* * *
Wolf, who had been observing Seohwa for a while, asked the question.
Seohwa gave a bright smile.
“Are you flirting with me even though this is our first meeting?”
“……Have we really never met?”
“Never. I don’t even subscribe to Rusty Wolf. And Ajusshi, you aren’t my type.”
“Ho. Then what is your type?”
“Obviously, it’s Vice Guild Leader Kang Yigeon right here.”
A strange light flickered in Wolf’s blue eyes.
“So Lee Yuje was a persimmon that couldn’t be eaten, and you, his friend, are the same?”
“Yuje Hyung was a soft, ripe persimmon. Me? I’m a dried persimmon grade. As fans of the same star, we used to spend hours talking about him… hic.”
“I see. You must be very sad that your close friend died.”
“I stayed up for several nights crying my eyes out.”
“Did Lee Yuje ever mention me? We were in a very ‘hot’ partnership, you know.”
“I never heard a word about it. He only ever talked about Mr. Kang Yigeon every single day.”
“How disappointing. He was a special partner to me.”
Kang Yigeon, who had been listening silently, intervened.
“I have personally vouched for him, so stop provoking him.”
“I don’t recall provoking anyone… but fine. It’s scary when an EX-rank glares like that.”
Wolf shrugged and raised his palms as if to surrender.
He took his eyes off Seohwa, but at that exact moment, a status window appeared before her eyes.
Oath Violation Rate
■■■■■■■■■□
‘What?’
Oath Violation Rate
■■■■□□□□□□
Oath Violation Rate
■■■■■■■□□□
Oath Violation Rate
■■■■□□□□□□
‘Wolf’ is feeling confused because of you!
You’d better be careful if you don’t want to get caught (｡・▿・｡)
“Maybe I should just kill Ha Seojin too.”
“If you kill Ha Seojin, how will you enter the Incheon Port Dungeon?”
“We have forced entry items. We could sneak in anytime…”
“It’s impossible to enter without anyone knowing because the System’s ‘View Details’ would show your entry. There is a more efficient way.”
“Really? Then you should have said so sooner. What is it?”
“By killing Hunter Wolf…”
“Ack. Get it together, Mr. Kang Yigeon. What happens if even you lose your reason?”
After the tracking team meeting ended, Seohwa and Kang Yigeon held an emergency meeting of their own inside his car.
Seohwa was anxious that Wolf was on the verge of figuring out her identity, and Kang Yigeon just seemed to dislike Wolf on principle.
“Exactly what part made him suspicious? You acted really well, Mr. Kang Yigeon.”
They had set a plan before entering the meeting room.
Fearing that the way he spoke or looked at Seohwa might give them away, they agreed he wouldn’t even look at her inside.
Kang Yigeon had performed that mission perfectly.
Wolf shouldn’t have been able to get any clues from him.
“Is it my fault after all? But I didn’t even have a proper conversation with him. I’m so curious what’s inside his head—what clues led to what deduction that made the violation rate jump like that.”
“Opening his head would only reveal filth. He’s a snake-like man.”
“Why give him such a nice title? A ‘bald old vulture’ would be better.”
“…Yes. He is a man like a bald old vulture.”
“What do we do now? I can’t work on the tracking team with this uneasy heart, never knowing when I’ll be caught.”
“It’s back down to four bars now, so do not be too anxious.”
“That’s because you don’t know what the price is, Mr. Kang Yigeon.”
“Then tell me. Exactly what is it that makes you so afraid?”
She couldn’t say it because of the restriction on speaking to others, but even if that restriction didn’t exist, she could never tell him.
If Kang Yigeon found out that [Time Flight]would be handed over to Guys Jung—who might do anything for his own amusement—if she failed…
‘He’d probably lock me up in the villa immediately.’
He would definitely think it’s too dangerous for her to even act under the cover of [Stooge].
Seohwa let out a sigh.
‘Ggyuu.’
Kobami, sensitive to its owner’s sigh, rubbed its scales against her finger.
Seohwa toyed with Kobami as she spoke.
“You’re right, Mr. Kang Yigeon. Anyway, it’s stable for now and the System’s warning isn’t too severe, so I shouldn’t go looking for anxiety.”
“…….”
“I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.”
She pressed the handle button to open the door, but it only made a clicking sound and didn’t open.
Kang Yigeon had locked it before she realized. Seohwa grinned.
“Oh, car sex? Should I put Kobami away?”
-Ggyuuuuuuuung.
“Too bad, Kobami says it doesn’t want to go in right now. Let’s do it later.”
