Presence of an S-Rank Hunter (6)

“Hello?”

— Yes, hello, honey.

“…….”

— Hyung?

I didn’t know how to react to a joke like that. I was left speechless by such a classic, outdated pun. After calling my name a few more times, Kim Se-hyun asked if I had hung up.

“No, I didn’t hang up.”

— Thank goodness. I was surprised; I thought you hung up because you were embarrassed.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly embarrassed.”

It wasn’t embarrassment—I had simply lost my words. Because I missed the timing to correct him, I had to listen to his non-stop chatter.

— Wow, did you know you’re surprisingly bold, Hyung? …I like that even more.

“What’s going on at this hour?”

Though we had exchanged messages, this felt like the first time we were actually talking over the phone. I wondered if something was wrong and focused as he spoke.

— I heard an A-Rank dungeon was generated in Seoul! Hyung, are you hurt anywhere?

I thought he would have known already, but it seemed he had just found out. Thinking back on the messages from before, I realized I hadn’t answered yet.

“Yes. I’m fine. But Officer Han was injured.”

— …….

“The damage was severe this time. Many people were hurt, and there were fatalities.”

Because recent dungeons had caused minimal casualties, the wounds left by this one felt even deeper. The scale of the damage was truly significant.

— If I had been there, I would have stepped in so you wouldn’t have to worry, Hyung.

The silence was broken by Kim Se-hyun’s low, subdued voice. I shook my head at the heavy yet drooping tone.

“It was cleared safely, so it’s okay.”

Kim Se-hyun was away because of a schedule, not for any other reason. Even if there were another reason, the generated dungeon was the problem; there was no reason for him to be so dejected. But…

“…….”

Hearing him say he would have stepped in so I wouldn’t worry sent an inexplicable tickle through my body. Watching my toes and fingers wiggle restlessly, I curled them in embarrassment, even though no one was watching.

— Ha-neul Hyung.

“Yes, Se-hyun-ssi.”

— I’m coming back this week, and when I do, I’m going to take photos of you!

“Hmm.”

— You don’t believe me? I’m an amazing photographer. I’ll take the shot of a lifetime for you, carefully, one by one!

The Team Leader’s warning voice overlapped in my mind at the mention of the “shot of a lifetime.” Steadying my wavering heart, I told him I’d think about it. After some grumbling, Kim Se-hyun called out as if he remembered something.

“I’m listening.”

— You got the flower basket, right?

“Yes.”

— I sent it so you wouldn’t feel lonely. Call me on video chat whenever you miss me.

“Haha.”

— Wow, are you laughing by yourself because I’m not there? I’m calling you on video right now! I’m watching you through the messages, but I need to see you directly!

“Oh, you don’t have to go that far—”

Beep, beep.

The call ended before I could finish. I took the silent phone from my ear and immediately accepted the incoming video call.

“Ahem.”

I hadn’t noticed while just talking, but seeing his face made me feel strangely bashful. I covered my mouth and cleared my throat, then tilted my head at the silence on the other end.

“Se-hyun-ssi?”

— …….

I expected him to say something, but again, there was no reaction. I stared at Kim Se-hyun, who was just gazing into the camera, and called him once more.

“Se-hyun-ssi?”

— Hyung.

“Yes.”

— I should move up my schedule… Hah, should I just go right now?

Out of nowhere, he suggested coming back immediately. And it didn’t seem like empty talk. The background behind him shifted rapidly as if he had stood up, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. Soon, the surroundings became noisy.

— Hunter Kim Se-hyun, what’s with that luggage?

— I’m going to Korea.

— You still have a schedule left!

— Isn’t this enough? I’ve endured a lot.

I thought he was just moving rooms; I didn’t realize he was packing his bags. Panicked, I called out to him.

“Se-hyun-ssi!”

The camera, which had been pointing elsewhere, moved back to show his face. I saw him smiling brightly as our eyes met, but I snapped to my senses at his next words.

— Yes, Hyung! I miss you too.

I never said I missed him. He was speaking so naturally that I just repeated what I had overheard.

“…You’re coming back when you still have a schedule?”

— Yes, I have to go see you right away, Hyung!

— You cannot! There is a dinner schedule with the President of the British Hunter Association and the Prime Minister today!

“…That’s what they’re saying.”

If it were a light schedule, it might be different, but a dinner with the British Association President and the Prime Minister wasn’t something to be kicked aside for personal feelings.

— I don’t care if it’s the President or the Prime Minister, seeing you is more important!

— Hunter Kim Se-hyun!

— Hyung, don’t you miss me?

He was trying to throw away his schedule because he missed me; if I answered poorly, things would spiral out of control. I chose silence as an answer, and I watched in real-time as his bright face turned to shock.

— Hyung?

“…I think it’s better if you finish your schedule before coming. You said you could be back within the week anyway.”

If it were a personal matter, fine, but the other parties were the Association President and the Prime Minister. Flaking on a meeting with world leaders could return as a boomerang later.

— Not that! Hyung, do you really not miss me?

“Ummm.”

— Wow, Hyung, are you playing hard to get? Making my heart drop like that? Do I look like the kind of person who can be easily pushed or pulled? Well, I will be pushed or pulled if it’s you, though!

With heavy breathing, Kim Se-hyun brought his face even closer to the screen. I reflexively leaned back.

— Huff! Hyung, should I really come right now?

I felt a strange sense of kinship with the desperate voice coming through the rough breathing. But it was short-lived.

— Hunter Kim Se-hyun! If you flake this time too, it could turn into a diplomatic issue!

“…’This time’ too?”

The phrase suggested he had flaked before. Kim Se-hyun, of all people, flaking? I stared at him silently.

