The Unexpected Truth
Yoo Sumi had a very specific reason for insisting on letting Jiyun stay over at her house.
It was because thinking about how Jiyun would end up sleeping alone in that dark, cramped one-room apartment made her heart ache.
Of course, it contained a bit of her own selfish desire—maybe even half of it.
She had no idea how this kid ended up living by themselves in a one-room place.
She wasn’t even sure a minor could sign a lease for a one-room apartment on their own.
At best, the child looked like a middle-schooler, so she couldn’t imagine where they had gotten the living expenses before they awakened.
But when she saw Jiyun hesitate to talk about it, an even deeper wave of sorrow washed over her.
The next morning.
When Yoo Sumi woke up, an angelically cute child was curled up sound asleep in the bed beside her.
“Heh heh…”
A smile inevitably tugged at her lips.
Yoo Sumi reached out and gently tickled the tip of the crooked elf ear peeking from under the blanket.
Jiyun’s eyebrows twitched, and her ears gave a little flutter.
*I’m going to die from how cute she is.*
After filling her heart with an unspeakable wave of cuteness, Yoo Sumi headed to the kitchen to start making breakfast.
She toasted bread, then added a simple fried egg, cheese, ham, and a dollop of ketchup on top.
She’d feed her breakfast, and after that she planned to go running together in the morning.
And right then, her phone rang.
“Hello, this is Yoo Sumi. You called yesterday about the event venue. I’m calling because I’d like to ask about a healer-class awakened person you mentioned.”
“Ah… um… why?”
“Several hunters who were there and testimony from Claire Moreau have reported that the child performed an exceptionally great role during the incident. That’s why we’re discussing compensation and her future plans.”
“Hm. Okay. I’ll talk to her.”
“The President of the Hunter Association personally wishes to meet with her. It would be a great help if you could visit the Association together as soon as possible.”
“…Eh?”
The Hunter Association President himself?
And a short while later, Jiyun rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room.
“Mm~ Good morning, noona.”
“Ah, yeah. Yeah. I’m making toast. Come eat breakfast.”
***
She must have slept way too deeply.
She had only woken up while still buried in the fluffy bed…
But she didn’t want to get up.
The bed was just too soft…
I’ll ask the bed brand later and buy one like this.
Thinking that, she finally pushed herself up.
Yoo Sumi was already awake; she could hear the clinking of dishes coming from the kitchen.
She greeted her with a cheerful “Good morning,” and started eating the toast.
“Wow, it’s delicious! You’re such a good cook, noona.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it cooking or anything… But Jiyun, there’s something important I need to talk to you about…”
Yoo Sumi spoke with a serious expression.
Why was she suddenly so serious? Had I done something wrong?
A faint unease bloomed in her chest.
“Is something bad going to happen?”
“That’s not the case. The President wants to see Jiyun.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, an enormous piece of information slammed into her brain.
The Hunter Association President wants to see me? He wants to see me?
“For the incident two days ago. He said Jiyun did an amazing job, and he wants to thank you for the compensation discussion. He’d like you to visit the Association together. What do you think?”
“Today?”
“He said it would be best if you can come as soon as possible.”
She felt a little dazed. Of course she had done an amazing job, but right away the President of the Hunter Association calls her?
Even during that battle at the event venue, the media and the idiots had only focused on the three Claire, Lena, and Emma. There had been no mention of all the domestic hunters who fought together.
So she had been thinking she’d just collect the reward and be on her way.
“Noona, do you have plans today?”
“I don’t. Want to go right now?”
“That sounds good.”
*Something… something is about to happen.*
After finishing her toast, she changed clothes and climbed into Yoo Sumi’s massive black pickup truck, heading toward the Association.
After about an hour of driving, they arrived at the Hunter Association building right in the heart of Seoul.
Security was incredibly strict from the entrance. When Yoo Sumi turned on her phone and showed something, the doors just opened.
“What did you show them?”
“Visiting credentials sent from that side. The highest-grade ones that let you skip the security check.”
*Is something really happening?*
Even the highest-grade visiting credentials?
After parking in the underground lot, they scanned the credential again and took the elevator.
The elevator was restricted to certain people.
The walls were made of glass, so they could see the entire massive interior of the Hunter Association building.
The Hunter Association was established during the early days of the awakening and gate incidents.
Monsters that ordinary guns couldn’t damage and awakened people with superpowers had caused such chaos that the existing social order collapsed.
The government had ramped up fear and control over awakened people…
But at that time, awakened groups that voluntarily fought monsters and arrested awakened criminals negotiated with the government.
The point was: if they labeled all awakened people as potential terrorists, these incidents would never stop.
It was necessary to give them proper roles and improve recognition and systems so they could contribute to society.
Those arguments worked, and the early awakened groups established the Hunter Association and played a huge role in resolving the crisis together with the government.
And the current President of the Hunter Association was a key figure in that initial group.
If it weren’t for him, Korea’s appearance would have been completely different.
His name was legendary…
“He’s the President of the Hunter Association, Yoo Taejin. Please sit wherever you like.”
A grandfather over two meters tall and built like a tank greeted them.
They had taken the elevator straight to the top floor without anyone stopping them.
His frame was huge, and the muscles in his arms looked ready to tear through the suit. Yet his face was kind and warm, like Santa Claus.
“Ah, hello…”
“Nice to meet you.”
Yoo Sumi seemed quite tense too.
It didn’t hit her the same way, but in the hunter world, he was considered roughly on the level of the President or a four-star general.
He also held command authority during emergencies.
They sat on the soft brown sofa and faced President Yoo Taejin.
“So… where should I start?”
The President spoke first.
