Chapter 4

Your brother's future as a hunter is uncertain. You had said. But have faith. He's managed to survive for this long without anyone's help.

Jinah laid on the bed, immobile. Faint moonlight shone through her window, illuminating deep shadows that ran throughout her room. The apartment felt different when her brother was there, and tonight it was as hollow as an empty shell.

Trust me. You'd said. Jinwoo trusted me enough to join the raids I gave him. You're going to have to trust me this time too.

I'll keep him safe.

I'll keep him safe…

It felt the same as before, back when her father had left for the gates and never returned. What was the difference? You had led her along back then, telling her to trust and believe, but it never made a difference, he had never come home.

It was as if she were paralyzed. As if she couldn't muster up the energy to even move. Jinwoo had stood there, in her mind, before being struck down in the dungeon like any other man.

And where would that leave her? Her family had already been torn apart. He was the only one she had left.

She sighed, nestling herself deeper into blankets.

She wished she could just… turn back time. Float away. Back to the period when the portals had never opened, when her family had still been whole.

Back when she felt safe.

"I can't wait any longer," she whispered into the dark. "Can't he just get home?"

But an idea came to her. A sliver of hope. If anything, there was one person she could turn to for help, someone from the Hunter's Association. But would they be mad? Jinah wondered as she dialed their number. It was awfully late, but...

"Jinah?" A hesitant voice finally responds on the other end. "Jinah, is that you?"

"Yes." She replies, a tremble in her voice. "My brother… I just need to know where he is."

"...Give me a minute." You sit up and clumsily reach for the tablet on your nightstand, squinting at the sudden onslaught of light. "...It says he just cleared a dungeon yesterday, about 9 hours ago."

"He's…" You stopped, stunned and silent. He's cleared 10 C-ranked dungeons in less than a day? How was this possible? Did another hunter help him?

Quickly glancing through the names of the other nine hunters, you are surprised to recognize none of them. In fact, they are all listed as D or E rank.

"He's what?"

"He's fine. So you shouldn't be too worried..." You paused, realization suddenly dawning on your face. "He's probably staying with someone overnight…did he get a girlfriend?"

"Tch, that's impossible..." Jinah mutters, making you smile. "Can you let him know I have a parent-teacher meeting today after class?"

"Today? When?"

"At five."

"I could try," you huff. "But he's recently been ignoring all my calls. Do you want me to come just in case he doesn't make it?"

"No. It's fine."

"Are you sure? I could drive you home."

"In that case, if it's not too much trouble..."

"It's not." You reassure her. A parent-teacher meeting would be a welcome break from your monotonous job at the Association. You might even be able to use it as an excuse to ditch work early.

"Okay then… Promise you'll be there?"

"I promise."

»»————-

"So... that's it? You asked. "It's all for the upcoming Jeju Island raid?"

Woo Jinchul shrugged. "The Japanese government is saying they can't really do much about it themselves, so that's where we come in. There's going to be a meeting soon, between the Japanese and Korean Association about strategy and distribution of magic cores."

You sat quietly, digesting the information. You're glad there's finally another serious attempt to retake Jeju Island, but something didn't sit right with you...

"Wait, isn't it overkill?" You asked. "They have over twenty S-ranked hunters, so if they wanted to, they could just take care of it themselves. It's not a threat to Korea, so why should we take the risk? It's already claimed the lives of one of our S-ranked hunters."

Jinchul nodded. "That's true. But we still don't know the full details yet. It's going to be the Chairman's call."

"We'll if that's all..." You stood, stretching your arms. "I'll be leaving early… I have an important meeting this evening."

"Did I miss something? I thought there's nothing scheduled for tonight?"

"It's a parent-teacher meeting."

Jinchul sucked in a breath. "What?"

"No, it's nothing like that." You laugh, walking towards one of the side exits. "I'm just filling in for one of my friends."

"Ah, I see." He exhaled, relieved. "I'll be seeing you later-" His eyes narrowed. "Are those my car keys?"

"Yes?" You looked down slowly at the item in your grasp."Who else but you would drive a Mercedes to work everyday?"

