there.]
But the actual text was: [야, 나 출근하기 전에 일이 좀 생겨ㅆ어ㅓㅅㅇ느ㅇ데 ㅇ일ㄴ당 가성ㅅ 설며ㅇㄹ 햊죽ㄹ게.]
As Do-hyeok said, the text on the screen really looked like some kind of code. But looking closely, it was just a text full of typos. No, who on earth sends such bizarre texts? Shin-woo glanced at the name displayed above.
[형 (Hyung)]
It was a simple single character. And there was currently only one person Cha Do-hyeok called by that name: Do Ha-seong.
“Uh, if I roughly decode it, it seems to say something like ‘something happened before going to work, so I’ll explain when I get there’?”
Shin-woo accurately read the worm-like text like a code breaker.
“You…”
“Yes.”
“You’re smart.”
Without lies or exaggeration, it was the first compliment he had ever heard from him. When Shin-woo was giggling and saying to leave such things to him anytime, feeling good for no reason, the phone rang once more. This time it was a call.
Do-hyeok wondered if it might be Ha-seong, but disappointingly, the name on the screen was Woo-bin.
“Don’t you have work? Why are you calling so much?”
– Sorry, but I don’t have time to deal with your attitude right now. Do you know another incident broke out?
An incident? Do-hyeok’s brow slightly furrowed.
“Explain.”
– A hunter was shot. He’s been taken to the hospital now and we can’t guarantee his survival. This morning, they openly fired a gun on a street with heavy foot traffic. Doesn’t something seem strange? The incident that happened before. It seems like an extension of that.
Strength naturally entered Do-hyeok’s hand. That bastard again. The one who killed the Myeongwol Guild member a few days ago.
– For now, an investigation team has been dispatched from the Management Bureau. I’m going out too. The place where the incident happened is also the item street with many hunters…
“Wait.”
One word deeply pierced Do-hyeok’s ears. Shin-woo seemed to sense this was no ordinary conversation and quietly tried to leave the room.
“Where did you say the incident happened?”
– Jongno 3-ga item street.
Ha-seong’s words about being late due to something happening. These two things strangely connected. Ha-seong had connections to the item street. The ‘We’ll Sell Anything’ store, Boss Kim. That was the only place Ha-seong had any personal connections.
“I’m hanging up for now.”
Do-hyeok immediately called Ha-seong. One ring, two rings… Only the dial tone continued long, and Ha-seong’s voice couldn’t be heard. Was he chasing that bastard? No, if so, he might have already subdued him. But why couldn’t he be contacted? Do-hyeok felt an anxiety of unknown origin.
“Han Shin-woo.”
“…Yes?”
Shin-woo, who had been quietly grabbing the door handle to leave, turned his head.
“Track Do Ha-seong’s phone location right now. As soon as you get the location, send it to me immediately.”
Do-hyeok quickly grabbed his outerwear.
“Uh, where are you going?”
“I’ll be away from my post. Know that.”
Do-hyeok sent a text to Ha-seong asking where he was, then quickly went down to the parking garage and started the engine. With loud exhaust sounds echoing through the parking garage, a car soon sped out. It was just past rush hour, but there were quite a few cars on the road. Do-hyeok had no choice but to drive through alleyways. Even if narrow, he planned to use shortcuts.
Do Ha-seong is strong and smart. He also has natural combat sense and originally has a strong personality that doesn’t let his guard down in any situation. There was no way something like him being defeated or hurt could happen.
But contrary to that thought, strength kept entering his hands gripping the steering wheel. It had been like this since before. He strangely had good intuition. When he had some premonition, most of the time it really came true exactly as predicted. Both good and bad things hit the mark without discrimination.
And Do-hyeok was now feeling an ominous premonition. Of course, despite having rational and objective evidence that Ha-seong was strong, that feeling strangely wouldn’t disappear.
Do-hyeok, who had exited the alleyway, quickly merged back onto the main road and drove. Do-hyeok, who covered a 20-minute distance in 10 minutes, parked his car carelessly and got out.
Already, the front was full of people’s murmuring sounds. Pushing through that crowd and casually ignoring the tape put up by the Management Bureau and police, Do-hyeok entered the street.
The street that had been lively with hunters and merchants was now filled only with numerous cars, police, Management Bureau staff, and Management Bureau-affiliated hunters. Even among them, Do-hyeok looked around to find just one person.
But he wasn’t there. Do-hyeok called again on his phone. Maybe. Ha-seong might answer the phone nonchalantly. He might hear a cheeky voice saying he couldn’t hear because he had his phone on silent.
– The customer is not answering the phone, so after the beep…
“Fuck.”
Do-hyeok ran his hand through his hair. Just in case, he checked the messenger, but the “1” indicator still hadn’t disappeared from his text asking where he was.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
