Chapter 24: With Her.

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe they had a lovers’ quarrel while having coffee at the cafe?”

At my random joke thrown out to change the subject, Han Yu Ri laughed and said.

“That makes no sense. Surely an S-class couple wouldn’t do that because they fought at a cafe?”

“That could be the case. Kim Joon Hyuk might not have had his shield on because he was meeting his girlfriend.

Then Joo Hyun might have said, ‘Oppa, you’re too much!’ and put a debuff on him and hit him.

And then he might have gone ‘Ouch!’ and flown away.”

“That’s absurd.”

Han Yu Ri said, bursting into laughter as if it was ridiculous.

“Hunter Yu Ri, you shouldn’t do that to your boyfriend just because you’re angry.”

Since Han Yu Ri laughed anyway, I decided to be even funnier.

“I wouldn’t do that!”

At my attack, Han Yu Ri got defensive, laughing.

“First of all, I don’t even have a boyfriend. And unless it’s a civilian or an E-class Hunter, there’s no man who would fly away from being hit by me.”

“Ah, so you just have a ‘meow punch’.”

“I’m not that weak though!”

When I teased her, Han Yu Ri pouted and playfully swung her adorable fist at me.

‘Is that really a meow punch?’

She had absolutely no idea how to punch.

“I’m curious, can you hit me once later?”

If Han Yu Ri buffed herself with an attack power blessing and hit me, how much damage would it do?

I was purely curious as a Hunter.

“Yes…?”

Han Yu Ri, who heard my words, replied in great surprise.

‘Why?’

‘What’s strange?’

Thinking that, I realized.

Ah, it is strange.

“Ah, that might have sounded a bit strange. It’s, it’s not like that. As a Hunter…”

“Geon-nim… Do you like that sort of thing?”

Huh?

“Yes…? What…”

“Being hit by a woman… like that?”

“No, no, it’s not like that.”

‘What is she talking about?’

I quickly said no.

“Getting hit with a fist… is that what you like the most?”

Han Yu Ri said playfully, with a slight hint of disgust.

Ah, she’s joking around.

It seems she’s getting revenge for me constantly teasing her until now.

“Yes.”

That kind of joke wouldn’t work on me.

I deliberately answered confidently to make Han Yu Ri flustered.

Perhaps she hadn’t expected me to say yes, Han Yu Ri froze.

She couldn’t react.

“I’m kidding. I’ve heard a lot that even S-class Buffers are very weak if they buff themselves, so I was purely curious about the damage as a Hunter.”

Thud.

While I was seriously explaining, Han Yu Ri made a sound with her mouth playfully and slowly, lightly hit my shoulder with her fist.

‘Oh, you little…’

‘You mean you won’t back down either.’

“If you hit me like this… is it good?”

Han Yu Ri asked again in a tone deliberately meant to tease.

“Yes. It’s very good. Please hit me more.”

“Ah, I lose. I was wrong.”

I didn’t back down.

I looked into Han Yu Ri’s eyes and said playfully, confidently.

I heard Han Yu Ri laugh.

And she soon laughed and declared surrender.

We talked about this and that some more.

Then we started talking about the hair color of S-class Hunters.

“Perhaps because Joo Hyun is a Debuffer, her hair is still black even after awakening to S-class. Hunter Han Yu Ri’s hair color is truly beautiful.”

When I complimented her, Han Yu Ri gave an awkward laugh.

“Among female celebrities, I’ve only seen one person with this hair color. Shin Ji Eun.

Of course, it’s not exactly the same.”

Shin Ji Eun.

The top idol group Siren, currently most popular in Korea.

The most popular member within that group.

Since the appearance of Hunters in the world, S-class Hunters have gained such immense popularity that the status of celebrities like actors and idols has waned somewhat compared to the past.

But celebrities were still celebrities.

No matter how popular S-class Hunters were, there was still a large demand for liking celebrities.

Shin Ji Eun was the hottest among them.

Even I, who had little interest in idols, knew about her.

I often saw her with long sky blue hair appearing on broadcasts.

Of course, the color dyed with hair dye and Han Yu Ri’s hair color were different.

Han Yu Ri’s hair color was affected by magic power, subtly shimmering, making it much more beautiful.

Unless each strand of hair had tiny LEDs embedded to make it shine beautifully and subtly, it was an effect that couldn’t be produced with human hair dye alone.

That’s how mysterious and beautiful the hair color of an S-class Hunter was.

“Ah, Yu Ah?”

Han Yu Ri replied.

She dropped the family name?

Are they acquainted?

“Ah, yes. Are you acquainted?”

“Yes.

Yu Ah said she really liked me and dyed her hair to match my hair color.”

Han Yu Ri said, sounding a little shy.

‘So that’s it.’

As expected, she was like a celebrity even to celebrities.

That impressive Shin Ji Eun had copied Han Yu Ri’s hair color.

“You’re popular with women.”

At my words, Han Yu Ri smiled shyly, feeling embarrassed.

