Plea and the Past
"Hunter... Could you please quit being a hunter?"
Irena's expression was more desperate than ever. Only pleading remained in it now.
"If it's because of this incident, you really don't have to worry. It's a special situation caused by Kim Seongho, so..."
"Then will you stop with the reckless rank-ups?"
"That's..."
"Lee Seonghyun's current rank-up speed is abnormal. And not in a good way."
Irena bit her lip, then let out a trembling sigh. "There was once a student similar to you, Seonghyun. Do you know who I'm talking about?"
"Yes. Lee Seongyul..."
She had the same name as my sister and was the same age, so I'd been surprised when I first heard it. But I'd quickly lost interest. Our sister was a college student. She had no connection to hunters. Even when she visited me in the hospital, she never once mentioned monsters. The only thing she said like a habit was, "I'll definitely fix you, little brother." Every time she came, she'd smile and make that bold promise. Back then, I thought I'd get calluses in my ears from hearing it so often.
"That student was exactly like you, Seonghyun. Always impatient, always trying to climb higher. Their goal wasn't growth—it was raising their rank. Just like you now. And in the end, they met their end in a C-rank dungeon... by my own hand."
"..."
"Do you know what I thought when I heard you'd been trapped in the ogre dungeon?"
"...I don't know."
Irena's voice was thick with tears. "I thought I was being punished by the gods. That this was the karma for failing to protect my disciple..."
"..."
"I made a promise to myself. I swore I'd protect you. I resolved to make you into a proper hunter. But... but!"
"..."
"I almost lost you again..."
She wept as she took my hand in both of hers. "I don't want you to become a second Lee Seongyul. So please, I'm begging you..."
"..."
"Entrust your life to me...!"
The desperate emotion in Irena's grip seemed to seep into my skin.
"Whatever you want, whatever you desire—I'll make it all come true. I know this is unreasonable. I know it's selfish. But please..."
Irena bowed her head deeply, as if in supplication. "Quit being a hunter..."
It was a plea. A plea filled with all the sorrow of a woman who had always stood tall and composed. I gave her a bitter smile and pulled her into an embrace. She hesitated for a moment before hugging me back tightly. A sweet scent tickled my nose, and her warmth enveloped me.
"Professor."
"...Yes."
The usually proud and rational woman felt incredibly small in my arms. I gently stroked her back.
"I understand how you feel, Professor. I know you're worried about me, that you're thinking of me."
"Then..."
"But my goal is something you can't achieve for me."
It was something only I could accomplish. Still, I leaned in and whispered into her ear. "But you can help me."
***
I told Irena about my goal. I didn't explain everything in detail—just that I needed her help until I could be with the woman I liked. Her expression as she looked over the contract was complicated.
"The woman you like... Very well. I'll help you until then."
The contract, enforced by mana, contained the following clauses:
[Lee Seonghyun will quit being a hunter upon achieving his goal.]
[Irena will unconditionally cooperate with Lee Seonghyun until he achieves his goal.]
There was risk involved, but with this, I'd gained Irena as an ally. Since she was acting as the academy's vice principal, she'd definitely be useful for my plans later. When I told her my goal was simply to end up with the woman I liked rather than becoming an S-rank hunter, her face looked like she'd been struck by lightning. I suppose to anyone else, I'd seem obsessed with getting stronger. But my goal was actually quite modest.
"Now that we've signed the contract, you can't cry anymore, right?"
"...This stays between us."
She turned her head in embarrassment, cheeks flushed. It was rather cute.
"By the way, how long are you planning to hold my hand?"
"I'm still anxious... Can't we stay like this a little longer?"
Irena spoke in a small, shy voice. Somehow, it felt like her personality had changed a bit. Either way, the contract with Irena was settled. Then Shin Suyeon came to visit.
At the sight of her, I shot up from the bed. "Oh my, what an honor to have such a distinguished guest in this humble place..."
"Should I just leave...?"
"It was a joke. Come in."
She was walking on her own now—her body had recovered quite a bit.
"I barely made it through that fierce competition, and you almost turned me away at the door."
"Competition?"
"Yes. We decided only one person would visit, thinking of you. And I'm quite talented at rock-paper-scissors, hehe..."
She must have won against Lee Seol and Han Yuri.
"How's your body feeling?"
"I'm fine. I want to be discharged right now, but the professor's forcing me to get a full examination..."
"The professor made the right call."
"Ha. Seriously, I have no allies in this world."
After that, we talked about this and that—Shin Suyeon's classmates, how things were going at the academy. Once I sent her off, the day of my discharge drew near.
"If anything feels wrong with your body, you must come back immediately, understood?"
"Yes, I understand."
I let the nurse's words go in one ear and out the other in the hospital lobby. I knew my own condition best. As I was listening to her reminders, the lobby suddenly grew noisy.
