CH 5

“Oh Hyun-soo, did you contact Park Seo-ah already?”

“Yes, yes, she’s on her way back now.”

The vice president of the Hunters’ Guild, Kim Jung-soo, was distracted by the sudden commotion.

“Who on earth is Park Seo-ah? I heard she was an E-class healer, so why are you all gathering here?”

Both the Sun Guild and the Royal Guild, competitors for the top spot in Korea, made inquiries into Park Seo-ah. Even more surprising was that S-class hunters from either guild came forward to greet her.

“Is she coming?”

“Yes, she said she would.”

Baek Eun-hee of the Royal Guild had been waiting in the lobby since she first arrived, saying that she would not leave until Park Seo-ah arrived.

Yoo Ji-an of the Sun Guild had also informed them that he would be coming.

On the other hand, Kim Jung-soo was concerned about the building’s structural integrity.

It was very rare for Yoo Ji-an and Baek Eun-hee to appear in one place at the same time. It was probably the first time since the area was devastated by a fight between the two during a meeting.

‘Is the building going to hold up?’

While it was built to withstand hunters’ powers to some extent in case of an accident, there was no guarantee that it would remain stable if two S-class hunters fought in it, especially those two.

Moreover, Kim Jung-soo was not a hunter himself. President Cha Tae-woon was ranked 5th in the country, but Kim Jung-soo was the one who handled all the internal paperwork.

‘Is it a good thing that the president isn’t here now?’

Soon after, Han Seok-hyun and Yoo Ji-an walked in together, making the vice president sigh in relief.

The leader of the Sun Guild’s unique, soft-spoken personality was effective in defusing situations.

“Come on, Ji-an. She’s an E-class healer; you’ll scare her away looking like that.”

“Well, she didn’t seem to be too timid.”

Han Seok-hyun grabbed Yoo Ji-an’s shoulders. “But what if you talk like you usually do and she runs off? You did say she was important to you.”

Yoo Ji-an frowned. “Then I’ll have to catch her by any means possible.”

“Hey, this…!” he nearly screamed—then quickly shut his mouth. “Ah, hello, Vice President,” he greeted politely.

“I see that Yoo Ji-an has also come,” Kim Jung-soo replied, hiding his concerns.

Yoo Ji-an, who seemed reluctant to engage in any small talk, was roughly elbowed by Han Seok-hyun. Thus, he nodded once in acknowledgment, making brief eye contact.

“What’s the Sun Guild doing here?” came a sharp voice.

Baek Eun-hee strode towards them, the Royal Guild’s deputy leader, Seo Ah-hyun trailing behind her.

It was only those two guilds, but a brutal tension filled the lobby.

Objectively, Yoo Ji-an was stronger than Baek Eun-hee, but considering that Han Seok-hyun had low mobility, the power distribution of the two sides was balanced out.

Yoo Ji-an’s eyebrows twitched.

Han Seok-hyun looked at Kim Jung-soo urgently. “What’s going on? Why is the Royal Guild here?”

“They asked about it first.” The vice president wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead. “Then Yoo Ji-an also said that he wanted to meet Park Seo-ah.”

“Why would you want to meet Seo-ah?”

“Seo-ah? Is she part of the Royal Guild already?” Yoo Ji-an snapped.

Except for Baek Eun-hee, everyone else was bewildered at the burst of emotion.

“I just saw her today. If she’s useful, she can join us.” Her eyes glinted, feeling like Yoo Ji-an’s reaction confirmed her intuition that there was something special about Park Seo-ah.

“Ji-an, please restrain yourself. Park Seo-ah hasn’t even arrived yet.”

Baek Eun-hee turned her attention to the front door. “So, where is our darling? Why can’t I see her yet?”

“She’s not ‘yours’ yet, is she? I’d appreciate it if you could take note of that,” Han Seok-hyun pointed out.

He actually did not know Park Seo-ah’s true value yet, but he did not want Yoo Ji-an’s mood to worsen.

Of course, Baek Eun-hee was not the type to stay still, but she was pulled back by Seo Ah-hyun.

