The Funeral in My Dream
We left the market in high spirits after scoring far better hauls than either of us had expected at the stalls. Just as we were about to head out, however, we ran into some people I never wanted to see again.
“Hey? Who the hell is this? Trainee 122. It is 122, right?”
I turned toward the voice that had locked onto me.
A group of hunters stood there in the crisp white uniforms of the White Dragon Guild. One of them broke away from the pack, acting like we were old friends.
“Who is he?” Han Sowon asked.
“I… honestly have no idea.”
When she pressed me about the man who clearly recognized me, I could only answer with the truth. I genuinely didn’t remember him.
My response must have stung, because the man approached with a bright smile that did nothing to hide the anger flashing in his eyes.
“That’s a bit harsh as a joke. Even if you were expelled, forgetting a training-center classmate already? That hurts, 122. Still, it’s good to see you again.”
“……?”
I did feel a pang of guilt at that. The fact that he remembered my exact trainee number meant he really had been in the same cohort, yet his face and name drew a complete blank for me.
When I offered him a sincere handshake to make up for it, the rest of the White Dragon Guild members crowded closer and asked him, “What’s going on? A training-center classmate? So he’s one of our juniors?”
“Ah, sorry, seniors. I got excited seeing an old classmate and… Anyway, it’s nothing you need to worry about. He was the top close-combat trainee back then—some genius who acted like hot shit—but in the end he awakened as E-class and got kicked out.”
“Oh, is that so?”
The way the White Dragon Guild members looked at me shifted immediately, but I didn’t care. Their opinions meant nothing to me.
“Is that really what happened, Mr. Humin?”
“It is. I was never arrogant about it, though.”
“Still, pretending not to know me just because you got expelled and hold a grudge? That’s pretty childish, don’t you think?”
“……?”
At his sneering taunt I could only scratch the back of my head. If I had been pretending, the mockery might have gotten under my skin. But since I truly didn’t remember him, all I felt was awkward apology.
Seeing my expression, he finally seemed to grasp the situation. His face crumpled in disbelief and his voice shook as he asked, “You’re not actually saying you don’t remember who I am… right?”
“Uh… sorry. But who are you?”
“You crazy son of a—! I placed second to you in close combat! I challenged you constantly! How can you not remember me?!”
He was so indignant he actually grabbed my collar. I had no choice but to tell him the truth.
“Did you? I know I got a lot of challenges back then, but…”
“……!”
His eyes bulged. “So that’s it? You’re saying I was no different from all the other trash who challenged you. That’s what you’re telling me?”
“…Dong-hoon.”
“If that’s how it sounded, then yeah.”
“You fucking dirt-spoon bastard—!”
“Lee Dong-hoon!”
“……!”
So his name was Lee Dong-hoon.
At his senior’s sharp rebuke, Lee Dong-hoon finally regained his senses and realized what he was doing. By then a crowd had gathered, phones up and recording. He slowly lowered the fist he’d raised to my face and released my collar with a shove.
“We’ll deal with the consequences of this back at the guild. Return to base immediately.”
“But, sir—!”
“Now!”
In the end Lee Dong-hoon shot me a murderous glare before storming out of the Flame Anvil Guild building. The man who appeared to be their leader approached me directly and offered a polite apology.
“I’m Jung Sang-woo, leader of White Dragon Guild Team 17. This is my failure as an educator of juniors. I’m truly sorry.”
“You should be. Please keep a tighter leash on him in the future. I had no idea he was such a precious little snowflake.”
“…We will. Do you belong to a guild, by any chance? If so, we’d like to extend a formal apology through official channels.”
“I don’t. As you heard, I’m just an E-class reject.”
“I see. We’ll be on our way, then. Take care.”
As Jung Sang-woo and his team boarded the elevator, he quietly instructed his vice-leader, “Keep an eye on Lee Dong-hoon. If he causes another incident, I’ll recommend his expulsion to the Guild Master regardless of his status as an S-rank prospect.”
“Understood.”
That evening.
“I had a wonderful time today, Mr. Humin. Get home safely.”
“You too. See you tomorrow.”
I watched Han Sowon’s taxi pull away, then started home. I’d promised to have dinner with my family, so I stopped by to pick up some Grade-A Korean beef on the way.
My phone rang.
"Hunter Ahn Humin? This is Director Lee Won-hyung."
“Director?”
The last person I expected to call me out of the blue was the head of the Awakening Management Bureau.
"If you have a moment, could I borrow a little of your time? If you’re busy, tomorrow or any time that’s convenient for you is fine as well."
“Ah… I’m actually about to have dinner with my family. Would tomorrow morning work?”
"Of course. I’ll be waiting for your call."
I hung up and headed home, only to be greeted by a surprise.
“Broooother-in-laaaaw!!”
“Broooother!!”
My brother-in-law, whose face had grown hazy in my memory from how long it had been, was waiting at the house.
“Well, well. Anyone listening would think you two were forcibly separated as children. Do you really like your brother-in-law that much?”
“Of course! Everyone else thinks he’s a saint because he’s wrapped around my sister’s finger, but who else understands the pain of living under Ahn Somin’s thumb? Only my brother-in-law! Right?”
