<Episode 55>
“…I’m the only one?”
The moment I understood what he meant, I could hear my heart pounding loudly in my ears.
Heat rushed into my face, and I stammered while waving my hands.
“Y-You can’t just say something like that all of a sudden…”
Words were circling around in my head, but they refused to come out.
Lee Hyunwoo brushed aside a strand of my hair that had been blown by the wind and said,
“I’ve never been very good at speaking gently. But that doesn’t mean I want to confuse you, Haneul.”
Unable to withstand the heat creeping up the back of my neck, I eventually lowered my head completely.
I didn’t even need a mirror to know my face was bright red.
‘…Not good at speaking gently? Then what is this supposed to be?!’
I had been trying to find out what kind of relationship he and Seah had.
Instead, I was the only one left flustered.
This definitely wasn’t how the conversation was supposed to go!
“B-But earlier, she clearly…”
At that moment, Hyunwoo spoke with a faintly mocking tone.
“And when I first Awakened, I was only sixteen years old. There’s no way I could have been in some serious relationship that involved promises of marriage.”
“…Huh?”
Sixteen?
Before I could fully process his words, he continued.
“Of course, I never dated anyone after Awakening either. Nor did I have any desire to.”
“W-Wait a second! So you’re saying you were sixteen when you Awakened?”
“Yes. I remember it clearly.”
One week before his middle school graduation ceremony.
That was when he awakened as an S-Rank, so the memory remained crystal clear.
The moment I heard that, all the strength drained from my legs.
‘I got worked up over… a middle school romance?’
***
Once I learned the whole story, my entire body went limp.
I sat on a nearby bench and laughed helplessly.
Hyunwoo handed me a bottle of water from a vending machine.
“By the way, were you really that concerned about my dating history?”
“Of course I…! Well, not exactly… I was just surprised because it was something I never expected to hear.”
“May I ask why?”
There wasn’t a trace of teasing on his face.
Under the bright streetlight, he looked nothing but serious.
And for some reason, that made it difficult to speak.
‘…Why was I so concerned about his dating history?’
I parted my lips, then lowered my head again.
“Everyone’s curious about anything related to Hunter Lee Hyunwoo. It’s not just me…”
“Is that really the only reason?”
Yesterday’s incident would undoubtedly spread throughout the hunter community.
Some people would react with shock.
Others with curiosity.
But if someone asked whether what I was feeling was the same as everyone else’s…
I couldn’t honestly nod.
“I don’t really know either. I guess I thought Hunter Hyunwoo and I were… closer than I realized.”
Perhaps it was a sense of betrayal from discovering something I hadn’t known.
Disappointment that he hadn’t told me.
Jealousy.
Maybe all those ugly emotions had mixed to create this pathetic state of mind.
Still, some of the blame lay with Hyunwoo too.
He acted coldly toward everyone else, yet bought me items.
Walked me back to the dormitory.
Told me he wanted to protect me.
…
Without realizing it, I had started thinking that maybe we shared a somewhat special relationship.
Yes.
Otherwise, I couldn’t explain these feelings.
After listening to my hesitant confession, the corners of his lips curved upward into a gentle smile.
“For now, I think this is enough.”
“…What?”
“It feels like we’re moving closer little by little. I’m glad.”
“…Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s just say I’m happy that my efforts seem to be getting through.”
After saying something incomprehensible, he escorted me back to the dormitory entrance.
“Don’t concern yourself with the strange things she said. I don’t know why she made those claims, but I’ll make sure no further misunderstandings arise.”
The way he spoke made it sound like he was ready to march straight over to Seah and confront her.
I shook my head.
“I really don’t care anymore. You told me yourself that it absolutely isn’t true, right? I believe you.”
At my words, Hyunwoo smiled softly.
“Even so, rumors may continue to spread. I think it would be best if we spoke with her. If you need help, tell me anytime.”
After giving a small nod, he lightly patted the back of my hand in gratitude.
Once he left, I returned to the dormitory.
Hanyang, who had been sprawled across the bed, lifted her head.
“You seem to be in a much better mood than before, nya?”
“…Is it really that obvious?”
I immediately rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
Perhaps because I’d spent so long in the chilly spring wind, my cheeks were red.
Yes.
It was definitely because of the spring wind.
***
<Title: Fish-Shaped Bun Shop) I just watched a whole drama unfold today>
A new employee at the fish-shaped bun shop asked Hunter Lee Hyunwoo if he remembered her, lol.
She even said they were once engaged…
– She was involved with Hunter Lee Hyunwoo like ‘that’?? Didn’t he never date anyone?
└ Nothing official was ever revealed.
└ Any unofficial rumors?
└ The fish-shaped bun shop owner.
└ ???????