“Eun-hee, calm down. We’ll meet Park Seo-ah later.”

Kim Jung-soo sighed in relief, thinking that it was fortunate that the two hunters were accompanied by their… handlers.

“So, why hasn’t she come yet? She was just here.”

“I called and she said she was on the bus and that she would get off and ride another one back. She’ll probably be here soon.”

“A bus?” Baek Eun-hee asked incredulously. “What are you going to do if our darling has an accident on the way? E-class hunters can be seriously injured in traffic accidents!”

Yoo Ji-an grumbled, “This is why I wanted her to come and see me, Han Seok-hyun.”

Kim Jung-soo, unable to comprehend what was going on, simply kept his mouth shut.

***

“Huh… They’re still there,” Seo-ah murmured at the sight of clustered reporters.

Oh Hyun-soo, who was on the other side and thinking about how to break through them, saw her and waved his hand. “Here, Ms. Park Seo-ah!”

“Yes!”

Several reporters turned at the sound, but they didn’t seem to be particularly interested.

“This way! Everyone, please get out of the way!”

The guards were able to prevent anyone else from entering the building as the two slipped in.

While waiting for the elevator, Seo-ah glanced at Oh Hyun-soo. “By the way, what job did I get?”

He looked at her carefully and only opened his mouth when they stepped onto the elevator. “I’m sorry for not recognizing you earlier, Ms. Park Seo-ah. I heard that you played an active part as a healer in the recent sudden gate. You did a wonderful job and you will be compensated by the guild.”

“Oh, well, that’s…”

It wasn’t like she had wanted to get pulled into that situation, but a reward was a reward.

She wished it would be money.

“Is that why I’m being called back? Because you were looking for me?”

“Not quite. The Sun Guild and the Royal Guild each came to visit and inquire about you through us.”

“What? Where?”

“Mr. Yoo Ji-an of the Sun Guild and Ms. Baek Eun-hee of the Royal Guild went to us and asked to meet you.”

“Why me?”

“That’s what I want to know as well.”

The elevator stopped at the 70th floor with a ding, ending their conversation.

“Here we are. You can go through that door.”

Following Oh Hyun-soo’s instructions, Seo-ah nervously grabbed the doorknob, thousands of thoughts running through her mind.

‘Did I do something wrong? Is it because I ran away and left Yoo Ji-an yesterday? No, is it Baek Eun-hee?”

A chill suddenly ran down her spine, almost like a warning.

“What are you doing? You’re not going in?”

“Ah!” Seo-ah collapsed in astonishment, her vision filling with Yoo Ji-an. “Ah.”

“Why are you so surprised?”

The sound of his voice, an S-class hunter’s voice, was still surreal to hear from right behind her.

At that moment, Baek Eun-hee stepped out of the door.

“Hey, you scared her! Be more careful!”

“I haven’t done anything,” he replied, swallowing the word ‘yet’. Yoo Ji-an’s expression turned puzzled. “Do E-class hunters get startled so easily?”

‘No, it’s not necessarily because of my rank.’

Baek Eun-hee turned to her, ignoring his question. “Get up, my dear. Did you get frightened? You see, Yoo Ji-an is a very inconsiderate fellow.”

Seo-ah stared blankly at the woman who was treating her like a baby and pulling her up.

“It’s alright. I surprised myself.” She rubbed her neck awkwardly.

To be honest, the seemingly hostile energy had surprised her more than Yoo Ji-an’s voice had.

‘What was that?’

Kim Jung-soo arrived in a short while and shook hands with her. “Ah, Ms. Park Seo-ah? Hello, I am Kim Jung-soo, vice president of the Hunters’ Guild.”

Seo-ah, who accepted the handshake without thinking, flinched in anticipation.

But nothing really happened.

‘This person isn’t a hunter.’

The four of them entered the room where Han Seok-hyun and Seo Ah-hyun were waiting with their business smiles.

“Welcome, Ms. Park Seo-ah.” Seo Ah-hyun pulled out a chair for her and gestured to it.

‘I can’t believe I’m sitting in a chair pulled out by an A-class hunter…’