"So… why did you want me here?" Seung-hoo finally asked, scratching the back of his head. The question had been sitting in his chest since the moment she pulled him onto the couch.
Ye Yeon froze.
Her eyes darted left, then right, like she was searching the room for an escape route.
"I—uh… I just w-wanted to k-kiss you," she admitted, her voice small and awkward. "That's all."
Seung-hoo blinked.
"…That's it?"
She puffed her cheeks slightly. "Why does it sound so simple when you say it like that?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but before any words came out—
BZZZZZT.
His phone vibrated sharply in his pocket.
Both of them jumped.
Seung-hoo pulled it out and frowned at the screen.
Unknown Number.
"…Who is this?" he muttered.
He hesitated for a second, then answered.
"Hello?"
"Seung-hoo?"
His body stiffened.
That voice.
"…Seo-yeon?" he said slowly. "W-what the—?! How did you get my number?!"
"Don't ask!" Seo-yeon snapped on the other end. "There's another Rift. This time it's in Busan."
Seung-hoo straightened instinctively. "Another Rift… already?"
"We're being assigned to clear it," she continued. "You're coming with us."
Seung-hoo glanced at Ye Yeon, who was standing a few steps away, pretending not to listen but clearly listening to every word.
"…What rank is it?" he asked.
"A-rank," Seo-yeon replied. "And we need at least one S-rank for the clearance."
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
"There will be another guild observing the operation," she added. "They haven't caught up with the news yet about you becoming S-rank. So… expect trouble."
Seung-hoo let out a slow breath. "So basically, everyone is going to think I'm just an ordinary hunter?"
"Exactly."
They talked for a few more moments—about the meeting point, about timing, about how fast he could get to Busan.
When the call ended, silence filled the room again.
Ye Yeon was still standing there, hands clasped in front of her, eyes fixed on him.
"…You're leaving," she said softly. It wasn't a question.
Seung-hoo slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Yeah. Looks like it."
He hesitated before speaking again. "Ye Yeon… I'm gonna get going now. See you tomorrow… or next week, I think."
The words sounded lighter than he felt.
Her shoulders drooped just a little. She tried to smile, but it didn't fully reach her eyes.
"Oh… okay," she said. "Be careful."
"I will."
They stood there awkwardly for a second, neither knowing what to do next.
Seung-hoo glanced around the room one last time—the trophies on the shelves, the quiet house, the couch that had started everything.
He stepped toward the door.
"Hey," Ye Yeon suddenly said.
He turned back. "Yeah?"
"…Don't disappear again."
His chest tightened for a brief moment.
"I won't," he said. "I promise."
He opened the door slowly, making sure not to bump into anything. As he passed the shelf with her parents' trophies, he carefully adjusted one that was slightly crooked.
"Wouldn't want to get cursed by legendary hunters," he muttered.
Ye Yeon let out a small laugh despite herself.
Seung-hoo stepped outside, the evening air brushing against his face. The door closed behind him with a soft click.
Inside, Ye Yeon stood alone in the quiet living room, staring at the spot where he had been standing just seconds ago.
Outside, Seung-hoo paused at the gate, hands in his pockets, looking up at the darkening sky.
His phone felt heavy in his pockets
He took one more look back at Ye Yeon's house before turning toward the street, his footsteps slow, his thoughts louder than the city around him.
When Seung-hoo reached his apartment complex, he knew something was wrong immediately.
It was too loud.
People were gathered outside the entrance—neighbors he had barely spoken to before, people who used to walk past him without a glance. Now they stared at him like he was some kind of celebrity.
"Seung-hoo!"
"Hey, Seung-hoo!"
"Let's be friends!"
"Please protect me if a Rift opens near here!"
Phones were raised. Someone was already recording.
Seung-hoo froze for half a second, unsure how to react. His instinct told him to bow, apologize, or explain—but for what?
He lowered his head slightly and kept walking.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Whispers followed him like shadows.
"That's him, right?"
"The new S-rank."
"He looks normal…but still, he's an S rank!"
When he entered the building, the hallway was no better.
Doors cracked open. Faces peeked out. Someone gasped.
Then a familiar voice echoed down the corridor.
"Seung-hoo!"
He looked up.
His landlord stood there in slippers and a wrinkled shirt, eyes wide like he'd just seen a ghost.
"You… you're really on TV!" the man blurted out. "An S-rank hunter! My building has an S-rank hunter!"
"…Hello, sir," Seung-hoo said awkwardly.
The landlord rushed toward him, hands waving wildly. "Do you know what this means? This building is blessed! The rent value—"
"I'm… going inside now," Seung-hoo said quickly.
He unlocked his door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him.
The noise outside didn't stop right away. Voices overlapped, muffled through the door.
"Is he sleeping?"
"Should we knock?"
"Take a picture—take a picture!"
Seung-hoo leaned his forehead against the door for a moment.
"…I just want to sleep."
He dragged himself to the sofa and collapsed into it. His arms spread over the backrest, his body sinking deep into the cushions.
The room felt strangely quiet compared to outside.
He pulled out his phone and set an alarm.
3:00 AM.
He stared at the ceiling.
"…Just a short rest."
His eyes closed.
And immediately—
The nightmare came.
Blood.
Smoke.
Broken ground.
His teammates screaming his name.
Seo-yeon falling first
Joon-seok crushed beneath the dragons claws
Hyun-woo's eyes empty
"Seung-hoo—!"
His body twisted on the sofa. His head jerked side to side as if trying to escape the dream.
"No—stop—!"
He jolted awake.
"Agh!"
He sat up sharply, chest heaving, sweat clinging to his skin.
For a moment, he didn't know where he was.
Then he saw his living room. The dim light. The sofa. The silence.
"…Thank god," he whispered. "It was just a nightmare."
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
His phone alarm went off.
He stared at it in disbelief.
"…Seriously?"
He groaned and rubbed his face. "Goddamn it. Why do I always wake up before the alarm?"
He stood up slowly, his legs still shaky from the dream.
"I stink," he muttered as he walked toward the bathroom.
He turned on the shower and let the water pour over his head.
Steam filled the room.
The image of his teammates still lingered behind his eyes.
"…I won't let it happen again," he whispered to himself.
After that, he brushed his teeth and stared at his reflection.
"My breath stinks too," he added dryly.
When he was finally done, he grabbed his phone and hesitated for a second before dialing.
Seo-yeon.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
"…Hello…?"
Her voice sounded half-asleep.
"S-Seung-hoo…?" she mumbled. "Do you know what time it is…?"
"It's three," he said calmly.
"…Exactly," she groaned. "Get me some sleep, will you…"
"I just wanted to confirm something," he said. "Where in Busan is the Rift?"
There was silence on the other end.
Then a long yawn.
"…Dongbaek Island," she said weakly. "Near the coast…"
"Got it."
She shifted on her bed. "You sound too awake…"
"I couldn't sleep."
"…Figures," she muttered.
The line stayed open for a moment, filled only with her slow breathing and the faint sound of sheets moving.
Outside his window, the city was still dark.
---END OF VOLUME 2---