episode_0004

They embraced each other for a moment.

【Adult】 Song Seong-yeon continued her barrage of questions.

– Were you a hunter?

– Why are you here?

– What have you been up to?

– Why are you looking at me like that?

– It’s me, remember how we used to play together!

– Could it be that you’ve forgotten about me?

– Would it really make me sad if you did forget?

The conversation mostly went like this, a story that could be shared with a friend after a long time apart.

Despite such familiarity, the situation felt awkwardly real, making it difficult to react due to her neutral appearance.

“Look over here! You remember my face, right? You’re not pretending not to know on purpose, are you?”

“Hey, Guild Master.”

“Why call me? Talking business? Let’s do that later! I’m going to have a drink with her now, so you guys just have fun together~!”

“That’s not it.”

“Why?”

The intense atmosphere around them made everyone alert.

My blatantly puzzled expression. Awkward-looking guild members. And a guild member trembling from the effects of alcohol.

Only then, as the story explaining our reunion was interrupted, Seong-yeon’s expression turned as sharp as a knife.

“─You damn bastard!!!”

“I’m sorry!”

“No matter how drunk you are, there are things you say and things you don’t! Are you out of your mind? Want to leave the guild!?”

“It was the alcohol! I’m truly sorry!”

“Alcohol my foot, do you think it’s okay to see one of our hunters as trash for a day or two? What if you said that to our people! Even to the benefactor who brought us the body, do you think you can act all high and mighty? You’re just like a fox borrowing the tiger’s might! Shameful bastard no matter where you go! And you call yourself a person!?”

Smack!

“Argh!”

“Can you make such remarks even in front of dead parents!? This person brought the body, but you don’t know if they killed! This person could have stolen the son’s belongings! Can you shout without evidence in front of parents who have lost a child!!”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“What do you mean ‘no’! You’re hopeless. Don’t show your face in the guild hall until I say so. Behave! Understand me!?”

“I understand. I’m truly, truly sorry! It was the alcohol…”

“No more excuses! You look pathetic, so get out right now!!”

Thud!

“Ugh-!”

As he turned away, the hunter’s buttocks were kicked.

Although I was the one angry, I felt relieved just now.

“Sorry. But please don’t misunderstand. Our guild isn’t like this. Seems like everyone got carried away because of the drinking.”

“I see.”

“‘I see’? We’re close. You can just speak casually.”

Giggle.

While poking my chest with her elbow, she chuckled softly.

“…But you’re still a respectable Guild Master.”

“Oh, come on. You’re really funny.”

Her smile seemed forced.

Due to the awkwardness of our long-awaited reunion, words didn’t flow easily. Sensing my feelings, Seong-yeon waved her hand around and shouted to those nearby.

“I’ll handle this story myself, so you guys continue what you were doing. I’m going to have a drink with my childhood friend after a long time, so tell the Vice Guild Master not to look for me.”

“Understood. I… I apologize for causing trouble.”

“I could have stopped it sooner, but a few fools decided to join in…”

“What, it’s my fault for not managing the guild properly. More importantly, Seres will be angrier than me, so be prepared. I’m telling you in advance, I won’t stop her.”

“Uh… ”

With a sly smile and a threat, she made the guild members look crestfallen.

The festive atmosphere suddenly shifted to that of a funeral parlor.

“Seres?”

“She’s our Vice Guild Master. Ranked 12th with a unique name. Very famous, you know?”

It sounded familiar somewhere.

The ranking is vaguely remembered, but the concept of beauty is still there.

“Follow me. Let’s go grab a drink.”

Firmly.

He smiled as he made a motion to pour the drink with his hand.

I’m fine, but…

“What about work? I saw journalists sneaking in through the back door; are you busy?”

“They came to film a documentary related to hunters, so just let them be. We cleared our schedules today to have fun with our folks. That’s why it worked out well, right? Seeing you again at this timing, I must be lucky after all.”

Hehe!

Laughing like a mischievous child, he patted and nudged my shoulder.

“Whoosh!”

He’s strong. Despite his slender arms, he’s truly a top-tier hunter.

Seongyeon clung to my right arm to prevent me from escaping, and her subtly feminine side made me feel strange.

‘What on earth is going on here.’

I still couldn’t grasp what had just happened.

I picked up a body of a famous guild member, only to find out that the guild leader there was actually my childhood friend?

Damn it. Even without plausibility, there should be some limits.

No wonder I felt like I was dreaming of the past today. Did I see the future or something?

If that’s the case, give me a skill to see the future.

“Why are you acting so awkward? It’s been a while since we met, but if you act like this, it’s just awkward for me. Smile a bit more~!”

“It’s just awkward, that’s all. It’s been a long time since we last met.”

“Yeah. Sorry for not keeping in touch. It’s been how many years?”

