Asking for a Date
What information is she trying to sell me this time?
I clicked my tongue inwardly. Her intel always came with a price. After all, her philosophy was that nothing in this world was free.
"You know that guy who's been growling at you lately, Taejun? The Titan Guild Master, Choe Kanghyuk."
Choe Kanghyuk. At the mention of that name, my eyebrow twitched slightly without me realizing it. A troublesome bastard. As the current Rank 1, I acknowledged his skill, but he had an arrogant and underhanded side to him. I hadn't had much chance to deal with him since then, but he was one of the names on my list of people I needed to properly take care of someday.
"That guy has a ridiculously funny weakness, contrary to how he looks."
Park Jisu seemed to enjoy my reaction, pausing for a moment to build suspense. A playful smile hung on her lips.
"It's..."
She leaned in close to my ear and whispered. Her hair brushed against my cheek as she did.
"...he's terrified of bugs! Especially cockroaches! Can you even imagine it? S-rank Hunter Choe Kanghyuk freaking out at the sight of a cockroach!"
She giggled, her shoulders shaking as if it were the funniest thing in the world. Cockroaches, huh. The combination of Choe Kanghyuk's arrogant face and a cockroach... honestly hard to picture. But Park Jisu wouldn't leak useless information. Her intel network had already proven itself multiple times.
It seems like useless info, but it might come in handy in unexpected situations.
The fact that Choe Kanghyuk was afraid of bugs wouldn't affect his combat power, but it could be used to tarnish his image or put psychological pressure on him. Park Jisu seemed satisfied even with my minimal reaction and excitedly pulled out the next piece of information.
"And another one! Director Kim Minseok of the Hunter Administration Bureau. He acts all upright and clean on the outside, but he's got some pretty dirty secrets behind the scenes."
Kim Minseok. The hypocrite who tried to control me by pushing national and organizational logic. Just recalling his face made disgust rise in my chest.
"Not long ago, he almost got caught smuggling artifacts from an illegal Gate. I've got the video evidence of it."
She said it with her eyes sparkling as if it were treasure.
"How about it? Want me to anonymously tip it off for you? Director Kim Minseok will probably be out of a job in no time."
Artifact smuggling. Clear illegal activity. Having the video evidence too—Park Jisu's information network was truly impressive. Eliminating Kim Minseok wouldn't be a bad thing for me either. But...
No need to act rashly.
Kim Minseok was annoying, but he still had value for obtaining Administration Bureau intel or using him when needed. Holding his weakness and dangling it over him might be more advantageous than removing him right away. Park Jisu continued, gauging my reaction. Her voice carried a subtle confidence.
"That's the level of my information network! How about it, Kang Taejun? If you partner with me, your retirement life will become so much more comfortable~! Right?"
She adjusted her sunglasses again and leaned her body closer to me. The scent of her perfume grew thicker.
"It's a win-win! You don't have to worry about annoying stuff and can just enjoy fishing here like this, and I... well, get a cool partner like you? Occasionally grab some delicious food with me and exchange info... deal?"
With her last words, she winked. It was quite blatant. Did she want a relationship beyond just information trading partners? Or was even that calculated? Either way, it was tiring.
Just then, the tip of the fishing rod bent sharply and pulled taut. A bite. I stopped paying attention to Park Jisu and put strength into the hand holding the rod. It seemed like a pretty big one; the resistance was considerable. But it couldn't match my strength. I just skillfully reeled in the line. A fairly large catch was pulled up, its silver scales flashing above the water. I precisely snatched the thrashing fish and set it on the ground. A fresh one. Enough for tonight's spicy fish stew.
I turned my gaze from the fish to Park Jisu, who was still looking at me with expectant eyes, and said indifferently.
"I'll think about it."
If it were inside a Gate where her actions were controlled, maybe not, but outside the Gate, she was a pretty useful piece to utilize. At my short answer, color returned to Park Jisu's face. It seemed different from the reaction she expected. Well, if it were the usual me, I would have rejected her outright or ignored her completely.
"Really? Wow! Then you have to contact me! You know my number, right? I'll be waiting, Taejun!"
She sprang up, brushing the grass off her clothes, and smiled brightly. Then she turned without lingering and went back the way she came. Watching her receding back, I muttered quietly.
"What a noisy woman."
But at the same time, I had to admit it.
...She definitely has utility value.
Choe Kanghyuk's weakness, Kim Minseok's corruption. The information she held would surely help in dealing with future headaches. Whatever Park Jisu's intentions were, I just needed to use what was necessary.
The possibility of her betraying me? An information guild master wouldn't do something that foolish.
I was the type to eliminate rather than fear bugs like Choe Kanghyuk, and I didn't have a social position like Kim Minseok. I stood up from my spot, holding the caught fish. It was almost lunchtime. Seoa would be waiting. For some reason, my steps felt a bit lighter. I was already looking forward to the taste of the spicy fish stew she would make.
