The Hunter Wants to Live Quietly (bl)-Chapter 163: Summons

Even if I don't know who took the photo, I'll definitely deal with them. Cha Eui-jae forced himself to suppress his writhing urge for destruction and subtly moved his foot aside. He ignored the snicker he heard next to him.

"Sa-young, J goes out of their way to carry you so carefully, you should at least say thank you."

'Please, just be quiet.'

Cha Eui-jae clenched his teeth. Bae Won-woo's well-meaning but useless support fire, doubling as a lesson in manners, was pointless. He caught a glimpse of a slightly higher raised corner of the lips and resigned himself. There was no place left to escape.

Rustle, rustle, the sound of a newspaper being flipped echoed clearly. Just as he thought he heard a brief chuckle, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, bringing a sweet scent closer. Lee Sa-young whispered teasingly.

"...Thanks?"

'Is that the voice of someone who's grateful?'

But Bae Won-woo, acting as though he were Lee Sa-young's father, awkwardly chuckled.

"Oh dear, sorry about that. Sa-young isn't great at expressing it, but he's a good person."

"Ah, sure."

"Not many people are as good as him..."

Had the dictionary definition of "good" changed while he was trapped in the Rift? Just as Cha Eui-jae was at a loss for words, Bae Won-woo rubbed his arm. Lee Sa-young, who had been leaning crookedly against Cha Eui-jae, squinted his eyes.

"Are you hurt?"

"Huh? No... I'm fine, but lately, it's been oddly aching. I asked the doctor, but they said nothing's wrong with my bones or muscles."

Bae Won-woo tapped his forearm and shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe I should go get some acupuncture at a clinic. Anyway, it's good that you're up. There's a lot more you need to hear besides what I just said. The General Assembly is coming up. It would've been quite a headache if I had to attend in your place again."

Lee Sa-young slightly furrowed his brows.

"General Assembly? What's that?"

"Oh! You don't know at all. Well, it was formed only two months ago. Where do I even begin..."

"First."

Lee Sa-young jerked his chin toward the hallway.

"Let's talk inside. This might take a while."

A short while later, they were seated in the desolate living room. Lee Sa-young had changed out of his bathrobe into comfortable casual wear. Lee Sa-young and Cha Eui-jae took the long sofa, while Bae Won-woo occupied the single armchair. Bae Won-woo pointed to the large window.

"You saw what the outside looks like, right? Do you know what's going on?"

Lee Sa-young answered indifferently.

"I have a rough idea."

"Then I'll get straight to the point. After the Day of Change, Director Ham Seok-jeong summoned the hunters. Given that we experienced the Day of the Rift, the social atmosphere was, you know, a bit tense? To handle that and all. Most of the representatives of mid-to-large guilds gathered."

"Hmm..."

Lee Sa-young twisted his lips into a smile.

"Of course, they would. What about him?"

A black finger pointed at Cha Eui-jae. He leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed. Seeing Lee Sa-young's expectant look, he answered slowly.

"Bae Won-woo told me about it, but I didn't go."

"Why not?"

"Well, nothing much... I didn't think there'd be anything for me to do."

In truth, it was because meeting Ham Seok-jeong or Song Jo-heon was awkward, but Cha Eui-jae mumbled his words. If he met them, the past would inevitably come up. They lived in the past, just like he did.

He wasn't ready to face the past yet. Probably not until he found the remains. Until he fulfilled his responsibilities, he wouldn't be ready.

"..."

At that moment, a large hand suddenly landed on his head, ruffling it as if to pat him. Cha Eui-jae instinctively slapped the hand away.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, you're fine."

It was a nonchalant voice. Lee Sa-young, as if he had never ruffled his hair, was muttering while scrolling through a tablet screen.

"What's the point of the General Assembly without the first or second-ranked?"

It was an arrogant statement. Bae Won-woo smiled bitterly.

"Until now, I've been attending as your proxy. The heads of most of the major guilds attend personally."

"Good job. So?"

"Anyway, at the first meeting, there was a suggestion to gather regularly in the future. To pool our strength. In short, it's a meeting where hunters gather and discuss various things. Usually, those within the top 100 attend."

"It's unusual for them to gather so well."

A place where sensitive hunters gather. It's natural to think of the Artisan Exhibition.

'Can they even be gathered?'

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

Cha Eui-jae had witnessed firsthand the disaster that unfolded when the super hamsters were gathered in one place. Unable to suppress his rising doubts, he blurted out,

"Does it... actually work? The meeting?"

"Ah, that's the surprising part. They at least pretend to be polite. Maybe it's because Jung Bin and the director are firmly holding the reins? It actually runs pretty smoothly."

But why did the Artisan Exhibition end up like that, even with Jung Bin there? The resentment of being caught in the vortex of chaos welled up inside him. Lee Sa-young, who had been quietly listening, crossed his legs.

"I'll attend the next General Assembly myself. I'm curious about the atmosphere."

"Oh, really? Then I'll confirm that. But before that..."

Bae Won-woo's face darkened. The newspaper in his hand crumpled mercilessly. Cha Eui-jae's face also crumpled, but thanks to his mask, it wasn't visible. Bae Won-woo hesitated.

"I think we should deal with this... first."

"Then let's deal with it."

A slippered foot tapped the ground.

"If someone took a picture without even J noticing... the only one capable of that is Mackerel."

"What's their ability?"

"Oh, you'll know if you experience it firsthand. It's pretty funny..."

