You don’t want to get involved with me?

Unfortunately, I was never the type to grant wishes like that. Leaning back against the seat, I began looking up bits and pieces of information about Kwon Taehan on my phone.

The headlines were all similar.

The country’s first S-rank fire-type Hunter. His appearance bringing the total number of S-rank Hunters in Korea back to three. So there were articles about that... along with speculation about his past, eyewitness accounts, or talk about his looks.

I scrolled down half-heartedly, then turned my head to look outside.

‘Well, I’ll figure out some way to contact him.’

***

A week later, public opinion was still noisy over various issues, and annoying interview requests kept pouring in—but there was something even more irritating.

‘He’s ignoring me?’

I had Joo Seowon dig up Kwon Taehan’s personal information and even got a reporter’s contact who had his private number. I tried reaching him from various numbers, but if the person contacting him seemed even slightly connected to me, Kwon Taehan simply never responded.

And maybe because he’d seen me several times already, that idiot—dense as he was—had annoyingly sharp instincts.

‘Ah... look at this bastard?’

Even when I pretended to be a reporter or an SH Guild member, he replied a few times at first. But halfway through, somehow realizing it was me, he started ignoring the messages entirely.

‘Well, if this doesn’t work, I’ll just go see him myself.’

After getting ignored about thirty times in a row, I stood up without hesitation.

Right. A Hunter overflowing with a sense of justice about saving the world—where would a guy like that go? He’d be out cleaning Gates.

Thinking about it, that was actually a much easier way to run into Kwon Taehan.

I drove toward the A-rank Gate that Kwon Taehan had reportedly gone to clear, with Do Yehyun in the passenger seat.

“What kind of Gate is it this time?”

“No idea. Clearing the Gate isn’t the goal this time.”

Do Yehyun nodded obediently at my answer, then looked at me and asked something out of nowhere.

“I’m thinking of learning to drive.”

“That’s a good idea. ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) You can drive next time.”

Thinking back, I probably should’ve made him get his license last year. I might’ve been a bit too much of a chauffeur.

While waiting at a red light, I looked at Do Yehyun and asked,

“Why, want me to teach you?”

“You?”

“You get the license at a driving school. I mean when you start practicing afterward.”

“...You?”

Do Yehyun blinked with wide eyes like I’d just said something unbelievable.

“Why? Don’t want to?”

“No, I do.”

For someone who said he liked the idea, his expression looked a little strange. It wasn’t like I’d driven recklessly with him in the car before, so the reaction was odd.

***

By the time we arrived near the Gate, the entire area was sealed off.

I showed my Hunter ID to the police officer blocking the road and spoke.

“Thanks for your hard work. I’m a Hunter from SH Guild.”

“Ah, yes. Are you here as backup?”

“Yes. Since it’s an A-rank Gate, I heard backup personnel were needed.”

“One moment.”

The officer had us wait, then turned halfway around with a brighter expression and started speaking into a radio.

The call went on longer than expected. I rolled up the window and waited comfortably.

Knock knock—

At the sound of someone tapping on the window, I lowered it. The officer from before stood there, but the bright expression from earlier had vanished. Now he looked awkward.

“Hunter Seo, I’m really sorry, but...”

“Yes?”

“Hunter Kwon Taehan, who promised to clear the dungeon today, said backup personnel aren’t necessary. So it would be fine if you returned.”

This bastard, seriously.

I didn’t even need a detailed explanation to figure it out.

‘Fuck, did this guy just sharpen his instincts through regression?’

The moment they said backup from SH had arrived, he must’ve immediately refused.

“Hyung, are we going back?”

“Hunter Seo?”

When I didn’t answer right away, questions came from both sides.

‘Fine. Avoid me all you want. Let’s see how that works out.’

I looked straight at the officer and raised the corner of my mouth.

“No, just in case, we’ll wait here.”

“Ah, wait... yes, understood.”

“Right. Do your job. Fighting.”

I rolled the window up, found a place to park, and pulled over.

“Is meeting that Hunter the reason we came here today?”

“Yeah.”

“Hunter Kwon Taehan?”

“Right.”

Do Yehyun seemed to think about something for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He didn’t ask why I was interested or what reason I had for meeting him. Maybe he simply wasn’t curious. Or maybe he knew I wouldn’t give him an answer anyway.

