STC chapter 6

Ye Ilhu, who had fallen and was sitting on the floor, glared at me with a fierce look. He looked like a viper ready to strike.

No, correction. Even Chunsik, who was also a snake, was at least cute.

Despite his pride being scratched because I had knocked him over, Ye Ilhu just stared at me silently, even though I extended my hand to help him up and apologized.

Having worked part-time at both a gym and as an assistant kindergarten teacher, I was quite used to this sort of situation.

Ye Ilhu right now looked just like a kindergarten kid sulking and refusing to talk after getting upset with their teacher.

Only, his size was intimidating.

He soon ground his teeth and harshly slapped away my outstretched hand.

“Get lost.”

With that one word, the guilt I had felt vanished instantly.

Did he really think I pushed him on purpose?

No, the boss monster was targeting you. You saw with your own eyes that I saved you by defeating it.

Just as I was about to argue back, Ye Ilhu suddenly stood up and brushed off his hands. Dust swirled around him.

“I told you not to hang around and get in my way.”

Ye Ilhu completely ignored me. So what if he’s an SS-rank?

My mind short-circuited. I approached Ye Ilhu to confront him.

“What… Ha, this is unbelievable. Hey, I didn’t…!”

But unfortunately, the more excited I got, the harder it was to speak.

As I just stood there, opening and closing my mouth, Ye Ilhu frowned and stared at me silently, just like before.

Unlike me, who was burning with anger, he stood there like he was made of cold ice, his back straight and his eyes chilly.

If it were my previous body, we would have been at eye level, but now I had to look up at him, making me feel somewhat defeated.

While I was glaring at Ye Ilhu, ready to fight, Chae Goya suddenly appeared from behind and pulled me back, slipping his arms under mine to prevent a brawl.

But he didn’t forget to defend me.

“He was just trying to help you, Ilhu.”

“Exactly!”

“The monster was trying to hurt you… So, Baram stepped in…”

His voice trailed off. Ye Ilhu’s icy stare shifted from me to Chae Goya.

Despite this, Chae Goya didn’t back down. Even though I could feel his heart pounding furiously against my back, he stood his ground.

But despite his touching bravery, Ye Ilhu still behaved rudely. With a sly smirk, he retorted.

“So what?”

“…What?”

“Huh?”

“Am I supposed to thank you for helping me?”

I was at a loss for words. My mind went blank.

Thinking it was futile to engage further, I decided to just say one more thing about not living like that, but Ye Ilhu turned his back on me, seemingly not wanting to face me anymore.

Ye Ilhu quickly walked away with his long legs, leaving the gate. Only then did Chae Goya let go of me.

“What an absolute jerk…!”

I felt pathetic cursing at his retreating figure, but I couldn’t help it.

At that moment, Ryu Min, who had been silently standing nearby, approached me.

“Calm down, Hunter Kang. I’ll talk to Hunter Ilhu later.”

Having seen such situations among hunters many times, Ryu Min remained remarkably calm. Well, Ideya did have a lot of high-ranking hunters. With so many esteemed individuals, it was common for them to have pride battles.

Ye Ilhu was Ye Ilhu, and Ryu Min was Ryu Min.

Not wanting to take out my anger on the wrong person, I tried to calm my pounding chest and replied.

“Alright… Please do.”

Seeing me step back, Ryu Min’s eyes widened a bit. He murmured.

“…Surprising.”

His eyes looked at me as if he was seeing an unexpected creature, like a natural monument or an endangered animal.

I had no idea what part of my behavior surprised him. I just answered normally…

Blinking, I looked at Ryu Min. The more I looked, the more beautiful he seemed. His flawless white skin and platinum hair made him look like a character from a painting.

He soon smiled and mumbled.

“Is it because you’re a D-rank…?”

“…”

“You both did well today. Submit your reports by tomorrow afternoon.”

While I was still in a daze, he expertly collected the battle recording drone floating in the air.

‘Geez, what is with these people…?!’

First Ye Ilhu, now Ryu Min… There wasn’t a single normal hunter in this Ideya place.

“Hyung… Don’t worry about it.”

Ah, except for our cute Goya.

I smiled at Chae Goya, who was shyly approaching me, and asked.

“Goya, do you want to go for a drink?”

