Chapter 68

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 68

Chapter Title: Echoes of Family

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"Shin Ji-ui Hunter, do you get along well with your parents?"

Such a sudden question?

I stopped dead in my tracks without thinking and turned around. He widened his eyes for a brief moment before dry-washing his face with one hand. He clearly regretted the words the instant they left his mouth. His bangs, slightly covering his forehead, became tousled every which way, and exhaustion flooded his eyes in a flash.

"Pretend I didn't say anything..."

"No, no. I can't just let that slide."

Cha Do-yun Hunter had finally opened his mouth after so long—I couldn't just brush it off.

'Relationship with parents...'

To be honest, I didn't have many memories with my folks. Back when Ji-yu was around, we'd go on picnics and such, but even that faded into distant history after she left us first. Mom and Dad coming to sports day or packing lunches for field trips? That had nothing to do with me.

They had no choice, buried under hospital debts. I didn't blame them.

"Not bad, not super harmonious. Just your average parent-child relationship."

"...I see."

'But why bring this up?'

As far as I remembered, Cha Do-yun Hunter was someone who absolutely avoided talking about his parents. I'd confirmed that exact memory with the 'Regressor's Right Eye' earlier.

"Do you get along with your parents, Cha Do-yun Hunter? You strike me as the type who listened well... Oof?!"

I tossed the question out, pretending I knew nothing. This time, Cha Do-yun Hunter halted. My right arm yanked backward, nearly sending me tumbling onto my butt.

I barely regained my balance and turned. There he stood, wearing a dazed expression.

"Not really."

For him—the object of my disdain—to say that to me of all people meant his feelings were incredibly tangled. He suddenly seemed so pitiable that I cautiously spoke up.

"I..."

'Damn, talk about bad timing!'

A teddy bear plummeted from above. Thanks to Cha Do-yun Hunter yanking me back, I avoided getting crushed under it.

Bang!

I immediately squeezed Ego's trigger at the teddy bear. A pristine white bullet blew its head apart. No resistance at all—it seemed like a trap, not a monster.

"I... what?"

"Oh, uh, well... I'm not great at cheering people up from above, but I'm a damn good listener."

My response came out in a tone that hardly inspired confidence, thanks to the random teddy bear drop. Cha Do-yun Hunter just narrowed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his eyes at me.

"Sometimes, just talking it out with someone solves things."

"Eyes front."

'He's embarrassed.'

As Cha Do-yun Hunter wished, I turned back around and slowly followed the maze path.

"Hypothetically speaking."

Only then did Cha Do-yun Hunter start. I heard him take a deep breath right behind my head.

"If parents who tormented Shin Ji-ui Hunter when she was little came seeking forgiveness now, what would you do?"

'What the hell.'

This was definitely new territory. From that alone, it sounded like Cha Do-yun Hunter had been abused as a kid... Was that why he avoided parent talk so much?

I answered his question anyway.

"Depends on how much they tormented me."

"......"

"And how sincerely remorseful they are now."

"It's not about me."

"I didn't say it was."

He's terrible at lying.

Anyone could tell it was about him, but Cha Do-yun Hunter stubbornly denied it. I didn't need to see his face to picture it—lips pouted, eyes downcast.

"Have you talked to them?"

"......"

"You won't know if they're truly sorry or just faking it until you hear them out."

"Hmm..."

Cha Do-yun Hunter let out a thoughtful sigh, and his steps gradually slowed.

"Talking..."

Bang!

While he muttered, I fired at thorn vines sprouting from the ground. The sonic bullet shredded them effortlessly, scattering into the air.

"If they came sincerely to apologize, would Shin Ji-ui Hunter forgive them?"

Cha Do-yun Hunter stopped again. I turned to see him biting his lip hard. It overlapped with that powerless image of him in the training room, pinned immobile by Se-bin's shadow.

"I'd hear them out—excuses or whatever—and judge from there."

"......"

"Forgiveness comes after."

His long lashes trembled above his downcast eyes. Maybe he'd already planned to meet them. He just needed someone to affirm his judgment.

"I'll think about it."

And I became that someone. Cha Do-yun Hunter looked up, met my eyes, pouted, and added,

"And it's not my business—it's my friend's. Don't misunderstand."

"Yeah, yeah."

"My friend's business."

"Got it already."

'Jeez, that stubborn streak.'

