STC chapter 12

A quick conclusion was reached. These guys were completely mistaken.

They had all fervently loved the original protagonist, Ha Seonglim. With that person gone, they were confusing curiosity with affection.

No matter what the affection level was, it didn’t matter.

Dating a guy had never even been on the table.

‘Right, they must be mistaken.’

After all, it was just affection. It wasn’t a heavy word like love or adoration.

For example, the feeling I had for Chunsik was also affection. Chunsik was cute and kind.

Coming to that conclusion made me feel at ease. I felt a bit embarrassed for overreacting. It had just been a misunderstanding.

Mini Chunsik rubbed his glossy head against the back of my hand, snapping me out of my thoughts. When our eyes met, he made a cute squeaking sound. He was so adorable I almost fainted.

“You can adjust the size when you summon. Usually, for battles, I summon them larger.”

“I see. It’s so cute… Mini Chunsik… I wish I had a summoning ability too.”

When I groaned with envy, Chae Goya let out a soft laugh. It was the first time I’d seen him laugh openly, not just shyly.

I looked at him, surprised. He quickly composed himself.

“Sorry, did I offend you by laughing?”

“…”

“It’s just… You’re so cute… Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

How did Chae Goya end up with this personality?

He lived in a decent dormitory, but his brother even found him a better house to stay in.

Moreover, Chae Goya was handsome, tall, and had a good voice.

I patted his head.

“Don’t apologize, Goya. What did you do wrong? Friends laugh and joke around together.”

“Fr-friends…”

Chae Goya looked surprised, with tears in his eyes. His earlobes turned red, indicating he didn’t dislike it.

“Yeah, friends. Aren’t we friends, Goya?”

“Y-yes! Friends… Please be my friend, Hyung.”

He grabbed my hand tightly. He was warmer than before.

Again, a translucent status window popped up above his head.

—

[Chae Goya / C-Rank Hunter (Summon Defense Type)

♥ Affection ♥ : 35 / ??

System: // Chae Goya initiates physical contact! The emotional barrier is crumbling further! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°]

—

…Yeah, we’re friends. Affection can increase, right? Isn’t that right, Goya? We’re ‘friends’. Ha ha.

“Shall we get going? The Guild Master is calling for us.”

“Oh, yes! That’s right. Please follow me.”

With a shy smile, Chae Goya led me away, still holding my hand. I felt like it wouldn’t hurt to let go of my hand, but it’s fine. We’re friends, after all… Ha ha ha.

Despite a lingering sense of unease, seeing Chae Goya’s bright smile made me think everything was alright.

As I petted the tiny Chunsik in Chae Goya’s palm, we soon arrived at the Guild Master’s office.

I gazed at the large wooden door and clenched my fist slightly.

For some reason, I felt a bit nervous. To avoid making any mistakes, I quickly reviewed what I knew about Chae Gohae.

Chae Gohae, the Guild Master of Idea Guild.

An A-rank summoner and attack-type hunter… was once famous for exceptional skills but has since retired from being a hunter due to an accident that cost him one of his wrists.

I gathered my thoughts and looked back at Chae Goya.

For some reason, his face had turned pale, and he was trembling with fear.

Did he suddenly feel unwell? He seemed fine just moments ago when we were petting Chunsik together.

“Goya?”

“Yes, yes, yes… Hyung.”

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Are you feeling sick?”

“Uh… It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Even though he clearly didn’t look okay, Chae Goya raised his trembling hand and knocked on the office door before I could say anything else.

He looked so pitiful that I wanted to knock for him.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should go to the infirmary. It’s fine now, so…”

Just as I was about to send Chae Goya back, a voice came from inside.

“Both of you, come in.”

It was Chae Gohae, whom I’d only seen in photos online. I was surprised by how young his voice sounded.

Did he mean both of us? Shouldn’t I send Goya back since he’s not looking well?

“Let’s go in, Baram-hyung.”

“…Alright, let’s go.”

