The Hunter's Gonna Lay Low-Chapter 201

A dark pool appeared in front of the large door. Soon, a round head emerged from the pool, followed by the full body slowly revealing itself. Minggijeok dusted off his clothes and grabbed the door handle.

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“Pardon me, Guild Master!”

Without waiting for a response, Minggijeok threw the door open. The first thing he saw was a broad back and a red-haired head, both standing firm like a mountain. The owners of that back and hair turned to look at him—it was Baewonwoo and Kang Jisoo. Minggijeok quickly bowed his head.

“You’re here too. Good to see you.”

Kang Jisoo waved casually.

“Hey there. What’s the rush, barging in like that?”

“I have an urgent report to deliver.”

“Ha...”

An irritated sigh escaped between the two of them. Minggijeok glanced around, searching for the source of the sigh. It was Sayoung, sitting at his desk, wearing glasses. The desk was cluttered with papers and electronic devices, leaving almost no space. He frowned slightly.

“What now?”

Before Minggijeok could respond, Kang Jisoo crossed her arms and stood in a posture very much like the annoyed Sayoung.

“Guild Master, instead of starting a fight, it’s probably better to flip through another paper. The research team has been pestering you for your input. They said they’re not leaving until you respond.”

“The Bureau and the Rift Management Department also sent notices that you need to handle, Sayoung. They must be dealt with before the Assembly.”

“Can’t you deal with those?”

“I’ve already taken care of the minor ones. What’s left requires your direct attention.”

“Ha...”

Sayoung sighed deeply but obediently turned another page of the documents in his hand. Minggijeok alternated his gaze between the thick documents in his hand and the stacks of papers covering Sayoung’s desk. It didn’t seem like things had been this bad before.

“Why does it seem like you're drowning in work?”

“I was already behind with three months’ worth of work, and after waking up, I’ve been running all over the place.”

Baewonwoo clicked his tongue in sympathy. Minggijeok asked, puzzled.

“Didn’t you manage to take care of most of it?”

“New things kept piling up. You and J were off having fun together all the time, weren’t you?”

“And it’s not like things were normal even when J wasn’t around. Let’s just say... there were some crazy incidents. So now I’m stuck catching up.”

“I see. Anyway, can you step aside so I can give my report?”

“Huh? Is it something we can’t hear?”

“That’s for the Guild Master to decide.”

Sayoung gestured toward the door with his chin.

“Step outside for a moment.”

“Sure thing.”

“Aww, but I wanted to hear it too.”

Despite their grumbling, the two quickly agreed and left the room. Minggijeok looked around the guild master’s office. The familiar gray-haired figure was absent.

“Where is J?”

“He went to meet Ham Seokjeong.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t follow him.”

“I’m not a dog... I don’t follow him everywhere.”

“......”

“So, what’s the report?”

“Oh, right. We handed over some information about Prometheus’ lab to Honeybee. The mackerel was keeping an eye on things as well...”

“Yeah?”

“The entire place has been wiped out. Honeybee, with the help of Gyu-Gyu, cleaned out every last trace.”

“......”

“They rescued a few hunters in the process, but most of them had lost their sense of self by the time they were found, due to being in the final stages of the experiments. They’ve been transferred to the underground facility of the Seowon Guild.”

Sayoung raised an eyebrow. Minggijeok handed over the documents, which Sayoung snatched from his hand. His violet eyes rapidly scanned the text through his glasses.

“And the remaining labs or researchers?”

“Everything on the list we provided has been destroyed. I didn’t expect them to handle things this aggressively. We should’ve anticipated that Honeybee might be too enraged to control.”

Sayoung rubbed his temple, his face twisted in frustration. A deep sigh escaped him.

“Catching the remaining ones will be harder now...”

---

It was the second period break, a time when hunger typically began to gnaw. The back door of the classroom suddenly swung open, and Gaeul looked up. Minji came rushing in, whispering urgently.

“Hey! Emergency! The tteokbokki truck is here!”

Da-yeon and Su-yeong, who had been lying under their blankets, rose like zombies.

“A truck? A food truck came?”

“Yeah, they’re selling tteokbokki in paper cups, and everyone’s going crazy about how delicious it is. They asked us to spread the word.”

“They’ll be guarding the school gate, right?”

“They parked it near that low fence. You know, the one with the dent some idiot made by body-slamming it. That’s where they parked the truck. Come on, let’s go!”

“......”

A faint sense of déjà vu stirred in Gaeul’s mind. That green fence... wasn’t that where J had shown up too? She pretended not to care, but her ears perked up. Why that spot? Could it be a coincidence?

“And apparently, the guy is super handsome.”

A suspicious glance was cast in her direction.

“No way.”

“Are you sure people’s standards haven’t just gotten lower?”

“No, seriously. They say he’s really handsome, even though he’s wearing a mask.”

“Oh, please. They might as well say his heart is handsome instead.”

