Chapter 50: The Hero Who Came Back for One Person

About thirty minutes later, a customer arrived at the Pilgrimage General Store.

Knock, knock.

Sung Ji-woo, who had just finished the dishes and was sprawled on the sofa, sprang up at the sound. There hadn’t been a single customer since morning, so he’d assumed today was a lost cause.

Maybe the customer with a 5 p.m. reservation had come early. Ji-woo opened the door, automatically reciting his now-habitual greeting.

“Do you have a reservation?”

A musty dust smell wafted in—common among hunters who pass in and out of Gates, so he thought nothing of it.

The problem lay in the person entering his shop. His body was smeared with sticky liquid that looked suspiciously like monster blood, his outfit a mess as if he’d come straight from the field.

“I’m here.”

A deep, slightly rough voice that sounded far too pleasant. Ji-woo’s gaze slowly traveled upward—from the sharp jawline to the rest of the face coming into view.

A familiar yet strangely distant face he had seen on TV just moments ago.

Yoo Hee-ro.

Under his messy hair, the corners of his eyes curved beautifully as he looked at Ji-woo. The sudden shift in atmosphere yanked Ji-woo straight back to being nineteen.

“Hurry up and welcome me.”

Hee-ro pulled Ji-woo by the arm, and Ji-woo collapsed weakly into his embrace.

Thud.

The shop door closed behind them.

And then—

Thump-thump-thump-thump.

Pressed against Hee-ro’s chest, Ji-woo could hear his rapid heartbeat.

“I kept the promise—saved the world, got ranked first. Everyone’s calling me a hero. I did everything you said I could. So… f*ck, please don’t throw me away now.”

The sound of Hee-ro choking up froze Ji-woo’s entire mind.

“…No, wait—”

Ji-woo stayed in the man’s arms a long while, too stunned to move. He had tried to wiggle free once, but Hee-ro only hugged tighter. He was taller now, and apparently a lot stronger too.

Why is this kid so damn strong…

Meanwhile, Ji-woo—who had never even gone near a Gate—barely had any strength to begin with.

“…Did you finish crying?”

Hee-ro’s ragged breathing and pounding heart gradually calmed. Ji-woo lightly tapped his arm, signaling, let me go now.

“…Why didn’t you come today?”

Hee-ro finally loosened his hold, pouting like a sulky child. Ji-woo recalled what Lee Hye-rin had said—that Hee-ro was waiting only for him.

He’d brushed it off then, thinking it nonsense…

“I just… didn’t think you’d want to see me.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say, I didn’t think I needed to go. Hee-ro genuinely looked upset.

“How could you think that? I cleared the X-Gate because of you. If I could’ve, I would’ve come a day earlier.”

Ji-woo was nodding sympathetically when something clicked.

“Hold on. Wait.”

He replayed Hee-ro’s words and frowned.

“You cleared the X-Gate because of me?”

That made absolutely no sense. Why would he—?

And then, the sentences he’d typed carelessly came crashing back.

[Honestly, I think you could easily clear the X-Gate. You’ll probably say it’s impossible, but I believe you’ll become an incredible hunter. You’ll clear it (don’t forget to safely remove the core!), become a world-class hero, maybe even rank #1!]

“…Are you moved?”

Hee-ro nuzzled his face against Ji-woo’s neck like a cat. His hair tickled Ji-woo’s jaw, but Ji-woo was too stunned to react.

“Hey—no, that doesn’t make—”

“Why not? I already did it.”

“…Well, when you put it that way.”

He couldn’t say something was impossible when it had already happened.

Then Ji-woo’s eyes widened.

“Wait—then that thing you said… during the press conference….”

“You saw that?”

Hee-ro brightened instantly. Ji-woo felt dread creep up his spine.

“…That, who was it for—”

“Obviously you. How was my proposal? I thought clearing the X-Gate was an appropriate engagement gift.”

Ji-woo forgot how to speak.

“Ah! So this is where he ran off to!”

Lee Hye-rin burst into the store with that line.

Ji-woo gave them an awkward smile. Because Hee-ro refused to let go of him, he was squashed into the two-seater sofa with him.

It had seemed spacious when he sat there with Sun-rye earlier, but sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Hee-ro made it feel tiny.

Sun-rye, displaced from his usual spot, pitifully circled in front of them all day. Hee-ro didn’t acknowledge him. He also ignored Hye-rin and Shin Yoon-jae entirely.

“See? I told you.”

“I thought he got called by the Association or government for something urgent.”

