Auto Hunting

He looked at Yoo-seong. “Would you like to go in first? As you know, it’s a bit difficult to find parking space.”

Even if Jin Chang-hoon hadn’t said that, Yoo-seong would have hurried out of the car. Since he had, Yoo-seong immediately opened the door and got out.

-Sungwook Building-

This was where he had learned the basics of being a hunter. He immediately headed toward the basement.

As he walked into the lobby, he remembered Jin Chang-hoon’s words in response to his question about Sung-wook.

‘The symptoms got worse…‘

He wasted all the deposits he had; there was no other income aside from the building’s rent…

Tatatak-!

As soon as he reached the stairs, Yoo-seong’s steps were faster than ever. His heart was beating fast.

‘Brother…’

The lights were out in Sung-wook’s training room. Yoo-seong personally felt that the atmosphere had worsened.

The door had a warning posted on it.

-No entry-

Yoo-seong took a deep breath and pushed it open.

Kwaang-!

The metal door rattled. Yoo-seong’s eyes widened as soon as he saw what was behind the door.

It didn’t match what he had in his memory.

“Open the door gently,” the man before him said.

It was Sung-wook.

He was standing in the middle of a more spacious, more colorful training room filled with advanced equipment. The place had been totally renovated.

Yoo-seong’s mouth dropped wide open. He was filled with joy.

“Wow!”

Before he could speak further, Sung-wook appeared right in front of him.

Despite being about eight meters away from the door, he was upon Yoo-seong in an instant.

It was too fast for an average person. Not, however, for a hunter who could use Aura.

“Ugh!” Yoo-seong groaned as he felt Sung-wook’s tight hug.

His mentor’s arms and torso felt more defined. Sung-wook bit his lip and tried to hold his emotions in. Soon, he released Yoo-seong and faced him.

“Well… you really came back.” Sung-wook tapped Yoo-seong’s shoulder several times.

Then he turned and stretched his arm towards the room. “So, how is it?”

“I heard you poured your fortune into it,” Yoo-seong said.

“Chang-hoon told you, right? Actually, I pulled a little loan.”

Yoo-seong looked around.

It was worth it. The material used for its walls turned out to be reinforced plastic, which was not readily available.

It was a solid material that could easily withstand Aura released during practice.

“But of course, I didn’t do it for you,” Sung-wook said with a smile. “It’s mine.”

One important thing was clear to Yoo-seong. Sung-wook could now use Aura.

There were traces of Aura training throughout the room. However, there was no sign of any pain in Sung-wook’s face.

His veins were completely restored.

“What the hell happened?” Yoo-seong asked.

It was impossible to heal his veins using existing medical technology. Yoo-seong even had to go to China upon Jin Wei-baek’s request in exchange for a cure.

“Did Jin Wei-baek…”

“No.” Sung-wook shook his head. “Since you went missing from the Dive, I’ve heard nothing from Tenz.”

Of course, Yoo-seong thought. There was no way they would pay in advance.

‘But then, how?’

Only a miracle could have fixed Sung-wook’s condition.

“Please, let me know,” Yoo-seong pled.

Before Sung-wook could open his mouth, the door opened again. Yoo-seong turned his head and saw a face he knew.

“You…”

Yoo-seong looked at Sung-wook.

His mentor seemed a little embarrassed.

He hadn’t lied. Tenz had not communicated with him.

Four months ago, the woman who was now visiting him was independent of Tenz and Jin Wei-baek.

Yoo-seong turned his head back.

“Welcome back…” the woman muttered. Then, in a small voice, she added, “Congratulations.”

Yoo-seong thought she had gained a little more weight on her face since they last saw each other. He smiled at her.

Seoyu smiled back at him shyly.

***

Yoo-seong had offered her a job before he left for the Dive.

After her ward disappeared, Seoyu’s employment with Tenz seemed to be placed on floating status.

She stayed for two months. Then, she decided to change her life.

She took the plane to Korea.

***

“I thought you would be back soon. A month, two months…”

They were in the cafe on the first floor.

Yoo-seong, Sung-wook, and Seoyu talked while drinking the now-famous Ethiopian Breeze.

Seoyu was Chinese, so she’d had nowhere to stay once she’d arrived.

“So she came to me,” Sung-wook said.

She knew that Sung-wook helped Yoo-seong with hunting-related procedures and tasks.

“At first, she said she was just coming to get some advice on what to do. So we went to learn the laws and rules she needed to know and the relevant administrative procedures in this country.”

