Legendary Designer Choi Nari (5)
From the atmosphere, I could guess what Choi Yunmi had told Choi Nari. It was obviously top-secret information. Now that I knew the truth, I had to have it out with Choi Nari today no matter what. Even if she went blabbing outside, people might not buy it outright, but there was no point courting unnecessary risks.
I figured Choi Yunmi had played her ace in the hole. For her, that was probably the only way to tie Choi Nari down here. And honestly, she wasn't wrong. Even on first sight, I could tell Choi Nari had some real grit. If she harbored deep distrust toward the hunter world at large, her conviction would be rock-solid—she wouldn't budge an inch.
Since the conversation had to happen eventually, it didn't matter if it was now or later. I pulled out a chair and sat down. Kim Eun-bi took the seat next to me.
"Heyyy~ Long time no see~ I was just about to hit you up to hang out sometime. You're always so busy though, right~?"
"Huh?"
Choi Nari, who had been staring blankly at me, finally snapped to and turned to Kim Eun-bi.
"Oh... yeah. I've been thinking about you too. But you seem even busier? Being a hunter must mean a ton of work, huh?"
"Work's... whatever..."
Kim Eun-bi hesitated, glancing at me. Truth be told, even as an A-rank hunter, she wouldn't have been swamped. Having awakened young, she had no rush—she could take her time learning under Kim Seol-bi's guidance, join a decent clan, form a party, or whatever. With Kim Seol-bi in her corner, she could even start her own guild down the line.
But all those natural paths had veered off course after meeting me. Still, it wasn't like something had gone wrong. If anything, encountering me had opened up a whole new world for her—not just sex, but rapid growth that had shot her straight to S-rank today.
So it was only natural her face grew complicated at Choi Nari's casual check-in. Choi Nari hadn't really asked out of curiosity anyway. Her gaze flicked back to me, brimming with unspoken words, but just then the server arrived with menus, so she clamped her lips shut.
We placed our orders, along with a few bottles of wine. Choi Yunmi handled everything at once, then called over the manager. She asked him to take the staff outside. It must've been pre-arranged, because he didn't argue—just rounded everyone up and left without a word.
Now the spacious restaurant was ours alone. Choi Nari turned to me.
"Is it true? That you... killed Jo Dong-geun?"
"Yes."
My curt reply to her loaded question left no room for elaboration. And there was no proof to offer anyway. Choi Nari glanced at Choi Yunmi, then Kim Eun-bi. Both wore calm expressions. Choi Yunmi might fib for business reasons, but Kim Eun-bi had none. Plus, they'd known each other forever.
Choi Nari furrowed her brow, visibly conflicted, her face a storm of things she wanted to say—but nothing came out.
Instead, I spoke up.
"I'm sorry about your friend. I know what kind of guy Jo Dong-geun was. He nearly toyed with people close to me too. Killing him was the only option."
"But..."
Choi Nari clutched her face. Every gesture was effortlessly model-like, polished to perfection. Not the time to think it, but the more I looked, the more captivating she seemed.
With a groan, "Nngh," she continued.
"Jo Dong-geun wasn't some pushover. How am I supposed to believe you took him down?"
"Well..."
I was stumped too. How do you prove something like that? In hindsight, maybe snapping a pic of the body, but even that wouldn't convince anyone.
"You can't believe I'm strong enough to kill Jo Dong-geun?"
"Yes."
Her answer was firm. Made sense—Jo Dong-geun's fame in Korea was massive. I hadn't paid attention, but there'd be news and chatter about his absence for sure.
"Nari."
Choi Yunmi spoke up.
"If I told you I became a hunter, would you believe me?"
"Huh?"
Choi Nari frowned like it was out of nowhere.
"I awakened thanks to Sung-gi. His abilities are beyond what any hunter could mimic. If I prove I'm a hunter now, would you trust what I said?"
Instead of answering, Choi Nari reached into thin air. Seeing her hand vanish confirmed it—she had hunter powers. The specifics might differ, but the core was the same. Inventory proved it.
What she pulled from her inventory was a mana measurer—far sleeker than mine or even Kim Seol-bi's. Probably custom-designed by her, or the latest model. She might've stepped back from hunter gear design lately, but that was her wheelhouse.
Keeping one handy wasn't odd. And the reason for whipping it out now was obvious.
Choi Nari handed the device to Choi Yunmi, who smiled faintly and placed her palm on it. A few recognition chimes for a new user, then a clear voice rang out.
Top 21.864%
I was shocked hearing it from the device. I'd sensed Choi Yunmi's mana was potent—amplified further through sex with me—but A-rank? Top 21 percent, no less.
Choi Yunmi didn't bat an eye, like she'd tested it herself. She just said,
"Last measurement was 23 percent—up 2 percent since then?"
She beamed at me proudly, her face screaming all thanks to you. I felt a swell of pride too. Her mana wasn't fully stabilized yet; as it settled, she'd grow more. Sex with me would accelerate that.
"So, do you get what his power is now?"
"Yes."
Choi Yunmi grinned wide at my question.
"My trait is Emotion."
I wasn't sure why that warranted such joy. If I awakened as an emotion hunter, I'd be conflicted. Sure, A-rank emotion hunters had options—big money in some fields maybe. But outshining peers? Unlikely. Even with my gaps in hunter knowledge, that much was clear.
Yet Choi Yunmi looked ecstatic, like it was perfect.
"It's exactly what I wanted. Now I can excel at my work like never before. All thanks to you, Sung-gi."
"Yeah..."
Now I got it. Choi Yunmi didn't need to raid dungeons as a hunter. She'd already succeeded in her field, raking in cash without issue. An mid-tier combat awakening would've been poison—she'd have to abandon too much to pivot.
But emotion? It fit her like a glove. As she said, it'd supercharge her job. No one would top her at spotting real from fake. I knew the value there. Dealing in near-unique S-rank gear and weapons in Korea? The synergy was massive.
"That's great. Really."
"Thank you, Sung-gi..."
Choi Nari tsked at the sticky vibe between us. She fiddled with the mana measurer she'd brought out, peering closely, even popping it open to inspect parts. Layman couldn't tell, but she was verifying it wasn't tampered with.
Reassembling it, she huffed.
"Hmph! Awakening's something anyone can do. How do you know this guy awakened you? What if you got scammed? Mind-controlled or something?"
It irked me a bit, seeing her doubt even after witnessing it firsthand—with her own device. But I got it. Everything she said was true. This wasn't ironclad proof I awakened Choi Yunmi.
"What about me then?"
Kim Eun-bi piped up.
"She's A-rank, right? What if I'm S-rank? Hardly anyone goes from A to S. And I only awakened recently."
"What?"
Choi Nari scowled, incredulous. Undeterred, Kim Eun-bi smugly slapped her palm on the measurer.