Chapter 59 – I Can't Live Like This

“Hyun-ji, please, just think about it again. Huh?”

The desperate voice of the senior manager came through the receiver.

“I mean, you’re at the peak of your career right now. Isn’t it such a waste? Honestly, you don’t have to do that hunter stuff. You can live a full life just doing what you’re already doing.”

In response to her manager’s renewed attempt at persuasion, Seo Hyun-ji spoke with conviction.

“I want to focus on being a hunter for the time being.”

“…”

Her words were so resolute that the manager couldn’t find anything more to say.

“Alright. If you change your mind, even a little, just let me know. We’ve got a mountain of movie and drama scripts asking for you. I’ll just tell them you’re carefully selecting your next project. Got it?”

He had been her manager since she first started in the industry, after all.

After becoming an S-rank hunter, Seo Hyun-ji was truly on the path of a top star.

Even so, Seo Hyun-ji had announced she would be taking a temporary break from her entertainment career.

She had initially brought up retiring from the industry altogether, but after seeing her manager have a complete meltdown, she’d pivoted to calling it a “break.”

A break in name only; in reality, she had decided to focus on her work as a hunter.

*”Choose. Seo Hyun-ji the celebrity, or Seo Hyun-ji the S-rank hunter.”*

*”Which Seo Hyun-ji will be able to protect you and your people.”*

Seo Hyun-ji recalled what the Team Leader had said in the park last night.

The government had declared war on Villains.

In a place as densely populated as South Korea, with its limited landmass, there was no telling how long one could evade the government’s eyes.

*’The power to protect.’*

It wasn’t just about her standing.

She knew about her other status window. But the two powers had not yet merged.

When she used one, the other would shut down as if in power-saving mode. When she tried to use the dormant one, the other would terminate and disappear.

She had thought it was just impossible, but from what the Team Leader said, that didn’t seem to be the case.

*’A Hero,’ he’d said.*

The Team Leader’s words had been completely unexpected.

He claimed to have gone to another world and returned, just like them.

She couldn’t believe him blindly, but he knew so much about the displaced, and his ridiculous strength, despite being a porter, seemed to make some sense.

In any case, she decided to try trusting the Team Leader.

The displaced were always wary of others. She, too, had grown up that way.

But the Team Leader was different from everyone else, a person who inspired an uncertain sense of trust, as if she could truly rely on him.

Seo Hyun-ji soon arrived at the Hanul lobby and headed up to the team’s waiting room.

Even with a hat on, gazes of recognition pierced her like arrows from all directions.

“Oh, hello.”

“Good morning. Or, I guess it’s good afternoon.”

She replied with a bright smile to the person who had mustered the courage to greet her.

The man’s face instantly flushed as red as a tomato, and he gaped, unable to even breathe properly.

It was a familiar reaction to her. Only one person had ever been significantly different.

Even without the halo of being a celebrity or the weight of being an S-rank, her appearance alone radiated an overwhelming aura.

“I’m here.”

As Seo Hyun-ji opened the door, she saw a scene of intense training.

“You’re here?”

The usual members were always in the training room: the Team Leader, Kim Tae-yang, and Kim In-ho. But today, there was one new face.

“Nnghh…!”

She saw a young girl struggling to do sit-ups.

The face was familiar to Seo Hyun-ji.

“The student who’s the Team Leader’s niece?”

“Yes.”

From what she’d heard, the girl was a teenager still attending Raon Academy. She couldn’t understand why she was here doing physical training.

“Why is she here doing that?”

“She’s not a big fan of eating rice with just soy sauce.”

Seo Hyun-ji looked at the Team Leader as if he’d said something utterly bizarre.

The Team Leader continued with a playful grin.

“She’s joined the team as a support healer.”

“Ah.”

It was the same student she had seen during the dragon raid. She remembered seeing her cast a buff on the Team Leader back then.

*’Strange.’*

Seo Hyun-ji felt something was off.

It was true that having a high-level supporter like a healer on the team provided stability.

But she couldn’t understand why they would have a young student participate in potentially dangerous field operations.

