Ch.114Victory Report 6

“Phew… Let’s calm down.”

First, I need to manage Misha since I don’t know when she might go berserk again after being drugged.

I’ll leave this to Jeoksa, who will soon head to Ilshim.

And Anna’s been giving me these strangely seductive looks since earlier.

She clearly wants to do that again…

“Hey, you two…”

At my words, both of them stopped fighting simultaneously.

And they stared down at me intently.

“Um, you know. I’m going to sleep at my own place tonight.”

“What if Councilman Park comes looking for you?”

Jeoksa looked down at me with serious eyes.

Anna did the same.

They both wore worried expressions, like I was a pet being left home alone.

Uncomfortable with that treatment, I placed my hands on my hips.

And spoke firmly.

“First, Anna. I need you to find information about Councilman Park. So I can remove my stigma.”

“And Jeoksa, please take Misha to the hospital and get her admitted.”

I pointed at each of them with my finger as I spoke.

Both of them frowned, clearly displeased.

“Then, what about you?”

“Even if something happens to me, Jisu will be enough.”

I pointed at my sister with my thumb.

Immediately, both rankers’ cold gazes turned toward her.

Feeling uncomfortable under their stares, she averted her eyes.

“Why her of all people?”

“Yeah. She’s weak.”

Jisu flinched at this barrage of factual attacks, as if her heart was wounded.

It’s not that my sister is weak, it’s that you two are abnormally strong…

Haah.

I sighed deeply and briefly explained my reasoning.

“Jisu doesn’t have a place to stay right now.”

“And even if something happens to me, she’s perfectly capable of subduing me.”

I explained as calmly as possible.

But the two rankers’ gazes remained cold.

Jeoksa was the first to speak.

She glared at Jisu with her characteristically chilling eyes.

“No place to stay…?”

“Then, I’ll give her one.”

Jeoksa pulled out a golden card key from her inner pocket.

Seocho Penthouse…?

One of the few decent luxury apartments left in Seoul.

My eyes were naturally drawn to the elegant golden card that matched my sister’s pupils.

Even my fox-like eyes.

“I’ll stay with Siho, so you can live there. Forever.”

Then Anna stepped forward as well.

She took out the black card she had used to buy the Porsche.

And tried to hand it directly to Jisu.

“Buy a house with this.”

No…

What’s wrong with these two, seriously?

“It’s okay. In a way, Siho got hurt because of me… I can’t accept more help like this.”

As expected of my sister.

She’s too kind…

It’s like throwing away both the golden and silver axes.

I stepped forward to help her.

“You heard her? She feels burdened. It’s not forever, just temporary.”

“Then how about joining our territory?”

Jeoksa persisted with her suggestion.

Ilshim’s territory…?

Does she mean the luxury apartment complex near the headquarters?

That place would certainly be safer security-wise.

Even Councilman Park wouldn’t dare mess with Ilshim.

In the end, I had no choice but to nod at her words.

It would be much better than staying home alone like an idiot and risking losing my last ability.

Since I don’t want to get involved with the Association again anyway,

it might be better to join Ilshim as Jeoksa suggested.

Vice President Nahyun also seemed to like me, so…

It should be fine.

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

When I smiled, Jeoksa seemed satisfied and brushed her chest in relief.

She gently stroked my disheveled hair.

“Really… stop making me worry.”

Her red eyes looked down at me softly.

Those eyes that had always seemed frightening now felt warm.

But soon her eyes filled with killing intent again.

The moment she looked at Jisu standing beside me.

She reverted from a kind woman to an organizational executive.

She beckoned to Jisu with a commanding gesture.

My sister approached Jeoksa awkwardly, like a new employee.

Surrounded by Anna and Jeoksa, my sister.

The two rankers crossed their arms and whispered to the barely B-rank hunter.

“If you lay a finger on Siho, you’ll end up in a drum. Got it?”

“Y-yes, I understand…”

She waved her hands defensively with her palms together.

Her hair stood up like antennae in surprise.

Maybe it’s because of my fox ears.

My hearing has become so good that I can clearly hear their threatening whispers.

Please, guys, stop embarrassing me…

I covered my face with both hands.

Jeoksa, in her suit, tossed her black hair.

Then she gracefully got into the Genesis.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, she rested her arm on the window frame.

Before leaving, she called out to me one last time.

“Siho.”

I approached her smoothly.

Jeoksa raised her finger with a somewhat shy expression.

Her finger pointed to her cheek.

“Ah…”

You’re asking for this now, of all times?

How mischievous.

I carefully looked around.

Then quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“See you later. I’ll definitely come visit after work.”

She whispered in a girlish, feminine voice.

“Okay…”

Jeoksa was about to take the wheel.

But she hesitated for a moment, as if she had something else to say.

“And I’m sorry.”

“Huh…?”

“This is entirely my fault…”

It was Jeoksa who had given me the recommendation letter for the Association.

She felt guilty, as if all of this was her fault.

I smiled calmly at her.

And leaned close to the car, reaching out my hand.

“Is that what you’ve been worried about?”

I hugged her with my slender arms.

I could clearly feel her warm breath.

“It’s okay. Thanks to you, I was able to meet a precious connection again.”

