Chapter 22: The Side Effect He Locked Away

“It is a little strange. I can accept that you awakened as a buffer, but why did you help me earlier?”

If you came to rescue me first, then its only natural that I help you.

Don’t tell me Hunters have never helped you like this before?

Were you only ever used?

Joo Ji-chan… I’m sorry.

I should have made you a smarter character.

“Because you were fighting to save me.”

Joo Ji-chan shook his head from side to side.

“It’s strange. You don’t seem like someone from this world. Or maybe… I’m the one misunderstanding. There’s no way an Awakener would be that kind.”

Is he suddenly feeling grateful now?

Still, his personality is upright at least.

Just as I was about to tell him he didn’t need to thank me so much, Joo Ji-chan said something completely unexpected.

“So in the end, you’re looking down on me too. Did you think I’d lose to someone like Baek Eun-hoo?”

No- how did your thoughts even get there?

I was so flustered I didn’t know how to respond.

What kind of brain structure does this guy even have?

Out of all the characters I’d met so far, he was the simplest, and the strangest.

“No. It’s not that I was looking down on you. I just gave the buff I had to someone on my side.”

“On the same side? Who says I’m on the same side as you?”

“Then why did you come to save me?”

“Well, that’s because…”

Joo Ji-chan’s eyes darted back and forth before stopping squarely on Ju-an’s face.

When their eyes met, he snorted and continued.

“Seriously, you’re unbelievable. There’s a limit to self-delusion. Who said I went to save you? I went to deal with that unlucky bastard Baek Eun-hoo.”

“Ah, yes. I see. I’m sorry for misunderstanding.”

Seong Ju-an answered like that and closed his mouth.

When I created Joo Ji-chan’s character, I don’t remember selecting an ‘actions and words don’t match’ trait, but after actually talking to him, it was obvious.

He was someone whose words and actions never aligned.

It wasn’t like Baek Eun-hoo, who always had some ulterior motive, Joo Ji-chan just seemed to hide his good intentions because he wanted to look strong.

Well, he was annoying, but if you tried, you could almost call him cute…

Ju-an stopped thinking mid-sentence.

Joo Ji-chan had suddenly started pacing around the room, repeatedly shouting, “It’s hot…!”

A bad feeling crawled over my skin.

“Uh, um, Joo Ji-chan. Please calm down. If you’re hot, why don’t you turn on the air conditioner, or maybe take a cold shower?”

“Hah… haah… Don’t say stupid things. That’s not going to fix this.”

“Then why have you been like this the whole time?”

Joo Ji-chan twisted his face in agony as he spoke.

“It’s because of awakening side effects! Not because I’m some kind of pervert! f*ck- having prey right in front of my eyes… no, forget it! Just get lost while you’re still alive. Unless you want to die.”

I was about to tell him that stripping in front of someone was perverted behavior, when a conversation I’d once had with the adaptation writer during a meeting suddenly came to mind.

****

‘I’m thinking of adding an awakening side effect that matches fire, to give the character more plausibility. Something hot and intense. Do you have any ideas?’

‘If it’s hot and intense, how about sexual desire?’

‘Oh… that is good, but won’t it get flagged by the censors?’

‘Let’s plan it first and revise it later if it gets rejected.’

****

It hadn’t been finalized, so I’d completely forgotten about it…

Recalling the past, Seong Ju-an stared at Joo Ji-chan.

He was repeatedly licking his lips with his tongue, his face twisted in obvious suffering.

Right.

That’s it.

Overwhelming sexual desire.

Ha… that must be hell.

Then this iron door and padlock must have been built in preparation for times when he couldn’t control himself.

And when he told me to get lost earlier, it wasn’t anger, it was to protect the person in front of him.

Seriously…

If he’d just stayed quiet, he’d probably look cool.

Why does he have to ruin his image by talking like that?

I really don’t get it.

Thinking that, I felt even more guilty, like I’d done something unforgivable to him.

Everything I’d done so far amounted to preventing Joo Ji-chan, who was suffering from intense sexual desire, from getting any kind of release.

Seong Ju-an turned around immediately and said,

“Joo Ji-chan, you don’t need to force yourself to calm down. Your place is big, so I’ll stay in the room at the very end. Um, when it’s over and you need me to open the door, just shout.”

“Get lost.”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

Just as I started walking away to get as far as possible, Joo Ji-chan’s voice came from behind me.

“If you’re hungry, open the fridge and grab something to eat. There’s plenty of food in this house.”

Who’s worrying about who right now?

He should be worrying about himself.

“Hey, did you hear me?! On the first day after awakening, you have to eat a lot. That’s how you avoid side effects like mine. Eat, even if you don’t want to.”

He was a textbook tsundere.

I’d only heard annoying things from him, but for some reason, I thought of my mom back home, and my nose stung unexpectedly.

I hurried away to hide it.

