Chapter 44

< Let's Not Gossip >

The sight of her smirking face, as if showing off, was infuriating. There's no way she doesn't plan to stir up trouble.

At that moment, Moon Hyun-a's phone rang.

"Oh, it seems my little brother has heard."

She held up her phone for me to see. The screen read 'Crazy Guy 2'.

"The original Crazy Guy is obviously that Mr. Seong-hyun."

"…Aren't you going to answer?"

"Do you want to?"

I took the phone she offered and pressed the call button.

[Moon Hyun-a, you-]

"Yoo Hyun."

I could hear her take a short breath.

[...Sis?]

"Yeah, it's me."

[...Where's the Breaker guild leader?]

"He's laughing his head off right next to me."

"Not that much."

Moon Hyun-a grumbled.

[Are you okay? Did that woman say anything strange?]

"She was gossiping about you."

[...What did she say?]

"In short, she said you're not normal. But don't worry about it. Honestly, it's just a case of like father, like son, nothing new."

[...Huh?]

Yoo Hyun's voice was filled with confusion. Moon Hyun-a's eyes widened. Seeing her reaction, I smiled.

You think you're the only one who can gossip? I can do it too. Or maybe this is front gossip since we're in front of the person.

"Want to hear an old story? It happened a year ago, in the spring. To be precise, on April 2nd, around 5 PM, at a CS convenience store in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do—"

"Miss Han Yoo-jin!"

Moon Hyun-a shouted and snatched the phone, turning it off. Her cheeks were slightly red.

"Ah, no, I didn't think... I mean, it's not like... I didn't expect that story to come up. Do you really know it?"

"Of course."

"Almost no one knows... but you do, right?"

"Not exactly, but I heard it by chance. I'll keep the source a secret."

The embarrassing and crazy thing Moon Hyun-a wanted to hide was used as a card to cut her face four years later. By then, everyone would know, but not now.

It was a truly unforgettable and impressive anecdote.

"…Damn, I can't even kill you to shut you up."

Her eyes glared at me with murderous intent.

But she can't touch me. I already have a stamp. Unless she wants to fight a 5-on-1 battle, including the association, she has no choice but to hold back.

She needs a successor the most, so it would be a waste for her to provoke me over something like this. Without me, she won't get a high-level successor for two years.

"Why are you gossiping about my little brother? As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. If you gossip about others, they'll gossip about you too."

I smiled, but she gritted her teeth in frustration.

At that moment, Yoo Hyun called again, and Moon Hyun-a's eyes darted up and down.

"Aren't you going to answer?"

"…Will you keep quiet?"

"I'll lose, but I don't want to hear more bad things about my brother. Let's both keep quiet."

"Fine."

She answered the call and brushed it off. When she handed the phone back, Moon Hyun-a's face looked like she had eaten something bitter.

"Not bad, Miss Han Yoo-jin. I never expected that story to come up. Can I trust you?"

"Of course."

"Even if it leaks, it will be embarrassing and damaging, and I might want to hide for half a year, but that's all. But I will definitely kill anyone who opens their mouth."

Her voice was calm, but it was clear she was serious, especially about the killing part. Even patience has its limits.

"Don't worry. Miss Moon Hyun-a is a beloved customer of mine. If you hide for half a year, it will be inconvenient for me too. Why would I do that?"

"You talk well. Is there anything else?"

Of course there is. I'm a dedicated listener of hunter-related programs.

I know a lot, but if I speak rashly, it will only cause trouble. Unlike the S-rank in front of me, there are many who won't hold back. So I keep quiet.

I'll stay quiet as long as you don't provoke me first.

"Will you believe me if I say there's nothing else?"

"Oh, right. Crazy Guy 2's brother. I thought you were a bit more innocent, but I guess I was really foolish. I'll have to remember that."

...Innocent? Did I act that way? I thought the negotiation went well.

"…I guess I underestimated you."

At my words, Moon Hyun-a snorted.

"Of course you did. Think about it, a newly awakened F-rank who can't even shed the civilian look, saying that Han Yoo-hyun is gentle. It's like advertising that I know nothing about the hunter world."

Ugh, I see. I've been officially a hunter for less than a month. In reality, I have the longest hunter experience among those present, but who would guess that?

In the end, she must have seen my brother as gentle, based on the standards of a quasi-civilian. Naturally, she would underestimate me, thinking I was a naive kid with some useful skills, and might as well test me.

Just like the earlier Moon Hyun-a.

"Strangely, they were unusually kind, even though they didn't seem like the type."

