Chapter 917: Side Story – Always on Your Side (2)

After crossing the rough path no one travels, we, Hye-eun and I, had somehow reached the mountain summit.

I was waiting for her answer regarding how Hye-eun would accept our relationship, which would soon involve intimacy with increasingly more women.

‘When I first told you, Taekyung, that I was going to become a Hunter, do you remember?’

‘…I think it was when we were elementary school students.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Thankfully, Hye-eun nodded in affirmation, as if confirming my memory was correct.

‘Then, do you know the reason why I decided to become a Hunter?’

‘It was because I said I was going to become a Hunter. When you, Hye-eun, asked me what my dream was, and I said I’d become a Hunter, you said you wanted to do it too.’

‘…You remembered. I thought you would have forgotten everything since they were stories from so long ago.’

Well… memories from elementary school were a time when so many things happened to me.

Eunyoung Noona, who had retired as an active Hunter, moved in next door with Hye-eun, and Hye-eun and I, who were similar in age, became fast friends.

…And the tragedy in Chuncheon City, and how I came to harbor the dream of becoming a Hunter. The memories from that time, even after more than ten years, remained vivid in my mind.

‘Actually, I knew from back then. Men don’t have awakened abilities, so even if you aimed to be a Hunter, you couldn’t become the kind of Hunter who protects others, like you said.’

‘…Yes. Your father was also a male Hunter, so you would know.’

‘Yes. That’s why I decided to become a Hunter. After all, Taekyung, even if I opposed it, you seemed like you would never give up your insistence on becoming a Hunter. If that was the case, I’d rather become a Hunter myself and fulfill your dream for you.’

“…….”

‘But now… there’s no need for that anymore. You’re much stronger than me now. And although it’s small, you’re already the guild leader of a guild.’

‘…That’s right.’

Even just two years ago, could I have ever imagined reaching such a high position? I wonder.

At that time, I was frustrated and despairing at the reality that men couldn’t obtain awakened abilities, so I probably couldn’t even dream of such a future.

‘In the end, the person who made me this way is probably Hye-eun, playing the biggest role.’

On the day I first gained my awakened ability, if Hye-eun hadn’t happened to visit my house, it would have taken quite a long time for me to visit the Hunter Guild for the first time.

Perhaps, unlike the current days where I’m intimate with the women I desire, I might have been living a life like a male prostitute, just getting fucked if they gave me a lot of points.

Because of Hye-eun’s deep affection, who was always ready for her first time with me, I gained the courage to take my first step towards the Hunter Guild, and thanks to that, I was able to connect with Cha Yuri and Sihee without delay.

If, on that day, at the Hunters’ Autonomous Union, I hadn’t waited to form relationships with other Hunters.

If my promotion to a C-class Hunter had been delayed, and my first expedition to the abandoned village was postponed even by a day.

I wouldn’t have saved Cha Yuri, nor Sihee, and would likely be living without even knowing of their existence.

‘The connections that started and linked from there would also have gone unmet.’

The connections with Eunyoung Noona and Cheon Jihee, stemming from Hye-eun; the connections with Min-ah and President Seo Ok-hee, stemming from Cha Yuri; and the connections with Eunbyul and Do Yehee, stemming from Sihee-all of them were almost lost.

Looking at it this way, it seems like the majority of my Hunter life was essentially created by Hye-eun.

‘Taekyung-ah.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Just in case you forgot, I’m telling you again, I’ve always been on your side from the very beginning.’

“…….”

‘And I will continue to be. Forever and always. If there’s anything you need to achieve your dream, I’ll help you as much as possible going forward. I decided to do so from the start.’

‘…Okay, Hye-eun-ah.’

‘A-and it’s not like I hate it either! Thinking about you, Tae-Taekyung, being intimate with other women…. I kinda feel strangely excited….’

‘Huh?’

‘W-well, isn’t that true? After all, Taekyung will soon become a man of charm that any female Hunter would want to be held by, so by then, having been the first person Taekyung, a man of charm like that, to have his first experience with, will be a point of pride for me…. Right?’

‘…Yeah, I guess that’s one way to think about it.’

Come to think of it, Hye-eun also had a voyeuristic fetish.

Of course, she couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied about losing personal time with me, but it also meant that Hye-eun wasn’t entirely displeased about me having more women.

The principle behind Hye-eun’s voyeuristic fetish was derived from the sense of superiority she felt from discovering my worth first and being intimate with me first.

The more love I received from many female Hunters, the more Hye-eun’s sense of superiority in her heart was also fulfilled… It was a fetish with such a peculiar structure.

‘Thank you, Hye-eun-ah. I’m glad you said that.’

