My Home Is!
“Thank you for the fun!”
“Take care of yourself…”
“You really should visit the Association on a regular basis?”
“We’ll go then.”
“Ladies! Please come visit again sometime!”
“Everyone, stay safe. Maru, call us once you get home.”
“Okay.”
The group training at the Association had ended, and it was time to head back.
At the station, we waved goodbye to everyone and boarded the KTX.
“Ugh. That was fun, but it’s a little sad.”
“Can’t be helped. We’ll look forward to next time.”
We had stayed at the Association for almost three days since arriving in Busan, so it made sense to feel a little sad. Chae-eun must have been looking forward to it the most.
“If anything comes up, just call me right away—”
“That line is the thirteenth time you’ve said it.”
It was clear how important it was. Trauma and PTSD were genuinely dangerous.
“Then let’s have some boiled eggs before we board!”
“Already?”
Was a dead ghost stuck to me?
Still, eating the boiled eggs while chatting about the trip made me feel good. After half an hour of talking, though…
“Sis is asleep.”
“Yeah.”
Yeon-hwa noona was out cold. Anyone would be tired after today’s training.
“If you’re sleepy too, just go to sleep. You had training today as well.”
“Maybe. I am a little tired, but—”
“Chae-eun? Want to take a nap?”
“Yaa. Arang mom, give me milk.”
“…What?”
She really must be sleepy. Her energy in our conversation was fading fast.
“Then I’ll take a quick nap too. Arang and Maru oppa can sleep if you get sleepy.”
After saying that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. It was fast.
“What about you?”
“I’m a bit tired, but I don’t feel sleepy.”
“Really? Then let’s talk quietly.”
“Sure.”
We kept our voices low so we wouldn’t wake anyone else and chatted casually. Sometimes we even played games on our phones, and before we knew it, time had flown by.
“Everyone, wake up. We’re here.”
“Mhm…”
“Go home and sleep. Take a bath and rest well. Noona will wake up too.”
Everyone looked exhausted. Today I should let them rest without any more fun.
“Everyone, go home and rest!”
“Bye-bye~.”
“It was fun. Take care.”
“You guys… go carefully… This… I’m really grateful…”
“What for? I’m glad it helped.”
Noona seemed to like the protective talisman I gave her. Since I couldn’t do anything special for her, I felt a bit sorry, but I was glad she was happy with it.
“Anyway, how should we get home? Taxi?”
“Let’s do that. I’m a bit tired too.”
It wasn’t exactly convenient to call the Association over this, but I ordered a taxi to drop us right in front of the building. Then I closed my eyes for a moment.
Up until now I had thought that once we got home we would finally get to rest properly.
***
The moment we arrived at the apartment complex where Maru and I lived, the scene that greeted us was this.
“Hurry up and move!”
“Whoa. What’s going on?”
The apartment building that was burning was the one Maru and I lived in.
“…”
“…”
The fire was big enough that our home was already engulfed. Flames were roaring.
“Huh? How did you… manage to get that…?”
“My items?”
My apartment held multiple items, including my sword Baekwol. The fire wouldn’t damage them, but if firefighters found them later my identity would be exposed.
“You’re right… I’m going crazy…”
I was really losing it. I had already been dealing with too much at once, and now the house was gone too. At this point, it was more than just shocking. Just empty.
“Wait, wait. There’s a missed call.”
The caller was the Association president. It had been ringing since I got into the taxi. I must have been asleep and missed it.
“Wait, I’ll take a call. No, you can come with me.”
“Huh? Okay.”
First I moved to a quiet spot to take the call. I also made sure there were no people around.
“Yes, this is Baekwol.”
“Baekwol Hunter. Do you know the situation at the house?”
“Yes. I just checked.”
“First, all of Baekwol Hunter’s items have been recovered by us.”
They had taken out only the items before the firefighters arrived. The fire was so sudden that early extinguishing was impossible, but the Association president’s direct agents had managed to retrieve my items. I always kept my important things in the same place, and apparently that had helped. They were currently on fire-suppression support.
“What will you do about housing?”
“I’ll probably have to find another house nearby.”
The problem was whether there was any house at all. The short-term rentals near the Academy had all been taken. Even family homes were likely gone. The area around the Academy was where prices rose just by owning a place, so I had barely managed to get one.
The dorms had long passed their application period, and the remaining houses were only affordable to students who hadn’t joined a guild yet. Of course I wasn’t short on money, but the source of it might raise suspicions. The tax office might not care, but rumors would spread.
Still, there was no other way. I couldn’t live on the street, and I couldn’t force someone who had been living normally to move out.
“I’ll come collect the items later. Let me cut the call for now.”
“Yes. Call me anytime you need help.”
I hung up and thought about how to handle the situation.
“…Could it be a villain?”
“I don’t know yet. They say it might be a gas leak explosion. But do you have a place to live?”
“No. I barely managed to buy that house.”
