Chapter 60: It Has Always Been That Way

Ptoo!

“Pfft! How could that possibly be!”

Jihyeok couldn’t hold back his surprise at Luca’s question, and spat out the coffee he’d been drinking in a clean spray. Thanks to that, Luca’s suit was stained with coffee.

“It’s not my fault. Mr. Luca was the one talking nonsense…”

“Sorry…”

After cleaning up the spilled coffee, Jihyeok continued the conversation.

“It’s just, well, a variety of things. Finding missing people, finding pets, tracking down hard-to-find Demon Beasts, or locating lost items — all sorts of things.”

“Finding lost items… that doesn’t seem like the kind of work a guy like you should be doing.”

“The income is surprisingly good, you know. And besides.”

Jihyeok’s face, as he added that, was smiling but somehow dark.

“There’s also the image recovery.”

Luca felt like he vaguely understood the emotions behind Jihyeok’s words.

“Even if you do that, that guy isn’t coming back. He can’t come back now.”

He didn’t mean that he couldn’t come back because his body had changed. It was because the social perception of him as a murderer couldn’t be changed.

‘Image recovery, huh…’

There must be lingering attachment left. Attachment to a former comrade from the past.

That was clear from the way he’d kept coming all this time. Jihyeok was waiting for Verdiol to come out of that room.

And he wanted to hear him say he’d be with him again.

But that wasn’t easy. To change the negative perception the world had already stamped on him, that guy had already reached a point where he needed to prove his ‘innocence,’ not just apologize.

Luca believed in Verdiol. He believed that he hadn’t done it, or that even if he had, there must have been sufficient motive. Of course, murder was a crime that shouldn’t be committed regardless of motive or reason.

Murder was a sin so heavy it couldn’t even be compared to something like theft. And on top of that, instead of denying it, he had confessed.

Luca felt sorry for Jihyeok. The way he saw Jihyeok, to put it nicely, he was a loyal, considerate comrade. To put it badly, he was a kind-hearted pushover.

That was probably why.

He’d been able to stay with Verdiol, who had that kind of madman personality.

To the Luca of the past, it was unimaginable. The scene of someone other than Jihyeok being by Verdiol’s side.

“Sorry. That wasn’t something I should have said to you, of all people, who’s waiting for him more than anyone. Even though I said that, I’m also hoping he’ll come back.”

While Luca was lost in thought, Jihyeok didn’t say a single word. Realizing this belatedly, Luca spoke to smooth things over.

“I don’t think so.”

But Jihyeok replied in a calm tone, as if Luca’s words didn’t bother him.

“I’ve known Senior for a long time, so I can tell. Back then, Senior was lying. I’m certain of it.”

“Lying… alright, let’s say it was a lie. Then there has to be evidence that he’s innocent. As long as he can’t prove his innocence, it’s impossible for him to come back.”

“I’ve been working hard to find that evidence.”

“…You don’t mean, for the past three years?”

Three years had already passed since Verdiol had holed himself up in that room.

“It has always been that way.”

“…Is that so.”

Luca answered with a nonchalant attitude, but inside, he felt a sense of respect.

Three years was by no means a short time. A lot had changed.

Three years ago, Luca’s daughter was a cute little girl who only wanted her dad, but now she was in the position of student council president at the academy.

The inn Luca ran was still under construction three years ago, and he’d been anxious about the future, but now it was running decently enough.

But Jihyeok hadn’t changed. He was still searching for evidence of Verdiol’s innocence, and waiting for his comrade who had been holed up in his room for three years without coming out.

“…How was he today? It’s been a while since I last came.”

“Well, same as always.”

Actually, it wasn’t the same. While Jihyeok hadn’t been visiting, a change had occurred in Verdiol. A very big one, at that.

First of all, he’d become a woman. And a very cute little girl around the same age as his own daughter. His personality still had some irritating aspects, but it had softened a lot compared to before. Plus, that guy who used to hate having people around him, let alone comrades, was now forming parties and bringing companions along.

But out of all those many changes, there wasn’t a single one Luca could tell Jihyeok about.

It was a promise she’d made with Verdi. Verdi had said she had no intention of revealing her identity to Jihyeok. She’d added ‘not yet,’ but… only she herself would know when that would be.

So, even though Luca’s mouth was itching to talk, he had his principles, and in the end, he didn’t say a word to Jihyeok about Verdiol’s changes.

“I see.”

Jihyeok’s voice was flat, but a faint hint of regret showed on his face.

“…Hey.”

Luca spoke carefully to Jihyeok.

