#also the tension between hyuna and [redacted] is crazy

[lalune9x]

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 467: Even A Good Person (3)

“What the hell.” Moon Hyuna’s expression twisted. “What are you doing here?”

Chapter translation under the cut.

Story context: The terrorists who attacked the Association building used firearms and bombs. They delivered a message that they were a 'fan' of Director Song. That's why a certain character makes those references in this chapter.

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“Isn't it time to tell the kids?” Moon Hyuna pressed the elevator button as she spoke. “Or at least Director Song. Even if Hyung-nim gets rejected as expected, we still need to assess her rank, right?”

Lowering one's Hunter rank honestly wasn’t a major issue. On the other hand, falsely inflating one’s rank was strictly forbidden because entering a dungeon beyond one's abilities could endanger not only oneself but also the entire team.

However, this case was different. This involved someone meeting with an F-rank who had already been targeted multiple times. Even if there were special circumstances, they should have at least informed someone like Song Taewon or an S-rank Hunter contracted to the Mount Rearing Facility for protection.

“Not yet,” said Sung Hyunje.

The elevator doors closed, and they began to ascend swiftly to the top floor.

“Well, I don’t how the others will react, but the young master would probably be the first to draw his sword,” Moon Hyuna said. “Hyung-nim might fail anyway. He might end up just talking about business the whole time.”

She chuckled and leaned casually against the elevator wall. Then she stopped laughing. After listening to the mechanical hum of the machinery, she spoke in a low voice.

“Something must have happened to Han Yoohyun. For Han Yoojin to go back to the past, I mean.”

“If not for a reason of that magnitude, he’s not the type to easily give up on the present and the people around him, is he?” Sung Hyunje replied.

"Not just that. There were times when he seemed almost desperate. It’s less so now, but… it was like, I don’t know, like he was a parent who’d lost a child.”

Even though Han Yoojin had only been Awakened less than half a year ago, he already knew a lot about hunters. Yet at the same time, he worried excessively about Han Yoohyun, an S-rank hunter. Even though Han Yoohyun was much stronger than him, despite being the little brother he’d cared for since childhood. Even though Han Yoojin wasn’t ignorant of what S-rank Hunters were capable of.

The elevator doors opened, and the two of them headed straight for the emergency exit. With no guests or staff around, the surroundings were quiet.

“Five years from now, you guys said? I’m curious, even if it doesn’t have much to do with me now, but how would I even ask?”

Hyuna furrowed her brows slightly as she opened the emergency exit door with the key she had obtained in advance. A dim stairway appeared before them. 

“Hyung-nim still has some insecurities, doesn’t he.”

They ascended the stairs in one go, their footsteps barely making a sound. They unlocked door to the rooftop and pushed it open. The sky was already pitch-black as the sun had long since set.

“The wounds from losing something truly important don’t heal easily.”

Even if one went back to the past, with memories and experiences intact, things couldn’t remain the same.

“Especially for someone like Hyung-nim. If the situation became dire, he might throw his life away. He can’t afford to lose something so important twice—it would be too hard to bear.”

With a bitter expression, Moon Hyuna walked to the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the terrace garden to where Han Yoojin was headed. Although the difference in elevation was big enough that not even an S-rank hunter could hear the conversation from this distance, it wouldn't be hard to observe Han Yoojin’s facial expressions and lip movements.

Perhaps because of the considerable distance from the lounge to the terrace and their slow pace, Han Yoojin was only now emerging into the garden. His tense face was clearly visible to both observers. He glanced around a bit before stopping in front of the terrace railing.

“He must’ve liked her a lot to even remember her exact height.”

“He seems frightened,” Sung Hyunje remarked.

“Isn’t that normal? Getting rejected would be better. At least the person he likes would remain the same. Oh, they’re talking. Seems they’re still just discussing the broadcast.”

As Moon Hyuna slightly bent forward to get a better look, her body suddenly twisted sharply.

Thwack!

Her raised hand caught something in midair. Blood faintly seeped from her tightly clenched fist. It was an arrow.

“Now, what’s this?” 

Moon Hyuna’s eyes sharpened. The arrow had come from the opposite building. Her cold gaze quickly scanned the line of buildings beyond the eight-lane road. 

“Is sniping trendy these days? You don't need me, right? Or should we let the ones below know?"

