The Gate That Wasn't There
Seong Ye-eun was about to rush out when Park Geon-su stepped in to stop her.
“It’s all right. Wait just a moment.”
At his gesture, a secretary appeared at once.
“You called for me, sir.”
“A gate has appeared.”
“Yes. I just confirmed it myself.”
“Make sure the restaurant suffers as little damage as possible. And handle it so no one realizes what actually happened.”
“Understood.”
Once the secretary had gone, Seong Ye-eun asked with a faintly displeased look, “Couldn’t I just go myself?”
“There’s no reason you couldn’t. If that’s what you want, do as you please.”
“Then I’ll—”
“However, you’ll have to take full responsibility for whatever comes after.”
“Of course I will—”
She hadn’t understood what he meant by “after,” but the meaning became clear soon enough.
Seong Ye-eun was an S-class hunter. So was Park Geon-su standing before her. The crucial difference was that Park Geon-su had climbed to that rank through sheer effort, while Seong Ye-eun had been born an S-class hunter.
“You know as well as I do. There are only two ways people look at us.”
One was the instinctive fear that arose toward beings of overwhelming power. The other was the respect—or wariness—sent toward those who possessed such power. Perhaps those two gazes were simply the rightful price of bearing the title of S-class hunter. After all, fear was what one felt toward situations or people one could not control, which also meant acknowledging their strength.
Perhaps the reason the father and daughter at the restaurant had felt so special was that they showed none of those two gazes. Not many people could extend that much kindness to a complete stranger. They could only do so because they didn’t know who Seong Ye-eun and Park Geon-su really were. If their identities were ever revealed, this precarious yet comfortable relationship would surely collapse back into something ordinary.
She wouldn’t have cared if it were anyone else, but this place was different. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, yet the thought of that change left an odd, heavy feeling in her chest.
“You know our guild members’ capabilities well enough.”
“Yes. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Haha. It’s fine. A person shouldn’t always be cold and rational, after all.”
In reality, guild members were already gathering swiftly near Seona’s Restaurant. Once Seong Ye-eun had cooled her head, she noticed the signboard standing in the now-empty space where the customers had been. She had assumed it only listed today’s menu, but there were things written there that hadn’t been there a few days ago.
“Aren’t you going?”
“Did you see that?”
“See what?”
Park Geon-su’s steps toward the guild also came to a brief halt. He had thought Seong Ye-eun was referring to the guild members’ work, but her gaze was directed elsewhere.
“The signboard.”
“The signboard? Let me see…”
Hunters could see a great deal even from a distance simply by focusing their eyes. Within Park Geon-su’s field of vision appeared not only the day’s menu but also several photographs and other unusual notices.
“Oh my. It says tomorrow is the little one’s birthday.”
“Yes. And it also says that anyone who comes will be served food for free.”
“…That won’t be easy.”
Giving to others was never as simple as it sounded—especially to people one had barely met, or had never met at all.
“Well, looks like I’ll have to visit the restaurant again.”
Park Geon-su found himself making up yet another excuse to go.
Meanwhile, Jungwoo, who had returned to the restaurant and was preparing to open for business, noticed Seia’s gaze fixed on the street outside. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, so Jungwoo followed her line of sight.
“What is that…?”
Right in front of the restaurant, workers in uniforms were looking around and cordoning off the area as if they were controlling traffic.
“Daddy.”
“Yes, Seia.”
“What are they doing?”
“Daddy doesn’t know either. I’ll go ask.”
He couldn’t simply ignore what was happening right in front of the restaurant. Customers might ask about it when they arrived.
“Seia wants to go too.”
“Hm? Shall we?”
Holding Seia’s hand, Jungwoo stepped outside. The workers had already set up barriers. With no-entry tape and security personnel standing guard, the situation felt even more suspicious.
“Excuse me, but—”
“You can’t come this way.”
“Did something serious happen?”
“A large hole suddenly appeared in the road. We’re doing emergency repairs.”
“Really? Is it a sinkhole?”
A sinkhole appearing out of nowhere—Jungwoo leaned forward to peer toward the road, seeing for the first time something like this. The ground did indeed look dark and rippling.
“Daddy, what’s a sinkhole?”
“Well… a sinkhole is when a hole suddenly opens up in the ground. I’m not sure how to explain it properly.”
“A hole?”
Seia stretched her neck out too, trying to see. As they watched the dark, undulating patch together, Jungwoo began to worry whether customers would come at all today.
“It’s not that far away, but people might be too nervous to visit. Do you know when it’ll be finished? I hope it doesn’t take too long.”
From a distance it hadn’t looked very large, but up close the restricted area was quite wide. If this dragged on, it would seriously affect business.
“I can’t say for certain, but it should be done by the end of today. Do you live nearby?”