"Hey, isn't that him?"
"I think so... Wow, first time seeing him in person."
The murmurs grew louder. What now? I turned around, wondering if some celebrity had arrived—and doubted my own eyes.
A man was striding confidently through the crowd. He stood at 190cm with a physique that could easily bench 500kg. Lee Jun... The President of the Korean Hunter Association.
Why is he here...? I hoped it was just a coincidence and turned my back, pretending to listen to the nurse. But reality was never on my side.
"You're Seonghyun, right?"
Shit. I slowly turned my head. Lee Jun's face came into view—a handsome, somewhat rugged look. He extended a hand the size of a pot lid toward me.
"Got a minute?"
***
Hunter Association Headquarters. I was currently being half-dragged here by Lee Jun. As an S-rank hunter and the Association President, I couldn't even make a sound of protest, let alone resist.
What the hell does he want? I couldn't think of any matter important enough for a busy man like him to personally pick me up. Following Lee Jun out of the car, I felt the surrounding gazes converge on me.
"Who's that behind the President?"
"Doesn't look like Association staff... Oh! Isn't that the kid who's close with Seol?"
"Ah! Right! The one we saw at the festival!"
Ignoring the whispers, we headed to the very top floor. The President's office. The entire top floor belonged to this man.
First time here. Even though I'd been involved with Lee Seol, I hadn't had much connection with Lee Jun. As I was looking around, Lee Jun offered me a chair.
"Make yourself comfortable."
A likable tone. A friendly way of speaking that lowered one's guard. Just like you'd expect from Lee Seol's father. I gave a small nod. Despite his massive frame, Lee Jun personally poured the tea.
"Sorry for showing up so suddenly."
"Not at all."
"I figured it would be better to talk face-to-face rather than over the phone."
"Ah, yes."
Lee Jun handed me the tea, then bowed his head. "I'm sorry. Not only did I fail to protect you, my benefactor, but I put you in danger. I'm truly, truly sorry."
A 90-degree bow. Even though bowing as the Association President wasn't easy, he did it without hesitation.
"I should have thanked you earlier for saving Seol during the grade evaluation. Forgive me for the delay—there was some urgent business..."
Of course. The Association was probably swamped investigating the Witches and the Demon Sect.
"It's fine. I didn't do it expecting thanks anyway."
A pleased smile appeared on Lee Jun's face at my words. "Just as Seol said—very sincere."
Shit.
"Actually, I did it expecting compensation."
"Haha! Fair enough. I'll give you something big later, so let's just talk comfortably for now."
I'd tried to change the subject quickly, but Lee Jun just kept chuckling like it was funny. I must have picked the wrong approach...
"Seol was very sick when she was younger."
"What? She was sick?"
This was the first I'd heard of it. At my question, Lee Jun nodded with a bitter expression.
"Her body was weak from birth. She practically lived in hospitals until she was old enough for elementary school. There was even a time when we were told to prepare ourselves because she was given a terminal diagnosis..."
"..."
"But a miracle happened when she was eight."
Eight years old. The same time I'd collapsed.
"A child who was half-dead started walking again, started laughing again. Maybe that's why I'm even more grateful that you saved her."
"I see. I had no idea..."
"Didn't Yuri tell you?"
"Han Yuri? Not at all."
"Yuri was the same case as Seol. Well, it's not exactly something you'd tell others."
While Lee Jun smiled bitterly, my mind was in complete turmoil. This is new information. Even in the previous timeline, when I'd been involved with those women, they'd never mentioned this. Something felt off. I had a strong premonition that I absolutely couldn't let this information slip by.
"Do you happen to have any old photos of Seol?"
"Of course. Want to see them?"
"Yes."
Like a doting father, Lee Jun's face lit up with a smile the moment Seol was mentioned. I decided to use that to my advantage.
"Hmm, here it is."
Lee Jun rummaged through the bookshelf and pulled out a thick album. He placed it on the desk and flipped open the cover. What appeared was—
Sister...?
A photo of Lee Seol in a wheelchair, seemingly in a hospital parking lot. And faintly visible behind her was another girl. The image was blurry, but it was unmistakably my sister. An expression I'd never seen before. My sister's face, which had always been filled with that pathetic chuckle, was now contorted as she ran into the hospital.
Crack.
In that instant, a pain like something striking my brain surged through me. Similar to the agony I felt when forcing myself to use Thunder God. Even so, I turned the page. I didn't know why. It just felt like instinct—I had to move to the next page quickly. As my trembling hand reached for the page—
Bang!
"Wait!"
Lee Seol burst through the door, her face pale. At the same time, she looked at me and snatched the album away.
"Seol...?"
When I looked at her—
"..."
Lee Seol quietly avoided my gaze.