He avoided my gaze for a long time before finally looking me in the eye. Seeing his cautious demeanor, I heard a tentative call.

— Ha-neul Hyung.

“Yes.”

— Do you… perhaps… like people who, um, work hard and do their jobs well?

“Yes.”

I wasn’t the only one who preferred people who fulfilled their responsibilities. As I nodded, the man with the awkward smile began moving somewhere again. I watched him quietly.

— Wise decision! Then please rest well until today’s schedule, and I’ll come to get you later!

The camera panned back to show his face again. The background behind him was the same as when we started the call. Since the momentum to return to Korea had subsided, I asked if he was going to finish his schedule.

— Since you said you like it, I’ll endure it just this once.

“…….”

— I usually don’t, but I’m doing it for you.

Just minutes ago, he was acting timid, but now he was sending an intense gaze as if nothing had happened. My skin felt hot everywhere his gaze touched. Listening to my heart starting to race again, I nodded.

— Then Hyung, I’ll call again at this time tomorrow.

“Yes.”

— I’ll clear the schedule as fast as possible, so contact me whenever you miss me.

“I will.”

If I stayed silent here, the call would drag on, and a longer call might cause another issue with his schedule. After the video call ended with a “Goodnight,” I sank into the sofa.

“Haaa.”

I knew from the messages that he was abroad, but seeing it on video made it feel real. Thinking back on the mention of the British Prime Minister and the Association President, I got goosebumps.

I had seen glimpses of Kim Se-hyun’s prestige as an S-Rank hunter before, but it had never felt this realistic. Thinking about how he tried to flake on world leaders for a personal reason—and that he had a history of doing so without consequence—made my hair stand on end.

“The treatment of an S-Rank hunter really is different.”

It was well known that S-Rank hunters were so rare globally that countries went to great lengths to scout them. Right, that must be why no one said anything even when he flaked.

It felt strange to realize how incredible the man was—the same man who sent bomb-like messages and sat next to me taking non-stop photos. But that feeling didn’t last. I looked at the new message and let out a hollow laugh.

[Hyung, sleep well ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ Don’t forget to dream of me ₊·◟(⌯ˇ ɞ ˇ⌯)◜‧]

What would people think if they knew the S-Rank hunter everyone wanted to scout was sending texts like this? I checked the time, turned off the TV, and went to bed.

“…….”

I had been feeling uneasy after hearing from Choi Eun-jae, but talking to Kim Se-hyun made me feel quite refreshed. I rolled onto my side and surrendered to the oncoming sleep.

****************************************************************

Next: One Difficulty After Another

「Hunter Department Silent on Dungeon Damage: Conscious of Critical Public Opinion?」

“…….”

I didn’t expect them to write an article like this just because I didn’t answer a call two days ago. Reading the article written by Choi Eun-jae, I frowned at the end where it said they contacted the Hunter Department to verify facts but received no response.

If they had contacted the department officially, I wouldn’t be this annoyed. I was incredibly disappointed in Choi Eun-jae for writing such an article after only making personal contact. Looking at the article, the number of comments was substantial. I checked them immediately.

└ The statistics are on the City Hall website, so why bother? If you look at the personnel in each regional Hunter Department, it’s really tiny. It’s a miracle they’re even functioning with those numbers; let’s not pile more work on them.

└ Hey, do you think they had those numbers from the start?

└ Crying

└ You can bash other civil servants, but don’t touch the Hunter Department.

“…….”

Since the article was negative, I was worried about bad comments, but it was a relief. Most were on the side of the Hunter Department. While looking through them, I spotted an article on the right.

“I guess he did go.”

“What did you say?”

My muttering must have been loud enough for my neighbor to hear. In response to Officer Kim’s question, I told him about the new article on Kim Se-hyun, and we read it together as he pulled his chair closer.

“Looks like he went to the UK.”

“Yes.”

Reading the report about Kim Se-hyun attending the dinner with the UK Prime Minister and Association President, I felt relieved he made it, but then I blinked at the next words.

“Seeing as the Association President was there, it must be that.”

“What do you mean by ‘that’?”

“If the Prime Minister and the President both showed up, you have to assume it was a meeting to offer him something. Just like here, in other countries, the relationship between the Association President and the head of state isn’t exactly great.”

“Ah.”

I had thought about that yesterday. As I nodded in agreement, he scratched his brow. I blinked at his following words.

“In the past, I would have worried about that money-grubber being swayed, but I don’t know if I should say it’s a relief that we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“Tell me about it. It’s so reassuring to have such a reliable backer.”

“I thought foreign countries were quick with news, but I guess I was wrong. They don’t even know where to line up.”

At the mention of “lining up,” everyone looked at me. I waved my hands at the look that implied people should be lining up behind me, but they didn’t withdraw their meaningful gazes. Eventually, I weakly countered the claim.

“Even if I say something, Se-hyun-ssi won’t budge…”

Suddenly, the phone conversation with Kim Se-hyun from two days ago flashed through my mind. Recalling how he flipped his attitude as if he wanted to get on my good side, I shook my head.

“There’s no way.”

Even if Kim Se-hyun really wanted to impress me, the idea of people “lining up” behind me made no sense. Besides, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be swayed by money.

“…I’m starting to feel a bit bad for them.”

“Forget it, things are perfect right now.”

“Stop chatting and get to work! The Chick will be out tomorrow, so work twice as hard today!”

“Yes!”

The Team Leader gave a warning as if it were too noisy. Watching Officer Kim busily return to his seat, I closed the browser and continued writing documents related to cooperative funds.

“…….”

But only for a moment. My hands stopped as I recalled the earlier conversation and shook my head. Right, even if Kim Se-hyun flipped his attitude like a pancake while talking to me, there was no way the only reason for his decision was that he missed me.