Do Yehyun fidgeted with his hands on his knees, staring forward, then slowly turned his head and looked at me again.

“What, do you have something to say?”

“You came all the way here today to talk with Hunter Kwon Taehan?”

“Talk....”

Well, something like that.

As I trailed off, thinking for a moment, Do Yehyun asked another question.

“Did something happen between you and Hunter Kwon? Something that might’ve made things bad between you?”

I stopped thinking and stared at him.

“Why?”

“You don’t seem in a very good mood right now.”

Well, after getting ignored repeatedly and then coming all the way here just to be turned away, I couldn’t exactly feel great.

“Really? I guess maybe a little.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s something I can solve anyway.”

And that was true. I’d taken the time to come here—I had no intention of just wasting time and going back.

***

About five hours later, the news finally came that the dungeon had been cleared.

‘Fuck, he went in alone and it still took that long.’

Of course, it was actually an unusually fast clear time for an A-rank dungeon. But considering the ridiculous amount of experience that bastard had grinding through them, it wasn’t that impressive.

So he insisted on sending the backup away, and that was the fastest he could do?

Through the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Kwon Taehan. For someone who had just cleared an A-rank Gate, he looked absurdly fine.

Then, whether by coincidence or not, his gaze turned this way.

‘Or is it coincidence?’

If it was Kwon Taehan, he probably remembered my car model.

Sure enough, the guy who’d been nodding politely and answering interviews moments ago stiffened immediately the second he saw me.

‘Seriously....’

I slowly started the car and met Kwon Taehan’s stare through the windshield.

Kwon Taehan ignored the reporter behind him who tapped his shoulder asking something, pushed through the crowd, and started heading somewhere.

Naturally, the destination wasn’t here.

‘Well, look at this bastard?’

In the original story, he hadn’t even been driving a car yet at this point.

Kwon Taehan walked toward a car I had no idea when he’d gotten, then casually climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Hyung?”

I looked at Kwon Taehan’s sleek new car and thought for a moment.

If I only tried talking, there was a chance this bastard would try to run away again. So it would be better if he couldn’t escape comfortably... maybe give him an interesting little gift.

“...Hyung?”

“Yehyun, are you good at running?”

“Me? Suddenly? ...I don’t think I’m bad.”

At Do Yehyun’s answer, I nodded slowly and unlocked the passenger door.

“......?”

“Then could you get out for a second?”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

Do Yehyun looked confused, so I turned halfway toward him and gave a short laugh.

“Get out and...”

“.......”

“...run to where I am.”

“...What?”

Still not understanding what I meant, Do Yehyun got out of the car. I fastened the seatbelt I’d undone earlier while waiting.

At that moment, a call came in—from an unwelcome guest I didn’t particularly feel like talking to right now.

I answered immediately.

“Hello?”

—Jehyun.

“Yes, Guild Master.”

Im Haekyung was quiet for a moment, then continued in his usual relaxed, languid voice.

—It’s nothing big. I just called because things seem like they might work out better than expected.

“Things?”

—Yes. You nearly couldn’t join my guild because you’ve been saying strange things everywhere, remember?

Did it get that serious? I thought I’d just been temporarily banned from entering the Haeseong building.

“Yes. And?”

—Your reputation... isn’t actually that bad. At this rate, if we just watch the situation and time things right, you could transfer without too many problems.

“.......”

—Of course, not all the noise will disappear. But I think we can manage the media well enough.

At that moment, Kwon Taehan’s parked car flashed its headlights and slowly began pulling away down the road.

—So what I’m saying is... Jehyun.

“Yes?”

—Stay as quiet as possible. Don’t do anything that might hurt your reputation.

Instead of answering Im Haekyung’s final words, I pressed my foot down on the accelerator.

—You can manage that much, right?

As the car began moving at a fairly fast speed, people started jumping out of the way.

“H-Huh? What?”

“Wait, Hunter!”

Their voices leaked through the single layer of glass.

And I ignored every single one of them and pushed the accelerator harder.

“Crazy!”

“W-What are you—!”

HOOOONK—

Right after a horn blared from somewhere, I slammed my car straight into the side of Kwon Taehan’s.

KRAAAASH—!!!

The sound of metal crumpling rang out, and a dull pain struck my whole body.

I glanced at the people running toward us in panic, then finally answered Im Haekyung.

“What did you just say?”

—.......

< End of Part 1 >