At first, the call was simply to ask whether he would attend.
It was a young man on the line, adding a rather formulaic explanation that this was for the smooth preparation of the awards ceremony.
“No, I won’t be attending.”
Seong Ji-woo answered without much thought. He’d received a few of these calls in his previous life, too. After refusing three times, they usually stopped altogether.
So he assumed this time would be the same. Endure about three years of mild annoyance, and after that, they’d automatically mark Absent next to his name.
[-Yes, we’ve confirmed that you will not be attending. Thank you.]
And indeed, the first call ended just like that.
The problem was that it was only the first call.
He realized something was wrong much later—when Yoo Hee-ro’s phone started ringing.
[-Hello, Hunter Yoo Hee-ro. This is the Hunter Association. We’re calling regarding an invitation we previously sent you.]
Yoo Hee-ro listened quietly to the robotic introduction. In truth, his attention was entirely elsewhere—on Seong Ji-woo, who was spreading jam on a slice of bread for him.
Seong Ji-woo mouthed, Who is it?
Yoo Hee-ro shook his head, pretending he didn’t know, even though he was clearly listening.
“Spam? Then hang up. Why are you even listening?”
[-We’re contacting you to confirm your attendance at the upcoming Hunter Meritorious Service Awards—]
The voice on the other end was cut off with a single tap. Yoo Hee-ro had ended the call without hesitation the moment Seong Ji-woo spoke.
Seong Ji-woo folded the evenly jammed bread in half and handed it to him. Half the bread disappeared in one bite.
“Good? They said it’s from the most famous bakery around here.”
The bread and jam were a get-well gift from Lee Won-jae, a guild member. Coincidentally, he worked at a bank near the hospital, so he knew all the good places to eat in the area.
Seong Ji-woo had benefited greatly from that knowledge. They were basically “Top 100 Lunch Spots for Office Workers” type recommendations, but anything was better than hospital food.
Even the soft tofu stew from earlier had been on Won-jae’s Top 20 list.
Lee Won-jae had come to visit with Son Ji-hwan, but unfortunately, Seong Ji-woo had been taking a nap at the time. Won-jae had panicked, thinking he’d collapsed again, and burst into tears.
If Yoo Hee-ro hadn’t returned from refilling the humidifier and found him, he might’ve cried like that for tens of minutes. Fortunately, Yoo Hee-ro calmly told him Seong Ji-woo was just sleeping.
Well—“Hyung is sleeping. What do you think you’re doing?” was the actual phrasing, delivered in a rather chilly tone.
Either way, the commotion woke Seong Ji-woo, who startled at the sight of a tear-soaked Lee Won-jae.
When asked why he was crying, Won-jae sniffled and said he thought Seong Ji-woo had collapsed again.
Seong Ji-woo assured him that couldn’t be the case—he was perfectly healthy. He even thumped his flat chest to prove it, then felt a little awkward at how little muscle there actually was.
…Maybe I should start working out.
He hadn’t been that weak originally, but after such a long hospital stay, it felt like his muscles were steadily wasting away.
While he was thinking that, Lee Won-jae sniffed and handed him a paper bag. Inside were loaves and loaves of bread.
The one Yoo Hee-ro had just demolished in two bites was among them.
“Anything you give me tastes good.”
“Yeah, yeah. Shouldn’t have asked.”
At Yoo Hee-ro’s predictable answer, Seong Ji-woo stuffed a jam-covered slice into his own mouth. After chewing for a while, he nodded appreciatively.
“It really is good.”
And then Yoo Hee-ro’s phone rang again.
[-Hello, this is the Hunter Association. It seems the call was disconnected earlier due to a communication issue.]
“……”
Yoo Hee-ro still didn’t respond, though his face briefly showed regret for having answered at all. Seong Ji-woo noticed immediately.
“What is it? Spam again?”
[-As you know, the Hunter Meritorious Service Awards, hosted annually by the Hunter Association, is an honorable and meaningful event created to express our gratitude to hunters who have worked hard throughout the year—]
Yoo Hee-ro pulled the phone away from his ear.
“It’s the Association.”
“The Association? Why? Don’t tell me they’ve got the nerve to ask you for favors now.”
“I’m not sure if it’s a favor or not…”
“What are they saying?”
“The thing you mentioned before.”
Only then did Seong Ji-woo realize what the call was about. Yoo Hee-ro immediately gave his answer.
