Meeting the Secretary
Kim Jangmi's car sped down the road.
Judging by the direction, it was probably heading to the Hongryeon Guild Headquarters.
The place I'd grumbled about commuting to every single day. But today, my status was a little different.
Just a kid tagging along with the guild leader.
I glanced at Jangmi, thinking to myself.
Back to work right away like this? Yeah, guild leaders are always busy...
It wasn't long before the car pulled to a stop.
"Shina, we're here."
I reached for the door handle to get out.
But in that instant, Jangmi flung open my door at blinding speed.
"……?"
"Shina. Come on, hold Auntie’s hand. Be careful stepping down—nice and slow, okay?"
Her eyes brimmed with worry and affection.
"……"
I alternated between her outstretched hand and her face.
This overprotective kindness still felt awkward.
Sure, my body was a kid now, but my mind was a full-grown adult. And at eleven, I wasn't exactly at the age to throw tantrums anyway.
I wish she'd treat me a bit less like a baby...
Swallowing a sigh inside, I finally placed my hand atop her soft palm.
"Good girl."
Only then did Jangmi squeeze my hand tight, flashing a faint, relieved smile.
And just like that, I stepped into the guild building, led by her hand.
As we entered the lobby, busy staff and hunters rushed about.
A few wore grim expressions they couldn't hide, their steps heavy.
Seeing their troubled faces made my chest tighten a little.
Is it because of me...?
My death.
I'd loathed the hunter life and constantly talked about retiring, but that didn't mean I felt no attachment to the guild.
They were comrades who'd crossed the line between life and death with me. How could I not?
Familiar faces passed by as we crossed the lobby.
But unaware of my true identity, they just shot curious glances at the tiny kid beside the guild leader.
"……"
Led by Jangmi's hand, we arrived at her office door.
As it opened, a woman reviewing documents inside looked up.
Intellectual and cool-looking, dressed in office attire with glasses, she greeted us.
"Ah, Guild Leader. You're back quick."
"Yeah... I was nearby."
"Pardon? Weren't you at Hunter Kim Shinwoo's house?"
Jangmi nodded bitterly at the woman's question.
During their exchange, the woman's gaze stayed fixed on Jangmi.
I might as well not have existed.
Or maybe she just didn't notice someone as small as me...
So heartbreaking...
"Guild Leader... if you're having a hard time, you should rest."
"No. Who else will do it if not me? Anyway—come on, Shina. Say hi."
"Yes...?"
The woman's expression turned baffled.
As Jangmi stepped aside slightly, her gaze slowly drifted downward.
The moment our eyes met, I bowed politely.
"Hello."
"Uh...? Oh, hi..."
She fumbled in clear fluster, a far cry from her earlier cool demeanor.
"Guild Leader...? Who is this child...?"
While the woman floundered in confusion, Jangmi led me by the hand to the sofa inside and sat me down.
She stroked my head affectionately.
"Auntie has to step out for a bit, so play nice with this sister, okay?"
"Yes."
Hearing my reply, Jangmi approached the woman and whispered something urgently.
Her eyes widened in shock as Jangmi hurried out of the office.
The room fell silent.
The woman approached me with stiff, robotic movements.
"Um... Shina... miss...?"
"Yes?"
Her intellectual, icy facade had crumbled completely. Her lost eyes trembled.
This clumsy reaction didn't suit her elite look at all—and somehow, it was a little funny.
I sat primly on the sofa, blinking indifferently at her flustered face.
What on earth did Jangmi tell her...?
The intellectual woman's name was Kim Minji.
She was Jangmi's secretary.
It had been six days since Hunter Kim Shinwoo's death.
But Minji's life remained peaceful.
The same routine of tapping away at her keyboard.
Someone's death.
It wasn't uncommon in the hunter world.
Things had improved since the early gate incidents, but hunter fatalities still occurred steadily.
That didn't make a colleague's death feel any lighter.
Despite the heaviness in her chest, she had work to do.
That was the industry.
Minji paused, lifting her stiff fingers from the keyboard to stretch.
"Ngh...!"
As her tense muscles relaxed, a deep sigh followed.
"Haa......"
Minji stared blankly, lost in thought.
'...Maybe I should quit.'
