A-young's Exclusive Buff
"But even so..."
I couldn't help pointing out a crucial fact. Even if we'd found his weakness, could we really use Jo A-young to bring down Jo Dong-geun? If he found out we had her, it might put us in even greater danger.
Kang A-jin spoke up before I could finish, as if she already knew what I was getting at.
"A-young's buff only activates for one person. It's rare, but not impossible. As someone who studies hunter abilities, I knew such buffs existed, and that's how I pieced all this together. Another key trait of these hunters is that if the buff target changes, the previous buff gets completely cut off."
I had a feeling I knew where she was going with this.
"You don't mean..."
"Yes. Right now, A-young's buff ability is directed at you, Sung-gi. The one that was going to Jo Dong-geun has already been severed. She might not realize it herself, but her ability is leaking toward you nonstop. Finding a compatible buff user is incredibly lucky, but once it happens, your ability becomes dependent on that person. In other words, if they die or stop giving you the buff, your power fades away. It's like how overusing strong drugs builds tolerance and wipes out your natural response."
"So A-young is like that for me too?"
I asked Kang A-jin, half in disbelief at the coincidence. It all felt too perfectly tailored.
"No, this case is different. A-young's buff was forcibly redirected to you. Because your ability is stronger. I can say this with certainty: I've never seen an ability stronger than yours. It has nothing to do with rank—it's absolute. In a one-on-one clash, your power would overwhelm any other hunter's ability."
"Ah..."
I got it now. Come to think of it, I'd heard how Kim Seol-bi once called Kang A-jin to try severing Kim Eun-bi's growing fondness for me, but she couldn't do it. Even Kang A-jin, with her incredible sorcery that I'd witnessed firsthand, had failed.
"I don't really get what you're saying..."
"Do you need to understand it with your head?"
Kang A-jin gave a knowing smile.
"Aren't you already feeling it? Imagine a world without Sung-gi. Could you endure that life?"
"Huh?"
Jo A-young jumped in surprise, her face flushing bright red.
"W-what do you...?"
"Don't worry. We're in the same boat. Like you, both I and Seol-bi—and Eun-bi too—love Sung-gi."
"Y-you what!?"
Jo A-young looked utterly shocked.
"But I heard Eun-bi and Sung-gi aren't dating..."
"We're closer than dating. From now on, none of us will date or marry any man but Sung-gi. It's physically impossible at this point."
"......"
Jo A-young's lips trembled. She had a lot to say but no words came out. I could totally relate to how she felt. I hadn't meant to do this to her, but I still felt guilty for pulling her in like this. Still, in the end, it was a win for me, Kim Seol-bi, Kim Eun-bi, and Kang A-jin. We'd captured Jo A-young, Jo Dong-geun's one and only Achilles' heel.
"What incredible luck. We'll happily welcome A-young into our family."
"What the hell does that...?"
Jo A-young looked on the verge of tears.
"This is the only gift I can give you."
Kang A-jin stood up and tossed a few talismans into the air. I recognized their familiar shape and gasped.
"You know what this means, right? Twenty minutes. Let me know when you're ready."
With that, Kang A-jin left the room.
Damn...
Originally, I was supposed to be with Kang A-jin this time. She'd generously yielded to our new "member."
"W-what is that?"
Jo A-young stared at the talismans positioned in each corner of the ceiling.
They were ready to form a barrier. Once I said the word, Kang A-jin would activate it from outside.
"Uh... well..."
I racked my brain for how to explain.
"Did you get what A-jin was saying?"
"Yeah... I think so. But do I really have an ability like that? A buff ability?"
Jo A-young had always thought of herself as a close-range spear fighter. I'd assumed the same until the full explanation. A buff that only works on one specific person... It defied common sense, but hunter abilities often did. Who could draw the line on what's "normal" anyway? My own trait was light-years from normal.
I figured I should explain my ability to her first. She'd want to know why she'd fallen for me so hard. That might make everything else easier to swallow.
"So your ability, Sung-gi, is..."
After hearing it, Jo A-young's face was a mask of shock. How many times had she been hit with this today? I felt bad for her.
"Disappointed?"
"Huh? No... more like..."
I laid it all out: her feelings for me stemmed from my trait. How she took it was up to her. If she found it creepy and wanted no part of me, I'd have to accept that. I'd drawn her in without meaning to, so I'd respect her choice.
Alone with her now, her allure hit me even harder. She was a different type from Kim Seol-bi, Kim Eun-bi, or Kang A-jin—exotic vibe, killer physique. Setting aside her title as Jo Dong-geun's sister and her A-rank status, no red-blooded man alive could resist her. If she rejected me, it'd sting, but with three women already deep in my life, I had no right to push.
"I think love's always like that," Jo A-young said unexpectedly.
"It doesn't follow your will. If seeing someone sparks those feelings, that's a blessing in itself. Even if my emotions for you come from your ability, isn't that just fate? But if you don't want me..."
Despite her bold looks, she spoke cautiously, laced with fear that I might not desire her. What could I say? She was adorable.
After all her shocks today, I felt sorry for her—not just lust, but a deep urge to hold and comfort her.
I took Jo A-young's hand.
"I'm already deeply involved with three women. Can you handle that?"
"Hoo..."
As expected, she let out a heavy sigh at that part.
"I'm not the only one feeling this. Your other girls—your sisters, Eun-bi—they must've felt the same. I'd love to have you all to myself, but if not, I just want to be by your side somehow. I can't even explain it."
I realized I'd worried needlessly. Kang A-jin must've known Jo A-young would want me no matter what. That's why she'd left us alone and told us to signal when ready.
But I still had more to explain. If she was joining us, she needed the full picture—everything we were up against.
I told her about yesterday at Kim Seol-bi's house: how it went down, how Kang A-jin had gone to Jo Dong-geun to smooth things over, and that the video we'd seen was from then. We'd beaten Park Hyun-jun, but Jo Dong-geun—far stronger—remained. And to her, he was still the brother she'd thought he was.
"That happened...? You almost died...?"
Hearing the whole story, Jo A-young seemed most shocked that I'd nearly been killed by Park Hyun-jun's gang.
"Jo Dong-geun had to approve it for that to happen. We're his targets now."
She nodded.
"Got it. I don't see that bastard as family anymore. Hell, he never was. He's the enemy who killed my loving adoptive parents. And he tried to kill you...?"
Raw fury blazed from her.
"A-young..."
"Sung-gi..."
I felt ready to signal Kang A-jin waiting outside.