"Wait! That's my only vehicle! How do you expect me to get home today?" Jinchul shouted, desperately running towards you.

You grinned and picked up your bag. "Just take a taxi then!"

You dashed for the door, and when you opened it the wind blew violently around you, lifting your hair. "Don't be worried. I'll take good care of it!" You shouted over your shoulder.

The door banged shut.

»»————-

"Ah, so this is her high school..." The navigation system chirps, letting you know you've arrived.

You are somewhat taken aback by the size of the building. It's massive, four stories tall with a courtyard and running track. It looks every bit like the schools depicted in the K-dramas you watch all the time. When you enter, the hallways are mostly empty, save for distant voices coming from the surrounding classrooms. You must be early.

"Classroom 12-3… Classroom 12-3." You mutter, searching for Jinah's homeroom. Would that be on the upper or lower floors? You wished you had printed off a map, it would certainly make searching a lot more easier...

"Hey, haven't seen you before." Something taps you on the shoulder, startling you out of your thoughts. You turn, spotting a high school senior.

"Need any help?" He asks with a friendly grin.

"Yes." You said. "I'm here for the parent teacher meeting."

"As I expected! How have you found our school so far?"

"Uhm, It's great. But do you happen to know where classroom 12-3 is?"

He perks up at this. "Of course. Just follow me."

He takes your arm and leads you to the stairwell, heading up three floors and down the hall.

"Oh, here it is." You said, noticing Jinah waiting near the doorway. "Thank you very much."

You turn to leave, but his hold on your wrist still persists.

"Well pardon me if I'm too blunt, but…" He raises an eyebrow. "Are you here for your daughter… or perhaps are you a guardian of a student here?"

"No!" You quickly shook your head, briefly scrunching your nose at his assumption. You didn't look that old, did you? "I'm here for the sister of one of my friends… why does it matter to you anyway?"

"Just curious. You are very gorgeous. I wondered if I could give you my number." He bluntly admits with a sly smile.

"Huh?"

"W-What? No you may not!" Someone loudly shouts, pushing themselves in front of you. It's Jinah, and several other students perk up at the noise to stare at the three of you. "As if you're good enough. She's the Vice-Chairman of the Hunter's Association!"

"B-be quiet!" You plead, grabbing onto her arm.

"Besides, you're not her type." Jinah continued, playfully pointing a finger at your face. "She's into older guys, am I right?"

Erk!

"I'm sorry, but please excuse us." You hastily say, pulling Jinah away and towards an empty part of the halls.

You really didn't want to draw any attention to yourself, but it had happened anyway. Even now, you can spot a few students discreetly taking out their phones to sneak a picture of you two, making blood rush to your ears.

"Are you mad I embarrassed you?" Jinah asked as you pulled her further down the corridor. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"You're welcome." You scoffed. Couldn't she tell how loud she was? And how uncomfortable all the snide remarks made you? "When is the meeting starting, anyway?"

"The parent-teacher meeting starts in a few minutes, but we're going to the front of the school first. Jinwoo said he's waiting there."

"Oh, he came?" You look up in surprise. It had been a couple of weeks since you'd last seen him at the hospital, so you were looking forward to catching up.

"Yeah… just follow me. He said he's just arrived."

»»————-

You walk rather quickly towards the school entrance, nimbly dodging the groups of students and parents that idled the halls. Jinah is far behind you somewhere, desperately trying to keep up.

It had been ages since you've last met Jinwoo. What would you say when you met him again? You hoped you didn't seem desperate from all the missed calls. Maybe he was just busy lately, he had been clearing dungeons at a crazy pace...

...Ack!

Lost in thought, you unexpectedly bump face first into someone's chin.

"Sorry..." You mumbled, rubbing at the bridge of your nose. "My bad, I wasn't watching where I was-"

"..."

You paused, staring at the person in front of you.

He looked sharp, almost like one of those K-pop idols that you'd seen on television ads. But his body was distinctive, with awfully nice forearms and a build that suggested he was chiseled underneath his clothes…

"Vice-Chairman?"

"Huh?" You said stupidly. You felt heat rush into your face as you realized you had been staring the entire time. You pursed your lips, casually looking away to hide your embarrassment.

