Do You Know the Thunder God?
Jeong Su-ah's house was big. No, it was something beyond just "big."
"What the hell, a standalone house in Gangnam..."
The wall was tall enough to line up three people and still have room to spare, and the distance from the gate to the house looked endless. The garden seemed huge too.
"Even dogs live in bigger rooms than mine in a place like that."
She'd said she lived with her maternal family. But even with her uncle being an S-rank, how could they afford something this lavish?
I looked it up on Wiki, and there were shockingly many S-ranks in Korea.
So many that it wasn't just about being registered as S-rank—there were conditions like resolving several S-grade incidents or appearing in the news a few times.
It meant S-rank was no longer some unattainable realm. Of course, most of them would barely qualify as A-rank by my standards.
"I can feel the class divide."
Don't chicken out, Lee Ha-yoon. You save 30 million won a month on meds. You're a woman pulling in a post-tax annual salary of 360 million just by breathing.
Ding-dong~.
"What business brings you here?"
A very businesslike male voice responded.
Rich houses even have butlers, huh? Man, I wanna work here.
"Uh, I think they said to mention 'duo'?"
"You must be the one Su-ah mentioned. I'll come out to greet you right away."
The intercom clicked off, and soon a man in a suit that looked ready to burst at the seams opened the door.
Does everyone in this house have jacked security guards or what?
"This way, please."
Following his escort—who looked like a bodyguard—I finally stepped inside Su-ah's house.
"Whoa."
"Sis, you're here!"
It was like 7 p.m. prime-time TV drama territory: the house where the hot male lead lives with his nasty mother-in-law. A massive set-like interior, and there was Jeong Su-ah, beaming innocently in the middle of it all.
"Was the trip here okay? It must've been far without a car."
"Nah, it was a nice walk—got here quick."
A whole hour on foot from the station, so I'd reluctantly hopped on the subway.
"I'll have someone drive you home when you leave!"
Can't reject outright or it'd be rude, so I'll politely decline on the way out.
"You must be hungry, right? The chef went all out since you were coming!"
"Chef?"
"Yeah, this way!"
Su-ah dashed ahead, saying she'd guide me, all bouncy and eager.
"Aigoo..."
I'd fed rose tteokbokki to a girl from a house like this. Wonder if the adults here would chew me out if they knew.
Half regretting coming as I headed to the kitchen.
Someone was already seated at the dining table. An elderly man—not frail, but gracefully aged.
"Grandpa!"
"Oh, Su-ah. You brought the guest safely?"
"Yep! This is Ha-yoon sis! Sis, this is my grandpa!"
"Hello. I'm a friend of Su-ah's."
"Hol hol hol, nice to meet you. I'm Choi Sang-jin. I've heard a lot about you from my son."
'The one who trashed the training ground?'
No sooner had he finished speaking than Choi Sang-jin stood and bowed a full 90 degrees to me.
"I heard you got my granddaughter out of Suwon Gate 3 before that incident happened."
"Oh, no, it wasn't a big deal—no one even got hurt."
"Hol hol hol, saying it didn't happen is just hindsight. What matters is that you looked out for her like that. Please take good care of our Su-ah from now on."
"Grandpa! Anyone'd think I was a burden!"
"A girl who can finally beat her old man at something? Yeah, you're a burden, what else?"
"Grandpa!"
The greeting felt a bit awkward, but the three of us ended up having a warm lunch together in that cheerful atmosphere.
Choi Sang-jin, though... the name rang a bell.
"Did you enjoy the food, sis?"
"Yeah, it was delicious. Thanks for the feast."
The lunch menu in this mega-rich mansion was, surprisingly, rose tteokbokki.
Not on purpose—turns out it's Grandpa Choi's favorite. Living young at heart.
Still, street food's best at a street stall. The cognitive dissonance from a chef in full uniform ladling it out was unreal.
Now I was joining their post-meal tea ritual, sipping an iced Americano.
"So, you just became a hunter?"
"Yeah, I went to a training ground to figure out how to use my powers, and the owner recommended I party up with Su-ah for a gate."
"I see. Awakening young is a blessing—time isn't infinite."
'Not always.'
He seemed to think late awakenings were unlucky since anyone could awaken regardless of age.
Times had changed for the better. Things weren't like that back in the day.
"You wanted to hear about hunters, right?"
"Yes."
"Instead of my son's notes, why not ask me your questions directly?"
Choi Sang-jin took a sip of his steaming tea and continued.
"This old man's bored stuck at home anyway."
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it."
"Aww, I wanted some alone time with sis..."
Gathering info efficiently trumped Su-ah's complaints, so I started firing questions at Grandpa Choi.
'Is this girl really 23 and F-rank?'
Her early questions were typical newbie stuff for that rank, but they got sharper, unlike her peers.
"Is there specific training for efficiently using mana circuits?"
"Do you naturally learn the knack for exerting strength once Body Enhancement kicks in?"
"I've heard of monsters called basilisks—what are their traits, and what rank are they?"
"Sis, I have no idea what any of that means..."
Like Su-ah's reaction, she was only asking about niches most ignored.
'Feels like dealing with a first-gen, not second-gen.'
Back when they got nothing but raw power, adapting to the world with bare fists.
This Lee Ha-yoon girl reminded him more and more of those old-school hunters.
"I think that's cleared up most of my questions. Thank you."
After about an hour of back-and-forth, Ha-yoon expressed her gratitude.
Well, damn. Thought I'd get some fresh young energy, but got schooled instead.
'Su-ah looks bored too—time to change topics.'
"Questions done? Then how about listening to my story now?"
"Your story?"
"Yes. But from here on, what I say doesn't leave this room."
Ha-yoon nodded affirmatively.
"Long ago, I headed the Hunter Association department that named hunters and assigned ranks."
Ha-yoon's face stiffened instantly.
"Sudden secret bombshell got you spooked? Should we stop?"
"No, just surprised for a sec."
"Hol hol hol, topics like that are taboo these days. Anyway, in my nearly 15 years there, one name sticks out the most."
"Hee hee."
Su-ah was already grinning, knowing what was coming.
"Ever heard the name Thunder God?"
"See ya next time, sis!"
"Yeah, hit me up."
The driver dropped me at the subway station, and Su-ah waved from the window as she drove off.
I wanted to wave back, but I had no energy left.
Luckily a cheap room was available on a weekday, so I showered and crashed on the bed.
My head was a mess. Total chaos. I'd asked a ton, gotten answers, but now my mind was blank.
"Thunder God, huh."
No wonder the name felt familiar. Didn't expect the old guy who coined my moniker to still be kicking.
After that, Choi Sang-jin spent a solid two hours gushing about me—practically praise worship.
Blood tells, huh? The rapid-fire ranting matched his granddaughter's energy perfectly.
'This girl's parents were saved by Thunder God during an op too. That's why I put extra effort into naming her!'
"Kids of the ones I saved."
Choi Ji-su, Kim Cheol-min. Jeong Su-ah was their daughter.
'Boss~ You better come to the baby's first birthday even if you skip our wedding!'
'Kids don't listen when they're young—what's with this stubborn 18-year-old?'
They'd been all over each other before and after ops.
Both lost their lives in the San Francisco incident, no exceptions.
If you'd lived, you'd be pissed at me for that embarrassing name.
"Must suck. But at least your kids turned out great—hope you're at peace."
I was glad my desperate fight that day planted seeds of new hope, but sad that I was the only one enjoying this everyday life now.
"Can't step up like the old days anymore."
Even alive, it was too exhausting, and I still wasn't fully recovered.
"But if people come to smash this..."
Then I'll go all out and thrash like hell.