Chapter 231: The Calamity Strikes (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 231: The Calamity Strikes (3)
Early in the morning, Shin Yu-jeong set out for school, but her destination wasn't the campus—it was a nearby gym.
It was the same old, run-down place that had lost all its customers to the newer, better-equipped gyms in the area. The same place where she had first met Kim Do-jin, back when he had just started to change but was still incredibly overweight.
“What brings you here so early? What about school?”
Seeing Shin Yu-jeong show up at the crack of dawn, the owner folded the newspaper he was reading and asked her with a surprised look.
“……”
No answer came back.
She had stormed in with a frosty air and disappeared into the women's locker room, closing the door behind her.
“…Looks like something bad happened.”
Muttering to himself, the owner unfolded his newspaper and started reading again.
A moment later, when she emerged in her workout clothes and headed straight for the equipment, he tossed a comment her way.
“Warm up first. Even Awakened Beings get injured all the time while working out.”
“……”
Her angry steps halted.
It seemed that no matter how furious she was, she wanted to avoid getting hurt.
With that, the owner stopped paying attention to her.
Her showing up here in a rage was nothing new to him.
She’ll blow off some steam and leave on her own.
It happened from time to time.
Shin Yu-jeong would come in, completely stressed out, and work out with a violence that bordered on destructive before heading home.
Whenever that happened, all he did was point out the things her frayed nerves might miss.
Like forgetting to warm up, as she just had, or trying to lift a weight she couldn't possibly handle.
As long as it wasn't something like that, it was best to just leave her be.
Once she was tired out and had cleared her head, she would go home on her own.
“Hup…!”
After finishing her warm-up, Shin Yu-jeong immediately started lifting heavy.
She pushed her body to its limits, her arms trembling with each repetition.
Sweat poured down her body, and she didn't stop even when her muscles screamed as if they were about to tear.
With every gasp for breath that rose to her throat, with every pang of pain that squeezed her body, the anger that filled her mind began to dissipate, little by little.
“Hoo, heuk…!”
Her body exhausted, she pushed past her limits once more before collapsing to the floor.
She grabbed the towel she’d left next to the machine, wiped her face, and studied her reflection in the mirror on the wall.
A sudden curiosity struck her, and she asked the owner, whose attention had now shifted from the newspaper to the TV.
“Hey, boss. I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Where would you say I rank? Top what percent?”
“Hmm, let’s see.”
The owner stroked his chin, his eyes still glued to the TV.
“With muscles like yours, Yu-jeong, I’d say…”
Shin Yu-jeong snapped, her voice rising.
“Hey, not my muscles!”
“…If not your muscles, then what?”
“As a woman. As a woman.”
The owner’s eyes turned cold as he looked at her and replied.
“Let me just say this upfront. I’m already married with two kids…”
“Ugh, who would like an old geezer like you?!”
“Old geezer! For your information, back in my day…!”
“Ugh, there it is. The classic ‘back in my day’ speech.”
“Ack…! You little brat! Have you forgotten all the kindness I’ve shown you, taking you in and training you since you were a kid…?!”
The two began to bicker.
“Oh, whatever. Just answer my question.”
Shin Yu-jeong stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and struck a pose.
“Be honest. Where do I rank? Top what percent? You said you saw a lot of pretty women back in your day, right?”
When she subtly tried to soothe his ego, the owner’s anger subsided. He cleared his throat and gave her a sidelong glance.
“Well, someone like you, Yu-jeong… I’d say you’re probably in the top 10%.”
His answer only made her more sullen.
“…Only the top 10%?”
The owner quickly changed his tune.
“I mean, uh… to be generous, you’d easily fall within that range, hmm.”
“Then what about if you’re being strict?”
Another difficult question followed.
The owner agonized over it, closing his eyes to give her a generous score, when an urgent voice came from the TV.
【Breaking news. A massive rift has formed near the South Coast, and an evacuation order has been issued for the surrounding areas. The monster that emerged from the rift, first discovered by the Haenam Surveillance Team, has been identified as the Kraken that once caused catastrophic damage to Japan, leading to widespread panic…】
The word “Kraken” struck them both, lodging itself in their minds.
“A disaster-class monster… This is no ordinary situation.”
His eyes widened as he watched the footage of the Kraken, filmed from a distance, and shook his head.
The thought of the damage it would inflict on the region and the number of Hunters who would die trying to stop it was enough to give him a headache.
Like the owner, Shin Yu-jeong heard the breaking news, but besides the word “Kraken,” another phrase was deeply embedded in her mind.
Haenam Surveillance Team.
