Eve 03: The Awkward Burden

"Oops."

Yeonwoo muttered blankly. It was an ironic situation. Her hands were still wrapped around Shin Gaon's head. Her knees were even pressed right against her face. She'd frozen in the exact position where she'd smashed her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠face in.

Thud.

Shin Gaon's raised arm fell limply.

"...She didn't hit me."

No matter how dazed her mind had been. Her face was still flushed red even now, but she could tell. Shin Gaon had hesitated at the last moment. She could have hit her, but she didn't. Instead, she'd struck with words.

"H-Horny? What the hell...?"

Yeonwoo shuddered, her shoulders twitching. A faint sense of revulsion hit her, and she let go of the hands cradling Shin Gaon's head.

Thud.

Her head hit the ground, blood trickling from her nose and mouth. What a mess.

To think it'd come to this.

She'd called her the enemy of women, but this was the first time she'd beaten one this badly.

"But I'm a woman too."

No guilt whatsoever. Thinking about it, it was ridiculous.

"I won fair and square. Wasn't that last bit cheating?"

Tempting her with words like a coward. Yeonwoo shook her head and stood up.

"Ugh."

Her back ached. What a day—everything embarrassing and unseemly laid bare. Her body throbbed, her mind frayed. Now she just wanted to go home. To her clean, bright fourth-floor place with a great view. By now, the bedsheets, mattress, and pillows were probably all brand new.

The smell of freshly washed linens is the best.

It was a luxury unimaginable in her old apartment.

"Hoo."

Positive thoughts improved her mood. Another veteran hunter's trick. Mind control was more crucial for survival in harsh gates than you'd think.

Anyway, things had wrapped up safely enough. Time for the spoils.

First, the dagger.

As expected of rare grade—the options were lengthy. Yeonwoo's lips curved into a wide grin. Fusing multiple weapons meant basic options overlapped inevitably. But the real prize was the special one.

Blood Hunter

After vibration detection, now blood. Am I turning into some kinda weirdo?

Still, she could toggle it on and off now.

"You said the axe too, right?"

Time to honor the promise. Yeonwoo scooped up Shin Gaon's two-handed axe.

"Whoa."

Her mouth fell open. A seriously unique weapon. Heroic grade, no less!

"You're loaded, huh."

No wonder shaking that wallet had felt ominous. The sea of yellow bills inside was hard to ignore, even for a veteran hunter.

"Gotta fuse this right now."

One reason: to make sure she couldn't give it back even if asked. Call it resolve. Or greed, by another name.

Yeonwoo checked the special option Must Cut right away.

"...What the hell is this."

Yeonwoo's eyes narrowed as she scanned the window. As high-grade as it was, the ability was unique. Her past self had never owned top weapons. She knew how to use them, but lacked deep knowledge of high-end gear.

In other words, it attempts to cut through anything?

But limited to once a day. "Attempt" stuck out. It ignored all that, but apparently not the user's skill.

"Gonna have to try it myself to know."

With that, inventory sorted. All that remained: wolf corpses strewn about and the passed-out Shin Gaon.

Brutal.

Yeonwoo glanced down at her. Nearly 180cm sprawled out starfish-style—major presence. Even unconscious, eyes wide, lips curved up in a dumb grin.

"No wonder she won't die screaming."

Yeonwoo clicked her tongue. Hunters acted on their own greed. Money, honor, sometimes duty. But they were essential for world stability. Clearing anomalies. Preventing gate outbreaks. Supplying magistones as new energy. Their efforts kept monsters from spilling out.

Failed stabilizations had cost humanity land—like the DMZ. Gates along the military line inaccessible to both sides, mined to hell. Left alone, they burst, turning it into a one-eyed monster ecosystem instead of wildlife. At least they stayed within gate radii.

So what mattered? Humanity needed strong hunters. That granted them massive fame, recreating "heroes" in the spacefaring 21st century.

"Kinda hard to just leave her."

If she'd been a butcher killing with that axe, becoming wolf chow for others' happiness would've been right. But a crazy fist-fighter? Grounds for leniency.

Absolutely not because of the good weapon.

"Sigh."

Yeonwoo crouched. First, closed Shin Gaon's staring eyes.

"Yeah. No choice."

Then rifled her pockets.

"It was around here... Ah, found it."