“We parted ways in elementary school, so it’s almost 19 years?? Wow, that’s a long time. Right?”

19 years.

Too long.

Even middle schoolers tend to forget things from their elementary school days quickly. I barely remember the name of the elementary school I attended, but does this person remember my face too?

“You noticed even though it’s been so long?”

“How many people do you think have a name like ‘Hong Chang-gi’ with full-body burns? Your name has a unique ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Is that so? I never thought about it that way.”

“Really? Since our parents occasionally talk about you, I couldn’t forget about you~!”

“That’s right! Whenever I mess up, they scold me with the same pattern: ‘If it weren’t for him back then, what would have happened to you? Your life belongs to someone else? Be careful!’”

I opened my eyes at the easily imaginable scene.

‘He never talked about you at all.’

Our parents never mentioned those events from back then.

The reason is obvious. They didn’t want to touch upon any painful aspects of their son. The burn scars engraved on my body were a badge of honor to me, but to my parents, it was a regrettable act.

If they had talked about it more often, could I have noticed this guy more…?

…Hmm.

“Why are you suddenly sighing? Oh right. Have you eaten? Do you like meat?”

“A hunter who doesn’t like meat… where can you find one?”

“Then let’s have a drink over there. Looks like there’s no one around, perfect, right?”

“I’m fine, but are you sure about this?”

“About what?”

“About this place.”

Seongyeon pointed to a barbecue restaurant.

Not just any barbecue joint, but a place where you can finish work and sit around plastic chairs, casually having a drink.

A true neighborhood barbecue spot.

“Why, you’re a Ranker.”

“What’s wrong with being a Ranker? Is there a reason why a Ranker shouldn’t visit a place like this?”

“Normally, wouldn’t you go to nicer places?”

“Haha, don’t say silly things. Do you know how troublesome it is to make reservations for such places? I do have social obligations, but I don’t always go. Look. My personality makes me uncomfortable in those settings~!”

Giggling, she showed off her outfit.

A light coat, jeans, and a small earring in her ear. No matter where you look, she’s just an ordinary person.

1st Floor residents aren’t armed like the hunters who often sport unique attire once they reach a certain rank. However, there’s none of that here. Just a natural smile and an arm linked with mine.

Why does this guy like linking arms so much?

“How’s it going? Even as we age, we’re just like before, right?”

A mischievous grin.

I doubted if he was really a man as I glanced at his chest multiple times, but there was no hint of excess weight.

“Was he always this clingy by nature?”

Linking arms with another man feels oddly comforting.

He may have been a troublemaker, but he wasn’t like this…

“Ma’am~! Two servings of pork belly here, please~! How much can you eat?”

“I usually have about 5 servings.”

Approximately 750g. I eat moderately.

“You’re big and still eat a lot! Alright, ma’am, give me 2 servings, making it 7 servings!”

-Yes! 7 servings of pork belly!

“Hehe.”

In contrast, Sungyeon was a gossip. Surprisingly active for someone who moves around a lot.

Among colleagues, there was a guy who could devour 15 servings alone on a tough day, making Sungyeon’s physique cost-effective.

Could that be a talent too?

“Hehe. It’s been a while since I had soju. Come on, pour quickly.”

“Hey, I’ll drink with you.”

“Ah, come on! Pour quickly! Am I going to hurt your hand?”

“You’re stubborn in strange places.”

Clank clank clank.

Clear liquor filling small glasses snugly in our palms. Sungyeon poured me a drink, so I reciprocated. Just this morning, I was planning to unwind with beer alone; having a drinking buddy now felt surreal.

“Cheers~!”

“Yes yes. Cheers.”

“Kanpai~!”

They clinked glasses enthusiastically and drank merrily.

─Crack!

He loudly smacked his thigh like an old man.

“Oof~! This soju is killer! It’s sweet, so sweet!”

“Why lie when you come here often?”

“Well, it’s true. I enjoy it, but Seres says it doesn’t suit my image, so she nags. That’s why on days off, I sneak out alone for a food tour. It’s a secret hobby.”

“Why does a guild master meddle in such things?”

“Well, from scheduling to external contacts, most people go through Seres. It makes guild operations easier, but it’s a bit annoying due to her demands.”

“Like a general manager?”

“Something like that. She’s pushy, but not a bad person.”

After a drink, we set the table for grilling meat and poured another round.

Just two drinks in, the buzz hit me. Meeting a friend made me feel so content, ready to dive into pleasant tipsiness.

“Gulp gulp! Ahh!”

“You drink heavily.”

It was perfect timing. Lost in the buzz, we casually chatted about recent events.

-So, the guild? You’re not the star today?

-Oh well, it’s not urgent. We’ll just raise our glasses again tomorrow.