“I know you miss that guy, and you care about him. But don’t you think it’s about time you let go? I’m saying this for your own good. Three years have already passed. You can’t cling to the past forever. Think about your age. It’s about time you started seeing women and thinking about marriage.”

Luca and Jihyeok had first met when Verdiol was in his mid-20s. Three years later, Jihyeok was now a grown adult himself. It was about time he started thinking about marriage and children. After all, a Hunter’s lifespan, always at risk of losing their life, wasn’t very long.

“I…”

“I know. I know you’re not interested in romance yet. And if you wanted to, you could hold any woman you wanted. You’ve got that kind of ability. But still. The woman you marry should be someone you truly love. Finding true love takes a long time. It’s not too late even now.”

It was heartfelt advice.

“Even so, I still want to wait for Senior.”

But Jihyeok didn’t give up. He was still ready to do anything for Verdiol.

“Hey, I’m just asking, but are you gay?”

“You’re talking a lot of nonsense today, Mr. Luca.”

“…Sorry, forget it if you’re not.”

“I should get going. I have things to do today.”

As Jihyeok stood up, Luca also rose from his seat.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

Before Jihyeok turned to leave, Luca called him back.

“What’s the reason you’re waiting for that guy that much?”

Luca genuinely wanted Verdiol to come back too. But not to the point of giving up parts of his life like Jihyeok did. If he were in Jihyeok’s shoes, he would have left Verdiol in less than a year.

“…You probably wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

“Wouldn’t understand?”

At the unexpected remark, Luca’s eyes narrowed.

“Well, if you don’t want to tell me, I won’t ask further.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s literally because it’s a reason you can’t understand, Mr. Luca. Hmm, to put it simply, Senior is someone I need. You can think of it that way.”

“Someone you need… saying it like that makes it sound like it’s not purely out of old loyalty.”

“Of course, it’s not just that. Senior is an interesting person. Being with him was never boring. Even now, I miss those days that much.”

‘So those were the best times for him, huh.’

Luca understood what Jihyeok meant by that. Jihyeok might seem mature on the outside, but in the end, he had a side that wasn’t as honest as Verdiol.

In short, those days must have been enjoyable. So much so that no memory could replace them. But then Verdiol disappeared, and since then, no one had brought him as much fun, so he was hoping for his return.

“Alright, well, I’ll root for you.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll really be going now.”

“Yeah, come again. If anything happens, I’ll contact you.”

Though, since Verdi had asked her to keep her identity hidden, there probably wouldn’t be any reason to contact her for a while.

“Got it. Oh, right. Mr. Luca.”

“What is it?”

“I left an envelope on the counter. Please check it.”

“An envelope?”

Luca asked, but Jihyeok disappeared without looking back.

“What now…”

Curious about Jihyeok’s words, Luca immediately headed to the counter. Lying there was an envelope that clearly looked like it contained money.

Before checking the contents, Luca noticed a line of text written at the bottom of the envelope. The moment he read it, he let out a hollow laugh.

[ For Ms. Verdiol’s lodging expenses. ]

There was no need to confirm who the owner of that neat handwriting was.

“…You didn’t have to go out of your way to take care of that.”

* * *

Stepping out of the inn Luca ran, Jihyeok quietly turned his head. His gaze landed on the window of the room where Verdiol was staying. A window that had remained firmly shut, never once opened in the past three years.

‘…Senior.’

Jihyeok stared at that window in silence for a long while.

Three years had already passed since Verdiol stopped coming out of that room, yet the window still never opened—

‘…Huh?’

For a moment, Jihyeok doubted his own eyes. Wasn’t that window, which hadn’t opened even once in three years, now wide open? And brightly, at that.

‘Could it be an intruder? What about Mr. Luca? Did he get too busy after talking with me to keep an eye on things?’

Jihyeok grew anxious, but he couldn’t move recklessly. He was full of questions, but he didn’t have the nerve to trespass into that inviolable territory he’d never once set foot in for three whole years.

‘But what if something happened to Senior?’

Of course, Verdiol was an S-Rank Hunter, so there was no way some intruder could take him down. Still, if he’d done nothing for three years, it wasn’t impossible that his skills had deteriorated. That was why Jihyeok’s worry was far from trivial.

‘…No choice. I’m sorry, Senior.’

Jihyeok made his decision. If he stayed like this, something might happen to Verdiol. He couldn’t just stand by in a situation like that.

Jihyeok lightly pushed off the ground and ran. Leaping high, he reached the window leading to Verdiol’s room in an instant.

Then, the moment he cautiously poked his head in, what came into his view was—

“…Huh?”

A silver-haired girl sitting on the toilet with the bathroom door wide open.