– The owner looked shocked. She just hired a new employee, and suddenly this bomb drops on her lol
<Title: But doesn’t something feel off?>
If this happened before Hyunwoo’s S-Rank Awakening, wouldn’t that mean it was when he was in middle school?
Who promises marriage at that age?
– Wait, that’s true.
– Holy crap, so was she lying?
└ Or maybe they dated briefly in middle school?
└ How serious can a middle school relationship really be?
– Damn, I actually took it seriouslyㅠ
– Everybody disperse. It’s just middle school dating.
***
As the nation’s only S-Rank Hunter, Lee Hyunwoo’s past had practically become public property.
Information about when he Awakened.
What symptoms did he show beforehand?
How did he live during that time?
Every detail was floating around somewhere on the internet.
For example:
– I went to middle school with Hyunwoo, and dating. Yeah, right lol. He barely even came to school.
– Back then, he was just bouncing between orphanages. Him dating someone that gorgeous? No way.
Because Seah had made such a dramatic scene at the shop, the rumors had spread far beyond the Hunter Management Bureau.
It wasn’t pleasant to see people dragging up the fact that Hyunwoo had lived in an orphanage.
Still, judging from the reactions of people claiming to be his former classmates, the kind of romance Seah described didn’t seem to exist.
When Seah came to work, it was obvious she had read those comments too.
Her face was pale.
‘…Was Seah lying? Or had she mistaken him for someone else? Could that even happen?’
Countless questions floated around in my head.
But I asked nothing.
Instead, I focused on preparing the shop for opening.
Customers occasionally glanced toward Seah, but nobody openly approached her.
And Seah made no effort to explain herself either.
Thus, the awkward atmosphere lingered.
Then, an unwelcome face appeared.
“Good morning, Haneul. Have you been doing well?”
It was Hunter Park Jaemin, wearing his usual sly smile.
For some reason, it felt like he’d heard the rumors and rushed over immediately.
“Hunter Park Jaemin. Do you have a reservation?”
“Come on, why so formal again? I just came to see your face.”
“I don’t think we’re that close…”
“Aren’t we?”
I helped you before, remember?
He silently mouthed the words.
He had helped when he mistook Gong Juwon for a stalker.
But I’d rejected him quite firmly afterward.
In some ways, he was impressively oblivious.
“I came to comfort you in case you were upset, but you seem to be handling things surprisingly well.”
“…And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“Hm. Let’s just say it’s a shame. The best chance of success is usually when someone is at their most vulnerable.”
‘What kind of nonsense is this…?’
I squeezed my eyes shut as irritation surged inside me.
Then Ari quickly stepped forward.
“Mister! Customers are waiting behind you. If you don’t have a reservation, please leave.”
“…Mister?”
A crack appeared in his previously thick-skinned composure.
Although he recovered his expression in less than a second, the relaxed confidence had vanished from his smile.
“You must not know who I am…”
“Do I need to? We’re busy, so stop bothering my unni and leave.”
“Bothering her? We’re actually very close. Didn’t you know?”
“You don’t look close at all. My unni seems to dislike you quite a bit.”
Sparks practically flew between them.
After forcing his expression back under control, Jae-min curled his lips into a playful grin.
“I suppose today isn’t my day. I’ll stop by again sometime. Take care, Haneul.”
As soon as Park Jaemin left, Ari flashed me a small V-sign.
I immediately walked over and vigorously ruffled her hair.
“You little cutie! Well done!”
“Hehe. I’ve never lost a verbal argument in my life.”
“Of course! Even when we first met, you were incredible.”
“Ugh. Please forget about that…”
Seeing Park Jaemin leave in obvious discomfort felt incredibly satisfying.
I burst into laughter.
Then I noticed Seah fidgeting nervously nearby.
“Miss Seah? Is something wrong?”
“A-Ah, no. Um… I got an urgent phone call. Would it be okay if I stepped outside to answer it?”
“Of course. Go ahead.”
After giving a small bow, Seah removed her apron and left the shop.
The moment she disappeared, Ari lowered her voice.
“But seriously, don’t you think she’s lying? She seems suspicious.”
“I don’t know. For now, why don’t we skewer some fish cakes? I think we’re almost out of the ones we prepared earlier.”
“Ah! Good idea. I was just about to do that.”
While Ari focused on threading fish cakes onto skewers during the brief lull, I quietly took off my apron.
“Ari, I’m going to take out the trash. Can you watch the shop for a moment?”
The expression on Seah’s face before she left continued to bother me.
I grabbed a reasonably full trash bag and stepped outside.
But finding Seah wasn’t easy.
‘Did she go farther away? I don’t see her nearby either.’
Eventually, I gave up searching and disposed of the trash first.
Then I entered a nearby restroom to wash my hands.
As I did, a sharp voice drifted down through a small window near the ceiling.
“…Then why didn’t you tell me something that important? I had no idea!”
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