* * *
I heard something unbelievable: that I might be an S-Class, or at least someone dangerously close to it.
According to Han Jihye, most of the rumors circulating online were actually true.
The reason the energy scanner malfunctioned was because my potential was beyond what it could measure.
Apparently, no one else in the country had ever been classified as S-Class—or even suspected of it.
There was no precedent.
That’s why they initially assumed it was just a machine error.
But after I caused that incident in the cafeteria… it became all but certain.
Every hunter present at the scene speculated that I was at least A-Class or higher.
The Bureau stepped in immediately to try and keep it under wraps, but there were too many witnesses.
They couldn’t completely stop the information from leaking.
And that’s how things ended up like this.
“…Jehee.”
In the end, everything that happened—was because of me.
This wasn’t just a bunch of random false accusations or baseless rumors.
The incident happened because there was some truth to it.
Thankfully, Taehwan wasn’t hurt.
The test results came back clean, and while we were taking a bath together, I checked him carefully myself—no bruises, no wounds.
I was relieved.
But maybe… my current mental state is worse than the kidnapping incident itself.
I keep zoning out.
Staring blankly into space, lost in my thoughts.
“Am I really… S-Class?”
Overnight, I regained my sight and the feeling in my lower body.
The poison in my system disappeared, and I was discharged from the hospital.
All because of my awakening.
And not just that—my childhood dream of becoming a hero and helping people through my abilities came true.
That alone would’ve made each day feel like a dream—so much so that it scared me.
But now they’re saying I might be S-Class?
They’re calling me “Korea’s first S-Class hunter,” pinning all their hopes on me.
Even the higher-ups will be attending my evaluation tomorrow.
It’s overwhelming. I was just an ordinary boy.
My most notable trait was being the childhood friend of Im Taehwan—the guy from a good family, smart, athletic, and ridiculously handsome.
That was my only claim to fame.
Maybe I’m even less than “ordinary” now, after being stuck in a hospital for so long.
So why… me?
“Jehee!”
“Oh, yeah.”
Han Jihye had wanted me to stay in the Bureau’s dorms for the night, but Taehwan insisted on taking me home.
All the culprits had been arrested, so there was no need to preserve the scene anymore.
The living room where the fight happened was a bit of a mess, but since they hadn’t gotten into my bedroom, it was fine to sleep there.
And now here we were—Taehwan and I, lying on my bed.
The bed was big enough that even if Taehwan stretched his arm out, he wouldn’t be able to reach me.
But he had turned to face me completely, and I could feel his gaze burning into me.
“Why do you keep spacing out like that?”
This was his house. He had his own room.
So why were we in my room, on my bed?
Apparently, my room had been specially reinforced—it was the safest place in the house.
I didn’t really understand how that made sense, especially with the big windows and a door to the garden, but hey.
The homeowner said it was safe, and he wanted to stay together.
I had no reason to refuse.
Honestly, I still felt safer with Taehwan than being alone.
Especially today—after everything that happened and everything I was trying to sort through.
“Taehwan, I…”
I’d find out for sure at tomorrow’s evaluation anyway, but I felt like I should talk to him in advance.
I turned toward him.
The moonlight pouring through the wide window illuminated his face clearly.
It looked different than under sunlight or fluorescent lights—more ethereal.
For a moment, I was caught off guard by how captivating it was.
But I quickly pulled myself back.
This wasn’t the time to get distracted.
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
“I’m really an S-class. It’s not just some rumor floating around online—it’s true.”
“…So?”
“What the heck. Why aren’t you surprised?”
His reaction was so calm that it caught me off guard.
Isn’t being S-class a big deal?
Aren’t there only a handful of them in the entire world?
If an old friend suddenly turned into someone like that, wouldn’t you usually be amazed… or at least react?
Or… did a bunch of people awaken as S-class while I was in the hospital?
No, that can’t be it—they said I’m ‘the first one in our country.’
