* * *
Another day flew by like a bullet.
Taehwan hadn’t been by my side—but I’d spent a truly joyful day with the family I love.
They’d made time just for me, and it had been perfect.
Still, no matter how much I loved them, missing Taehwan was a feeling all its own.
I got up early the next morning to wait for him.
The moment I heard he was on his way, I said my goodbyes and rushed out of the house.
As the elevator doors opened, I saw Taehwan waving at me from the entrance.
My heart surged, and I almost dashed toward him—but then I remembered how he’d stopped me the other day by grabbing my shoulder.
I froze without thinking.
And Taehwan… he must’ve noticed.
“What are you doing? Come here.”
With a big grin, he opened his arms toward me.
My face instantly lit up with a smile.
Heart swelling with nothing but joy, I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck.
My strong friend caught me without hesitation and wrapped me in a warm hug, patting my back.
The familiar scent of Taehwan filled the air.
‘Yep, this is really Taehwan.’
It felt absurd—missing him this much after just a day, especially when I’d had such a great time with my family yesterday—but I couldn’t contain the rush of emotions.
I was just so happy.
I didn’t even know how to express it all.
Still, I’m an adult. I had to control myself.
Swallowing my excitement, I placed my hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes.
“Are you done with work?”
“Of course. Want the passenger seat again today?”
“Yup!”
I still wanted to stay in his arms, but Taehwan was a public figure now.
Better to be careful.
As soon as he set me down, I hopped into the passenger seat.
I already missed the warmth of his hug, but having him right next to me made up for it.
I was grinning like an idiot when Taehwan clicked his tongue and straightened my clothes.
Then he tugged on my cheek.
“Looking cheerful. Must’ve had fun without me, huh?”
“Of course! But I missed you.”
“…Did you now.”
Ah. I like him.
No—not just like.
I really, really like him.
My lips were trembling just trying to hold in the smile.
He looked so irresistibly cute I couldn’t help teasing him.
Half-joking, half-serious.
“Is your face addictive or something? Lately I just keep wanting to see you. It’s becoming a problem.”
“Jaehee… Did your little brother teach you weird stuff or something? You’re saying things you’ve never said before.”
“It’s not weird. I mean, you are handsome.”
“Why the sudden flattery? Feeling guilty about something?”
“……”
Thump.
My heart dropped out of nowhere.
Taehwan had probably said it without much thought, but to me, it felt like a surprise attack.
Guilty? Of course I was.
I mean… there’s that kiss with the guy in the gray coat, for one.
Then there’s the fact that I’ve started to question whether I might be gay.
And not to mention—just yesterday, I think I half-dreamed about kissing Taehwan…
My conscience pricked at me like stepping on a chestnut burr, but reacting now would just make it worse.
Thankfully, Taehwan was focused on driving, and he’d only brought it up as a joke, so he wasn’t watching me too closely.
I quietly turned my head to look out the window and said,
“What’s wrong with calling someone handsome if they’re handsome? Even Eun-seo, who always says she hates you, turns into mush when she sees your face.”
“…Haah.”
“My smart, S-class Hunter friend who’s even good-looking. Wonder who’s going to snatch you up.”
“Jung Jehee. One more word and I’m going to get mad. That’s enough.”
It was a relief the topic had naturally shifted to marriage.
Taehwan promptly ended the conversation.
Maybe he’s sensitive because people are starting to nag him about dating. I let out a silent sigh.
That could’ve gone south real fast.
I should really stop messing around like that—especially when I’ve got a guilty conscience about him.
I couldn’t bring myself to look in Taehwan’s direction, so I just stared blankly out the window.
But then… the road outside started to look unfamiliar.
“Uh… isn’t this the wrong way to the hospital?”
“It is. We’re not going to the hospital.”
“Huh? Then where are we going?”
“The Management Bureau.”
“The Bureau? Why?”
“Did your coordinator not contact you? They said they’d reach out separately—maybe they forgot?”
“Oh! Right. When I met them the day before yesterday, they said there might be good news and they’d call me if it was confirmed!”
