Mad Dog at the Station
Shin Ji-hye, who had been buried in guild master duties, dropped everything the moment she got my call and rushed straight to the police station.
"Hoo…."
The medical holding room. A place where injured criminals get treated while being restrained at the same time. A hospital room that's also a prison cell. Shin Ji-hye let out an irritated sigh in front of it.
"So… you went into a gate."
"…Yeah."
"And you got attacked by scavengers, but Seong-ah's senior saved you."
"……Yeah."
"Got it."
Shin Ji-hye sighed again and turned her head.
"Detective?"
"…Yes."
"I'm her guardian." Shin Ji-hye held out her hunter registration card. Not the fake one she'd shown when the cops came to the house—this was the real deal, marked S-rank.
"I'll vouch for her identity. Let her go home."
"……Yes."
His gaze drifted to the window at the end of the hallway. Reporters swarming outside the station, and a group of suited men and women. The press had caught wind of Shin Ji-hye showing up, and the Yuseong Guild hunters had tailed her here. No S-ranks among them—gathering team leaders for something like this would bruise egos too much. But even these were top-tier A-ranks, a force equivalent to an entire army corps. It was a show of force, but no mere detective or station chief could push back against it. Her "mad dog" nickname wasn't for nothing.
"You hear that, Seong-ah? Head back to the office for now. Go with Manager Kim from the care team."
"……Yes, Guild Master."
Unlike the scavenger in the opposite holding room, who was shackled down, Jin Seong-ah was receiving treatment unrestrained. She nodded meekly, her usual infuriating attitude nowhere in sight—she looked utterly subdued. Manager Kim from the damage care team arrived and led her away, flanked by four A-rank hunters like bodyguards.
"…Would you come with me for now?"
"Sure, whatever."
It was directed at me, not Shin Ji-hye. She was here as the guardian, not a direct party to the incident. A lawyer from the legal team followed behind me instead.
"Hey, Yoo Sung."
"What?"
"…Don't say anything stupid."
"As if I'd need that warning."
I waved off Shin Ji-hye and followed the detective. Even her pissed-off face is cute. Gotta fuck her senseless tonight.
"Yes. So, I'm the one handling the investigation…."
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Detective. I'm the attorney from Yuseong Guild's legal team…."
The lawyer and detective exchanged greetings first. Meanwhile, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through contacts.
This guy's gotten too big for his britches… Hmm.
"According to Hunter Yoo Sung's statement here…."
"That part…."
I found a suitable contact while scrolling. Ring ring ring…. It connected exactly on the third ring.
"Yes, Commissioner. Yoo Sung from Yuseong Guild."
"Aw, come on, can't I just call up an old friend? I heard your daughter's off at college now. How's she doing?"
"Oh, she's great! And how about you, Hunter? Doing well, I hope?"
"Doing fine. Hey, I'm at the station right now… Mind if I switch to speaker?"
"St, station? Ah, yes! Go ahead!"
Power's a wonderful thing sometimes. I switched to speaker and set the phone smack in the middle of the interrogation room table.
"Yes, Commissioner. Thing is, I… got into a scuffle with some other hunters in that gate."
"Ah, I, is that so? Which bastard dared…!"
The detective's face stiffened as he listened. Can't blame him—anyone would if they heard the Seoul Police Commissioner kissing my ass.
"Aw, I'm fine. But one of our hunters got hurt. Took a few arrows."
"How could they…! Who the hell were they?!"
"Guys from Seongjin."
"……Seongjin."
Bigger than Yuseong Guild in sheer size. We probably swapped first and second place back and forth.
"That bastard Park Sung-jin—wait, Park Tae-hyun now? Anyway, I'll talk to him."
"Ah, I, is that right…?"
"Yeah. So I was hoping you'd help me out a bit."
"Of course! Just say the word!"
"Fights between hunters—if the police handle it, doesn't it get a headache? Pain in the ass for us too."
