Under Creature Chapter 13.3

Yigeom saw his chance and pointed at the seaweed trapping him. He nodded gravely, then went back up to get a respirator and a knife before coming back down into the water.

He was so short of breath that even with the respirator Namgoong Sanha gave him in his hand, he foolishly inhaled underwater.

He expected the salty water to sting his nose, but was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt.

‘What is this?’

Namgoong Sanha diligently drew his knife and cut away the seaweed, while Yigeom blankly took a breath. Without the respirator.

And he breathed comfortably.

As effortlessly as if he had become a fish.

It wasn’t painful at all.

‘No way.’

Yigeom was shocked by this unbelievable situation. But still, he had no trouble breathing underwater.

Was it because he had a water ability?

Just in case, he opened his mouth and took a big gulp of water. His throat burned like crazy. He could breathe through his nose, but his throat filling with seawater was just like a normal person’s.

As he was calmly breathing through his nose like the Little Mermaid, Sanha, having cut all the seaweed, looked at Yigeom and let out a surprised stream of bubbles. He then quickly gestured for him to put on the respirator.

Yigeom calmly shook his head, pointed at the respirator, and made an X sign. Namgoong Sanha, who perfectly understood that it meant he could breathe without it, froze for a moment before quickly pulling Yigeom to the surface.

“Gyeom-ah, uh… just now, what was that, you were breathing underwater….”

“I didn’t know, but it worked? Is this also because of my ability?”

Just as Seo Doa’s ability to control blood also extended to controlling her eyeballs and fixing them to her blood, was his ability to see through water similarly linked to being able to breathe underwater?

His mind was filled with all sorts of questions.

“Cough…! Hyung, are you okay? I’m sorry, my seaweed….”

“Yeah, thanks. I think I discovered something because of it.”

“Huh?”

Jewoo asked, bewildered, from the boat.

Yigeom went back down and tried breathing again. He was no different from a fish. After repeatedly confirming that he could breathe underwater without any equipment, he and Namgoong Sanha grabbed onto the lifebuoy.

After being pulled up and onto the boat by Doa and the captain, Yigeom was still in a daze.

‘This… actually works?’

“Are you hurt anywhere? Should I heal you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Yigeom declined the captain’s offer and checked on Jewoo.

“Is your stomach okay?”

“Hyung… I think I broke a rib.”

Jewoo groaned as he lay down.

“Captain, could I ask you to treat him?”

“Yes.”

The captain approached, checked Jewoo’s injury, and healed him. After saying he would still need a few days of rest, he dived into the sea to dismantle the creature and assess its value.

Namgoong Sanha followed the captain back down and returned a while later with the dismantled creature’s corpse.

When they arrived on land and were getting off the boat one by one, Seo Dohyun, who had said he had something to do, came out to greet them.

“You’re back?”

“Yeah, but where’s Geonwoo hyung? I thought he was with you.”

“I’m not sure.”

When Yigeom asked, pushing back his wet hair, Seo Dohyun feigned ignorance.

Yigeom, who couldn’t even imagine that Geonwoo had left to have some time alone to think about the Vigilantes’ matter, simply assumed that he was avoiding Seo Dohyun because things were awkward between them.

“But what’s wrong with Jewoo?”

Yigeom glanced at Jewoo, who was getting off the boat with support from Namgoong Sanha and Seo Doa on either side, and said.

“He got hit by the creature. He got treated, but he needs a few days of rest.”

“Was it hard to catch?”

“Not really….”

If the creature they had just defeated had been on land, they could have caught it in minutes. And Jewoo wouldn’t have a single scratch.

The only difference was that it was underwater. He knew there would be a geographical handicap, but he never dreamed it would have such a big impact.

‘From now on, I’m never taking on an undersea CA.’

Just like the jinx where the person who suggests rock-paper-scissors first always loses, Jewoo, who had suggested coming to the sea, also got badly hurt. And all he learned was, ‘Turns out I can breathe underwater?’ That was it.

“Aaaah! Seo Doa, don’t press there! It hurts!”

“Where, here?”

“Aack! Yes, there!”

“Ah, sorry. But where did Geonwoo oppa go?”

Doa, who had accidentally pressed on the injury, readjusted her hold on Jewoo and looked around. Even though they had a captain with healing abilities, his healing rank was C, which was no match for Jin Geonwoo’s A.

