episode_0362

The Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division.

A “secret department” that doesn’t appear on the Hunter Association’s organizational chart—one that would only cause problems if others found out about it.

A secret department with a long, hard-to-pronounce name.

A tragic department so obscure that no one outside those involved even knows it exists, leaving no one to bother coming up with an abbreviation.

Its duties are simple.

To secretly protect and monitor hunters possessing rare “skills” designated by the Association.

“The rare hunter our Team 4 managed… went by the alias Baekrin (White Phosphorus)… A skill that lowers the ‘ignition point’ of any object she looks at…”

Things too powerful to be called mere personal “skills.”

Things that could become either calamities or weapons, depending on how they’re used.

And so, if a “rare hunter” under protection were to step outside the Association’s fence—

If they risk being naturalized abroad or swayed by a major guild—

Or if they’ve outlived their usefulness—

A “termination order” may be issued under the division director’s judgment.

Because they’re dangerous.

They say it’s only natural for a nation to protect and manage its talents… but I don’t really get it.

“Yang So-ah. Handle Team 1.”

“Ah… why…”

“That monster Ban Harin plans to hand over her team’s ‘rare hunter’ to [Changcheon Swordmaster].”

Words Yang So-ah, an A-rank hunter, heard from her team leader a few days prior.

Yang So-ah, who had been scratching her jet-black ram horns against the wall like obsidian, blinked her drowsy eyes before flopping face-first onto the table.

Sleeping is good.

It’s comfortable.

“No… Ban Harin sunbae…… can’t beat her…”

“You could wipe out all of Team 1 if you wanted.”

“No… Can’t we just… talk…?”

Creak!

A sudden headache pierced her skull.

Frowning, Yang So-ah lifted her head and glared at her team leader.

Her half-lidded eyes, heavy with sleep, flushed red with irritation.

“………”

“It’s an order from the new division head. Eliminate Team 1 and take their ‘rare hunter’ for ourselves.”

“………Why?”

Creak.

Another headache.

The ‘team leader,’ one hand tucked in his pocket, grinned crookedly.

“………”

Was that a hint not to ask further?

Either way, she didn’t like it.

Fluff…

Cotton-candy-like fluffy pink hair.

Yang So-ah, stroking her own locks, slowly rose from her seat.

…….

…….

“Haaam… I just… wanna sleep and not do anything… but now they’re telling me to kill sunbae.”

“………Want to talk while walking for a bit?”

“Huh?… Uh… Will you die for me if I listen…?”

“Depends on what you say.”

And now.

5:10 PM.

After days of searching, Yang So-ah finally faced Ban Harin, trailing behind her with light steps while wobbling along like a fluffy cloud.

Her pink hair, draping down to her thighs, swayed like cotton candy.

“………”

Turning her back to me… Is she overestimating herself?

Or does she trust that I won’t attack her out in the open like this?

Yang So-ah pouted as she stared at the walking figure of ‘Ban Harin.’

Unlike someone’s team leader, the leader of Team 1 wasn’t cautious at all.

‘Finally found you… Where have you been hiding all this time…?’

Yang So-ah had spent days scouring Eunsun District under her leader’s orders.

Only now did she sense something off about ‘Ban Harin,’ who had finally revealed herself.

No matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find her.

Ban Harin’s studio showed no signs of life… Not even the other members of [Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division] Team 1 could be found, as if they had never existed in the first place.

The only one—

An A-rank hunter called ‘Mouse’—was apparently someone her team leader had tried but failed to kill.

“Having a tough time?”

“……!”

Startled!

Suddenly, ‘Ban Harin,’ walking ahead, tossed a question back at Yang So-ah.

Yang So-ah flinched and looked up at her.

‘Ban Harin,’ glancing over her shoulder, gave a lazy smile.

She always seemed like such a stiff, mechanical person… Who knew she could smile so prettily?

What made ‘Ban Harin’ smile like that?

She had no idea.

‘Just a little… Before I kill her, I want to talk just a little.’

Yang So-ah hurried her fluffy steps,

falling in stride beside ‘Ban Harin.’

“Work… always sucks… What about you, sunbae?”

“Me? I’m alrighㅇ… I’m fine.”

Just in case, she played the part of Ban Harin.

Two women walking side by side through Eunsun District.

Their destination: [Eunsun Park].

……Wait, is she planning to take a walk?

That demonic form of exercise?

Unease flickered in the eyes of Yang So-ah, a devout lover of naps.

“By the way, Miss Yang So-ah…”

Halt.

