Devil Hunter VIII

I watch the events unfold from outside the window. I am about to enter the establishment when Yun Hyuk exits the café.

"Yoo Yeonha, that kiss is the deposit… You want to be a Djinn. Oh~  I can do you better…"

I hear his playful tone while I pass by their chair. I am thankful that it does not escalate into a fight. I observe several Heroes who I assume belong to the Essence of the Strait. As I am undercover, I have to act the part.

However, contrary to the fact… I don't even need to act as the next series of events really surprises me with its development. At Yun Hyuk's departure, more than half of the people I assume to be civilians simply drinking their coffee follow him to the exit.

I hastily make my retreat with terrified eyes showing from behind my face mask. I feign my surprise as terror. I sit at a table adjacent to Yeonha while I maintain my back facing the crowd. The Heroes from Essence of the Strait don't find my actions as suspicious as they ignore me.

This is all thanks to the effects of [Always Here] which blends my presence to the background.

"How is it? Is Yeonha safe?" I hear Hajin buzzing from my earpiece. I hum softly, indicating that Yeonha is safe for now. I extend my hearing to Yeonha's table, checking if there is information noteworthy of my attention.

"All Heroes, standby…" Yeonha says to the closest person to her.

I feel Yeonha's gaze on me. "Who are you?"

Ah~ "Hello," I shyly answer back.

"Reveal your identity at once…" Yeonha demands of me. It looks like my disguise is not the problem and the reason as to how she is able to find me out. I release the effects of [Always Here] and remove my facemask.

Rachel shows a rather interesting reaction. "You are that… religious guy… What are you doing here?"

Rachel doesn't remember me. It hurts my pride, but I guess I am easily forgettable.

'Do you believe in Devils? I mean… What do you know of God?' A particular memory strikes me when I am researching Devils in the library. But before I can ask Rachel about the religious roots of England, Hajin just has to pull me by my ear.

"You know him?" Yeonha asks Rachel in amusement. "It is a surprise to me that the crazy fool is the princess's acquaintance."

Rachel recounts our encounter. "Yes, I know him. I mean, he is that guy who is proselytizing… something about belief in Devils and God…"

This is good. At least, Rachel doesn't remember me beating her up.

"He is also the guy with the others I am talking about. He beat me to a pulp…" Rachel adds nary a change in emotion from her voice. Ah~ It is too much wishful thinking for me for her to forget me, and of course, Rachel will remember me.

"I see…" Yeonha wipes out the blood from her lips and rubs it rather aggressively. I recall Yun Hyuk kissing her, and for a germaphobe, that alone is enough for Yeonha to want the world to end. "Let's go…" She tells to no one in particular.

Yeonha stands up, leaving me and Rachel on the table. At her departure, everyone from the café follows her outside. It is not just the heroes who are wielding their metal who follow her, but also the rest of the customers I initially assumed to be civilians.

So, that is the reason I am suspicious, and is easily found out. Everyone from the café is a member of Essence of the Strait except Yun Hyuk's lackeys a while ago. Yeonha is prepared to duke it out with Yun Hyuk. But clearly, Yun Hyuk has also come prepared.

As Yeonha's scheme miserably fails, she has no choice but to withdraw.

"Hey, how did Yeonha find out my cover?" I ask Rachel as I am still hung up on that.

Rachel kindly explains. "Yeonha-ssi sets up Heroes from her guild to surround the perimeter to stop civilians and unrelated parties from entering within several hundred meters of the café. If you are able to bypass them so easily, then you must really be strong… or specialized..."

I feel bad for myself. So, that is what those people barricading the pathways are doing. If Yeonha will pour that much effort into this, then she must really be determined to see this through.

"I try convincing her so that she doesn't get in your group's way… But she is stubborn. She believes that there is a benefit to be gained. But now, it has become more personal…" I sense maturity from how Rachel describes it.

Rachel is the kind of honest hard worker who thinks for the better of everyone. She is still the same, but she now puts more weight on her words. It's like, before beating her up, she is kind of a pushover.

Now, she has become less of a pushover considering that she is making her own moves on the basis of her own motivation. I often feel bad for Rachel, because when she does something, it is not for herself, but always for her country.