“Right? I thought he’d be here to meet us. Dohyun hyung. Where did Geonwoo hyung go?”

Getting treated by Jin Geonwoo was much more effective, and Jewoo, too, was eagerly looking for him.

“I haven’t seen him since we parted ways. Should I call him?”

“No, I’ll do it! Just a second.”

Namgoong Sanha took out his phone and called Jin Geonwoo.

“Oh, Geonwoo. We’re back, where are you now? Uh-huh, yeah, got it. See you at the dorm then. Geonwoo is resting at the dorm. Jewoo, does it hurt a lot?”

“I’m fine! I’ll be all better after getting treated and eating a good meal!”

Jewoo said cheerfully.

And so, with the injured Jewoo, they all returned to their lodgings.

🦅࿐

“There. Try to get up.”

“Oh! It hurts way less than before! Thank you!”

“It’s nothing. Tell me anytime if it hurts.”

After arriving at the dorm and receiving treatment from Jin Geonwoo, Jewoo gave a thumbs-up.

“If you’re done with the treatment, pull your shirt down. We can all see your belly.”

At Seo Doa’s scolding, Jewoo looked sheepish and pulled down the shirt he had lifted, covering his stomach. And as a last shred of pride, he mumbled under his breath.

“…As if she doesn’t have one.”

“I don’t eat as much as you, you know?”

“Ah, speaking of which, I’m hungry again. I used too much of my ability.”

Yigeom asked Jewoo, who was rubbing his empty stomach.

“Should I go buy some meat?”

Although he had received treatment, he wasn’t in a condition to go out to eat, so they decided to get some takeout and eat in.

When Jewoo grinned and nodded, Yigeom and Seo Dohyun left the room to buy dinner.

On the way to the store, Yigeom recounted the events that had unfolded on the boat earlier to Seo Dohyun, as if writing in a diary.

Everything from arriving at their destination and fishing because they had time to spare, to catching a lot of fish and eating them as sashimi, to fighting the creature, and even discovering that he could breathe underwater.

Seo Dohyun summed it up with a single, indifferent comment.

“Sounds like you had fun.”

“…That’s it? I told you I can breathe, you know?”

“Good for you. Try to hone it more.”

“……”

With him saying that, there was nothing more to add.

He had thought he might be able to get some advice from Seo Dohyun, but he had expected too much. He decided to just leave Seo Dohyun be and think about it on his own.

He already knew from a previous test that he could see through the sea just like other water. That was why Jewoo had recommended the undersea CA Area for ability training in the first place.

He was surprised himself by the fact that he could breathe.

On the way back to land, Doa, Jewoo, and Namgoong Sanha had taken turns adding their thoughts on his newfound ability.

‘That’s amazing. But isn’t it something you can only use in the sea?’

‘I think the water wants to be friends with you, hyung! It’s even letting you breathe!’

‘Breathing is possible, like a fish? Does he breathe by extracting only the oxygen from the water? But Gyeom doesn’t have gills… what’s the principle behind it?’

Seo Doa, who, like her brother, was extremely grounded in reality; Cha Jewoo, who seemed to live in a fairy tale; and Namgoong Sanha, who looked at him as if he might dissect him.

Sometimes, Namgoong Sanha was the most unsettling of all.

Abilities, creatures, the very concepts themselves were already nonsensical, yet he always insisted on trying to find the underlying principles.

‘It’s easier if you just give up.’

After arriving at the restaurant Seo Dohyun and Jewoo had recommended and getting their takeout, they returned to the dorm.

For the sake of the injured Jewoo, they all gathered cozily in his room and unpacked the food.

Jewoo recounted the events of the creature fight as grandly as a hero’s tale of defeating a demon king.

Yigeom and Doa, having witnessed the scene firsthand, knew Jewoo’s commentary was all lies, but Namgoong Sanha, who had waited on the boat knowing nothing, listened intently and chimed in from time to time.

With an audience, Jewoo grew even more excited and embellished his heroic tale, while Seo Dohyun and Jin Geonwoo remained dead silent.

Seo Dohyun was always the quiet listener, so it wasn’t bothersome, but Jin Geonwoo’s state was strange.

Worried, Yigeom lightly nudged the surprisingly quiet Jin Geonwoo’s elbow and asked.

“Hyung, is something wrong? You seem down.”

“Huh? O-Oh? No?”

‘It’s definitely not “no”.’

