Chapter 40

There are six S-Class hunters in Korea.

Keum Roje, the leader of the Rose Guild, best healer in Korea, and public figure, 'Doctor Plant'.

Yoo Hwan, the 'Monkey King', who is a master of physical strengthening and is called the big brother of all hunters.

Song Minjoo, the youngest S-Class hunter and a famous military maniac, 'Trickster'.

Kang Ayeon, the 'Phantom Thief'. An egotistical and self-righteous hunter who insists on being independent and clears burst gates.

Shin Siwoo, the most recently announced S-Class hunter and a mysterious ranker with none of his information revealed, 'Baekrang'.

And Shin Gwihoon, the master of Wolf and Korea's top S-Class hunter, the 'Midnight Sun'.

But actually, there were seven S-Class hunters in Korea.

'Baek Yijun, Maestro.'

Soon after Catherine, Yijun appeared.

He was a man with fine features, and a black suit jacket was draped slightly over his broad shoulders. His wrinkleless white shirt and casually styled blonde hair gave a neat impression.

"This is Maestro, the boss I had mentioned earlier."

The only Asian in the world rankings' top five.

The No. 1 famous hunter who was still mentioned first by the Hunter Academy.

And above all.

'…Korea's first S-Class hunter.'

A 'Korean' who was judged as an S-Class before Shin Gwihoon, the owner of Wolf.

But ironically, he was not included with the six S-Class hunters of Korea.

The reason was simple. It was because he gave up his Korean citizenship and chose an American citizenship instead.

There were many voices who criticised him for choosing the United States over Korea.

However, no one had denied that he was one of the 'world's most well-known hunters'.

'Why is such a man here?'

Siwoo stayed sitting in his seat and looked up at him silently. It was a look that couldn't be described as kind. However, Yijun did not avoid his gaze. Rather, he even crinkled his eyes, smiling.

"Can I sit?"

Informal speech. It wasn't very pleasant, but he didn't need to point it out. Siwoo knew the real age hidden behind his young appearance. In fact, he was his senior by a long way.

"…You can."

"Thank you."

Yijun sat down and glanced at Catherine. Then, with her head bowed, Catherine turned away.

"…Then I'll be stepping out briefly."

"Ah, i-if you need anything, please call for me. President."

Jehwi noticed the signs and followed Catherine, leaving the room.

"It seems like this is your mansion."

Yijun looked around the spacious room and said.

"Is it okay to call me to a place other than the Wolf Headquarters? Or is there a reason for this?"

In the silent room, the two pairs of different coloured eyes met.

Siwoo seemed unwilling to respond to Yijun's words. He only continued to stare at him with sharp eyes.

Yijun raised a corner of his mouth in a slightly playful manner.

"What, is it because I look younger than you expected?"

"…"

Siwoo didn't answer this time either. However, his blue eyes were still fixed on Yijun.

The higher the rank, the more abilities incomparable to ordinary people one had. It wasn't just about the unique abilities granted by the System.

There were self-healing powers that would heal wounds in addition to agility and destructive powers, and even things as simple hearing and sight had evolved tremendously. Slow ageing was another characteristic for top rankers.

However.

'…This isn't normal.'

The man in front of him, Baek Yijun, looked too youthful.

He had seen his face in pictures, but he'd thought that those were pictures of his youth. However, he appeared as a young man like the one in the photos in person as well.

He looked good, like he was in his late twenties. At most, he only looked like he was in his early thirties. It wasn't just slowed ageing at this level. Wasn't it more like rejuvenation?

Yijun took off his black leather gloves and set them on the glass table. He grinned as he casually swept back his hair with gracefully outstretched fingers.

"I know how you feel, but I wish you'd stop staring at me. Your gaze is too intense."

"…Why did you come?"

Siwoo asked directly.

"If you want to talk, I've already finished with her. There's nothing more to add on my part."

Indeed. Catherine had a reason for failing. That firm and determined attitude did not seem to be shaken by any means.

"I know. I don't have a hobby of repeating conversations."

"Then—"

"I've always wanted to meet with you."

"…"

Siwoo's expression wrinkled. Was he kidding with him right now?

"…Why."

When Yijun heard what he had said, he let out a small laugh.

"Why? I have something to ask you."

His laugh was only there for a moment. When the laughter disappeared like a haze, he opened his mouth firmly.

"Why did you sign a contract with the Princess of Dark Flare?"

Siwoo's eyebrow twitched in response. The cause wasn't the chillingly low tone of voice. The Princess of Dark Flare.

It was because of that familiar name that came out of his mouth.

"…Do I have to answer?"

"Of course."

Yijun placed his elbow on the handle of his chair, resting his chin on his hand. Beneath his light blonde hair, his grey eyes held a cold glint.

"Depending on your reason, my future actions will change."

At that moment, Siwoo knew instinctively. What was in those eyes was not meant as a threat or warning.

'Enemy.'

That was quite fierce.

But why?

Why would Maestro mark him as an enemy when they'd only met each other for the first time?

Siwoo looked straight at him and opened his mouth.

"What's your relationship with her?"

"Do you think that you have the right to ask that?"

"Then do you have it?"

Siwoo twisted the corners of his lips.

"What right do you have to come to me and ask me about her?"

"…"

"…"

A suffocating silence engulfed them. They stared at each other unblinkingly.

'Annoying.'

