It had been nearly two months.

With so many overlapping events like Jormungandr’s southward advance and Edmond’s visit to Korea, it felt like it could have been ages ago. However, Jun-ho waking up was an event that fell into an ambiguous boundary—neither too long nor too short—when considering the years he had been missing.

That was why the news spread like wildfire.

It happened before the reporters, who had been roaming around for a scoop, could even pack up and leave.

[Currently, a massive crowd has formed in front of Hwaeum Hospital in Cheon-hwa! People are flocking upon hearing the news that Hunter Chun Jun-ho has awakened…]

[The Hero has completely returned to our side after a long hiatus. As news to commemorate a hopeful new year…]

[Hunter Chun Jun-ho is currently undergoing various examinations in his hospital room. The Korean Hunter Association…]

Korea was already a country where news traveled fast, so the chaos was beyond imagination.

Online reactions likewise spared no joy over his remarkably early return to the public, despite previous uncertainties about when he would ever wake up. People were busy celebrating, eagerly awaiting the first words he would deliver at an official event.

It was during such a time.

Jung-woo hurriedly headed to Hwaeum Hospital with Ho-jong.

Entering the hospital vicinity was difficult due to the crowds.

Appearing at the main entrance would obviously cause an even bigger commotion, leaving them with only one option.

“Let’s go with a Phase Shift.”

“Yeah.”

It was exquisite timing for Jung-woo as well, and something he had been eagerly anticipating.

Just as much as the fact that he had awakened, the secrets of the Erosion Zone or parasites that he must be holding were invaluable information to Jung-woo, making him anxious.

However, Ho-jong wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

He had been frantic ever since he first visited the office.

Recalling how affable and easygoing he usually was in everyday life, this was a starkly contrasting attitude.

It wasn’t difficult to understand.

Ho-jong was a man who had placed a bitter period mark on his own story by completing his revenge.

Even when they barely managed to retrieve him from Pyongyang and bring him back to Korea, Ho-jong hadn’t expected Jun-ho to wake up early.

His attitude had been as if just having him back was enough.

He seemed completely satisfied with the mere hope that Jun-ho might wake up someday, and anything beyond that appeared to fluster him.

Of course, Jung-woo couldn’t read all of Ho-jong’s thoughts.

But there were things he subtly realized.

People with a desired future occasionally imagine the moment it comes to fruition.

Jung-woo also tended to occasionally picture moments of Se-gi growing up without incident and living happily.

When imagining such moments, one tends to fantasize about the ideal actions they would take at that time.

Just as Jung-woo would hope to welcome Se-gi with a smile as she casually returned from school, Ho-jong must have had similar thoughts.

The words he wanted to say upon first meeting the awakened Jun-ho, the expression he would wear in that moment—those would fall into that category.

And among such things, rushing over in such a frantic, flustered manner probably wasn’t one of them.

It was a considerate overstepping.

“You’re right, Mr. Chairman.”

“Hm?”

“You said he wasn’t the type to just lie down, fall asleep, and pass away.”

“…Ah.”

“He must be an impatient man. Just as you said.”

Ho-jong, who had been walking with hurried steps, abruptly stopped.

Only then did his chaotic, erratic breathing settle down.

He didn’t stay stopped for too long.

But it was enough time to calm his state with a dry wash of his face.

Ho-jong chuckled.

“…That’s right.”

“Have you gathered your composure?”

“Thank you. I showed you an embarrassing side of myself in front of you, Mr. Jung-woo.”

“I understand. You’ve waited the longest, after all.”

“Still, thinking about how my brother will tease me endlessly if he saw me like this gives me the creeps. Seriously, thank you.”

Now he was the Ho-jong that Jung-woo knew.

Smiling deceptively, playful like a child, yet with a solidly grounded, mature core.

“Want to come in together?”

To the question, Jung-woo shook his head.

“Not really interested in you old men having a tearful reunion.”

“Good thinking. I’d be a bit embarrassed too.”

There was so much he wanted to ask Jun-ho.

But there is an order to everything in the world.

His own curiosity didn’t take priority over the years these two had waited for him.

With a profoundly human sentiment, Jung-woo took a step back.

“I’ll be going.”

Ho-jong headed toward the hospital room.

With a brisk yet tense stride.

Like that, he entered the VIP room at the end of the hallway.

Jung-woo watched his back.

Transcendent cognitive abilities were truly inconvenient at times like this.

—…Is that you, Jun-ho?

—Is your solar plexus okay?

—Huh?

—I punched you so hard last time, I wondered if that was why you couldn’t get up.

At the voice teasing him while trembling with emotion, Jung-woo let out a low laugh.

He leaned against the hallway window and looked outside.