Then, ‘Ban Harin’ suddenly stopped in her tracks,

turning to gaze at the ‘fluffy pink sheep’ with sharp eyes.

Though her lips curved into a smile, her gaze was icy cold.

Yang So-ah, stopping awkwardly beside her, averted her eyes.

What’s this? Did she notice I hate walks?

Or is she planning to fight after all?

Going head-to-head with that monstrous woman would be dangerous.

Biting her lip, Yang So-ah quietly summoned mana.

“……Why?”

“Miss Yang So-ah, why do you call me ‘sunbae’?”

Luckily, it was just a trivial question.

But sweat beaded on ‘Ban Harin’s’ face as she asked,

as if she were risking danger just to probe for information.

So her emotions are surprisingly easy to read…

Yang So-ah’s brows twitched oddly, but she soon gave up on overthinking it and began kneading her fluffy locks impatiently.

“Ah…… Ban Harin sunbae… Forgot…”

“…….”

“A long time ago… I asked…… why a monster like you joined the [Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division]……”

Fluff… fluff…

She stopped walking, lost in memory.

Her jet-black ram horns scraped against a lamppost.

Perhaps overwhelmed by drowsiness, Yang So-ah’s words trailed off awkwardly, making them hard to follow—

but having spent time around enough oddballs with peculiar speech patterns in Eunsun, she managed to convey her meaning.

“Back then… sunbae said…… There’s someone… someone so precious to you… that you only remember their name…”

“…….”

“So… you made the Association find them…… so you could meet them… and protect them with your own hands…”

That’s why she started calling her ‘sunbae.’

Like she wanted to take her as a life mentor.

Yang So-ah peered up at ‘Ban Harin’ with sleepy eyes.

“………Is that so.”

A life mentor she hadn’t seen in ages.

She had turned into someone oddly soft and gentle.

Was it because she found that precious person?

Whoosh…

Was she embarrassed?

‘Ban Harin,’ turning her head away, absently stroked Yang So-ah’s fluffy hair.

The pillowy-soft locks sank under her touch before bouncing back.

Fluff… fluff…

Her touch was gentler than expected.

Like a mother tending to toddlers daily, her fingers carried a tender warmth.

Had she always been like this?

“……Sunbae.”

Yeah, Ban Harin had really softened up.

Just like everyone else.

A faint smile touched Yang So-ah’s lips.

Half-lidded eyes gazed at ‘Ban Harin.’

“Sunbae.”

“Hmm?”

“You. You’re a liar.”

Startled!

This time, ‘Ban Harin’s’ body flinched.

A liar?

Had she realized she wasn’t the real Ban Harin?

Gaha, wearing ‘Ban Harin’s’ face, looked down at Yang So-ah.

“Liar sunbae……”

“…….”

“You’re… so nice like this… I should’ve befriended you sooner……”

Luckily, it seemed she hadn’t noticed ‘Ban Harin’ was an impostor.

Or maybe she just didn’t care enough to think about it.

Yang So-ah’s lips curled into a sleepy pout.

With a languid voice, she took a step closer to ‘Ban Harin.’

Her fluffy hair brushed lightly against ‘Ban Harin’s’ hips.

‘…Maybe she’s not so bad after all?’

A woman as gentle as a docile sheep.

‘Ban Harin’—no, Gaha—sank into thought.

Since Yang So-ah had come to kill Ban Harin, she initially planned to lure her to [Eunsun Park].

Conveniently, the path there lined up with the approaching dusk.

A single chime of a clear bell would snap her out of it, she figured.

“Why are you trying to kill me? Do you have a grudge?”

“Ah…… Team leader… told me to…”

“No grudge—just following orders from your team leader to kill me.”

Nod…

But how should she handle this languid fluffball?

Maybe it was fine to hear her out a little.

‘If we can just talk, maybe she’ll become another acquaintance like Kim Yoo-hee.’

Who knows?

Or should she call Ban Harin, get her permission, and die in her stead?

Right now, she was Ban Harin.

“Sunbae…… Really… You feel like a different person…”

“Did we meet often before?”

“No…… Only… ran into you… 3 times…”

“We’re practically strangers then.”

Not a senior-junior relationship.

Not the real Ban Harin.

Either way, they vibed.

One step closer than before, the two headed toward [Eunsun Park].

…….

……Creak!

“Uggh…”

But then, a splitting headache seized Yang So-ah, making her clutch her skull and stumble forward.

Gaha, walking beside her, quickly caught her.

