RG 145

After washing up and changing clothes, Cha Seohu and Ryu Seonghyeon came down to the first floor and were momentarily speechless at the sight of the table packed full of food. The variety of side dishes far exceeded what they had seen on the first day, with the table laden with everything from soy-braised beef to stir-fried pork and soy sauce bulgogi—numerous meat dishes stood out prominently.

It was obvious to anyone that this meal had been prepared with Cha Seohu in mind, who was known to enjoy soy-braised beef.

As Ryu Seonghyeon let out a dry laugh, Cha Seohu, surprised, turned to Song Ji-un and asked, “Did you really make all of this just now?”

“You helped purify this place, and you also had a tough time today because of me. I just wanted to make sure you had a hearty meal.”

A halo seemed to shine behind Song Ji-un as he smiled and spoke. While Ryu Seonghyeon was left speechless, Cha Seohu was completely captivated by the smile, looking deeply moved. “We’re the ones who followed you without permission, so we should be the ones apologizing. I can’t believe you’d show us such kindness…”

“Haha, no need to apologize.”

Watching Song Ji-un and Cha Seohu chat so warmly, Ryu Seonghyeon let out a sigh in his mind.

Now it was clear.

Song Ji-un had asked him to see if Cha Seohu would be willing to purify the mountain, but he had no intention of sitting around and waiting on that alone. He was clearly working to win Cha Seohu over with genuine charm. He might have been someone who’d lived in hiding deep in the mountains for years, but he wasn’t naïve—he was sly as a fox.

Cha Seohu, oblivious to Ryu Seonghyeon’s increasingly sharp gaze, beamed brightly and grabbed his arm, guiding him to sit at the table. “Looks delicious, right?”

“…Yeah.” Ryu Seonghyeon forced a smile and nodded in response to the innocent comment.

Cha Seohu was just as much of a problem as Song Ji-un. From the moment he first met Song Ji-un, he hadn’t hidden his interest, and the longer he stayed here, the more that affection grew. Even though Song Ji-un’s powerful energy made him feel physically ill, his feelings remained firm. By now, Ryu Seonghyeon was genuinely curious why Cha Seohu felt such unwavering goodwill. Still, he couldn’t say much—Song Ji-un had saved them.

‘…Yeah. It’s not like Hunter Cha Seohu did anything wrong.’

Cha Seohu was affectionate and gentle-hearted like a puppy, so it made sense that he’d come to like Song Ji-un, who had rescued him. And he wasn’t the type to turn a cold shoulder to a snow-covered mountain either.

Still, he was genuinely frustrated that Song Ji-un was trying to use kind-hearted Cha Seohu to purify the mountain.

There are countless DPSs who lose their minds when they see a top-tier Support. Honestly, even Ryu Seonghyeon had been shaken when he first received a buff from Cha Seohu. And they hadn’t even known each other well back then. Kwon Taehyeok probably felt the same way.

So it’s not like he couldn’t understand Song Ji-un’s feelings… but asking someone to purify this entire vast mountain? That was crossing a line. Trying to lure someone in with a few meat dishes? Absolutely not.

‘No way.’

Determined to make sure innocent Cha Seohu didn’t fall for Song Ji-un, Ryu Seonghyeon turned to his side. Cha Seohu, who had already started eating beside him, looked genuinely pleased. With his fair hands holding chopsticks and his neat, graceful manners, he looked like the well-mannered son of a rich family.

“I know it’s a bit of a rude question…” After taking a sip of water, Cha Seohu carefully spoke. “But you’ve lived alone in the mountains for a long time—how do you get your ingredients?”

The wild vegetable dishes from the first day made sense. There are some plants that survive in the cold, and the lower slopes of the mountain were less frigid, so it seemed possible to be somewhat self-sufficient.

But meat side dishes like these? In such a harsh mountain? Impossible. There were no animals here other than Eunbok.

As if he’d been expecting the question, Song Ji-un answered calmly, “A few years ago, I helped a man who came up the mountain intending to die.” His gaze shifted to the neatly arranged side dishes on the table. “He was an ordinary man who had lost his wife and daughter to a criminal. The killer was caught, but the man had already lost his will to live.”

“…”

“When I found him, his body was frozen stiff, moments away from death.”

