Chapter 97

"Yinhe. Is it Cha Yinhe?"

Woncheol slowly walked towards Yinhe. Joy, longing, and relief. His eyes, which had widened significantly, were filled with a mix of these emotions.

Perhaps because of this, it took quite some time for Yinhe to avoid his gaze.

"……"

As if something had blocked her throat, Yinhe couldn't say a word. It didn't seem to be just because she had lost her name due to the contract with the cat.

"When I saw a concept hunter on TV who looked like you, I was unsure. But it seems you were indeed the one."

"……"

Concept hunter.

Just that word was enough for her to roughly guess what kind of TV program he had watched.

So, he must have also seen her in a loud dress, swinging an umbrella around. Her hand, gripping the strap of her bag, tightened involuntarily. What must the director have thought when he saw that?

However, the tone of Woncheol's voice that followed was quite different from what Yinhe had expected.

"I'm glad you're alive. I thought you were dead. It's really a relief."

He pressed his hand against his eyes and looked at Yinhe with reddened eyes.

"How have you been all this time? You must have heard about Joon, right? Not only did he become the first S-class in Korea, but he also became a Prime. The guy who couldn't even lift a rifle has really made it big."

Joon.

At the mention of that name, Yinhe's eyes shot up. She had completely forgotten about the unexpected reunion with the training director amidst the chaos. Her dark eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. She had to chase after him.

"Right. I'm on my way to meet Instructor Jang. You remember him, right? How about it? If you're not busy, would you like to come with me?"

To Yinhe, who was looking around, Woncheol extended his hand, inviting her to go with him.

However, before his hand could reach her, Yinhe instinctively stepped back. Her reaction was so cold that Woncheol stopped in his tracks.

"Cha Yinhe?"

"……Ah."

Yinhe let out a short moan and habitually stroked her left wrist.

Wish bracelet.

Not the one that seemed about to break, but a much cleaner and more vivid blue one.

"I'm sorry, but……"

After a long while of stroking the wish bracelet, Yinhe slowly moved her lips.

"You must be mistaken."

Even as she spoke so dryly, she couldn't bring herself to look at the training director, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. What kind of expression was he making now?

"What are you talking about? There's no way I wouldn't recognize you."

His expression was unreadable, but his voice remained unchanged. He was strongly convinced that she was the 'Cha Yinhe' he knew.

Yinhe, holding the wish bracelet on her left wrist with her right hand, opened her mouth again.

"I am not the Yinhe you're talking about."

More firmly.

"……"

Woncheol stared at Yinhe intently, and she never met his gaze.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted from Yinhe to the bag slung over her shoulder.

〈Gang Hyeong-wook's Pet Grooming Academy〉