Chapter 55 (2/2)

<< Already A-rank, is it… >>

It’s only been two years.

That was not a short time. Out of the current batch of Awakeners, there have been only a few that managed to become A-rank within two years.

That was when considering the entire world.

Just from that alone, one could tell how talented Hak-Joon was. The more Hak-Joon’s brilliance shined brightly, the greater Su-hyeun’s curiosity grew.

Especially more so, when he openly carried a face that shouted out to the world, ‘I have a secret’.

In the end, Hak-Joon didn’t say anything particularly important and left the hospital after inquiring about Su-hyeun’s wellbeing.

Su-hyeun immediately picked up his mobile phone afterward.

“Hello? Hi, can I ask you for a favor?”

Act 6

Hak-Joon exited the hospital room and slowly walked along the corridor. He came here after lengthy deliberation, but as expected, he just couldn’t say anything.

<< I’m sure it won’t happen. >>

He thought that he had grown quite close to Su-hyeun.

Despite this, he began feeling that the friendship between them existed only in his mind.

<< I don’t have a choice but to do it alone, then. >>

It was too presumptuous to hope for Su-hyeun’s help. In all honesty, the relationship between him and Su-hyeun only amounted to being acquaintances that didn’t even meet each other all that often and just shared a few calls every now and then.

“Uh, we meet each other again?”

About eight months ago, he ran into Su-hyeun by sheer coincidence while heading towards the assigned dungeon to clear it.

He noticed a sparkling sports car and wondered whose it was, only to realize that Su-hyeun was behind the wheel.

“You lived around here?” Hak-Joon asked.

“Yes, I moved into the neighborhood not too long ago. I needed something so I was on my way to Yangpyeong just now.”

“Aah, so you’re now my new neighbor, then.”

“Why don’t we meet up again sometime and have a meal? Sounds good?”

Hak-Joon was in a dilemma when Su-hyeun approached and asked for the contact details in a friendly manner, but in the end, he gave away his phone number.

If this was any other time, he’d have ignored the request, but perhaps them coincidentally running into each other several times like this must’ve been to blame; he gave in and ended up swapping their contact details with Su-hyeun.

“Give me a call if you need anything. If it’s something I can help you with, then I will,” said Su-Hyuen.

It was unclear why he suddenly said that.

Indeed, that wasn’t something you’d say to a person you’re encountering for only the third time who you initially met through sheer coincidence.

His tone of voice also seemed to imply that he knew something about Hak-Joon, as well.

Although it concerned him somewhat, Hak-Joon decided to overlook it.

He took it as the other guy saying that out of courtesy.

For some reason, he just couldn’t forget those words.

The day before, he felt like the inside of his head had been rocked hard after learning that the Su-hyeun he knew was that Kim Su-hyeun.

“Damn it.”

<< As expected, I should just forget about it. >>

Hak-Joon spat out a long sigh.

He lowered his head and scratched it in irritation, and the next moment he raised it again, Hak-Joon’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“So, you came?”

“….Chairman.”

Jung Dong-Yeong waiting for Hak-Joon at the end of the corridor, formed an ominous smile, and waved his hand.

Three days passed by since he was hospitalized.

Su-hyeun roundly ignored the doctor’s recommendation of staying in the hospital for a little bit longer and discharged himself right away.

He wasn’t horribly wounded anyway. All he did was to use up every bit of his magical energy until it ran completely dry, which in turn caused a sudden strain on his body.

“Yes, yes.”

Su-Hyeun’s eyes were withdrawn.

Lee Ju-ho’s voice was coming out from the mobile phone pressed to his ear.

“…That’s the current situation.”

“How solid is this info?”

I think whether it really happened or not needs to be verified first.

“I’ll leave it to you, then.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m also a bit pissed off, you see. In any case, I’ll properly dig into it. Oh, and there’s something unrelated I want to talk to you about… the director wishes to speak to you.”

“Why didn’t he directly call me for that….?”

“Well, he doesn’t know your contact details, you see. He wanted me to give you his contact numbers. Are you willing to meet him, though?”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’ll give him a call, at least.”

It was rather obvious why that man wanted to speak to him.

After chatting some more, Su-hyeun ended the call with Lee Ju-ho. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt as if things were going to get rather hectic from now on, even though he just got discharged from the hospital.

<< But then again, when did I ever enjoy a long rest? >>

It had been a while since the last time he saw that man’s face.

In the past, Su-Hyeun used to meet the director several times in a month to growl at each other’s throats in an uncivilized manner. They never saw eye to eye on their thoughts and values.

But now, that man had no relations to the current Su-Hyeun.

Tti-ring!

Lee Ju-ho’s text message arrived.

It was the director’s contact number.

A few somewhat random words were written just below it.

[Also, I heard that the Dump Guild has started paying you attention. Maybe I’m overthinking this, but it’s still not a bad idea to stay vigilant, right?]

The Dump Guild…

He realized that he had momentarily forgotten about how he used their name and created this situation.

<< They must be pretty pissed off. >>

Those bastards enjoyed killing people so much that they even established a guild of their own. Out of all the incidents currently taking place behind the shadows, quite a few were likely to be related to them somehow.

But now, someone used their name and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands? They wouldn’t be feeling good about that.

<< Although it’s sooner than I thought… >>

Su-hyeun sighed loudly.

“It’s going to get hectic soon.”

He was destined to clash with them in the future, anyway. If he got to drag the ones hiding in the shadows out into the open, then he couldn’t see that as an entirely bad result, either.

Tap.

Su-hyeun dialed the contact number as shown in Lee Ju-ho’s text.

The ring tone continued for a couple of times, and the other side soon answered the call.

“Hello, director. It’s Kim Su-Hyeun speaking.”