Ch.207Side Story 7

[“This morning, the Japanese government expressed gratitude to Korea for providing resources related to the S-rank gate and monster appearance in Japan.”]

[“However, some have expressed regret about the intervention through the portal without prior notification….”]

“Ah, those Japanese bastards. We help them and they still complain.”

“I know right! Are they trying to cover their asses in case our S-rank hunters got hurt?”

Citizens expressing their discontent while watching the news.

As Sujin Hyun passed by, she couldn’t help but think:

‘Is she becoming like Rina Lee?’

From Japan’s perspective, they must have remembered Rina Lee, who once half-destroyed a Chinese coastal city.

Seojin Baek must have known this too, yet he went without giving any notice.

Thinking about it, the saying that couples start to resemble each other definitely has some truth to it.

‘Why did you suddenly do that, Seojin Baek? I understand the desire to help people in crisis, but… you should have assessed the situation before acting.’

If Seojin Baek had heard this, he would have denied it and felt embarrassed.

Unfortunately, only Sujin Hyun was present here.

Currently, she had entered the city after almost all pursuit of her had ceased.

They say if you want to hide a tree, plant it in a forest; if you want to hide a person, place them among people.

No one seemed to imagine she would be living so openly.

“Hahaha!”

“So I said at that time….”

Not everyone passing by was like this.

But her eyes were drawn first to those who were laughing and chatting happily.

The world is still harsh, and it’s getting increasingly difficult.

But there are those who fight to protect those smiles and happiness.

The world calls them superpower users, or heroes.

Sujin Hyun was once among them. She considered it her duty.

But after losing hope because of that incident, her place was taken by anger.

And now, after venting all that anger, only burnt ashes remain.

‘If nothing had happened to you, would we be living like that too?’

Briefly imagining a meaningless “what if” scenario,

She was just about to head to her room when—

Flinch!—

Her body reacted instinctively, and she felt a tingling pressure on her skin.

Slowly raising her head, Sujin Hyun looked at the building where her room was located.

“…”

There was no mistake. This energy coming from that building, specifically from her room.

Someone had noticed her. They were watching perfectly, scanning thoroughly.

If she made even the slightest suspicious move, they would surely chase after her.

‘Yet they’re staying put for now, which means….’

Hard to believe, but the other party wanted to talk.

That woman who always rushed at her as if to kill her on sight.

Sujin Hyun realized that fleeing would be of no help in this situation.

She thought it would be better to just confront them head-on.

She had already finished what she needed to do, so there wasn’t much to regret even if she died.

‘Ah. If I had known this would happen, I should have gotten some snacks first.’

The only thing bothering her was feeling slightly hungry, nothing more, nothing less.

As Sujin Hyun grabbed the doorknob and entered the room—

“Not running away?”

Leaning against the wall was a blonde, blue-eyed beauty looking at her.

The Yellow Madwoman, Rina Lee, greeted the room’s owner with a smile.

“I even subtly leaked my energy to let you know you could run if you wanted.”

In response to Rina’s words, Sujin Hyun let out a “ha,” showing her disbelief.

“If I ran, would you really let me go?”

Wasn’t this the same Rina who would rush at her on sight?

She had only managed to escape because she moved one step faster.

Or because Seojin Baek happened to be there, diverting Rina’s attention.

“Well, if you want to run, I’ll let you go.”

However, Rina’s next answer was truly shocking.

This was Rina, who would chase with burning eyes once she spotted someone.

This crazy woman who never let any villain go once she caught them.

For Sujin Hyun, it was hard to accept her blatant offer to let her go.

“…Are you playing with me right now?”

“Of course not. I’m not that idle. Even now, the Association is urging me to come back quickly.”

Rina showed her phone as if to prove it.

Indeed, there were continuous messages saying “Return requested.”

“You’ve been staying here? Everyone thought you were dead. Who would have thought that shadow would be in the middle of a city where normal people live, not in some dark place.”

“They say the darkest place is under the lamp.”

After briefly staring at Rina, Sujin Hyun casually asked:

“How did you find out?”

