Suspicion (2)

"...Team Leader. Should I take you to the hospital?"

Saerom's voice was dark. Yujin's expression had been grim, and whenever her mood soured, she always followed the same routine — heading straight to the hospital where her younger sister was admitted.

"Please."

She's definitely had her soul wrung dry this time.

With that thought, Saerom glanced worriedly at Yujin in the rearview mirror, then eased down on the accelerator.

Yujin gazed at the scenery rushing past and sank into her thoughts.

What do I do? If I tell him now, all the trust I've built up will fall apart.

A-rank Hunter Im Yujin. She was a capable, gifted woman. And yet she belonged to the Hunter Association — a place people called the Hunter's Grave. There was a reason for that.

"Um... you mentioned Yuri's surgery is coming up soon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Th-that's wonderful. I heard it was a difficult case, but the government must have recognized your contributions, Team Leader. There's no other explanation."

Yujin's younger sister, Yuri, suffered from a rare disease.

It was an illness that had only come into existence after Gates became a grave problem for humanity — a condition known as Mana Addiction.

Once contracted, corrupted mana would slowly fill the heart until the victim died. An intractable disease. The only option was a device called a mana removal unit, which could siphon off at least some of the accumulating mana. The problem was that these units were limited in number. Even with money, it was impossible without political connections. A single day's use cost an astronomical sum, as a baseline.

Yujin had been working for the government on the condition that one mana removal unit be allocated to her sister.

The problem was that they had reached the limit. Yuri had been sick for a long time, and she could not go on surviving indefinitely off a removal unit.

Perhaps a god had taken pity on them. An opportunity had arisen for a procedure with a success rate of seventy-nine percent. Yujin had worked herself like a dog for that chance. Thanks to those efforts, the government had pledged to perform the surgery after her last operation.

But that promise had been worth no more than a scrap of paper.

The moment they heard that a new S-rank Hunter had appeared, the government did a complete about-face. Bring him in, they said, and then they would do the surgery.

She had been furious. But Yujin was thoroughly at their mercy. The government held her sister's lifeline in its fist. No matter what oppression she suffered, she would do anything — anything at all — if it meant saving her sister.

And yet...

The words made the world go black before her eyes.

Yuri's life was running out, and Yujin had begged them to perform the surgery first. In return, she had sworn she would give her own life if that was what it took to bring Hunter Han Seonghun into government service.

Yujin was an exceptional woman. The success rate of every operation she had ever been assigned was one hundred percent. The government had readily agreed — and then, for reasons she could not fathom, they had changed their word once again.

Recruit Seonghun within a week.

Her original plan had been simple: keep him from going to another guild, and the moment her sister's surgery was over, leave the government behind. That plan had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just come apart in her hands.

"...Leader."

"......"

"Team Leader."

Yujin snapped out of her thoughts. They had already arrived at the hospital where Yuri was admitted.

"Ah. Right. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We're here."

"Yes. I'll wait here. Please go on in."

Saerom smiled with her eyes. Yujin returned a bitter smile of her own and stepped out of the car.

Her footsteps were heavy. For the first time, the path to Yuri felt impossibly far.

"Ms. Im Yujin? You're the patient's guardian?"

"...Is Yuri all right?"

"To be honest... there's no hope."

"...I see."

"...Yes. At this rate, she likely won't last a week."

She had already heard it. But the doctor's words, driving the nail in all over again, crushed down on her.

She walked toward the ward with leaden steps. Just before opening the door to Yuri's private room, she straightened her clothes, composed herself, and stepped inside.

"Unnie!"

Yuri waved at her, bright as the sun. Yujin put on a natural smile and sat down in front of her.

"Have you been well? Nothing hurting?"

"Nope! Everyone here is so nice to me. Hehe. It's all thanks to you, Unnie. Once I'm all better, I'll take care of you."

It felt as though her chest were being torn apart. But she could not let it show. Yujin swallowed her tears and went on.

"Actually, Yuri. About your illness — I think you're going to get better soon."

"...R-really?"

"Of course. Who do you think your unnie is? I'm a high-ranking civil servant. The nation itself said they'd make you all better. The Association President did."

She paused. Tears were falling from Yuri's eyes. The voice Yujin had been holding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠together by sheer force began to tremble.

"The Association President... scheduled the surgery this time. A ninety-nine percent success rate, and he said Yuri would go down as the world's first case of Mana Addiction being cured. That's what he said. So don't worry anymore. Everything... everything..."

Yuri buried herself in Yujin's arms and sobbed.

"It's going to be okay."

A single tear slipped from Yujin's eyes as she held her sister close.

"Ah, right."

I was watching TV when Yujin suddenly crossed my mind. I had told her we'd meet, but I hadn't been able to reply because of Sia.

She must have been waiting.

I hurriedly pulled out my phone and sent her a message.

The unread mark vanished almost immediately. But tens of minutes passed, and no reply came.

Is she that mad?

Then, as if on cue, a notification chimed.

Now?

It was a somewhat awkward hour. Too late for a meal, too early for drinks. But I was the one who'd dropped the ball, so.

I glanced at Chaewon's firmly closed bedroom door. My sister was studying anyway. I could treat it as a light walk and be back before long.

Having settled on that, I sent my reply.