-Is that okay? We need to adjust the schedule.

-It’s fine. Seres will probably stir up trouble again.

-Let’s head back now then.

-It’s okay for now. Today, they’d be angrier at them than me.

-Sorry for causing a scene.

-It’s alright. We were in the wrong. I should apologize.

-Not that, I feel like we caused trouble for that Seres person.

-She’s always upset, so it’s fine.

-Is she like that?

-A bit? Cool on the outside, fiery inside.

-Hmm.

First, the guild talk.

He brushed off my concerns and explained about Seres in detail before abruptly stopping.

“Why?”

“Let’s drop the guild and Seres talk. We didn’t come here for that kind of conversation. Let’s focus on the meat and fun instead.”

A reasonable request.

“Oh. Where should I start?”

“You must be curious about what I’ve been up to all this time, right? Ask me that first.”

“You’re such a narcissist. You already know everything about what you’ve been doing, even just this morning. Why would I be curious about that?”

“Oh! I see. That’s why it’s tough being a famous person~! I never thought I might have unintentionally exposed my private life to my childhood friend. When I debuted, I did wonder if you were watching me from somewhere, but I never imagined we’d end up as colleagues.”

“Who would say such a thing? Who would have known that a namesake ranker would turn out to be my childhood friend?”

“Hehehe. I guess I’m pretty good at this.”

“Tsk.”

With a mischievous smile, they clinked glasses again.

The smile remained, but a hint of bitterness crept in.

“But hey, didn’t you recognize me even after watching my videos? Why didn’t you come to meet me sooner? Our names are the same, couldn’t you have shown your face at least once?”

“It was 19 years ago, how could I remember? Even when you were standing right in front of me before you spoke today, I didn’t realize who you were, Jasha.”

“But our names were the same. Wasn’t there a ‘what if’ moment?”

“No, there wasn’t. Even if there were, what dignity would there be in meeting like that? What would we say? ‘Do you remember me, your old friend from 19 years ago?’ Approaching it like that?”

“Yeah. Then I would have recognized you right away, wouldn’t I?”

“Nonsense. How thick-skinned would one have to be for that to happen? Even if I did remember you, approaching like that would make me look like a parasite trying to leech off our past connection.”

“I highly doubt that. Who would see me as someone trying to take advantage of a lifelong benefactor like you?”

“Even if that’s what it looks like from the outside. Honestly, even this situation feels burdensome emotionally.”

“Hehe~! It’s awkward between us for something like that! We’re friends, right, no matter what others say?”

“Friends? We haven’t seen each other in so long, just exchanging pleasantries is fortunate enough.”

Another round of drinks.

As they chewed on the peppers that came out instead of the slightly burnt meat, their hand suddenly reached out.

“Yeah. We haven’t seen each other in a long time… But still, you know? Those memories from back then are still vivid for me. Whether it’s the past or now, I still like you.”

“What the hell-”

“I mean it. I like you. A lot.”

As they said this, they gently stroked my hand that was on the table.

…………

I didn’t expect to react a little to those words of affection.

“Damn it. You bastard. Move your hand, you jerk.”

“Hey, don’t call me a jerk! Isn’t unwavering friendship something wonderful!”

“Friendship? Why does the expression have to be like that? There are better ways to express it, you jerk.”

“Hehehe… Maybe I was nervous from not seeing you for so long. Isn’t it funny?”

“It’s funny, it gave me chills just now.”

“People can make mistakes in speaking, you know. Laugh it off.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

As they urged with a drink in hand, I accepted another drink and offered one back, then immediately drank it.

Seongyeon seemed to really enjoy soju, laughing loudly with a husky voice every time she took a sip.

“Speaking of calling me gay, Changgi, do you have a girlfriend?”

“No, I don’t. What girl would be interested in a loser like me?”

“Really? That’s surprising. I thought you grew up well and would have met a girl or two.”

“Not really.”

Who would like a guy with a burnt face like mine?

“And you? You’re quite famous now. There must be many people interested in you romantically. Were there no good people around you?”

“Not really~? Maybe I’m just not interested~!”

“Then why ask, you jerk?”

“We’re friends. I was just teasing you about being awkward. How about it, isn’t it nice for guys to talk about girls? Are you feeling more relaxed now? Don’t you still look like a heavenly ranker?”

“This isn’t some teenage drama, it’s about relationships. Ugh, forget it, idiot. I’m a fool for being nervous around you.”

“Hehehe~♪”

She laughed happily again.

What a ridiculous person.

The meat wasn’t even fully cooked yet, but he poured another glass and quickly emptied the bottle.

With some alcohol in our systems, thanks to his incessant chatter about women, I finally loosened up. Forgetting the tension I had been feeling until just now, we happily shared updates on our lives.