That's why cops hated taking hunter cases. They'd bust their asses investigating, only for the Hunter Bureau to swoop in and take over. All that work for nothing—who'd want that? Especially a beef between Seongjin and Yuseong; way above police paygrade.
"Let's just close this here. Say we and Seongjin settled it ourselves."
"Ah, y-you want to do that?"
"Yeah, yeah. We're all tired—let's wrap it up quietly. That cool?"
"Y-yes, do as you like! Yes!"
"Thanks for the consideration, Commissioner. Oh, the detective here's with me—mind passing the word for me?"
I turned off speaker and handed the phone to the detective across from me. His hand shook as he took it.
"L, loyalty. Seoul Gangnam Station…."
"It's me, Seoul Commissioner Kim Mu-yeol—sweep this under the rug."
Even with speaker off, the commissioner's voice boomed through.
"……Pardon?"
"What pardon, you punk! Just bury it! You deaf?!"
"Ah, b-but still…."
"It's Yuseong vs. Seongjin trouble! Shrimp get crushed in whale fights! Got it, punk?!"
"……."
"Got it or not?!"
"I… got it."
"Then do as I say! Close the case and send 'em off nice!"
Guy's gonna blow a gasket. Gotta buy him ginger tea later.
The detective handed the phone back.
"Thanks, Commissioner. Let's grab a meal sometime. My treat."
"H-ha…! Th-thank you for even saying that!"
"No empty words. Let's set something up next time you're free—give me a call."
"Aw, yes, then next week… Hmm, next week."
Ugh, annoying. I noted it in my calendar app, then put the phone back to my ear.
"Alright, Commissioner. See you next week. Thanks for making time."
"No, thank you! Haha… Oh, give my regards to the Guild Master…."
"Will do. Take care."
"Yes! You too…!"
Beep. I ended the call and turned to the stunned detective.
"So, we're settling with them, right?"
"……Yes."
"Then let's settle."
I scrolled contacts again. Park Tae-hyun. Seongjin Guild master. Beep. Dialed.
It rang forever before connecting.
"Yo, Park Sung-jin—or Park Tae-hyun? Why the hell you dodging calls?"
"Nah, nothing like that."
Or is it? Yeah, pretty much. Tough shit.
Shouldn't have touched Jin Seong-ah, you ex-con fuck.
"Your guys messed with one of ours?"
"……What? Where, when?"
"Early this morning. Gangnam permanent gate."
"……Who did what to who."
"Your guys on ours. Jin Seong-ah. You know, our new S-rank."
"……."
"Our girl's hurt. Arrows, blood, the works. Might need psych treatment from the shock."
"Hoo…." A long sigh dragged through the phone. Sounds pissed. Guess he didn't know yet.
"Reporters are sniffing around now. Our guild master's furious too. But honestly, it bruises our pride. Even if she went in solo, she's a precious S-rank."
"…So."
"I'll shut the press up. In return, hand over that gate you bid on."
"……You fucking bastard."
"Let's keep it civil. Better than this hitting the news and you spitting out gates while your rep tanks."
S-ranks and guild masters live on pride. Popularity sells more than mana stones from monster byproducts. Get caught scavenging in gates and getting robbed blind? No bids for months.
"Fuck, the money I poured into that…."
"Wanna make it ugly then? We've got pride too—no compensation for our injured S-rank, pride wounded…."
"Fine! You dog!"
That's right. Good boy.
"Who did it?"
"Huh?"
"Who touched your girl without thinking? Who?!"
"Hold on." I muted the phone and asked the detective.
"Suspect's name again?"
"…Gil Hyun-ki."
"Some guy named Gil Hyun-ki."
"…Fuck."
Voice full of recognition. I spoke to Park Tae-hyun, who spat curses.
"We'll take him for treatment. Gate's ours. Deal?"
"Wha, you gonna kill him?"
"Nah. Treatment, I said."
