Chapter 91

“Do you know me?”

I asked the approaching man a question in return.

“Who are you?”

At least introduce yourself before asking something like that, shouldn’t you?

Maybe my bewilderment had shown clearly on my face, because the man slid his dark sunglasses down. A handsome face with a lightly tanned complexion appeared beneath them.

“Park Jihoon.”

Park Jihoon? Well, it wasn’t as if I had only met one or two people over the years.

More importantly, I didn’t recognize him at all.

“I’m sorry, but I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“I don’t. It’s definitely you. Didn’t you attend Garam Middle School?”

“Huh?”

That was the name of the school I had attended. I had moved away before graduating and lost touch with everyone there, but my memories of it were still vivid.

“Right? Garam Middle School. You’re twenty-seven this year.”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

“Then it is you! Jin Taekyung from Class 6, Third Year!”

He even remembered my name, grade, and class—details I barely remembered myself.

At that point, I couldn’t deny it. I asked the sunglasses-wearing man, who was grinning from ear to ear,

“…Do you really know me?”

“I’m Jihoon. Park Jihoon! We played soccer together all the time in middle school! We were always getting called to the homeroom teacher’s office because we were bad at studying, and then the two of us would get smacked around. You don’t remember?”

Soccer? Getting beaten by our homeroom teacher?

I opened my mouth, wondering if it could really be him.

“Park Jihwang?”

“That’s right, you punk. I’m Park Jihwang! Ah, right. You wouldn’t know that I changed my name.”

“Of course I wouldn’t.”

I didn’t know Park Jihoon, but I knew Park Jihwang.

I never expected to meet one of my middle school classmates here. A smile naturally spread across my face.

“Wow, meeting you here. Some guy I’d never seen before came up and acted like he knew me, so I was wondering what was going on.”

“Shouldn’t you have recognized me anyway? It’s not like we were in kindergarten together. It was only ten years ago.”

“Even if it had only been five years, I wouldn’t have recognized you. Your face has changed too much.”

“Has it? Ha-ha.”

It was an undeniable fact. The scrawny kid with the dark complexion had turned into someone who could probably be called handsome wherever he went.

“You didn’t just get better-looking. You got a better body, too?”

“Oh, you have a good eye.”

“It’s basic observation.”

As far as I remembered, he had been about a head shorter than me. Now, our eye levels were roughly the same.

“Damn, you really made it big.”

An unrecognizably changed face, a solid build, a pretty girlfriend, and a foreign car that looked like it would easily cost a hundred million won.

Jihwang—or Jihoon—had changed a great deal in the ten years since we had last met. And I knew why.

This guy is a Hunter, too.

Now that my Qi Sense had reached a higher realm, I could assess people even without using the System.

Is it that I can feel his qi?

There was no doubt about it. He was a Hunter. He seemed about as strong as Im Changsoo—or perhaps even stronger.

A friend I haven’t seen in ten years turns out to be a Hunter. How strange.

I could even use Qi Sense to read his Level, but I didn’t feel like going that far.

I had met an old friend in a place filled with memories. Right now, I was neither a Hunter nor a martial artist.

I was just an ordinary Jin Taekyung.

“Anyway, it’s really good to see you. You know I was really upset when we lost touch right after you transferred, right?”

“Was I? Things were so chaotic back then.”

I had been sixteen at the time. I was right in the middle of adolescence, and my head had been a mess because my father had just died.

After entering high school, I focused entirely on training with the goal of attending a college of physical education. I naturally lost touch with the friends I had known before.

“Ah, right. Things were like that back then. I’m sorry.”

Maybe he thought he had made a mistake, because Jihwang’s—or Jihoon’s—smile turned awkward.

“What are you apologizing for? It was my fault for not getting in touch sooner. But do you still live around here?”

“My whole family lives in Seoul now. I stopped by because I remembered this place while returning from a trip with my girlfriend.”

“Wow. What a triumphant return.”

“Don’t make it sound so embarrassing. I still have a long way to go before I can call myself successful.”