I was fine with it, but Maru was the real issue. Did we need to buy two houses? But would someone who had already paid for all the refrigerator groceries accept just getting one?
“…What if I buy you a house?”
“That’s a bit… too much.”
Of course. We couldn’t force Maru to go to school in Busan, and I didn’t want to ignore her wishes. Maru didn’t want to leave the Academy either.
“I’ll figure something out. You don’t have to worry.”
“How… Ah!”
Maru, I just had a good idea!
“You’ll pay me rent.”
“Huh?”
“And we’ll live together.”
“…Huh?!”
***
The biggest headache for academy students was housing. The dorms were small but couldn’t accommodate all students.
So the dorms always had intense competition. The application period had long passed, so Maru had no chance to squeeze in.
She couldn’t look for a short-term rental either. Even if money was no object, she wouldn’t find one. Demand was always high.
“I’ll buy you a house. Something big and expensive. And I’ll give you one room so you can live there.”
“…Where would Baek A-rang get the money? You’re just a student on the surface.”
“I’ll join a guild.”
“Huh?”
“More precisely, I’ll just list my name in the guild. Once the contract is signed, I’ll claim I only received the deposit and there’s no issue.”
An S-grade hunter’s deposit was naturally enormous. It would be enough to buy a luxury apartment near the Academy. Luxury apartments were expensive, and empty units were always available.
“But that means the guild has to cooperate, right?”
“If I ask nicely, they’ll help? I’m on friendly terms with the guild master of the Three Great Guilds. I’ll temporarily use them as a base. In return, I’ll go to the guild as Baekwol and teach a few members a bit.”
“Even so… that’s too much to ask of you.”
“What’s wrong? I just made a good friend.”
“But—”
“If you keep saying no, should I call my mom? Cut off your living expenses?”
“…”
She would help immediately if I asked. She had told me to ask for anything, and there was no reason to refuse a good offer anyway. There was no other way.
“Then right away… Ah. Real estate offices are probably all closed.”
“Let’s go tomorrow. Today we need to find a motel or something.”
“Why a motel? Let’s do a hotel. I’ll pay.”
“But—”
“Yay!”
For the first time in a while I was having a hotel breakfast. It would be delicious.
***
“Wow…”
“Nice view? This is the most expensive hotel around here.”
We had booked a room at a hotel not too far away. Great view and high-end facilities.
“What do you want from room service?”
“Wait… oh, just sleep. Price is high.”
“Don’t worry about it. I have to eat this anyway.”
I picked the smoked salmon sandwich. I didn’t want to eat something heavy at this hour.
“I’ll have a steak sandwich.”
“Got it. One moment.”
I called room service and ordered two sandwiches.
“Ah… There’s been so much happening in just a week.”
“That’s true, Arang.”
“Hm?”
“Can you come here for a second?”
She suddenly sounded a bit serious.
“Why?”
“…Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Because we’re friends.”
“You don’t usually do that for friends.”
Her reaction showed that Maru was a little surprised by my kindness. Or maybe it made her uncomfortable.
“Hmm… I never really thought about the reason…”
I hadn’t thought deeply. I just did it because I wanted to.
“I’m not the type to do this usually.”
I wasn’t the kind of person who gave so much to others. I was the type who clearly drew lines. Thinking about that made me understand why Maru felt burdened.
“That’s… because you’re precious to me?”
“What?”
“Because you’re precious. To me.”
Maru couldn’t hide her surprise. She thought I was just being generous.
“I’ve been swinging a sword since I was nine, after my contract with the Association president, until I was seventeen. Just training.”
“…The Association president?”
“Ah, let me clarify. The Association president hated me doing that. It was forced.”
The contract I made with the Association president was for me to operate as a hunter for the Hunter Association. It was to keep me in Korea instead of being taken abroad with my S-grade power. In return I received treatment for my parents.
But my emotions were high back then, and I swung the sword every day filled with desperation and revenge. I went to school only as much as I needed to graduate, and the rest of the time I trained.
“One of the reasons I entered the Academy was because of the Association president’s request. He said to enjoy my youth a little.”
The protagonist enters next year. It would be better to approach from a peer position. Still, I entered a year early because the Association president begged me to make friends and have fun.
“Anyway, I didn’t have any friends. Then I suddenly got one.”
When I was young, because of my past life, and as I grew older I focused only on training, my social relationships were terrible. I didn’t feel the need for them much.
“That’s why I value you guys. You’re the first precious thing I’ve ever had. Aside from family, of course.”
“…”
I grew a little melancholy. I didn’t need to.
“Did you understand?”
“Yes. Thank you for telling me.”
“No. I didn’t know you would feel burdened.”
It’s not that simply giving things works. I fought with my sister about it and then forgot.
“And you don’t have to feel guilty. I’ll pay the rent. Including interest.”
“I have no money.”
“I won’t take money.”
“Huh?”
Why are you pretending not to know? You know everything. Why would I book only one room?
“What are you doing? Not taking a shower? Should I shower first?”
