“Of course, I know well.”
“I’m receiving requests from that person. Like the Jeongmun Pharmaceuticals incident, and now, the Fukuoka case.”
“I didn’t realize, but we’ve already had a connection?”
“Exactly. If you think about it differently, Lee Ye-rin handled it well. It’s better if the clients don’t know each other, right?”
Kang-hoo nodded.
It was definitely not a matter to question why Lee Ye-rin didn’t give him a heads-up.
On the contrary, it was right to praise her. As Ayane said, information between clients should be kept separate.
That way, there’s a reason for someone like Lee Ye-rin, a “middleman,” to be involved.
Otherwise, it would be pointless.
“I’m also receiving domestic requests from Lee Ye-rin, and I’ve left some international requests with her as well.”“She does seem capable. She has quite a few connections in Japan too.”
“Seems so.”
“Will you be staying in Japan?”
“No, I have some things to take care of back in Korea. I might return, but I can’t guarantee it.”
He was planning to set up frequent routes between domestic and international locations.
No matter what, it was true that Kang-hoo’s network was primarily based in Korea.
Therefore, he couldn’t focus solely on activities abroad. The art of maintaining a proper balance was crucial.
“So… what are you planning to do next?”
It was a vague question. Although he understood her curiosity, the question was too broad.
So, Kang-hoo responded with a similarly vague answer. There was no need to go into detail with her.
“Grow. Get rid of anyone blocking my path. And look after those who stay with me.”
“Which side am I on?”
“Our trust is still thin, isn’t it? You belong to no side. Though we are slowly building it.”
Ayane looked slightly disappointed.
It was as if she wanted to get closer to Kang-hoo but couldn’t find a way to do so.
Becoming closer… establishing trust.
It may seem easy in words, but it’s extremely difficult in reality.
Any seasoned hunter knows how dangerous it is to trust someone.
In today’s world, yesterday’s ally might stab you in the back today.
Kang-hoo had never fully trusted anyone, not even Master K or Kim Shin-ryeong.
Instead, he weighed how beneficial it was for them to trust him and judged their trust accordingly.
Those involved might feel hurt if they knew.
But Kang-hoo had always thought that way to prevent his emotions from loosening up.
The only exception was Jung Yu-ri. He trusted her about 95%.
As the atmosphere grew slightly cold, Kang-hoo changed the subject.
He didn’t come out to ruin the mood of a pleasant drinking session.
“What about you? What are your plans?”
“I’m planning to focus on international requests. I want to fight hunters from various countries. There are plenty of strong ones, aren’t there?”
“That’s an interesting plan.”
“I’ll tell Lee Ye-rin about it. If you’re interested, why don’t we do an overseas request together sometime? If it doesn’t work out, we can always go our separate ways.”
A joint request.
It didn’t sound bad. While solo requests didn’t need it, a group mission might be worth considering.
He had already verified Ayane’s skills twice, so there was no need to doubt them. She was definitely competent.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
“Yay! Awesome!”
Despite her cold and elegant image, she clenched her fist in excitement, a picture of pure enthusiasm.
Her true nature was apparent in this moment. A woman with many simple sides.
Ayane asked again.
“That thing you said before, is it true? Are you really going to die? Won’t you live long?”
He had made a joke back then, and since she hadn’t said much, Kang-hoo thought she had taken it as a joke and moved on.
It seemed the idea of dying tomorrow had resonated with her. Her expression was very serious.
Kang-hoo smiled.
A joke ceases to be a joke when it gets too serious. He didn’t want to push it that far.
“I’m not terminally ill, but mentally, I live like I am. It’s hard to live long in this era, isn’t it?”
“Well… that’s true.”
Kang-hoo didn’t think he was wrong.
He still had a long way to grow. There were many variables. Especially the Thirteen Stars—whenever he thought about them, tension filled his body.
To induce their division, his first plan was to approach Takashi.
But he hadn’t built a deep connection with him yet.
It was still likely that Takashi’s emotional ties lay more with the Thirteen Stars.
Even if he disliked Chae Gwanhyeong.
He would need more opportunities to distance himself.
“I can’t guarantee tomorrow to the person I meet today. I just hope nothing happens.”
Ayane’s eyes sparkled at Kang-hoo’s words. It seemed she had sensed the hidden sincerity behind them.