Yigeom glanced at Jin Geonwoo and automatically suspected Seo Dohyun.

Did something happen when the two of them were left on land?

He had decided to stop suspecting Seo Dohyun as the culprit whenever something happened, but his thoughts couldn’t help but lean that way.

After all, Jin Geonwoo and Seo Dohyun were never close to begin with, and Jin Geonwoo’s mood had changed in that exact time frame, after they had left.

Moreover, he recalled the question Seo Dohyun had asked him when he visited his room at dawn.

‘What do you think of Geonwoo hyung?’

Why had he even asked that question?

But Yigeom knew that suspecting Seo Dohyun would lead nowhere, so he decided not to make a fuss about it for now and ask him later when they were alone.

Until Jin Geonwoo dropped the bomb.

“Um… guys. I have something to say.”

“Something to say? What is it?”

“I’m planning to leave Latter. It’s been fun.”

Latter? Leave?

At Jin Geonwoo’s surprise announcement, everyone just blinked blankly. Doa was the first to come to her senses and ask.

“Why so suddenly? Is it something we did wrong…?”

“No, I had a really great time with you all.”

“But then why…”

“Because, actually, I’m a member of the Vigilantes.”

Jin Geonwoo mumbled with his head hung low.

Normally, he wouldn’t have needed to make such a confession. He could have just said he wanted to transfer to the Vigilantes and that would be that, but he felt it wasn’t respectful to them.

Even if he went to the Vigilantes, he wanted to maintain a good relationship with them, so he didn’t want to create any secrets.

Even if he was blamed for deceiving them, he wanted to confess all the facts he had hidden and apologize.

“I’m sorry. Um… when we voted on whether to join hands with the Vigilantes, I was ordered to steer Latter in a positive direction, and I also passed on information about you… I’m sorry! You can hit me if you want!”

Yigeom sighed and asked curtly.

“What kind of information?”

“How you handle CA Areas, what your abilities are, your combat methods, your habits… things like that. They also asked about trivial daily life stuff.”

“Why are they curious about our daily lives!? And more importantly, you told them about our abilities too!?”

Jewoo’s eyes widened.

It was one thing to relay information about their CA Area handling methods or combat habits, but abilities were a different story.

The outcome of a battle often depended on one’s ability, and it was common to hide it to use as a trump card. And he had just blurted it out? Even if the Vigilantes were on their side, without the other person’s permission?

Abilities like Namgoong Sanha’s technology, Jewoo’s plant summoning, and Doa’s blood manipulation were visible at a glance and impossible to hide once used, but Yigeom and Dohyun were different.

Most hunters still only guessed that Yigeom’s ability was clairvoyance or some form of enhanced vision, and knew nothing about its connection to water. The same went for Seo Dohyun’s simulation.

Jin Geonwoo didn’t know Seo Dohyun’s ability either, but it was a different story for Yigeom’s.

Just as Jewoo was about to be consumed by a sense of betrayal, Jin Geonwoo waved his hands frantically and made an excuse.

“N-N-No!!! They did ask about abilities, but I told them I didn’t know either!!”

“……”

“It’s true! I’ll show you the messages here!”

As everyone glared at him with suspicion, Jin Geonwoo hurriedly took out his phone.

The messages he showed were packed with information about Latter, but there was no mention of their abilities.

“Geonwoo oppa, is this really all of it?”

Yigeom agreed with Doa’s words and furrowed his brow slightly. Honestly, it was a shock if anything. The hyung he had been close to turned out to be a spy for another organization.

Did Seo Dohyun know? Was that why he had tested him about Jin Geonwoo last time?

“…I did talk on the phone sometimes, but I swear I never once mentioned your abilities.”

“How can we believe that? Looking at this, you reported all our private lives to the Vigilantes too. And confessing this now, are you hoping we’ll forgive you or something?”

“That’s…”

As Yigeom pressed him, Jin Geonwoo bit his lip hard.

He’d hit the nail on the head. He had subconsciously assumed that since they were good kids, they would forgive him if he apologized sincerely.

“Geonwoo, be honest. Did you really never tell them?”

Namgoong Sanha, who had been reading the messages between Jin Geonwoo and the Vigilantes, asked in a serious tone. It was so different from his usual gentle demeanor that Jin Geonwoo faltered and nodded.

“Yes, I swear!”

