The Secret Garden?
"Oppa! You didn't forget that the reunion is tomorrow, did you?"
Yooshin, who had easily ignored the call from Team Leader Park Haesu, replied.
"Has it already been that long?"
Time really flies.
"Geez! I knew you'd be like this. Oppa, hurry up and go wash!"
"Why? I washed yesterday."
"Ah! What are you talking about? If you washed yesterday, you have to wash today too."
It was his bold younger sister, Cheon Jin-ah, pushing Yooshin’s back as he sluggishly moved.
After a quick wash, they caught a taxi and arrived at their destination.
"...A department store?"
"Oppa, this is a battle. A battle!"
She clenched both fists, her eyes filled with fighting spirit. Why on earth was she like this? He couldn't understand it. A reunion. Wasn't it supposed to be a meaningful place for friends to meet after a long time and catch up? So why was she talking about a battle?
Regardless, Yooshin, who had been dragged into the department store by his arm, was able to see it.
"Looks like they're filming a movie?"
Using the high ceiling in the center of the department store, two men and women were suspended by wires, wielding swords and performing flashy action moves in an aerial battle.
Was this what they meant by a "fixed match"? To his eyes, it was nothing more than clumsy swordplay. To Yooshin, who had grown accustomed to life-or-death battles, such staged action was pathetic.
However.
"Wow! That's so cool!"
On the other hand, his sister’s eyes were sparkling. She gave a thumbs-up, her fists clenched in excitement, unable to take her eyes off the two people performing the flashy aerial battle in the air.
"Hey, hey... you said we came to buy clothes?"
"Ah, just wait a second. Oppa, really!"
Tsk. Yooshin shut his mouth as he watched his sister wave her hand at him as if he were a nuisance. As the saying goes, there is no older brother who can win against his younger sister. He had no choice but to watch comfortably, like an adult watching children perform a fairy tale.
'Aigoo, you shouldn't move like that. You should rotate your body halfway and kick them in the face with your back foot. Huh? You're dodging it like that? You could just twist your upper body slightly to avoid it, why are you showing off like that...'
'Ah! This was a shoot.'
It was a flashy, excessive movement that could never be used in a real fight, but it was a drama. Yooshin was satisfied with everything once he heard the word "filming."
But then.
"Uh, uh!?"
"Gasp!"
People who were watching the filming site like them screamed all at once. The wire supporting the actress had snapped with a sharp ping sound.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
She screamed in panic, but since she wasn't a hunter, she seemed to have no countermeasures. She could only flail her arms and legs in the air, falling at a terrifying speed.
7th floor, 6th floor... as she reached the 3rd and 2nd floors, people instinctively squeezed their eyes shut. They didn't want to see the actress fall to the ground and turn into a pulp.
But that was when it happened.
Yooshin’s body vanished for a split second, and when he reappeared, the actress was cradled in his arms.
"Gasp!"
"C-crazy! Who is that guy?"
"Wow! It's Cheon Yooshin! It's Cheon Yooshin!"
"What? Really? No way. Why would that person come here!"
"Ah, I'm telling you, it's real!"
"Huh?! It really is! Wow. He looks just like he does on TV!"
"Daebak, take a picture!"
The department store turned into a scene of chaos in an instant. Even people who weren't interested in the drama filming began to flock toward him at the mention of Cheon Yooshin.
'Ugh. This is why I didn't want to go where people are. People are gathering for no reason again.'
Still, it wouldn't be right to act out like he did with those trash reporters last time. He couldn't equate those guys with the people looking at him with wonder right now. Even so, it didn't mean his soured mood had improved. He spoke to the actress in his arms, sounding annoyed.
"Aren't you getting down?"
Just then, a man in a suit appeared, parting the crowd. 'Wow, damn! Why is he so handsome?' Yooshin had thought before: 'Aren't I decent enough? I'm not lacking anywhere.' But the man in front of him was different enough to make him rethink that thought. Thick eyebrows, a sharp nose, fair skin, and even his suit fit was perfect, as if he worked out. 'Who is this guy?'
He felt hostility for no reason. Why was that? Could he be a monster in human skin? Like a doppelganger?
But.
"Get your hands off her right now?!"
What, what is this. Am I dreaming? It sounds like something a male lead in a drama would say. The man shouted again, walking toward him with long strides.
"I said get your hands off!"
Thud!
I’m not the type to not let go just because he told me to. The actress fell straight to the floor. The man, perhaps not expecting him to actually let go, rushed over to the actress who had fallen to the floor.
"Y-you! How can you just throw a person on the floor like that?!"
