Korea's Strongest, Kang Sung-gi (5)
“Huh?”
Baek Seonghun looked irritated, as if the mood he'd so carefully built was being disrupted. His eyebrows furrowed.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Of course I do!”
Seo Na-yeon, who had stayed quiet for a minute or two, reverted to her usual high energy and shouted.
“Who the hell made you the leader? You kidding me?”
Groans rippled through the conference room. I knew full well that S-rank hunters had massive egos. Baek Seonghun's attitude screamed that he intended to take Jo Dong-geun's spot—no approval needed, just because he wanted it. Sure, he claimed he'd gotten stronger, but no one had actually seen it. All that had changed was his appearance. Suddenly showing up with tattoos and declaring himself beefed up wouldn't impress your average adult.
“This is an official gathering of everyone, so let's keep it civil, Ms. Seo Na-yeon.”
“Fuck that! Civil? Who died and made you leader? Take a goddamn vote! Pretty words don't make it civil!”
Seo Na-yeon was jumping the gun a bit, but she wasn't wrong. If anything, she was spot on. It even felt satisfying, like she was scratching an itch for me.
Baek Seonghun stared at her silently before a smirk crept onto his lips.
“Fine. A vote it is, then?”
He scanned the room. In that brief moment, I caught hunters meeting his eyes. The atmosphere felt off—something was brewing. I could sense prior discussions had taken place. Otherwise, he wouldn't be this confident.
“Something's weird, right?”
Kim Seol-bi whispered to me, thinking the same thing.
Baek Seonghun spoke up.
“Let's reconvene in ten minutes for the vote. The agenda: whether I, Baek Seonghun, should lead the Hongcheon raid. Ms. Seo Na-yeon, your point was valid, even if delivered rudely. I apologize for coming off as dictatorial. So...”
“Fuck! Look at you acting all high and mighty!”
As Baek Seonghun tried to wrap up with the ten-minute break, Seo Na-yeon bellowed again.
“Why do you get to decide everything? Why frame the vote like that? We need to decide who becomes leader!”
“Pardon?”
Baek Seonghun sounded dumbfounded by her objection. He wasn't alone—everyone felt it. Puzzled looks turned to Seo Na-yeon, and even I wondered what the hell she was on about.
Ignoring the room's vibe, she declared brightly.
“I nominate Kang Sung-gi as leader!”
The conference room went ice-cold, like someone had dumped a bucket of water over it. Baek Seonghun looked utterly shocked.
“What did you just say? Who?”
“You got dick in your ears or something? Sung-gi! Kang Sung-gi!”
Seo Na-yeon beamed proudly at me as she said it. What was I supposed to make of this? Normally, her reckless pushiness would annoy me. But on second thought, it wasn't necessary. If anything, her timing was perfect.
Coming here, I'd planned to step up as the top dog among Korea's S-rank hunters now that Jo Dong-geun was out of the picture. Not out of some power trip—it was essential for recruiting Kim Yeonhwa. Plus, I could feel it: to push bigger plans successfully, I needed to clear out nearby obstacles first. Less about lording over other S-ranks, more about reducing variables.
“Mr. Kang Sung-gi...”
Baek Seonghun grumbled, stroking his chin before addressing me.
“Your own intentions matter too. What do you think? Any thoughts on this, Sung-gi?”
He glared at me intently, probably assuming a newbie S-rank like me would cower. I'd just made up my mind.
“Sure. I have no objections.”
“Yes!”
Seo Na-yeon thrust both arms up in triumph. I got that she didn't crave leadership herself, but her aggressive push for me was a mystery. Probably meant she wouldn't take orders from anyone else. She shot me a did I do good? look, so I gave her a slight smile. When her hand slyly crept toward my thigh, I brushed it off.
“Hm...”
Baek Seonghun's irritation was blatant now. He scanned the room and spat out,
“Anyone else? Any other takers for leader?”
Silence. Kim Hyun-cheol wore a conflicted expression, but he wouldn't step up. I'd crushed him mercilessly not long ago—and he'd been castrated to boot. With me in the ring, his shot was zero.
“Very well...”
Baek Seonghun took a deep breath. His face showed wheels turning. He figured he'd have the edge over some fresh S-rank newbie. Seo Na-yeon's antics might seem suspicious, but she was always the wild card—no real threat. That was his read.
“We'll reconvene in ten. Vote decides it: me or Kang Sung-gi for leader.”
Originally, this was about filling Jo Dong-geun's raid spot. But Baek Seonghun had reframed it as picking a full-on leader. That was his ambition all along. Leading S-rank dungeon raids made you the de facto head of S-rank hunters. Public knowledge.
As Baek Seonghun called the break, sure enough, a few hunters from the opposite side rose and approached him—the ones who'd exchanged glances earlier.
Seo Na-yeon shoved her chair back and stood abruptly.
“I'll handle those assholes.”
She meant Park Hyun-jun and Kim Hyun-cheol.
“Can't have them flipping sides.”
Unexpected, but she was turning out useful. Park Hye-na stood with her phone in hand—it was vibrating.
“Hello?”
She took the call and headed off elsewhere.
“Shall we step out and rest too?”
Kim Seol-bi suggested.
“Yeah. First time here's suffocating. This way.”
I smiled as I replied, and Kim Seol-bi gave a wry grin in agreement.
Kim Seol-bi and I headed to the cafe downstairs. I'd half-expected it, but this ridiculously oversized building had all the amenities for S-rank hunters.
Ten minutes wasn't long. But the cafe staff were fully prepped. We ordered an Americano and a latte, and the coffee came out lightning-fast.
I took a sip of the latte and was blown away by its depth. Never in my life had I tasted coffee this rich and luxurious.
“Good, right?”
Kim Seol-bi smiled, reading my face.
“Yeah. Mind-blowing.”
“That's why I come here. The coffee's the one consolation.”
The staff beamed with pride at her words. Working here was a sweet gig, all things considered. S-rank hunters met maybe once a week at most, and few bothered with the cafe. Sure, they were dangerous if pissed off, but beyond that, the job was low-physical-stress and prestigious.
If I'd had a shot at this as a regular awakener, I'd have jumped for joy. But objectively, it was a massive societal waste. More people should enjoy coffee this good.
Love it or hate it, S-rank hunters were society's elite. Plenty of proof.
Back in the conference room, the mood was more settled than expected. Baek Seonghun couldn't have foreseen a vote—let alone against a newbie S-rank—but he looked composed. He wouldn't have rushed Jo Dong-geun's seat without groundwork. He'd already pulled strings to sway hunters.
From what I saw, outsiders and Jo Dong-geun's clear allies hadn't bitten. Variables for him, but not enough to shift the tide. That was his conclusion.
He'd glared daggers earlier; now he eyed me with pure curiosity. How'd this guy steal Seo Na-yeon and Kim Seol-bi? his face seemed to say.
Seo Na-yeon was back in her seat, smug as hell—must've talked Park Hyun-jun and Kim Hyun-cheol into line. She leaned in and whispered gleefully in my ear.
“Told 'em the eunuch rumor, and they freaked~”
“Hm...”
Yeah, no surprise. Deeply relatable as a guy. Still, no warm fuzzies for Park Hyun-jun or Kim Hyun-cheol. Just glad I could use them.
“Let's start the vote.”
Baek Seonghun, at the podium, opened with smug confidence.