“Even if you didn’t tell them about the abilities, this is a serious problem. To go around talking about someone else’s private life and information without permission. Even if the others forgive you, I won’t.”

“…Yeah. I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

Jin Geonwoo apologized listlessly. No matter how much he wanted to join the Vigilantes, acting as a spy like this was, even to him, ridiculous.

‘I was so stupid.’

Latter wasn’t a criminal organization, what was there to dig up through infiltration and situation reports…

“The Vigilantes asked for a lot of information about Yigeom. Especially what his ability is.”

“Me?”

Yigeom responded to Namgoong Sanha’s mumble as he scrolled through Jin Geonwoo’s phone.

“Yeah. Since there’s almost nothing known about you, I guess they were curious too.”

“Hah…”

Yigeom let out a sigh of disbelief. They could have just asked him straight up. Why investigate secretly behind his back?

He had gotten close to A, and if they had asked him directly, he might have told them, but they had to go and…

‘Why are they so curious about my private life? Are they stalkers or something?’

Seeing as they hadn’t asked about Seo Dohyun’s ability, which was just as unknown as his, it seemed they had given up early on, realizing they wouldn’t get anywhere no matter how hard they tried.

From letting Choi Baekgil go during the detention center explosion to this incident with Jin Geonwoo, a series of events had gradually chipped away at his favorable impression of A.

“The Vigilantes do have a shady side to them.”

Yigeom strongly sympathized with Seo Dohyun, who spoke at the perfect time as if he had read his mind.

Right. Seo Dohyun had improved now, reducing the frequency of his ability use, partly because of him, who could now share the memories. But in the past, he must have been far more heartless and cruel.

And the Vigilantes had taken that old Seo Dohyun in.

Shady… maybe they were shady?

“Geonwoo hyung.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Jin Geonwoo answered awkwardly at Yigeom’s call.

“But is it okay for you to tell us this? Weren’t you planning to leave Latter and go to the Vigilantes?”

“That’s right.”

“Won’t you be in a difficult position if the Vigilantes find out you’ve been honest with us?”

At that kindness, Jin Geonwoo felt another pang of guilt. Even though he had reported on his private life, Yigeom wasn’t angry; instead, he was worried about him.

“That’s true too, but I really like you guys. Of course, even if I didn’t, I would have revealed it someday.”

I know the Vigilantes didn’t order the infiltration of Latter with malicious intent. That’s why I grudgingly agreed to report on the members’ lives while I was in Latter.

The Vigilantes always act for the greater good, a righteous organization that catches Blood Hunters.

But even so, secretly digging into others’ private lives is something that deserves to be condemned. As I reported, doubts began to grow, and just then, Seo Dohyun figured out my true identity.

If it became public knowledge that the Vigilantes ordered a rookie hunter to infiltrate another guild and dig up information, the Vigilantes would face criticism.

Nevertheless, the reason I’m confessing the infiltration order that I should be keeping quiet about and apologizing to Latter is because I have a conscience, and I feel guilty.

Above all, Jin Geonwoo did not regret confessing this fact.

Even if it meant he couldn’t join the Vigilantes because of this.

“Geonwoo hyung. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said. So that you can easily join the Vigilantes.”

“Gyeom hyung!”

“Oppa! That’s not right! Didn’t you hear what this person just said!? Our information…!”

“Right, Gyeom-ah. That’s not it. Geonwoo was in the wrong, and we can’t overlook this. We need to formally protest to the Vigilantes.”

Everyone vehemently opposed Yigeom’s idea. But Yigeom didn’t budge and instead said something incomprehensible to Jin Geonwoo.

“The first time is hard, but the second time is easy. Right, Geonwoo hyung?”

“Huh?”

“Join the Vigilantes. Is my ability what they want? Fine. Tell them. Take that information and join the Vigilantes.”

“Um, Yigeom. I have no idea what you’re talking about….”

Yigeom added in a low, sunken voice.

“Hyung. Don’t go looking for a conscience now.”

“…Huh?”

“Do you still not understand what I’m saying?”

He declared to the bewildered Jin Geonwoo.

“Now we’re going to use you.”

🦅࿐

Knock, knock-

As soon as the knock sounded, Yigeom flung the door open as if he had been waiting.

“What.”

“I missed you.”

“Come in, then.”

By now, he knew that Seo Dohyun’s cheesy words were just meaningless noises.

“You could have just said you had something to talk about…. Are you like that with other people too?”