“Ah, Dad…”
That was where her father, now an Awakened Being, was stationed.
Her mind went blank, but she barely managed to cling to the thread of her reason.
Her breath grew ragged with tension. She rushed into the locker room, pulled her smartphone from her bag, and called her mother.
Soon, she heard Seo Jeong-hee’s voice.
—Y-Yu-jeong. Did you see the news?
“…I just saw it. Have you tried contacting Dad?”
—I was just trying to call him, but they say the signal gets blocked near the defensive barrier, so the call won't go through.
This was the worst-case scenario.
A disaster-class monster, the same one that had once stained the seas of Japan red, had appeared, and she couldn't even contact her father, who was likely nearby.
She forced herself to remain calm and reassured her frantic mother on the other end of the line.
“…It’s okay. The news hasn’t announced any casualties yet, so that must mean everyone is fine.”
She truly hoped that was the case.
“For now, Mom, you stay home and keep trying to call him. I’ll… I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”
—Y-Yu-jeong.
“Yeah?”
—I’m just saying this just in case… but don’t do anything dangerous. Okay?
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to ask my professors.”
—Sigh… okay. I’ll keep trying to call, so let me know if anything happens.
“Got it.”
After ending the call, she slung her bag over her shoulder and left the locker room.
Just then, another update from the TV reached her ears.
【…In response, the Hunter Association has issued an emergency summons for all A-rank and higher Hunters. They also announced that they will be forming an additional support unit by recruiting volunteers from B-rank Hunters.】
She immediately bolted from the gym, hailed a passing taxi, and jumped in.
“Korea University, and please hurry.”
The taxi sped off.
As the buildings flew by, she nervously chewed on her fingernails.
The moment she arrived, she got out of the car and ran to a professor she was close with.
“Professor, if you know anything about the situation, please tell me.”
She asked urgently.
She had held onto the hope that the faculty, former Hunters who still worked in the same industry, might know something. But the answer she received was far from what she expected.
“I’m sorry, student Yu-jeong. I have no way of knowing the details of the current situation myself.”
“…Is that so.”
“I asked an acquaintance who’s an active Hunter, but he said he hasn’t arrived yet and doesn’t know the specifics.”
“Does that mean… it’s difficult for anyone to get information right now?”
“Unless you have close ties to the Association, that’s likely the case for most people, unfortunately.”
Close ties.
The phrase made her think of one person.
No, he had been on her mind this entire time, even in this urgent situation, but his presence now felt stronger than ever.
“…Thank you, Professor. I’ll be going now.”
Leaving the professor’s office, she immediately took out her smartphone and made a call.
The recipient was Kim Do-jin.
The person she knew with the closest ties to the Hunter Association.
She was still furious with him.
Hadn’t he spouted that ridiculous nonsense about having feelings for another woman, even after everything they’d done together?
But she had no choice.
If it could just quell even a fraction of the anxiety exploding in her and her mother’s chests.
—The customer you are trying to reach is currently on another call…
But she couldn’t get through to him.
Who in the world was he talking to for so long?
“Fuck…”
She tried to calm her pounding heart and organize her thoughts.
His class schedule appeared in her mind.
Today, at this time… he had about an hour free before his next lecture.
In that case…
The club room.
Isn’t this what the club room was for?
Dragging her exhausted body, Shin Yu-jeong ran straight to the club building.
As she reached the club room, a familiar voice drifted from beyond the door.
She couldn’t make out the words, but it seemed he’d been on the phone for a while.
She carefully opened the door, and his voice became clear.
“I’ll head to Haenam right now. No, you don’t have to come pick me up.”
Her hand froze on the door.
He’s going… to Haenam?
She couldn’t understand what was happening.
Why would he go to a place currently in chaos because of the Kraken’s appearance?
Ah…
The news report she’d heard at the gym flashed through her mind.
The announcement that they were recruiting volunteers from B-rank Hunters for an additional support unit, and the fact that Kim Do-jin was an active B-rank Hunter.
She understood that he was qualified to go.
But that didn’t mean she understood his actions.
Why would he go to such a dangerous place?
As she stood frozen in the doorway, lost in thought…
“Shin Yu-jeong…?”
“Ah…”
Kim Do-jin, who had opened the door to leave the club room, came face to face with her. They stared at each other with awkward expressions.
He forced a smile and asked her.
“Here to rest? I’m heading out now, so make yourself comfortable…”
“Hey.”
Shin Yu-jeong cut him off.
Then she asked.
“Why are you going to Haenam?”
“…Why? Well, obviously…”
“Is it because of my dad?”
“……”
Kim Do-jin’s lips pressed into a firm line.