* * *
When he said “hold on tight,” I reflexively tightened my grip around his neck—and then we flew down the stairs.
What was more amazing was how, despite his nearly two-meter height and solid build, he moved so quickly yet so quietly, almost eerily so.
It felt like I was flying in his arms.
We didn’t avoid all people, but each time, he quickly ducked out of sight and got us past them in a blink.
Before I knew it, we were at the underground parking lot.
Was it really that hard for a non-combat ability user to survive among Hunters?
He was so good at sneaking around and fleeing that I was honestly impressed.
If we weren’t in the middle of escaping, I might’ve even clapped for him.
Even though I’d been confined in a hospital for most of my life, we’d still spent more than a third of our days together for over ten years.
Yet now, I kept seeing sides of him I’d never seen before.
It almost felt like he’d grown up without me.
“Here we are. My car.”
“Whoa…”
He even had a car? H
e really was a grown-up now.
I couldn’t help but look at him again in a new light.
And it wasn’t a small car either—this thing was huge and gleaming.
A foreign import, maybe?
It looked like a wild predator ready to pounce.
To think he had a car this cool and a place to stay all on his own, fresh out of university.
My friend really was a prince.
He’d always been a little flashy, but this was another level entirely.
As I gawked at the car, Taehwan smirked like he was proud.
“Which seat do you want?”
“Shotgun!”
Back when we were little and traveled the country with our dads, we were never allowed in the front seat—it was “too dangerous for kids.”
But I wasn’t a kid anymore.
Now, Taehwan was driving, and I was in the passenger seat.
The passage of time hit me like a wave.
As soon as he opened the door for me, I buckled up and looked around inside, then cast a glance out the window.
“Weird. There’s no one around here.”
Wasn’t the reason he mentioned the VIP exit because reporters had swarmed both the front and back entrances?
I thought someone would be guarding the parking lot too, but it was surprisingly empty.
Maybe that’s why Taehwan, who’d been in such a rush the whole time, had actually let me take my time checking out the car.
From the driver’s seat, Taehwan started the engine and replied:
“They were here. But now they’ve probably all gathered by the VIP exit.”
“…Huh? But…”
“They’ll realize soon enough that we didn’t go that way. That’s why now’s our chance. Let’s go.”
He checked that my seatbelt was secure, fastened his own, and pulled the car out.
It looked expensive from the outside, and it felt even more luxurious inside.
The ride was so smooth it felt like floating.
Even the government vehicle we rode yesterday was softer than anything I remembered from my childhood, but this was another level altogether.
Still, what he said kept echoing in my mind. If that was true…
“So, someone among the hunters who were protecting us… tipped them off that we’d be using the VIP exit?”
“Could’ve been them. Could’ve been someone at the hospital. Maybe they saw how things were unfolding and passed it on. Or maybe they planned it from the start—lured us there on purpose. Probably a place that’s good for keeping out of sight… and for making people disappear.”
“D-Disappear…?”
First it was “kidnapping,” now “disappear”?
A chill ran down my spine.
Was it really that dangerous out there now?
What the hell had been going on in the world while I was shut inside for ten years?
Or… was this just what adulthood was like—cold and brutal?
I was confused. And angry.
I hadn’t done anything.
So why the hell were there people after me?
Clutching my seatbelt tight, I looked over at Taehwan.
“Why would they do something like that?”
“…There’s a rumor going around.”
“What kind of rumor?”
“Haa…”
Taehwan let out a frustrated sigh.
He stopped the car at a red light, ran a hand through his hair, and scowled deeply, still unable to let it go.
The eyes that briefly closed and then reopened gleamed with an eerie light.
The voice that followed was chillingly low.
“There’s a rumor that the ‘Miracle Child’ is the first-ever S-rank awakened in our country.”
Even as I was distracted by Taehwan, who looked furious enough to explode, the content of what he said was so absurd it went beyond my imagination.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“……What?”
Last night.
Around the time Taehwan and I were washing up together, a post had gone up on an anonymous online community.
[(Advice) Do you really think it’s possible for an S-rank to appear in Korea?]
I’ve never dated anyone, but lately I’ve been seeing someone and things have been going really well.
I worked up the courage to ask them out.
That date was supposed to be today.
