A Burdensome Day and an Unwanted Visitor
It was an incredibly burdensome and exhausting day. All day long, without a single break, her eyes kept sparkling at me every time our gazes met. The raid party members noticed those looks and shot me playful, teasing glances. And then there was Kim Pilseok, watching the whole thing with clear anxiety in his eyes. “Haa…” It was absolute chaos. Shin Jiyu, our raid party leader, was being so blatantly obvious that I wondered how someone could show it that much. So why was I the one stuck feeling embarrassed?
After all, I had rejected her. I drew the line so harshly in every possible way that the other party members looked at me like I was being too cruel. “I’ll be heading home now.” The on-site cleanup was finished, and the miner team had already left for the day.
“Ah, Junho-ssi! You’re leaving? Where are you headed? Which way is your house?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t like commuting home with other people.”
“As expected of a lone wolf…!”
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
“…Anyway, I’ll be going now.”
“Get home safely! And if you ever change your mind about wanting to walk with someone, you absolutely have to tell me!”
“I doubt that’ll ever happen.”
“I’m just saying, just in case!”
I considered adding that there wasn’t even a “just in case,” but decided to let it go. No matter what I said, she would just bounce back with that unaffected expression. “Still, please be careful on your way home, Junho-ssi.”
Han Jia had been quietly watching our exchange from behind. She stepped forward and spoke up.
“Did something happen?”
Seeing her nod, it looked like she had been glancing at her phone earlier. She must have seen the news.
“There was a breaking report. You know that woman from the Onhwa Guild who caused the scandal?”
“…Ah.”
She meant Min Jiyeon.
“They issued an arrest warrant, but apparently she ran away before the Association hunters could catch her.”
“She actually ran?”
She had talked about overcoming the situation and all that, but in the end it seemed she couldn’t find a way out, got scared, and fled. …That woman really was something else.
“They said the place where she lived is around here. So you never know. Be careful.”
She had a point. I couldn’t quite remember if she was E-rank or D-rank, but since she was a combat hunter, it made sense to stay alert. If she chose to run instead of quietly going to prison, there was always the chance she might come after me for revenge. I wasn’t sure what I had done wrong, but still.
“In that sense, walking home with me would be…!”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“It didn’t work…!”
Whether it was dangerous or not was one thing. Accepting Shin Jiyu’s kindness was another. If I used someone who liked me just for my own convenience without giving anything back, how would I be any different from Yu Hyejeong?
“Anyway, I’m really going now.”
I said my goodbyes once more and quickly started walking home, making it clear I had no intention of leaving any more openings.
“Junho-ssi! See you tomorrow! Should I come pick you up in front of your house tomorrow?”
This person really didn’t know how to give up. It wasn’t like this was some epic romance. We hadn’t even known each other that long.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“That didn’t work either…!”
Her completely unfazed reactions kept bothering me. It felt like something was stuck in my throat, stirring up my heart in uncomfortable ways.
“She’s kind of like how I used to be…”
When I first met Yu Hyejeong, I had fallen for her at first sight, hovered around her constantly, and begged for her love. Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same. If I had begged in a truly pathetic way, Shin Jiyu was more… bright and cheerful, actively expressing her affection for me. And the biggest difference was that no matter what I said or how I reacted, Shin Jiyu’s eyes stayed clear and unhurt.
“It would be nice if she stopped before she gets hurt.”
I wasn’t drawing the line because I wanted to hurt her, but the fact that I couldn’t return her feelings would eventually wound her. My head felt too cluttered.
“…Haa, and now what is this?”
My mind was already full of Shin Jiyu constantly acting this way and Kim Pilseok’s annoying behavior, but—
“J-Junho-ssi…! Why are you only coming now…!”
The well-groomed appearance she used to maintain was completely gone. Min Jiyeon stood there with disheveled hair and a face that was a total mess.
“I’ve been… waiting for so long…”
If someone asked whether I felt sorry for her—no. Not even a little. All I could think was that it served her right. Still, having to face someone I never wanted to see again… Today really must have been cursed. Otherwise, why would nothing but mind-numbing complications keep happening?
“Min Jiyeon-ssi.”
“Y-Yes! It’s me, Min Jiyeon…!”
“Why the hell are you here?”
I took a cautious step back, wondering if she had come for revenge.
“B-Because I wanted to see you, Junho-ssi…!”
It didn’t seem like that was the case. Wanted to see me, she said.
“I never wanted to see you again for the rest of my life. How shameless.”
A smile formed on my face without warning. A very cold one. The cold attitude I showed Shin Jiyu had been somewhat forced, but the one I showed Min Jiyeon was genuine.
“W-Why are you smiling so coldly… We had a good relationship, d-didn’t we…?”
“Put some spit on your tongue before you speak. When exactly did we have a good relationship?”
“U-Ugh… I’m sorry… Junho-ssi, it was all my fault…! I’ll apologize for everything I did…! So, so…!”
It was sickening.