“You’ve already succeeded plenty. What more could you want?”

We continued talking with smiles on our faces. Most of what we discussed were memories from middle school, but that alone was enough to make the time enjoyable.

A considerable amount of time passed before Jihoon’s girlfriend subtly hinted that her legs were hurting.

“Oppa, my legs hurt.”

“Hm? Then do you want to wait in the car? I’ll talk a little longer and be right there.”

“…Is that really something you should say?”

I had no intention whatsoever of interfering with my friend’s love life, so I took the hint and waved my hand.

“No, let’s talk about the rest next time.”

“Next time? Didn’t you say something like that ten years ago, too? You said you’d contact me next time, then left and never contacted me once.”

I had nothing to say to that. As I stood there smacking my lips, Jihoon held out a business card.

“Forget it. Call this number right now.”

Myeongdong Guild, Team 1
Hunter Park Jihoon

Myeongdong Guild might not have been one of Korea’s top ten Guilds, but it was easily one of the top twenty—a major Guild.

And being part of Team 1 meant he was an elite recognized even within Myeongdong Guild. He could probably transfer to any respectable mid-sized Guild and become a Team Leader without breaking a sweat.

I expected him to be doing well, but this is more than I imagined.

I hid my surprise and called the number on the card.

Bzzzz.

Jihoon checked his smartphone and grinned.

“I’ll call you. We have to grab a drink sometime.”

“We’ll see. If I’m busy, I won’t be able to make it. If I have time, I’ll go.”

“What kind of answer is that? Your name came up at the last class reunion. People were asking what you were doing these days.”

“My name came up?”

“Why do you sound so surprised? You were popular with the other kids.”

“Was I? I spent all day on the field, so I guess I was friendly with the boys, at least.”

“You were popular with the girls, too. There were a few girls who had crushes on you back then. You never noticed?”

“…Really?”

“Everyone in the class knew. Why were you the only one who didn’t?”

Damn. They should’ve told me sooner…

No, that didn’t matter now that I had Ms. Songi. I was devoted. Now that I had met my destined partner, none of that mattered.

“We’re planning to get together soon, so come if I call you. You can meet your fan club, too. Okay?”

“O-Okay.”

Yeah, I’m only going to see their faces. They’re just old classmates.

Jihoon gave me a quiet laugh, then opened the driver’s-side door before suddenly stopping.

“It was good seeing you.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“See you again.”

Vroom.

As I watched the car disappear with the roar of its large engine, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Were we really that close?”

“They really seemed like childhood best friends.”

“Who? Oh, Taekyung?”

“Who else would I be talking about?”

“Why are you talking like that? Did you not like him?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to say it because he’s your friend, Oppa, but honestly, he was kind of off.”

“That’s strange. He was really popular when he was young.”

“Why?”

“There were plenty of reasons. He was tall, had a good build, and was great at sports. He wasn’t exactly bad-looking, either. His only problem was that he was completely oblivious when it came to romance.”

“Hmm. I didn’t care for him. Doesn’t he look too much like a complete unemployed bum? What does he do for a living?”

“Hmm. I forgot to ask. He dreamed of becoming a physical education teacher when he was young, so maybe he went into that field.”

“He’s twenty-seven, though, and a man… Is he still in college? Studying for some exam?”

“I don’t know. Neither do I.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m with you, but other men don’t catch my eye. You’re handsome, kind, and incredibly capable.”

“Even if it’s just lip service, that’s nice to hear.”

“I’m not saying it just to flatter you. You’re a hundred times better than that friend of yours who only looks presentable.”

“Don’t say that. He’s a good guy.”

“You said it was the first time you’d met in ten years. He was even the one who stopped contacting you first. Were you really that close that you still speak well of him?”

Park Jihoon smiled gently.

“No. Not at all.”

“What do you think?”

The real estate agent asked in a phlegmy voice. He had chain-smoked for an hour while waiting for me, and his complexion looked terrible.

“It’s nice.”

