The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 37

“By the way, Benefactor. Aren’t you curious how I got into Haechi?”

 

“I’m not curious.”

 

“Ah, why. Listen to me. You know that rainy Gate we entered last time? I got recognized for the contribution of sturdily protecting you back then, Benefactor. Hey, hey! Listen to me!” 

 

“Ah, I’m telling you I’m not curious!”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at the same time.

 

Lee Haechan was standing in an alleyway a short distance away from the Haechi Guild building. 

 

No, to be exact, he was surrounded by people and unable to move.

 

The group surrounding Lee Haechan were Hunters affiliated with Red Moon, the guild Haechan and Choi Kwon used to belong to.

 

Red Moon Guild.

 

Ranked 3rd among South Korea’s Hunter guilds.

 

With Haechi at 1st and Taesan at 2nd. The place grinding its teeth right below them was exactly Red Moon.

 

“Uhm, e-excuse me, wh-what’s going on all of a sudden…?”

 

Haechan squeezed out a voice that seemed to crawl back in.

 

But the Red Moon Guild Hunters didn’t even pretend to hear.

 

“Ah, damn it. Because of Haechi Guild, we can’t buy those crop items on the Hunter Exchange anymore.” 

 

“I know, right. An exclusive contract, how petty. Aren’t they basically saying they’ll only use the good stuff among themselves?”

 

One of them lightly tapped his phone screen. 

 

On the message window of the Hunter Exchange app, ‘Unread’ was displayed.

 

“That seller doesn’t even read messages at all now! Ah, so annoying!”

 

The Hunter, who was shaking his phone irritably, glared at Haechan.

 

“Isn’t that right, Sunbae-nim? …Ah, since you’re not affiliated with our guild anymore, you’re not Sunbae-nim either, right? Hunter Lee Haechan-nim?”

 

As giggling laughter circled around, Haechan’s shoulders shrank further.

 

Still, Haechan didn’t give in and tried to retort.

 

“It-It’s not petty. C-Come to think of it, Red Moon sweeping up good items is ev-even worse…”

 

Haechan’s words weren’t wrong.

 

The Red Moon Guild was one of the Vice President’s lines, and with the Vice President backing them, they had been monopolizing all the good items.

 

But at Haechan talking back, the Red Moon guild members snorted.

 

“What, are you siding with Haechi because you changed guilds? What a bat.”

 

“I heard you did it again this time? That you couldn’t control your ability and trapped your teammates in a nightmare. Anyway, what an unpleasant ability.”

 

At those words, Haechan’s face and the nape of his neck flushed red in an instant. 

 

He was at a loss for words.

 

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

 

As if finding that sight even more amusing, the Red Moon guild members’ expressions became more triumphant.

 

To think an S-rank Hunter was cowering at a single word from them.

 

Intoxicated by the elation of pressing down a Hunter of a higher rank than themselves, the Hunters threw an arm around Haechan’s shoulder.

 

“Don’t be like that, and can’t our Hunter Lee Haechan smuggle out a few crop items for us?” 

 

“Do you know how many comrades suffered damage from having their traumas exposed because of you? You should at least do that much.” 

 

Haechan shook his head vigorously.

 

“N-No. And I, I don’t have that kind of authority… really…”

 

“What, I heard the Hunter producing those items is affiliated with the Haechi Guild too. Are you not close?”

 

“Honestly, what a useless human being.”

 

Shove.

 

The Hunter who had his arm over his shoulder purposely pushed Haechan hard.

 

Haechan’s body staggered.

 

It was then.

 

Hana and Choi Kwon, who had just arrived at the Haechi Guild and were unloading luggage, witnessed that sight from afar and stopped walking.

 

“Huh? Those are the b*stards from the Red Moon Guild?”

 

Choi Kwon narrowed his eyes.

 

Hana was the same.

 

Haechan, stuck between humans wearing matching bright red, tacky Hunter suits, looked truly pitiful.

 

Pulling his gloomy charcoal-colored hood over his head and looking completely dispirited, he somewhat resembled a despondent hamster covered in dust.

 

Sigh.

 

What do you mean, they’ll handle things fine on their own? 

 

Letting out a short sigh, Hana recalled the oyster mushroom she had hurriedly stuffed into the box belatedly when leaving the garden patch.

 

‘Good thing I brought the mushroom.’

 

Choi Kwon strode out first.

 

Hana quickly followed behind him, carrying the box in her arms as it was.

 

“Hey. What are you guys doing?”

 

As Choi Kwon, who arrived in front of Haechan, scowled deeply, the Red Moon guild members scanned Kwon up and down.

 

“Well well. Looks like the traitors have gotten close already?”