But she shook her head, shaking off the notion.
She recalled the words she'd always nagged him with.
He, who constantly wore retirement on his sleeve.
Hunter Kim Shinwoo.
He had no clue about his own position.
The massive influence he wielded over the guild—and the country.
The enormous loss his retirement would cause.
That's why Minji always told him bluntly: Don't take retirement so lightly. Know how heavy your role is.
"……"
Minji pressed her forehead, gazing at the ceiling to calm her burning mind.
"Agh... What an idiot..."
Regret-tinged self-reproach slipped out softly.
That was when the door opened, and Guild Leader Jangmi entered.
Her face was noticeably gaunt, eyes hollow.
If there was a contest for the most tormented person in the guild—or the world—it would be her, no doubt.
Yet Jangmi carried on with her duties silently.
Minji was steeling herself not to entertain weak thoughts when—
"……?"
As Jangmi stepped aside, a tiny figure hidden behind her appeared.
A young girl.
The girl stared at Minji with clear, bright eyes.
'Wh-what...? More importantly, she feels... familiar...?'
As confusion flooded her mind, Jangmi passed by and carefully seated the girl on the sofa.
Then she approached the dazed Minji.
"Guild Leader...? That child is..."
"Her name's Shina. Shinwoo's daughter."
"……?"
Minji's brain short-circuited.
"Pardon?!"
"Watch her for a bit. Take good care of her."
With that, Jangmi rushed out.
Minji's gaze creaked toward the girl on the sofa.
The girl dangled her short legs, tilting her head at Minji.
"Um... Shina miss...?"
"Yes?"
An innocent reply came back.
Minji couldn't even imagine how dumbstruck her face looked.
Forcing a gentle smile, she approached with awkward steps.
"Do you... like snacks?"
Minji thought of the imported chocolates she kept stashed in her desk drawer for special occasions.
Her mind raced as fast as it did with work, figuring out how to handle this girl.
The girl stared blankly.
Meeting those pitch-black eyes, Minji swallowed dryly under an inexplicable pressure.
"I have chocolate... Want some?"
With trembling hands, Minji opened the drawer, swept by a tension she'd never felt before.
And beyond that tension, a nagging question stole her focus.
'How... is she so similar...?'
I accepted the chocolate from her.
"Thank you."
Her name was Kim Minji. A familiar face.
Jangmi's capable secretary.
I carefully opened the box she handed me.
Peeled off the wrapper and popped one into my mouth.
*Nom... nom...*
"Oh......"
It melted smoothly on my tongue, sweet and rich.
With a sophisticated, slightly bitter undertone.
One bite told me it was expensive.
But... it could've been a tad sweeter?
Has my taste changed...?
I turned to look at her.
She was still staring intently.
Like Jangmi, why did everyone have to stare so uncomfortably?
I met her eyes without flinching.
Realizing she'd been staring too hard, she averted her gaze in a panic and apologized.
"Ah... Sorry. Was I staring?"
Her voice dripped with embarrassment.
"It's fine."
I replied as flatly as possible.
Speaking from this small body still felt off.
If I talked as smoothly as before, they'd catch on quick.
A way to chat naturally without blowing my cover...
For now, I'd settled on a curt, slightly sulky demeanor.
Amid those silly worries, Minji asked cautiously.
"Um, Shina... You really... look just like your dad."
A remark that could've made my heart drop, but I kept my face neutral.
"I think so too."
"Really...? Haha..."
The air chilled instantly, awkwardness settling in.
Was my reply too stiff?
She, who always kept a poker face, was now sweating bullets, glancing at me nervously.
I added to reassure her fidgeting self.
"I'm okay."
"Y-yeah......"
My attempt at comfort didn't land; she still looked like she was walking on thin ice.
As heavy silence dragged on, she tried changing the mood with a suggestion.
"Hey, Shina. Are you bored?"
"Hmm..."
I had nothing to do, and sitting in this cramped office was making me fidgety.
"Yes."
"Wanna take a tour of the guild with me?"
"A... tour?"
"Yeah. There's some stuff worth seeing."
Minji stood, offering a small smile.
"Sure, sounds good."
"Let's go then?"
And so, I followed her out of the office.