Editor: Yunan
Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Upon getting off at the 8th Exit of Sinsa Station, Kwon Hyuk-soo checked the location
sent to his smartphone.
As he looked out at the vast Garosu-gil, he noticed a four-story building with exquisite
decorations.
Seeing the luxurious sign labeled ‘Silla’, Kwon Hyuk-soo swallowed his saliva.
“Here we are, Do-jun.”
“It’s more impressive than I thought. But, is the chief really not coming?”
Silla is a hostess bar, where celebrities, Hunters, and other rich people (chaebols)
usually come to do some business and earn big quids. Kang Chul-soo only sent Do-jun
and Kwon Hyuk-soo, saying that an old man like him would ruin the atmosphere if he
came along.
“In fact, he’s been wanting to come here. I mean, when can a mere civil servant
like us even come to a place like this? Besides, it’s not like it was a bribe, he’s
just a friend who agreed to it with pure intentions.”
“Pure intentions, huh…”
Do-jun muttered with an ambiguous expression.
The moment Kwon Hyuk-soo stepped on the red carpet of the entrance of the building,
the automatic doors slid open.
The interior was well decorated. Both the floor and walls were made of marble, and
plants and paintings were all over the place.
“Nobody’s here, sir.”
“…Ah, I think we have to go down to the basement.”
Walking further, a staircase leading down could be seen.
This led them down into a room that seemed like a long-stretched lobby.
With subtle pink lighting.
And dozens of rooms that seemed well furnished.
Men who appeared to be waiters can also be seen busily moving about, carrying food
and alcohol on their trays.
“Are you with a party, sires?”
A beautiful woman in her mid-30s wearing a revealing red dress approached them.
The dangerously distracting part was enough to catch Kwon Hyuk-soo’s attention.
The woman examined Do-jun and Kwon Hyuk-soo’s clothes.
Affordable suits, cheap shoes…
And a pretty old briefcase.
“Uh… Is Choi Young-hoon here by any chance?”
“Ah! So you’re with Hunter Choi Young-hoon’s party. Please follow me, I’ll lead
you to them.”
They walked along the hallway with the woman.
At that moment, a waiter entered a room bringing fruit punches and spirits.
Looking over the waiter’s shoulder, the scene inside the room was quite shocking.
Seven people were lying on their stomachs with their heads on the table, and a man
was shouting at them.
“……”
A scene that could only be seen in dramas.
Kwon Hyuk-soo, who was watching with his mouth open wide in shock, jerked his
head and turned away as his eyes met with the man inside the room.
Then, he continued walking away.
After a while,
They turned around the corner and stopped in front of a door.
The woman who guided Do-jun and Kwon Hyuk-soo smiled and opened it.
“……”
“Have a good time.”
The woman bowed and proceeded to head back.
Do-jun and Kwon Hyuk-soo entered the room.
Inside, there were four men and four women.
Bottles of liquor that looked expensive were on the table.
And the ashtray was filled with cigarette butts.
“Cough, cough.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo shook his hands as he coughed at the thick smoke from the cigarettes.
“Oh, Hyuk-soo. Why are you so late?”
A young man in his 30s waved his hand seemingly happy.
Next to the man was a woman in her early 20s wearing a see-through blouse and
was clinging onto him.
“Ah… Young-hoon. Hahaha, sorry about that. I should have taken a taxi.”
“The one next to you is your junior, right?”
“Yes, he’s Lee Do-jun. We’ve been working together for a little over a year now.”
Choi Young-hoon let out a disdainful laughter.
Then gestured to Kwon Hyuk-soo and Do-jun to sit beside him.
“Come, sit. Hey, you guys. Step aside. The civil servants are passing through.”
“…Haha.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo smiled awkwardly.
The men who gave away their seats at Choi Young-hoon’s words relented the seats
and kicked it in a seemingly mocking fashion, clicked their tongue, and laughed.
They were obviously ridiculing them.
“Here, have a drink first.”
He poured Kwon Hyuk-soo a glass, and Do-jun was also given a glass.
“You should also get a drink, Hyuk-soo’s junior.”
“…Thanks.”
Choi Young-hoon raised his glass.
“Cheers.”
Three glasses collided in the air and made a clinking sound.
After taking a shot of liquor, Kwon Hyuk-soo pressed his tongue.
He wasn’t used to drinking alcohol stronger than soju, which is what he usually drinks.
“It’s been a while, huh? Has it been 11 years? I haven’t heard from you since
you went to Seoul. How have you been? What about your job?”
Choi Young-hoon put a cigarette in his mouth.
Then, the woman next to him took out a Dupont lighter and lit his cigarette.
Choi Young-hoon inhaled the smoke.
“Hwooooh.”
“…Yeah, I’m fine. My colleagues are all good people, and the work is
worthwhile. What about you, Young-hoon? You said you’re now a B-class
Hunter. That’s great. It’s amazing that you can afford places like this, too.”
Grin.
“Well, this ain’t much. It’s understandable though, this may seem too much for
an ordinary salaryman.”
“Haha. What do you mean by that?”
“What else could I say from a man who took the bus just to save himself the
taxi fare? Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced you to the others. This is Kim
Kwang-soo, Park Min-joon, and Han Min-jae. They’re all B-class Hunters from
our guild. Amazing people, aren’t they? I had a hard time getting them to come
here.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo slightly bowed his head and greeted them.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kwon Hyuk-soo of Seoul City Hall’s Rift Management
Department. It’s an honor to meet you like this.”
“Hey, what are you flattering us for? We’re the ones who should take good care
of you. You’re the backbone of this country.”
Choi Young-hoon laughed as he tapped Kwon Hyuk-soo’s shoulder.
