* * *
[Me: It’s me]
[Me: I’ve been busy. Sorry.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: It’s okay. I have a big heart ^-^]
“…Huh?”
…What’s this?
Don’t tell me I just got tricked?
The moment I get that cheerful emoji—right after he’d supposedly been crying his heart out—I can’t help but feel suspicious.
Did I just fall into his rhythm again?
Seriously, real-time personal messaging… it’s too hard.
I’m slow at typing, still not used to handling my phone, and to top it off, my conversation partner is Cha Taeyang, the king of doing things his own way.
He’s exhausting to talk to even face-to-face…
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Jaehee~ Jaehee]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Wanna come visit our guild?]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Our guild’s got a snack warehouse, hehe]
A snack warehouse?
I was just wondering what he meant when a new message popped up.
Or rather, a photo.
Taken inside what looked like a storage room absolutely packed with all kinds of snacks—no less stocked than a supermarket aisle.
In the middle of it, Cha Taeyang was striking a pose with a ridiculously excited face.
Even with a cast on his ankle, his pose was almost impressively dynamic.
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: ^^b]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Crazy, right? If you come, I’ll unlock the whole thing for you, yep.]
I haven’t had a chance to ask Jihye yet if this number really is Cha Taeyang’s, but I don’t need to.
With that photo and those messages, it’s definitely him.
You can even clearly see the cast on his ankle from his recent injury.
There’s no room for doubt.
I guess it would be pretty hard to impersonate someone like him anyway.
Who else could possibly pull off this level of eccentricity?
Still… a snack warehouse?
That made me laugh. It’s ridiculous but also kind of fun.
The first thing he brags about when inviting me to his beloved guild—named after himself, no less—is a room full of snacks.
How proud must he be of it to show it off like this?
Or maybe… does he think snacks are enough to lure me in?
I’m not five years old or anything.
‘Still… that’s a lot of snacks.’
Seeing the photo did spark some curiosity.
What kind of place is this “Taeyang” guild?
According to Taehwan, it’s full of weirdos—was he serious?
I only ever heard about it on the radio, and now I might actually visit.
That’s kind of surreal.
And not as some background assistant, but as a fellow Hunter, on equal footing with Cha Taeyang.
I mean, I’m still his mentee for now, but still.
[Me: I want to, but I’m out of town right now.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: ?]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Where are you?]
[Me: I’m camping.]
Ha! I lifted my head. Come to think of it, now’s the perfect time to show off our cute tent.
Perfectly set up and stocked—who needs a snack warehouse?
Sure, we’re low on actual meals, but we’ve got plenty of snacks, so I don’t feel the least bit jealous.
I quickly stepped outside to take a photo of the tent.
Still not confident enough for a selfie, so I just snapped a nice shot of the tent alone.
Even though the sky was cloudy, the sun hadn’t fully set, so the natural lighting made the photo come out really well.
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Oh wow, you really went camping]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Send me your location]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Check the menu, there’s a “Send current location” button—go go]
“Send current location… ah, here it is.”
Just like he said, I followed the steps, and the map popped up with a pin dropped exactly on my spot.
Wow, so you can just send your current location with one tap while messaging.
Technology really has come a long way.
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Whoa, you went far]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Who are you with? Family?]
[Me: With Taehwan.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Whaaaat, just the two of you??]
[Me: Yeah. But he’s not here right now.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: ???]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Why not?]
[Me: He went to buy food.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: What? He left you there alone?]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Why though??? You could just order delivery these days]
[Me: We’re in the mountains. It’s super remote.]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Even in the mountains you can get stuff. These days, if you pay, there’s nothing you can’t get]
Really?
Now that he mentions it, I have heard that you can get pretty much anything delivered these days.
It is a “money-wasting camping trip,” so delivery wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Still, Taehwan is smarter and more thorough than I am.
I’m sure he had a reason for going out himself instead of ordering in.
He probably just didn’t explain it to me.
It sucks to be apart even briefly, but since we didn’t buy anything on the way, it couldn’t be helped.
The problem is… will Cha Taeyang accept that explanation so easily?
