A Close Call with the Monster
Kang A-jin stepped out of the hotel room and hurried into the elevator. She wanted to shake off the chilling sensation from when he'd touched her as quickly as possible. Even as the elevator descended, her heart kept pounding. She half-expected Jo Dong-geun to smash through the door at any moment. She even glanced up at the ceiling, imagining him crashing down from above.
But thankfully, the elevator reached the first floor without incident. As she drove down the road, she kept checking the side mirror.
A monster...
She'd known he was filthy and ugly deep down. The other S-rank hunters weren't much better overall, but Jo Dong-geun was the worst of them. No one ever saw his true face.
Another reason she'd been shocked was that he'd grown even stronger than a month ago. The monster was evolving at a monstrous pace.
The barrier he'd burned away with his cigarette had been a special custom order, prepared for emergencies. Even most S-rank hunters wouldn't have broken it easily. But Jo Dong-geun had shattered it without much effort.
When he'd hugged her from behind, her body had frozen, leaving her unable to move. If he'd really wanted to, she would've been helplessly raped right there.
His attitude was completely different from when he'd come to her with a request. He'd kept a certain line when he needed her favor, but the moment she came to him begging, he'd shown his true colors.
This wasn't it.
Kang A-jin realized her plan to control Park Hyun-jun by meeting Jo Dong-geun had been far too naive. She'd nearly gotten herself into serious trouble. She could've endured it if it had only been her, but the fallout might have spread much further—maybe even to Kim Seol-bi and Kang Sung-gi.
Still, it was a relief that Jo Dong-geun had agreed and promised to handle the request. If she hadn't brought up Jo A-young—his biggest weakness—she couldn't have expected that outcome.
No, Kang A-jin thought, gritting her teeth as she glared straight ahead. Mentioning Jo A-young had gotten her out of his clutches, but it had also provoked him even more. From now on, Jo Dong-geun wouldn't stop watching her.
Letting her go had been almost an act of mercy. He could've overpowered her with sheer force anytime. If he'd killed her in that hotel room, one more person who knew his secret about Jo A-young would vanish from the world. That would've been the easiest solution for him.
He's enjoying this.
Kang A-jin realized Jo Dong-geun had released her just to watch how she'd react and savor the game. As long as she stayed in Korea, she couldn't escape his shadow.
She'd poked the bear she never should have.
I need to find a way...
Whether a method to tame Jo Dong-geun even existed was questionable, but she had to find it somehow.
The car passed through the warp zone. Only when she arrived home did Kang A-jin finally relax a little. Her heart was still racing, but not as badly as before.
She sent a text to Kim Seol-bi.
Kim Seol-bi knew what kind of person Jo Dong-geun was. She didn't know every sordid detail of his private life or all his crimes, but she understood his character well enough.
Kang A-jin let out a deep sigh before heading inside. She stripped off her clothes, leaving herself naked, and incinerated them with sorcery. The urge to wash away the filth was overwhelming, so she headed straight to the bathroom for a shower.
Once she'd regained some composure, she knew she needed to immerse herself in something else to forget the awful experience. She chose to make talismans.
First was the one for Kim Seol-bi after her sex with Kang Sung-gi, then Kim Eun-bi. And next...
Imagining the passionate time she'd spend with Kang Sung-gi lifted her spirits instantly.
It's only 20 minutes for now, though...
The barrier talisman allowed sex with Kang Sung-gi for just 20 minutes. Naturally, she wanted to extend that limit.
She'd poured countless hours into sorcery research before, but nothing ignited her passion like this project.
#
"I'm heading out."
Kim Seol-bi said it as she stepped through the front door. Her expression was complicated—partly happy, partly worried. I figured it had to do with whatever Kang A-jin had discussed during her visit here, something about Park Hyun-jun.
I was curious how things were progressing, but it didn't feel right to bring it up first. She'd tell me once it was resolved, one way or another.
"You're going to the Hunter Management Office today?"
"Yes. My rank went up again. I should renew my license."
"That's true, but..."
Kim Seol-bi looked concerned.
"Don't worry, sis. I'll go with him."
"Yeah, okay."
She'd actually opposed me going to the Hunter Management Office at first. But Kim Eun-bi, who'd been listening, insisted on tagging along, and that ended the objections. She seemed to have some other reassurance, though she didn't say what.
I took the car keys from her. They were for a sturdy SUV. With an A-rank hunter accompanying me and the office not far, it wasn't a big deal. If that were all, I might've hesitated to leave the house myself.
That morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I heard a voice.
"Sung-gi."
It came from thin air, but it was a familiar voice. Soon, a figure materialized before me. Dressed in her usual black clothes, fabric fluttering—she was Kang A-jin.
She looked a bit tired, like she hadn't slept well, but she was beautiful no matter the circumstance or state. A mysterious beauty. The phrase fit her perfectly.
"Did you sleep well?"
I knew the figure before me wasn't her real body. I couldn't explain it exactly, but there was a subtle difference between the real thing and a projection.
"Yes. And you, A-jin?"
"Me too."
Kang A-jin didn't look it, but she smiled and claimed she had.
"What's up so early?"
"I just... wanted to see your face, Sung-gi."
"Nothing wrong, right?"
"Yeah... nothing happened. I just stayed up late making talismans and got less sleep."
"Ah, I see..."
I could guess what talisman she'd been working on late into the night. But it felt awkward to ask directly, so I didn't mention it.
"What are your plans today?"
"I ranked up to C, so I need to renew my license. Not sure if it's safe to go out, though."
"Mm... It'll be fine."
Kang A-jin said it without further explanation.
"But just in case, I'll keep an eye on you, Sung-gi. That okay?"
"Yeah, thanks."
Kang A-jin hovered in the air, gazing intently at me. Looking at her stirred something strange in me too.
"Sung-gi..."
"A-jin..."
She descended toward me. Her soft lips overlapped mine.
Since this wasn't her real body, there shouldn't have been any physical sensation of skin touching. But for some reason, it felt like her real lips were pressing against mine.
We stayed like that for a while until—knock knock.
Kang A-jin pulled away, gave one last smile, and vanished.
"Oppa, you up?"
"Yeah, I am."
It was Kim Eun-bi knocking.
"Time for breakfast, right?"
"Yeah, coming."
"Okaay~~"
After that morning encounter, I wasn't too worried about heading to the Hunter Management Office. I hadn't told Kim Seol-bi or Kim Eun-bi, but with Kang A-jin watching over me, even running into Park Hyun-jun's goons on the street wouldn't be an issue. Park Hyun-jun wouldn't send anyone stronger than her, after all.
After Kim Seol-bi left, Kim Eun-bi and I headed out too. She looked thrilled, linking her arm with mine.
"This feels great! Like a real date with oppa."
"Wanna make it a real date? Anything you wanna do?"
"Oh! There's a movie I wanna see, and a restaurant I've been dying to try."
"Sounds good. Movie and dinner it is."
"Yay!"
Renewing my license at the Hunter Management Office wouldn't take long. I decided to make a day of it with Kim Eun-bi while I was at it. Among the three women affected by my Unreasonable Favor skill, she'd gotten the least of my attention.
The car Kim Seol-bi lent me was a luxury SUV. Apparently bulletproofed. It might stop bullets, but not hunter skills—still, a tough ride couldn't hurt.