After a brief hug, Jeoksa finally took the wheel.

She drove away from Moment Bar wearing sunglasses.

She had returned to being an executive of Ilshim.

When the sound of the Genesis completely faded, Anna approached me.

She mumbled indifferently, avoiding my gaze.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay.”

I smiled with my hands behind my back.

But no matter how long I waited, she showed no sign of leaving.

As if she wanted something before departing.

Ah, could it be…

“Me too.”

Anna shyly pointed to her cheek.

I inwardly chuckled at the sight.

Since developing emotions, how should I put it…

Anna seems like a wolf who rarely expresses herself but secretly craves attention.

I naturally extended both arms.

Anna lowered her tall frame to meet my eye level.

I gently kissed her on the cheek.

“Thank you for saving me.”

Anna, awkward with praise, roughly tousled my hair.

My fox ears got tossed around in the process.

“See you later…”

Leaving me dumbfounded, she got into her Porsche.

Soon the sports car roared away toward the horizon.

Finally, the bar was quiet.

Only my sister and I remained.

“…”

Jisu stared at the departing Porsche.

She seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me, as if deliberately.

Well, after receiving such frightening threats, how could she look at me?

It’s a relief she didn’t run away immediately.

An awkward atmosphere.

I cleared my throat and asked her:

“Since you’re here, would you like to see our bar?”

“I suppose so.”

She fidgeted with her hair awkwardly.

I hurriedly led her into Moment.

It was still noon, so Senior Jiyuk hadn’t arrived for work yet.

The cocktail bar was completely dark.

After a long time, I turned on the lights.

The subtle scent of alcohol wafted through the air.

I missed all of this so much.

“Wow… I can’t believe I’m actually here…”

“You know about our bar?”

“Of course. It used to be called the holy ground for hunters.”

My sister’s eyes always sparkled when alcohol was mentioned.

Just like in the past, she’s still a heavy drinker.

“That’s an old name. It’s quite quiet now.”

Jisu took in the store with nostalgic eyes.

She sat at the counter and looked at the empty seat beside her.

Then she spun around in her chair listlessly.

“I always wanted to come here…”

I was about to enter the counter when I suddenly stopped.

Without looking at her, with my back still turned, I asked:

“With whom?”

My sudden question startled her.

Her flowing brown hair seemed to freeze.

I know I’m being rude.

But this is Moment.

The place where I was supposed to go with her.

And now I’m here with her.

Even if my appearance is different, I should be able to ask this much, right?

Soon she answered.

“With my colleagues.”

“Colleagues…”

I smirked and entered the counter.

I told her to wait a moment while I went to the staff room to change into my bartender uniform.

The animal ears stuck on my head felt awkward, but the bartender uniform still suited me well.

Black blazer with a white shirt.

Tight slacks clinging to my thighs.

My atmosphere had changed compared to when I was rescued earlier.

Jisu watched me blankly.

“You had a lot of questions, right?”

I spoke while standing elegantly at the counter.

Jisu looked at me with a serious expression.

“Yes… I had many things I wanted to ask.”

“Do you know Dohyun?”

She approached the counter and asked.

Her golden eyes flickered.

“Dohyun?”

“Yes. A low-rank healer, about 180cm tall… with black hair…”

I continued her description.

I coldly told her who Dohyun was.

“The pushover healer who was always intimidated.”

She would probably agree.

But her response was quite unexpected.

“Please take back the word ‘pushover.'”

“It broke my heart whenever he called himself that…”

The B-rank hunter fidgeted with the order form on the table.

I gazed down at her intently.

“I understand.”

“I knew. He always lagged behind others, but he tried his best to be helpful…”

“And then caused trouble, getting you and the others injured.”

As I kept interrupting her, she showed signs of displeasure.

But she seemed more upset about me disparaging Dohyun than about my interruptions.

“You’re being too harsh. He tried so hard…”

I responded to her pained expression with a bitter smile.

I polished an empty glass with a cloth.

“You’re right.”

“But the fruits of his efforts never reached…”

“The person he liked…”

I was being presumptuous.

My impertinent words made her golden eyes flash.

“What…?”

“What exactly is your relationship with Dohyun?”

“Do you know where he is?”

She started looking for Dohyun just like at the laboratory.

The sight made my heart ache.

“…”

I placed the polished glass in front of her.

And spoke calmly.

“Jisu.”

“…”

She raised her head at my call.

She looked exactly the same.

The same face from when we went on adventures together.

My eyes wavered at the sight of that missed face.

Not wanting to reveal it, I raised my cheekbones.

And forced a smile.

“I’ll make you a cocktail.”

“What…?”

I didn’t give any further answer.

I just filled the shaker with ice.

Into the cold shaker…

1 and 1/2 ounces of golden Galliano.

Half an ounce of refreshing orange juice.

Half an ounce of pineapple juice.

Half an ounce of vermilion orange curaçao, then shake.

Then top the glass with einspänner cream.

Finally, coat the rim with pineapple juice and sugar powder…

<Victory Toast>

Grade: ★☆ (Ordinary)

Effect: None.

Info: Moment Bar original cocktail. Only two people can make it now. A thank-you drink for hunters who protected the city.

I placed the completed glass on the table.

But the cocktail no longer shined.