FTE 020

I grumbled incoherently while rummaging through the kitchen. There were plenty of items stored here. The cupboard was filled with cookies, but the problem was that the person who had stocked them never used the kitchen. Consequently, these treats ended up neglected like leftovers.

I placed the cookies in a wooden fruit bowl and left it outside Chae Won-u’s room along with cigarettes and a lighter. As I stuffed my pockets, I felt something round—it was a tangerine.

Had Chae Won-u eaten dinner today? After some thought, I added the tangerine on top of the cookies before leaving the accommodation.

***

I was alone in the smoking booth. The streetlights created a cozy atmosphere. It was getting chilly now, and my windbreaker jacket wasn’t enough to keep me warm. I had to try several times with the lighter as it seemed almost out of gas. My fingers went numb before I finally managed to light up.

Since I wasn’t a regular smoker, I took long drags on each cigarette. As smoke drifted aimlessly like sighs into the air, the door of the booth suddenly swung open.

“…..”

“…..”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Of all people, it was the hunter with whom I’d exchanged minor barbs in the hallway before. Judging by his split lip, he appeared to be training for close combat.

I smiled brightly and nodded. The other hunter flinched, perhaps expecting to be ignored or showing his dislike, before hastily returning the greeting.

‘I need to get out of here quickly.’

I took a deep drag on my cigarette, burning through quite a bit instantly. I saw a man lighting up with a silver lighter beside me. Honestly, even without seeing it, I could tell by the sound alone.

“Excuse me.”

The man spoke, possessing a nice voice.

“Hmm? Yes.”

He was a man who might become my partner in one year. For now, I decided to be friendly.

“Isn’t Chae Won-u obsessed with you?”

“…Why ask such a direct question?”

“It seems like you’re planning to leave once your cigarette is finished, so let’s get straight to the point. Should we wait until the water boils?”

Hunters tended to have impulsive personalities. Some attributed it to their constant awareness of mortality, and I found that analysis quite accurate. Rather than trying to engage him further or play along with his mood swings, I decided it would be best to quietly listen.

“You’re not the first guide matched with Hunter Chae Won-u.”

“Of course not. But since none of them worked out, he hasn’t had a partner until now.” I smiled as I tapped my cigarette ash into the ashtray between us.

“I doubt you were unaware of this. Even if we aren’t particularly close, knowing about his past partners is common knowledge among hunters.”

“…Do you understand how a hunter feels without a guide for a long time?”

“As you can see, I’m just a guide, so trying to understand hunters is like grasping at straws.” Personally, I believed it was impossible for one person to fully comprehend another.

The man responded defensively, “Chae Won-u has been through hell. Among all the hunters in Korea—no, scratch that, among all humans, there’s no one who’s suffered more than him. And since he met you during this time, he won’t let go of you easily.”

“Are you worried about me? How kind of you.”

Half of my cigarette had already burned down, but unlike usual, it didn’t feel satisfying enough. For the first time, I felt an urge to chain-smoke.

“I mean, don’t take it personally. It’s not because I’m concerned about you.”

The man growled, and I realized this unique sound distinguished his voice. Glancing sideways under the streetlight outside, I spotted a scar about four inches long on his neck. It must’ve been deep enough to damage his vocal cords.

“If it’s possible to breach the contract, do that. Otherwise, fulfill the year and then run away.”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

I was getting annoyed now. As my cigarette burned down to the filter, I lit another one. The man openly sneered at me before speaking with contempt:

“Have you heard about how that bastard killed hunters?”

“…No.”

“It might have been five or six of them.”

“Excuse me.” I flashed him a polite smile. “Aren’t we here to smoke? Too bad; mine just ran out.”

“……”

“Just smoke quietly and leave.”

Ah, fuck, I pursed my lips. After taking a few more puffs of the newly lit cigarette, I stopped. I stared straight at the man, stuck out my tongue, and extinguished the butt on it before flicking it towards the ashtray with my thumb and index finger.

“Have a very good night.”

I didn’t think it would be such a great night for me though. I opened the booth door to exit. Normally, I would’ve just left, but why today? Maybe the full moon was making people cranky. Uncharacteristically turning back, I spat angrily:

“But seriously, fucking hell, why do you keep treating him like a monster? Do you really think there’s only one or two cases here where hunters have killed others intentionally, negligently, or accidentally? Are you all so innocent? Whether it’s you, me, or him, we’re monsters in the eyes of those people out there.”