Every time Taehwan gets brought up, he always swerves the conversation into some kind of conspiracy theory, so I’m a little worried.
What if I say something wrong and make him misunderstand?
What can I say that won’t upset either of them?
I was holding my phone with both hands, worrying, when another message came in.
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: Anyway, Jaehee, have fun out there]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: If you’re ever curious about anything, message me. Your mentor’s always ready to give helpful answers~]
[Hunter Cha Taeyang: And our guild’s always open to you. Come by anytime ^-^bbbb]
“…What the…”
A beat later, a faint smile slipped onto my lips.
I’d gotten all tense for nothing.
Even with Taehwan’s name brought up, Cha Taeyang only sent warm messages like that.
I’m still awkward with real-time messaging, and dealing with Cha Taeyang is still overwhelming—but the way he wrapped up the conversation like that made me feel grateful.
Left a strong impression of him being a genuinely kind person.
Was this his way of trying to break the ice?
Of trying to get closer to me?
If so… maybe he really will be a good mentor.
‘Maybe I don’t need to change after all…’
After Taehwan, he’s probably the person I feel most at ease with.
The more I get to know him, the more I realize he’s a good guy in many ways.
There’s still some unease because of the unresolved issues with Taehwan, but I’m starting to believe things might improve.
If, by becoming Cha Taeyang’s mentee and spending more time with him, his relationship with Taehwan also gets better—well, that would be the best outcome.
Maybe I could even hear more about Taehwan’s time at the training center.
“Gray Coat” is undoubtedly amazing, but skill doesn’t always equate to mentoring ability.
Just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they’re suited to teach.
So why force it?
‘I hope Taehwan understands…’
He did recommend this several times.
It weighs on me to go against that advice now.
What should I say to explain?
I was lost in thought, staring blankly at the message window with Taehwan’s name on it, when—
Thud. Thud-thud.
I heard something hit the tent and looked up.
“…Oh, rain.”
A few drops at first, then the rain quickly grew heavier.
—Swooooosh.
A sudden downpour. It had been gloomy all day, but I didn’t expect this much rain so fast.
A shower?
Just in case, I quickly checked the tent for any possible leaks.
Everything was fine—nicely set up and not defective.
Feeling a bit more relaxed, I stepped into the living space.
Looking around, the drainage seemed decent too.
No signs of water collecting.
The only concern… was that we weren’t all that far from the water’s edge.
If things got worse, I might need to take down the tent.
There was also the risk of a landslide, being in the mountains.
Should I contact Taehwan?
I held my phone for a moment, hesitating, but decided to wait for now.
It didn’t seem like it was raining badly enough to make a fuss just yet.
It must be raining where Taehwan is too—he’d know.
And a call while he’s driving would only be troublesome.
I moved to the tent in the living room, settled into a chair, and gently closed my eyes.
“The sound is nice…”
Even when I was in the hospital, I liked rainy days.
Feeling the warmth of the sun on clear days was lovely, but rainy days stimulated so many senses.
The scent of rain lingering in the air, the slightly dampened atmosphere, the sound of raindrops tapping against the windows and rushing through the drainpipes—I loved it all.
I used to look forward to the monsoon season as summer approached.
Now that I can see again, my feelings haven’t changed much.
I decided to just sit quietly and enjoy the rain.
Plop, plop.
Raindrops hit the tent above, and the sound of splashing water added a special touch.
Watching the rain fall on lush greenery felt refreshing and magical—it calmed me.
Even just blankly watching, listening, and feeling the rain pass was enough to make time flow gently.
This, I thought, was the true essence of camping.
The feeling of melting into nature, becoming one with it.
“…Huh?”
Then I sensed someone.
This was a quiet, secluded campsite where no one came besides me and Taehwan.
I hadn’t heard any other cars or footsteps approaching—but suddenly, someone was there.
I opened my eyes and looked around.
Through the curtain of rain, something pale shimmered in the distance.
It was definitely a person.
A tall one.
Despite the heavy rain, they weren’t using an umbrella.
And their outfit was striking enough to draw the eye instantly.
Strangely, they looked familiar.
That outfit… exactly like the one worn by him—the “Gray Coat.”
* * *
