FTE 017

I squeezed the ketchup bottle too hard due to my firm grip and ended up squirting out way too much. Feeling embarrassed and apologetic, I scooped some back with an unused spoon. This time, Chae Won-u dispensed more ketchup onto my pork cutlet while presenting his own theory:

“If you don’t drink it here, you’ll do so somewhere else, right? And that bothers me.”

His argument wasn’t particularly logical despite being technically correct.

“I’ll drink alone, okay? Is that fine with you?” To avoid further debate, I quickly offered a solution. Besides, there was no one around with whom I could enjoy sharing drinks casually. My friend was busy networking with alliances of hunters from various countries.

“Just drink it in front of me. As long as I don’t have even a drop, it’s alright.”

“I’m sorry, so I am doing this. Why join such a boring drinking party?”

“For me, just seeing your face is enjoyable.”

“…My face isn’t that comedic.”

“Isn’t that phrase usually used in different situations?”

“I don’t know. People use it for all sorts of things. Though, I’m not exactly thrilled. Wonder why.”

Why indeed?  Being complimented on my looks by Chae Won-woo just felt… off. 

‘Enjoyable to look at’ was a descriptor better suited for him. Which made it all the more awkward coming from him. 

I cleared my throat and lightly elbowed Chae Won-u.

“Let’s eat. We don’t know when we might get called again.”

“Yes.”

“…..”

Then I looked down and saw four-leaf clovers drawn with ketchup on my cutlets. They were really well-drawn clovers, unnecessarily detailed.

“…If there is no call today, do you know it’s training day?”

I checked the time while turning the four-leaf clover into a three-leaf clover. The meal started late, so we had less time now. We needed to go for shooting practice. I sped up eating. It was necessary to eat quickly and digest fast. The shooting instructor truly hated entering the firing range when full.

“What training will Hunter Chae Won-u receive today?”

It felt a bit shameful asking this question after saying not to interfere with each other’s work. However, it would be even more embarrassing if I unnecessarily caused friction and worsened our relationship.

I reflected slightly on whether I had been overly sensitive towards Chae Won-u—of course, it was obvious that he had crossed the line—but decided to change my attitude and get along better with him. Despite his strange behavior leading others to believe he might be mentally unstable, Chae Won-u wasn’t actually a bad person once you got past those misconceptions.

“I’m going for a medical check-up.”

He’s leaving? That means it wasn’t part of his original schedule. I almost asked what type of check-up but stopped myself, realizing it would be too intrusive.

Instead, I nodded and said, “Have a good check-up and come back soon.”

“Yep.”

“That…tone, please stop using it. It’s not like I can give you extra side dishes or anything.”

“But doesn’t it make me sound cute?”

“It’s funny because you learned it wrong.”

“Then laugh once if it is funny.”

I shook my head slightly and laughed before putting down my chopsticks and turning towards Chae Won-u. Then I raised my chin slightly with a proud posture, lifting the corners of my mouth.

“How about now?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I immediately lowered my lips. Chae Won-u clapped his hands while laughing.

“You are too cute, hyung.”

His laughter made him even cuter and more beautiful. I turned away, barely managing to resist the urge to retort, ‘Well, you’re the cute one.’ Still, this kid was truly… effortlessly genuine, both for better and worse.

***

I liked shooting. The moment I blocked my ears, regulated my breathing, and focused on the target, the world shrunk to just me and the white bullseye.

‘You need to relax.’

That was the comment from my shooting instructor. He could see not only targets but people as well. Yes, I needed to relax. Almost always, that was the case.

If there is one excuse, it’s that who here isn’t like this? Compared to ordinary people, those with abilities have broader peripheral vision. Espers and guides might not be hunters, but their five senses are more developed than average humans’.

Once a month, I update my last letter. Every time I go out, I receive life insurance payments. If lucky, I can meet someone quite compatible, but most of the time, I must endure unwanted physical contact.

Therefore, shooting was good as it allowed me to narrow down my focus on something else amidst this forcibly opened world.

“You’re still doing well,” the instructor said while standing next to me as I exchanged magazines.

“How about Pigeon?”

“I’ve already shot.”

“How many did you hit?”

“Nine out of ten.”

“You are truly gifted.”

“Not a prodigy?”

“We reserve that term for hunter kids.”

Apparently, those prodigies could hit nineteen out of twenty targets. As for me, I’d probably nail eighteen. With a click of frustration, I aimed at another target again. Suddenly curious, I asked:

“How is Hunter Chae Won-u doing?”

“What?”

