Chapter 137: Ji-eun's Leap
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137: Ji-eun's Leap
After all, having already been rejected once, Ji-eun wanted to stay by Ha-chan’s side even if it meant settling for that.
“Right?”
When Si-ho asked again, Ji-eun quietly nodded.
“But there’s one thing Si-ho will never give up.”
Ji-eun looked at her.
“I’m going to be the first wife.”
The first wife.
Seeing Si-ho’s eyes burn with a determination that showed she would never yield on that point, Ji-eun’s expression hardened.
For some reason, looking at Si-ho’s face made her feel that she, too, wanted that position.
“…How are we deciding that spot?”
But she knew for a fact that the other two unnies [older sisters] would never give it up either.
Knowing this well, Ji-eun asked, and Si-ho gently wrapped her hands around her own stomach.
“Whoever has Manager-nim’s child first.”
Hearing those words, Ji-eun’s face slowly began to turn red.
“Wh-Wha—Si-Si-ho, that’s…”
“You don’t want Manager-nim’s baby, Ji-eun?”
“Well, that’s…”
Ji-eun imagined Ha-chan’s child.
It would surely be the most beautiful child in the world.
Whether it was a son or a daughter, she was confident she could love them more than anyone else in the world.
“Of course I do. As many as Ha-chan-oppa wants.”
“See?”
Ji-eun answered, her face flushed crimson.
Si-ho looked at her and said.
“I can’t give this up. You should know that, Ji-eun.”
With those words, Si-ho turned to leave.
Watching her go, Ji-eun clenched both her fists tightly.
Her determination was held within them.
On a winter day in Iceland, the two high school girls, soon to be adults, thus concluded a conversation that would make Ha-chan’s head spin if he ever found out.
*
A day later, we finished our preparations to return safely from Iceland to Korea.
As expected, Iceland didn’t hold us responsible for what had happened.
An S-rank hunter and an S-rank returnee.
With that kind of power on our side, our words carried weight, and they even expressed their gratitude for us killing the Rank-Ex Dimensional Entity.
The Korean Hunter Management Bureau was also notified and responded immediately, allowing us to return without any issues.
Of course, since I had completely obliterated the Rank-Ex entity, we couldn’t salvage any dimensional entity materials.
Instead, they promised to give us a small monetary reward.
“So cheap. Wiping their hands clean after giving us just that.”
“Yu U-jeong, you didn’t do anything against the Rank-Ex entity.”
“What are you talking about? I fought hard, too.”
She protested.
For someone who fought so hard, she seemed to be the most energetic one among us.
“And you remember you promised to do one thing for me, right?”
“Say it properly.”
“A date. A date, Ha-chan.”
I did remember.
I wanted to ignore it, but it was a promise.
More importantly, thanks to her, Ji-eun had truly grown stronger.
It wasn’t a request I couldn’t grant.
“Alright.”
“Me too.”
Si-ho immediately jumped into the conversation.
Knowing how much she had contributed this time, I smiled and stroked her head.
“Okay, I get it.”
“…Isn’t your tone a little too different with me?”
Of course it is.
Just then, I felt a gaze and turned my head.
Eva-noona was there. When our eyes met, she quickly looked away.
Lately, it felt like Eva-noona was avoiding my gaze more and more often. Was I just imagining it?
“Ah, Eva-noona, you want to go on a date too?”
I asked her playfully. Eva-noona’s head snapped back around.
Her bright blue eyes were wide open, and for a moment, I looked flustered.
In that instant, as if realizing what she’d just done, Eva-noona’s face began to turn beet red.
“Noona?”
“Th-Ah, that’s not it. Our last guild meetup ended weirdly because of me and my brother.”
She stammered, trying to explain.
“S-So I was wondering what you thought about having another one! Fucking—anyway, th-that’s what I meant!”
Eva-noona was so flustered that she even started swearing.
I blinked at her, then scratched my head awkwardly.
“Alright. I’ll set something up next time. Naek has been making a fuss about it anyway.”
That Naek fellow was in the game every single day, to the point where I wondered if she even attended her university classes.
And yet, the moment she logged in, she’d start chanting, “Meetup? Meetup, meetup, meetup?” so I’d been thinking of arranging something soon anyway.
When I asked Juksim, she had replied, `[She says she will consider it.]`
Though when Naek excitedly declared, “I’ll storm her place and drag her here myself!” Juksim had immediately logged out.
Hearing my words, Eva-noona finally seemed to show a sign of relief.
I felt a slight suspicion watching her, but I decided not to press further.
“Ji-eun, make sure to call me when you get back.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely call you!”
Meanwhile, Ji-eun was saying her goodbyes to Saran.
In just one day, the two had become the best of friends, hugging each other as they talked.