“I’m not going.”
[-W-wait just a moment, Hunter Yoo Hee-ro!]
Unlike with Seong Ji-woo, whose refusal had ended things cleanly, the staff member clung on desperately. Even hearing the urgency in the voice, Yoo Hee-ro remained indifferent.
He seemed far more interested in the scone in Seong Ji-woo’s hand. As Seong Ji-woo spread butter on it, he sighed in defeat and brought it closer.
Yoo Hee-ro beamed and took a bite. Seong Ji-woo wiped the crumbs from his lips with his thumb, making the corners of Yoo Hee-ro’s mouth curve even higher.
[-From what we understand, Hunter Yoo Hee-ro officially began full-scale hunter activities this year. Prior to that, you were continuously deployed at X-Gate.]
“So?”
The reply was flat and annoyed. Seong Ji-woo rummaged through the bread bag. The pastries weren’t overly sweet, pleasantly nutty, and surprisingly good. There were so many varieties—some he’d never seen before.
To think he’d died in his last life without ever tasting things like this… He felt a little sorry for his past self.
[-The awards ceremony would be an excellent opportunity to make your first public appearance. Many people are hoping to meet you.]
“Yeah. I don’t want to meet them.”
[-Ah… I see. If you’re very busy, perhaps you could come just for the awards portion at the end? Would that still be difficult?]
“Yes.”
As the call dragged on, Seong Ji-woo started paying attention.
[-May I ask if there’s a specific reason you don’t wish to attend?]
“Hyung isn’t going.”
The childish simplicity of the answer left the other party silent for a moment. Seong Ji-woo covered his forehead, thinking Why would you say it like that?
Yoo Hee-ro, meanwhile, looked perfectly calm.
[-…If I’ve understood correctly, by ‘hyung,’ do you mean Deputy Guild Leader Seong Ji-woo of Gwangmyeong?]
The staff member was perceptive. From that short answer alone, he’d accurately deduced who the “hyung” was.
“Yes.”
After Yoo Hee-ro confirmed it, the staff member asked him to hold, then put on waiting music.
[-You will now be connected to a representative. Please wait. Thank you.]
A formal message followed, along with classical music. Yoo Hee-ro set the phone down on the table.
After a moment, there was a soft click, and the voice returned.
[-Thank you for waiting. We’ll place your attendance status on hold for now and contact you again later.]
The call ended. Yoo Hee-ro gathered the empty wrappers and tossed them into the trash, clearly unconcerned with the outcome.
Just as Seong Ji-woo was about to hand his phone back, it rang again.
“Another call.”
“Not mine.”
“Huh?”
He checked Yoo Hee-ro’s phone—nothing. Then he realized the ringing was coming from his own pocket.
“What, it’s mine?”
He answered the unregistered eleven-digit number.
[-Hello, this is the Hunter Association. Is this Hunter Seong Ji-woo?]
It was a voice he’d heard before. He replied, puzzled.
“…I’m pretty sure I already said I wouldn’t be attending the ceremony.”
[-Yes, we’ve confirmed your intention not to attend. We’re calling because there’s something we’d like to discuss regarding that. Do you have a moment?]
“Go ahead.”
[-The awards ceremony has been held continuously since the founding of the Korean Hunter Association and is a historically significant event—]
The staff member suddenly launched into an explanation of the ceremony’s history and significance. Seong Ji-woo tried to read between the lines, his brow furrowing.
When it did, Yoo Hee-ro’s fingers briefly touched his forehead, then withdrew.
“So what’s your point?”
[-…If you would attend and grace the event, it would be a great honor.]
Even through the phone, Seong Ji-woo could sense how desperate the staff member was. No matter what, they were determined to get him to the ceremony.
The conclusion was obvious.
“Is this because of Yoo Hee-ro?”
[-Not exactly… but to be honest—yes.]
That response clearly wasn’t in the manual. The staff member’s tone shifted, a faint sigh slipping through.
[-Hunter Yoo Hee-ro cited Hunter Seong Ji-woo as his reason for declining.]
“……”
[-We would be very grateful if the two of you could attend together…]
The voice at the end was trembling. Feeling a bit sorry, Seong Ji-woo hesitated—just for a moment.
“Thank you for the offer, but maybe next time.”
A refusal was still a refusal.
And after hearing that, the staff member came to Seong Ji-woo’s hospital room the very next day.
With an enormous fruit basket in tow.
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