Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Lee Ji-ah (8)
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As expected of an S-rank hunter's home.
Following Lee Ji-ah down to the basement revealed a massive training ground.
My God.
It seemed even bigger than the mansion upstairs.
"This space was specially made for training. Want me to show you something cool?"
"Something cool?"
Curious, I looked at her, and Lee Ji-ah grinned before punching the air.
KABOOM!
A sonic boom erupted, sending a gust of wind rushing forward in the direction of her fist. The shockwave gouged the floor, leaving a massive trench in its wake.
"Gah!"
I was hurled back by the blast, tumbling across the ground.
The world spun around me.
Shaking my head to clear it, Lee Ji-ah approached and offered her hand.
"I had no idea the aftermath would be this bad. What do we do... Hyun-woo, are you okay? Let me help you up."
"Ah, yeah. Thanks..."
Lee Ji-ah wore that smug, satisfied smile.
She did that on purpose?
She was still sore about the training earlier.
"So childish."
"What? Just take my hand already."
I stood up and brushed the dust off my pants. Clearing her throat awkwardly, Lee Ji-ah pointed to the shredded floor.
"See? Pretty cool, right?"
"Huh?"
The cracked ground was reverting to its original state.
"This training ground was specially made to auto-repair no matter how much we wreck it. If a hunter like me trained in a normal one, the basement wouldn't last."
Fair point.
If a casual air punch did that much damage, what would a serious one do?
Lee Ji-ah asked gloomily.
"...This seems perfect for training your ability, right, Hyun-woo?"
I nodded.
Turning my ability on and off would send her into a panic, and the mansion upstairs couldn't handle that.
Id already smashed one bathroom door.
Id been wondering how to train, so this place was a godsend.
"But Ji-ah."
"Yeah?"
"I had no idea it would be like this."
"What?"
"An S-rank hunter's power."
Taking it as a compliment, Lee Ji-ah puffed up proudly, shrugging her shoulders.
Cold sweat beaded down my back, though.
Back in the bathroom when Lee Ji-ah had smashed through the door.
She'd been in full panic mode then, barely able to speak.
If she had hugged me any tighter, crushing my body...
I swallowed hard.
"Ji-ah. Do you remember? In our bathroom."
"The bathroom?"
"A week ago..."
"Oh."
Our eyes met, and she whipped her head away. Her ears turned bright red—she was embarrassed.
"Wh-what are you bringing that up for now?"
It was one of those memories I wanted to bury too; my nose itched just thinking about it.
But what could I do?
This was life-or-death.
I had to bring it up.
"No, I mean... you panicked hard back then."
"Yeah..."
"And you hugged me tight."
No response.
I kept going.
"How did you control your strength then?"
"Well..."
Lee Ji-ah twirled her hair around her finger.
"I instinctively held back so I wouldn't hurt anyone...? Things were such a blur, I don't really remember."
"So if you panic during training and mess up your strength control..."
Lee Ji-ah lit up, grinning ear to ear.
"Hyun-woo could get seriously hurt!"
"Exactly."
"Ahaha. What's with you? You didn't think of that?"
Slap! Slap!
She kept smacking my arm, her lips twitching.
"I thought you were smart, but you've got these clueless sides too!"
Shed looked like she was about to die moments ago, but now her mood had flipped sky-high.
Beaming, Lee Ji-ah said,
"Guess we have no choice. Can't have you getting hurt during training. Too bad. I was hoping we could go out now."
She didn't look sorry at all.
"Actually..."
"Shall we head back to the room then? Training's off anyway, and my favorite drama's on soon."
I grabbed her shoulder as she turned to leave.
"Ji-ah, you need to hear me out."
"Huh?"
"Why would there be no way?"
Her smile froze, cheeks stiffening.
"A way? If Peace of Mind wears off and I panic, you could get badly hurt."
Lee Ji-ah argued point by point.
"I can't let that happen! I won't hurt you just to feel better myself! I'll just deal with being uncomfortable!"
"You mean that?"
"Of course!"
"Good."
"Huh?"
"I'm glad you're willing to put up with it."
Sensing something off in my words, Lee Ji-ah looked uneasy.
"That's—"
I quickly shoved my phone at her before she could backtrack.
Her eyes went wide at the photo.
"Wh-what is this?"
"A restraint suit."
"Huh? Restraint suit?"
She gaped blankly, then flushed red and yelled,
"Hyun-woo!!"
My ears rang.
"R-restraint suit?"
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's weird!!"
Weird? How?
"And how's a restraint suit supposed to hold an S-rank hunter?"
Valid point.
It'd rip like paper.
If it were a normal one.
I opened my mouth to convince her.
"That's why. This one's specially made to capture ability-user criminals..."
A special restraint suit from the Hunter Store.
Could fully restrain up to B-rank awakeners, for the low price of 500 million won.
"Eh? This only goes up to B-rank..."
"It's not like a game stat match. It can hold back even higher ranks to some degree."
An all-out S-rank like her would shred it, sure.
But it could buy time to reactivate Peace of Mind.
Even in panic, she'd have some control like in the bathroom.
Lee Ji-ah pouted sulkily.
"What about the cost?"
I pointed at her with my finger.
"The client covers expenses, obviously."
"Ugh."
She seemed reluctant, but no choice.
We needed basic safety measures.
"President only when you need money..."
Grumbling under her breath, Lee Ji-ah called the store on my phone.
"Hello?"
Hunter Store here. How can I help?
"I want to buy something."
Yes, what would that be?
"Uh, restraint suit... B-rank..."