“Please, just help me with this one thing…! Then I’ll do anything…! Anything you want…!”
Everyone connected to Yu Hyejeong. Everyone who had existed inside her boundary. They were all sickening. Now that I thought about it, even my past self who had loved someone like that was pathetic. Not that thinking it could erase the past. I couldn’t pretend the problem standing right in front of me didn’t exist either.
“Even a leech wouldn’t be this persistent.”
I expressed my contempt with my entire body and said harsh things, but I already knew this woman wouldn’t leave just from that.
“I’ll be good… I’ll be good… Don’t throw me away, don’t throw me away… Please don’t throw me away…!”
Just looking at her current state made it obvious. No matter what I said, that incredible attitude of stubbornly clinging on. This approach wasn’t working. It might be better to try something different…
“…Um, fine. Come inside first. I’ll at least hear you out.”
When I wiped the contempt from my face and changed my tone, curiosity suddenly flickered across her desperate expression.
“Now that I think about it, there’s such a thing as hate that turns into affection. Since we have some old ties, I figured I might as well listen. That’s all.”
After giving that explanation, I opened the door and gestured for her to come in. Her dark face brightened in an instant.
“Thank you…! Thank you…!”
I watched with cold eyes as Min Jiyeon hurried inside, then followed her in and slowly closed the door.
Once inside Junho’s house, Min Jiyeon let out a sigh of relief. After all, the fact that he had allowed her into his private space had to mean he was at least somewhat swayed by her proposal, right? She spun that hopeful scenario in her head.
“So you did those things this time because there was no one to stop you?”
Since Junho had stopped similar incidents in the past, it was a perfectly fair question. Min Jiyeon answered in a slightly deflated voice.
“Well… I told you I liked you, Junho-ssi…! But then that bitch Yu Hyejeong suddenly kicked you out, right? So I was lonely… I was so lonely that when I started meeting people, it just turned out that way…!”
“How exactly do you end up blackmailing people while meeting them?”
Junho didn’t react at all to the part about her liking him. He only pointed out the absurd excuse.
“I-It just kind of happened…”
“Don’t blame others. In the end, you were simply that kind of person.”
His voice as he pointed out her faults was completely emotionless. She flinched slightly at the flat tone that carried not a single trace of feeling, but Min Jiyeon was not the type to back down so easily.
“Yeah, I know. This time it really was all my fault…”
“Then you should accept a proper price for it.”
“But people make mistakes…!”
Mistake. At hearing her describe something that had tormented others to the point they wanted to die as a mere “mistake,” Junho’s eyebrow twitched. Of course, Min Jiyeon was too busy making excuses to notice.
“It was a real mistake… If you can just help me get through this one incident, I swear I won’t ever do anything like this again…!”
When Junho remained silent, the anxious Min Jiyeon watched his expression carefully before continuing.
“A-And if you help me, I’ll really give you anything…!”
Of course, there was still no response.
“I’ll become your slave, I really will…! I truly love you, Junho-ssi…! Please…! Okay?! If things stay like this, I’m really going to get arrested…!”
With the situation growing urgent, Min Jiyeon began to lose what little patience she had left and started spiraling.
“D-Do you want to do it right now…? Should I? If I do it, you’ll help me, right?! Then I’ll take my clothes off?! Okay?! I’ll strip right now…?!”
“Hey. Min Jiyeon-ssi. Have you lost your mind?”
Junho finally couldn’t take it anymore. Watching her act like a deranged person trying to strip, he pressed a hand to his forehead and raised his voice.
“It’s truly disgusting. Do you think you can solve everything with your body no matter what the situation is? Or is there really nothing else inside that head of yours?”
At his scathing response, Min Jiyeon realized something had gone wrong and grew even more anxious. She bit her nails frantically and pulled at her hair. Then a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
“Ah, w-wait… Yes, that was my fault…! But I have a suggestion that might actually sway you, Junho-ssi…!”
What nonsense was she going to spout now? In the past, she would have exploded in anger at the disgusted look on his face, but she was in no position to do that anymore.
“You have a lot of resentment built up against Yu Hyejeong, don’t you, Junho-ssi? Right? You’re going to expose her eventually anyway…! I know better than anyone how much of a piece of trash she is. So I’ll help you when the time comes. I’ll make sure she falls completely…!”
The moment Yu Hyejeong’s name came up, the disgust on Junho’s face began to shift.
D-Did it work…? Was this the one…?
Seeing the change, Min Jiyeon cheered inwardly, thinking she had played the right card. But—
“I don’t have any plans to expose her.”
The next moment, the look he gave her was one of pure pity. Cold sweat broke out in her palms.
“W-What…”
“I said I have no intention of exposing her. And no intention of helping you either.”
“Why…?! Why not?!”
“Whether Yu Hyejeong succeeds or fails because of her rotten personality. Whatever trouble you people cause. As long as I’m no longer entangled with any of you, none of it matters to me. That’s all.”
The moment Junho finished speaking—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A cheerful rapping sound began at the front door.