"Thank you, Rachel-ssi for backing us up!" I amicably express my gratitude to her. While her trying to convince Yeonha to not get involved is a failure, I believe that it is the thought that counts.

I pull the earpiece from my ear and wrap it around the tablecloth in thick layers with the hope that Hajin will not hear the next things that I am about to say. "My leader wants to minimize your involvement, and that's the same for Yeonha too. Believe me… The danger within Cube is far more threatening than any of us can imagine."

"Yes… I believe your group…" Rachel meekly tells me, while her head remains lowered, maybe in inferiority or a sense of bitterness.

"So, I will be making this personal request," I tell her. "My leader doesn't know this, so please keep this a secret from him…"

"Huh?" Rachel raises her head in confusion.

I begin explaining to her my motives. "If Yeonha is really insistent on tackling this Djinn problem within Cube, then I want you to be with her… Please protect Yeonha…" I sincerely ask for her help.

And I know. Rachel will not reject my request. After all, she is that kind of person.

Every one of us is a person of our own free will. Yeonha will do what she wants the way she wants to do it. I cannot stop her from doing what she wants. That is why I am resorting to this. "Do it for Yeonha, Ms. Rachel…" I can even go as far as to speak to Rachel in English.

I stand up from my seat and bow to Rachel at 90 degrees. "Please…"

Rachel is speechless, but I believe my words are able to get through to her. "Yes, I hear you… I will... Thank you for seeking my help…" She helps me on my shoulders, disallowing me to bow no more.

I take out a kind of button I buy at a premium online. I have Hosup recommend me some nifty gadgets as per my requirements. "This is a warning system… If something bad and unexpected happens, then by pressing this button, I will be able to immediately find you… Please stay by Yeonha's side."

I then remove the earpiece that is covered by the tablecloth and return it to my ears.

As it is an earpiece that Hajin enchants from his SP, then it is only safe to assume it has other functions like tracking and eavesdropping. I hear nothing from the earpiece. This must mean Hajin did not ask or say anything to me during the course of my talking to Rachel in private.

"Rachel-ssi… I am tasked by my club to bodyguard Yeonha. I will also do the same for you as you might also be targeted by the Djinn… Now, farewell… Please be safe…"

I bid Rachel goodbye, and exit the café.

***

"Shin Jonghak, I am glad that you are able to spare a few of your time to meet with me…" Yoo Yeonha addresses Jonghak with not an ounce of her affectionate tone.

It is a business without pleasure kind of arrangement on Yeonha's side.

But more than that, she is angry.

Jonghak squints his eyes severely realizing that there is something wrong going on. "What is it? What does Nayun have to do with this? Can you please stop fighting with… her…" He awkwardly requests as on the other hand is his crush, and the other is his childhood friend.

Hearing Jonghak plead for Nayun causes distaste to well in Yeonha's mouth. For some reason, she is having murderous intentions towards Nayun.

"Sigh…" Yeonha shakes her head in dejection as to how much Jonghak has been dancing on Nayun's palm. "Yes, it is about Nayun and it is important. Do you remember the Club she and Suho have come up with?"

This time, it is Jonghak who expresses his dejection. Of course, he knows! He even requests Nayun to let him join, but he is miserably rejected. "What of it?"

Yeonha recalls Rachel's warning that she must not meddle anymore, but decides against it in the end. "It is a club she built to research Djinns. It is a sensitive club, but is easily given the green light because of the people involved."

Suho, Nayun, Hajin, and Hyon… These four people are involved in the Djinn subjugation event. It annoys Yeonha that they did not even ask her to join. She is one of them who helps subjugate the Djinns back in the museum terrorism incident!

If not for Rachel telling her what is this club's real purpose, then Yeonha will have to remain ignorant for a long time until this controversy explodes.

"Jonghak," Yeonha softly calls to him. "There are Djinns hiding within Cube, and the club Nayun built is for the purpose of purging these Djinns…"

Suddenly, in midsentence, Yeonha starts vomiting blood.

Jonghak panics at the sudden reaction. "Yoenha!"