Luxury sedans were pushing through the crowds and entering one after another.

Ha Kwon-seung, Jin Hae-seo, Park Tae-woon, and several other renowned first-generation hunters.

It seemed Jung-woo’s turn would be pushed back a little further.

It had been three days since the news of Jun-ho’s awakening broke.

People were still intensely curious about him, but the hospital and the Association didn’t release any further statements.

Most importantly, Jun-ho’s stability was the priority.

They kept him as hidden from the press as possible, stating that simply recovering his body and accepting the situation came first.

Checking his health status was one reason, but there was an equally important one.

It was a blind spot that even the public recognized.

[From Chun Jun-ho’s perspective, he just rode a time machine and flew 15 years into the future lol. He needs to adapt first.]

└ Info: Chun Jun-ho went missing right when smartphones were just starting to become widespread.

└ Info 2: Chun Jun-ho went missing when Misskara debuted.

└ Info 3: Chun Jun-ho doesn’t know what a kiosk is.

└ ???: If you don’t have any manners, shouldn’t a human at least take your order?

└ Isn’t Jun-ho-ham legally sixty-one? lol

Whatever the case, he was a man from the past.

He was someone experiencing in real-time the scenario of a frozen human waking up in the future, an idea once imagined in past sci-fi genres.

It wasn’t hard to see why this was something the general public could easily empathize with.

Even the masses who hadn’t yet grasped the news found it easy to sympathize.

In fact, that very issue had become a major hurdle in Jun-ho’s adaptation period.

To show even a little bit of Jun-ho’s recovery progress, it was effective for the Association to leak small bits of information.

The Shorts video posted on their official online account fell under this.

[Ah, hello. My dear fellow citizens. This is Chun Jun-ho. Uh… no, but hey, Ho-jong. Do people really know if you film this with your phone? Are you submitting this directly to the news?]

[Oh my, just say something. This is why old people are…]

[You little brat? Hey, an official statement needs to be dressed up and spoken solemnly. And I’m only in my 60s on the family register. My body and mind are in their 40s. Time just completely stopped since then.]

[Look at your hair color, brother. It’s so white that anyone would think you’re an old man.]

[This little shit, seriously?]

It was a video taken of Jun-ho to prevent any unnecessary rumors from circulating.

It wasn’t a well-edited video; as you could see, it was one Ho-jong filmed himself and posted online.

Surprisingly, it received a better response than the news reports.

[Uncle Ho-jong’s filming angle is absolutely catastrophic;;;]

└ Why does he shove it right in his face and film from the front like that?

└ Middle-aged man special move

[Why are they fighting amongst themselves lmaooo]

Historically, he was a great man who achieved heroic feats and sacrificed himself for the country, but presenting only an authoritative figure was an outdated approach.

He wasn’t a politician, nor the head of an organization that required authority.

He was a man in a unique position where being moderately happy and friendly to the public was more beneficial, so this kind of behavior wasn’t a major burden.

A man who burned half his life to avenge his sworn brother.

A hero who bickers and laughs heartily with such a younger brother.

Wasn’t that a pretty good setup?

Because there were people watching them with warm satisfaction, the external noise wasn’t loud.

Thus, the vast majority purely wished for Jun-ho’s swift recovery.

The minority wished for what came next.

[But I’m curious. Everything from the Management Bureau collapsing to the Association being formed is completely different from Chun Jun-ho’s time.]

└ I wish he’d set the record straight and tell the story through an interview or an online stream.

└ You evil bastard, Jun-ho-ham doesn’t know what online streaming is!!!

└ Ah lollll

[Is he going to retire completely? Or return to active duty?]

└ Both seem like open possibilities? It’s been officially revealed that he still has his hunter abilities, and considering that, he’s done enough to warrant stepping back.

└ Even considering the gap, Shin Jung-woo is already here lollll

└ Did Shin Jung-woo and Jun-ho-ham at least greet each other?

He was such a massive figure, and his recovery was going so well that it even warranted corrections.

The public’s curiosity was natural, yet the answer was still remote.

Because Jun-ho hadn’t decided yet.

“May I come in?”

In front of the Hwaeum Hospital VIP room, Jung-woo spoke, and Jun-ho answered from inside.

“Yeah, yeah, come in. Hunter Shin?”

“Yes, excuse me.”

As the door slid open with a rattle, Jun-ho, who had been moved from the isolation room to a regular bed, revealed his white hair.

Ho-jong was sitting beside him, having pulled up a chair.

Recently, Ho-jong had been sticking close to Jun-ho like this.

Because he wasn’t going to work, Shin-wook ended up taking over the paperwork, and whether he knew it or not, Ho-jong was busy slacking off, claiming this was the right way to be the Association Chairman.

