* * *
“Um…”
What was up with this? Why was he pushing so hard?
Even if there were still formalities left, if someone like Cha Taeyang was reaching out personally, didn’t that pretty much mean it was half-confirmed?
Changing mentors at this stage didn’t really sit right with me…
“Do you not want Hunter Cha Taeyang as your mentor?”
“No, it’s not that… It’s just—wouldn’t it be a shame? You’ve always liked Gray Coat so much.”
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“If Taeyang becomes your mentor, you’ll be tied to the ‘Taeyang’ guild too. And that place is a certified bunch of eccentrics. They’re way out of the mainstream, always going into weird missions that no other guilds touch…”
Taehwan trailed off.
He probably realized that what he was calling “downsides” about the guild were actually pluses to me.
A guild full of oddballs just meant a wide variety of personalities.
For someone like me, who hasn’t met many people, that sounded like an amazing opportunity.
And honestly, if anyone’s a bit of a weirdo, it’s me too.
Being somewhere that respects diversity, going out on missions often—that’s exactly what I wanted.
The more Taehwan talked, the more I felt like being connected to Cha Taeyang was actually a stroke of luck.
Even if my first impression of him had been… less than stellar.
But clearly, the things that felt like positives to me were points of concern for Taehwan.
“So you don’t like it after all.”
“No… It’s just, overall, Gray Coat seems like a better fit. Cha Taeyang’s the type who hoards talent and trains them in this super-Spartan style…”
“I want to be out in the field soon, so I don’t mind it being intense. I’ve been in a hospital bed for 13 years. It’s okay if I work hard for a while.”
“…”
“Really, I’m fine. Cha Taeyang seemed like a good person—better than he first came off. And honestly, I don’t want to bother a bunch of people if it’s just going to fall through anyway. If they decide I’m not a good fit, I’ll reach out then.”
I thought I’d explained it well enough, but Taehwan still looked unconvinced.
And then he spoke again.
“What if… the person involved wants it?”
“…Huh?”
“What if he—Gray Coat—wants to be your mentor? Would you switch then?”
Seriously? I almost laughed.
What was with him today?
He had to know how ridiculous that sounded.
But his expression was so serious I couldn’t just laugh it off.
So I gave it some real thought.
Long-term, it’s true that being connected to someone like Cha Taeyang, who runs an entire guild, might be better.
Still…
“If Gray Coat really wanted to mentor me, that would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right? …Yeah. I think I’d say yes.”
“Really…? I see. Got it.”
Honestly.
What good would that answer do Taehwan?
Don’t tell me he’s thinking of asking his uncle to arrange something.
But no—his uncle’s not the type to give in to that kind of whining, so it should be fine…
Still, I was about to ask him why he even brought that up, but before I could, he reached out and tousled my hair like crazy.
Then, with a satisfied grin, he said:
“Jehee, let’s go. Gotta finally put those camping supplies to good use.”
The second campsite we visited was a proper outdoor spot, nestled by a valley.
I’d actually been there once before with my dads, though it had changed a lot since then.
Back then, it felt rough and wild.
Now it was much more refined.
Everything was way more convenient.
Personally, I missed the old vibe, but I got it.
The campsite probably made changes so more people could enjoy camping comfortably.
Still, we were deep in nature, close to water, and I was loving it.
There was hardly anyone else around—we were probably the only ones here.
Cherry blossom season was long over, so this was definitely off-season.
“This is the spot, huh?”
“Yep! Of course it is!”
This time, we really got the perfect spot. We agreed on it right away.
It was close enough to the water, but not too far, and also near facilities like restrooms—basically, a convenient location.
If there had been a lot of people, the view would’ve been blocked by other tents, but since it’s empty now, it’s open and spacious.
Just right.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have bought this one? These days there are easier ones to set up. If I’d gone with that kind, we wouldn’t be messing with all this complicated stuff. It’s huge and takes so much effort.”
“No way! Those are flimsy! Besides, pitching a tent is part of the fun of camping!”
“They’re probably not that flimsy… Well, I guess this kind of thing is still fun for you.”
“Isn’t it fun? Look how nice it looks already. And if you want to relax comfortably, something this big is better, right?”
“Even the easy ones come in large sizes. And I’m fine with something a bit smaller.”
“Nope! Your back will end up bent like a shrimp!”
“Doesn’t matter how big it is—you always come over and make it feel cramped anyway.”
“Me? N-No I don’t!”