While I was still reeling, Taehwan gave a small chuckle and reached out to brush aside my bangs.
Then, with a playful wrinkle of his nose, he gently scolded me.
“You keep forgetting—I’m an Awakened too. I was right next to you in the cafeteria when you almost used your ability, remember? I had a feeling about this.”
“Ah…!”
Right. I keep forgetting my friend is an Awakened too.
Just like how I tend to forget that the uncle I know is actually kind of a big deal.
Familiarity is a scary thing like that.
…Still, even if he did suspect it, I can’t help but feel his reaction is a bit too underwhelming.
“Besides, just because your energy measurement came out as S-class doesn’t mean you’ll actually be an S-class Hunter. It matters how useful your ability is, how well you can control it, whether there are side effects. More than anything, they’ll need to assess if you’re a danger to others.”
“I see… So what if the ability’s useless or I can’t control it well?”
“Then your final rank will come out lower. But even if that happens, Awakened energy is still useful—just like the monster cores—so you’d probably get work in energy supply or be trained to make the best use of it. Ultimately, it’s your decision what path to take.”
“I see…”
“Besides, before that, you’ve got to go through walking rehab, basic training, and all that. Even after your rank evaluation, you’ll still have time. It’s not like you need to jump into anything right away, so don’t stress too much.”
“Okay.”
A soft smile crept onto my face.
I was glad I talked to Taehwan.
He really is something.
Like an all-purpose problem solver—he always says exactly what I need to hear, right when I need it.
He doesn’t just respond to what I say, but even picks up on the unease buried deep in my heart and gently soothes it.
Sometimes he even lays out solutions and makes plans for me on the spot.
He’s smart, reliable, kind, and dependable—a friend like no other in this world.
When I’m with him, I feel like everything will be okay.
I end up smiling like a fool.
I held onto Taehwan’s hand as it moved down from my forehead to my cheek, rubbing my face against his palm to express my gratitude.
Usually, at times like this, Taehwan would smile and hug me.
Today wasn’t much different—he eventually pulled me close and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.
His body heat surrounded me in such a comforting way.
But… he didn’t smile.
Actually, despite telling me not to worry, he looked more anxious than anyone.
The way his hand tapped my back, even the rhythm of his breathing—none of it felt calm.
“…Jehee.”
“Yeah?”
“How about you…?”
“What about me?”
“How do you feel… knowing you might be S-class?”
“You said not to worry.”
He let out a small sigh, clearly frustrated by my nonchalant tone and wide-eyed response.
Then he grabbed my wrist—firmly.
“I said for now. You still have a lot of steps to go through, so I won’t push you into doing this or that just yet. But once you’re confirmed as a real S-class, once you’re ready to take on missions, it’s going to be a different story.”
“Oh…”
“Aren’t you worried? Aren’t you scared? Do you think you can really fight monsters? If you’re confirmed S-class, you won’t be able to hide behind others like most people do. You’ll be expected to lead entire assault squads. The expectations people will have of you will be massive. Even if you make a mistake that would normally be forgivable, you’ll be criticized. You’ll be dragged into dangerous situations, not just here but globally. The whole world will be watching your every move. And there’ll be so many other hardships.”
“….”
It was a lot to take in—stuff I had never even considered.
While I was still struggling with just what’s right in front of me, Taehwan was looking way further ahead.
And worrying about me, realistically.
“Jehee.”
“…Yeah.”
Taehwan brought my wrist up to his face.
I couldn’t see his expression, hidden behind my hand.
But I could feel the warmth of his breath near the restraint on my wrist.
His voice had dropped—deep and heavy—like someone standing at a crossroads.
“Even so… do you think you’ll be happy being S-class?”
“Hm…”
“If you think you won’t be able to handle it… say so now. If you say it now… there might still be a way out.”
“A way out?”
“…There’s a way.”
Something about Taehwan felt off.
His voice trembled slightly—uneasy, like he was hiding something.
* * *