It wasn't profound advice, but if it helped mend things between Cha Do-yun Hunter and his parents—and got him to trust me— that'd be great.

"Okay, we're almost there. At every fork from here, take the rightmost path."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter's instructions matched exactly with what the 'Pathfinder' indicated. The maze really was ending.

"Let's move fast."

Cha Do-yun Hunter nodded at my words. We picked up the pace, exiting the maze swiftly, and a fork appeared right away.

'Almost really there.'

By the time we were a bit winded from running, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the narrow maze's end came into view.

Pop!

"Whoa!"

We'd barely squeezed out when the vine handcuffs binding Cha Do-yun Hunter and me burst. They scattered into the air amid sparkling light.

"Ah, looks like we escaped anyway?"

"Seems so."

Cha Do-yun Hunter glanced between his wrists and me, nodding slowly.

We'd escaped the maze, but no gate in sight, and Ha Mi-jun Hunter was nowhere.

"Shin Ji-ui Hunter."

"Yes?"

Cha Do-yun Hunter pointed. A pillar with a paper hung on it. A rope dangled from the bell—pull it, and it'd ring.

Ah, what happens if I ring this? I grabbed the rope and yanked. It pulled heavily.

Dong, dong, dong.

A fairly loud bell tolled across the entire dungeon.

Rumble.

The ground shook simultaneously. A gate and a familiar figure emerged from the cracking earth.

"Whoa~ Heroes, you came to save me."

"You okay?!"

Ha Mi-jun Hunter grinned mischievously and took a step toward us. Thankfully, no visible injuries.

"Where were you?"

"Stuck in some pitch-black space with a big monitor."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter brushed dirt off his clothes and peeked toward the maze.

"Any monsters? I didn't see a thing."

"There were. Shin Ji-ui Hunter handled most."

"Weaker than typical A-rank dungeon monsters."

'Thanks to Words Become Seeds' boosting my skill damage, but yeah—these were way weaker than standard A-rankers.

"Hmm, got it."

"Can we take out the boss now?"

Cha Do-yun Hunter drew Morning Glory and stepped toward the gate.

"Nah, no need. No boss here."

"No boss monster?"

"Yup. Pathfinder said so."

Creeeak.

"Holy crap, for real."

Cha Do-yun Hunter pulled the gate—it swung open easily. Ha Mi-jun Hunter shrugged at my exclamation.

"Anyway..."

Ha Mi-jun Hunter's sharp eyes turned to me and Cha Do-yun Hunter.

What? Why's he staring like that?

"How was it? Bodies that close, you must've felt something."

"What..."

"Whoa, Cha Do-yun Hunter—no cussing, right?"

He swallowed the rest, winking to gloss over the moment.

'Well, at least better than before?'

Not much talk, but broaching family stuff meant he'd opened up a bit.

"Something to say?"

"Nope, nothing."

I flashed Cha Do-yun Hunter a grin, brushed past him, and opened the gate.

'What's with this guy today?'

I'd planned to take it slow after that timeline where rushing backfired spectacularly. Yet the whole universe seemed to shove me toward befriending Cha Do-yun Hunter.

"Thanks again for understanding. Shin Ji-ui Hunter-nim's car had a sudden tire blowout..."

"No one's hurt—that's what matters."

After escaping the maze dungeon, we headed back to Gimpo Airport to wait for the limo. Then word came: tire burst. So we ended up riding Cha Do-yun Hunter's limo to the Association building.

'Wish this eye showed favorability or something.'

I gazed at Cha Do-yun Hunter dozing against the window with my right eye. Naturally, no such stat appeared.

Screech.

"We're here. The car to take you home..."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll subway from here."

I unbuckled. Cha Do-yun Hunter's gaze shifted to me.

"Thanks for the ride. Get some rest."

"Oh, sure."

He nodded awkwardly at my greeting, lips flapping silently for a while.

'Looks like he has something to say.'

I opened the door slowly on purpose. Cha Do-yun Hunter stared straight at me, as if resolved.

"Forget everything I said in the dungeon."

"Your friend's issue?"

I emphasized "friend." His eyebrows twitched oddly. As I thought—he sucks at lying.

"Got it. All erased."

"...Yeah."

"Just tell your friend not to worry too much."

Cha Do-yun Hunter flinched. He'd caught on that it was for him.

"I'll tell him..."

"Do-yun-ah!!"

Then a man yelled from Cha Do-yun Hunter's window side.