“Sure. Just last night, you kept crawling over to my side every time I lay down.”
Thud. My heart dropped.
I stopped hammering the stake into the ground and looked up.
“Did I keep you up?”
“Every time I lay down”—that must mean I kept tossing and turning, right?
Wait, when I woke up wrapped up like a kimbap, was that your way of saying “don’t come over”?
And I just slept like a baby, hair all over the place, without a clue?
Did you get up early even though you went to bed late… because of me?
‘You said you slept well when we greeted each other this morning…’
Well, even if it were me, I probably wouldn’t admit it outright either.
Especially if the other person slept like a rock.
The thought that I really might have disturbed his sleep hit me like a wave, making me emotional.
But then Taehwan came closer and tapped my forehead.
“Why the doomsday face? It wasn’t because of you. It was because of me.”
“Because of you? What do you mean?”
“It’s… something.”
“What? What is it?”
“Jehee, if you space out, the tent’s gonna collapse.”
“Ah! No, no!”
I turned around in a panic, but luckily, it hadn’t fallen.
Still, I figured I should focus.
We’re sleeping in it tonight after all—it had to be sturdy.
I promised myself to set it up properly, so Taehwan could get a good night’s sleep for once without me bothering him.
I stretched out the fabric neatly, hammered in the stakes, raised the canopy.
We moved everything—chairs for the common area, the cooler full of food—and hung a lamp inside the tent.
I checked that the windows opened well, that the mesh had no holes, and then stepped outside.
It had been a while, and it was our first time setting it up without our dads, so we struggled a bit.
But now that it was done, it looked amazing.
It’s a two-room style tent with separate living and sleeping spaces—practical and beautiful.
I was really pleased.
I had gasped at the price when I bought it, but now I felt it was worth every cent.
It wasn’t just expensive for no reason.
I’ll make it last a long time.
A proud grin crept onto my face.
Then Taehwan casually leaned against my shoulder.
“You happy?”
“I’m so happy. I feel like I’ll want to go camping a lot.”
“You could, but once you start working as a Hunter, you’ll probably change your mind. You’ll be doing so much outdoor stuff, you won’t want to camp for fun.”
“Oh… really?”
“Yeah. I don’t think any Hunters enjoy camping. Well, not counting my dad. He’s not a regular Hunter—he’s just weird.”
“Why do you say that about your dad?”
Taehwan made a crooked smile and shrugged.
That meant nothing I said would change his mind.
He’s always unusually cold to his dad.
Maybe that’s just their version of being close.
But yeah, I could understand what he meant.
Taehwan’s unusual for coming home after every dungeon run.
Most people say they sleep rough on bare ground for days when they go dungeon hunting.
If you live like that all the time, you’d miss your bed and home like crazy.
No wonder camping wouldn’t seem fun.
Maybe this beautiful tent’s first trip is also going to be its last.
That thought made me feel sorry for it—I found myself gently patting the fabric, shoulders drooping.
“So I bought it for nothing? If this is a one-time thing, that’s kind of sad…”
“It’s not for nothing. We can set it up in the backyard at my place later. In the summer, we can go out and stargaze. In the winter, we could light a small fire for a barbecue.”
“Oh! That’s true!”
Right, the backyard is big enough.
It could definitely fit a tent this size.
At home, I couldn’t even imagine unfolding it in the living room.
It really hit me how big Taehwan’s house was.
The idea of pitching the tent in his yard, lying next to him, staring up at the night sky… just imagining it made me happy.
“That sounds amazing.”
Even if we wouldn’t see that many stars in the city, or even if it were an indoor camping site—it didn’t matter.
If I was with Taehwan, anywhere would feel perfect.
And right now felt perfect too.
Every second of it felt precious.
I had a feeling that, many years down the line, when I’m asked to recall my happiest memories, I’d think of these moments with Taehwan.
My heart swelled to the point it almost hurt.
The happiness was too much to handle alone, so I gently placed my hand over his.
His hand was a full knuckle longer, thicker, sturdier—and warm.
Comforting and kind.
Just holding it normally didn’t feel like enough to express what I was feeling, so I interlaced my fingers tightly with his.
It felt a little embarrassing, but since no one else was around, I figured it was fine.
Then I looked up at him and gave him a soft, bashful smile—and Taehwan suddenly flinched hard.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing…”
“Huh?”
“…Haah.”
If it’s nothing, why are you sighing like the world’s ending?
* * *