“You went with her?” Yoo-seong asked.

“Well… I’ve had nothing to do.”

At that time, Sung-wook’s veins had not recovered yet. He had enough time to tutor her. Besides, wasn’t he a building owner?

He allowed Seoyu to run a small office in his building as he trained her to become his successor as Yoo-seong’s agent.

“I see.” Yoo-seong nodded.

However, there was still a question in his mind.

“But how did your veins heal?”

Seoyu wasn’t talking. Her hands were on her knees, and her head was bowed. After a moment, she spoke.

“It’s because of me,” she said, with her face red. “I have an abnormality called Heavenly Veins…”

“What abnormality?!” Sung-wook intervened with a stern expression. “It’s a miracle. Stay still. I will explain to Yoo-seong.”

As he spoke, his hand unconsciously covered the back of Seoyu’s hands. Yoo-seong noticed it for the first time.

‘These two…’ he thought.

The moment he tried to sip some more coffee…

“We slept together,” Sung-wook said bluntly.

”Quiet!” Seoyu gasped.

Yoo-seong almost spat out his coffee. It wasn’t just Yoo-seong who’d heard Sung-wook’s words. Meanwhile, Seoyu raised her fist and struck Sung-wook’s cheek.

Then she ran out of the cafe.

“Ah… as you can see, she has a slightly naïve side,” Sung-wook remarked.

Yoo-seong’s eyebrows were knotted. “Isn’t that the natural reaction for everyone, even if they aren’t naive?”

“It’s been about two weeks since we first met,” Sung-wook recounted.

“I asked her out to a movie. To be honest, she’s pretty. My taste. We’re both adults… there’s no problem, right?”

At this, Yoo-seong shook his head.

It was true, but he knew Sung-wook would be thirty-four this year. Seoyu was twenty-one.

“I think I want to say something,” Yoo-seong said.

“Go ahead, but if you’re about to confess that you like her, too…” Sung-wook warned.

“No,” Yoo-seong vehemently denied it. “But what are those Heavenly Veins?” Then Yoo-seong seemed to realize something. “Although, if it’s something sensitive between you and Seoyu, I don’t need to know…” he added.

“No.” Sung-wook shook his head. “You deserve to know. I already asked her. Yumi was born with veins that are….”

“Yumi?” Yoo-seong interrupted. “Is that what you call her?”

Sung-wook nodded.

“I see…” Yoo-seong wanted to laugh, but he beckoned him to continue.

“Her veins are damaged, like mine, but she was born with it. Her constitution is not suitable for handling CE. If someone born with this condition dreams of being a hunter, they are unlucky.”

However, the condition had an extremely altruistic advantage.

“The person they sleep with gains a huge benefit from it,” he added.

Yoo-seong was speechless.

“Isn’t it absurd?” Sung-wook asked him.

Seoyu confided this to Sung-wook the morning after the two of them first slept together.

“I was surprised. As I said, it was a miracle.”

Sung-wook’s expression was serious.

He recalled Seoyu’s expression while she confessed everything to him.

“Her talents and efforts were like nothing because of that damn constitution. More than that, all the guys she has encountered wanted to sleep with her.” Sung-wook looked like he would smash those guys if they were around right now.

“But anyway.” he forced himself to relax. “Now, I am normal. No, in fact, I feel much better than before I got hurt. I wanted to tell you that. It’s all thanks to you that Yumi came to me.”

They were silent for a moment.

Then Sung-wook added, “You don’t owe me anything. Rather, I owe you. Thank you for carrying my dreams and for letting me meet the person I love.”

Yoo-seong shook his head. “You owe me nothing, brother. I’m really glad. Congratulations.”

The two men looked at each other and smiled.

“By the way,” Sung-wook remembered something. “The Golden Pill. I don’t need it anymore.”

“Ah, yes.” Yoo-seong had realized.

“Shouldn’t you just take it again? It’s not something that only works once.”

“I don’t know, really.” Yoo-seong was at a loss. While overjoyed about Sung-wook’s recovery, it wasn’t a situation he had planned for.

His contract with Jin Wei-baek was based on it.

But now, if he utilized it himself…

“I have to think about it a little more,” Yoo-seong said as he drank more coffee.

First of all, shouldn’t he just enjoy this day?

It would not be bad to relax with Sung-wook for a while. It was his first break in six months.

However, the break didn’t last long. That very evening…

A man from China arrived for a settlement.