Ah, B-rank restraint suit.
The consultant sounded troubled.
We don't sell restraint suits to private customers due to misuse risks.
Lee Ji-ah's lip curled up.
"Oh, really?"
Yes, sorry about that.
"No, no. If it's policy, nothing to do. I'm not that rigid. Thanks!"
She tried to hang up hastily.
I snatched the phone.
"Hello. I'm the phone's owner. That was S-rank hunter Lee Ji-ah. Even if the buyer is a certified S-rank, is it impossible?"
Let me check the policy, sir.
"Take your time."
"Hyun-woo! I'm A-rank now after the downgrade!"
She bounced beside me, so I shushed her.
"Shh, stay still. I'm on the phone."
The consultant spoke up, having checked.
S-rank, currently A-rank Lee Ji-ah, correct?
"Yes."
What's the intended use?
"Training."
Okay, just verify identity and it's fine. When do you want delivery?
"Immediately after payment."
Thank you. This is consultant Kim Ji-young.
Click.
Lee Ji-ah glared at me, displeased.
"What was that?"
"..."
"Get your ID quick? And pay up, President."
Smack!
She yanked the phone back.
The restraint suit arrived right away.
"Ah, this is harder to put on than I thought."
Lee Ji-ah, strapped in and off-balance, flopped face-down on the floor. She lifted her head with a grumpy look.
"If we're doing this, get on with it already."
I sat in front of her and prepared.
Closing my eyes, I sank into meditation. The trainer said to imagine flipping a power switch on an electronic device.
Hmm...
Ugh...
How the hell do you do this?
No clue at all. My fumbling had dragged on for over three days.
The trainer said Id get the hang of it in a day. Was I really talentless?
As I sat groaning,
"Eek—!"
A sudden scream.
Opening my eyes, Lee Ji-ah was trembling on the floor.
"Ji-ah!?"
"Hy-Hyun-woo..."
She writhed in agony, mouth gaping as she gasped for air. The ability had shut off successfully, it seemed.
"Use your ability... quick."
She urged me.
I started to move, then hesitated.
Watching her, memories of our first meeting flooded back.
Shed acted like she was ready to end it all.
But back then, she hadn't been this tormented.
If she had, shed have met a bad end before meeting me.
The bathroom reaction was similar.
Id thought it was because she was browsing hate comments like a hobby, triggering her panic.
But why this overreaction now?
Bathroom incident versus now.
A bad feeling crept in.
"Ji-ah, calm down and listen. How do you feel right now?"
"Hyun-woo..."
"Tell me!"
Her breathing grew rougher.
"I... I want to die. The hate comments keep flashing back, people pointing fingers at my A-rank drop... I can imagine it all."
"Wanting to die constantly? Compared to when we first met?"
"Hyun-woo... enough... Use your ability first..."
Reason was fading from her eyes.
Seeing her crave Peace of Mind in panic, it hit me.
Her condition was worse than before.
And the reason was my ability.
Shed lived peacefully by my side for the first time in ages.
No fretting over hate, just the calm life she wanted.
Then, cut off from it.
The sudden emotional shift broke her—she couldn't endure it.
In simple terms, her mind, softened by peace, crumbled faster under abrupt stress.
"Hic... sob...!"
She couldn't even finish sentences. It was dire.
I tried to reactivate quickly. No time for games. Eyes shut, I pictured the switch again.
Focus. Focus.
But at toddler level, it wouldn't obey.
Scrape.
"...?"
A dragging sound on the floor.
I opened my eyes.
Reasonless Lee Ji-ah was crawling toward me. The vibe was dangerous.
"J-Ji-ah?"
When Id mentioned no contract, shed exuded intimidating pressure.
Same aura now, pinning me in place. She crawled closer.
"Ji-ah! Snap out of it, please!"
"..."
She ignored me, dragging along.
This is bad.
Not like we're kids who can't sit together. Shouldn't have done this practice crap.
Regret hit hard.
But I couldn't just die, so eyes shut, focus again.
Desperately visualizing the switch, something slammed into me.
Thud.
In that split second, I thought,
Ah, this is it.
"..."
A wriggle in my arms. I cracked open my tightly shut eyes.
"Hyun-woo..."
Straitjacketed Lee Ji-ah burrowed into me, pleading.
"Use your ability... I feel like I'm dying, Hyun-woo..."
Faint hope and desperation flickered in her unfocused eyes.
I realized why panicked her she didn't cross that final line.
Hope that my ability would restore her peace.
That hope kept her holding on.
Eyes closed, I focused.
It took a full 10 minutes to finally trigger it.
Coming to, Lee Ji-ah kept her face buried in the floor.
She desperately avoided my gaze. Her whole body flushed red.
If she died now, they'd invent a new cause: death by humiliation.
"J-Ji-ah."
Cautiously calling her, she mumbled,
"...Don't say it."
"It's okay to cry. I bawl sometimes too. Yesterday, I teared up over a movie. Know Classic? Total masterpiece."
Her pride badly hurt, she just kept her face down, no reply.
"Um, Ji-ah..."
"...Enough!"
"Ji-ah..."
"I said enough! Don't comfort me!"
Straitjacketed, she squirmed away from my touch. I looked troubled.
Awkwardly scratching my head, she peeked up.
"...What?"
"I really don't mind. People cry sometimes. So..."
"So?"
"You need more practice."
"...?"
She snapped her head up, staring in disbelief.
What?
I was finally getting the hang of it. A blockhead like me couldn't waste this moment—Id wait forever otherwise.
I hurried her.
"Practice time. Get ready quick."