****

Mo Jun-young picked up his phone, then placed it back on the desk.

Joo Ji-chan was a Hunter who cooperated well with the Center, so there was no real need to call and check, but he still couldn’t put his mind at ease.

He hadn’t been able to observe closely while dealing with the dungeon that appeared in front of the shopping mall, but Joo Ji-chan hadn’t looked well.

Still, he’d managed to rescue Seong Ju-an safely, so that was one less thing to worry about.

It was far better for Joo Ji-chan, who at least obeyed the law, to have Seong Ju-an, rather than Baek Eun-hoo or Gong Se-yoon.

But then why did this uneasy feeling refuse to go away?

Baek Eun-hoo’s words suddenly surfaced in his mind.

‘He pretended not to be an Awakener and smuggled the Constellation away.’

Seong Ju-an was suspicious… but at the same time, there was a chance Baek Eun-hoo was deliberately stirring things up.

Whether the Creator of Sacrifice had disappeared on their own, or Seong Ju-an had hidden them away, that wasn’t the most important issue right now.

With the Creator of Sacrifice, who possessed infinite coins, gone, the most coveted existence among Hunters was Seong Ju-an himself, who had awakened as an S-rank Buffer.

‘…Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?’

If Baek Eun-hoo had already thought this far ahead and was forming a strategy to claim the buffer, the situation could become far more troublesome.

‘This won’t do. I need to go get Seong Ju-an before Baek Eun-hoo does.’

Having made up his mind, Mo Jun-young stacked the scattered reports on his desk and stood up to leave his office, then paused.

****

At that same moment, Baek Eun-hoo and Gong Se-yoon were standing in front of Joo Ji-chan’s house.

Baek Eun-hoo clicked his tongue.

“There’s no point waiting here. Until Joo Ji-chan’s buff wears off, fighting him would just turn both of us into ashes.”

“If you want to leave, then leave by yourself! I’m taking Seong Ju-an with me no matter what.”

Baek Eun-hoo narrowed his eyes and looked at Gong Se-yoon.

“Hey, kid.”

Gong Se-yoon, who had been staring at the front door, answered irritably.

“What? And don’t call me a kid. You’re the old man here!”

Baek Eun-hoo frowned at being called an old man, but now wasn’t the time for pointless banter.

He needed to eliminate at least one competitor.

To Baek Eun-hoo, both Seong Ju-an, who had suddenly awakened as a buffer, and the Constellation known as the Creator of Sacrifice were highly desirable.

The ideal scenario would be to obtain both Seong Ju-an, with his triple-stat buff, and the Creator of Sacrifice, but if that wasn’t possible, he had to secure at least one.

“Why are you so determined to take Seong Ju-an? I thought you were only interested in the Creator of Sacrifice?”

Gong Se-yoon flinched.

His wavering eyes looked like those of a child who’d had their secret exposed.

“Why, what… then what about you?”

“I’m interested in both, that’s why I’m waiting. But why are you so obsessed with Seong Ju-an? What if the Creator of Sacrifice gets upset and refuses to contract with you later?”

“What? What did you say?!”

Gong Se-yoon’s eyes widened as he glared at Baek Eun-hoo.

He wasn’t even a fire-type Hunter, yet it looked like flames might burst from his eyes.

Baek Eun-hoo had expected a reaction, but this was stronger than anticipated.

He deliberately pushed further.

“You know contracts can be made with multiple people—but in the end, it’s always the Constellation’s choice.”

“Well, so what if it is?! Fine! I’m not interested in Seong Ju-an! I’m just waiting to demand he hand over the Creator of Sacrifice, since he supposedly smuggled them away and contracted alone!”

At that, Baek Eun-hoo simply smiled without responding.

It looked like Gong Se-yoon thought he’d created a plausible excuse, but to Baek Eun-hoo, his true feelings were completely transparent.

He was clearly interested in Seong Ju-an.

‘Tch, this is a problem… just how many competitors do I have to deal with?’

Baek Eun-hoo’s mind began spinning rapidly.

****

“…Did I add chili peppers first? Or garlic? No, how do you even cook without a recipe?”

Seong Ju-an let out a deep sigh as he stared at the ingredients spread across the sink.

He’d taken them out planning to make doenjang stew, but cooking was far too difficult for him.

“Ah, this is driving me crazy.”

There wasn’t even instant ramen.

No meal kits either.

The fridge was filled entirely with raw ingredients.

At least eggs or ham could be fried, so he opened the fridge again to look for those-

“What are you doing?”

Joo Ji-chan’s voice came from behind him.

Seong Ju-an froze.

He’d said absolutely not to come out, so if he had come out, did that mean he’d failed to endure the awakening side effects and was about to act on his desires?

Seong Ju-an instinctively wrapped his arms around himself, shoulders trembling, when Joo Ji-chan grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.