After spitting out my rant without taking a breath, I felt slightly relieved…or not at all. It didn’t alleviate anything; it only made me angrier. My throat was parched. People say expressing anger helps dissipate it, but that certainly wasn’t true for me. Some claim drawing the character for ‘patience’ thrice on your palm aids in calming down, but I had no idea what this character looked like. Running my hands through my hair, I eventually ended up pulling some strands out of frustration.

“I’m planning to complete my one-year contract, receive my full compensation, and then terminate it, regardless of whether you care or not. So don’t bring up Hunter Chae Won-u to me. Unless it’s something he explicitly said or officially documented, I have no interest. Fuck, consider this a spoiler-free zone.”

I slammed shut the booth door, leaving the hunter with a stunned expression. Instead of improving my mood, venting had only worsened it.

I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my face. I held my breath as I let out a yell with my face buried in my palms, feeling somewhat relieved afterward. Slowly, I lowered my hands from my face. ‘I should wash my hands with soap…’

“……”

There stood Chae Won-u.

Had he heard everything? My mind raced when our eyes met. Damn it, Yang Baekgyeom! Why did I have to scream like that with the door open? He definitely overheard me. There was no way he didn’t hear anything. Even outside dungeons, hunters’ senses were one-and-a-half times sharper than those of ordinary people.

We stared at each other without knowing what to say, engaged in a game of who would speak first. Eventually, Chae Won-u broke the silence.

“Here…”

Chae Won-u extended his hand. The tangerine sparkled under the subtle lighting of the neatly trimmed garden backdrop.

“I wanted to thank you.”

You chased me down here just to tell me that? The guy in there went on a whole rant about me being obsessed with you, about how I’m some hunter-murdering psycho… said all that without even asking for my side of the story. And you’re worried about a damn orange?

I stifled a sigh, knowing Chae Won-u would hear if I let it out. I slowly approached him and took the offered orange. I dug my thumb into the soft bottom and ripped it in half.  A burst of citrus filled the air.  I handed half back to him, my voice heavy with exhaustion. 

“It’s a shame to share this with a roommate who doesn’t even greet each other despite living together.”

Chae Won-u smiled brightly. As I mentioned earlier from across the room, he was still quite handsome. Especially under the crimson outdoor lighting, his eyelashes added to his dreamy aura. A cotton candy-like serial killer of hunters. Watching him, I shook my head.

“Let’s go inside first. It’s getting cold.”

“I wish my ability was fire during moments like this.”

“That’s fine. Imagine if someone with your rough techniques had a fire ability? Firefighters everywhere would be out of jobs.” Chae Won-u laughed at my remark, seemingly agreeing with me. His demeanor made it hard to associate him with the one who killed six fellow hunters.

I’ll admit it now. I was genuinely curious about Chae Won-u, intrigued beyond just maintaining a business-level acquaintance.

***

I returned to my room, concerned about any lingering cigarette smell that might make Chae Won-u keep his distance from me. However, he stayed close by my side.

‘My body temperature is high, you know.’

Just as he claimed, Chae Won-u felt warm. He seemed unaffected by the cold, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt. Despite our effort to meet, Chae Won-u was hastily heading straight for his room. Without thinking, I called out to him:

“Hunter Chae Won-u.”

“Yes?”

There wasn’t anything specific I wanted to say. It just bothered me how abruptly Chae Won-u had started avoiding me after constantly being around earlier. This wouldn’t be limited to him; if anyone suddenly distanced themselves, whether a work colleague or schoolmate, it would naturally raise concerns. Feeling uneasy, I offered an unnecessary justification before firmly stating:

“We need to practice matching exercises.”

“…Okay.”

“It didn’t make sense for him to leave so abruptly from the start.”

“But it worked out well, right?”

“What if it was just luck or coincidence?”

“……”

“What happens if any residual effects of his medication stabilized you temporarily? If he stops taking his pills and next time I can only muster 20 percent of my power, what then?”

Chae Won-u avoided eye contact. As he reached for the doorknob to enter the apartment, I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.

“The next training session is in three days. No matter what, I’ll try to move it up earlier, so don’t avoid me again.”

“…Did you know that I’ve been avoiding you?”

“How could I not notice? Hunter Chae, you act strangely when trying to be sneaky; just be yourself.”

He nodded reluctantly. Seeing him dejectedly heading inside, I couldn’t help but ask:

“By any chance, have I done something to upset you?”