…And I forgot my phone. Again.
Normally, I wouldn’t miss it even if I wasn’t thinking about it.
I always have alarms set.
But yesterday… Taehwan had suddenly taken off.
I was supposed to focus on my family, but I kept wanting to text him.
So to get my mind straight, I just turned the phone off—and then completely forgot about it.
I quickly turned it back on, but as soon as the screen lit up, the battery icon started flashing and—flick—it died without mercy.
“Ah…”
…I must look like a raccoon who just watched its cotton candy dissolve in water.
From the driver’s seat, I heard Taehwan chuckle.
“Forgot to charge your phone again? No wonder you had it turned off.”
“…Yeah.”
“Seriously, you… We’re almost there. And hey, if it’s good news, it can’t hurt to hear it in person.”
“What is it? Do you know?”
“I do, but… just go find out.”
There was something odd in his voice.
Like he was hopeful—but also maybe a little annoyed?
I wondered what was up with him, but didn’t dwell on it too long.
I figured whatever this “good news” was, I’d hear it at the Bureau soon enough.
And sure enough, the moment I stepped into the Bureau, the “good news” was delivered to me.
It just happened to be in the most unexpected form imaginable.
“Congratulations on becoming an official Hunter, Jung Jehee.”
“…Excuse me?”
What… what were they talking about?
I blinked, stunned, and Han Jihye pulled something out and handed it to me.
It was a sparkling gold S-class Hunter license—the same kind Taehwan had shown me before.
Except this one wasn’t his.
It had my picture.
And my full name.
‘S-Class Hunter Jung Jehee.’
“…Ah.”
Only now could I fully believe that Han Jihye hadn’t been joking, and I hadn’t misheard her either.
Of course, the evaluation results were already out, so it was just a matter of time until the license was issued.
But I never imagined it would be now.
I hadn’t even finished my rehab training.
I didn’t know the first thing about combat, or even how to use a weapon…
“From today, your probation period begins. A mentor will be assigned, and with their approval, you’ll be able to officially participate in dungeon and gate operations.”
While I fidgeted with the license in my hands, Han Jihye explained the details of the “probation period”—how it would last from a minimum of three months to a maximum of three years, how I wouldn’t be allowed to join any guilds during that time but would receive support benefits from the Bureau, and what conditions I’d need to meet to complete the period…
It wasn’t new information. I’d heard all this back when Taehwan had just been promoted to S-class.
Back then, it felt like something worlds away.
Now, it was finally starting to sink in.
There was a warm swell in my chest.
Like a hot air balloon filling up inside me, lifting me off the ground.
“As for your mentor… Hunter Cha Taeyang, who accompanied you during the recent mission, has volunteered. But if there’s someone else you’d like us to reach out to, let us know. We’ll try to accommodate your request.”
“A-ah, um…!”
The moment she said mentor, I blurted out instinctively—then quickly closed my mouth again.
The first person who came to mind was, of course, the man in the gray coat.
The one I’d admired for so long.
The ideal hero I had dreamed of.
But… he clearly disliked personal connections.
He wouldn’t want to get involved in a long-term relationship like a mentor-mentee thing.
Even if we’d had a private encounter… technically, that was more like an accident.
It might actually make things more awkward now.
Mentor and mentee, with a history of sexual contact—it sounds like something straight out of the social section of the news.
Even though I’m legally an adult, I’m still pretty inexperienced, and it might paint him in a bad light.
Besides… while I’m still agonizing over it, to him, it might’ve been nothing more than a fleeting kiss.
On the other hand, Cha Taeyang and his guild were very proactive about training new Hunters.
He’d be a great mentor.
And apart from Taehwan, he was probably the Hunter I was most familiar with.
So if he was willing to take me on, I’d be more than grateful.
After a short pause, I nodded.
“No one in particular. If Hunter Cha Taeyang is willing, I’d be happy.”
“…What?”
“Huh?”
That’s when Taehwan, who had been quietly standing to the side and keeping his distance, suddenly reacted.
He looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.
* * *
