FTE 010

“What are you thinking?”

Suddenly, Chae Won-u leaned forward towards me as we were halfway inside the helicopter. I quickly turned off my earphones and shook my head, feigning ignorance by covering my ears. With exaggerated mouth movements, I blatantly lied, “I can’t hear you.” Fortunately, it seemed to fool him. Not that it would have mattered if he hadn’t believed me.

Since there were injured hunters needing stable guidance for their IV drips at the back of the helicopter, I took a seat up front. The seats in this military helicopter had hard cushions, making them quite uncomfortable. Ironically, these were also the most conducive spots for falling asleep in this country. Whenever I boarded here again, exhaustion was guaranteed.

To preempt any conversation from Chae Won-u, I crossed my arms and promptly closed my eyes. The sound of the propellers served as a lullaby, instantly sending me into slumber.

***

“He is too childish.” 

I grumbled while removing each piece of protective gear one by one. My clothes were soaked with blood, flesh fragments, water, etc., making them incredibly heavy. The open collection chute nearby would incinerate samples or recycle them for waterproof covers and parachutes if reusable.

After undressing without hesitation, we took an air shower. Then it was possible to have a water shower afterward.

―Too young.

“It’s not just about age. In terms of age, both people in the front seats are the same. Back then, like now, I didn’t know…anything at all. Yet, even back then, I managed just fine on my own. He truly is strange.”

―Is it that difficult?

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t difficult. Or wait, maybe it was? It’s hard to come to a definitive conclusion. Chae Won-u’s unpredictable nature made him wildly erratic. Sometimes he seemed incredibly easy to handle, while at other times, immensely challenging. As they say, he’s literally a child.

“It’s just difficult because I’ve never encountered this type before. There’s a difference between hard and difficult, right?”

―Right. Of course.

The air shower turned on, instantly washing away all the dust from my body. Although it claims to be as effective as water without needing any, I still prefer rinsing with actual liquid for that clean feeling. After sixty seconds, the shower ended, and silence returned to the room.

“He seems like he was raised differently elsewhere. If he weren’t a hunter and if our world wasn’t what it is now, I’d assume he was simply a spoiled brat brought up in luxury at home.”

―……

“I’m trying to extract some hints here.”

―Access denied for information related to Hunter Chae Won-u.

“It didn’t work.”

I clicked my tongue and pressed a button on the speaker. Seunggyu, who had been a guide just once, likened it to a bidet remote control.

“Delete conversation history.”

―Command executed.

The cheeky middle-aged man’s voice changed to a robotic tone, promptly deleting everything I’d said. This was the shower room. An AI speaker designed for air showers aimed to help relieve stress, grudges, and gossip before leaving. While some stubborn ones refrained from using it due to embarrassment, I wasn’t one of them. It’s such a fantastic feature!

Entering the water shower area, I turned on the taps. Using a rough scrub sponge with disinfectant mixed body wash, I washed thoroughly for a long time. Although we undergo checks for harmful substances, including radiation levels, both before and after entering dungeons, there could always be undetectable contamination. Hence, cleanliness is always a top priority.

I washed until my fingertips were wrinkled and then evenly applied a cream Seunggyu had gifted me. It was one of the few expensive items that tightwad had ever bought for me. I should ask him to get more once this runs out. Considering how many times the Hunter’s Association has tried offering me exclusive contracts despite my consistent refusals based on loyalty and tenure, they could at least give me ten more bottles. Not that I plan to buy it with my own money.

Once I thoroughly dried my hair, a sense of despair washed over me.

“I have to sleep with him again tonight, right?”

There was no need to feel anxious since we’d be sleeping in separate rooms anyway. Besides, there was a time when I shared a room with twelve other people, so compared to that, this shouldn’t bother me… yet, it still felt disheartening somehow.

It’s not like I could sleep in the hallway, right? Worries are short-lived, but life goes on. I got dressed and stepped outside. Wearing a bracelet with the same chip as my ID badge from my permit, I gently shook out my slightly damp hair.

Then, I spotted Chae Won-u approaching from across the hall. Water was dripping from his head. Despite having access to a hairdryer, it seemed he preferred not to use one for some reason.

I nodded briefly at him before heading towards the Hunter Management Department to submit my report. However, Chae Won-u briskly caught up and walked closely beside me.

“You’re using the same shampoo as your Guide?”

“…Were you smelling me just now?”

“But you seem to be using a different lotion.”

“Don’t creep me out. Why haven’t you dried your hair?”

“I did dry it, but it got wet again.”

“You were that drenched?” 

“The sprinkler system went off inside.”