 

Mockery spread.

 

One guy threw his arm over Haechan’s shoulder again.

 

“Or did our Hunter Lee Haechan-nim coax you? To betray the Red Moon Guild like him and come to Haechi?”

 

“N-No! It’s not like that—!”

 

Haechan waved his hands in alarm.

 

In front of him, Choi Kwon shouted furiously.

 

“You son of a bitch! That’s not it!”

 

But the reason he was angry was a bit strange.

 

“I don’t listen to what other people say, okay? I only listen to myself, alright? Do I look like a guy who’d go just because someone tells me to come and go?”

 

Hana, who was listening beside him, looked at Choi Kwon with dead eyes.

 

‘Ah. That was the part that was the problem?’ 

 

The bewilderment at Choi Kwon’s strange logic was brief.

 

The Red Moon guild members snorted.

 

“Whatever then. At any rate, while meeting up with old comrades like this, let’s share those crop items considering our past affection.” 

 

“What are you saying, did you leave them with us? If you’re pissed, you guys should come to Haechi too.”

 

“Hey, Choi Kwon.”

 

An A-rank Hunter like Choi Kwon scratched his Adam’s apple as if growling.

 

“Do you know how displeased our Guild Master is these days? Stop acting high and mighty after stabbing us in the back and going to Haechi.”

 

In the end, their goal was Hana’s crops.

 

Instead of the formidable Choi Kwon, the Red Moon guild members bit into the innocent Haechan again.

 

“Hey, Hunter Lee Haechan-nim. If you’re not close with that production class Hunter, at least make an effort to get close. Why, can’t you just use that amazing ability of yours? Look into her weakness and try threatening her with it or something.”

 

“M-My ability i-isn’t like that…”

 

Haechan’s eyelids turned red, and his breathing grew ragged. 

 

At that rate, she thought he might really cry.

 

Unable to watch any longer, Hana passed Choi Kwon and approached the Hunter who was picking a fight with Haechan.

 

Flustered, Choi Kwon tried to stop Hana.

 

“Huh? H—Hey, Benefactor! What are you doing! He might look like that, but he’s a high rank. Someone like you isn’t even worth a fistful to him!” 

 

Whether he did or not, Hana looked at the Hunter standing in front of her with eyes full of patheticness.

 

Perhaps because that glare was quite blatant, the Red Moon guild member snapped. 

 

“What’s this now?”

 

“Me?”

 

What do you mean ? I’m the crop seller you’re looking for, you b*stard.

 

Hana looked at the phone screen the Red Moon guild member was holding.

 

The ID displayed on the clearly visible screen was familiar.

 

StrongestRedMoon.

 

Giving himself a name just like him.

 

Hana’s eyes narrowed sourly. Because it was a very familiar ID.

 

Hana recalled the messages that ID had sent so far.

 

[To: Cherry Tomato & Potato Seller] 

[— The cherry tomatoes are defective. Please process a refund. 

— What’s with this potato quality? There were rotten ones mixed in? 

— Either give me a refund, or send me new ones again. If you don’t reply, I’ll report you to the Association?]

 [From: StrongestRedMoon]

 

Eating all the cherry tomatoes and then making absurd demands to send new ones saying they had gone bad; in short, an obnoxious customer.

 

That nightmare customer was none other than that snickering human right there. 

 

Because she had been waiting for a chance to give the back of his head a refreshing smack if she ever met him, Hana’s eyes turned sharp.

 

“By the way, could you remove your hand?”

 

Hana lightly batted away the Red Moon guild member’s burly arm that was draped over Haechan’s shoulder.

 

“Or do you have so much muscle that it’s too heavy to hold your arm up yourself? Then try losing some muscle. It looks burdensome too.”

 

“What? Hey!”

 

In that instant, the sound of Choi Kwon and Haechan suppressing a laugh pfft leaked out at the same time.

 

The Red Moon guild member’s face instantly heated up like a ripe persimmon.

 

Hana, as if nothing had happened, placed the crop box she was holding right on top of Haechan’s hands for all to see. 

 

Since she had brought more than the amount she agreed to supply to Haechi anyway, there was no problem in giving it to Haechan.

 

“Wh-Why are you giving this to me…?”

 

Haechan, who was policing his leaking laughter, looked back and forth between the box and Hana with a bewildered face.

 

“It’s a gift to celebrate us getting close. You can have it all, Lee Haechan-ssi.”

 

“C-Celebrate getting close?”

 

Haechan’s round, gentle eyes revealed through his long bangs blinked rapidly.

 

The question written in his black pupils was very clear.

 

You and me?

 

Ahem.

 

Hana cleared her throat for no reason.