But out of nowhere, they texted saying they’re too busy with work and can’t make it.
That too, well after the time we were supposed to meet.
They work at the Hunter Management Bureau — that place is known for being a cushy job.
Unless something huge happens, they always leave work on time.
I know that because a friend of mine was once dispatched there.
They’d already cleared the Baekbul Fortress raid in the Sun domain, and I was told there was nothing urgent going on, so I asked why they couldn’t come, and they were like, “The entire Bureau is on high alert because an S-rank awakened.” …………ㅠㅠ
S-rankㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
T-
My mind just went blank when I heard that. I honestly wondered if they were making up something that ridiculous just to cut me off emotionally.
This is a red flag, right?
I even tried ticketing for the first time just for today, and I bought new clothes too. I feel so empty.
I really thought things were going well, but I guess I was the only one who was serious.
At first, when the post went up, the reactions weren’t anything special.
Anonymous1: S-rank??? Yeah, that’s a pretty wild excuseㅋㅋㅋ
Anonymous2: Oh… Don’t we have less than 10 A-ranks in Korea? And only 3 are active right now.
└ Anonymous8: It’s 4 if you count the Director, though.
Anonymous3: They probably were just busy and didn’t know what to say on the spot. Most of what they do can’t be shared outside anyway. Don’t overthink it and just get some sleep. Talk it out tomorrow if you’re still upset.
└ Original poster: Thanks. I guess I’ll do thatㅠㅠ
Just average views and comments.
A short exchange of opinions.
It looked like another post would soon bury the whole thing.
But about an hour later, the mood started to shift.
And not in a good way.
Anonymous12: But if this is real, isn’t it a leak of national security? If OP didn’t delete the post and it just vanishes, then it’s real lol. Otherwise, just fake.
Anonymous15: But it is a bit fishy. My friend’s still at work too, said they’re slammed today. Works at the Hunter Admin Bureau. Asked what was going on and they said they couldn’t say anything.
└ Anonymous17: Oh? For real?
└ Anonymous12: If it’s real, does that mean OP just leaked national secrets? Crazy.
└└ Anonymous5: I think OP already went to sleep, what do we do?ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
└└ Anonymous21: Not quite state secrets, but whoever leaked it to OP might be in trouble lol
Once people realized there might be some truth to what they’d dismissed as a joke, attention skyrocketed.
And then came the knockout blow—
Anonymous21: Rumor’s already spreading among hunters. Someone said they saw a freak in the cafeteria lol
└ Anonymous25: Something really happened???
└└ Anonymous21: Yep^^
└└└ Anonymous28: What happened what happened what happened???
└└└└ Anonymous21: Can’t say^^
That kicked off a wave of wild speculation.
What started out as a simple relationship advice post quickly spiraled into something the original poster never intended.
[(Chatter) That S-rank post just disappeared. Creepy.]
It wasn’t clear whether the OP had deleted it themselves, or if it was taken down by some external force — but no one really cared about that.
Interest had already ignited like wildfire, and that was enough to fuel it even more.
You know how it is — when you’re told not to do something, you want to do it more. The more it’s hidden, the more you want to know.
Once the first post disappeared, it wasn’t just the post anymore — the whole forum started obsessing over the “First S-rank Awakened in Korea” story.
Even as related posts kept getting deleted, they were being spread all over different communities.
Anonymous11: Wait, wasn’t yesterday the day the Miracle Child went for an evaluation?
And with that, the Miracle Child — already a hot topic since morning — naturally became part of the conversation. And now, apparently, it’s practically accepted as fact that the Miracle Child is Korea’s first S-rank awakened.
“Wow…….”
I let out a small gasp. But honestly, I didn’t even understand half of what Taehwan just explained.
It’s been over ten years since I last touched a computer, let alone any kind of electronic device.
The internet’s probably changed a lot since then.
Taehwan tried to explain how things work nowadays, but I couldn’t wrap my head around most of it.
Still, I got the main point — there’s a ridiculous rumor going around that I am an S-rank awakened.
I just stood there with my mouth open, too stunned to react.
It took me a moment to come to my senses.
“So… are we heading to the Bureau right now?”
“No.”
“Huh? Then where are we going?”
“Our home.”
And once again, I went blank.
* * *