“…What?”

Goya was clearly taken aback by the sudden suggestion. His status window had shown he was twenty years old, so I wasn’t mistaken, right?

Of course, being an adult didn’t mean everyone liked to drink. Especially since Chae Goya was quiet and reserved, he might dislike noisy drinking places.

‘Eh, that’s too bad.’

Playing with my only friends, Heo Taekgyun and Jeong Yeonji, was fun. But they didn’t deal with Ye Ilhu and Ryu Min directly. They were in different departments and teams.

That’s why I wanted to wind down with Chae Goya, who had gone through the same thing just now. If Goya refused, it would be a pity, but I had no choice…

At that moment, cutting through my thoughts, Goya answered in a slightly louder voice.

“Let’s go…!”

“Huh?”

“You mean ‘Gozenok’ in front of the guild office, right?”

Despite seeming far from a party-goer, Goya surprisingly knew the name of the hottest bar in the bustling area. It was a familiar place where I often went with friends.

Excited at the thought that we might have drunk in the same space before, I asked.

“How did you know?”

“I saw you a few times… while passing by.”

“Oh, really?”

One side of the bar had a full glass wall, revealing the inside.

“It would have been nice if you came in and drank with us. I wanted to tell you to at least come and say hello next time, but suddenly, Chae Goya bit his lower lip and let his eyebrows droop.

“You must be… feeling bad, right? I’m sorry.”

Tears welled up in Chae Goya’s eyes.

“Huh? Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

“I just… it looked like you were having fun with your friends… so I was just watching. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Ah, so that brief moment of confusion earlier was just because of an unexpected suggestion.

I suddenly imagined Chae Goya standing a few steps away from the pub, looking in.

Relying on the memories of the ‘previous’ Kang Baram, I wouldn’t say I was close with Chae Goya.

Despite that, Chae Goya had stopped for a moment in front of an unfamiliar pub after spotting a familiar face.

He seemed both a bit pitiable and like a younger sibling I needed to look after.

He’s really cute, this guy. As someone who majored in physical education and was used to group life, looking after younger juniors was no big deal.

“Alright, let’s go. Today, it’s on me!”

“No, it’s okay. I have plenty of money.”

Chae Goya felt embarrassed and waved his hands in protest.

Indeed, being the brother of the guild master of Idea, Chae Goya was far wealthier than me, a mere D-rank hunter. But today, I really wanted to treat him.

Instead, I suggested lightly with a grin so as not to make Chae Goya uncomfortable.

“Then next time, it’s on you, okay?”

At my words, Chae Goya’s face brightened like a blooming flower.

He nodded vigorously, almost causing his head to fall off, and answered loudly.

“S… sure! I’d love that, hyung.”

Always so gloomy and hesitant, I only realized late that seeing Chae Goya smiling bashfully, he was quite handsome.

His cheeks turned a peachy pink as he smiled, which was incredibly cute.

“First, let’s go in, wash up, and meet by five-thirty? Let’s have a drink while we eat.”

“Yes, hyung. Yes…”

Thinking I should return the handkerchief I borrowed last time when we meet again, I exited the gate with Chae Goya.

As we stepped outside the gate, the oval-shaped door that had been stretched out in mid-air quietly disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile, that afternoon in Ye Ilhu’s room.

He sat perched on the windowsill, staring out at the serene scenery.

Unlike other hunters, Ye Ilhu did not live in the dorms. He hated group life and the boisterous atmosphere did not suit him.

The hunter he saw today was just as noisy. Normally, he wouldn’t have given such a guy a second glance.

‘Kang Baram, wasn’t it?’

D-rank. Extremely rare in the support category, he was in the physical category.
E-
F-His silly, wide-open smile kept unsettling his mind. He wanted to shake it off but couldn’t, and it annoyed him to no end.

[Um, there… Are you okay, Ye Ilhu?]

He looked genuinely sorry, but Ye Ilhu thought, they’re all the same bastards anyway. It’s all just an act.

Ye Ilhu recalled the past.

Getting entangled with those who tried to exploit him by making him owe them something, and then milking it to death.

‘…So annoying, seriously.’

Yet he couldn’t figure out why the scene of that white, small hand being extended to him kept coming to mind.