A small sound leaked through Siwoo's teeth. It was a sound that didn't go well with a smiling face.

'It was the same with Trickster not too long ago, and this time it's Maestro.'

He didn't know why these annoyances happened so often.

However, what was certain was that Siwoo had no intention of cancelling this contract even if something troublesome would happen in the future. He would never allow it.

"If you were curious about her contract with me, you could have gone to her directly and not to me, who had already expressed my refusal once. But you didn't, and you came to see me again."

Siwoo spoke up to that point and raised his head to stare at him across the table.

"So, I can only think of it like this."

The moment the two gazes met, Siwoo slightly curved his eyes.

"There's a reason that you can't meet her in person and ask her directly."

Yijun didn't answer. He only turned his head downwards.

After a moment of silence. The shoulders covered by his black suit seemed to tremble faintly.

"Haha. How amusing."

He unexpectedly started to chuckle.

"I think I got the answer I was looking for."

Siwoo hardened his mouth. He had no memory of giving an answer to his question.

"What answer—"

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, Hunter Baek. The Korean Hunter Association has contacted us."

Catherine's voice came through the closed door.

"Ah. Okay."

Yijun nodded his head and got up from his seat.

"This is why I didn't want to come to Korea."

Muttering softly, he reached out towards the leather gloves that he had taken off.

Yijun put on his gloves one by one and got up from his seat. He was already a tall man, so he was much more intimidating when he stood up.

"…"

However, Siwoo stared straight at him with an undaunted gaze.

After a brief exchange of glances, Yijun raised the corners of his mouth.

"How troublesome."

Yijun waved a hand in his black leather gloves and grabbed the doorknob.

"I'll see you again soon, Baekrang."

"…!"

Click.

When Siwoo's eyes widened, the door had already been firmly closed.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

"P-president."

It was Jehwi.

Seeing Siwoo, whose mood seemed to have plummeted to the floor at a glance, Jehwi turned his eyes.

"I got… coffee…"

"Take it away. They already left."

"Yes."

Jehwi took the tray where the tea set was placed and turned around. He was about to leave the room when a cold voice caught him by the back of his neck.

"I'm taking the car."

"The… car? Where are you going?"

Stand.

Siwoo got up from his seat and put on his hood. In the pale shade that fell on his face, his blue eyes flickered.

"To Sunbae's house."

* * *

Ding dong—

Eunha woke up suddenly to the sound of the bell and raised her head. She seemed to have fallen asleep while watching TV.

'Who is it?'

There were only two people who could visit Eunha. Shin Siwoo and Park Jehwi.

Unsurprisingly, what appeared on the intercom screen was Siwoo wearing a dark blue hood.

When she pressed the open button, Siwoo's figure disappeared from the intercom screen.

A little later, after Siwoo got onto the elevator and arrived on the 17th floor, he knocked on the front door.

"What's up?"

She opened the door and looked at him. When he entered the house, he looked at the groggy Eunha and suddenly spoke to her.

"Sunbae."

"Yeah?"

"Were you sleeping?"

"Yeah, for a while."

"Is that so?"

Siwoo murmured in a low voice, then quickly checked the inside of the house. There were definitely no signs of anyone stopping by.

After confirming that, Siwoo turned his head toward Eunha with his usual face.

"Why didn't you reply to my message?"

"Ah."

Eunha rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Because of my cellphone."

"…"

Siwoo slowly blinked his eyes. The phone in Eunha's hand was charred, as if it had been on fire.

Eunha spoke as she tapped the screen that didn't light up.

"This happened at the burst gate I got swept up in."

If her cellphone had been broken since then, she wouldn't have been able to check the messages Siwoo sent in the first place.

"Can you fix it?"

"It would be quicker to just buy a new one."

"Okay…"

Eunha quietly swiped the cellphone, as if feeling a little disappointed.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"I'll borrow the kitchen."

Siwoo took off his hood and strode towards the kitchen. After that, Eunha's dubious eyes followed him.

"…You know how to cook?"

"Simple things."

Siwoo answered briefly and first put on the apron that was hanging on the wall. There shouldn't be any problems, as Jehwi would have stocked up some food on his own.

Siwoo was rummaging through the refrigerator and slowly turned his head. He saw Eunha sitting at the table.

"…Sunbae."

After hesitating for a moment, Siwoo moved his lips slightly.

"Do you know Maestro?"

"Maestro?"

Eunha was touching her broken cellphone and glanced in his direction.

"No. Never heard of them."

Siwoo stared at Eunha quietly. She didn't seem to be lying. He hadn't seen her for a while, but he knew that she wasn't a liar.

"…Really?"

Siwoo turned his head toward the refrigerator again.

Carrots, green onions, potatoes… Curry rice would be fine with these ingredients.

Click.

Siwoo closed the refrigerator door while holding some vegetables, and more words flowed out of his mouth.

"Then it sounds like you don't know Baek Yijun."

"Baek Yijun?"

Eunha's voice came from behind him. A potato suddenly fell from Siwoo's arms when he turned his head.

It wasn't because Eunha had reacted like she knew him.

"How do you know him?"

Siwoo had stiffened after seeing Eunha's unfamiliar expression.

Eunha's eyes were wide, as if she was happy to hear that name. Did she know what kind of face she was making?

"No, I…"

For some reason, in front of her, Siwoo's next words wouldn't come out easily.