Kang Yigeon let out an internal sigh and spoke.
“Even if we do it, it will not be in the Danbaek Guild’s underground parking lot.”
“Then why did you lock it?”
“I told you I will not be separated from you. We are going to your house, or mine.”
Actually, Seohwa had expected this reaction.
A first love reunited after three years who had a history of disappearing—anyone would try to keep them close.
“The place I’ve been staying is a bit too shabby to bring you to. Your head would probably hit the ceiling. Let’s go to your place.”
She wanted to keep her hideout of the last three years a secret for now.
Kang Yigeon nodded instantly and started the engine.
The AI took over the driving on the way to his residence.
Kang Yigeon only gripped the wheel occasionally.
“You used to prefer manual driving. Why did you change your mind?”
Currently, the Korean government was pushing for a full AI driving policy.
Many people opposed it, but the opposition dropped significantly after Kang Yigeon appeared in a public service announcement.
“The government’s persuasion was excellent.”
“What did they use to convince you?”
“That if every vehicle on the road was controlled by AI, there would be no traffic accidents.”
“Aha.”
It made sense. Seohwa accepted it.
“This sentence can be applied to other fields as well.”
“Really? What other fields?”
“Think about it.”
“What’s this? A surprise quiz?”
Seohwa just let out a chuckle and moved on. It could probably apply to many things.
“Can I turn on the radio?”
“Of course.”
The radio was still broadcasting memorial news for Lee Yuje.
Usually, deaths resulting from classified missions are handled quietly, but because the Market NPCs kept blabbing about Lee Yuje’s death to other Awakened, it wasn’t a secret at all.
-We have invited someone who knew the late Hunter Lee Yuje during his life. Hello.
-Hello. I am Wang Jungsoo.
“Pfft.”
Seohwa sprayed the water she was drinking. Kang Yigeon handed her a tissue.
-What was your relationship with the late Hunter Lee Yuje?
-We were practically sworn brothers. I was going to ask Brother Yuje to be the godfather when my grandchild is born. He was such an innocent and kind fellow…
-There are rumors that Hunter Lee Yuje had feelings for Hunter Wang Jungsoo.
‘Are they crazy?’
-T-that… how did… no, he didn’t confess. It was just that the lad kept me in his heart. But I have a wife like a Triceratops and a child like a Tyrannosaurus.
-I see. Did you have no idea that he was a member of the Camellia Team?
-When I heard the news, I thought it must be a rumor. Brother Yuje was such a silly fellow who once ate a whole colony of poisonous mushrooms because he was hungry. Camellia? More like ‘Pure White’ (Sun-baek).
A tiger leaves its skin when it dies, and Lee Yuje leaves poisonous mushrooms.
Wang Jungsoo spent ten whole sentences talking about what a righteous and kind young man Lee Yuje was.
At the end, he seemed to get choked up and burst into tears even though it was a live broadcast.
The host hurriedly wrapped up and went to a commercial. Seohwa also spoke up hurriedly.
“I didn’t like him. I never kept him in my heart.”
Kang Yigeon replied lightly, as if wondering why she was even explaining this.
“I know. Hunter Wang Jungsoo is neither handsome nor does he have a good body.”
“That’s true… but how are you so sure of my tastes…?”
“Because Lee Yuje’s ideal type was someone with a mediocre appearance and a plump body.”
She had written Lee Yuje’s profile a bit too honestly.
“Were you close?”
“Not really. He was a thankful person who kept talking to me first, but we weren’t close enough for him to cry like that. I don’t know why he’s doing that.”
“Mr. Wang Jungsoo must have thought he was close to you.”
“Where on earth would that Ajusshi find a reason to think he was close to me?”
“Probably from the moment you said you’d buy him lunch on the first day.”
Seohwa glared at the upward curve of Kang Yigeon’s lips.
“And where did you hear that story?”
“You had social gatherings and even made a group chat, so the other side could think you’re close.”
“If having social gatherings and making group chats makes you close, then everyone on Earth is a friend. And you and I are practically a married couple.”
“Don’t you feel bad seeing him cry like that?”
“I do feel bad, but what can I do? Lee Yuje is dead and I can’t reveal that I was Lee Yuje. It’s a connection from the past that has already gone. It’s just over like this. That Ajusshi probably isn’t sincerely sad either. Maybe he’s trying to get some fame out of this opportunity.”
Kang Yigeon remained silent. It was only after a long while, when Seohwa was humming along to an old song on the radio, that he spoke again.
“I knew it, but it is terrifying.”
* * *