Well, it was 2033, making it the 16th year.

It was cruel to tell a man who had missed his beloved brother for so long to get back to work.

Still, there should be a limit.

“Mr. Chairman, when are you going back to work?”

“Mr. Jung-woo, you wound me. It’s only been five days.”

“For a salaryman, missing five days of work is grounds for resignation.”

“Can I do that?”

“Would that be okay?”

As they bickered lightly, Jun-ho burst into a hearty laugh.

Jung-woo felt awkward.

That was inevitable, considering it was Chun Jun-ho.

The hero of Korea, the eternal symbol of hunters, and a great man.

Both before and after the regression, up until this day arrived, Jun-ho had been a great figure whom Jung-woo only encountered through text or news.

Now that he was facing him anew, there was so much weighing on his mind, and being overly formal only made Jun-ho feel burdened.

“I’m embarrassed to only show you this kind of sight every time. Is your body alright?”

“I’m fine. Thanks to Hunter Shin, I get to breathe the world’s air again, and it’s the best.”

“Haha.”

“A lot has changed. This tiny thing is more useful than a computer.”

He must have been learning how to use a smartphone.

Jung-woo looked at the phone in his hand, then narrowed his eyes.

“Is that a webtoon?”

“Euheoheo! The world really has gotten better! Back in my day, I had to go to a comic book room and search for them to read, but nowadays, you can do it all with just this.”

On the screen, a blonde female character in a medieval-style dress was blushing against a background with flashy effects.

Jung-woo glared at Ho-jong.

Ho-jong replied nonchalantly.

“This is the best way to learn about modern culture.”

“What does a medieval romance webtoon have to do with modern culture?”

“A person needs to keep their sensibilities young. If you only stare at the news like you do, Mr. Jung-woo, you’ll be called an old soul. Then when you actually get older, you’ll be called a boomer.”

“You’re really spewing venom.”

“It’s advice.”

Was it right to put these two together?

Weren’t they just poisoning each other?

A fundamental doubt surged, but he left them be.

Above all, Jun-ho seemed to quite like the webtoon.

He wasn’t a child, he was an adult.

Even considering before and after the regression, Jung-woo was younger than Jun-ho.

He’d know what he was doing.

He brought up the main topic.

“I came today regarding your future course of action. I think we should slowly release a statement to the press as well.”

“Ah, we should. I’m getting frustrated just staying in the hospital, too.”

“First, let’s put aside the matter of returning to active duty. We’ve already looked into a place for you to stay after you’re discharged.”

There had to be no shortcomings in treating the hero who had returned alive.

It went beyond simple public support; as it was a matter of national dignity in modern society, the government was also treating it with utmost importance.

“First, your frozen identity and bank accounts have been restored. If you tell me your desired area, I plan to gather a few real estate listings around there to show you. Other paperwork issues should also be resolved within this week.”

“You’re capable. I thought the Association would go under when I heard Ho-jong became the head, but seeing Hunter Shin changes my mind.”

“I’d like to say you’re overstating it, but I can’t deny it.”

“Right? This guy is good at complaining to others, but he can’t even take care of himself.”

“Brother, don’t say that to me. I was always the one wiping your ass.”

Ho-jong cut in at the end, cutting off Jun-ho’s words.

Jun-ho grinned, then spoke.

“You can take care of that matter for me. It’s not like I live with grand expectations.”

“Yes, then we’ll pick out something suitable on our end.”

“And you have personal business with me too, right, Hunter Shin?”

Jung-woo paused.

For over ten days, Jung-woo had no memory of telling Jun-ho about his personal business.

He wondered if Ho-jong had told him, but he just shrugged.

Jun-ho gave an answer as if it was no big deal.

“I didn’t just read webtoons. I still looked up how the world was turning while I was gone. This thing is quite useful.”

He said this while waving his smartphone around.

“Hunter Shin was quite diligent. But you know, when you see someone walking in a straight line, you can kind of see what’s beyond it.”

“…Did you infer that from my actions?”

“I don’t know well. I just know that you have a lot to ask regarding the Erosion Zone or parasites.”

It made sense, as he had no memory of deliberately hiding such a fact.

A faint anticipation rose within Jung-woo.

“You’re practically my savior. I should help you if there’s anything I can do.”

“You don’t have to think of it that way.”

“No, it makes me uncomfortable. So here’s the thing.”

Then came an unexpected remark.

“I think it’ll be faster to show you rather than tell you. As soon as I’m discharged, let’s head up to North Korea together.”

“Excuse me?”

“I heard roughly about the Erosion Zone investigation. It seemed like you were stumbling a bit.”

Jung-woo blinked.