I sighed involuntarily.

"Surely not everyone is as annoying as Miss Moon Hyun-a, right?"

"Who's this 'Miss' all of a sudden? Call me 'Unnie.'"

Moon Hyun-a, who had regained her composure, rested her chin and smiled. Unnie, my ass. Mentally, she's thirty.

"I'm here for the successor. I won't approach the others, but I'll keep an eye on them. Do your best, little brother and big sister."

Looks like I won't be stepping out of the guild building for a while.

Moon Hyun-a wiggled her fingers, and I could feel the air around us shift. The voices of people who had been blocked out suddenly flooded in.

"Uncle!"

Yelim ran over and glared at Moon Hyun-a.

"Didn't you promise not to bother him?"

Did she make such a promise? Yoo Hyun wouldn't have just said okay.

"I bothered him? We just talked."

Moon Hyun-a raised her hands in a show of innocence. She didn't touch him, that's true.

"Ah, Unnie, really!"

"Come on, are you going to fight me?"

Moon Hyun-a jumped up and grabbed the fuming Yelim.

"My makeup is smearing!"

"You look better without it at your age~."

They seem to get along better than I thought. What if Yelim really joins Breaker in three years? The guild will fall apart in four years. Of course, the future isn't set in stone.

...Maybe I should bring Moon Hyun-a along.

She's not a favorite, but it would be a waste to bury her as a supervisor. She's a capable hunter.

'Applying keywords shouldn't be too difficult.'

While there are other S-ranks, Moon Hyun-a will be the one who visits me most often. Her interest in successors means she will likely check on the monster I'm raising from time to time.

She even came to meet me today.

So, I thought I could slowly apply keywords with some playful love talk and appropriate kindness.

The problem is the keyword's side effect.

'The chance of having no one to think of as a caregiver is low.'

Unlike Yoo Ming-woo, who was neglected, Moon Hyun-a is a top athlete who has reached the world championships. She must have had care from her parents, coaches, trainers, and seniors.

For sports, she might appreciate a father figure, and a mother figure wouldn't be bad... I could handle being called Moon Hyun-a's mother. She's older than me, so it would feel playful.

I can gain her trust with the keyword effect and strike at the right time when the Breaker internal issues escalate, pulling her out.

'I don't want to get close, but it wouldn't hurt to put her in Hae-yeon. She's skilled and compatible with Yelim.'

The current S-rank dungeon team consists of one S-rank and multiple A-ranks, but as the dungeon difficulty increases, teams with more than one S-rank will form. Yoo Hyun and Yelim have opposing attributes, so they can't be on the same team, but Yelim and Moon Hyun-a would work well together.

Powerful single-target attacks and area control. Yelim even has an area buff.

They would make a great team if they sync well.

'Thinking about it makes me a bit excited.'

Right, Yelim is my partner, not me. I'll do my best as a guardian and try to catch her.

With that decision, their playful interaction looked somewhat heartwarming. I hope they get along well in the future.

The filming went smoothly.

There were no particular difficulties. It was just explaining about Pies, answering questions, and checking throwing skills, jaw strength, and reaction speed.

They asked me to show love and care for Pies, which was easy. Pies is adorable, after all.

I'm glad Pies is my little brother successor. If he had to be sent far away, I would have been sad. I can keep him with me when we're not in the dungeon, right?

"Uncle, are you drinking another mana potion?"

After the filming, I put Pies down and took out a mana potion. Yelim approached and asked.

"Do you want one? It's orange-flavored."

"It's just the scent, and it's sour and gritty. The apple-flavored one was also bland and tasteless."

I find it drinkable. It's not about the taste.

I unscrewed the cap and drank it in one go, and Yelim gave me a worried look.

"Three bottles today. Is it okay to drink so much? Is there a recommended intake?"

"What recommended intake? It's just for mental fatigue recovery."

I can't say I'm short on mana from using the leaf skill.

I couldn't find any useful status window no matter how hard I looked. With so many people around, I only checked the alphabet, and the highest was C for both skills and stats.

'The camera director can get a C-rank special skill, but...'

Setting aside the keyword, the once-a-month optimization is a waste. I need to save it for when an A-rank or higher appears.

Why is the awakening center combat-specialized? If it offered diverse talents, there would be no need to regret. Maybe I should set up a private awakening center. I can see the initial optimization skills, so I can adjust the environment to suit the individual... but that sounds too troublesome.

"Uncle! Why are you spacing out again!"

Yelim jumped and shouted.