It seemed that escaping a crisis together had solidified their bond.
I looked away from Saran and saw Zeroni standing there.
He was a man with a kind face, a bit older than me.
And from the conversation I’d had with him, he really was a good person.
I could see why Yu U-jeong had spoken so highly of him.
When our eyes met, Zeroni bowed his head to me in greeting.
He even gave me his contact information, telling me to call him if any other problems arose concerning Ji-eun and Geumjok.
He must be that kind of person for Saran to be so fond of him.
“I’ll come visit you in Korea later.”
“You said you’re in the US now, right? I’ll come visit you there, too.”
“Okay, when you come, let’s go on a double date.”
“Deal! Let’s definitely do that!”
Watching the two girls of the same age chat, Zeroni and I couldn’t help but share a weary smile.
He’d been through a lot, too.
After Saran and Zeroni left, we returned to Korea directly through Si-ho’s ability.
The Korean Hunter Management Bureau had made arrangements for us, since we had defeated a Rank-Ex entity in another country.
Thanks to that, I had to face a familiar face.
“Jin So-yeop-ssi.”
“It’s been a while.”
Jin So-yeop gave me a very brief, bitter smile.
The exhaustion etched so deeply on his face left me speechless.
It seemed my hunt for Ilbelli had turned the Hunter Management Bureau upside down.
“Ah, you don’t have to make that face. This incident raised our country’s international standing.”
He smiled as if to tell me not to worry.
He explained that while it created more work, the event was ultimately a good thing for Korea.
He said that defeating a Rank-Ex entity—the kind that triggers an emergency summons the moment it appears—was an act worthy of praise.
“Also, after observing you, Kang Ha-chan-ssi, the Bureau has secretly prepared something.”
He said, discreetly handing me something.
I took it, wondering what it was, and saw a Hunter ID card glowing with a brilliant light.
Emblazoned on it was the rank: SS.
And below it, the official seal of the Korean Hunter Management Bureau.
I froze as I held it.
I had suddenly become an officially recognized SS-rank hunter.
For a moment, I wondered if this was even okay.
“If any hunter-related issues arise in the future, you can show them this. Your F-rank ID does come with some limitations on your activities, after all.”
“B-But won’t showing this cause a huge commotion?”
“We will take full responsibility. You can use it when you judge it necessary, Kang Ha-chan-ssi.”
So they were leaving it entirely to my discretion.
“The Bureau Chief decided this was better than having your actions restricted.”
Hearing that, I finally accepted the Hunter ID and carefully tucked it next to my Beom Card.
Let’s stick to using the F-rank one as much as possible.
“You’ve worked hard. We’ll handle the rest, so please go home and get some rest.”
He bowed his head to me.
Hoping he could go home and see his daughter’s face today, I returned to the group.
I told everyone it was time to disperse.
They were all exhausted from the previous day’s events, so everyone agreed to go home and rest.
“Ha-chan-oppa.”
Just then, Ji-eun called out to me, and I turned to face her.
Did she have something more to say?
Ji-eun looked up at me, her face slightly flushed, and gave a gentle smile before leaping.
In the brief moment I let my guard down, I felt a soft touch on my lips.
My eyes shot wide open in surprise. By the time I registered what had happened, Ji-eun was already two steps away.
Her pink lips were slightly moist.
As I stood there, frozen, realizing that Ji-eun had just kissed me, she looked at me and spoke.
“I’m not giving up. I’m going to keep liking you, Ha-chan-oppa.”
Hearing her bold declaration, I could only open and close my mouth. Ji-eun’s gaze then shifted towards the other girls.
All three of them were standing there, frozen, staring at her.
Ji-eun’s eyes met Si-ho’s, and her expression seemed to say, ‘This is my answer.’
It seemed the two of them had some kind of conversation without my knowledge.
Having said her piece, Ji-eun seemed to grow shy and scurried away.
“Wow, Ha-chan. Getting a kiss from a high schooler. Must be nice. Should I give you one, too?”
Yu U-jeong said with a sly grin.
I was about to ignore her when I saw Si-ho standing beside her.
Si-ho’s body began to tremble slightly, and soon she was looking at me with tears welling in her eyes.
“…Si-ho hasn’t had one yet. I was waiting for Manager-nim to do it first.”
She was waiting for that?
I felt sorry for Si-ho, but my first kiss had been stolen by Seol-hyang long ago, and more recently, after I’d grown up and realized my feelings, Ahyu had stolen one too.
But I kept my mouth shut, determined never to tell Si-ho this fact.
“Other things… other things, I’ll be first.”
Si-ho declared, glaring at me, and I stiffened.
I knew exactly what she was referring to.
…I have no idea.
My future self will figure it out.
I decided to just trust that the me of the future would handle it somehow.