‘…Yeah. I’m also grateful that you, Taekyung, spoke honestly. After all, if you thought you had to do it, it wouldn’t have mattered if you didn’t consult me, but you told me first like this.’

‘Of course, I had to tell you. I want to continue being together with you, Hye-eun, in the future.’

‘Continue being together…. Yeah, I hope I can continue being with Taekyung too….’

I don’t know how many years or decades it will be, but probably, no matter how much time passes, Hye-eun will stay by my side.

Her answer just moments ago made me certain.

‘If it were up to me, I’d even file for marriage to show you my feelings.’

No matter what, I couldn’t register only Hye-eun as my wife on the family registry. While it’s true that Hye-eun is precious to me, I couldn’t just ignore the other women and give her special treatment solely based on that.

However, to Hye-eun, who promised to stay with me forever despite this, I wanted to repay her somehow.

Preferably, in a way that could definitively prove my love to her.

‘T-Taekyung-ah.’

‘Yeah?’

‘You… don’t plan on breaking up with the others besides me, right?’

‘…Yeah. That is, as long as it’s like with you, Hye-eun, when the other party permits it.’

‘I think Yuri-ssi and Min-ah would probably permit it…. but I’m not so sure about Jihee-ssi yet….’

Well. That remains to be seen.

Both Cha Yuri and Min-ah have a high level of affection for me, comparable to Hye-eun, but whether they can be satisfied with the position of ‘one among many women loved by me’ is another matter. Still, the selfish desire to be with them all forever if possible remained. I would have to keep working hard to achieve this.

And Hye-eun, who had suddenly reminded me of complex worries with her unexpected words, was now murmuring something with a suddenly serious voice.

‘Filing for marriage would probably be burdensome for you too, Taekyung…. S-so, at least….’

‘Hye-eun-ah?’

‘Ah, uh-huh! T-Taekyung-ah! W-well, maybe…. I-if it’s an inconvenient request, you can refuse, but….’

‘Yeah?’

‘T-today is… a dangerous day for me….’

‘…A dangerous day?’

‘I-it’s the start of ovulation, so, yeah….’

…Ah.

When she said ‘dangerous day,’ I didn’t understand for a moment. Usually, we only had sex calculated based on safe days, not dangerous ones.

Even then, from the day I gained the ability to control my sperm concentration, I stopped worrying about it altogether.

‘It’s okay. I can decide whether or not you get pregnant. My awakened ability allows me to properly control that aspect, so if you’re worried about getting pregnant, you don’t need to worry.’

‘I-it’s not that….’

‘Huh?’

‘I-I… want Taekyung’s child…. I feel like I want one, that’s why….’

…Ah.

I never expected Hye-eun herself to make such a proposal first.

‘A-actually, I scheduled today’s date to coincide with my ovulation period. I figured it was about time I asked you, Taekyung, if I could have a child….’

‘…So that’s why.’

‘If it’s a child born between Tae-Taekyung and me, it would be proof that I loved you first…. I at least wanted that proof….’

‘Right….

It would certainly be proof. A child born between two people can only be made if one truly intends to spend a lifetime with the other. Couples with children have a lower divorce rate compared to those without, so I’ve heard, which was also good news for me.

‘I-I’ll take responsibility and raise the child! You’re a guild leader, Taekyung, so you won’t have time to look after the child! So you don’t need to feel too burdened, but….’

“…….”

‘I-it’s okay if this doesn’t happen either…. It’s not like I’ll hate you, Taekyung, just because you refuse, so….’

…Refuse? That’s absurd.

If anything, I felt like I should have been the one to suggest this to Hye-eun. Now that I was a guild leader and Hye-eun and I had reached the highest level as Hunters, there was no need to further postpone leaving a token of our love. And if a child were born between us, I would probably feel even more reassured than I do now. Since our relationship couldn’t be bound by marriage, nothing was more certain to connect Hye-eun and me than a token of love born between us.

‘Okay, Hye-eun-ah. Let’s have a child.’

‘…R-really? Are you really going to do it?!’

‘Actually, I was the one who wanted to say it. Until now, I was putting it off because I thought it might burden you, Hye-eun, and interfere with your Hunter life… but now, I don’t think there’s any need to postpone it any further.’

‘T-thank you, Taekyung-ah!’

With teary eyes, Hye-eun hugged me tightly with all her might. I also wrapped my arms tightly around her and whispered into my childhood friend’s ear.

‘I’ll take responsibility today and make sure you get pregnant. So don’t expect to get any sleep tonight, Kang Hye-eun.’

‘U-uh-huh….’

It was a voice filled with slight tension and an oddly cute nod.