"Y-Yes that's me… but who're you?"

"Jinwoo."

"What?" It felt like an anvil was dropped into the pit of your stomach. "You're Sung Jinwoo!?

"Yeah."

"Have you been working out!?"

"Something like that." He gave you a curious stare, and you felt yourself burning up again.

"Y-You've sure grown…!" You manage to stutter out, completely avoiding his eyes. He's like an entirely different person, and his aura feels… powerful.

Is this really that cute, awkward young man you had last seen weeks ago? It was as if someone had chiseled out all the baby fat from his face and gave him the body befitting a greek god.

"Did Jinah ask you to come for the parent-teacher meeting?" He asked.

"Yes!"

"Huh." Jinwoo said simply, smiling at you. "Thank you."

You felt your face flush yet again.

It was so humiliating, being unable to control your emotions like this. You had to get out of here, before you embarrass yourself in front of him even further.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jinwoo asked. "You look like you have a fever."

"I-I'm fine!" You said rather loudly, causing him to flinch. "I-I just need to rest for a bit. Since you're here, I'll leave the rest up to you!"

"Well, okay then." He offers you a tiny wave which you shyly reciprocate. "See you later."

"See you!"

As soon as he leaves your sight, you are left with an irresistible urge to hit something.

"What the heck is wrong with me?" You mumbled, resting your burning face against your arm. Upon seeing him, your confidence and composure had suddenly left your body, making you feel extremely vulnerable, as if you were in front of another Ruler.

This was the first time you've met him in weeks, and you totally blew it. Could a few weeks of exercise and a new haircut really change someone that much? There was no way right? There was something fishy going on here.

"Huh, That sure went badly." Someone commented, startling you.

You turn. It's the same high school senior from earlier.

"You saw all of that, huh?" You groaned, feeling incredibly self conscious. It was bad enough to make a fool out of yourself, but having an audience made it so much worse.

"Don't feel too bad. I would've had a similar reaction. He looks so much like an idol, it's unfair." The student leans on the wall next to you.

"Ugh, don't remind me." You grumbled, scowling into the floor. "Nevermind all that, what do you want from me?"

"Your number."

"Absolutely not." You scowled, stomping towards the school exit. "Can't you take a hint? I'm not in the mood."

"Ah, you're misunderstanding my intentions." He hurriedly raised both hands as if to placate you. "I know you're an S-ranked hunter working with the Association..."

"So?"

"I came to ask if I could get a job." He said simply. "I'm graduating soon, and I've recently been awakened as a B-ranked hunter…"

"Why bother?" You glowered. "We don't pay as well as everyone else. Besides, B-rank is already high enough to get into any one of South Korea's top guilds."

"I know that. But I don't want to risk my life, and I plan on finishing high school." He said. "So I'm fine clearing lower ranked Association raids for now."

You went quiet. Did he really want to join the Hunter's Association? You only had a few strong hunters, especially after Kang Taeshik from the monitoring division went crazy and had been put down. Opportunities like this came so rarely you couldn't afford to turn him away.

"In that case..." You hold your phone out to him. "Please enter in your number right here. Someone from the Association will contact you shortly."

"Yes." He brushes your hand as he takes it from your grasp, punching in the digits with familiarity before handing it back.

"I'll look forward to seeing you then." You gingerly take the phone from him. "Also, what's your name?"

"Jung Seok."

"Great." You offer him a nod goodbye and head towards the exit. It seems like you didn't come here for nothing after all. Managing to poach a new B-rank hunter was almost like winning the lottery for some guilds, and even for the Association it was something worth celebrating.

But there's something that has been bugging you ever since you saw Jinwoo...

Not only did he look different, his aura felt stronger. Almost like a low tier S-ranked hunter. But it could just be your mind playing tricks on you in the heat of the moment…

"Damn it!" You shouted. You should have stayed longer and studied him longer. With the rate he's been clearing dungeons, and the Jeju island business, who knew when you'll have the chance to meet him again.

If you suddenly went back, would he think you were weird? It would be awkward to say the least.

"Wait…I'm one of the directors of the Hunters Association... I can just ask him for a re-evaluation..."

»»————-