Despite appearing cold and cynical, she felt that he cared for and looked after those close to him.
That made her like him even more.
He wasn’t a fool driven by blind devotion, nor was he someone who only thought of himself and trampled on others.
And so, the conversation deepened.
They talked about their daily lives, training methods, and their thoughts on different classes.
Ayane mostly led the conversation, but Kang-hoo responded well, keeping the atmosphere lively.
As they emptied quite a few cocktails, both of their faces started to flush without anyone realizing it.
Ayane spoke first.
Whether it was instinct or something she had intended from the beginning, the words came out naturally.
“Would you like to stay together tonight?”
Kang-hoo’s response was quite simple.
“If it’s purely instinctual, then I’m fine with it. But if there’s another motive, I’d rather decline.”
A night between adults. It could either be a fleeting flame that burns hot for a day or the start of a long-term relationship.
Kang-hoo was referring to the former. His desire not to be emotionally entangled was clear.
“Okay.”
Ayane nodded.
As Kang-hoo said, even if they spent tonight together, they had no idea what tomorrow would bring—that’s the life of a hunter.
If they could burn brightly tonight, tomorrow didn’t matter. Tomorrow’s worries were for tomorrow.
And so… the night between the two stretched long and intense, as if they were people without a future.
The next afternoon.
After having a late breakfast and lunch with Ayane, Kang-hoo returned to Rikou Tower and began warming up.
He was preparing for the evening dungeon raid, and at the same time, trying to get used to the dual daggers.
He had always been accustomed to having one hand free, but now that both hands were occupied, it felt different.
It was like wearing new shoes—not uncomfortable, but something that would take time to adjust to.
He set up an imaginary enemy and practiced alternating between his left and right hands, striking with the daggers.
Since his dominant hand was the right, his left-hand movements felt unsatisfactory.
It felt like his timing was off by a quarter beat. And typically, bad premonitions don’t lie.
‘I shouldn’t use my left hand in critical situations.’
He set a general rule: key skills and important attacks would be done with his right hand.
Using his left hand to create variables might just backfire and become a liability.
At that moment.
A phone call came in.
As the number of people he knew increased, it became harder to predict who was calling.
Curious, he answered, and it was Jeon Se-hyuk. One of his top priorities to contact once he returned to Korea.
“Yes, this is Shin Kang-hoo.”
-This is Jeon Se-hyuk. Are you doing well? I saw the news. Cha So-hyuk? That guy, Cha So-hee’s brother, went to Japan?
“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to him, I’ve become the villain who wiped out his siblings, even for the one in the afterlife.”
-Who would think you’re the villain? It’s more like a necessary act of justice.
News sure travels fast.
Once something is reported on Huntergram or the Hunter news, it spreads quickly.
Of course, there’s so much hunter-related news that if you don’t check every day, you’ll miss things.
Kang-hoo didn’t know this, but Jang Si-hwan had only recently realized Kang-hoo’s existence for that very reason.
Living such a fast-paced life, it’s easy to become desensitized to the issues of the hunter world.
Jeon Se-hyuk continued speaking.
“I’ve gathered quite a large group. Soon, we plan to make a real move on Eclipse.”
“Oh.”
It was the news he had been waiting for.
Attacking Eclipse was necessary, not only for the Constellation’s trial but also for dealing with the followers of the Dark Seeker.
However, taking on Eclipse by himself was overwhelming, so Jeon Se-hyuk expanding the scope was a welcome move.
“We’ve already raided several of their branches. That bastard Kang Dong-hyun must be fuming.”
Through the smartphone, Kang-hoo could hear Jeon Se-hyuk’s excited, raspy breaths. His revenge on Eclipse was genuine.
“I’m planning to wrap up my business in Japan and head back to Korea soon. Let’s meet up then.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be waiting.”
“Alright, take care.”
It was certainly reassuring to have an ally. Jeon Se-hyuk was indeed the right person to handle Eclipse.
Kang-hoo had been tied to Eclipse with bad blood from the start.
With the added motivation of the Constellation’s trial, there was no reason not to join Jeon Se-hyuk’s effort against Eclipse.
When he returned, there would be a storm of blood.
And the world would see the attack on Eclipse not as a crime but as justice and retribution.
There was no shortage of reasons to be a hero.