“Like what?”

“Playing dumb. Forget it.”

At Seo Dohyun’s action of sitting on the bed and tilting his head, Yigeom gave up on pointing it out and pulled over a stool to sit on.

“Ah, the ‘I came because I missed you’ thing?”

“I said forget it. So why are you here? Because of Geonwoo hyung? What, why. Geonwoo hyung agreed, and it’s not like it’s a bad thing for us.”

Even if they confronted the Vigilantes about this, who knew if they would just give a vague apology and then scheme behind their backs again. In that case, they decided to turn the Vigilantes’ own plan against them.

The first time is hard, but is the second? It was just as the saying went.

He was angry at Jin Geonwoo for carelessly handing over their information, but what could he do about what had already happened. He had to make the best use of it.

Even if Latter had joined hands with the Vigilantes, there must be information that could never be revealed to outsiders.

Yigeom had proposed to Jin Geonwoo that he provide such information from the Vigilantes, and Jin Geonwoo, though reluctant, had eventually agreed.

He had a gloomy look on his face, as if he felt pathetic for being a bat flitting from side to side.

But it didn’t matter. Humans were beings who could become selfish at any time when they were in a predicament.

All he had to do was gently coax him, telling him that what he was doing now wasn’t a bad thing.

Besides, the Vigilantes were the ones who had started the information war first, and Latter was essentially the one who had been stabbed in the back by someone they trusted.

Whether it was revenge or something else, what was the problem with turning it back on them?

“You’re stupidly kind.”

Yigeom was dumbfounded by Seo Dohyun’s sudden jab.

“Is that an insult?”

“No, it’s a compliment.”

…Is he trying to pick a fight?

Yigeom seriously suspected it.

While Yigeom and Seo Dohyun were talking separately, Seo Doa, Namgoong Sanha, and Cha Jewoo had somehow gathered in Jewoo’s room and were engaged in a heated debate.

“Oppa is really just stupidly too kind.”

“Don’t be too hard on him. Hyung must have his reasons.”

“What reasons! The reason to forgive that person!?”

Jin Geonwoo had already been demoted from ‘Geonwoo oppa’ to ‘this person, that person, him’ in Doa’s vocabulary.

“No, Doa. If you think about it carefully, Yigeom’s actions are somewhat understandable. Even if they’re on the same side, you never know, so using Geonwoo to extract information is the right decision….”

“Aaargh! But what do I do, it’s still so annoying!”

Doa, cutting off Namgoong Sanha, lashed out as if she couldn’t contain her anger.

To make the person who had stolen their information and reported it to the Vigilantes act as a spy for them against the Vigilantes.

She hated Yigeom’s proposal because it felt like it was giving Jin Geonwoo a chance to redeem himself.

What if he mistakenly thinks that with this proposal, he’s repaid his debt and apology to Latter and all is well? Her insides were boiling.

Doa’s true wish was to not have him do anything and make Jin Geonwoo feel guilty towards them for the rest of his life.

“What can we do. Gyeom hyung has a soft spot.”

Ugh, Doa groaned. Because he had a soft spot, he was friendly even with her ill-tempered brother, and instead of hating her, who was connected to his parents’ death, he had even comforted her.

Doa had never met anyone as kind as Yigeom. He looked sharp and mean on the outside, but he was soft and then some.

“It would be nice if he acted the way he looks….”

She hugged a pillow and lamented in an infinitely small voice.

Honestly, she didn’t care if her own information was taken or not. She had been a hunter for a long time, and most people already knew about her ability and family relationships.

But Yigeom was different. He was the son of her benefactor, and even though Yigeom had forgiven her, a sense of guilt still welled up inside her.

He was as precious to her as her own brother…. Seeing him being taken advantage of like a pushover everywhere made her blood boil.

“And A! He could have just asked oppa what his ability is, what is he doing digging around behind his back!? That’s a crime!”

“Looking at the conversation with Geonwoo, he did seem particularly curious about Yigeom’s ability.”

Namgoong Sanha stroked his chin and fell into thought.

Weren’t A and Yigeom on friendly terms, even participating in Vigilante activities together? From what Yigeom sometimes said, the two of them would even look at documents together in the archives….

If he had casually asked what his ability was then, Yigeom had the personality to answer without avoiding it, so why did he have to go through the trouble of having Jin Geonwoo dig it up?