My steps heading home with the caught fish felt lighter than usual. Whether it was because of the anticipation for the stew Seoa would cook, or because I had gained a noisy but useful informant named Park Jisu, I didn't know. Maybe both.
When I entered the house yard, the familiar smell of soybean paste stew wafted out. Not spicy fish stew—a bit disappointing—but if it was food Seoa made, anything was fine. Her cooking was always neat and delicious. While sitting on the porch organizing the fishing rod, I saw Seoa's back busily moving in the kitchen. The image of her from ten years ago, the day she announced the broken engagement, overlapped with her current appearance. Back then she was a ten-year-old child, and now she had become a twenty-year-old woman before me. Her slender shoulders and deft hands. How much time had she endured alone all this while? Guilt once again made my throat hot.
Lunch passed quietly as usual. Mother was delighted seeing the fish I caught, saying she should show off her skills for the first time in a while, and Father ate silently while glancing at me from time to time. Seoa naturally led the conversation between my parents and me, softening the awkward atmosphere. Her very presence seemed to make the air in this house gentler.
I spent the entire afternoon without anything particular. Napping, organizing the firewood piled on one side of the yard, or blankly staring at the distant mountains. Peaceful but somehow empty time. Was this freeness the retirement life I wanted? Maybe I was lost even in this ordinariness.
As evening approached, I paced the yard with an inexplicable restlessness. In the kitchen, Seoa preparing dinner again was visible. The clattering of dishes, the bubbling sound of stew boiling, came warmly. Suddenly, Park Jisu's words came to mind.
Occasionally grab some delicious food with me and exchange info... deal?
She was a noisy woman, but her method itself wasn't bad. Eating with someone and sharing conversation. Maybe I needed that kind of ordinary time too. And if the partner was... Seoa. My heart sank with a thud. Since our reunion after ten years, we always ate at home with my parents. We had never gone out just the two of us for a meal... not even once. Dinner alone with my ex-fiancée who broke off the engagement. It might look awkward and strange. But... I didn't want to hesitate any longer. I wanted to repay even a little of the ten years I owed her in a different way. Like ordinary couples do, I wanted to start with something very small.
I swallowed dryly and approached the kitchen threshold. Seoa was preparing to season the namul. Her white nape and neatly tied hair came into view.
"...Seoa."
My voice came out more hoarse than I thought. She stopped what she was doing and turned her head. Her round eyes shone with puzzlement. I cleared my throat unnecessarily and slightly averted my gaze. A tension I had never felt even in front of hundreds or thousands of enemies on the battlefield enveloped my whole body.
"Tonight's dinner... if it's okay... shall we go eat in town? Just the two of us..."
After spitting out the words, my face felt hot. My voice seemed to tremble slightly too. It was a far cry from the appearance of former S-rank Hunter, Sword Demon Kang Taejun. I felt pathetic myself, but at the same time, I was so curious about Seoa's reaction. Seoa opened her eyes wide as if surprised for a moment. Then she slowly, brightly smiled. That smile seemed to spread warmly like the evening sunset.
"Yes, I'd like that! I actually saw a restaurant a few days ago. It looked neat and delicious."
Her voice was full of delight instead of hesitation. I felt relief at the thought that I had worried for nothing. At the same time, a strange excitement at the fact that she already had a restaurant in mind. As if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. My nose itched.
"Alright. Then... shall we get ready and go?"
"Yes. I'll get ready quickly."
Seoa took off her apron, folded it neatly, and went into her room. I also went into my room and put on an outer layer. My reflection in the mirror still looked blunt and tired, but my eyes seemed a little different. A moment later, Seoa came out changed into a light sky-blue dress. Different from her usual comfortable home clothes, it was neat yet bright. Her long brown hair let down naturally over her shoulders looked somehow unfamiliar yet... beautiful. My heart beat irregularly once more.
"Let's go."
I pretended to be calm and led the way first. At dusk, the red-tinged sunset enveloped the whole world. We started walking side by side toward the town. From home to town was about a twenty-minute walk. Short if short, long if long. We didn't say much the whole way. But rather than awkward... it was a silence close to comfort. The evening air mixed with the unique earthy smell of country roads and grass scent was refreshing. The sound of a dog barking from afar, the chirping of crickets, laid like background music. I glanced sideways.
Beautiful.
Seoa's side profile softly glowed in the sunset light. A faint smile hung on her lips, as if thinking of something. At that sight, the corners of my mouth lifted slightly without me knowing. Suddenly, I felt her pace quicken a little. Trying to match me, perhaps. I consciously slowed my steps a bit. Then Seoa naturally reduced her stride. Like that, we walked matching each other's speed without words. These small considerations and understandings would pile up to become a relationship. For ten years, I had lived missing too many things.