Chapter 300: The Second Question (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: The Second Question (4)
I never expected an answer like “I love you” in the first place.
In fact, I would have been even angrier if she had said that.
I expected the words from her lips to be, “I don’t love you.”
After all, her behavior toward me until now had been the textbook example of a couple who had fallen out of love.
But the answer she managed to give me was just…
“‘I don’t know’…?”
Whether she loved me or not.
To think she’d give an answer saying even she herself couldn’t be sure.
The Blood Oath between us was still in effect.
If I focused my mind just a little, the knot tied in a corner of my heart was the proof.
In other words, for this question, she could not tell me any lies.
Does this even make sense?
As I stood there with a look of incomprehension, she continued, a sorrowful smile on her face.
“It might be hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Right now, I… I don’t know. I don’t know what feelings I have for that person.”
Her eyes, as she spoke, were clouded.
It didn’t seem like her “I don’t know” was because her feelings for her husband, Son Si-woo, were vague.
Rather, it seemed to be the result of having far too many distinct emotions spring to mind whenever she thought of the man named Son Si-woo.
It was as if numerous emotions, too difficult to rank, had become hopelessly muddled.
That’s why I was curious.
Why on earth had her feelings for me become so varied and diverse?
At the same time, I was angry.
That this woman, so sharp and decisive in everything she did, could be so indecisive only when it came to me.
If you don’t know, shouldn’t you have at least tried to figure it out?
No, if you didn’t even want to do that, you should have at least told me.
If you had, I would have at least pretended to try and understand you.
If.
If you had really, truly done that, then even if my body had changed, perhaps my heart wouldn’t have.
As if none of it had happened, she composed herself and put her mask back on.
“That’s all for today.”
After cutting off the conversation with a single stroke, Han Ju-hee turned away coldly.
“Thanks to you, the research was able to proceed quickly. I’ll send the organized spell formula to the Association right away, so let’s call it a day.”
Click, clack.
As she walked ahead, her sharp heels echoing, I called out to her retreating back.
“When will the next experiment be?”
Separate from my own feelings, which had grown even colder, I wanted to know more.
Why did your emotions become so complicated whenever you thought of me or looked at me?
And what is it you hope to achieve by studying and obtaining my talent?
For that to happen, we need to meet more often and get a little closer.
So that it won’t be so awkward for you to tell me your story.
So that more stories than just the answers to my questions might spill from your lips unconsciously.
She stopped a short distance away, turning her head slightly to reveal her profile as she answered.
“This time, it really won’t take that long.”
Having said her piece, she left immediately.
* * *
The appearance and subjugation of the calamity-class monster, the Kraken.
The birth of the Republic of Korea’s first S-rank Healer.
After a period of calm with no other major incidents, a powerful wave once again crashed over society.
【New Drug That Evades Drug Tests Discovered.】
【Emergence of a Potent New Drug That Also Affects the Bodies of the Awakened.】
It began with the appearance of a new drug.
News that a drug undetectable by tests, yet several times more dangerous than existing narcotics, was quietly spreading set both the real world and online communities ablaze.
ㄴLifeLikeADick: A drug that can't be detected by tests is insane;;
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ㄴNamgungHyungDidIt: Damn, I was wondering where it came from, and it's made in China again.
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ㄴWannaBeNice: China just being China… is there a problem?
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ㄴBetweenBigAndSmall: This is fucking serious;; I heard it gives Awakened rage issues too.
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ㄴAngGaeGgulDdi: If we just throw all the Hunters with rage issues into China, that'd be so sweet~!
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ㄴWannaHaveSex: Don't do drugs, just have sex, kids.
A new type of drug that clung to mana and harmed the human body.
Tension mounted as experts opined that it could cause even greater harm to the Awakened, who were normally resistant to drugs, and detailed the potential for secondary collateral damage.
Just then, another piece of news struck Korea.
【New Drug Trafficking Ring Busted!】
【Drug Ring Arrested, Kim Do-jin the Key Contributor?】
【Kim Do-jin Continues to Set Major Records. There’s No Other Hunter Like Him.】
The youngest B-rank Hunter.
Holder of numerous records for the fastest dungeon clears.
Subjugator of the calamity-class monster, the Kraken.
And even successive dating rumors with Korea’s first S-rank Healer, Han Ju-yeon.
Kim Do-jin, who had appeared in every role from main to supporting in all the recent issues heating up Korea.
The news was that he had taken down a syndicate selling the new drug whose dangers had recently come to light.
At this news, the communities that had been quiet for a while burst into flames once more.