“We should start with the incident two days ago. The erosion core situation. We heard that Jiyun did an amazing job. If it hadn’t been for Jiyun drawing the monsters’ attention in the beginning, many people would have been hurt. No one got hurt because of you, Jiyun.”
“I-I only did my best…”
“Of course you did. Without you, the monsters would have poured straight into the venue! The place that should have been a fun gathering spot became a tragedy talked about for the next ten years. You’ve done far more than you realize. I’m grateful on behalf of this country.”
“Hehe… It’s nothing special.”
“You’re the same, Yoo Sumi. You fought without hesitation alongside Jiyun. I’ve always been waiting for hunters like you to appear in this country.”
And then President Yoo Taejin’s gaze turned toward her.
“Especially Jiyun. What brought you two all the way here is because of Jiyun’s specialness.”
The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
The President, Jiyun, and Yoo Sumi all tensed at the same time.
“Let me start by saying this. Hasn’t it felt like the media and public only pay attention to the three of us—Claire, Lena, and Emma—after the erosion core incident?”
“Ah, I guess it did feel like that. We fought too, but there was no mention in the news.”
“The Association put an embargo on the matter and issued a carefully worded press release. We deliberately buried your contributions.”
“Eh? Why?”
“It’s because of Jiyun. Jiyun knows she’s special, right? We judged that if that kind of news got out immediately, it would cause an uproar. Rumors about ‘there was some strange kid there’ could be dismissed as nonsense. But if the world heard that a supporter with an unbelievable ability played a huge role in stopping the erosion core, there would be no controlling it. Do you understand?”
“You’re saying my power is too special and could cause confusion?”
“Exactly! You understood right away. You’re incredibly clever.”
The President let out a hearty laugh.
“There are a lot of people in the world who covet strong power. Not just guilds here in Korea, but other countries too. In that kind of situation, we hid your achievements to protect you. Can you understand?”
“Of course. I already feel like my name is too famous anyway.”
“You’re thinking long-term. I want you to grow stronger until no one can touch you, then show yourself. Until then, the Association will protect you.”
President Yoo Taejin was surprisingly good at communicating.
Hiding her contributions to protect her was a surprisingly thoughtful move.
Of course the achievements themselves were buried, but generous compensation would be given to everyone who fought with her that day, including her.
After that—
“And I want you to keep everything discussed in this room strictly confidential. Jiyun, can you tell me your class and skills?”
She nodded and opened the Hunters App to show her profile.
The President stared at it for a long time, then burst out laughing.
“Even though I expected a strong rare class, I didn’t expect Unique! Unique! Hahahaha!!”
She almost jumped. The laughter was that loud.
Jiyun, who had been quiet the whole time, gave a little start.
“Finally we can hold our heads high in front of the Chinese. Thank you. Your existence is a blessing for all of us.”
“I-is that so… hehe.”
“No matter what happens, I guarantee your safety in the name of the President of the Hunter Association. If you need any support, just say so. But you only have to stay in Korea.”
“Of course. I only know Korean, though.”
“Great. Then, Yoo Sumi, could you wait in the next room for a moment? I have something personal to discuss with Jiyun.”
Yoo Sumi went to the next room after receiving directions.
*What could he want to talk about privately?*
“So, do you want anything personally? I’ll support you to the best of my ability. By the way, someone at the level of the Hunter Association President can do quite a lot. How about a house?”
“A house?!”
“Yes. If you want, we can even change your living arrangements. The same goes for your belongings.”
“If it’s things… maybe a computer or a phone…?”
“Haha. You’re so humble. What about hunter equipment?”
“Huh…!”
Equipment that cost thousands to hundreds of millions?
A spacious house, ultra-high-end computer and phone?
He’d just give them to her if she asked?
“......”
But the next moment, she felt her heart sink.
*Cold… maybe it’s better to say cold.*
She imagined herself with flashy equipment, hunting monsters.
She imagined a spacious house, a comfortable bed, a computer and phone running games at full speed.
Of course it was her dream life…
But it didn’t feel fun at all—only emptiness.
What was the point of cheating with cheats?
Like she had thought before, she wanted to stand at the top with her own strength.
She already had the ability to do so. She didn’t want to be fed someone else’s power. She wanted to reach the top with her own hands.
She wanted to buy her phone and computer and TV and everything else with her own money.
She also wanted to finally buy the equipment she had always dreamed of.
Later, she wanted to buy a car.
If she bought a car, she wanted to get a Chevrolet Camaro and make it a perfect match with Yoo Sumi’s Ironhide pickup truck and Bumblebee Camaro.
They could drive together to an outbreak gate.
“Transform and roll out!”
Photos would go viral, and her Camaro would get 500 recommended posts and top the best-post list.
“Hehe…”
“Mm? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no. Sorry. I just got lost in thought for a second.”
No matter what, she wanted to reach the top with her own strength. Right now she was already writing the story of a Healer Royalty climbing from the bottom.
If every single item she owned came with the story of how she earned it herself, wouldn’t that feel infinitely more rewarding and meaningful?
“…So I won’t accept any financial support. I think it would be much more rewarding to earn everything myself.”
Even if you use money cheats in games, you’ll get scammed and the game turns into a boring mess in two weeks. That’s her own philosophy.
The President nodded.
His eyes changed a little; he looked touched.
“A child who already understands life… even better than adults.”
“Is that so? Hehe…”
And more important than houses or equipment.
“Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask…”
She carefully spoke up.
The President nodded vigorously.
“Say whatever you want.”
She turned on her phone and opened the mobile ID app.
Since her body had changed, fingerprint wouldn’t work, so she activated it with a password.
Then she slowly extended it toward the President.
“…This is me.”