Even if it wasn’t this particular student, a team with two S-rank hunters could have their pick of healers; people would be lining up for the position.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes.”

“Is she really your niece?”

The Team Leader’s expression seemed to ask why she would ask such a thing.

It wasn’t really her place to interfere. Yet, Seo Hyun-ji felt a strange sense of foreboding.

“I mean, she’s still so young. I was just worried it might be dangerous for her.”

“She can take care of herself, so she’ll be fine.”

To say she could take care of herself, she was panting as if she’d just come back from the dead after a single sit-up.

Back when the Team Leader had collapsed after defeating the dragon.

The student had been cradling his head in her lap.

While people were cheering for the hero who had slain the monster, wanting to get closer, no one had dared to approach.

Her chilly gaze didn’t match her innocent appearance at all.

In the face of the student’s cold aura, no one had the courage to go near.

Even Seo Hyun-ji herself had taken a step back.

The student had protected the Team Leader until the paramedics’ stretcher arrived, continuously infusing him with a bright light and whispering something.

She’d been too far away to hear what was said.

“Seo-yeon, you really suck at exercising, huh?”

“You’d better watch what you say.”

Seo-yeon’s sharp retort to Kim Tae-yang’s teasing.

She was trying to put on a stern face, but it was nothing like the venomous expression Seo Hyun-ji had seen back then.

Right now, she just looked like a cute and lovely girl. But the cold impression from that moment had been laced with killing intent.

*”A mask…”*

That lovely-looking face was a mask. For some reason, it bothered Seo Hyun-ji. Perhaps it was because, as a dimensional displaced, she had grown accustomed to reading others.

“Oh? Wow! It’s Seo Hyun-ji!”

Just then, Seo Hyun-ji’s eyes met Lee Seo-yeon’s. She flinched involuntarily.

With a bright smile, Lee Seo-yeon rushed over and circled Seo Hyun-ji as if she were a wondrous sight.

“Wow, this is amazing! You’re so pretty! C-Can I get your autograph? You have to give me one, please?”

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you.”

Seo Hyun-ji gave an awkward smile.

Seeing her now, the atmosphere she gave off was so different that it was hard to believe she was the same person from that day.

“Hey. You’re not done yet.”

“What are you talking about? I finished exactly ten reps. Can’t you count, Mister?”

“That was for the sit-ups.”

“Huh…?”

“Another ten minutes of running.”

“Oh, no way. I’m tired.”

“Hoo…”

Lee Hyunbin pulled a coupon book from his pocket. Seeing it, Lee Seo-yeon bit her lip and trudged weakly back to her spot.

Watching the scene, everyone in the training room let out a soft chuckle.

“Oh, right. It seems even S-rank hunters are out of luck these days. Work has really dried up, so I’ve got a lot of free time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so I’m planning to take a break from the entertainment industry for a while. Since I have nothing else to do, I think I’ll be able to come here often for some self-maintenance.”

It hurt her pride to admit she had made her decision because of what the Team Leader said yesterday, so Seo Hyun-ji deliberately phrased it indirectly.

“Aha. I heard about it from your manager earlier.”

“My manager called you?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, I see…”

It must have been a call to complain.

Feeling awkward, Seo Hyun-ji was momentarily at a loss for words before quietly parting her lips.

“So, what should I be doing? I hear everyone’s getting special training.”

“I’m grateful that you seem to have taken my words seriously.”

“W-What are you talking about? I just wanted a break, you know? It’s hard to get into character when you do projects back-to-back…”

Seo Hyun-ji felt abashed looking at the Team Leader’s gentle smile.

It seemed like the first time she had ever seen him smile at her like that.

It was a stark contrast to the vicious grin he always wore while tormenting Kim Tae-yang.

“Looks like we’ll be spending a lot more time together from now on.”

“I’m just planning on doing a little exercise for self-maintenance…”

He was acting strange today.

No, ever since they spoke alone in the park late last night.

“Shall we start with a light jog?”

“What?”

In response to Seo Hyun-ji’s question, the Team Leader spoke with the kindest expression in the world.

“We need to get you in shape, Hyun-ji.”