A thick wallet. Yeonwoo glanced around, then pocketed it smoothly.

"You said take it all, so it's fine."

She hoisted Shin Gaon onto her back. Head taller, but veteran finesse made it effortless. Hunter physique handled 180cm easily when awake—or not.

But...

"Ugh."

Yeonwoo let out a weak groan. Weight was fine.

But something else's weight wasn't.

"...Driving me insane."

Height difference. What should've been at back level pressed her shoulders. Squished, her neck sank into adult cleavage. Not a pillow, but cradling her neck and shoulders. Shaking vividly with every step. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pressing her jaw.

"Why cause trouble even passed out?"

Yeonwoo twisted, flipping her into back-to-back piggyback—like tandem stretching. Better contact, less strain. She sped out of the gate.

But inevitably ran into people.

"Whoa."

"Why're you spacing out? What's that— whoa."

"You guys hurry ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up here, w-whoa..."

Only that word came out. An incomprehensible duo.

"Isn't it backwards?"

"Backwards in every sense."

Rider and ridee. Even the carry direction.

Would've been epic the other way. Instead, it flipped onlookers' minds inside out.

...Damn it.

Yeonwoo, the culprit, was mortified. She hastily draped Shin Gaon's dangling hair over her face.

After twists and turns, they made it home. At the hospital grounds, Yeonwoo dragged Shin Gaon from the taxi. Her sports car was parked at the Wild Sanctuary lot, but no way to drive without knowing her license status.

Taxi it was.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Nah, I'm grateful, miss."

Bukhansan to Seoul St. Mary's. Surcharge included, a whopping 50,000 won.

Waste of blood money, damn.

Handing over the yellow bill, Yeonwoo slipped the wallet back in her pocket.

She piggybacked Shin Gaon again. Eyes around the hospital, so no flipping. Late hour helped—few people. Her VIP suite was separate from general wards, and paparazzi hunting the Saint had been cleared by Mikael's request.

Bang.

Safely on the fourth floor, opening the room door.

"Huh."

Someone was there. Yeonseo perched on the bed. Mikael sat in a chair against the far wall.

"Ah."

"Oh."

Their faces lit up at Yeonwoo. Then furrowed at the bulky tagalong. Perfect sync.

"What're you two doing?"

"What about you, sis? What's that?"

"Ah. She's hurt. Brought her just in case."

Long story. ...Didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wanna explain. The unexpected scene made her grin anyway.

"You two got close while I was gone? Oho."

"Th-that's! No, this is! I mean..."

Mikael jumped up, flustered. Cute pout, flailing arms trying to explain.

But cut short.

"......"

Yeonseo blocked him. No words. Just finger to lips, cold gaze down on him.

"......We ended up together while waiting."

"That's what happened, sis."

Satisfied, Yeonseo smiled softly at Yeonwoo.

"But Hunter Yeonwoo!"

Mikael had his own agenda.

"Even if it's my place I lent you! Bringing someone into the room like this?!"

He raised his voice in protest. No excuse there.

"Sorry, Mikael. But at least face me when you chew me out?"

Great energy, but turning to the wall in a huff was too adorable—only laughter came.

"I-It's uncomfortable!"

Three women in the room now. Mikael floundered, eyes darting. Glanced sidelong at the less bothersome Yeonwoo.

"U-um."

Loud voices in the closed space, maybe. Shin Gaon groaned.

"Wha's this. Hospital?"

She scratched her head and slowly opened her eyes. Unfamiliar place, people. She shrugged it off and sat up.

"You carried me?"

"Should I have left you?"

"Heh, haha. Ahahahat."

Shin Gaon laughed. Narrowed her long eyes at Yeonwoo, licked her dry lips.

"This means potential, right?"

"What potential, you cra— no, insane bitch."

"Hm."

She rolled her eyes, scanning the room.

"Sorry 'bout earlier. Wasn't in my right mind. Ha. Get me excited once, and I lose it. Really sorry, hey."

Grinning slyly, she stretched an arm and pulled Yeonwoo into an embrace. Deliberately flaunting it.

Ha.

Yeonwoo snorted. But the apology seemed genuine. Plus, she'd pocketed the apology money already.

She always this carefree?

After that beating, still clinging—no fatigue. At this point, maybe she just had no sense of distance.

Of course.

The other two watching? Their faces weren't "good" by any stretch.