Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: It's My Clothes.
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It's my clothes.
In the car heading back to Seoul.
Tension finally easing, Ye-eun was out cold in the passenger seat, dead to the world.
Her work clothes were caked in blood and filth, but Siwoo didn't mind—he just hit the gas harder.
2 a.m. The car pulled into the underground parking lot of the building housing Miracle's office.
"Wake up. We're here."
Ye-eun jolted awake at Siwoo's voice.
Even in her half-asleep daze, she groped for the hem of his clothes and clutched it tight.
She looked just like a child terrified the world might end if they were parted even for a moment.
Terror flickered briefly in her eyes before she confirmed it was Siwoo and relaxed into relief.
"This is...?"
"Let's head up."
Siwoo led Ye-eun up to the office.
"Go on in."
Siwoo said as he opened the door to the on-call room.
Ye-eun hesitated on the threshold, covered head to toe in blood and grime.
She didn't want to dirty up the clean room.
"It's fine."
Siwoo gave her back a light push.
The on-call room had a basic shower setup, but clothes were the issue.
There were no spare women's clothes handy.
And no shops open at this hour anyway.
Siwoo pondered for a moment, then pulled out his phone.
"Jia, sorry to call so late."
[President?]
Lee Jia's voice from the receiver was far too lively to be fresh from sleep.
She sounded downright thrilled, like she'd been waiting for this.
"Any chance you could bring some women's clothes to the office? Something comfy. It's urgent."
[Clothes? Oh, sure! Of course! I wasn't sleeping anyway! I'll be right there! Five minutes... no, three!]
Lee Jia answered without question or hesitation.
Siwoo chuckled softly and hung up.
"Go ahead and shower. Clothes will be here soon."
He handed her a towel, and Ye-eun timidly grasped the bathroom door handle.
She paused as she opened it and glanced back.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
"Don't... go anywhere."
Her eyes trembled with anxiety.
She was scared the sound of the water would drown out any sign of him.
"I'll be right here by the door, so relax and wash up."
Siwoo dragged a chair over and sat by the door. Only then did Ye-eun finally slip inside, seemingly reassured.
Shhhhh—
The sound of running water started.
And exactly three minutes later...
The door lock clicked open, and Lee Jia burst in.
"President!"
She was dressed in light training wear like she'd just hit a convenience store, but her face was full makeup.
She was panting, sweat beading on her forehead.
It was clear she'd sprinted here.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Your voice sounded so urgent..."
"I'm fine. Did you bring the clothes?"
"Oh, yeah! Here. I grabbed the comfiest, roomiest ones from my closet... but who's wearing them?"
Lee Jia handed over the shopping bag with a puzzled look.
Women's clothes at the office at this hour?
That was when it happened.
Click.
The bathroom door opened, and white steam billowed out.
Ye-eun stepped through.
"......"
Lee Jia's eyes went wide in an instant.
Silence fell over the office.
The blood-soaked demon from the slaughterhouse was gone.
In its place was a beauty so stunning it stole your breath.
Her skin was so pale it glowed transparently under the fluorescent lights.
Like it had been sculpted from moonlight.
Her long, ink-black hair, still damp, cascaded over her delicate shoulders and coiled like a black serpent above her collarbone.
Her long, monolid eyes held a cool allure laced with subtle seduction, while her bloodless red lips stood out sharply against her white skin.
Ye-eun clutched the towel wrapped around her as she stepped out.
She'd thrown on a loose shower robe emblazoned with the Miracle logo, but it only amplified her decadent, dangerous charm.
The wet fabric clung to her curves, exposing them brazenly.
Lee Jia standing next to Siwoo might as well not exist—Ye-eun's gaze locked straight onto Siwoo by the door.
'What... what is this...'
Even as a woman, Lee Jia was speechless at the suffocating beauty.
Who was she? A model? An actress?
Where did he find someone like this?
"President."
Ye-eun, still dripping wet, latched onto Siwoo's arm.
A droplet rolled down her exposed white collarbone.
Her wet hair soaked into his shirt.
"This shampoo isn't yours, is it? Smells different."
She buried her nose in his clothes like a puppy, sniffing away.
It was more than enough to set Lee Jia's jealousy ablaze.
"H-Hey!"
Lee Jia couldn't hold back and shouted.
Only then did Ye-eun turn her head to look at her.
Deep, dark eyes swept over Jia—dry, disinterested.
"What."
Casual speech. Rude.
The haughty confidence left Jia fuming.
"Y-You need to get dressed!"
"Oh."
Only then did Ye-eun seem to realize her state, her face flushing as she held out a hand to Siwoo.
"President... clothes."
Her voice was soft, but she didn't avert her gaze.
"Here, go change."
Siwoo handed her the bag, and she darted back into the bathroom.
The left-behind Lee Jia stared blankly at the closed door before snapping to and turning to Siwoo.
"P-President...? Who... is she...?"
Lee Jia's voice trembled faintly.
Instinctual alarm. Jealousy.
The stranger who'd claimed Siwoo's side in her absence had an overwhelming presence that cowed her, yet resentment boiled up.
"Let me introduce her. Kim Ye-eun, our newest contracted Hunter."
"New contract...?"
"It's complicated."
A moment later, Ye-eun emerged in the new clothes.
Gray oversized hoodie and training pants from Lee Jia.