“Ugh, I’m curious! Let’s go check it out! Come on, Gaeul, let’s go. Pretty please?”

Minji clung to Gaeul’s arm, pleading. Gaeul rolled her eyes and scratched her temple with the end of her pen.

“...Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

After all, Yoon Gaeul was a growing high school student.

The area in front of the fence was already desolate, as if a crowd had just passed through. The spot where the truck was parked had been worn down by frequent foot traffic, leaving it bare. Just as Minji said, a truck stood on the other side of the fence.

A man with black hair sat inside the truck, wearing a white mask. He was dressed entirely in black—a black hoodie, a black cap, and a black apron. He looked suspicious from head to toe, but... her friends were blinded by the tteokbokki, and Gaeul was distracted by the apron, which brought back memories.

‘That apron looks familiar...’

J had worn an apron like that too. Those memories felt strangely distant now. A ladle stirred the tteokbokki in the pan, and a sigh escaped her.

“Ah, I’m starving.”

“It looks so good...”

The spicy aroma of the tteokbokki was the most mouth-watering scent Gaeul had ever smelled. The spicy scent and the glossy, red-coated rice cakes stimulated her appetite. Even Gaeul, who hadn’t been particularly hungry, found herself swallowing unconsciously. The man, seeing the crowd of students gathering on the other side of the fence, gave them a polite nod.

“Welcome.”

...Huh?

Gaeul’s head snapped up. That voice sounded oddly familiar. She adjusted her glasses and squinted at the man. Rough black hair, a white mask, the cap covering his eyes... As the man slightly lifted his head, their eyes met directly.

Beneath the shadow, his cool gaze and black pupils briefly flashed blue. Gaeul swallowed a scream. No way.

‘It’s J!’

The man lowered his head again. It looked like his black hair was a wig. No wonder it seemed so dry and stiff! Gaeul, standing slightly apart from her friends, hurriedly pressed herself against the fence.

“I-I’ll climb over.”

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“I’m wearing gym pants... I’ll be fine!”

“Want me to give you a boost?”

“No, no. I’ve been working out lately.”

“What the... You’re living a saintly life.”

“Hey, are you guys each getting one cup of tteokbokki?”

“Yeah!”

Taking a deep breath, Gaeul grabbed the fence. She thought she’d have to make it look natural to avoid suspicion, but that thought quickly vanished. She grabbed the fence and effortlessly hopped over. Wow, amazing. Her friends let out impressed sounds behind her. Gaeul quickly pressed herself against the side of the truck.

For something hastily put together, the food truck was surprisingly well-equipped. Aside from the hastily scrawled sign that read *Tteokbokki – 1000 won* and the old-fashioned radio sitting in the corner, it looked pretty professional. Some unfamiliar song played from the radio as Gaeul whispered quietly.

“What are you doing here? Why did you come like this?”

“Well, a guy hanging around in front of a high school looks a little sketchy...”

J, Cha Uijae, lowered his mask slightly and gave a sheepish smile. There was a small squeal from ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ somewhere behind her.

“I couldn’t exactly show up in a mask... I had to come in secret.”

“But you came in a van last time. Wouldn’t that have been better?”

“...I couldn’t get help from Wave Guild or the Bureau for this. So...”

“So this is what you’re doing?”

Gaeul’s eyes drifted to the glossy tteokbokki, and she swallowed hard. This was way too serious! Uija

e, now with his mask back in place, muttered in an uncertain voice.

“...Is it bad? The mackerel recommended this. Said it’d be the best option.”

It was, in fact, a stroke of genius. Even someone like Yoon Gaeul, who usually stayed holed up in her classroom, had been lured down by the tteokbokki. Gaeul mumbled in response.

“...I think it’s brilliant.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

“Did you make the tteokbokki yourself?”

“Oh, yeah. Do you want me to pack some for you?”

“Yes...”

Gaeul nodded, and Uijae skillfully stirred the tteokbokki and began filling a cup. After a brief pause, he continued speaking while working.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“You mentioned before that there was a voice you heard ever since you awakened, but after visiting the destroyed world, you stopped hearing it. You thought it might be another version of yourself.”

Gaeul recalled the conversation she had with J and Sayoung in the van, after checking on Sayoung’s condition and explaining her own situation.

‘I thought about it... After visiting the destroyed world, I haven’t heard that voice. Like you said, Master... the same soul merges together...’

Gaeul nodded earnestly.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Is there any way for me to talk to the other version of you? Or could you try recalling something now?”

Gaeul looked up sharply, only to be met with a large paper cup held out in front of her. She instinctively took the cup, noticing a small sticky note attached to it. Written in the same handwriting as the price tag was a single word:

*End*.

Gaeul’s eyes widened. Uijae quickly placed a finger over his mask, signaling for silence. Gaeul swallowed nervously. Uijae leaned in and whispered.

“If that version of you is still in there, ask about the clock.”

“......”

“How did she know about the clock’s existence? The Gaeul from that world.”