“About what? That you’re here? Or that you’re alive?”

“Both.”

“Let’s call it luck.”

Sujin Hyun narrowed her eyes and looked at her.

No matter how lucky she was, finding someone who was deliberately hiding didn’t make sense.

“Ah, don’t even bring up Seojin oppa. If you say something like ‘Did Seojin oppa tell you?’ I might just grab you and beat you up.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“That’s why I’m telling you not to.”

Nodding at those words, Sujin Hyun suddenly parted her lips as if something had occurred to her.

“Wait. How did you know that Seojin Baek and I had contact?”

“Because Seojin oppa was the one who most strongly claimed you were dead. And he also had the most connection with the Elder. Plus, it was suspicious that he kept bringing high-level information about Elders and villains recently.”

“You’re saying it was information that couldn’t have been obtained without an insider, right?”

Rina nodded at Sujin Hyun’s words.

Indeed, even though she’s crazy, she’s quite perceptive, Sujin muttered.

Heading to the kitchen, Sujin Hyun quickly made a cup of coffee and handed it to Rina.

“So, why did you come here?”

“Just curious about how you’re living. You were a hero, then a traitor, and now you’re living as a shadow.”

“How do I look?”

Pondering the question for a moment, Rina smiled.

“You look good. Good enough that I want to capture you and take you away right now.”

“You could do that. Capture me right now.”

“That’s true, but I don’t know why Seojin oppa let you go, but he must have had his reasons.”

Seojin this, Seojin that. She’s completely devoted to Seojin Baek.

Who would have thought that the crazy yellow woman would be so attached to one man?

Thinking this, Sujin Hyun suddenly let out a short laugh.

“What? Why are you laughing by yourself? It’s creepy.”

“Sorry. I suddenly felt self-deprecating.”

Come to think of it, hadn’t she also come this far for that man?

She wasn’t in a position to say anything about Rina. At least, that’s how she felt.

“I should get going now.”

“Are you really leaving so peacefully?”

“I told you. I just came to see if you were living well. If you don’t cause any more trouble here, I’ll pretend I don’t know about you. That’s what I came all the way here to say.”

“…”

“Ah, I didn’t break the door, right? Seojin oppa really scolded me about that. He said doors aren’t meant to be broken, but to be opened and entered through. Oppa is so serious about strange things.”

That’s not Seojin Baek being serious, it’s you being crazy.

Those words rose to the tip of Sujin Hyun’s throat, but she managed to hold them back.

She didn’t want to provoke the crazy woman who was willing to let her go peacefully.

“Take care.”

“…At this point, I’m wondering if I’m dreaming.”

She was saying this sincerely, not as a joke.

Rina Lee saying “take care”?

“Die well!” would have been more understandable.

“As long as you don’t do anything strange, I won’t chase after you.”

With those final words, Rina passed by Sujin Hyun, opened the door, and went outside.

Without breaking the wall or damaging the door—a truly normal movement.

Sujin Hyun, still in disbelief, approached the window after Rina left.

She wondered if that Rina might have been someone in disguise.

But Rina was Rina. The energy she emitted was unmistakably hers.

“…”

After standing blankly by the window for a while, Sujin Hyun turned around.

She went to a notebook carefully placed in one corner of the room and opened it.

Inside were a few photos.

The smiling person in those photos was her fiancé, the person she loved most.

It was the happiest period of her entire life.

Although it was a moment that could never return,

Even if she would be a fool reminiscing about memories until she died,

That was enough for Sujin Hyun.

“You know what, honey? That Baek-140 who’s supposed to be your brother. I thought he was just a skilled guy, but it seems he’s more than that.”

With a voice still filled with disbelief, Sujin Hyun smiled.

“My goodness. He turned that crazy yellow woman into that. You seem to have had a more amazing brother than I thought. If you two had met, it would have been nice, right?”

Words that would never reach him now, yet she continued to convey them endlessly.

Hoping to never forget, even if only like this.

Looking at the smiling man in the photo, Sujin Hyun smiled along with him.