Don’t tell me…

“And you used your ability to fight? Like some amateur?” 

In reality, professionals often fought more childishly than amateurs. However, it was rare for hunters to engage in physical altercations after raiding dungeons when they were exhausted. During this time, their bodies would feel achy as they adjusted from being highly activated, and they experienced muscle pain or even headaches and shock in severe cases. What kind of nonsense was he talking about?

“I just used my ability a little bit.”

“Are you joking?”

“No joke. Who uses their ability for fun?”

I’m certain this guy would use his power frivolously.

“And you don’t have a fever?”

If I didn’t hurry, the Hunter Management Department staff would start complaining about overtime. I felt like I was carrying a goldfish tank full of poop as I climbed the stairs.

“I do have a fever.”

Liar.

“My head hurts, too.”

“If the rebound effect is that severe, you wouldn’t be able to climb these stairs.”

“Really?” Chae Won-u abruptly stopped halfway up the stairs. I felt like watching a child throwing a tantrum at a toy store. Live here, Won-u. I’ll go report and sleep well without you in my room.

“You won’t hold my hand?”

“No, I won’t.”

“Why not?”

“Hunter Chae Won-u.” 

I had climbed half a step above Chae Won-u. Facing him with the staircase railing between us, I leaned against it. “I’m not your chaperone, nor was that part of our contract.”

“But…”

“It’s understandable that you’ve never had a partner before. Still, it’s best not to indulge in fantasies about partnerships.”

As I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, it suddenly dawned on me that I was dealing with a rookie who had never experienced love or dating before. It seemed he misunderstood ‘partner’ as a romantic partner.

“Hunter Chae Won-u, do you want to… date me?”

“No,” was Chae Won-u’s slightly bewildered expression. Initially, I thought his confusion stemmed from my abrupt question, but it appeared to originate elsewhere. His face conveyed the look of someone encountering an entirely foreign concept for the first time…

“This isn’t about romance or being soulmates; it’s purely business. We’d be business partners.”

“A business where we hold hands, hug, occasionally kiss, and have relationships?”

“It doesn’t sound very appealing when you put it that way.”

“…..”

“But technically, you’re not wrong. Yes, exactly. So let’s just hold hands and hug whenever necessary.”

“…..”

“And unless absolutely essential, no kissing or sleeping together.”

With that, I believed our conversation had reached its conclusion. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, hummed a tune, and climbed the stairs. Honestly, I felt bad for Chae Won-u, who was left behind, but I pushed those feelings aside. It’s time to change this habit. 

Business and personal matters must be kept separate. I’m merely a quick fix to prevent Chae Won-u from going berserk or being overwhelmed by shock, while he serves as a cash cow, inflating numbers on my bank statement. 

We should each manage our emotions independently; after all, it’s a world of survival of the fittest.

***

“Great! Wonderful!”

I didn’t wonder if my displeased expression was included in his ‘wonderful’. There was nothing good about upsetting him as he clapped enthusiastically while examining the graph with satisfaction.

“It’s fantastic. These results are unprecedented.”

“They’re actually the lowest among those I’ve obtained so far.”

“Nah, that’s because Guide Yang doesn’t fully understand Hunter Chae yet.”

Just one jump and I was instantly promoted from Baekgyeom-ssi to Guide Yang. The Chief hummed an old song as he zoomed in and out of the graph.

“It would be nice if our Guide Yang signed an exclusive contract… A permanent position is good, right? Huh? Isn’t it great… Will our Guide Yang reject it again?”

“Of course.”

Being a full-time employee meant better treatment, but it also meant retirement became a distant dream. I wanted to get out of this dangerous job as soon as possible, a job where I could die today or tomorrow. I wanted a cozy house in a safe place, and a life at my own pace. Oh, and I’d take the GED exam too. That’s why contract work was the best. Even though the pay went up at a snail’s pace, at least I could quit whenever I wanted!

The chief didn’t press me further, perhaps because my answer was firm and consistent with what I’d said for several years now.

“Is he doing that well?” I casually asked him.

“Oh yes, quite well.”

“I’m not sure about that. Maybe it’s just because I don’t know Hunter Chae very well, but is there any way to learn more about him?”

The chief researcher, who’d been sipping his coffee, let out a disconcerting ‘hehehe’ while giving me a knowing look. He wagged his index finger back and forth as if to say, ‘Nice try, but you can’t fool me.’ The smug bastard. 

“It’s impossible to understand him. It’s like he lives in another dimension.”

“Hmm.”

“I have no idea what he likes or dislikes, what kind of fighting style he has, or what special abilities he possesses.”