Lee Sa-young's lips curled into a smirk. The faces of the hunters he had met so far flashed before his eyes. From his distant hunter days to his time working part-time at the hangover soup restaurant, to now, something Cha Eui-jae had felt keenly was this; Most hunters aren't in their right mind. Including Lee Sa-young. Cha Eui-jae asked with a feigned seriousness.

"Are they crazy?"

"Mm, not quite crazy... more like a funny guy? It's a kind of protest, you see. Doing it just to get my attention."

Lee Sa-young neatly folded the newspaper.

"After being out of contact for three months, I suppose they were curious about what I was up to. I did ask them for some information."

"So, are you going to meet them yourself? Should I prepare the car?"

"No... with J."

"Me?"

Cha Eui-jae looked up. Lee Sa-young, who was resting his chin on his hand, smiled brightly.

"Don't you want to see the face of the bastard who published this article?"

"..."

"If you're the J I know, you probably do."

'Damn it.'

Cha Eui-jae began to understand why Seo Min-gi had slammed the steering wheel in anger. It must've felt like having all his thoughts read. But strangely, he didn't feel angry. Rather...

'...Am I pleased?'

In a sudden moment of realization, Cha Eui-jae blankly stared at the ceiling. Pleased? Why? Since Lee Sa-young woke up, his head often failed to keep up with his heart. Strangely so.

A voice tinged with amusement cut through his daze.

"Right... and get me the suit and gas mask."

***

Maybe it was because it was a weekday afternoon, but the fish market was relatively quiet. The fishy smell of the sea tickled his nose, even through the gas mask. Unfortunately, with his heightened senses, he could feel people's gazes gathering on him. Where? On him.

With his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit pants, he stared at the tightly packed stalls, section by section.

His breath hissed through the gas mask, the sound harsh.

'Guess I do look strange...'

Standing in the middle of the fish market, wearing a suit and a gas mask, he was bound to draw attention. Cha Eui-jae ground his teeth. The employee ID around his neck glinted in the light.

Earlier, while he was still out of it, Lee Sa-young had handed him the suit, a black wig, and the gas mask that Seo Min-gi had brought up, and shoved him into the bathroom. The combination of items felt ominous. Anyone could tell that it would bring back the nightmare of the Artisan's Exhibition! Cha Eui-jae shouted toward the closed bathroom door.

"What is this?!"

"You're not planning to go with the J mask, are you?"

"Where are we going?"

"Have you heard of Noryangjin Fish Market...?"

Damn it. The fact that the hunter's name was "Mackerel" was already suspicious. As he fumbled to change into the suit, Cha Eui-jae listened to the background story. Mackerel was an information dealer who had set up shop in the fish market at some point, and his information was pretty good. He had even been quite helpful in dealing with some drug-related issues...

"He probably wants you to come along since he dragged me into it, too."

"Is he a twisted pretzel? Why can't he just say that?"

A snicker came from the other side of the door. Cha Eui-jae stared at his reflection in the mirror, his face twisted in frustration as he donned the wig. The faded hair was now covered in black. His scowling face disappeared behind the gas mask. He stared at the masked figure in the mirror and made a decision.

He was going to slice that mackerel to pieces.

Of course, it seemed it would take a while for that wish to come true. His unease about the strange outfit quickly faded, as the friendliness of the vendors couldn't be blocked by something like a gas mask. A few of them subtly approached the silent, statue-like Cha Eui-jae and whispered.

"A hunter, huh? What are you here to buy?"

"..."

"We got some fresh flounder in today, big and lively."

"Abalone's cheap these days. The roe's nice and thick too."

"You like squid?"

"..."

But none of their words reached Cha Eui-jae's ears. He was too busy seething with betrayal. After acting like he was going to stick around, Lee Sa-young had, upon arrival, checked some message, grabbed Cha Eui-jae by the shoulder, and whispered,

"Wait here."

Then he disappeared. After leaving behind just one sentence! What am I, a dog waiting for his master? Couldn't he at least explain the situation?

'Does he think just saying 'wait' makes everything okay?'

Cha Eui-jae's stubborn contrarian instinct, reserved for Lee Sa-young, started to rise. Maybe he should just wander off somewhere.

Just then, someone broke through both the crowd and Cha Eui-jae's personal space, suddenly appearing right in front of him. Cha Eui-jae's eyes widened. It was a middle-aged woman wearing a bright blue vinyl apron. Her eyes widened as she took him in, and then she burst out laughing.

"I wondered which rookie was standing around like a statue, and it turns out you're from the Pado Guild! It's your first time, isn't it?"

"Oh, Pado Guild, huh?"

"Can't you tell from the gas mask? They're the only ones who'd come dressed like this."

"I thought so. You never know these days, with all the weirdos around."

"Man, I thought I was going to make some sales. Guess I'll have to pass them over to Misu-gi."

The vendors clicked their tongues and dispersed like sand. Soon, the noise died down, and only the middle-aged woman and Cha Eui-jae were left in the path. The woman clapped her gloved hands together.

"Well, shall we get going?"

"Uh, where to?"

"Where else?"

The middle-aged woman grinned.

"You came to meet Mackerel, didn't you?"

"..."

Come to think of it, nestled among her curly perm was a dark blue in-ear communication device. She winked at him.

"I'm the Pado Guild's designated guide, so follow me. If you keep standing here, the small fry will keep pestering you, and it'll be a hassle."