Moon Hyuna’s feet touched the edge of the rooftop. At the same time, the Searcher’s Chain appeared. Unlike its usual appearance, it was currently a faint silvery chain that hadn't absorbed any electricity, stretching outwards. Moon Hyuna jumped into the air, stepped on the chain and then leapt higher. In an instant, she landed on the roof of the opposite building.

A faint killing intent emanated through the air like a signal. Without hesitation, Moon Hyuna dashed toward the source. She swiftly crossed the gap of more than ten meters between buildings, having drawn a long spear into her hand, and then came to an abrupt halt.

Someone was standing in the long shadow cast by the adjacent building. Still holding a bow, they seemed to have no intention of concealing their crime. Their eyes curved in a slight smile behind their glasses.

“What the hell.” Moon Hyuna’s expression twisted. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Breaker Guild Leader,” Evelyn Miller greeted her nonchalantly.

Moon Hyuna threw the arrow she had been holding. Thunk! It grazed the tip of Evelyn’s shoe and embedded itself into the ground. The arrow’s fletching quivered from the impact. A faint scent of blood lingered in its wake.

“What kind of game are you playing? Don’t tell me you’re here to confess to being one of the Association’s terrorists.”

“Do I look like Director Song Taewon’s fan?” Evelyn asked. Then she murmured in a low voice, “You still have no discerning eye,” which made Moon Hyuna’s expression grow more severe. “You know I don’t like the smell of metal and gunpowder.”

“Whatever,” Moon Hyuna retorted coldly, "As you said, I have no discerning eye. I can't tell what's real and what's fake with you."

“Still holding a grudge?”

"No. We just don't match—our dispositions. I like honest people.” Moon Hyuna’s foot dragged slightly as she stepped backwards.

“I like you,” Evelyn said.

“Cut the crap.”

“Moon Hyuna is someone who’s hard not to like. That’s why.”

“So that’s why you shot me? Alright. I’m leaving.”

Realizing it was pointless to continue the conversation trying to learn Evelyn’s motives, Moon Hyuna turned to leave. But Evelyn’s voice halted her.

“If you jump, I’ll shoot you down.”

A pale finger rested on the bowstring. There was no arrow, but Moon Hyuna knew well how quickly an arrow could be nocked by that fingertip. Thanks to the inventory, arrows could be instantly drawn into a Hunter’s hand. Evelyn was even faster than that, with the drawing of her bow and releasing of the arrow happening almost simultaneously. Rather than nocking and drawing, the arrow was nocked, drawn, and released at the same time.

It was a speed difficult even for an S-rank hunter to keep up with, and the power of the skill-imbued arrow was not to be underestimated. For Moon Hyuna, who didn't have a flight skill, it would be hard to dodge the arrows while airborne.

“At least tell me why,” Moon Hyuna demanded, not hiding her irritation.

Evelyn shrugged lightly. “I was just asked to hold you back for a while.”

“Asked? By whom—don’t tell me it was Sung Hyunje?”

“Who else could it be?”

“...What’s that guy plotting?”

Moon Hyuna ran a hand roughly through her hair. Evelyn's eyes seemed to convey that she sympathized with Moon Hyuna, at least at the moment.

“I’m curious too,” Evelyn said. “He opened the candy box, peeked inside, closed it again, and now he’s just shaking it. Normally, he would have already tried one of each flavor before tossing it aside.”

Even if there were a variety of candies, he’d lose interest halfway when they all tasted pretty much the same.

"Is he hoping for the candy to offer itself?" Evelyn wondered.

"...Who knows. I’d rather just leave than waste time standing here."

Baring her teeth fiercely, Moon Hyuna leaped over the rooftop railing. Instead of jumping to the adjacent building, she dropped straight down and soon disappeared between the buildings.

I hadn’t expected much. Rather, I’d thought the possibility was high, so, this... this. I swallowed a small breath. I reactivated my Fear Resistance. The trembling in my chest subsided, but the complex mix of emotions remained the same.

Yeah, things could definitely turn out this way. That was possible, right?

Come to think of it, things had gone well with most people until now. I had reconnected well with those I knew in the past. Needless to say, my relationship with Yoohyun improved. The people I went through dungeons with—though we weren’t as close as before—had reestablished good relationships with me. I was able to repay them. Even with people I’d had bad ties with, like Seok Shimyung, Kim Sunghan, and others from Haeyeon, I was getting along well this time. The people who had harmed or threatened me were either estranged before the regression or were people I had never known.

So, of course, this kind of situation could happen too. If things can change for the better, they can also change for the worse.

‘...From the beginning, it was just me liking her one-sidedly.’