“By the way, Hunter Yu Ri, where were you going in a dress when you came here to defend?”

“Ah, I was going out with a friend…”

“Then shouldn’t you be going?”

“It’s already too late. I already contacted her and canceled earlier, saying I couldn’t go. Where were you going, Geon-nim?”

“Ah, I was going to… this crazy… Ah, I’m sorry.

Joo Hyun asked me to bring her things.

I was going to her guild to quickly give them back and be completely done with it because it’s annoying.”

“Why did she specifically ask Geon-nim to bring them? She could just send a delivery.”

“That’s what I said. I can’t figure out what she’s thinking. But if I give them to her now, it’ll really be the end.”

“Then… Would you perhaps… like to come with me?”

Han Yu Ri, who had been listening quietly to my words, seemed to be nervous for a moment, then said to me.

“Yes?”

“Well, you see… Your ex-girlfriend has a boyfriend, and it would be a bit awkward for Geon-nim to go alone, wouldn’t it? I’ll go with you.”

She would go with me to meet Joo Hyun?

It was an incredibly unexpected offer.

“Yes? No, still, how can I take an S-class Hunter with me for a personal matter? I shouldn’t do that.”

“What does it matter? My plans were canceled today, so I have nothing to do.  It’ll be a long time until my magic power is fully charged.

I can’t do anything until my magic power is charged, can I? And Geon-nim is my savior. This is nothing.”

She seemed sincere.

As for me, if Han Yu Ri came with me, it would naturally be great.

Going alone to the BM Guild, where it was obvious Joo Hyun would be with Kim Joon Hyuk, was something I already disliked.

It felt like I would appear shabby somehow.

But if Han Yu Ri came with me, I would be very grateful.

It felt a bit apologetic to take an S-class Hunter with me for a personal matter.

Normally, I would have refused.

But since I was going to see the infuriating Joo Hyun, I couldn’t refuse.

“If you do that, I would be very grateful. Then, I request your help.”

I smiled at her and playfully extended my hand, asking for a handshake.

“Yes.”

She smiled and gladly took my hand and shook it.

“Shall we go then? Perhaps your body is a bit better now? Your back, and your hand, and all.”

“Yes. It seems to have healed somewhat.”

I said, turning my right hand and back this way and that to check.

“I’ll drive.”

Han Yu Ri seemed worried about the state of my hand.

“Then are you just going to abandon that cute little car on the road? Let’s just go in our own cars.”

It was already enough that Han Yu Ri was coming with me; having her drive me felt a bit too much.

If an S-class Hunter was my chauffeur, it would feel too burdensome to ride with such reverence.

“Yes. Alright.”

Han Yu Ri went along with my wishes.

We soon arrived at the Hunter Association headquarters, where the BM Guild building was located.

A majestic city wall blocked Han Yu Ri and me.

This is the Hunter Association headquarters I only saw in the media…

I had never been here on purpose, so this was my first time seeing it in reality.

Since it was a place I had seen dozens of times in the media, its form was familiar.

But seeing it in person, the presence was much more overwhelming.

An incredibly majestic city wall, built to feel like the last bastion of South Korea.

Inside are gathered all of Korea’s largest, super-large guilds.

It’s a place that no one can enter, so although Han Yu Ri might be able to enter, I will probably never be able to enter there in my lifetime.

[I’m here. Come out.]

A great place I could absolutely never even visit once.

Even within such a place where only the best of Korea were gathered, I called out Joo Hyun, who was surely reigning like a queen just because she was Kim Joon Hyuk’s girlfriend.

Joo Hyun didn’t read the message.

Ah, I don’t even want to call Joo Hyun.

Just read the message.

Please.

But Joo Hyun didn’t read the message, whatever she was doing.

I didn’t want to, but I had no choice but to call Joo Hyun.

“Hello.”

Joo Hyun answered the phone.

She answers the phone quickly.

“I’m here. Come out to the entrance.”

“Okay. Alright.”

Joo Hyun replied like that and hung up the phone.

While Joo Hyun was coming out, I looked at the city wall some more.

This place, the dream of all South Korean Hunters.

If Joo Hyun were still my girlfriend, would I have been able to enter once thanks to Joo Hyun?

Would I have walked around inside hand-in-hand with Joo Hyun, laughing?

Such useless thoughts crossed my mind for a moment.

I said I would make her regret it, but how could I make Joo Hyun, who had become a queen even in such an amazing place, regret it?

A slight sense of self-deprecation washed over me.

I stared blankly at Han Yu Ri standing next to me.

If Han Yu Ri hadn’t come with me, I would have felt much more miserable.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“It’s nothing. Even if something comes up and you need to come again, I’ll come with you anytime.”

Han Yu Ri, still covering her face with a hat and mask, spoke kindly to me.

‘You’ll come again too?’

Even if it was just empty words, her words comforted my heart greatly, to the point where it didn’t matter if they were empty words.

After talking with Han Yu Ri and waiting for a while, I saw Joo Hyun coming from a distance.