"W-why are we talking about being human here?" Seung-hoo asked, his brows furrowed in genuine confusion, his voice carrying that mix of amusement and exasperation that seemed to always follow him.
"You listened, why are you complaining?" Seo-yeon replied sharply, her arms crossed as she leaned slightly forward, eyes glinting with that mix of frustration and stubbornness that made her impossible to argue with.
And as always, the bickering escalated. Words bounced between them like sparks in a forge. Their tones rose and fell—half teasing, half serious—until a booming voice cut through the tension like a hammer striking steel.
"Cut it out, will ya!" Byung-chul shouted, storming into their argument. But instead of scolding both of them equally, his gaze zeroed in on Seung-hoo. His tone was harsh, frustrated, the kind of anger that came from authority and a belief in order.
Everyone nearby froze, watching. Whispers rippled through the crowd. "Isn't he… a little small for that kind of talk?" one hunter muttered. "Looks so weak," another added, shaking their head. Even the officials raised eyebrows, silently commenting on the disparity between Byung-chul's intensity and Seung-hoo's seemingly fragile appearance.
Seung-hoo, for his part, didn't flinch. He raised his chin slightly, a faint, almost amused smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
While Byung-chul ranted, Seung-hoo's mind wandered briefly, observing the reactions around him. The fear, the judgment, the little twinge of uncertainty in the bystanders—it was all easy to ignore when you actually had the power they could only dream of. He let it roll off him, letting Byung-chul vent while maintaining that calm, untouchable air.
Finally, Byung-chul stopped, breathing heavily, chest rising and falling like a drum. His sharp eyes scanned Seung-hoo up and down. "I know you like Seo-yeon!" he shouted, as if declaring a verdict from the mountaintop. His voice carried over the crowd, demanding attention, forcing everyone nearby to turn and watch.
Seung-hoo tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, but stayed silent. He said nothing, letting the statement hang there in the air, thick and heavy, while Seo-yeon's cheeks flushed slightly.
Byung-chul began to walk away, muttering under his breath, but suddenly stopped. He spun on his heel like a predator catching its prey and his eyes locked on Seung-hoo again. "Why you… useless piece of—" Before he could finish, he reached out with surprising speed and strength, gripping Seung-hoo by the neck and lifting him clean off the ground.
Seung-hoo's feet dangled a few inches above the sand, the crowd gasping audibly. Hunters whispered in shock; some even took a cautious step back.
Seo-yeon's voice cut through the murmurs like a whip. "Byung-chul! Let him go!" she shouted, moving closer but holding herself back, unsure if she could intervene without making things worse.
Seung-hoo, however, simply laughed. Not nervously, not in fear, but a soft, amused chuckle that carried more disbelief than concern. His voice was calm, light, almost teasing. "Heh… you really think you're scaring me?"
Byung-chul's grip faltered slightly at the sound, his brow furrowing as he studied Seung-hoo more closely. The laughter, the composure—it didn't fit the image of the 'weak' boy he had been berating. For a fleeting moment, Byung-chul's mind raced, questioning what he was seeing.
The crowd around them leaned in, some holding their breaths, some whispering to each other. "Did… did he just laugh while being lifted?" "What kind of strength does that boy even have?" "He's… not ordinary."
Finally, Byung-chul, still fuming but slightly bewildered, let go of Seung-hoo's neck. The boy dropped lightly to the ground, feet landing softly despite the sand beneath him. Seung-hoo dusted himself off nonchalantly, hands running along his jacket as if nothing had happened, still smiling faintly.
Seo-yeon's eyes softened slightly, a mixture of relief and exasperation crossing her face. She muttered under her breath, "Unbelievable… you really are something else."
Seung-hoo simply shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "You can vent all you want," he said calmly, voice steady, "but don't forget… not everyone sees what you do."
The crowd slowly relaxed, murmurs of speculation still buzzing around. Hunters exchanged glances, officials whispered quietly, and Byung-chul, still standing a few steps away, clenched his fists, a mixture of frustration and begrudging respect settling in.
And through it all, Seung-hoo stood tall, the center of attention without even trying, completely aware of the tension, the stares, the whispers—but completely unbothered by any of it.Seung-hoo straightened his jacket and rubbed the back of his neck, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Byung-chul had walked off, but the air around him still carried a faint sense of authority, the kind that left people on edge even when they were gone. Seo-yeon was still fuming slightly, arms crossed and brow furrowed, though she tried to mask it with a half-smile.
"Seriously," she muttered, shaking her head, "what is it with you two? You act like children sometimes."
Seung-hoo chuckled lightly, tilting his head toward her.
"You mean you act like children sometimes," he said teasingly, earning an eye-roll from Seo-yeon. She opened her mouth to argue but paused, glancing around at the remaining hunters and officials who were still watching them with curiosity. Some were whispering, some were openly staring.
Seung-hoo noticed the way the crowd reacted—not with fear, but with a mixture of awe and confusion. He realized, quietly, that being an S-rank didn't just change his stats. It changed how people saw him.
People noticed him, watched him, speculated about what he could do. And Byung-chul's little display only cemented it.
Seo-yeon finally exhaled, shaking her head as if to blow away the tension. "You really need to learn to control your expressions," she said softly, though there was a teasing lilt in her voice now. "People will get the wrong idea."
Seung-hoo smirked, leaning back slightly. "Control? I'm fine the way I am. Let them wonder." His eyes scanned the crowd, then landed briefly on a young hunter in the back who looked nervous just being near him. Seung-hoo gave the kid a small nod, almost imperceptible, and the boy straightened his posture as if he'd just been given permission to breathe.
Seo-yeon noticed it too. "You… actually notice people, don't you?" she said, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "Most S-ranks don't even glance at anyone beneath them."
Seung-hoo shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not about noticing or not noticing," he replied. "It's about understanding. Everyone here has a role, a purpose, a fear… even Byung-chul." His tone softened slightly.
"Even him."
Seo-yeon raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by this unexpected depth. "Hm. I never thought I'd hear that from you," she said, tilting her head.
Before Seung-hoo could respond, the sound of the ocean waves in the distance reminded him where they were—the beach near Dongbaek Island, the Rift waiting just beyond the horizon. The anticipation of the mission hummed faintly under the surface, even as the human drama unfolded here.
He glanced at Seo-yeon, noticing her fingers nervously playing with the strap of her bag. "Ready to get going?" he asked quietly, almost casually, but his tone carried weight.
Seo-yeon nodded, her earlier irritation fading slightly. "Yeah… let's move," she said, and a small smile crept onto her face, one that held excitement beneath the nervousness.
Seung-hoo turned his gaze back to the scattered officials and hunters, many still whispering about the scene they had just witnessed. Some were impressed, some were confused, and some were outright.
intimidated. He caught a few glances that seemed to measure him, to calculate his power and potential. A faint smile crossed his lips—he knew that being an S-rank wasn't just about strength. It was about presence. About the weight of perception.
"Let's go," he muttered again, quieter this time, almost to himself, before walking toward the ferry that would take them closer to the Rift. Seo-yeon followed, matching his pace, and together they stepped into the line of hunters and officials preparing for departure.
As the wind brushed against his face, Seung-hoo felt something shift within him—not his power, not his stats, but something human. The way Byung-chul had reacted, the way Seo-yeon looked at him