After that, we had a brief chat. Ki Yoohyun told me that the twins have recently been competing to see who can grow taller the fastest. They measure their height every day, and there is a height measurement sticker on the first floor of the guild’s main building.
“Aha….”
For some reason, Ash has been measuring his height every day lately, too, was it the influence of the twins? It’s been his morning routine lately to bang his head against the wall and look disappointed. When I look at him, he pretends that he didn’t measure his height, but it was obvious. Should I buy a height measurement sticker for Ash too?
When I spoke about that idea, Ki Yoohyun unexpectedly shook his head with a complex expression.
“That … I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”
“What? Why?”
“At a delicate age, there are things you want to keep secret.”
“Is that so….”
Having a small talk with Ki Yoohyun made me feel at ease. I hadn’t realised it, but I must have been inwardly frightened by what I had seen at Super Buff Coffee earlier.
“I’m glad you seemed to be feeling better.”
Maybe that’s why he suddenly brought up the small talk. I was grateful for his consideration.
I enjoyed talking to him, but if I stayed much longer, Ash would be waiting. Pushing myself up out of my chair, I cautiously spoke the words I’d been hesitant to continue.
“That place, the Church of Starry Wisdom, you said they were trying to resurrect the Demon.”
“Yes, I said that.”
“The cult, did they do anything bad … to Yoohyun-ssi?”
“…….”
He was silent for a long moment. I lifted my gaze from the floor to look up at him.
Ki Yoohyun locked eyes with me and smiled slightly. The corners of his eyes curved gently, but his pupils were black as if they had swallowed every last bit of light.
Ah.
There it was, the most obvious answer of all. The unexplained darkness in this man that was always barely masked by his smile.
Maybe I just wanted to hear ‘No‘ as the answer.
In a vision, I recalled the boy struggling with pain. An incomprehensible scene where overwhelming pain, beyond the comprehension of the human mind, tearing apart his soul. A moment too brutal to be called an Awakening.
I desperately wish I could hear the answer that it was a false past, that he never went through it.
However, Ki Yoohyun did not deny the question and just sent me off with a smile. The door closed slowly. The look on his face just before the door closed was deeply etched in my mind.
The smile on his lips bubbled up and then faded, followed by a cold expression on his face.
The mysterious No. 1 Hunter and the leader of Cheongna Guild, Muwon.
A regressor like me.
Someone who’s kind and affectionate, but also has a preposterous personality.
And … a void that these words can’t fill.
For the first time, I felt like I wanted to know more about this man.
***
Apart from my concern for Ki Yoohyun, true to my word, I decided to forget about the Fake Cafe for the time being.
However, nothing in the world was going according to my will.
The next day, as soon as I opened the cafe door, a customer walked in.
“Welcome.”
As I greeted the customer, I was surprised….
“Whoa, this quiet atmosphere. It’s a nice cafe.”
… because the customer was Oh Seoho.
The 18th ranked illusionist Hunter, an actor, and the man I saw in Super Buff Coffee.
…..what is the promotional model for Super Buff Coffee doing here?
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Knowing that the Super Buff Coffee was doing something fishy with their coffee, it was difficult to have good feelings for their promotional model. Part of me wanted to kick him out and not selling anything to him, but I couldn’t.
“Waeong, waeoooong (isn’t that Oh Seoho from The Temptation of the Returned Hunter)!”
It was because Mieum was extremely happy. He plays a significant supporting role in a drama that Mieum is obsessed with these days.
Mieum was too shy to approach Oh Seoho and stuck her head out from a few steps away. Her resentment would be enormous if I kick him out as I wish.
Yes, he’s a rival, a publicity model for the enemy, but let’s take his order. It’s not his fault.
“Have you decided on your order?”
“Umh, what’s your recommendation? Please give me that.”
Standing at an angle and resting his elbows on the counter, Oh Seoho flashed a refreshing smile. His well-set hair flutters lightly.
It’s burdensome. It was when I thought I should give him cold brew coffee, which I could make the fastest.
“Nyaaaa (I want an autograph. Ask for an autograph)!”
“Mieum, take it for yourself.”
“Waeuuung (wouldn’t he get surprised if a cat talked to him)….”
Oh, that’s right.
I made him pay for the Irish coffee, thinking that I should at least sell an expensive menu to the enemy. I handed him the coffee, then reluctantly pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
“I …. you’re Hunter Oh Seoho, right? can I get your autograph?”
“Are you a fan of mine?”
“No, I’m not … but my friend is your fan, ahahaha….”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Her name is Kwon Mieum. It’s ‘Mieum.’ Oh, just draw me a square. A square.”
“Waeolg!”
When Oh Seoho wrote “Dear. ㅁ” on a piece of paper and signed it, Mieum jumped excitedly from behind, but she doesn’t come closer. She’s a surprisingly shy cat.
And when he handed me the autograph, I was surprised to hear what Oh Seoho said.
“Hunter Ki Yoohyun, you know him, right?”
“…….”
This guy seems to know who Ki Yoohyun is. Look at the smile on his face, ‘I’m an important person‘ was written all over it. It was definitely not the look of someone asking about a single, average Hunter.
I groaned inwardly, ‘Yoohyun-ssi, aren’t you actually a public good?’
You’re not a mysterious No. 1 Ranker, but it’s just that everyone who’s worth knowing already know?