“I’m asking about Hunter Chae Won-u’s performance. My partner.”

“Um.” Suddenly, the instructor closed his mouth. He took off his hat and put it back on correctly. “He hasn’t received any shooting training.”

“What?” I asked while firing one shot.

“Is it because ammunition issuance isn’t allowed?”

The second bullet. It missed.

For some reason, as I learned more about Chae Won-u, there seemed to be even more that remained unknown. It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand; rather, it felt like information was being deliberately withheld from me. The knowledge I had access to appeared to be limited to what wouldn’t cause issues for me. In other words, anything beyond that would leave me powerless.

So, what kind of information should remain hidden, with potentially dire consequences if discovered? Despite appearing no different from other hunters, what made Chae Won-u truly unique?

The third bullet also missed its target. I spat out irritably:

“I’ll hit the rest.”

My allowable error rate was always one shot out of ten. One could survive by luck up to that point, but beyond it, skill took over. Thus, mistakes were no longer permitted after the first miss. In my mind, I knew this and aimed for perfection during practice, achieving it most times. The issue arose when transitioning from training to actual combat.

In truth, I already knew the answer: It never matched up. Therefore, perhaps what I needed more than skill was sheer luck. Unconsciously, my hand moved to touch the necklace around my neck. Chae Won-u’s gift radiated warmth, tickling my collarbone.

***

Shooting training was harder and took longer than I thought. After completing all three types of moving target practice using virtual reality (VR), my arms were sore, and my fingers holding the gun felt numb.

By the time I finished showering, it was already late afternoon. Since I had only eaten a simple lunch at the training center, I was now feeling extremely hungry.

Normally, I would have gone to the dining hall alone, but today, something stopped me. Perhaps it was because I had breakfast with Chae Won-u this morning or maybe due to the newfound significance of his necklace; somehow, I felt compelled to eat together with him again.

“But why isn’t he answering his phone?”

The problem was that I didn’t know where Chae Won-u was. Despite being partners, I had no idea about his schedule. Surely he couldn’t have been on the fourth floor all day.

On my way to the dining hall, I leaned against a wall, lost in thought when I spotted a group of hunters approaching.

“Oh, excuse me.” With a friendly smile, I addressed them. Initially suspicious, they relaxed once I showed them my wristband and introduced myself as a guide.

“What seems to be the issue?”

“I need to attend matching training but can’t reach my partner. Today is particularly frustrating because I also misplaced their schedule… Although our schedules may not align perfectly, I wondered if you’ve seen him recently?”

Everything except for asking if they’d seen him was a lie. I licked my lips. Lying required saliva.

They looked at each other, shrugged, and asked:

“What’s his name?”

“Chae Won-u.”

The group’s expressions soured as soon as they heard Chae Won-u’s name. Even his name had to be a lie. But then how would I find him?

“You’re partners with Chae Won-u?”

“…Yes.”

“Huh, that bastard already found a partner.”

Their mockery was unmistakable.

I responded, “That ‘bastard’? Seems like you two are quite close friends. Well, since we aren’t yet close enough to call each other ‘bastards,’ I have no idea where he might be. How fortunate for me! Do you happen to know Hunter Chae’s whereabouts?”

“What? Do I seem friendly to you?”

“You called him ‘that bastard.’ Isn’t that term usually reserved for extremely close friends?”

Of course, it wasn’t necessarily true, but I casually used “bastard” as if we were very familiar with each other. The hunter’s face gradually twisted. Then, as the cherry on top, I draped my arm around his shoulder and grinned mischievously at him.

“Wanna be buddies too? My dream has always been to have a friend I can call… ‘that bastard’.”

His reaction was predictably intense. If he let this slide, he’d look like a pushover. However, despite his heavy breathing, he managed to restrain himself—impressive, no? Not wanting any trouble myself, I took a step back.

“Since you haven’t mentioned it until now, I guess you don’t know. Sorry for wasting your time with unnecessary anger!”

“You… You bastard… Just wait and see when I’m with Chae Won-u.”

“Woah, am I considered one of his close friends now? Sure thing! Next time, let’s all go to a karaoke bar together. First, I’ll find Hunter Chae!” I boldly pushed through the crowd, showing them my determination. Turning back, I folded my hands and bowed courteously. Despite knowing it was wrong to hit someone else’s guide, they seemed oblivious to the rudeness of openly insulting their partner right in front of them. As I walked away, I couldn’t help but chuckle sarcastically.

“Looks like Hunter Chae Won-u is quite busy making enemies everywhere.”

And not just within dungeons, apparently.