“Uh… brother-in-law? Maybe we shouldn’t talk about that so openly…”
“Oho~ So that’s why you two are so close you can’t live without each other. Looks like you’ll only grow closer after today. Come here, both of you.”
“I didn’t say anything! Honey!”
After the playful scuffle died down, the whole family gathered and enjoyed a delicious dinner together.
“I never thought I’d hear myself say this in my lifetime… but even Grade-A Korean beef gets old when you eat it every week.”
“Should I buy a different cut next time?”
“That works, or we could eat out for a change.”
She was right; we really had been eating a lot of beef lately. I understood why she was getting tired of it.
Grandfather, who had been eating quietly, turned to my brother-in-law.
“Jang, how did that project of yours turn out? Was it wrapped up successfully?”
“Yes, sir! The current project finished well, and I was lucky enough to be assigned an even larger one. If it goes smoothly, I may even be up for a promotion this time.”
“Really, honey?!”
“Mm-hm.”
My brother-in-law scratched the back of his head shyly at my sister’s delighted cry.
I chimed in with my own congratulations. “That’s wonderful, brother-in-law!”
“It’s not official yet. I still have to work harder.”
“Just don’t forget that safety comes first. There will always be another chance for promotion, but if you get hurt, not only me and Humin but Somin most of all will be devastated.”
“Yes, Grandfather. I will keep that in mind and be careful.”
I genuinely cheered for my brother-in-law as he answered with quiet determination.
To me, my sister was mother, friend, and savior all in one—someone I could never repay. My brother-in-law had stood silently by her side during her hardest, most painful moments, giving her strength. He was her savior, and therefore mine. Even though I never had an older brother, if I had, I imagined he would feel exactly like this. He was family I was truly grateful for.
After dinner, once the dishes and cleanup were done, I stepped out to the park in front of the house to get some fresh air.
“So this is where you were.”
“Brother-in-law?”
I had been sitting on a bench letting the chilly night breeze wash over me when he came over and sat beside me.
“Somin told me. You cured Grandfather?”
“Yeah… it just sort of happened. Haha…”
“You really are incredible. The guy who got kicked out of the White Dragon Guild as an E-class not long ago is now clearing up to the twentieth floor with a single teammate. Guilds should be lining up to recruit you. Any thoughts?”
“The Management Bureau actually contacted me, but… I’m not sure. I kind of like how things are right now.”
My brother-in-law smiled as if he had expected that answer and patted my shoulder.
“Of course you do. You’ve always been good at taking care of yourself. Still, if anything gets difficult or you run into trouble, call me. Your brother-in-law has climbed pretty high in the Public Security Division, you know?”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
“By the way, did your sister say anything to you?”
“About what?”
When I looked puzzled, he gave me a knowing look and said, “Guess she hasn’t. Never mind, then. You can hear it from her later.”
“Haa… Brother-in-law, do you know the two things that annoy Koreans the most? One is leaving a story unfinished, and the second is…”
I stared at him pointedly until he burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! All right, I’ll tell you. But when your sister tells you later, make sure your reaction is perfect. Otherwise I might actually get beaten to death.”
“Fine, what is it?”
“Brother-in-law… you might become an uncle soon?”
“……Pardon?”
My eyes flew wide open. He grinned.
“I only found out recently myself. She’s fifteen weeks along. There was an accident with Grandfather right after she got pregnant, so everyone was so shocked they almost lost the baby. That’s why she kept it secret until things stabilized.”
“Is… is that true? My sister really…?”
“Congratulations, Uncle.”
“The father should be the one getting congratulated! Wow, what is this? My sister… having a child…”
I was so stunned I could barely form sentences. I had vaguely imagined that one day she and my brother-in-law would have a child, but now that it was real, my heart felt strangely full and restless.
“Hahaha! Thank you. Anyway, pretend you don’t know until she tells you herself. And give her a good reaction when she does, okay?”
“Don’t worry. Even if I hear it again, it’s the kind of news that’ll still shock me. Do you know the gender yet? A girl? A boy?”
“We don’t know yet. We’ll find out later.”
I looked at him. “Do you want a daughter or a son, brother-in-law?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“As long as both mother and child are healthy, I don’t care if it’s a daughter or a son. What about you?”
“Same here.”
He smiled brightly at my answer and stood up.
“Shall we head back in? The wind’s getting colder.”
“I’ll head straight home from here. Go on in. And please tell my sister I said hello.”
“Will do. Be safe.”
“You too, brother-in-law!”
That night.
What the—? Don’t tell me it’s happening again?
Clear consciousness paired with an alien sensation. The strange yet familiar feeling told me instantly that I was having another precognitive dream.
This place…
I looked around. It appeared to be a funeral hall. Mourners in black suits came and went busily, yet none of them seemed to notice me standing there completely naked.
Who died…?
I followed the flow of people.
The moment I reached the memorial room, my body froze in place. My eyes widened until they felt like they would tear, locked onto the portrait displayed at the front.
What… what is this?!
The person in the funeral portrait was none other than my brother-in-law, Jang Gi-jun.
The portrait showed Jang Gi-jun in a black suit, smiling gently the way he always did. White chrysanthemums surrounded the frame. The reality of what I was seeing refused to sink in.