"Huh?! You told me to let go. So I did. Why?"
The words that came out of Yooshin's mouth were blunt. He strangely didn't like this man. Just then, the actress, Ha Ji-eon, looked at the man, Seon-bin, and said.
"Stop it. This person saved me."
Ha Ji-eon, who had stood up, bowed her head to Yooshin.
"Thank you so much. I thought I was going to die."
'She's got nerves of steel.'
It was common for ordinary people, not hunters, to fall into a panic if they fell from a 7-story height. Only then did Seon-bin, who had been hearing the details from a nearby employee, bow his head as well.
"I misunderstood. I apologize for that."
"Whatever."
Just then, the director ran over and made a fuss.
"Ha Ji-eon! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! We checked everything..."
"Hey! Is that even an excuse? 'We checked everything'? You should have done your best! If it weren't for this person just now, this amazing woman would have lost her life!"
"I-I'm sorry."
The director nodded repeatedly, as if Seon-bin's words were a hundred percent correct. The reason he had no choice but to do so was that he was the representative who operated this department store. This department store had never once allowed a location shoot before. He had readily agreed to this one. And for free, at that. When he looked into the reason, it was because the person he was about to marry was none other than Ha Ji-eon right in front of him.
"Anyway, let's be careful. Okay?! Do your best. Your best!"
"Stop it."
Watching Ha Ji-eon try to stop him from the side, Yooshin turned his body. He just wanted to buy his clothes, go home, and sleep. What a mess. He came to the department store to buy clothes for a reunion, and he had to see a guy who was annoyingly handsome.
Just then, Seon-bin spoke up.
"Wait a minute. Cheon Yooshin-ssi. Our conversation isn't over yet."
Yooshin sighed. 'Ah, why do annoying things keep happening?' Yooshin turned around.
"What is it? Say it quickly."
Cheon Jin-ah, who had appeared beside him, said to Yooshin with shining eyes.
"Oppa, really. Why are you being so rude?"
'Why is she suddenly like this?'
"I am this kind of person."
Seon-bin handed Yooshin a business card. It said he was the department store representative.
"...So?"
What do you want me to do? I earn enough now too, what is this?! Are you trying to show off with your title or what?!
But.
"As a token of my gratitude, I will buy everything you purchase here today."
"Why?"
Are you treating me like a beggar?
"To me, this amazing woman is Kim Tae-hee and Jun Ji-hyun. Since you saved such a woman, it's only natural that I repay you. I'm very sharp about those kinds of things."
"Ha... so cool."
Honey was dripping from his sister Jin-ah's eyes beside him. It wasn't just his sister. All the women watching this scene had hearts flying out of their eyes. Why did he feel a sense of rebellion against their reaction?
"Forget it. I earn good money too, you know?! Hey, Cheon Jin-ah. Let's go somewhere else."
However, in the end, Yooshin got into a taxi with his hands full of the numerous shopping bags he had been given. As expected, free stuff is good. No matter what it is.
"Oppa, you have a lot of money, right?"
"Ha... little sister, your oppa is a person who doesn't even know how much money is in his bank account."
"Oppa, are you an idiot? How can you live without knowing how much you have!?"
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant..."
"Forget it. Then you can buy a car, right?"
"...This oppa doesn't have a driver's license?"
"It's okay. You have that ahjussi, right? The one who drives for you."
No. That person isn't a driver, he's the Team Leader of the Hunter Management Department's Raid Team. He’s not someone who gets treated like this elsewhere. But Yooshin didn't bother to stop her.
They soon arrived at a high-end car dealership. Inside the showroom, car bodies shining with polish exuded magnificence.
"Wow, look at that, Oppa!"
Where his sister pointed, a car with smooth, flowing curves stood tall.
'It's cool. But isn't the body too low?'
Even if he didn't have a driver's license, he had two perfectly functioning eyes. Just as Yooshin finished his brief critique and was about to answer, a car dealer approached.
"Welcome, customer...?"
The dealer's eyes widened.
"Holy, are you perhaps Hunter Cheon Yooshin?"
Yooshin’s shoulders rose.
"Ahem, that's right. I am that very Hunter Cheon Yooshin."
"Ah! It is truly an honor! To meet the Hunter I only saw on TV in person! I will serve you specially! Please come this way."
Because the dealer made such a fuss while walking, everyone passing by looked at the dealer, discovered Cheon Yooshin, and began to murmur. However, perhaps because it was a high-end car dealership, while their eyes were full of curiosity, no one directly spoke to Yooshin.
