Chapter 57. Not Newlyweds, but at a Honeymoon Destination
Chapter 57. Not Newlyweds, but at a Honeymoon Destination
"A new rank?"
"Yes, a rank created solely for you, one that no one else can possess."
Wasn't this a little too sudden?
No matter how much authority the Association President held, a decision like this...
"The internal review is already underway."
"Hmm... will the existing S-rank Hunters accept it?"
"They won't be able to refuse."
He smiled contentedly and laid out the details.
"Hunters today have grown stagnant."
"?"
"I would like you to stand above them and provoke their pride."
He then requested that I attend an upcoming event where Hunters from around the world gathered for networking.
"A goodwill match?"
"Of course, if the new rank is established, Hunter wouldn't be able to participate officially... but I will try to arrange it so you can join as a sort of exhibition match participant."
His explanation made it clear that this was no simple exchange meeting.
Not only Hunters but also companies that manufactured related artifacts and corporations that used Hunters for advertising would be heavily involved.
"Sounds good. I'll get in touch about it sometime."
I extended my hand for a handshake.
He seemed equally satisfied as he grasped my hand firmly.
"It was a truly productive conversation."
He rose from his seat, adding that the specifics would be explained when the time came.
And that the general details would be released to the press in a brief statement...
"Ah, one more thing..."
Before leaving the room, he looked at Laila and me.
Then he smiled, a warm, fatherly smile.
"And if the two of you do get married... please be sure to invite me."
"..."
With that, he walked out the door.
Max, who had been listening the entire time, spoke up.
"Well?"
Just as I was about to reply, Laila answered first.
"He's a good person. Someone who truly cares for humanity..."
Laila's discerning eye judged him to be a good person.
"He's the type of man who would walk into a fire if someone were in danger."
The Association President I had assessed.
The Association President Laila had assessed.
As those two impressions merged, my favorable impression of him rose.
"Heh heh, how about we set aside the heavy talk and just enjoy ourselves now?"
"Sounds good."
We wandered around here and there.
We fished from the boat deck, enjoyed a barbecue, and took in the performances.
And everywhere we went, we were constantly shaking hands with everyone we met.
'What was this, a handshake marathon...'
The day wrapped up as we watched fireworks bursting over the deck.
---
"Hoon, come visit again sometime."
"Thanks to you, I had a great time."
They even followed us all the way to the airport to see us off as we headed to Cancún.
Before we boarded the plane, Laila approached Emilia and whispered in her ear.
"Emilia, have a drink together... you know what I mean, right?"
"Yes...! I'll give it a try!"
"Heehee..."
We boarded the private jet Max had lent us.
The pilot informed us that it would take about two hours to arrive in Cancún.
"Laila, what did you say to her?"
"Oh, it just seemed like Emilia has a one-sided crush, so I gave her some advice."
I nodded.
But still, Max really was clueless.
He should have just confessed cleanly like I did.
"..."
Laila simply stared at me as I said that.
With an expression of utter disbelief.
"Tch, Max is so clueless."
"Hero, you really shouldn't be the one saying that..."
---
After a two-hour flight, we landed in Mexico.
We immediately unpacked at our reserved hotel, then headed out to the terrace and started the stream.
[ World's Strongest Hero : Honeymoon Destination ]
[You son of a bitch, what's that supposed to mean]
[Student, take down that title...]
"Cancún is famously a honeymoon destination, you know."
[Sigh... you're right but it's annoying as hell]
[Where's the Saintess?]
[Move the golden sun out of the way and show us Saintess!!!!]
Laila's face popped out from beside me, filling the screen alongside mine.
"Heehee, hello, everyone~"
[Ah~]
[big sis, you're so pretty!!!]
[big sis (flustered)]
Well, that was only natural.
My head nodded automatically in agreement at any compliment calling Laila pretty.
"We've just arrived at the hotel. We'll probably go out and walk around soon."
[What about the ocean, you bastard]
[Saintess's bikini!!!!!!!!!!]
"Mm... it's too late in the afternoon to play in the water, so we'll go tomorrow."
[Right right]
[You might catch a cold if you swim after the sun goes down T_T]
[Water activities are always more refreshing when it's hot, yep yep]
The viewers were nothing but sweet, spineless puppies.
When I spoke, they acted like tyrants, but the moment Laila spoke, they turned into gentle lambs.
'Damn hypocrites...'
Laila smiled brightly and approached me while I was holding the camera.
She then said a single mesmerizing sentence that enchanted everyone and went back into the room.
"I'll go change my clothes and come back~"
─ Swish... rustle...
For a moment, the chat stopped as if it had frozen.
Everyone was united in spirit and in a state of absolute focus.
─ Click...