Did he not trust Yigeom? After knowing him for just a few days, anyone could tell that Yigeom was a terrible liar, so why go through the hassle?

‘Could it be… that Yigeom has another ability that he’s even hiding from us?’

And A had infiltrated Jin Geonwoo into Latter to find that out?

Namgoong Sanha, lost in his own thoughts, quickly shook his head.

‘Nah, that’s too far-fetched.’

🦅࿐

Jin Geonwoo was not in the car on the way back from the sea. Everyone felt betrayed by him, and Jin Geonwoo himself had checked out early in the morning and left alone.

After leaving Latter, Jin Geonwoo quickly joined the Vigilantes. They promised to report on the situation regularly, once every two weeks.

Most of the Vigilante members believe that Jin Geonwoo simply transferred from Latter to the Vigilantes, not that he was infiltrated into Latter on A’s orders.

Good. From Latter’s perspective, it gave them an excuse to occasionally meet Jin Geonwoo, thanks to the bond they had built.

And today was the day to meet Jin Geonwoo for a status report.

But before that…

“We’re one person short! Why didn’t Yoon Myungjoo come?”

“Date with his girlfriend.”

“What? He said he was free and would come…. Ugh, so is there anyone left at school right now? Even from another department is fine. Anyone you can contact.”

“There’s a nursing student, she said she just finished classes. I’ll call my friend.”

Listening to the conversation between his department friends, Yigeom lay down on a bench on the field. Before meeting Jin Geonwoo, soccer practice for the sports festival championship came first.

“What’s the need to call someone? If the other team is short one person, we can just sit one person out too.”

“Are you trying to sneak out like that? Forget it, you just get up and do some warm-ups. The nursing student will be here soon.”

Yigeom pouted at his friend’s nagging, got up from the bench, and awkwardly stretched his ankles on the ground. They called it practice, but everyone was just excited to play soccer.

Even those who weren’t on the main team had decided to participate to help with practice, and one of them, Kang Taeha, was currently at the campus convenience store buying drinks.

“Just let the third-years sit out.”

Sports festivals were fun in the first and second years, but the participation rate for third and fourth-year students, who had been in college for a while, wasn’t very high. Yigeom had tried to skip it too, but was dragged along by his excited classmates.

‘Me, a starter.’

He warmed up, resolving to play half-heartedly and then get out. Glancing around, he saw a few faces that weren’t from the business administration department.

They were people who had come along with friends to play a practice game, partly to fill the numbers, like the guy who had just called his nursing student friend.

“Hello.”

At the greeting, Yigeom looked up to see who it was. It wasn’t someone from his department, but a familiar face. He smiled brightly and extended his hand.

“You’re in ‘Understanding of Architectural Culture,’ right? I’m taking that elective too. We’ve run into each other a few times, I wonder if you remember me? Ah, I’m Choi Haneul, a second-year in Hotel and Culinary Arts. I came to hang out with a friend.”

Choi Haneul introduced himself, gesturing with his eyes towards his friend who was juggling a soccer ball in the background.

“Yes, hello. I’m Yoon Yigeom, a third-year in Business Administration.”

“We’re on the same team today, let’s do our best. And you can speak comfortably to me, hyung.”

Best…. It was one of the words Yigeom, who had planned to wander around the field without breaking a sweat, disliked the most.

“Yeah, well. Let’s do our best for now.”

“Yes! Let’s do this.”

“Gyeom-ah, what are you doing?”

Kang Taeha, who had gone to the convenience store for drinks, called out to Yigeom. Yigeom saw him with his hands full of plastic bags filled with drinks and quickly ran over to take them from him.

“Why did you buy so much?”

“There are 22 of us. I bought 22.”

“I should have gone with you.”

“I could clearly see you were annoyed, so there was no need. The convenience store is close, so it was a quick trip. But who’s that? Doesn’t seem like they’re from our department….”

Kang Taeha asked, looking at Choi Haneul.

“Yeah, he came with Uijoong.”

“Hello, I’m Choi Haneul from Hotel and Culinary Arts. I’m a second-year.”

Choi Haneul bowed his head in greeting. Since ‘Understanding of Architectural Culture’ was an elective Yigeom took with Kang Taeha, Choi Haneul couldn’t not know Kang Taeha, who was always with Yigeom.

“Yes, hello. Let’s have a good game today. Here, have a drink.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Yeah, but Gyeom-ah. Did you warm up a bit?”

