Chapter 40: A Friend’s Concern and a Mysterious Name

“……”

Yi-won, realizing Ji-ho was serious, finally threw up his hands. Simultaneously, the threatening magic that had filled the room calmly subsided.

“Alright, alright. I’ll keep it in check, okay? Happy now?”

“……Yes.”

Yi-won casually walked over to the dining table and sat down, as if nothing untoward had happened. He then flashed a bright smile at Kyung-hyun, who had been provoking him just moments before.

“Hello, Kyung-hyun.”

“Oh, uh, hi.”

Kyung-hyun, caught off guard, returned Yi-won’s greeting. While the situation was far from pleasant, it was fortunate that Kyung-hyun, being such a good-natured fellow, didn’t seem too bothered.

Ji-ho ordered their meal. Although he hadn’t personally moved any boxes, the stress of the move had left him exhausted. He simply wanted to enjoy a relaxed dinner with his friends, not engage in any subtle power struggles.

Nevertheless, after Ji-ho’s warning, Yi-won smoothly continued the conversation. His smile, more akin to a business facade than genuine camaraderie, felt out of place, yet it was preferable to their continued bickering.

Kyung-hyun, who worked at the Hunter Association, seemed incredibly busy. Lately, the decline in fissure prediction rates and the emergence of humanoid monsters had kept them on continuous high alert.

“It’s a wonder you managed to get away, considering how busy you are.”

“They let me go because I told them I was meeting you. To curry favor with the Association.”

Kyung-hyun spoke frankly, as if he had nothing to hide. Though he had awakened, he was only an F-rank, not much different from a regular person, and he was slightly tipsy.

“Those bastards at the Association, they ignored you, Ji-ho, and… You know, those sons of bitches. That’s why they’re scared now. Afraid you’ll bolt like Kang Tae-ju. As if Joo Yi-won isn’t enough of a headache already…”

Kyung-hyun abruptly stopped speaking, his mouth snapping shut in surprise. His eyes wide with shock, he met Yi-won’s gaze. Yi-won merely smiled, but Kyung-hyun flinched violently, startled, and began to hiccup.

Ji-ho poured him some water, offering an awkward smile.

“I know what you’re talking about. It must have been tough covering for my sudden return from Australia.”

“Oh, oh, you knew.”

*Tap.* Yi-won’s fingertip tapped lightly on the table. Though a seemingly trivial gesture, it drew immediate attention, perhaps imbued with his latent magic. Joo Yi-won’s gaze, fixed on Son Kyung-hyun for his slip of the tongue, was chillingly cold.

“Kyung-hyun. I think you should watch your words.”

“R-Right. My apologies. I must be drunk.”

Kyung-hyun readily agreed to Yi-won’s frigid tone, gulping down the cool water. Ji-ho regarded him with a hint of disapproval.

Strictly speaking, wasn’t it Yi-won’s fault for returning to Korea without permission from Australia? Of course, Ji-ho was grateful he had come back to help, as he would have died otherwise. But returning after helping would have been sufficient.

He sometimes couldn’t fathom why Yi-won was so overprotective. Did he see Ji-ho as a fragile human, prone to dying at the slightest provocation?

Instead of chastising Yi-won, Ji-ho offered a gentle smile to Kyung-hyun.

“Well, it’s fine as long as you don’t make the same mistake next time. It’s guild business, so you just overheard it… and I understand the Association’s position.”

Ji-ho discreetly observed Kyung-hyun’s reaction. If Kyung-hyun knew that Ji-ho had actually been attacked by a monster, he wouldn’t have been so nonchalant.

Since Ji-ho had frequently collapsed since childhood, not only Yi-won but also his other friends tended to be overly solicitous about his condition.

To avoid complicating matters, information about Ji-ho’s attack had been restricted. Kyung-hyun, who hadn’t yet risen to an executive position, seemed unaware of the full extent.

“And besides, you really think I’d just run off overseas? Cheongram is here.”

Ji-ho shrugged his shoulders.

Shin Ji-ho was originally meant to grow up separate from his family’s business. However, after becoming the world’s first Awakener and garnering public attention, Shin Ji-ho’s name became inextricably linked with Cheongram.

For a high-ranked domestic Hunter to fully relocate their base of operations overseas was a sensitive issue, directly tied to the nation’s security and its citizens’ safety. In fact, Kang Tae-ju, an S-rank Hunter operating from an overseas base, was being criticized even more harshly than Ji-ho.

Unless Cheongram completely withdrew its business from Korea, which was unlikely, Ji-ho would never leave the country.

“I want to immigrate, though.”

“What?”

Ji-ho and Kyung-hyun exclaimed simultaneously, startled. Receiving their astonished gazes, Yi-won shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Korea doesn’t allow same-s*x marriage, does it? If I want to marry Ji-ho, we’ll have to go to a country where it’s possible.”

“…Why are you trying to marry me without my permission?”

Ji-ho, dumbfounded, retorted brusquely, prompting Kyung-hyun to burst into laughter.

“Haha, you two are still at it.”

“We’re not ‘playing’; he’s just messing with me!”

“That’s the same thing you said before.”

To someone not directly involved, it must have simply been entertaining, as Kyung-hyun looked thoroughly amused. Ji-ho eventually laughed, too, despite his exasperation.

“Min-jae suggested we should pick a day to get together sometime. It’s been ages since we all met, hasn’t it?”