Roomy on Jia, but on the tall, slender Ye-eun, they fit oddly—highlighting her fragile yet toned frame, evoking a decadent vibe.
Ye-eun roughly shook out her wet hair as she approached Siwoo.
Not a single glance at Jia right beside him.
"President, these sleeves are kinda short. That okay?"
Ye-eun deliberately pressed her arm against his as she asked.
The sleeves were plenty long enough, obviously.
Lee Jia could see it was just an excuse to touch him.
She bit her lip hard.
'It's my clothes...'
No thanks, ignoring her completely while fawning over Siwoo—it made her blood boil.
But she couldn't confront him directly.
"Um... hi. I'm Lee Jia. A fellow Hunter here."
Lee Jia forced a smile and greeted her.
But Ye-eun just gave her a single dry sweep of the eyes.
"......"
No response.
To her, Lee Jia seemed like nothing more than an unnecessary obstacle.
Ye-eun turned back to Siwoo.
"I'm sleepy, President. Where do I sleep?"
"Crash on that couch over there. It's late."
Siwoo answered indifferently, ignoring the women's silent battle.
Ye-eun curled up on the couch the moment he spoke, facing his direction.
She shut her eyes right away.
Just being in his line of sight seemed to bring her peace.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A strange silence settled over the office.
Lee Jia stood there awkwardly, glancing between the sleeping Ye-eun and Siwoo.
There was no place for her here.
"Um... President. I should head out."
"Hold on, Jia."
Siwoo called her back, and her face lit up instantly.
But he just stared at her quietly.
'Insight Eye.'
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Lee Jia 🏷️ Current Rank: A ⭐ Potential: S-Rank (Awakening in Progress) 📝 Special Notes: Body brimming with potential mana required for awakening. Siwoo's eyebrow twitched.
He'd just checked her status after a while, nothing more.
'Awakening, huh.'
Sometimes, instead of re-awakening, the body couldn't contain the mana and slowly bloomed into it—what they called "awakening."
Of course, he knew such cases existed.
They were distinct from re-awakening.
The problem was, unlike re-awakening, bloomings required a specific trigger to erupt.
A powerful stimulus, like emotional turmoil or a brush with death.
'A trigger.'
Siwoo glanced out the window.
The darkened roadside.
Lurking around Miracle's office for days now: unwanted guests.
'Perfect timing.'
"Jia."
"Y-Yes?"
"It's late. Get home safe."
"Oh... right. You too, President. Goodnight..."
Lee Jia left with a hint of disappointment.
Siwoo stared at the closed door, his eyes cooling as he sank into thought.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days later, in the morning.
"President Han, about that new Hunter request."
A call from the Association's Executive Director.
About Kim Ye-eun's Hunter registration.
He knew her uniqueness better than anyone, so he'd pulled strings for a discreet process.
"We assembled a team, but... the measurement data's off."
"Off how?"
"Mana's detected, sure, but... unprecedented case. HQ wants a risk assessment and full scan. The mana wavelength is too... alien."
Siwoo glanced sideways.
Ye-eun sat on the couch, polishing her sword.
"Got it. Send it over."
After hanging up, Siwoo explained the situation to Ye-eun.
"Ye-eun."
"Yes, President."
"I've got to head out briefly. Association car's coming."
Ye-eun's face hardened instantly, her polishing hand freezing.
"No."
She sheathed her sword with finality.
"Not going. If they try to lock me up, I'll kill them all. I wanna stay by your side."
Her eyes turned feral.
Anyone trying to separate her from Siwoo would be cut down—that was her vibe.
"Kim Ye-eun."
Siwoo's tone sharpened.
"If you don't go now, you could get classified as an illegal Hunter later and forcibly quarantined. Might not see me again."
Ye-eun's eyes wavered.
"Get your official Hunter license. That's the only way we can be together legally, right?"
"......I hate not seeing you."
She bit her lip.
She hated parting.
Even a minute or second apart made her anxious.
But she knew he was right.
"......For real? Just register, and I can stay by your side?"
"Promise. It'll be quick."
Only then did Ye-eun nod reluctantly.
Right on cue, a black van with the Association emblem pulled up outside.
Even as she climbed in, Ye-eun couldn't let go of Siwoo's hand.
She gripped it like a lifeline until he nodded—then her fingers finally loosened.
Her eyes were pitiful, like an abandoned puppy.
"I'll be back..."
The door shut, and the van drove off.
Ye-eun pressed her face to the window, twisting back to watch Siwoo until he vanished from sight—like she was being dragged to the end of the world.
Her gaze stayed fixed on him to the last.
Once she was gone, Siwoo pulled out his smartphone and dialed someone.
"Jia."
[P-President?]
"You free today?"
[Yes!! Even if not, I am!]
Lee Jia's voice brimmed with excitement.
Siwoo ended the call, grabbed his car keys, and headed to the parking lot.
As the elevator descended, he pretended to check his phone while sidelong glancing at the lobby outside.
The street view through the glass looked normal, but something felt off to his eyes.
Sure enough.
In the parking lot exit's blind spot, beyond the streetlamp's reach.
A black sedan that had been tailing him for days.
'No trigger, then.'
Siwoo's eyes gleamed coldly.
He planned to exploit this situation fully.
'I'll just make one.'