Song Ji-un had cared for the man until he recovered. He simply couldn’t abandon someone who was sobbing and begging to be allowed to die. Maybe it was thanks to that care—or perhaps a miracle at death’s door—but the man regained his resolve and promised Song Ji-un he’d live a proper life before he descended the mountain.

“He now runs a small butcher shop in the city below. He contacts me from time to time and brings meat and other supplies to the edge of the mountain.”

“Then… these meat side dishes too?”

“Yes. And after the government found out about the incident, they officially assigned me to a management role. I receive a monthly salary, though it’s not much.”

“Salary…” The unexpected revelation left Cha Seohu with a blank expression. Then he let out a soft laugh. “You told us to just call you the mountain keeper, and you really are one.”

“Ah.”

At the teasing remark, Song Ji-un blinked, slightly embarrassed. He was reminded of how coldly he had brushed off Cha Seohu earlier, saying that “mountain keeper” was enough when asked for his name.

After a brief hesitation, Song Ji-un finally said his name, “I apologize for earlier today. My name is… Song Ji-un.”

It had been a long time since he’d told anyone his name. He rarely met people, and even when he did, he’d always introduced himself simply as the mountain keeper. Maybe that’s why—today, his own name felt strangely smooth on his tongue. Song Ji-un. Yes, that had always been his name.

“All right, Mountain Keeper Song Ji-un.” Cha Seohu gave a faint smile upon finally hearing his name.

The kind reaction was comforting—and for some reason, it almost felt like Cha Seohu had already known his name all along. Of course, that couldn’t be true.

“If it’s all right… I have a question as well.”

A cold, firm voice suddenly cut in. It was Ryu Seonghyeon, who had been listening to Song Ji-un and Cha Seohu’s conversation the entire time.

“The monster we saw on the mountain. You told us not to kill it—what did you mean by that?”

“That…”

Song Ji-un’s face darkened in an instant. The peridot-like eyes that had been looking at Cha Seohu were now shadowed with gloom. But Ryu Seonghyeon continued, undeterred, “It was astonishingly similar to a human. From what I can tell, it’s likely the source of the unnatural cold that covers this mountain.”

“…”

“Why did you tell us not to kill it? You were pleased when Hunter Cha Seohu purified the mountain, but now you want to leave the cause untouched?”

“Vicemaster.” Cha Seohu, unable to sit still in the face of Ryu Seonghyeon’s cold and pointed words, grabbed his arm. He was clearly caught off guard. There was an unmistakable tension between Ryu Seonghyeon and Song Ji-un, one that couldn’t be ignored.

‘What is going on?’

Cha Seohu, who remembered just how close the two had been before his regression, found the situation baffling. Of course, they’d only just met in this timeline, and hadn’t had a chance to grow close yet—awkwardness was to be expected. But this wasn’t just awkwardness. It was deeper, more hostile.

Anyone else might not have noticed, but to him, both Ryu Seonghyeon and Song Ji-un were like an older brother and a trusted mentor. So when the two of them began openly clashing, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Thanks to Cha Seohu stepping in and grabbing his arm, Ryu Seonghyeon gave a small smile—but everyone could tell it was hollow, devoid of any real warmth.

Song Ji-un let out a bitter breath and slowly lifted his head. Though the question had come from Ryu Seonghyeon, his gaze turned to Cha Seohu. “…All right. I was planning to explain it anyway.”

Just as he said, Song Ji-un had already decided he needed to tell Cha Seohu about the “monster.” Whether it led to sympathy or understanding, it would be the only way to persuade him to purify the mountain.

A brief silence settled among the three of them.

Song Ji-un, hesitating as if unsure where to begin, finally opened his mouth after a long pause. “That monster is—”

BOOM! A tremendous roar echoed from outside, and the floor trembled briefly. Startled by the vibration, Cha Seohu instinctively stood from his seat.

“…!”

Whoosh—an unbearably frigid aura surged in like a crashing wave, freezing to the bone. Its source was somewhere up the mountain. A terrible sense of foreboding swept over them. As Cha Seohu and Ryu Seonghyeon exchanged glances, Song Ji-un’s face went deathly pale.

“This… could it be…?”

Muttering under his breath, Song Ji-un snatched the blue cloak draped over his chair and bolted for the door.

“Let’s go too.”

Cha Seohu pulled a robe from his inventory and spoke, to which Ryu Seonghyeon gave a silent nod.

Leaving behind Eunbok, still sound asleep on the sofa, the two followed Song Ji-un out into the cold.