A Japanese-style establishment that looked steeped in tradition. The kind of drinking house that high-ranking officials in movies would frequent. That was where I met Yujin.

"Have a drink."

I accepted a cup without ceremony and tipped it back.

"So this is sake. It's good."

I didn't particularly care for alcohol, but sake seemed to suit me surprisingly well.

I looked at Yujin. At first I had thought this was a simple date... but it was turning out to be something else entirely.

She's here to draw her blade.

Yujin's expression was resolute, and a place like this was typically for entertaining — not for dating. I had a feeling uncomfortable topics were going to be crossing the table tonight.

"I'm glad it's to your taste."

I studied her carefully. I don't like dragging things out. Same as my ability — Instant Death, extreme and absolute. I cut to the point.

"Let's hear what you actually want."

"...I should have known you'd notice."

"I may not be sharp about much else, but I'm pretty quick when it comes to this kind of thing."

Yujin had her head bowed. Her lips moved a few times, but no sound came out. After a long silence, she suddenly rose from her seat — and without any warning, dropped to her knees on the floor and pressed her forehead down.

"...!"

I stared at her, eyes wide.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Yujin was a woman overflowing with pride on any ordinary day. Watching her suddenly kneel left me completely dumbfounded.

"I know how shameless this is. Even so — I beg of you."

I looked down at her with cold eyes.

"I have no desire to belong to the government, a corporation, or anywhere else."

"I'm fully aware of that. But if you would present the conditions you want... I'll do everything I can to have them met."

"I'm disappointed. It seems I misjudged you."

"I'm sorry. But the government is in a critical state right now, and we need your help, Seonghun."

"...I'll be going."

I cut her off in a single stroke, rejecting her outright, and stood up from my seat.

I had always figured this day would come. I just hadn't expected it to arrive with no warning at all. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. I held no ill will toward her. It was simply that what she wanted was a wish I could not grant. That was all. I would regret the relationship turning sour — but it was better to cut it off now, before it got worse.

"Thank you for everything until now. You don't need to come to the shop anymore."

"......"

It might have looked cruel. I wanted her to let go of me completely, with no lingering attachment left.

"Please tell Saerom as well. Then."

I turned my back on her and opened the door.

A trembling voice came from behind me.

"They say she'll die without the surgery."

I turned my head slowly. Fat tears were rolling from Yujin's eyes.

"Please help me. Please... hng, I'll do anything. Anything at all, Hunter. If you just help me this once — just once..."

I asked her with a serious face.

"What, exactly, are you talking about?"

Beep. Beep.

Inside a white hospital room, I looked at the girl lying weakly on the bed.

"Oh, Unnie, you're here? Who's the person next to you...?"

A feeble voice. Her face was so deathly pale it looked as though she might collapse at any moment.

"He's my boss from work. How's your body? Are you all right?"

"Hello, Yuri."

I offered an awkward greeting. She was a girl around Chaewon's age.

"Hehe... Hello. Please take good care of my unnie... cough! Cough!"

"Of course. Don't worry."

Yujin took her sister's hand.

"Don't talk. It's hard on you."

"No, I'm fine. Once I have the surgery I'll get better right away. This is nothing."

Yuri smiled brightly.

"Yeah... you're definitely going to have that surgery."

I looked at Yujin through narrowed eyes.

Surgery isn't going to fix this.

I had heard Yujin's circumstances. In exchange for pulling me in as a government hunter, her sister was supposed to receive the surgery.

That's strange.

Unfortunately, Mana Addiction was not a disease that could be treated even in the future. People had died of it before I regressed, too — more than a few of them.

A thought flickered through my mind.

What a sad story.

The reason I had never known Yujin, even when I myself had belonged to the government. She had been deceived by them. Used up like a disposable tool in exchange for the promise of saving her sister — and then, most likely, exiled somewhere, or killed.

"Yujin. Could I have a word?"

I had to tell her the truth. However cruel it was.

"...Yes."

I stepped out of the hospital room with her, and we sat down in the lobby.

"What is it?"

Yujin asked, her expression puzzled. I opened my mouth, then hesitated. I wasn't sure how to put it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But even a cruel truth still had to be delivered. I had no choice but to be blunt.

"That disease can't be treated."

"What? That can't be... The Association President clearly said the surgery was possible."

Yujin raised her voice in protest, her face saying it was impossible.

"You've been deceived. By the Association President."

Association President Park Museong. He was someone I had killed in my previous life as well. A man rotten to the bone, who had tried to gather every hunter into his grasp and seize power for himself.

"How would you know that, Seonghun...?"

Of course she would find it hard to believe. I wasn't a doctor, and she would assume even the Association President didn't know. It was only natural that I looked strange.

"I can't go into the details."

And how, exactly, was I supposed to tell her I had regressed?

Yujin kept her mouth tightly shut for a while, then spoke.

"That can't be! The Association President clearly said he would have the surgery done."

Tears rolled from her eyes, one after another.

She can't believe it. Of course she can't.

I understood completely. If your sister had a terminal illness, and someone showed up and told you there was no treatment — accepting that would be nearly impossible.

I looked at her with an expression of someone who had made up his mind.

"There's no way to treat the disease. But..."

I paused a beat, then continued.

"There is another way."

"...Another way?"

Just one. There was a way to save her.