Chapter 41: The Starting Line
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: The Starting Line
9
“That’s the gist of it.”
I found an empty room at the World Returnee Association, called Seo-ho, and told him everything I had discussed with Ms. Baek Seol-hyang.
After listening to my story in silence, I heard Seo-ho chuckle a moment later.
[I think you already know what my answer will be, hyung-nim.]
“Yeah, I figured.”
Sure enough, his answer was just what I’d expected.
“It could be really dangerous.”
[I’m sure it will be. I’ve fought a returnee once before.]
Seo-ho had experience fighting a returnee.
I could feel him give a bitter smile over the phone, as if recalling how difficult it had been.
[But hyung-nim, Si-ho is the one who will be in constant danger, more so than me.]
“That’s…”
I couldn’t deny it.
Now that Girasung had created something like an artificial dimensional gate, they would definitely keep targeting Si-ho’s abilities.
[I just want Si-ho to be able to live without worry. She might be prickly with me, but she’s my only little sister.]
What a good guy.
You get the ‘Brother of the Year’ award.
I praised Seo-ho in my mind and let out a sigh. No matter how admirable he was, I couldn’t help but worry.
[Besides, even if something happens to me, you’re here now, hyung-nim.]
“Hey, don’t say things like that. Not even as a joke. Nothing’s going to happen to you. No, I won’t let it.”
[Haha, see? That’s reassuring, isn’t it?]
Damn, he’s a smooth talker, too.
In the end, I threw in the towel.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
[Yes, I’m counting on you.]
With that, I ended the call with Seo-ho.
Then I let out a long sigh and pressed my hand to my forehead again.
Before I knew it, it was 11 PM.
It was well past quitting time.
“You tired?”
Baeksan, who had been listening beside me, asked.
I looked at him, then turned my gaze out the window to the neon-lit streets, bright despite the late hour.
“It’d be a lie to say I’m not.”
I’m not a hunter. Nor am I a returnee. I’m just a manager at a company, not someone who’s supposed to be involved in this kind of world.
Maybe it was because of all the major incidents I’d been through recently, but the back of my neck was stiff.
But I have this utopian dream of a world where everyone who suffers because of dimensional shifts, including returnees, can live in peace.
As I work toward that dream, I’ll probably keep getting caught up in things like this.
“But this is just part of the process of adapting.”
Right, this is an adaptation process. The process of the ordinary citizen Kang Ha-chan becoming a stronger one.
And it’s something I must go through to get closer to my dream.
So I couldn’t let this wear me out.
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Just then, Baeksan tossed the words out at me.
“The faster you run, the harder you fall. There’s a reason people warm up before exercising. You’re the type who only knows how to sprint.”
“You can say some pretty wise things, can’t you?”
“Fuck, what do you take me for?”
A good-for-nothing regressor.
“You just cursed me in your head, didn’t you?”
“Was it that obvious?”
“You bet it was. Today, I’m going to fry you to a crisp with lightning.”
After bickering with Baeksan for a bit, I felt some of my fatigue melt away.
Thanks to him, I was reminded that at least I wasn’t running this race alone.
“Baeksan.”
I couldn’t just stand around like this forever.
Hearing my call, Baeksan turned to look at me.
I gave him a determined smile.
“So, teach me how to protect other people.”
If the world is really going to end like Baeksan said… shouldn’t I at least be able to protect the people by my side?
Hearing my words, Baeksan clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Protect yourself first, you idiot. Who are you to talk about protecting anyone else?”
Ah, right.
“But whatever,” Baeksan said nonchalantly. “I’ll help you.”
As always, he was a reliable regressor.
“Oh, and also how to get proper revenge. At this rate, someone else will beat me to it.”
Hearing that last part, Baeksan let out the heartiest laugh I’d ever heard from him.
“I’ll teach you how to make them suffer worse than that incontinence woman.”
I offered my condolences to Catherine.
10
“Alright, that’s all for today.”
I closed my laptop, ending the meeting.
Sitting in front of me were Ji-eun and Si-ho.
The main topic was Ji-eun’s YouTube channel, but since they had both recently started their hunter training in earnest, we talked a bit about that as well.
Her YouTube channel is finally starting to grow.
Lately, Ji-eun’s subscribers and view counts had been shooting up.
At this rate, she’d probably be able to maintain an average of ten thousand views per video soon.
The revenue wasn’t that high yet, but with this growth, it seemed like it would bring her a substantial income before long.
And apparently, if the channel does well, I get a bonus.
Lord of Academy just released a new gacha item. I was starting to feel a little tempted.
“Ha-chan-oppa.”