I wasn’t just being polite. The two-story detached house with a broad lawn was better than any house I had seen so far.

Four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room is spacious, too.

It looked like something out of a fairy tale. I toured the house while listening to the real estate agent explain every detail, then stepped out through the front gate.

“Listings like this are hard to find. The current owner has several buildings, but he’s putting this one up as a quick sale because he’s planning to put up another building in Incheon.”

“So what’s the market price?”

“Exactly what you saw online. 3.38 billion won.”

It was still an amount that made me want to swear, but the house was worth every bit of it.

For my family’s safety, and because this place held special meaning for us.

“Please contact me.”

“Then…?”

“I’ll buy it.”

“Oh, you’ve made a wonderful decision, Boss!”

I firmly shook the hand the man held out.

“Since we’re on the subject, would it be all right if I took another look around the neighborhood?”

“…”

“I’m joking.”

Just because I had said one thing, look at how tightly his hand clenched.

“Have a safe trip home.”

“Yes. Take care.”

I left the real estate office after putting down the ten-percent deposit. I had agreed with the owner to set a date soon and proceed with the formal purchase. Since he needed cash quickly, the negotiations had moved along fast.

I’ll have to put off moving for a while.

The house was about an hour away from where my family lived now. Even though I had purchased it, moving immediately would be difficult.

More importantly, Hayeon had her college entrance exam this year.

I would surprise them with the news immediately afterward.

I’ll have to remodel it, too.

I intended to make it as similar as possible to our old home. It had happened a very long time ago, but perhaps because we had lived there for sixteen years, I remembered the layout perfectly.

I’ll sign the formal contract and find an interior contractor… What else is there?

I knew how to wield a spear in a Gate, but I was a complete novice when it came to this sort of thing. I had no idea where to start.

I was turning into a dark alley while thinking about this and that when—

Hm?

The back of my neck began to tingle. The fine hairs on my body stood up, and it felt as if the air had shifted.

I sensed someone secretly watching me from behind.

Open Inventory. Summon.

I spun around like lightning, a dagger already in my hand. But then…

Meow.

“What the hell? A cat?”

Meow.

A mottled cat jumped down from the wall.

It glanced at me, then slowly wandered away.

Was I overreacting?

As my senses improved, I had become more sensitive. I was supposed to gradually grow accustomed to it alongside my growth, but my growth had been too fast for any adjustment period to have meaning.

No. It felt strange this time.

I belatedly raised my Qi Sense, but there was nothing in the deserted alley.

Beep.

System

There are no targets for Qi Sense to detect.

If the System said that was the case, then it must be true. I must have been especially tired lately.

“Ah, now I suddenly have a craving for samgyetang.¹”

Since I had thought of it, should I go out to eat with my family?

Thinking about tender meat and hot broth made my steps feel lighter.

In a dark little room, a young man who had been meditating suddenly opened his eyes.

“Gasp!”

His hair stuck out in every direction, soaked with sweat, and his breathing was ragged. He hurriedly drank bottled water, then let out a relieved sigh.

“Fuck, that scared the hell out of me.”

Everything had gone smoothly. No, it had been boring enough to be tedious.

The investigation target happened to be on vacation, and his movements were predictable. Home, convenience store, home. Today, he had traveled as far as an hour away, but tracking him had still been no trouble.

But then…

“What the fuck was that? Why did that bastard suddenly turn around and start pulling that shit?”

The moment he saw that sharp gaze, his heart had dropped. If he had not hurriedly severed the Link with the cat, he might really have been discovered.

“He didn’t know, did he?”

The target was only a C-rank Hunter. Compared to the people he had investigated until now, he was far below them.

There’s no way. Who do you think I am?

Hong Woojin, a B-rank mage and information broker, shook his head.

He was a master of tracking and surveillance magic. He could not use flashy attack magic, but when it came to this field, he took pride in being the best.

“That’s right. There’s no way. It was just a coincidence. A coincidence.”

Hong Woojin muttered the words like a mantra. Anxiety lingered in his voice.