And she’s still a good person. I wasn’t sure if it would have been better if the image she’d crafted for her broadcasts had been fake all along, or if it had been real.

“...I just wanted to say it.”

My gaze naturally dropped to the ground. It hurt inside. I wanted to take out the cigarettes still left in my inventory and light one. I should have drunk more.

No, now wasn’t the time for this. I needed to organize my thoughts. The conclusion was already clear.

The same message appeared as it had with Park Hayul. In that case, it was likely that Chloe had also received help from that so-called ‘noonim’ just like Park Hayul had. I still didn’t know that noonim’s identity, but for now, it seemed she was part of a faction different from the cult and the Pious.

‘They kidnapped me to China, but didn’t cause any further harm beyond that.’

Could they have made a deal with the Chinese military? So, although I’d been kidnapped, it was too early to judge them as definite enemies. If they weren’t part of Chatterbox’s faction, there was still room to negotiate. After all, there aren’t many people who actually want the world to end.

“Director Han Yoojin.”

“...Yes?”

“Since you’ve been honest, I’ll answer you just as candidly.”

My fists clenched reflexively. How was she going to respond? Would she try to persuade me? Or maybe—

“I don’t like people like you,” she said.

“... Pardon?”

Startled, I raised my head. On my shoulder, Gyeol fluttered his wings restlessly. Well, I’d heard people say they dislike me plenty of times before, but…

“It’s not right to judge someone I’ve only met a few times, but I just couldn’t see you in a good light.”

“R-really?”

Had I done something wrong? Publicly, I’d only been kidnapped a couple of times… Was it because I was weak? But Chloe didn’t seem like the kind of person to dislike me for that.

“Asking for a mere pet monster in exchange for a mount-rearing contract doesn’t sit well with me,” Chloe spoke with a slightly cold tone. Well, I… that was… “I don’t necessarily criticize luxury. But treating such a unique power as a personal indulgence leaves a bad impression on me.”

… I could understand why Hyuna-ssi had said Chloe was somewhat similar to Director Song. Director Song had also seemed to be a bit wary of me, though for different reasons.

“It wasn't a trivial request. I had a reason for it.”

“Does the Gold Hamster have some kind of special ability?”

“...No.”

It was really just a pet. I was trying to draw in Do Hamin, but even so, I could see why Chloe was still uncomfortable with it. She wasn’t wrong in thinking I was too cavalier. And since I couldn’t explain Do Hamin’s abilities, it probably just seemed like I was trying to win someone’s favor.

“I have no defense for that.”

I cradled the fairy dragon in my arms, trying to calm his irritated tail flicks. At least it wasn’t for some other reason. Just like how I liked Chloe from watching her on broadcasts, maybe she disliked me after seeing only part of my actions...

“Thank you for being honest with me,” I said.

Well, I was cleanly rejected. So cleanly that it was hard to believe she was associated with Park Hayul. Could it be that she knew a dozen other people who could grant growth buffs, and wasn’t telling me? The Irreverents had made such a fuss about how rare Caregivers like me were that I had assumed there were only two of us.

Still, she had hidden her true rank. But to go that far... wait a minute.

“Then, why did you come all the way here?”

If she had disliked me from the start, it didn’t make sense.

“Why did you accept the request to capture the Gold Hamster? There was no reason for you to help…”

It was strange for her to go out of her way to help capture the hamster, travel to Korea, and conceal her rank when she wasn’t even a guild member. If she had other business here, she could’ve just entered separately. Besides, concealing her rank wasn’t an issue unless she was meeting low-rank Awakened people like me or others who needed protection. It wasn’t like in Japan, where we fought duels with rewards on the line.

So, why did she come all this way?

At that moment, the glass door opened. A familiar face appeared and the man stepped inside. Chloe moved aside, and Sung Hyunje approached me.

“...What is this?” I asked. The little fairy dragon in my arms flattened his ears warily.

“Shall I offer you some comfort first?” Sung Hyunje said.

“Just get to the point.” I still couldn’t grasp the situation. "Were you two acquainted? From before?"

“Not exactly. Hunter Chloe didn’t come here to meet Han Yoojin-gun, but to see me.”

“To see... you?”

“When it comes to matters involving Director Han Yoojin, it’s easier to approach through the Sesung Guild Leader,” Chloe said.

So that’s why... But, then, when did they meet, and what exactly did they discuss? I wanted to step back, but there was only the railing behind me. I stared at the two of them, mentally preparing myself to jump if I had to.