***

“Hoo…”

Seo Hyun-ji sat on a chair, her head hanging low.

*”Wow, our Hyun-ji is doing great. Shall we try just a little more? More, more. More, more. Wow, now just one last time, for real.”*

*”As expected from someone who dances and acts, your muscle tone is excellent. Wow, you’re different. Really different. How about we try this exercise too? Oh, Seo-yeon. It’s pointless to sneak that coupon book away. Why would you think I only brought one? I’ve got another one right here, see?”*

Seo Hyun-ji had experienced a literal hell. She had somehow been dragged along by the Team Leader and worked to the bone.

Whenever she was about to lose her temper, he would just smile gently and say he was only training her because he was worried, leaving her with nothing to say.

When she finally came to her senses, she realized she had been training for over two hours.

Her entire body was drenched in sweat and she wanted to shower, but her legs were trembling so much that it was hard to even walk to the shower room.

She thought she finally understood how Kim Tae-yang usually felt.

“I’ve been tainted… Now it doesn’t even feel like training unless the Team Leader is tormenting me… *Sob*.”

Kim Tae-yang was in even worse shape.

“Hwaaah…”

The once-brightly smiling Lee Seo-yeon was now sobbing over the harshness of society, clutching her delivery food coupon book.

“That bastard…”

Seo Hyun-ji muttered under her breath. He had coaxed them with sweet words while continuously pushing them to exercise, and now they were all dropping like flies.

“…!”

Kim In-ho, another one of the victims, heard Seo Hyun-ji’s words and quickly scanned the training room.

The walls have ears, and those ears belonged to the Team Leader.

The Team Leader’s hearing was so sharp that he always seemed to know when someone was badmouthing him. Not only that, but he was so good at winning people over that everyone in the guild was like a living CCTV camera.

“Are we all just going to live like this?”

“…”

A silence fell at Seo Hyun-ji’s words.

“There’s a limit to training, you know.”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

Lee Seo-yeon chimed in, agreeing with Seo Hyun-ji.

Kim Tae-yang’s eyes were already dead, and Kim In-ho was looking around like a meerkat, terrified the Team Leader might overhear.

“This is too much. He just stands around doing nothing while working us to death.”

Seo Hyun-ji pictured the Team Leader’s smug face as he watched them with a beaming smile.

“It’s no use… Whenever we try to talk to him, we always get swept up in his pace…”

“Forget it, I’ll talk to him. Just trust me.”

Seo Hyun-ji decided to take the lead. At her words, the light slowly returned to Kim Tae-yang’s dead eyes.

A look of anticipation crept onto Kim In-ho’s face as well.

Seo Hyun-ji confidently threw open the door to the training room.

Just then, she heard the Team Leader’s voice nearby. Thinking it was the perfect opportunity, she placed her hands on her hips and opened her mouth, ready to let him have it.

“Hey, y…”

“Seo Hyun-ji. She’s working incredibly hard, isn’t she? She’s so talented and diligent, I’m sure she’ll adapt to the training in no time.”

He was coming up the stairs, talking to someone on the phone. Feeling sheepish, Seo Hyun-ji shut her mouth and quietly slipped back into the training room.

“Of course, they’re colleagues I trust and believe in, so I’m sure they’ll follow along just fine. Yes, yes, we’ll cooperate well to ensure everyone’s safety.”

After gently closing the door and backing away, Seo Hyun-ji felt eyes on her and turned around.

The two Kims and Lee Seo-yeon were staring at her blankly. Seo Hyun-ji laughed awkwardly and said.

“It’s only my first day, so I thought it might be a bit much to say something right away.”

“…”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lee Hyunbin slipped the powered-off phone into his pocket with a wicked grin.

Then he threw the door open with renewed energy and announced.

“Alright, everyone! It’s time for our fun afternoon session. Come on, let’s just push a little harder!”

And so, three days passed.

They had come to realize.

That slaves weren’t born; they were made.

And to begin the prelude to their counterattack, Kim Tae-yang rose up.

“Seo-yeon.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me the Team Leader’s weakness.”

They had to survive.