Chapter 113
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Here They Are Again
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"Seo Na-rin Hunter? Chan-seong?"
"Ah, hello! We meet again? Has it been since the sauna?"
Na-rin and two familiar faces greeted each other warmly.
Su-hyeon had already grown quite accustomed to Na-rin after their wild escapade together last time.
This was already the third time seeing her face.
If asked if they were close, it wasn't quite that... but calling her a total stranger felt a bit ungrateful. It was about that level of distance.
Ga-eun was the type who got along with anyone easily, anyway.
"Nice to see you, Su-hyeon. Nice to see you too, Ga-eun."
"Hi."
"It's been a while."
Chan-seong followed suit with his own greeting.
A group of women averaging around 150 cm tall, joined by a 2-meter giant...
(Of course, Su-hyeon dragged the average down by more than 10 cm.)
"What brings you two here?"
Su-hyeon's face lit up as her circle of familiar faces grew.
She gently stroked the leaves fluttering wildly near Na-rin, as if they might take off at any moment.
"Mystic put some effort into hosting this camp. They asked me to stop by on the last day and grace the occasion."
A sweet, floral scent wafted from her breath.
"Oh..."
Even though it was half in jest, Su-hyeon's eyes sparkled.
Na-rin smiled brightly.
Her reactions were always so adorably genuine.
No, wait—she said she wasn't a kid, right?
Twenty-three with this appearance...
"By the way, Su-hyeon dear. Or should I say, you're not actually a kid? Still, after everything we've been through together, 'Hunter-nim' feels a bit distant."
Na-rin pouted playfully, and Su-hyeon rolled her eyes in embarrassment.
"Uh... so what should I call you...? Seo Na-rin-ssi?"
"Eun-ni. Call me unnie."
"..."
Hmm, that felt a bit...
As Su-hyeon hesitated to open her mouth, Na-rin tilted her head.
"Why? Got a problem with it? I'm only seven years older than you."
Her gaze felt a tad intimidating—maybe it was just her imagination.
"Ah, no... Um, unnie..."
'Ugh, this just doesn't roll off the tongue.'
Su-hyeon mumbled awkwardly, and Na-rin beamed.
"Hehe, being called unnie by such a cute kid makes me feel younger. Oh, you too, Ga-eun—feel free to call me unnie."
"Really? Na-rin unnie~."
"Oh my, hehehe!"
Meanwhile, So-yeon’s eyes widened at the casual exchange.
"S-Seo Na-rin Hunter!?"
Why was Seo Na-rin Hunter here at dawn...? No, more importantly, how did these two know each other? And why did they seem so chummy!?
"Oh dear, look at me. Hello to you two new faces as well."
"Hello."
"Ah, h-hello. I-I'm Han So-yeon..."
Na-rin's words paused for a split second as her gaze met the sky.
But no one there noticed anything off.
As they chattered on, a low elderly voice cut in.
"Well, looks like guests arrived first. I've been beaten to the punch."
Jang Tae-won approached without a sound.
Na-rin immediately fired back with her usual rudeness.
"As expected from old folks—no love for sleep, huh? Climbing the mountain at this hour."
"Hmph, you know that applies to you too, right?"
"Everyone can see I'm a diligent young lady."
An Jung-bong, shorter and rounder, stood beside him.
'Those grandpas from before.'
The suit-wearing, sage-like one was the guy who'd been with Jun-hyeok, so she didn't know him well, but the round one—she knew.
After all, she'd demolished his flowerpots.
Su-hyeon kept stealing glances at An Jung-bong like a puppy needing to poop, and he shot her displeased looks in return.
Hmm.
She really should apologize properly someday...
Then, a lively voice rang out from behind.
"Hey, grandpa, why do you keep staring at our Su-hyeon? Reminded of your grandkid or something?"
"Whoa."
Haneul pulled Su-hyeon slightly behind her.
An Jung-bong barked back.
"You cheeky little brat—my granddaughter's already graduated college!!"
"Hmph, then she's about our age. Right?"
"Y-Yeah... We're twenty-three too..."
Su-hyeon chimed in, gauging the mood at Haneul's words.
"...Who?"
Ga-eun and the others, unfamiliar with these people, were baffled.
They seemed important, and Na-rin knew them?
"Tch, time really is blind."
Jang Tae-won seemed miffed that these 'new-gen' hunters didn't recognize him.
But he didn't complain further and got straight to the point.
"We're elders from the Korean Hunter Talent Development International Association—the ones hosting this camp."
'...Association?'
Those guys.
The ones slyly prying into Su-hyeon's info.
...What shameless business brought them here now.
Ga-eun scanned the surroundings.
No one else was around at dawn, but it wasn't deserted.
With Na-rin here, they wouldn't try anything overt, but still...
Ga-eun's grip tightened.
"Ah, sorry for the rudeness..."
Ga-eun bowed awkwardly, and So-yeon followed suit.
Su-hyeon, reading the room, bowed too.
She looked just like the baby sister tagging along for a big bow with her big sisters.