“T-Thanks.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
“Oh, uh… Speaking of the contract, do you mind coming by the City Hall
sometime? Our chief said he’d also like to meet and get to know you…”
At that moment,
The Hunters turned their heads to the side, holding back their laughter.
And Do-jun was examining them.
‘Look at them…’
Do-jun knew from the moment they entered the room.
That Choi Young-hoon and his fellow hunters…
Had no intention of signing the contract from the very beginning.
Although an annual salary of 300 million won was not a small amount, statistics show
that the average annual income of a B-class Hunter was about 4.7 billion won.
Considering this, a B-class Hunter like him has no reason to become a contracted
Hunter, especially since he’s someone this extravagant.
In fact, Kwon Hyuk-soo was beginning to realize this little by little.
It seems that Choi Young-hoon called him just to ridicule him and make him drink.
Even though it was obvious in anyone’s eyes,
Kwon Hyuk-soo himself was still in denial.
Because if he admitted it, he’d feel miserable.
“Hyuk-soo, let’s proceed with the contract. I’ll go to City Hall tomorrow.”
At Choi Young-hoon’s words,
Kwon Hyuk-soo’s hardened expression brightened once again.
“A-Are you sure?”
“Yeah, but only if…”
Choi Young-hoon poured liquor into Kwon Hyuk-soo’s glass.
And inhaled deeply the cigarette he was smoking.
Exhale.
Suddenly, he dropped the cigarette butt into Kwon Hyuk-soo’s drinking glass.
Fizzle.
“You drink this.”
“…What?”
Smirk.
Choi Young-hoon took out a new cigarette.
The Hunters who were watching immediately burst into laughter as if they couldn’t hold
it anymore.
“Young-hoon, isn’t that too much?!”
“What would be left of his pride if he does that? You said you guys were close
back in high school. Just give him a break.”
“Oh no, the officer’s going to cry. Huhu. HAHAHAHA!”
Kwon Hyuk-soo clenched his fists.
And Do-jun saw that his hands were trembling.
“What are you waiting for, Hyuk-soo? If you drink this, I’ll immediately go to City
Hall tomorrow! Don’t you want me to sign that contract?”
The laughter continued.
“You guys are so mean. He’s gonna cry at this rate. Are you really going to make
him cry?”
The woman who lit Choi Young-hoon’s cigarette said with a condescending smile.
Then, Kwon Hyuk-soo quietly got up from his seat.
“…Do-jun. Let’s just go.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo’s shoulders were slumped.
With his head down, he bit his lips.
Do-jun hated that look.
His shoulders were always so relaxed, and he felt very confident.
But now he looked so small.
– He and I were very close back in high school.
– But after seeing the announcement, he was willing to come because of me…
The happy Kwon Hyuk-soo came into his mind.
Do-jun knew.
If he followed him outside as it is, nothing would change in his life.
But what about Kwon Hyuk-soo?
‘If we go out now… he’ll fall apart.’
The self-esteem he built up for years.
It’ll all disappear like a haze at a moment’s notice.
Do-jun took out his smartphone and sent a text message to someone.
He then received a reply in less than 10 seconds, saying that she’ll come right away.
“Sir.”
“……”
“I don’t think we need to sign a contract with this sad excuse of human existence.”
Everyone was taken aback.
A mere civil servant saying that to B-class Hunters.
“…What did you say?”
Choi Young-hoon’s face was distorted.
Kwon Hyuk-soo also looked at Do-jun, asking if he was crazy.
“Han Min-ji, the hunter you mentioned last time… She’s signing the contract.”
“…Huh?”
Kwon Hyuk-soo looked at him as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You said you wanted to sign a contract with her. She’s coming here right now.
She said she was in the area.”
At Do-jun’s words, the Hunters laughed in disbelief.
“You’re trembling. Idiot.”
“An S-class Hunter is signing a contract with you?”
Do-jun smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, yeah. Is that all you have to say?”
“D-Do-jun, what do you…”
“Didn’t I tell you before, sir? That you could sign a contract with Hunter
Han Min-ji.”
Then suddenly, the door opened.
“I’m sorry. I’m late, aren’t I?”
Silence filled the room.
Because someone came in.
A woman in her early 20s.
“H-Han Min-ji…”
Choi Young-hoon dropped the cigarette he was biting.
Han Min-ji, who was examining the room, frowned.
Then, Do-jun said,
“Senior Kwon Hyuk-soo, how did you get in touch with Hunter Han Min-ji and
even propose a contract? As expected, you are a senior worth looking up to!
Han Min-ji’s mind went blank for a while as she listened to Do-jun.
Then she smirked.
“What’s this?! Were you gonna leave me alone and sign a contract with these
kids?! I’m disappointed, Officer Kwon Hyuk-soo.”
“…Eh? No, not really.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo looked at Do-jun.
Do-jun smiled and took out a thick envelope from the briefcase and gave it to Kwon
Hyuk-soo.
He then pushed his back towards the door.
“Hunter Han Min-ji, let’s sign the contract before you change your mind. Oh,
and I’d like an Americano, please. I’ll be right behind you.”
Kwon Hyuk-soo alternated between Do-jun and Han Min-ji, looking puzzled.
“Let’s go, officer. You didn’t even check my texts, that’s why I messaged Officer
Do-jun. There’s a nice cafe nearby, why don’t we head there?”
Han Min-ji led Kwon Hyuk-soo outside.
And the door closed.
Do-jun sighed and sat on the sofa.
Then, he picked up Kwon Hyuk-soo’s drinking glass which was full of cigarette butts
and poured it into the ashtray.
“Young-hoon.”
Choi Young-hoon turned his head towards Do-jun this time.
“Drink this and maybe I’ll forgive you.”