Not knowing the purpose of the summons, I opened the door and entered, thinking I needed to quickly finish this and take Goya home.

Chae Goya followed behind me, still trembling.

“We heard you called for us, Guild Master.”

I bowed deeply and straightened my back, looking at Chae Gohae’s face. He looked much the same as in the photos I’d seen online.

“You’re late.”

“I apol…”

“We’re sorry.”

Before I could apologize, Chae Goya quickly stepped forward. His usual timid voice turned into a near scream as he apologized, leaving me speechless.

“It’s fine, Hunter Chae. I didn’t expect much anyway… Well, good job nonetheless. Wait here and don’t interrupt.”

Though he used formal language because of my presence as an outsider, his words were harsh.

Why are these hunters always like this? Didn’t they go through personality tests before joining?

They need to be re-educated from the start.

Seeing Chae Goya trembling and apologizing easily, I could guess the situation.

‘It’s the older brother.’

Come to think of it, the two looked very different. Even up close, there were no signs of familial resemblance.

If Chae Goya had a gentle, seal-like appearance, Chae Gohae looked sharp like a hawk.

Their family resemblance was so minimal that it seemed odd to consider them related.

‘Well, their names are the weirdest part.’

As I was having these trivial thoughts, Chae Gohae suddenly addressed me.

“Hunter Kang Baram.”

“Yes.”

“I heard you sparred with Hunter Ye Ilhu in the training room today. Are you hurt?”

There was no way the Guild Master of Idea, with over 100 highly skilled hunters, would care about a mere D-rank.

He must have had another reason. Keeping my guard up, I answered sincerely.

“Yes, as you can see, I’m fine. I even learned a lot from Hunter Ye Ilhu this time.”

“Hmm, that’s a commendable statement. In what way? You must have been busy dodging attacks.”

Wow, look at that attitude.

Although it was true considering our rank difference, saying it out loud was another matter.

Moreover, I managed to hit him once, even if it was with a thrown rock.

“Hunter Ye Ilhu is adept at both long and close-range attacks, so it was a chance to analyze how I should respond.”

I’m good at answering, aren’t I?

Feeling pleased with myself, I noticed that Chae Gohae seemed indifferent.

It felt like my answer didn’t matter much to him.

“Good. You’re not injured… Is that correct?”

“…Yes.”

Why did it feel like he was probing me? Suddenly, I recalled something Jeong Yeonji said on my first day here.

[Oh my, were you that hungry? I couldn’t reach you since last evening. Did you skip dinner and just sleep?]

Right, that’s what Jeong Yeonji had said back then.

Various pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in my head.

I, who transmigrated after being hit by a truck, the previous ‘Kang Baram’ who disappeared without a trace, and the unresponsive contact since last evening.

Though I didn’t have enough clues to see the full picture, the situation seemed suspicious.

“Recently, I heard you’ve been having memory lapses. Is that getting better?”

Chae Gohae’s sudden remark made my eyes widen.

This was something I’d only confided in Chae Goya privately, swearing him to secrecy.

I turned to Chae Goya with a face full of betrayal. But Chae Goya was trembling so much that I couldn’t even bring myself to reprimand him.

I let out a shallow sigh. It was obvious. Chae Gohae must have pressured him hard.

“Yes, but it doesn’t affect my combat abilities at all. I can assure you of that.”

Fearing I might be expelled from the guild, I answered firmly. Chae Gohae shrugged.

“If that’s the case, then I don’t mind. A hunter just needs to fight well. Right?”

He glanced at his brother while saying this. What an obnoxious guy… He waved us away dismissively.

“Alright, you two can go now.”

“Yes.”

“Y-yes…”

As I closed the wooden door, I kept my eyes on Chae Gohae.

When our eyes met, he waved with his prosthetic hand, mockingly.

* * *

As soon as the door closed, Chae Gohae clenched his fist on the desk. The leather glove made a creaking sound.

Gritting his teeth, he muttered quietly.

“…How are you still alive?”