"Hrmm..."
Jang Tae-won stroked his beard a couple times.
His eyes stayed fixed on Ga-eun.
"Um... so, what business do you have with me?"
"Impressive, indeed."
"Pardon...?"
"Such potential at your age, with no real effort... And in this peaceful era, no less. Tch, if you'd been born male, you'd be a real powerhouse."
"...?"
A natural generational put-down, laced with latte vibes. And sexist to boot...!
Jang Tae-won was a masterclass in boomer energy.
"Though there was that regrettable incident before, it's just a lack of communication, isn't it? These things happen in life—don't take it to heart."
"...Pardon?"
Ga-eun doubted her ears.
The nuance sounded almost like an apology, but the content was anything but.
...Clearly, he hadn't come to apologize.
"What's important is the future, right? That's why I came personally to discuss it."
"...Thanks for the kind words?"
"If our Association nurtures your talent, becoming Korea's top female hunter is only a matter of time. What do you say?"
Jang Tae-won looked down at Ga-eun with smug authority.
'What's their angle?'
Ga-eun wondered.
A genuine scout?
Or targeting Su-hyeon again?
No way to know.
But she didn't hesitate.
"Thank you, but I'll politely decline. I believe I can grow plenty where I am now."
'Ga-eun is objectively impressive already.'
That was what Brüel had said.
"...Hah, arrogant. On your own? How?"
"That's for me to figure out."
"Hrmm..."
"And about that 'regrettable incident' you mentioned? It wasn't just a misunderstanding. You know that."
Jang Tae-won's hand froze mid-beard-stroke at Ga-eun's sharp retort.
The 'regrettable incident' Ga-eun referred to wasn't about her.
"Dismissing that as 'something that can happen' makes me think more of the same could occur. I don't want to join an organization like that. Protecting my friends matters more."
Before she knew it, Jang Tae-won's hand had left his beard entirely, clasped behind his back.
As his eyes darkened deeply, Ga-eun tensed.
'This vibe... Like locking eyes with Instructor Carmen, or worse...?'
But Ga-eun didn't avert her gaze.
"..."
'...???'
Su-hyeon, sensing the sudden shift, floated a hook and clutched Haneul's arm tightly.
Na-rin came to Ga-eun's rescue.
"Hmph, the old man's throwing pick-up lines without a clue. Take the hint—she said no. You reek of mothballs."
"Pardon? I wasn't going that far."
An Jung-bong, who'd been glaring at Su-hyeon, sniped back.
"Hmph, still as cheeky as ever. Birds of a feather, huh?"
"You're the ones flocking together. Alright, let's leave the backroom fossils be and head out?"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Na-rin linked arms with Ga-eun and made her exit.
She seemed inwardly pleased at their paired-up vibe, smiling all the way.
"Come on, us too!"
Haneul grabbed the hesitant Su-hyeon and So-yeon, following behind.
"Is it okay to just leave like this...?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
As everyone turned away, Chan-seong pivoted last.
"...Don't regret this."
Jang Tae-won muttered at their retreating backs.
"Na-rin unnie, thank you so much. Whew, I was racking my brain on how to escape."
"No big deal. You handled it well, though. Those old coots have egos through the roof... I got tons of crap from them when I was young too. Oh, hit me up anytime if you need this unnie's help."
Na-rin helped us out, then left with Chan-seong for wherever they were supposed to be.
Probably their assigned spots.
"I have no idea what that was about. Did something happen...?"
Su-hyeon finally tugged at Ga-eun's collar, voicing her curiosity.
"Uh, how do I even explain this..."
Look at those innocent eyes.
How shocked would she be if I said those people want your personal info!?
'Hmm...'
As Ga-eun stared silently, Su-hyeon tilted her head slightly.
"...Why?"
Brüel already knew—she'd talked to her.
If she hadn't told Su-hyeon, it was probably for the best, right?
Better not scare her unnecessarily; maybe spill it after camp ends.
"That time I couldn't enter the gate? Apparently those guys were behind it. And with attitudes like that..."
"What? Those grandpas were the reason? And they inconvenienced Chan-seong too."
Su-hyeon huffed indignantly on her behalf.
Ga-eun burst into a light chuckle at the sight.
"But you seemed to know them too? That short grandpa. Something happen?"
He'd kept glaring at Su-hyeon with extreme displeasure.
"Well, uh, I kinda smashed a few of his flowerpots. Not on purpose. It just... happened. But they must've been expensive."
"Really? ...Well, flowerpots can just be replaced. No need to glare like that."
"Ah... haha."
That was a normal reaction, right?
The problem was, the pots Su-hyeon smashed weren't ordinary ones.
But hey, the money was paid back... even if it came from Jun-hyeok's pocket...
"Jeez, old and loaded—could've just let it slide cutely. Thought he was gonna eat me alive."
"Y-Yeah... Guess they were really precious to him..."
Su-hyeon decided to gloss over it.
Considering the price tag, she probably was in the wrong, after all.