"You said it's for mental fatigue recovery, but you're still spaced out. Are you in pain? Constant fatigue can be a sign of a serious illness..."

She panicked and paled at her own words. A serious illness? I'm healthy for the next five years.

"I can have some thoughts, can't I? Pies, come here."

"But Uncle, you're an F-rank! Shouldn't you get a health check? When was the last time you had one?"

F-rank is weak, but I'm just a civilian. Compared to S-rank, I'm like a piece of paper.

"I don't remember, but I'm fine. Hey, hey! What are you calling?"

"The guild leader. To get a comprehensive health check—"

"No way! I'm really fine!"

I don't want to go to the hospital! Especially a comprehensive check-up, which includes endoscopy. If I talk nonsense, what will I do? I can do it without anesthesia, but it's tough.

"Mr. Kim Seong-han is always worried about your health. Take better care of yourself."

Yelim grumbled as she put her phone away. No, he thinks I'm a seventy-year-old.

"Excuse me, can we take a photo with you?"

Two pretty girls, who looked like celebrities, approached and asked. Both were FF.

"Sure."

"Can we touch it?"

"Better not."

No matter how gentle and well-behaved Pies is, he's still a monster. We have special permission from the association for his media appearance, and he's accompanied by hunters like Yelim and Moon Hyun-a, so it's possible. I can't take him out alone; it's still illegal.

Thanks to Pies, the law regarding tamed monsters might change faster than expected.

"Can I take one too?"

Seeing the two girls take photos, another person approached. Soon, more people gathered around.

They must have been waiting for a chance to take photos. Since I won't be here again, I might as well let them.

"Pies is so cute!"

"Do you have any SNS?"

SNS, maybe I should. I have some photos and videos of Pies. Especially the pre-growth photos, which I felt were a shame to keep to myself. He's cute now, but he was even cuter when he was small.

"Not yet, but I'll think about it."

"Please do!"

Sure, sure. I think my child's cuteness should be shared.

Then, the crowd behind them stirred, and a man walked in. Everyone, including Yelim and me, turned to look at him.

Wow, really...

"He's so handsome."

...Yelim. Speak more nicely. But he really is incredibly handsome.

And his potential stats are B, and his skills are A.

[Unawakened ? Park Ha-yul

Potential Stat Grade B

Optimization Initial Skill

Irresistible (A)

Comforting to Look At (A)

The Perfect Addition (A)]

Triple A skills. They all seem to be special skills, and they seem to be related to appearance.

Is appearance a talent? With a face like that, even an S-rank awakening might not change much. Stat adjustments don't make you more attractive; they balance things out. If your features are already perfect, there's no plus.

"Excuse me, can I have your autograph?"

Park Ha-yul blushed and said to Yelim. He's probably a celebrity, but the roles are reversed.

"…An autograph?"

"Yes! I really admire and respect the hunters! This is the first time I'm meeting an S-rank hunter, and I really wanted to see the rating at the association, but my schedule didn't allow it. When I heard you were filming here, I rushed over!"

Park Ha-yul excitedly held out a piece of paper. There are people like this. Fans who idolize hunters and chase them like celebrity fans. Especially S-ranks, who are good-looking, have a growing fan base.

It's ironic that someone more handsome than an S-rank is a fan. And he will at least be B-rank when he awakens.

'Optimization awakening is unlikely, though.'

The skills he has can't be obtained through the awakening center. He might end up with only B-rank stats and useless skills.

I don't want to approach him either. His face is too much... I can't bring myself to use the keyword.

He's a good-looking celebrity, so he'll do well on his own. I'll ignore him.

"I'm filming a movie right now. If it's okay, can I send you an invitation to the premiere? Of course, you don't have to come! I just want to send it as a small gift... I want to send the invitation at least..."

"Sure. Send it to Hae-yeon guild."

"Thank you!"

He's a serious fan. But he's filming a movie. My head tilted involuntarily.

I don't remember seeing such a handsome actor. I was far from cultural activities at the time, so I might not have seen the movie he's filming now, but with a face like that, he should have appeared in various media afterward. It's not a face that's easily forgotten.

But why isn't he in my memory? Did he retire early?

"Mr. Han Yoo-jin!"

After getting an autograph from Yelim, Park Ha-yul now looked at me with a hesitant expression.

"Can I have your autograph? And maybe a paw print from Pies?"

"…Just the autograph."

I quickly signed and handed it back. I won't see him again, so there's no point in dragging it out.

< Let's Not Gossip > End

ⓒ Geunseo