Someone's Resolve (3)
“W-what the hell are you talking about?”
Facing Jeong Hosan, Kim Myeong-cheol finally understood exactly what it meant for the sky to come crashing down.
And right now, his sky had collapsed.
“I’m truly sorry.”
Jeong Hosan bowed deeply and politely. But even that courteous gesture couldn’t pull Kim Myeong-cheol’s half-departed soul back into his body.
“W-what in the world……”
Spouting nonsense, Kim Myeong-cheol slumped back into his chair. Groans escaped his lips unbidden. If only it hadn’t been a request to leave the guild—he’d have granted any other favor, no matter what. Why did it have to be this, of all things? Why?*
Looking at Jeong Hosan’s face, Kim Myeong-cheol clicked his tongue.
The moment he saw the resolve in those eyes, he knew it was impossible to dissuade him.
He’d already made up his mind. Completely.
How do you talk someone out of eyes like that?
And the path Jeong Hosan was choosing wasn’t even a total dead end—that made it worse. Jeong Hosan laid out his plan step by step. Kim Myeong-cheol compressed the entire rambling explanation into one line.
“It’s because of that friend of yours, isn’t it?”
In the end, Jeong Hosan had chosen to leave the guild to save his friend—or at least honor his will.
He couldn’t help but resent it. Deeply.
If only he hadn’t stuck his nose in back then, offering to find that friend. He’d ruined everything and now stood to lose Jeong Hosan too.
If he’d just stayed missing, sure, Jeong Hosan would’ve chased leads anyway—but he might not have spouted nonsense about joining Gakbeombu.
No, he probably would’ve stuck with Red Dog Guild instead. There was far more he could accomplish as a guild hunter than as some Gakbeombu drone.
But now that he’d stepped up to conduct investigations no guild hunter or Gakbeombu officer could touch, the shiny badge of “top-tier Red Dog Guild hunter” meant nothing to him anymore.
In response to Kim Myeong-cheol’s resentment, Jeong Hosan rolled his eyes and spoke.
“You know, right? Ever since then, I haven’t been able to focus on guild work at all.”
Kim Myeong-cheol groaned again.
It was true. Ever since the day they’d lost track of Kang Ishin, Jeong Hosan had seemed distracted, his mind elsewhere. Fearing disaster, Kim Myeong-cheol had kept him out of high-grade gates entirely and rarely sent him on low-grade ones.
When reports came of him holing up in the training room for grueling sessions, Kim Myeong-cheol figured he was honing himself during this downtime—maybe even a silver lining.
Given time, he’d snap out of it.
That’s what he’d thought……
But in that time, Jeong Hosan had chosen a different path altogether.
Is this what it feels like to be the dog chasing a chicken?*
Unable to spit out any words, Kim Myeong-cheol just sat there, arms crossing and uncrossing repeatedly.
His whole body screamed, I’m uncomfortable right now! Jeong Hosan watched him for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
“You know why I joined this guild in the first place.”
“Yeah.”
Kim Myeong-cheol recalled the past with a bitter smile.
He’d bet his life on this very man—not anyone else—because his words had struck straight to the heart.
“You said you created this guild to save people.”
Hunter guilds flew different banners.
Some reveled in conquering gates. Others chased the wealth gates brought. Some sought stardom.
Kim Myeong-cheol had declared his guild would protect people.
It was right after he’d lost his entire family to a gate break.
With power, he’d never stand by again. He’d screamed it at the heavens.
Jeong Hosan had too.
At a young age, he’d lost his family and vowed: if he gained strength, he’d never ignore the weak. That’s why he’d wanted to join this guild.
The moment Kim Myeong-cheol saw Jeong Hosan declare it to his face, he’d started seeing the kid almost like family—a mirror of himself.
Jeong Hosan continued.
“I never saw my power as just mine. Of course not—it came after that vow. I thought someone was watching over me, granting it so I could help save the world.”
Red Dog Guild was perfect for realizing that vision. They rushed to the front lines first during breaks, led in overseas aid missions where help was truly needed.
They were always the first at disaster sites.
True to its founding purpose, Red Dog had saved countless lives.
“This incident showed me: it’s not just conquering gates and slaying monsters. Rooting out and punishing the rot eating away at this country—that saves people too.”
“Hosan.”
Kim Myeong-cheol swallowed hard, frustration choking him.
That’s not your fight. Living as a hunter is one thing—walking that path is another.*
It’s not for good guys like you, full of talent.*
But the words wouldn’t come.
Kim Myeong-cheol had forged his own convictions amid fools calling him naive, trudging thorny paths unyieldingly.
“Hah, I cherished you most because you were just like me. And now, the one most like me is leaving!”
At Kim Myeong-cheol’s lament, Jeong Hosan bowed deeply, genuinely apologetic.
“Enough already—and I told you to call me ‘hyung,’ not Master. You’re quitting the guild, but what?”