Kang Taeha briefly greeted him while handing him a drink, then immediately turned to Yigeom. Yigeom, also drinking the sports drink he had bought, answered nonchalantly.

“No need to warm up. I’m just going to pretend to run.”

“What if you fall?”

“Not going to happen since I won’t even be kicking the ball.”

He was going to casually walk around in a spot as far from the ball as possible and then leave. It would be even better if he got dropped from the starting lineup because of it.

With that resolve, he entered the game. But…

“Yigeom hyung!!”

Walking around in a quiet spot was a mistake. Whenever the players with the ball were blocked by defenders, they all passed it to Yigeom, who was far away.

Having unexpectedly received the ball from Choi Haneul’s pass, Yigeom had no choice but to run towards the goal. He saw Kang Taeha, who was on the opposing team, blocking his way.

‘Should I just pass the ball to him casually?’

He dribbled the ball, contemplating, but Kang Taeha mouthed something to him.

‘Kick it.’

It was a supportive gesture, as if to say he would only pretend to block so Yigeom could score a goal. It was a gesture he really wanted to refuse.

‘Alright, since I’m doing it anyway, let’s just enjoy it and score a goal.’

He thought that nothing would get done if he kept refusing, and since everyone had gathered to practice, it wasn’t polite to show his dislike too much, so he curled the ball and kicked it.

The ball Yigeom kicked shook the net, and everyone cheered.

“Whoa! 1-0!! Yoon Yigeom scored!”

“You didn’t want to do it, but now that you’re doing it, it’s fun, right? Feels good to score, right? Good job.”

As his friends, who came over either to praise him or to tease him, grinned and disappeared, Choi Haneul, who had recorded 1 assist, ran up. He held out both his palms, seemingly wanting a high-five.

“Hyung! Nice goal! Let’s score one more just like that!”

“Yeah, you too, nice pass.”

He gave him a high-five and resumed the game.

After that, Yigeom kicked the ball countless times. He had thought exercise was just a hassle, but now that he was moving his body and sweating, soccer was actually quite fun.

Perhaps because his physical abilities had improved after becoming a hunter, making him better than ordinary people, but after kicking the ball relentlessly, he had become an indispensable ace on the team.

Later, a department classmate scored one goal, and Yigeom scored three, achieving a hat-trick.

The game ended with a 4-2 victory for Yoon Yigeom’s team.

“Good work.”

Kang Taeha sat down next to the resting Yigeom and handed him a drink.

“Was it fun? You were running hard in the second half.”

“Sort of? It’s not bad once you get into it.”

At Yigeom’s mumble, Kang Taeha chuckled softly and asked.

“It looks like everyone’s going to go out for dinner together, are you going to join?”

The people who had just finished playing were talking about good restaurants nearby.

“I’m going to pass. I have plans later.”

“Plans?”

“Yeah, I need to stop by my place before that.”

He was planning to take a refreshing shower before meeting Jin Geonwoo. Kang Taeha, who had planned to have dinner with Yigeom, frowned for a moment before nodding.

“Alright, see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah. Get home safe.”

Just then, a text came from Jin Geonwoo. It was to meet at 8 o’clock.

Since he was still just a rookie in the Vigilantes, there probably wouldn’t be much information to bring, but there was always a ‘what if’.

He was looking forward to seeing what kind of big fish he had caught.

Yigeom arrived at his studio apartment, quickly washed his sweaty and sticky body, and then headed to the meeting place. When he arrived at the cafe, Seo Dohyun and Jin Geonwoo were already there.

“Hello.”

‘Am I a little late?’

He had arrived 5 minutes late according to the appointment time. The tips of his hair, which he hadn’t had time to dry completely in his haste, were slightly damp.

He found a seat next to Seo Dohyun, who playfully flicked his wet hair and asked.

“Did you shower?”

“Yeah, it just happened. Hello, hyung.”

He greeted Jin Geonwoo, facing him. Unlike before, when it was filled with kindness and affection, his tone was business-like and distant.

He was no longer a close acquaintance. He was the person who had stolen his information and offered it up; now, they were just in a relationship of using and being used.

“It’s been a while. Are you guys doing well?”

“I don’t think we’re in a position to ask after each other’s well-being. More importantly, did you find out anything from the Vigilantes?”

Jin Geonwoo mumbled his reply.