“Yes, in that building right there.”
“Do you run the restaurant as well?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to suspend operations for today.”
“Ah… I see. All right.”
What terrible timing. To lose an entire day of business because of a sinkhole. It was disappointing, but there was nothing he could do. If the hole grew larger, it could become dangerous.
“Well… nothing to be done. I’ll just have to take the day off.”
How should he spend the unexpected free time? Today’s menu had become tomorrow’s menu. The cake and everything else had been pushed to tomorrow as well. As Jungwoo walked back holding Seia’s hand, one of the workers watching them sent a message somewhere.
“I’ve sent them back. They believe it’s a sinkhole.”
—Good. A gate appearing right there, of all places.
“Yes, sir. Understood, Guild Leader.”
Just as Park Geon-su had said, what had appeared here today was not a sinkhole but a gate. A gate containing magic beasts would only disappear once hunters entered, subdued the monsters, and returned. No one could predict how long that would take, and in the worst case, the subjugation could fail. If the gate was left alone after a failure, it would eventually overflow, allowing the magic beasts that belonged inside to spill out and destroy everything in their path.
—It’s a B-class gate, so there shouldn’t be any problems, right?
“None at all.”
—Good. I’m counting on you. Make sure the restaurant isn’t affected.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After ending the call with Park Geon-su, the team leader looked toward the restaurant Jungwoo had returned to.
‘Make sure the restaurant isn’t affected.’
Having served at the guild leader’s side for quite some time, he could detect the subtle difference in phrasing. Normally the guild leader would say “handle it as you see fit,” but when something was truly important, the ending always changed. That was why he found it surprising. He didn’t know what the restaurant meant to him, but the guild leader’s words were clearly an important order. He had also been told to make it look like the incident had nothing to do with hunters. That was why he was wearing clothes he never usually wore and doing things he never usually did.
“He must be quite fond of that restaurant.”
“Team leader, the subjugation preparations are complete.”
At his subordinate’s report, the team leader began preparing for the gate subjugation as well. Watching everyone move in perfect coordination, Jungwoo wondered how he should spend the suddenly empty day.
“Daddy.”
“Yes?”
“Are we going today too?”
Jungwoo was so startled by Seia’s words that he couldn’t answer right away. Seia’s birthday was also her mother’s birthday—and the anniversary of her death. On the day itself, Jungwoo spent time with Seia. The day before, he spent time with his wife. It had been that way ever since Seia was born. Until she turned two, they had gone together, but after that he could no longer bring himself to take her. He lacked the courage. An indescribable guilt kept rising within him, making it impossible.
He knew he had been putting it off little by little. Someday Seia would find out. But Seia needed to be ready to accept it, and Jungwoo needed to prepare his own heart. That was all.
So today, he had planned to finish all the restaurant work first before going. The place wasn’t far, and with magic-stone-powered transportation these days, he could get there quickly.
“…Yes. Daddy has to go.”
“Then Seia will be sleeping.”
“Daddy will be back soon. All right?”
“Okay!”
Seia answered brightly. Of course she didn’t know where her father was going. She was curious, but she didn’t feel she needed to know. To Seia, Jungwoo was everything. To Jungwoo, Seia was everything. The places Jungwoo had never taken Seia were extremely rare—rare enough to remain in her young memories. For Seia, there was only one place her father wouldn’t go with her: somewhere dangerous. In other words, somewhere that wasn’t good for her.
“Don’t leave the house, no matter what. Daddy will make you food before he goes.”
“Okay. Seia can do it by herself!”
For some reason, Seia’s cheerful reply only made his chest feel heavier. What dish should he make so that Seia wouldn’t feel cold while she was alone for a while? The menu for today—or rather, what had been today’s menu: clam kalguksu. If it were up to his personal desire, he would have made the noodles by hand, but that was just greed. With carefully prepared vegetables and a well-simmered broth, plus properly boiled noodles, a simple yet heartfelt bowl of kalguksu would be complete. Cool yet warm. A bowl of kalguksu to keep Seia warm during the first time in a long while she would be apart from Jungwoo.
When he set the steaming bowl down, Seia reached out with sparkling eyes and carefully tapped the edge of the dish with her finger.
“Be careful, Seia. It’s hot.”
“Okay.”
After testing it a few times, Seia’s hand, now accustomed to the warmth, wrapped around the entire bowl. Noodles were still difficult for her chopsticks, but thanks to yesterday’s practice with jjajangmyeon, her movements had improved. She picked up a strand, blew on it, and put it in her mouth, chewing with little movements of her cheeks that were unbearably cute. Jungwoo didn’t want to miss a single moment of it. It wasn’t as if he were leaving for years, yet it felt as though he wouldn’t see her for a very long time.