Chapter 71
-I see.
Gija-ryeong's response was straightforward.
-Before we dive into the main business, let me clear one thing up. I'm not just following your orders, Mr. Seo Wonseok. I'm acting based on my own judgment.
Of course.
Right now, our interests just happen to align, so we're cooperating.
-If Gwang-san Corp ever presents conditions I find convincing enough, I'll act on my own at that point.
"I trust you'll handle it well."
-Coming from you of all people, that makes it feel heavier somehow...
Gija-ryeong trailed off.
Even over a simple phone call, I could picture her hesitating, carefully choosing her words.
-Mind if I go off-topic for a sec?
She spoke up again.
"We've only talked stiff business so far. I'd love to hear something fun."
-It's not that exciting. A while back, I tagged along with a senior from the broadcasting station to a movie set. Not for reporting—just curiosity.
"Already sounds intriguing."
-Anyway... it was a wild experience. The director was handling both directing and the lead acting role all by himself.
"Ah. I think I know who."
-Yeah, probably that guy.
There was a hint of excitement in Gija-ryeong's voice.
-It was this romantic reunion scene between the protagonists. So I was hyped, wondering what kind of emotional exchange I'd see between the actors off-camera.
If something juicy happened, it'd be front-page news the next day.
-...But nope. The actors were crazy tense before shooting started. Even the director. From watching on screen, you wouldn't guess, but the atmosphere was like thin ice.
"Makes sense."
I nodded.
"One NG, and hundreds of staff have to reset everything for a reshoot."
-Exactly. And since he's director and actor, one mistake from him delays everyone's wrap-up. Everyone was on edge—the staff too.
Gija-ryeong continued.
-During standby, it was dead silent, like a morgue. Then...
She paused dramatically, as if snapping her fingers.
-One 'Cue!' signal, and cameras roll, lights shift, assistant directors check lists—total chaos.
"Sounds like a great experience. I'm jealous."
-What I'm saying is...
Gija-ryeong hesitated again.
-I won't pry into why you're hiding your identity from the world, Mr. Seo Wonseok. You must have your reasons.
"Thanks."
-Just know this: HTN and I? We're the staff. You're the director and star. Got it? We'll stay on standby no matter what—until your 'Cue!'
Gija-ryeong elaborated.
-So don't crumble, the most important guy. If the director falls, the whole set falls apart.
"......"
I looked up. The bridge where I'd just spoken with Uncle was right there.
"You know this, Reporter? They say the most important part of a bridge isn't the road cars drive on—it's those cables we overlook without a thought."
-Those lines?
"Yeah."
The red cables shaped like the character for 'person', holding up the upper structure.
"They're tougher than they look."
It was like looking at myself.
Not the me from my previous life, who had ended it in quiet despair.
"So tough they couldn't collapse even if they tried."
This life—Seo Wonseok of the present.
A famous hotel in Mapo-gu.
A luxury sedan pulled into the VIP parking lot.
A waiting valet opened the door.
"Welcome, Hunter."
Jeong Hamin stretched as he stepped out.
"Where's the man himself?"
"He's already here, waiting."
"Aigoo, sorry to keep such an important guest waiting. Let's hurry."
Jeong Hamin's manager handed the keys to the valet and stuck close behind.
They took the private elevator to the top floor.
The hallway gleamed with marble on all sides.
Cold seemed to rise from the shiny floor.
At the end of the corridor was the VIP bar.
But.
"What the hell are those guys?"
Jeong Hamin's brow furrowed.
A man and woman stood like gatekeepers on either side of the entrance.
The manager answered.
"Doesn't look like hotel staff."
"So he posted them there?"
"Probably."
"Jeez..."
Jeong Hamin sighed in annoyance.
If it were up to his usual temper, he'd paint this pristine hallway red.
But the man he was meeting... even an R&Y Hunter who could make birds drop from the sky had to hold back now.
Jeong Hamin and his manager reached the end of the hall.
Sure enough.
"We'll need to inspect you briefly."
The two gatekeepers reached out as if they'd been waiting.
Jeong Hamin twisted his lips openly.
"What, you think we're gangsters?"
"Sorry. It's just protocol."
"Protocol? Renting out the whole bar violates protocol too, in Korea."
"Sorry."
Suddenly, the man's hand brushed Jeong Hamin's weapon.
Smack.
Jeong Hamin slapped it away. He glared fiercely at the man.
"Taking a hunter's weapon?"
"Not confiscating—just a quick look..."
"Worried a hunter's hiding a recorder in his gear?"
"That's not the intent, Hunter Jeong."
"I thought this meeting was based on mutual trust. Guess I was the only one."
It was at that moment.
"Sorry for keeping our honored guest waiting."
Jeong Hamin glanced back.
A tall white man approached, dabbing moisture from his face with a handkerchief.
"My apologies, Hunter Jeong."
Ethan Gosling flashed a friendly smile.