The two plopped onto the floor, facing the sofa. Yoon-jae peeked under the lid of the ramen pot Ji-woo hadn’t cleaned yet.

“You had ramen? I’m hungry…”

“What! We were gonna celebrate Hee-ro’s return with barbecue!”

The pork belly restaurant they always used for gatherings had become their unofficial venue.

Hye-rin, ever sociable, now called the owner “Mom.” Yoon-jae called her “Auntie.” Ji-woo and Gu Min-ah still awkwardly stuck with “Owner.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Anywhere was fine as long as he could escape this cramped sofa. Ji-woo tried to stand—but Hee-ro tugged his clothes.

Thump.

Ji-woo landed right back on the cushion.

“Didn’t you say let’s go?”

Hye-rin blinked in confusion. Yoon-jae rubbed his stomach dramatically.

“Uh… well…”

Ji-woo opened his mouth to explain—but Hee-ro tugged his clothes again.

“…Never mind. I’m full. You two go without us.”

“What? See, this is why you shouldn’t have eaten ramen! Whatever. Hee-ro, let’s go.”

Hye-rin gestured for Hee-ro to get up. Yoon-jae was already at the door. But Hee-ro’s lips stayed clamped shut, unmoving.

He acted as if he heard nothing.

Before the two could question it, Ji-woo jumped in.

“He’s… he’s full too. So just go!”

“What kind of welcome party happens without the guest of honor?!”

“Why not? Totally possible!”

It made no sense, but Ji-woo said it anyway. Nothing worked on Hee-ro right now. He’d been stubborn like this for an hour already.

“…Really? Okay then. We’ll go?”

“Uh—yeah…”

They actually left?

Ji-woo stared in disbelief as their footsteps faded. Then, as if waiting for that exact moment, Hee-ro rested his head on Ji-woo’s shoulder.

“Uh… wanna at least look around the shop?”

Ji-woo needed to escape the awkwardness somehow. Hee-ro hesitated, then nodded, finally standing. Only then could Ji-woo move.

“When did you open this place?”

“Right after graduation. A few months ago? You know the Knocker Guild HQ next door? I interned there, and the guild master helped me get funding…”

Ji-woo rambled—then noticed something off.

He thought Hee-ro was looking around the shop.

But Hee-ro was staring only at him. Intently. As if the shop didn’t even exist.

His lip curled slightly on one side—or was Ji-woo imagining it?

“So you planned all this from the start?”

“Well… yeah.”

“And you didn’t tell me.”

“…It just happened that way?”

Half deliberate, half not.

“I see. So I just didn’t matter to you.”

“No—that’s not it!”

Ji-woo panicked as Hee-ro muttered gloomily.

It was the opposite. Ji-woo had assumed he wouldn’t matter to Hee-ro.

“I thought I’d see you soon so… when I first entered the X-Gate, I spent days wandering nonstop…”

“The X-Gate doesn’t even have day and night…”

Hee-ro ignored that, sighing deeply.

“It wasn’t until I passed the 30th floor that I heard you hadn’t gone in. And your friends all had artifacts you gave them…”

“I sent you way more! And the first artifact I ever made went to you—”

Hee-ro sighed again, pretending not to hear.

“I wanted to see you so badly I told them I’d come back today… but you didn’t come.”

“…Well…”

Ji-woo had no excuse. He truly never imagined Hee-ro would be waiting for him.

Hee-ro’s eyes glimmered faintly.

“I didn’t want to do the return ceremony today. Didn’t want the press conference either.”

“…”

“But I didn’t forget the proposal. It had to be today.”

Are you a child? Seriously? Like a kindergarten kid sulking because his parents didn’t come to his recital? You just finished saving the world!!

Ji-woo stared at him, speechless. Hee-ro watched him expectantly, like a child wanting praise.

“You’re not gonna praise me? I held onto that for three years.”

“…”

“Then I guess I’ll just wait for the answer to the proposal you keep pretending you didn’t hear—”

Before he could finish, Ji-woo burst out:

“Good job. Really, you did great. I didn’t think you’d take my words seriously but… you succeeded, so it’s amazing and impressive, and… yeah…”

Hee-ro watched him with surprising seriousness.

“I missed you.”

“…Yeah. I guess I kinda missed you too.”

Though the proposal part still felt absurd.

“Mm. I missed you a lot.”

Hee-ro’s eyes curved sweetly as he smiled, both corners of his mouth lifting beautifully this time.

Ji-woo thought:

…Something about this kid’s personality definitely changed.