“It really has…”

From middle school through high school, a group of six—Shin Ji-ho, Joo Yi-won, Son Kyung-hyun, Kim Min-jae, Shin Woo-jin, and Cha Dong-hyuk—often hung out together.

After the Fissure Incident, the five friends reportedly visited Ji-ho frequently when he was hospitalized. Moreover, they consistently supported Ji-ho even when he faced accusations of rank manipulation.

They were precious friends.

However, everyone was so busy that it was difficult for them to gather in one place.

More accurately, the five had met many times, but it was difficult for Joo Yi-won to be included.

Ji-ho subtly glanced at Yi-won, who smiled as if he had been anticipating it.

“If you pick a day, I’ll clear my schedule for it. Let’s meet up.”

“Really? Are you sure it’s okay?”

“If it’s not for the whole day, just for a brief evening meeting.”

“That’s more than enough.”

Kyung-hyun excitedly posted a message in their group chat. Since it wasn’t easy to set a date immediately, they decided to plan it slowly, and the conversation shifted to other topics.

As friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, all sorts of topics were discussed: Kyung-hyun’s favorite baseball team, Min-jae’s new girlfriend, recently released movies, and even trivial things like what they had eaten that day.

Since all three were Awakeners, the conversation naturally drifted to topics concerning Awakeners, Hunters, and dungeons.

When the conversation was at its peak, Yi-won’s device suddenly rang. After a quick glance at the screen, Yi-won frowned deeply and rose from his seat.

“Just a moment. I need to take this call.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

Yi-won opened the door and stepped outside. A faint ripple of magic was felt, indicating he used spatial movement, and then Yi-won’s presence vanished.

Ji-ho idly looked around once before leaning closer to the table.

“Kyung-hyun, Kyung-hyun.”

“Huh?”

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask you…”

“Something you want to ask?”

“Yeah.”

Ji-ho looked around one more time and lowered his voice considerably.

“Have you ever heard of something called ‘Ifrit’?”

“Ifrit? What’s that?”

He hadn’t held much hope, yet the complete lack of recognition was still disappointing.

In truth, asking about Ifrit was one of his reasons for meeting Kyung-hyun today. That was precisely why he had tried so hard to get Joo Yi-won away.

It would be quicker to ask via phone or message, but…

Information about Ifrit was simply unobtainable through Ji-ho’s own search. If ‘Ifrit’ was something forbidden, making information hard to find…

Considering that possibility, he was reluctant to leave any trace where others might overhear or snoop. That’s why he had wanted to ask in person.

However, the outcome betrayed his expectations. Instead of showing his disappointment, he simply offered a casual smile, as if it were no big deal.

“I don’t know either… I just wondered if you knew anything about Awakeners, dungeons, items, or skills—anything at all.”

Kyung-hyun frowned, falling silent.

Ji-ho had thought Kyung-hyun might know, given that he worked for the Hunter Association and had a keen interest in Awakeners. Perhaps it had been an overestimation.

“If you don’t know, it’s fine. It’s not that important…”

“No, wait a minute.”

Kyung-hyun cut Ji-ho off. He then pressed a hand to his forehead, his expression puzzled.

“I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“Really?”

Ji-ho’s face lit up instantly. Kyung-hyun, a little flustered, waved his hand.

“No, but I’m not entirely sure…”

“It’s okay. Just let me know if you find anything.”

“But why are you looking for it? You only seem to know the word.”

“Hmm… well.”

Ji-ho hesitated, unsure how to answer Kyung-hyun’s question. There were too many complications if he spoke truthfully.

How could he explain that he had survived a situation that should have been fatal thanks to a mysterious skill called [Ifrit’s Protection], and now he needed to know what it was?

He didn’t want to explain the detailed circumstances, and it was still too soon to reveal that he could see a system window.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Son Kyung-hyun. But he was wary of revealing it prematurely to others, at least until he understood this ability himself.

As Ji-ho struggled to speak, Kyung-hyun waved his hand dismissively.

“No, no. I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to say anything if it’s difficult.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’ll tell you when I can.”

“Alright. Just wait a few days. I’ll try my best to find out anything even remotely related to Ifrit.”

“Kyung-hyun… Thank you.”

Ji-ho gripped Kyung-hyun’s hand, which rested on the table, expressing his gratitude. Friends truly were the best. He smiled contentedly, thinking this, when a strong hand intervened, prying Ji-ho’s hand away.

It was Joo Yi-won.

He had returned quickly, even though spatial movement usually took longer. Yi-won, who had suddenly reappeared, glared fiercely at Kyung-hyun.

“I told you not to flirt with someone else’s boyfriend.”

“Joo Yi-won.”

Ji-ho warned him in a low voice, but Yi-won only released Ji-ho’s hand after meticulously returning it to its original position on the table. When Ji-ho glared at him, he finally feigned an innocent, pitiable look.

“Yes, yes.”

“You two really haven’t changed a bit.”

Instead of being annoyed, Kyung-hyun chuckled, finding it amusing. Thanks to him, the atmosphere lightened considerably.

****

After seeing Kyung-hyun off into a taxi, Ji-ho walked home with Yi-won.

Unlike his usual self, who constantly got on Ji-ho’s nerves, Yi-won walked silently, his expression unreadable.

Yi-won’s steps ahead of him were a little fast.

Ji-ho gazed intently at his back, which had grown much broader than his own.