The Great Naming Debate
“Hup.”
Mikael hurriedly covered his mouth. His wide-eyed expression, hands clasped together, was utterly adorable. Of course, the gaze Yeonseo directed down at him was nothing but sharp.
“Oh. I like that kinda thing.”
Shin Gaon grinned wickedly. She’d caught the scent of fresh drama.
“So, what event is it?”
“……Battle on the Eve of the Wild Sanctuary Gate.”
Yeonwoo sighed out the answer. It was out now—no point hiding it unless she was an idiot.
“What? It’s not someone’s birthday?”
“Damn, guess I overestimated her. She is an idiot.”
He’d charged in blindly based on the streetlight alone.
“Aha. Got it.”
Surprisingly quick on the uptake, despite that.
“There’s an event in the Eve Sanctuary.”
And she’d pieced together that the two of them were teamed up. Shin Gaon eyed Yeonwoo with a burdensome glint, convinced they were already in the same boat.
But something felt off to Yeonwoo, and he found himself asking,
“Yeah. Battle on the Eve.”
“……Huh?”
Shin Gaon let out a short bark of laughter. The expectant gleam in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a dumbfounded smirk.
“Eve Sanctuary.”
She corrected herself immediately.
“Yeah. Battle on the Eveevent.”
“Got it. Eve Sanctuaryevent.”
“Battle on the Eve.”
“Eve Sanctuary.”
“Nobody calls it that crap.”
“I do. Got a problem?”
No quarter given. How to shorten Gate ‘Battle on the Eve of the Wild Sanctuary Gate’ was a surprisingly touchy subject among hunters. Battlefield vets tended to dig their heels in over stupid stuff.
“I’m Tier III. You’re Tier II.”
“So?”
“Whose version sounds right? Huh?”
Shin Gaon flaunted her tier like a badge. Infuriating, but effective.
But Yeonwoo wasn’t backing down.
No, who the hell calls it that?
No way he’d yield. Plenty of veteran hunters called it Battle on the Eve.
This was non-negotiable.
“Mikael.”
“……Yes?”
Mikael slowly turned at Yeonwoo’s gentle call. The voice was soothing as a lullaby from heaven, but an ominous chill lingered.
“You’re Tier III too. What do you think?”
“Ah. Well, I……”
Mikael glanced around nervously.
“Be honest. Really honest. I won’t get mad. Do I look like the type?”
“Um……”
“Just sharing opinions. True comrades bare their souls, compromise, and move forward together, right?”
True comrades.
Mikael steeled himself and looked up.
“I say Eve Sanctuary.”
“……What?”
An unexpected betrayal slapped Yeonwoo across the face. His expression crumpled in shock.
“Pft, ahaha! Yeonwoo! Even Eden’s priest says Eve Sanctuary!”
“Mikael. You……”
Yeonwoo stared at him with the world’s most wounded puppy eyes. Already pitifully fragile, now heartbreak filled his face, tearing at onlookers’ hearts. It hurt more than when his side got chomped in the Ant Nest.
“But! We, uh……!”
Panicked, Mikael flailed his arms wildly, tears welling in those big eyes.
“We believers always call it sanctuary, no matter what!”
“Yeah, yeah, I get your opinion.”
“You said be honest!”
Mikael ended up shouting with his own wounded expression.
And one person who’d watched silently throughout: Yeonseo quietly curled her lips in a chilling smirk. Her turn had come.
“Right. Yeonseo-ya. What about you?”
Her premonition hit dead-on. Yeonwoo bolted from the floor, ditching cold Mikael to plaster himself beside her bed, almost kneeling as he looked up.
“Hehe.”
Yeonseo smiled delightedly. Pure leisure.
“Obviously Battle on the Eve.”
No hesitation. Yeonwoo’s face bloomed like a flower. Happier than when he’d scored the legendary weapon Long Live the Queen in the Ant Nest.
“See? Battle on the Eve is right!”
Yeonwoo puffed up with pride, thrusting out his chest arrogantly. Shin Gaon leaned forward; Mikael recoiled back.
“Still 2-2, right? And by tier, it’s Eve Sanctuary. Hunter standard. Yeah?”
Shin Gaon didn’t yield easily, smug in victory as she ogled Yeonwoo’s posture.
But Yeonwoo matched her bravado. He grabbed Yeonseo’s hand.
“Sanggong University Hunter Department.”
He declared loftily.
“What?”
“Pardon?”
Shin Gaon and Mikael’s faces shifted in unison. Shock flashed openly.
“Sanggong University’s the top school, right? And the Hunter Department—no joke. Grads go straight to the Hunter Support Bureau.”
True enough. Korea’s premier university. The new Hunter Department had sky-high cutoffs—even other Sanggong students paled in comparison.
“A Hunter Department student who studies hunters says Battle on the Eve. That’s basically two votes, yeah?”
Yeonwoo claimed victory, pointing triumphantly at Shin Gaon and Mikael with a booming laugh.
“Kuh, infuriating. But yeah, that checks out.”
“Y-Yes?”