"Crazy fuck, he'd rather die than…." Park Tae-hyun had been through Do Hyun-ah's "treatment" before. We'd worked together before founding separate guilds.
"So, deal?"
"…Deal, you fuck."
"Cool. Let's grab food later. My treat. You like beef, right?"
"Fuck off, you psycho!"
Click. Line went dead.
"Man."
Offering to buy food and he hangs up. Gotta actually take him out sometime.
"Settlement done, Detective."
"……Yes."
"We'll take the suspect. I good to go?"
"………Yes."
"Thanks for your work. Oh." I pulled a business card from my pocket and handed it over.
"Detective, any troubles, hit me up here."
"…Pardon?"
"Cops need hunter muscle sometimes, right? No pressure."
"Ah, yes…."
He pocketed the card. Satisfied, I stood with the lawyer.
"Let's go, Counselor."
"Yes, Hunter Yoo Sung."
"I'm a guide now."
"Haha, old habits."
We bantered down the hall. Cops and rookies alike were on edge from the sudden hunter influx.
"Guild Master, I'm back."
"……."
In the middle of the station hallway, Shin Ji-hye's irritated expression—broadcast by every inch of her body—softened for a split second. Then she clocked the crowd and snapped back to mad dog mode.
"…Handled?"
"Yup. Settled with Park… Park Tae-hyun."
"How?"
"We're taking that guy who made Seong-ah bleed for treatment."
Treatment. Her face hardened at the word. She liked death, not near-death agony.
"That's it?"
"Oh, and we snag the gate Seongjin bid on."
"……What?"
"Deal with Park Tae-hyun. Wrap it quiet."
Like she'd said—our bid was higher, but Park Tae-hyun had greased palms to complicate it. Solid justification on our end. For him, wasted bribes beat media circus pride damage.
Appearances matter. Her mere presence at a station drew eyes; he knew enough to cut the deal.
"Pretty good resolution, huh?"
"…Yeah, well done."
Her dry praise in public was adorable.
Outside, Shin Ji-hye addressed the gathered hunters.
"…Kids."
"Yes, Guild Master."
"Hunter who got hurt tangling with our Seong-ah? Grab him, hand to medical team leader."
"…Medical team leader?"
"Yeah."
"Got it."
Mention of the medical team leader paled their faces. No wonder the clinic was empty.
Hunters marched in per orders. Reporters flashed wildly upfront; cops held them back.
"……."
Clack clack. Shin Ji-hye strode with haughty heel clicks. Cameras trailed her.
She took the driver's seat; I hopped shotgun. As we passed the station entrance, I slid a hand onto her thigh.
"We're on the road… ♥"
"So?"
"You crazy fuck…."
She flinched but didn't refuse. So damn cute.
"Subordinate snags a gate, shouldn't there be a bonus?"
I stroked her stocking-clad leg. Smooth thigh plus the slight rasp—perfect texture.
"Bonus…?"
"Yup."
"Y-you've got… my, card…."
"Exactly."
Squeeze. I gripped the inner thigh leading to her crotch.
"You're my wallet."
"Hng… ♥"
"Pay the bonus in body. Right?"
"…Y-yes, ah ♥"
#
"Medical Team Leader."
"What?"
"Patient. Guild Master said to pass him to you for treatment."
"Treatment?"
"Yes."
"Hmm…."
Do Hyun-ah looked down at the hunter, limbs bound tight with mana-sealing chains.
"Must hurt bad. Three gunshot wounds… dantian shattered too."
"……."
"Got it, everyone out."
"Yes, Team Leader."
Shhhk. Do Hyun-ah, gloved in latex with a faint smile, gazed at her "patient."
"This'll hurt. Bear it."
"Guhhh…."
"Oh, no tongue? Poor thing. I'll heal you slo~wly. Open wide first. Ah~."
"Gaaaaah!!"
"No screaming. Muscles tore—more treatment needed."
The hunters leaving the medical office flinched at the scream, shoulders shaking.