<Episode 89>
Even after lying in bed for an hour, I still couldn’t fall asleep.
As I stared at the ceiling, the only thing replaying in my mind was Lee Hyunwoo’s back as he left earlier.
I let out a sigh and turned over.
‘I thought he’d be happy to hear he could recover his memories. Is there something I don’t know about?’
“Ugh… this isn’t working.”
In the end, I threw off my blanket and got up.
The unanswered question was making me feel suffocated. I thought maybe a glass of water would help calm me down, so I quietly left my room.
The house was silent in the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep.
Suppressing my footsteps, I carefully descended the stairs to the first floor.
Then…
“……”
Someone was sitting on the living room sofa, swallowed by darkness.
A vague silhouette sat with the moonlight at his back, immersed in deep silence.
It was Lee Hyunwoo.
He hadn’t even noticed my presence by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs.
Normally, he was the type of person who would react even to the sound of a falling leaf.
How deep in thought must he be to miss this?
“Hunter Lee Hyunwoo, are you alright?”
“……!”
At the sound of my voice, he flinched and turned his head.
His bloodshot eyes trembled in surprise.
“…You’re awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep. What about you, Hunter? Why are you sitting here instead of sleeping?”
“I had something to think about… I was just about to head in.”
He hurriedly rose to his feet, as if trying to escape the uncomfortable situation.
Instinctively, I stepped forward and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
“Talk to me for a bit. Even if you go back now, you’ll just keep worrying by yourself, won’t you?”
At my firm words, he let out a short sigh.
Then, as if resigned, he slowly nodded.
***
He went into the kitchen and returned with a mug of warm chamomile tea.
Watching the white steam rise from the cup, I carefully spoke.
“Hunter… do you perhaps not want to recover your memories?”
Hesitating, he brushed back his bangs as though frustrated.
It was unlike him to look so uncertain.
“…That’s not it.”
“Then, is there another reason? Are you worried the method I mentioned might fail?”
Shaking his head, Lee Hyunwoo avoided my eyes and answered in a bitter voice.
“Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to find someone from my lost memories?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Truthfully… I’ve always thought that person might be you, Hunter Haneul.”
My eyes widened.
“Huh? But I…”
Startled, I shook my head.
Unfortunately, there was no S-Rank Hunter Lee Hyunwoo anywhere in my memories.
He had clearly mistaken me for someone else.
“That’s right. From the moment we first met, you treated me like a stranger.”
He nodded with a self-deprecating smile.
“It was probably my misunderstanding. Or perhaps my memories are distorted. That’s why I’m afraid.”
Lee Hyunwoo lifted his head and looked at me.
The deep anxiety in his eyes made my heart ache.
“What if I recover my memories, and the person I was looking for isn’t you, Hunter Haneul? Or what if I discover that I committed terrible acts in the past?”
“……”
“Rather than facing the truth, I found myself thinking that maybe it would be better not to recover my memories at all, and to continue living like this by your side. A cowardly thought, isn’t it?”
At last, I understood.
I understood what he was afraid of.
This man, who always appeared perfect, was, in reality, like a child desperately afraid of losing the happiness he currently possessed.
‘So Hunter Lee Hyunwoo has moments of weakness too. I always thought he was strong all the time.’
I set my cup down on the table and moved a little closer to him.
Then I looked directly into his trembling eyes.
“Don’t worry, Hunter Lee Hyunwoo. Even if your forgotten memories turn out differently from what you expect, the Hunter I know won’t change.”
At my words, he bit his lip hard.
“But what if I really have a past I can’t bear to face…?”
“That can’t be true.”
I firmly shook my head.
“The Hunter Lee Hyunwoo I’ve come to know is kinder than anyone else and willing to sacrifice himself for others. I’m sure the person you were in the past was the same.”
Without hesitation, I reached out and tightly clasped his large hand.
My warmth flowed into his cold fingers.
“You can trust yourself a little more. Just like I trust you.”
He looked down at the hand holding his.
The uncertainty in his eyes gradually settled.
“No matter who the person you were searching for turns out to be, and no matter what happened in your past… the memories we’ve made together won’t disappear.”