Mikael blinked in confusion at Shin Gaon’s concession. She even gritted her teeth and slammed the floor with her fist.
“That far……”
“Shut it, church boy! Opponent’s Sanggong!”
“Church… boy……?”
An unimaginable slur, right to his face—from a brute of a woman. His stomach churned.
“……Ahh.”
Mikael sighed something between lament and resignation. He scowled at Shin Gaon and swiftly made the sign of the cross.
“Haha! Shoulda stuck to your guns. You asked whose birthday earlier? Today’s mine now!”
Yeonwoo’s arrogance pierced the ceiling.
“Hehe. Sure, sure. Whatever you say, oppa.”
Yeonseo just smiled. But she pointedly stroked Yeonwoo’s hair while eyeing Shin Gaon and Mikael.
Long, slender fingers combed through like it was the most natural thing.
“Even as my sibling, you know how sharp and smart they’ve been since kid days? Ahahaha!”
Yeonwoo’s eyes curved into crescents as he guffawed. Not just victory high—he genuinely beamed with pride for Yeonseo. Always admired, always cherished; it shone through naturally.
From Shin Gaon to Mikael to Yeonseo. The final vote hugging Yeonwoo was obvious: Yeonseo.
Especially that casual hair-stroking—it screamed winner. The losers just stewed bitterly.
“……”
Mikael’s face was the most conflicted. If he’d said Battle on the Eve, maybe he’d get headpats too. Regret gnawed.
“……Ah.”
But he squeezed his eyes shut. Clasped hands repented denying the sanctuary.
“Anyway. It’s late—call it here?”
Yeonseo smoothly steered. Victor’s grace, but mostly because she was the only one with normal social skills. Left alone, it’d never end.
She wanted to wrap on her win before it dragged.
“Sure.”
Shin Gaon flopped back, hands behind head.
“What’re you doing?”
“Nowhere to go. Crash one night.”
“Out. Now.”
Yeonseo was merciless. Common sense was power.
“Tch. Hey. Got spare rooms?”
“No! This isn’t some flophouse!”
“Can’t even look but yaps loud.”
“Ugh. But this place……”
Mikael glanced at Yeonwoo, clenched a fist for courage, and pressed on.
“I barely pulled strings for this room. Tough as hell.”
Pure lie. Mikael’s pull could rent a whole floor. Only Yeonwoo occupied the 4th anyway.
“I’m loaded, though?”
Shin Gaon reached for her pocket.
“Whoa?!”
She shot upright like repelled, patted herself down frantically.
“Ah, shit. Screwed.”
“Priest’s here—watch your mouth.”
“Oh fuck. I’m fucked.”
Shin Gaon clutched her head, muttering. No wallet.
“Shoulda checked. All that money bragging.”
“Ha. No joke—can’t I just crash one night?”
“Absolutely not!”
Mikael shook his head furiously. Shin Gaon mirrored the shake.
“Knew it from the bragging.”
Yeonwoo eyed her bowed head slyly, slipping a 100,000 won bill from his wallet on the sly.
“……”
Yeonseo saw it plain as day.
“Cab fare at least.”
“……Thanks.”
“Save it while you got it.”
Clueless it was hers. Shin Gaon took the bill reverently.
After Shin Gaon left.
Mikael gave a quick goodbye and exited.
“……Haa.”
A heavy sigh escaped immediately. Incredibly complex—repentance, jealousy, gratitude, envy, conscience. A rainbow of emotions.
Most colorful moment of his life. Meeting Yeonwoo changed everything.
“……Mother.”
He murmured softly. Source of all his burdens, root of his life.
Then—
Click.
Yeonwoo emerged.
“Not gone yet?”
“Ah, not yet. No! Still here.”
Sudden Yeonwoo—right up close—froze Mikael like a spooked lamb.
“Nah. Just… thanks.”
“……Pardon?”
“Didn’t know it was that exclusive.”
Yeonwoo grinned, patting Mikael’s head. Mikael ducked, then crab-walked away from the touch.
“Sorry. Uncomfortable, huh? Anyway, thanks—good work. Go rest.”
Yeonwoo waved kindly before vanishing back inside.
Mikael peeked at the closing door.
Thud.
“……Ahh.”
He slid down the wall, clutching his face.
“Lies. All lies.”
The room story was bullshit. Post-Ant Nest, his Eden status was ironclad.
Lie to bar Shin Gaon. Lie to do something for Yeonwoo.
“I chased away a homeless soul over petty feelings.”
Shin Gaon had a home, but he’d booted her anyway.
What’d the lies get him?
“……”
A stinging conscience. And lingering head warmth.
Dilemma. Mikael cradled his head.
“For now… please……”
He shut his eyes tight.
Guests gone, just family left.
Finally alone, Yeonseo’s smile faded. Not cold—just back to everyday normal. No need for outsider facades.
But her gaze on Yeonwoo rippled with hesitation, worry.
“……”
Yeonseo pondered. Recent university drama. The ‘Gold Discipline Girl’ video snowballed everything.
Sanggong University festival approaching fast? Rumors escalated to blatant chatter nearby.