ㄴHunterForumFave: Seriously;; what is this guy? He pops up just when you think you can forget about him and surprises you.
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ㄴSweetChineseMenAreTheBest: First time seeing a B-rank Hunter in the news this often.
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ㄴOnlyDojin: As expected of my oppa…♥
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ㄴTruthBomber: Ma'am in the comment above… Kim Do-jin is only twenty-one.
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ㄴB-RankIsAverage: You should just piss off to A-rank… Stop muddying the B-rank waters.
As a series of incidents unfolded that were hard to believe a lone B-rank could have accomplished, some corners even began to raise conspiracy theories that everything was staged.
The National Hunter, Son Si-woo, couldn’t remain the guardian of Korea forever.
The theory was that the Hunter Association was taking advantage of his sabbatical to manufacture the “next-generation Hunter” themselves.
The Hunter Association vehemently denied this, even playing the card of legal action.
Thanks to that, such articles disappeared, but the rumors continued to spread by word of mouth among those who love to gossip, with all sorts of stories being created and vanishing in a repeating cycle.
Then, a subsequent piece of news buried them all.
【The Magic Tower Develops World's First Spell Formula to Counter New Drug!】
【The Spell Formula That Beats the New Drug—Developed by Scarlet Witch and Kim Do-jin?】
【Kim Do-jin: What Did He Do to Develop the Spell Formula?】
The discovery of the new drug.
A few days later, the bust of the drug trafficking ring.
And a few days after that, the completion of a spell formula to counter the new drug.
This, too, caused a massive stir.
The danger of the new drug, first reported in Korea, was in the process of spreading worldwide.
In such a situation, not only was the trafficking ring busted, but a spell formula was developed to detect the drug through testing. How could their national pride not swell?
ㄴKoreaHurray: Kyaaaaaa~! Bartender! Shut it down for the night!!!!
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ㄴJu-heesBeautyShattersTheEarth: We are living in the era of Han Ju-hee… Ju-men.
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ㄴDogThatBarksAtBeauties: Woof woof! Grrrrrrrrrr…! Arf arf!
The atmosphere was almost festive.
It was then that the conspiracy theories began to spread again.
This time, not from news articles, but from online communities.
ㄴYouAgainKimDojin: But seriously, isn't this weird? Kim Do-jin is involved in this too?
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ㄴSoarHigh: Honestly, it's fucking weird ㅇㅇ;; An S-rank and a B-rank as co-developers makes no sense.
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ㄴThisIsFake: You guys smell that? The smell of a fabrication fire burning.
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ㄴAPassingDog: A B-rank scrub co-developing with an S-rank lollll even a passing dog would laugh at that.
The argument was that, even if they conceded a hundred times over that Kim Do-jin had made a distinguished contribution to busting the drug ring, was it really possible for him to work hand-in-hand with Han Ju-hee on developing a spell formula?
Thanks to this, reporters began to write articles with glee.
This time, it was the people in the online communities who started spreading the conspiracy first. The reporters were merely transcribing it, so even if the Association threatened legal action, it wouldn't be easy to find fault.
Just as their tone and actions were growing more aggressive.
One newspaper exclusively uploaded an interview with Han Ju-hee.
Most of it was about the development of the spell formula, which could be summarized as follows:
【Han Ju-hee on Co-Developing the Spell Formula: “In Truth, More Than 80% of the Credit Belongs to Kim Do-jin.”】
【Han Ju-hee Speaks on the Incident: “Kim Do-jin is an Undeniable Genius. I Was Astonished by His Ingenuity.”】
【Han Ju-hee Pours on the Praise, Confident: “The Next Generation of the Magic World Will Revolve Around Kim Do-jin.”】
Han Ju-hee, the very person who was rumored to be a victim forced by the Association to give up her credit, had begun to shower Kim Do-jin with praise.
Anyone with even a passing interest in the Hunter industry knew.
They knew how incredible, how unbelievable this was.
For Han Ju-hee, who rarely praised anyone, to offer such high praise meant that Kim Do-jin was just that exceptional.
After this interview, slanderous stories about Kim Do-jin vanished.
Well, on closer inspection, a group of people jealous of him constantly tried to pick fights, but they failed to gain any traction and would invariably be buried.
Just as this positive attention toward Kim Do-jin reached its peak.
The final piece of news was delivered.
【B-rank Hunter Kim Do-jin’s Promotion Confirmed!】
It was the news that, in recognition of his contributions to this incident, his promotion to A-rank had been confirmed without him needing to take the promotion exam.