The Firstman Guild's healer. A fixture on Hunter Time magazine's top 10 American hunters list.
Ethan Gosling's official Korea schedule had ended with his meeting at the Association. This was off the books.
"You called him an honored guest."
Ethan scolded his subordinates.
"Sorry, Ethan."
"Be more careful next time."
They apologized without a hint of remorse.
This must be how he covers their rudeness. So obvious it's not even funny.
"That was rude. Weather's cold—let's head in."
"Sure."
Jeong Hamin told his manager to wait in the hall, then entered the bar.
An eye-staring contest—one against two—began in the corridor.
Thud.
The door shut.
floor-to-ceiling windows welcomed Ethan Gosling and Jeong Hamin with open arms.
Seoul's skyline unfolded, the Han River at a glance.
Ethan hung his coat on a chair back and said,
"What a beautiful city."
"You think?"
Jeong Hamin replied indifferently.
"I see it every day, so it's getting old. New York's night view's prettier, no?"
He was here to deal.
No need to cower before an S-rank.
This table they faced was the negotiation board.
Ethan said,
"New York's bigger in scale, sure. But I love Seoul's Han River. Especially those bridges."
"Too damn many. Tiny country, not even that big a river, bridges crammed everywhere."
"I see it as efficient urban design."
It was a bizarre scene.
Korean Jeong Hamin badmouthed his homeland; foreigner Ethan praised it.
"Wha, wha, t would you like?"
The waiter took orders in broken Korean.
Deaf, half-blind—that's why VIPs loved this bar.
Hmm.
Jeong Hamin used the waiter's arrival to size up the Yankee opposite.
If Ethan truly thought Korea superior, would he spout that nonsense?
No way.
Ethan looked down on Korea. His "praise" was condescension.
Back in the States, asked about Korea, he'd say, "Not bad for a Japan layover."
For him to call me out personally...
Everyone knew Jeong Hamin lacked patriotism. He'd met secretly with Firstman reps multiple times.
All fell through.
To American guilds, he wasn't that hot a commodity. A-ranks overflowed there.
"En, enjoy your, time..."
The waiter brought drinks. Ethan raised his glass.
"Hunter Jeong has shown interest in ongoing good relations with Firstman Guild, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Our higher-ups think highly of you because of that."
What bullshit.
You trashed me before.
"But Firstman slots rarely open, so we've had to reluctantly decline your overtures."
"Yeah, well..."
"Not everyone in the guild likes you, of course. Americans especially—hypocrites abound. You know what I mean?"
"Traitor label doesn't faze me anymore."
"I swear by the stars, I don't see you as one of those hypocrites."
Ethan smiled.
"Just a rational man—that's my take."
"Thanks for the kind view."
Ethan tilted his glass toward the window, pointing at the Han.
"I see you as the bridge linking north and south banks. Like that one."
"Mapo Bridge."
"Ah! Right, Mapo Bridge! The name's not the point."
Ethan's smile creased his face.
"The hunter world needs change."
Jeong Hamin nodded half-heartedly.
"Nations cut exchanges out of inertia? When crisis hits, our footprints vanish. For the future, we must know each other."
"......"
Jeong Hamin wet his lips. Something rough caught his tongue tip.
These guys trying to pin Seo Boseok's assassination on us?
One top hunter could sway a nation's fate these days.
The world tracked their moves keenly. Guilds worldwide scrambled for talent, nationality be damned.
And Seo Boseok was likely—no, confirmed—a Blessing holder.
Blessings were rare even among S-ranks.
And combat-type, at that.
Major guilds monitored him closely.
Rumors swirled of insane offers to lure him.
But.
He turned them all down.
Reasons unspoken.
It scratched their pride raw.
Better unowned than owned by rivals—they leaned toward "handling" him.
Childish as fuck.
Hunters were like that.
Pampered, their minds stayed infantile. Stronger hunters, worse the tendency.
Imagine guilds packed with S-ranks.
Seo Boseok was the exception.
"Ah."
One more.
'That' Seo Hunter.
Anyway.
American guilds were hypocrites.
They shunned blood on their hands.
So they schemed from shadows.
Irresistible offers to Korean giants, or so the whispers went.
Jeong Hamin didn't know details.
And the Korean guilds who bit...
Seo Boseok, already a thorn—they'd raise glasses to remove him now. No public excuse before, but America as solid backing?
Perfect timing.
But the op failed.
Blade-man Han Biyeol lost fire. He wouldn't piss toward any Seo Hunter now. Brother or sibling—obvious without saying.
Tap tap.
Ethan tapped the table with a nail.
"Will you be our 'Mapo Bridge'?"
Ethan whispered.
"Firstman just had openings. Two slots."
"Timing's suspicious."
"Say the stars willed it."
"So."
Jeong Hamin crossed his arms.
"You want something from me."
"I'm curious about Seo Hunter."