I was imagining myself splurging on another gacha item despite the abysmal odds when Ji-eun’s voice pulled me back.
I looked up. She was staring at my hand as she asked me a question.
“Did you get hurt again?”
The moment Ji-eun asked, Si-ho also looked over at me, concerned.
Perhaps because I’d been coming in with my hand bandaged every day, both of them worried whenever they saw it.
It had gotten to the point where Si-ho had even forcibly teleported me to a hospital.
“Well, I’ve been working on something.”
“What on earth are you doing that you keep getting hurt like this? I’m worried, you know.”
“It’s really nothing. You two don’t have to worry.”
My excuse didn’t seem to satisfy Ji-eun.
“Fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, then you don’t have to.”
Ji-eun pouted, looking a little sulky.
She was trying to take care of me and show her concern, but my evasiveness had clearly hurt her feelings.
But this wasn’t something I could explain, which only made me feel more troubled.
Maybe I should buy her something sweet to cheer her up.
On the company card, of course.
“I’m going to head out first today.”
“Ji-eun.”
Despite my call, Ji-eun had already stood up.
She glanced at me for a moment, then pursed her lips as if she was mad at me before walking right out of the café.
As my eyes followed her, I saw her slump down outside the window, covering her face with her hands.
Startled, I considered going after her, but she shot back up almost immediately and marched away.
She’s a tough one.
Is this what it feels like to have a teenage sister?
As I was feeling a mix of apology and bitterness, I heard the sound of Si-ho slurping her juice.
Si-ho, who had been sipping her drink with pursed lips, met my eyes and pulled the straw away.
“I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”
“Right.”
Si-ho knew why I kept injuring my hand.
She had seen Baeksan possess me that day.
“You and that person from back then are different people, aren’t you, Manager?”
There was no point in hiding it from Si-ho, who already knew everything.
When I nodded, Si-ho began to fiddle with her juice cup.
Then, she glanced up at me and spoke quietly.
“Are you trying to get stronger to protect me?”
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
Seo-ho was involved in this, but it was about Si-ho, too.
On a larger scale, it was about protecting the world from Girasung, but that was the World Returnee Association’s job.
All I cared about was keeping Seo-ho and Si-ho safe.
Taking my silence as an answer, Si-ho’s lips curved into a pleased smile.
“Si-ho really likes the princes in fairy tales.”
“Huh?”
Well, considering Si-ho’s petite frame, the image did fit.
“So lately, I’ve been wondering if you might be a prince, Manager.”
“What kind of prince is an old guy like me?”
“You’re only twenty-six.”
I don’t think I’m old enough to be hearing that from a nineteen-year-old.
In any case, Si-ho didn’t seem upset like Ji-eun, so I decided to just let it be.
Beside me, however, Baeksan was glaring at me as if he were looking at an idiot.
What, what’s your problem now?
Just then, Si-ho gently tugged on the sleeve of my shirt.
“Don’t overdo it. It looks like Ha Seo-ho has been up to something lately, too. I think it might be related to you.”
Si-ho was sharper than I thought.
Do all S-rank ability users have such keen observation skills?
Strategy is crucial in battle, so maybe that was really the case.
“I’m going to get going, too.”
“Okay, you worked hard.”
After Si-ho let go of my sleeve and left, I packed up my things alone.
As I slung my bag over my shoulder and stood up, I saw my phone light up.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough, the caller was Ms. Baek Seol-hyang.
[Mr. Ha-chan, Ha Seo-ho has been safely kidnapped.]
The news that greeted me the moment I answered the call was that Seo-ho had been abducted.
[I’m telling you this in advance, but from this point on, this is the World Returnee Association’s territory. You aren’t registered as a returnee or a hunter, Mr. Ha-chan, so it’s legally dangerous for you.]
A text message that followed contained Ms. Baek Seol-hyang’s considerate words.
It’s dangerous, so don’t get involved any further.
That was the message, but…
[Still, if you’re planning on coming, please just tell me first. I’m sending this because I assume you’ll try to move on your own.]
It seemed Ms. Baek Seol-hyang saw through me better than I thought.
I was the one who asked this of Seo-ho.
I felt a sense of responsibility.
And even if it wasn’t for me…
Baeksan’s knowledge from before his regression would definitely be a help.
Just by relaying that information through my mouth, we would be one step closer to victory.
[I’m coming.]
As soon as I sent the text, Ms. Baek Seol-hyang replied that she had sent a car.
She really was the most reliable person in the world.
“You going?”
“I have to.”
I answered Baeksan’s question and put my laptop in my bag.
It was finally time to crush Kwak Sa-yeon and Girasung.