Fluff…

A pink fluffball cradled in her arms.

Did she have a chronic condition? Gaha quietly studied Yang So-ah, who held her head in pain.

“……Hm?”

Then she saw it.

Yang So-ah’s head—

Those obsidian-like, gleaming ram horns.

Creak…

Beneath the black metal horns, there were cleanly severed real horns.

As if her original horns had been forcibly cut off,

and metal replacements hammered into their place.

“……Sorry, sunbae…… Suddenly got drowsy… Thanks for catching me…”

“…….”

Yang So-ah, wobbling upright like it was nothing, resumed walking.

Her drowsy steps carried a strange unease.

Fluff… fluff…

Someone she’d just met.

Was her head hurting?

She knew nothing about this pink fluffball’s circumstances, or needed to—

yet for some reason, ‘Ban Harin’ found herself increasingly preoccupied with this woman who called her ‘sunbae.’

She shouldn’t forgive someone who targeted Ban Harin,

but maybe she could listen if there were extenuating circumstances.

‘…Just what the hell is going on in the Hunter Association?’

Tick.

5:13 PM—earlier than usual for a café to close.

……Eunbangul had mentioned that after closing shop, Ban Harin did something with Kang Nari at [Eunsun Park].

So she was heading straight to [Eunsun Park], but…

A small detour wouldn’t hurt.

“Miss Yang So-ah. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“Huh…? Uh…”

“I know a restaurant nearby. You look exhausted—let’s take a break there.”

“Food…..? Money…”

“My treat.”

“So… so nice……”

“At least finish your sentences.”

Fluff…!

Gaha, carrying the pink fluffball like a princess, headed to [Eunsun Restaurant].

…….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ban Harin, Team Leader of [Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division] Team 1.

She was unusually perceptive.

She could spot things at a glance.

Others’ lies.

Their true nature.

Their intentions when speaking to her.

And anyone she’d met face-to-face—

even if their face were blended in a mixer and canned—she’d recognize.

Anecdotal, but accurate.

[Observation] skill.

Able to see whatever she wished, granted she had enough mana.

That’s why.

‘Why… can I only remember the name “Gaha”?’

Four years ago.

The day an orphanage burned to the ground.

Ban Harin, who lost her memories in a certain accident,

even after being rescued by the Hunter Association and regaining her senses… grew fixated on the name ‘Gaha’ engraved in her mind.

That’s why.

‘Gaha… Gaha…’

Either forget entirely. Or remember clearly.

In Ban Harin’s mind, only the name ‘Gaha’ lingered ambiguously.

As if she must never forget it.

She should have erased it entirely, but that name was as precious as her own life—

clung to desperately, leaving only traces that sought her out.

(Please let me forget. So that Gaha can be happy.)

Gaha.

Whose name was this,

that made her heart race so fiercely?

…….

“Ah! Welcome! We just opened, so…”

And then, one day.

Ban Harin met her.

At a newly opened café.

A person who welcomed her with a smile.

…….

(—Team Leader Ban Harin.)

(—Here’s the personal file of the ‘rare hunter’ Team 1 will be protecting.)

She deliberately joined the [Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division],

pestered the unmotivated Director Go Young-in to find someone named ‘Gaha,’

and finally made ‘Gaha’ a protection target under Team 1—

thus,

she visited the café.

(How long must we protect her?)

(—Until the ‘rare hunter’ dies.)

(—Or until a termination order is issued.)

The F-rank hunter she faced there was.

So soft and insignificant.

It was blinding.

(—I still don’t understand why you were so insistent on joining that division.)

(—Plenty of major guilds would’ve killed to have you.)

(None of your business.)

And so, Ban Harin.

A woman who wandered in search of a forgotten north star.

Staring blankly at the drowsy F-rank hunter reflected in her golden eyes,

“……One coffee. Anything’s fine.”

​

​

Like someone blinded by light,

she furrowed her expressionless face.

…….

(……Are you the star?)

(I’m Gaha.)

(Ah… Hello. My name is… Harin.)

A fateful encounter in an orphanage basement.

Deliberately sought out,

after years of searching,

a meeting with no room for coincidence.

“Ban Harin.”

“Yes?”

“My name… is Ban Harin.”

But,

because it was fate.

This radiance—it must surely be fate.

“Ah… Yes! Hello, Ban Harin!”

“…….”

“I’m Gaha.”

That day.

Ban Harin became a regular at the quaint little café.

…….

…….

Screeeech—

The sky was dark.