I should have known from the moment he said his identity was a secret yet he kept using the net of light skill. You’re not even trying to hide it, are you?
At this rate, no one will be surprised when Ki Yoohyun reveals his identity in the future.
‘Oh, I knew it!’
‘Actually, me too.’
‘Huh? Was that a secret?’
Everyone might say something like this.
“….Owner-nim?”
Tuk. Oh Seoho tapped lightly on the counter, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. The look on his face gave me a nagging sense of foreboding. I decided to feign ignorance.
“I don’t know him.”
“It’s a shame you say that.”
“What?”
“Think carefully. He must have talked about me.”
“Ha….”
I searched my memory for a while, but there was no such thing. I shook my head with a confused expression, but Oh Seoho was persistent.
“Didn’t he ever say he had a close friend, like, the only person he confided in, or something like that?”
“Well, I don’t know….”
“I’m embarrassed to say it with my own mouth, but I’m his best friend.”
For a celebrity, Oh Seoho had a good attitude, and his behaviour was friendly.
But he was a bit, umh, how should I put it? He leaned on the counter and winked one eye. It was a pose like a poster for a carbonated water commercial that once caused quite a stir.
For your information, even if you pose like that in front of my eyes, I’m not particularly impressed. Since I’ve seen Ki Yoohyun’s face so often, I’ve developed a tolerance for handsome men.
“Best Friend. BF for short. Got it?”
‘What is this….’
“He told me when we were younger that there was no one he could trust as much as me. He held my hand like this and asked me to stay friends with him forever, so we became best friends.”
I couldn’t imagine Ki Yoohyun saying such a thing to this man. I inadvertently retorted.
“You’re lying, right?”
“As expected, you know each other! What kind of relationship? Are you two already like that?”
“….Like what?”
Ash, who was sitting at the table and engrossed in his hobby, perked up his ears. No, that’s not it. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Regardless of whether I responded or not, Oh Seoho continued to talk, “Haha, you have high standards, Owner-nim. As his best friend, I’m here because I’m worried about how he’s doing.”
“…….”
“I have time because my part for The Temptation of the Returned Hunter ends next week. Are you watching it? It’s popular. Next week, my role saves the heroine and dies.”
“Waeooolg (Why are you giving spoilers)?!”
“Kkyuu!”
Mom, I’m so annoyed with this guy…….
Just then, the cafe door opened again. This time, it was HingHangHong who walked in. Anyone is good as long as it’s not Oh Seoho. I greeted him with a heartfelt welcome, avoiding Oh Seoho.
“Welcome, HingHangHong-ssi!”
“……?! Huh?? You’re going to call me by my Hunter Channel nickname out of the blue like that?! Please protect my cyber privacy!”
Oh, my. I always call him by his nickname instead of his real name.
“Ahaha, enough with the pleasantries, what can I get you?”
“Hmmm … I’d like an Americano and a set of cookies please.”
“Yes, here’s the menu.”
“Ha….”
After accepting the menu, HingHangHong sat down at the table and sighed with a depressed expression. One could tell that something was wrong. It’s the same as last time. No, this time looks worse than last time.
I approached him and talked to him, “You don’t look well. Is something wrong?”
“Haha, it’s nothing, I’m fine.” HingHangHong tried to smile, but the corners of his mouth formed a clumsy curve. Up close, his eyes are watery. He doesn’t look okay at all.
Come to think of it, the last time I spoke to him, he said his friend had gone unreachable and he couldn’t get in touch with him. How did that work out?
“What happened to the friend you told me before? Have you been in touch?”
It bothered me that he had made a casserole bet with Super Buff Coffee and our cafe coffee. I don’t want to lose to Super Buff Coffee, which supported by a suspicious group.
HingHangHong replied with a darker expression, “Ah, that … that’s no longer the problem.”
“What?”
HingHangHong told me what had been happening. He was angry because his friend kept being silent on KakaoTalk and didn’t pick up the phone calls. Even if you’re going to lose in our bet, how dare you cut me off like this! With the thought of cursing at them coolly, he went to their home.
His friend was sleeping soundly at home. At first, he tried to wake them up right away. He couldn’t believe they were taking a nap while ignoring his KakaoTalk.
However, no matter how hard he tried, his friend wouldn’t open their eyes. He grabbed them and shook their body, but they didn’t respond. He slapped them lightly, and they still snored even when he poured ice water on their head.
It’s suspicious, so HingHangHong called a Healer. But the Healer didn’t know what to do either. All he could say was that there was something wrong with the flow of ether in their body.
“Shit. My friend is sick but I asked to make a bet. I’m a trash…….”
“Aah, it’s not HingHangHong-ssi’s fault. Cheer up.”
“Haaa….” HingHangHong sighed deeply.
It was a very disturbing story. A disease where the etheric flow in the body is disturbed, causing a person to fall into an unbreakable sleep. I think I’ve heard of it before…..
Aren’t the symptoms are similar to the rare disease that Choi Cedric’s sister has? By the way, Choi Cedric told me that her symptoms were alleviated by the Blue Celaeno flower, but she hasn’t woken up yet.
I cautiously asked HingHangHong, who mumbled something self-deprecating.
“Uh, do you have any idea what caused it?”
“Well, they don’t usually go to dangerous dungeons, so I don’t know what … Oh! there was a lot of that in the room.”
“That?”
“Takeaway cups of Super Buff Coffee.”