Had my heartfelt comfort reached him?
Lee Hyunwoo gently closed his eyes.
Then his upper body tilted toward me.
Thunk.
A weight settled against my shoulder.
“……!”
His steady breathing brushed against my ear.
His body heat flowed through my shoulder.
My heart pounded so hard it felt ready to burst, but I didn’t push him away.
Burying his face against my shoulder, Lee Hyunwoo whispered.
“To me, the Hunter Haneul who’s by my side right now is more precious than memories of a past that I could live without.”
“Hunter Lee Hyunwoo…”
“So no matter what my past may be… please don’t leave me.”
His voice was fragile, almost pleading.
Instead of answering with words, I carefully raised my hand and gently patted his broad back.
“I promise. I won’t leave.”
In the living room illuminated only by faint moonlight, we remained there for a long time, silently leaning against each other’s warmth.
***
“Mm… What time is it?”
Strong sunlight streaming through the window made me squint.
I fumbled for my phone and checked the time.
“What?? 11:38?!”
I shot upright.
Just because I’d stayed awake until dawn didn’t mean I should sleep in this late!
Though admittedly, I felt incredibly refreshed…
“Finally awake, nya?”
“Ah, Hanyang! You haven’t eaten breakfast yet because you were waiting for me, right? Just wait a little… I’ll make something right awa—”
“The human downstairs already fed me, nya.”
Really?
As I blinked, Hanyang turned away with a look that clearly said ‘pathetic’.
His fluffy rear swayed right in front of me.
“Hurry downstairs, nya. The downstairs human worked very hard making something.”
…Lee Hyunwoo made something?
After roughly fixing my hair and changing out of my pajamas, I headed downstairs.
The lower I descended, the stronger the delicious smell became.
Wiping drool from the corner of my mouth, I hurried my pace.
“Wow, Hunter! What did you make?”
“I made soybean paste stew. And rolled omelets as well.”
Holding a ladle, Lee Hyunwoo grinned.
Behind him, I could see that the kitchen was a complete disaster.
Noticing where I was looking, he subtly shifted position and blocked the kitchen with his body.
“…I’ll clean it all up.”
Watching him look embarrassed made me giggle.
On the dining table sat steaming bowls of freshly cooked rice, soybean paste stew, and rolled omelets filled with bits of carrot.
“You made all of this yourself?”
“Thanks to you, Hunter Haneul, I can taste food again. I spent some time wondering how I could repay you… and ended up preparing this.”
He explained that he’d started looking up recipes at dawn so everything would be ready when I woke up, but before he knew it, the time had gotten this late.
A shy smile appeared on his face.
“Cooking… is surprisingly difficult.”
“For your first time, you did an amazing job! Especially these rolled omelets! Those are actually really hard to make.”
I picked one up with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth.
‘Wait… this taste!’
Lee Hyunwoo looked at me nervously.
“Hunter…”
“Yes?”
“When you retire, would you like to open a restaurant with me?”
This is seriously delicious!
My eyes sparkled as I enthusiastically gave him a thumbs-up.
Only after seeing my positive reaction did he finally pick up his spoon.
“Hmm. Even though I made it myself, it’s not bad.”
“Right? I told you you’ve got talent! I’ll recruit you as an employee at my restaurant someday.”
At my teasing, he waved his hand in embarrassment.
But he couldn’t hide the proud smile underneath.
‘…Honestly, it’s a little too salty.’
For the sake of Hunter Lee Hyunwoo’s self-esteem, I’d keep that secret.
“You’ve already finished. Would you like some more soybean paste stew?”
“…Yes, I’d like that!”
In the end, I only managed to escape the dining table after polishing off two full bowls of rice.
As I lightly patted my stuffed stomach, Lee Hyunwoo, having finished washing the dishes, approached me and asked:
“So starting tomorrow, you’ll be wearing the item while going to work?”
“Yes, I have to. I’m planning to keep it hidden from everyone for the time being.”
Lee Hyunwoo nodded, clearly approving of the idea.
However, the very next day, the moment I arrived at the shop, I found myself in trouble.
“Huh? Unni… your mana level feels different.”
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