Ever since picking up the flute at [Goryong Mountain Rift], Ban Harin had been trapped in the world of specters without escape.

To find a way back to reality, she headed toward [Eunsun Park].

To meet a wise old man.

Bzzzt—

A way to reach the park while avoiding the dark night sky.

Ban Harin saw it.

“Taxi.”

Squeak—

Stepping outside, Ban Harin casually waved her hand.

Right on cue, a ‘taxi’ appeared around the corner and stopped before her.

A black cab boldly labeled [Safe Driving],

its windows tinted too dark to see the driver inside.

Whoooosh—

As the taxi approached, an abrupt downpour began from the heavens.

Ban Harin, ‘observing’ the cab before her, wiped the expressionlessness from her face.

A taxi on a rainy day.

Gaha had mentioned this before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

※Guide for a Peaceful Life in Eunsun District※

– This guide is published under the approval of ■■■ ■■ to encourage your safe activities in Eunsun District.

– If any items are missing or obviously anomalous phrases are found, hope that they promptly return to normal.

– Good luck.

1. Donate blood safely.

~~ (Omitted) ~~

2. Eunsun Restaurant welcomes you.

~~ (Omitted) ~~

3. Play claw machines safely.

~~ (Omitted) ~~

4. Do not look up at the sky at night.

~~ (Omitted) ~~

5. On rainy days, let the first taxi pass.

– Accidents can happen anytime. Traffic incidents spike during rain or snow.

– Hence, boarding the very first taxi that approaches is highly discouraged.

5-1. If delayed and the first taxi has already noticed you.

– Opt for the back seat, not the passenger seat.

– Once aboard, stay calm and tell the driver which direction you wish to go.

– They strive for safe and comfortable drives.

# Warning! Do not disclose your destination.

– Only mention directions, never the destination.

5-2. Ignore the radio.

– Its content doesn’t concern you.

– Pay it no mind.

– Do not acknowledge hearing the radio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gaha had been thrilled about taking a free taxi.

Ban Harin, suppressing a twitching smirk, climbed into the back seat.

『Where to?』

Their eyes met.

Not through the rearview mirror—

the taxi driver, gripping the wheel with both hands while facing forward,

locked eyes dead-on with her.

Swish… click.

Buckling the rear seatbelt, Ban Harin spoke to the ‘taxi driver’ with his neck twisted backward.

“Straight ahead.”

『Will ensure a safe ride.』

Vroom…

The driver, awaiting her response, began moving.

An astonishingly smooth drive, devoid of even the slightest bump.

She envied the specter’s driving skills.

Maybe she should learn.

Recalling Gaha, who often hitched rides in her car,

Ban Harin used [Observation] to ‘observe’ the ‘taxi driver’s’ movements.

Crash…!

At an intersection, the ‘taxi’ plowed straight through, crushing something mid-crosswalk.

『Passenger?』

“Straight.”

『……Passenger?』

“Don’t mind it. Drive.”

……Vroom…

The specter’s hands trembled on the wheel, but it didn’t matter.

While ‘observing’ the specter’s driving finesse, Ban Harin advanced through the darkened Eunsun District.

The taxi radio eerily broadcasted death notices from somewhere.

Ban Harin, visualizing the route to [Eunsun Park], glanced outside.

Few buildings in the dark district had their lights on.

Like stars sparsely dotting the night sky,

only the places Gaha had visited and recorded in the [Black Book] emitted faint glows.

Claw machine arcade, convenience store, Saetbyeol Apartments…

And—Eunsun Restaurant.

“……Stop!”

Screech!

The taxi halted.

Using [Observation], Ban Harin fixed her golden-glinting eyes

on the distant [Eunsun Restaurant].

“…Gaha?”

A gaze from the specters’ world.

Flicker—

Ban Harin saw it.

Through her left eye, crammed with countless bead-sized pupils,

the ‘real’ restaurant came into view.

A peek into reality via [Observation].

A pink-haired woman sitting across from—

a perfectly identical ‘Ban Harin,’ sharing a friendly meal.

The appearance was hers,

but Ban Harin instantly recognized it as Gaha.

Fluff… fluff~

The ‘Ban Harin’ cradling a drowsy pink fluffball stretched lazily.

Already cozy with her?

“Another new woman, huh.”

Ah.

Grudge growing.

That woman—wasn’t she the A-rank hunter from [Rare Hunter Protection-Execution Division] Team 4?

A hunter specializing in assassination with her [Fiber Control] skill.

Ban Harin wiped the blankness from her face.