“Even if I keep calling you hyung……”
“Of course! You think leaving the guild means we pretend we don’t know each other forever? You’re so stubborn and uptight.”
Jeong Hosan’s head drooped. He knew it was permission.
“I’ll return everything I received from the guild.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just keep it.”
“Pardon?”
“I said keep it!”
The artifacts Jeong Hosan held weren’t cheap trinkets to just hand over. But refusing might mean Kim Myeong-cheol would cling to him forever.
“And if you ever want to come back—or if that world decides it doesn’t need you—Red Dog Guild will always welcome you.”
Kim Myeong-cheol’s eyes brimmed with tears as he spoke.
“If you join another guild, though? Then I’ll really get mad.”
The news that Jeong Hosan had met Do Chae-hee made me scowl.
Why the hell are those two meeting? If it’s just another witness interview about my case, fine—but Do Chae-hee seeking out Jeong Hosan at this timing? That’s no good sign.*
My leg started jittering at the report. The meeting spot was a franchise café Han Seohyun’s “rats” couldn’t infiltrate, so I had no clue what they’d discussed inside.
And then the follow-up news hit me like a gut punch.
Jeong Hosan had left Red Dog Guild.
To work with Do Chae-hee.
“He’s lost his mind.”
I froze solid upon hearing it.
━Oh, looks like your friend really wants to find you.*
I was too stunned to even react to Ray’s amused tone.
After all I’d done to cut ties with that guy—for him to quit a perfectly good guild and join Gakbeombu?
Gakbeombu was in Seol Rokjin’s pocket.
The moment Jeong Hosan stepped inside, he’d paint a target on his back. A juicy, delectable one.
Honestly, part of why I didn’t hate Do Chae-hee was a twinge of guilt toward her.
She was the perfect shield, drawing all the aggro up front—the ideal bait to lure out Seol Rokjin.
She’d face every hardship imaginable, trials too cruel to name.
Now fully on Park Cheol-wan’s shitlist after this, things would only worsen.
I knew and planned to let it happen.
Why?
Because Do Chae-hee was useful to me.
But Jeong Hosan standing beside her?
No. That won’t do.*
Jeong Hosan joining Gakbeombu—the front lines against Seol Rokjin?
Absurd.
Utterly absurd.
Why had I severed ties with him? Why was I doing all this?
If I only cared about myself, I’d have bailed long ago.
I’d started this madness to save the world from destruction once—for the people I cherished.
And first among them: Jeong Hosan. My one and only childhood friend.
I wanted to give that guy—who’d died so miserably because of me—a truly happy life.
But this? Does this make any sense?
I’d gone through hell to save him, only for my actions to lead him right back to his grave?
“Boss?”
Han Seohyun stared at me, face full of concern.
I couldn’t control my expression. My chest tightened like someone was squeezing my heart; my vision darkened, breath short.
Why?*
Why does that idiot keep throwing his life away for me?*
What the hell am I to him?*
I had to stop him.
But how?
Show up and tell him he’s being a moron? Would he even listen?
Could I even face him?
I was a criminal to him now. Killer, perpetrator of worse. Every filthy deed under the sun.
The good friend “Kang Ishin” he remembered? Gone. Long trampled and erased.
And I’m supposed to stand before him like this?
No.*
“Boss!”
If I stayed put, he’d march straight into the hell that’d claim his life.
Again. Again.*
My stomach churned.
“I didn’t ask for much. Just… just……”
I muttered like a madman.
I only wanted him to be happy.
Jeong Hosan had to be happy. Live a brilliant, fulfilling life. Inherit Red Dog Guild, bask in Kim Myeong-cheol’s favor, shine as one of Korea’s top hunters.
Not die pathetically like in his past life.
Never that.*
“Why are you doing this?”
I shook off Han Seohyun’s hand gripping me.
“Boss?”
I saw her shocked face but couldn’t spare her a thought right now.
I didn’t want to face anyone.
Backing away from Han Seohyun, I crawled into my room and slammed the door.
“Hah… huff.”
Wiping sweat from my brow with my sleeve, Ray’s voice rang out.
━What the hell’s going on? Why are you acting like a lunatic all of a sudden?*
“My mistake was bragging about regressing from the start. Believing I could change anything was the error.”
━You’ve handled everything flawlessly so far. Why the weak talk now?*
“Hah.”
I could’ve, if Jeong Hosan weren’t involved.
But him? No.
Not him.*
He could not end up broken.
Frustration boiled over into curses.
“He could just ignore me, chase his own interests. Stay under the guild master who adores him, live happily. Ditch me, and he’d be fine.”
Why risk it all for a friend like me?*
━That’s how much he treasures you.*
My breath caught.
“I’m worth nothing like that.”
The Kang Ishin he cherished was dead. Long gone, crushed underfoot.
Memories flooded back.
Seol Rokjin’s voice burrowed into my skull.
“Ah, damn it all.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The nightmare I thought I’d forgotten resurfaced, vivid as ever.