As soon as the door opened, I quickly covered the camera lens.
I had to be the first to see whatever Laila was wearing, after all.
As expected, the moment I covered the lens, the chat erupted in flames.
[Hey, you son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!! Why are you the only one looking!!!!]
[You asshole, move your hand]
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 30,000 Watts! ]
- I said move your hand, you son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!!
"Oh my, why did you cover the lens?"
"Just... so I could see you first..."
At my petty jealousy, Laila gently approached and gave me a short kiss on the lips.
Though the camera lens was covered, so the viewers wouldn't see it.
"Hoo... I'm going to show Laila now, so nobody freak out."
[You make the biggest damn fuss in the world, seriously]
[We already know the Saintess is pretty, you moron]
[Our bodies are already vaccinated against this]
"..."
A pure white dress.
She wore nothing else over it.
Yet that alone was radiant enough.
"How do I look?"
[We keep saying pretty, pretty, and damn, you really are insanely pretty...]
[Are you not selling goods like a Saintess lookbook?]
Other people owning photos of my girlfriend?
Don't be ridiculous.
"Y-Yeah, you look pretty..."
No matter how many times I saw Laila's new looked, I could never get used to them.
I pulled myself together and tightly held Laila's hand beneath the screen frame that was being broadcast.
[Alright, let's go]
[Gogo]
[Come to think of it, why aren't you using the drone this time?]
"Mm... a drone in a tourist area might be a bit much."
[Is that so?]
[But the charm of a travel broadcast is exactly this raw feeling lol]
[Did you bring the drone anyway?]
"Ah, yes. I brought it just in case."
[ Overflowing Holy-Power Pouch has donated 10,000 Watts! ]
- Stop roasting and head outside, gogogogo
---
We headed down to the hotel lobby.
The hotel was clearly high-end, and being a tourist destination, I occasionally heard Korean spoken around us.
"Wow... there really are a lot of newlywed couples here."
We got into a taxi the hotel called for us and headed for the tourist site.
It was Chichén Itzá, known as the pyramid of Mexico.
Around it were walking paths that looked refreshing just to see.
"Hero, this is so amazing!"
"..."
As we walked along the path, Laila constantly marveled at everything.
But instead of the surrounding scenery, only the sight of Laila filled my eyes.
"Hero, hurry up and come here!"
The image of Laila holding onto her hat so it wouldn't fly away in the wind was...
It was just beautiful.
No flowery words or fancy rhetoric were necessary.
"What are you doing, spacing out like that!"
[Wow... just...]
[It's healing just watching this]
[After only watching dopamine-packed streams, watching this feels like... something else...]
Another stop was a natural pool created by nature itself.
At a place where vines seemed to be descending from the sky, we dipped our feet in and spent some time.
"Laila, shall we head back soon?"
The sun was beginning to set, so we returned to the city and headed to a restaurant Laila had looked up.
There, we finished a sweet, intimate meal together, and before returning to the hotel, we stopped by a cocktail bar.
"Hey, are you from around here?"
"Hm?"
I looked toward the source of the voice and saw a heavily tattooed Westerner holding a glass and looking our way.
"No, we're from Korea."
"Oh, I see. Are you here on your honeymoon?"
"Something like that."
He was somewhat drunk and began rambling on about various things.
"I thought you were an American football player."
He smirked, glancing at my large build and dark skin.
He mentioned that he had a wife and a five-year-old son.
He was a surprisingly earnest young man, contrary to his rough appearance.
"Friend, no matter how safe Cancún is because it's a tourist spot, you should still be careful. Walking around holding your phone out like that could get you robbed."
Chatting with him lifted my mood.
Maybe because of the kindness from a local?
"Hope you make some good memories."
We said our goodbyes to him and walked out of the bar.
On our way out, even though it was a small gesture, we paid for his drinks as well, returning his goodwill.
It was nothing more than spare change to us anyway.
---
Song Hoon and Laila returned to the hotel, showered, and were relaxing.
Song Hoon was looking at his phone and communicating with the viewers.
"We'll probably play around at the beach tomorrow. See you then."
[Byebye]
[Yongbae]
[Already excited]
While Song Hoon was ending the stream, Laila was in the bathroom, silently staring at a certain device.
"Hmm... it's one... line."
Two weeks had passed, but she still hadn't gotten pregnant.
Even so, Laila didn't mind at all.
She grinned, exited the bathroom, and snuggled into Song Hoon's arms as he lay resting.
"Hero, our child must be very shy... they still haven't come to us yet..."
"Laila..."
"Yes?"
"I wish we could take it a bit slower... having a child."
In an instant, Laila's focus vanished, her expression going blank as if she'd been struck in the head with a hammer.