The dealer, who guided them one floor up, smiled.
"The car that suits Hunter Cheon Yooshin isn't a regular car. Please make a wise choice from our top-tier line."
Unlike the floor below, there were only three independent spaces divided there. As soon as they entered the first one.
"How about this car?"
The dealer pointed to a yellow-bodied car.
"The top speed is 300km/h, and the 0-100km/h time is a whopping 3 seconds. The price is 700 million won."
Cheon Yooshin’s eyes widened. 'Whoa. Why is it so expensive?' But he didn't like it. Perhaps because it minimized wind resistance, the body was excessively low. 'It's almost crawling.'
"The interior trim is top-tier. All the leather is handmade by Italian artisans, stitch by stitch. It also includes bulletproof material to prepare for external impacts."
Yooshin nodded at the dealer's explanation. Like a dealer with many years of experience, he seemed to sense something and immediately guided them to the location of the next car.
"Please come this way."
The car he introduced this time looked quite different.
"This car is the latest electric model. It can travel a whopping 1,000km on a single charge. Unlike that one, the body is wide and tall, so it guarantees a comfortable ride."
Well. If I had to travel 1,000km, I'd rather take a plane. And if a situation came where I really had to ride a car. Why would I drive? I have a loyal driver. The dealer, failing to notice his inner thoughts, opened the car door and showed him the interior.
"The spacious room and amenities are at a level that crushes other cars. This touchscreen is a state-of-the-art central control system that can control all the vehicle's functions."
"Wow!"
Cheon Jin-ah let out an exclamation beside him. But Cheon Yooshin nodded as expected. However, he lacked sincerity.
"Ah?!"
The dealer explaining paused for a moment. He realized it. He didn't like this car either.
"Hahaha, as expected, you have an excellent eye. Actually, the cars I've shown you so far were just a taste. This way."
The dealer introduced yet another car.
"This is the real deal. A masterpiece among masterpieces! It's called the Black Assault."
The car that appeared in front of Yooshin looked quite different from the cars he had seen so far.
"As you can see, it's different from a regular car, right? Its intimidating exterior alone dominates other cars. You could say this car cares about the passenger's safety more than anything else, right? In this day and age, you never know when a monster might pop out."
He was right. The massive and heavy body, reminiscent of a tank, caught Yooshin's eye. What he especially liked was that everything from the body to the tire wheels was black. Just like his own magi.
"So, how much is it?"
At Yooshin's question, the dealer smiled brightly and said.
"It's 2 billion won."
"...2 billion?"
"Interest-free installment is also possible! Hunter-nim!"
As Yooshin finally showed a reaction, the dealer clenched his fist as if he had him hooked. As expected, a good car is expensive. Yooshin, having made up his mind, opened his mouth.
"Say, is it possible to rent it? I only need it for a day."
# In front of the hotel where the reunion was being held, amidst a line of flashy cars, a bass sound that seemed to shake the earth suddenly rang out.
Grrrrrrr!
Everyone turned their heads to find the source of the sound. At that moment, they were able to see it.
A body with pitch-black darkness, an overwhelming presence with a tank-like design. The Black Assault revealed its appearance.
"Whoa, what is that?"
"Daebak. Was there a car like that?"
"It's overwhelming."
As the Black Assault slowly approached the entrance, other cars began to flinch and clear a path for it. Because of the Black Assault, which exuded an overwhelming presence on the road, people instinctively stepped back.
Soon, the Black Assault stopped in front of the hotel's main entrance with an engine sound that shook the ground. For a moment, it became as quiet as a mouse. Everyone held their breath. Wondering who the owner of this car was. Even people who didn't know much about cars could tell how valuable the car in front of them was.
The door opened and a man appeared. People gasped at the sight.
"Wow! It's Cheon Yooshin!"
"It's really him!"
"Wow, so damn cool! He killed it. He really killed it."
"As expected of Cheon Yooshin. To drive a car like that."
"He must have made a ton of money. It looks expensive just by looking at it."
"But was he this handsome? He only wore tracksuits on TV, but he looks so cool all dressed up?"
Cheon Yooshin, who perfectly pulled off a black suit as if it were color-coordinated with the black car body, was no longer the Cheon Yooshin on TV. Cheon Yooshin, who got out of the car, looked around. His eyes were drenched in deep melancholy. With a car rarely seen and a perfect suit, an unknown mysterious atmosphere surrounded Cheon Yooshin. People were so stunned they couldn't even open their mouths.
But.
'Ah, fuck! Where is it! The bathroom! I'm going to die if I don't shit!'
The reality was different.