26 Chapter 25 Arrangemen (2/2)

[Effects of 'Buff: Detox' will now commence.]

[3, 2, 1.... Detoxification has been completed.]

[Side effect 'Damaged Muscles' has been nullified.]

”Yes!!”

Jin-Woo clenched his fists real tightly.

Still, he couldn't celebrate just yet so he quickly summoned his Status Window.

[Stats]

Strength: 53

Stamina: 30

Agility: 53

Intelligence: 30

Perception: 36

(Available points to distribute: 0)

Reduction in physical damage: 20%

As he expected, there was no decrease in his Strength Stat.

It still remained as 53 points, and then, he saw the new Stat called 'Reduction in physical damage', too

Sure, it might be limited in the category, but it still was a marvellous Stat that reduced all physical damage by 20%.

”Nice!!”

Just as Jin-Woo began celebrating the emergence of this new Stat, Jin-Ah called out to him from the living room.

”Oppa? You know a guy called Yu Jin-Ho? He's looking for you.”

”No way, he can't be the same Yu Jin-Ho....”

Jin-Woo quickly went to the living room and snatched the phone's receiver off his little sister.

”Hello?”

- ”Hyung-nim, it's me. Yu Jin-Ho.”

Really now?

The voice coming from the other side sounded way too familiar.

”....How did you get this number?”

- ”There was a person I know working for the Association, you see. You didn't want to answer your smartphone, so I had no choice but to call you at home like this.”

”Details only.”

- ”Ahh! Oops, my bad, hyung-nim. But, it's not something we can discuss over the phone... May we meet up somewhere so I can tell you in person?”

Jin-Woo tilted his head slightly.

'He still wants to meet me after going through such an ordeal?'

- ”Hyung-nim, I really, really gotta ask you for this favour. Please.”

What a weird kid this guy was.

***

Jin-Woo eventually agreed to spare one hour after Yu Jin-Ho earnestly pleaded with him.

The meeting place was a franchise cafe located not too far from Jin-Woo's home.

Even though it was a weekday, there were quite a few people inside the cafe, perhaps because they chose to meet right after the lunch hour.

”Hyung-nim, over here!”

Yu Jin-Ho greeted him rather enthusiastically.

Before entering the cafe, Jin-Woo focused his Perception to the max but he couldn't sense any other Hunters inside the shop.

At the bare minimum, this meeting wasn't for the purpose of revenge, it seemed. Although Jin-Woo couldn't really remember doing anything that warranted such an ill will towards him and requiring a swift retribution.

Jin-Woo sat down on the other side of the table.

”Didn't think we'd meet again.”

There was a half-eaten ice cream on top of the table belonging to Yu Jin-Ho.

Yu Jin-Ho spoke as he stood up.

”What would you like to order? Should I go and get you some coffee?”

”No, it's fine.”

Yu Jin-Ho looked a bit crestfallen for some reason as he sat back down.

Jin-Woo opened his mouth first.

”So, what do you want?”

It was then.

”I'm telling you, this guy did it for real back then! It was so crazy, really!!”

Jin-Woo shifted his gaze over to his side.

The table next to his was occupied by three burly students with rather thuggish faces hailing from some local athletic club or the other, and they were busy chatting to three girls.

Jin-Woo tried to get back to his own conversation.

”As I was saying, what do you.....”

”And when did I ever do that?! Will you listen to this b*stard, busy inventing rubbish because we're in front of girls?!”

”...Want from me....”

”But, you said it, didn't you?! Wow, should I show you the pics, man? Should I like, release the evidence to the rest of the world or something?!”

The voices of the male students got louder and louder, and the laughter of the girls was just as loud as well.

”.....”

When the noise became too loud to carry on his own conversation, Jin-Woo was left with no choice but to stand up and silently walk over to the table next to his.

The eyes of the male students all focused on Jin-Woo.

”Will you please keep it down? There are other people in here, too.”

One of the male students scratched the back of his head and pretended to apologise a couple of times.

”Yes, yes. We'll keep it down. Very sorry about this.”

Girls began giggling hoarsely from that sight.

”.....”

Jin-Woo quietly stared at them for a while, before turning around. But when he did, something flew in and tapped him in the back of his head. A rolled-up paper serviette fell to the floor.

”Puhahahahaha!”

”Kekeke!!”

”Hey, you shouldn't do that.”

Male students began guffawing real hard, while girls pretended to scold the boys, even though mocking grins formed on their faces.

Witnessing this scene, Yu Jin-Ho's expression gradually froze up.

”Hyu.... Hyung-nim....”

Jin-Woo picked up one of the unused spoons next to Yu Jin-Woo's ice cream and walked over to the counter.

”Ohh, look, look. He's going to tell on his mommy.”

”Mommy, they are making noise. Stop them ple~ase. Fuhut!”

In the meantime, those kids kept running their mouths off.

Jin-Woo asked the nervous-looking female employee behind the counter with a deadpan face.

”How much for this spoon?”

”M-my apologies, dear customer. We don't sell spoons separately, you see....”

”It's not more than ten thousand Won, yes?”

”Pardon? Ah, uh, uhm, I guess so.....?”

Jin-Woo placed a ten thousand Won bill on the counter and turned around.

”Dear customer? E, excuse me, customer?”

Jin-Woo ignored the calls of the female employee and headed straight to the table where the male students from some athletic club were.

When they noticed that Jin-Woo was displaying a suspicious behaviour, the three students slowly stood up from their seats.

”What you want now? What?”

The attention of everyone inside the cafe was now focused on this table.

Jin-Woo showed the students his spoon.

'…...?'

'…...??'

Just as question marks floated on the expressions of these hapless kids, Jin-Woo began squashing the spoon in his hand. And the poor thing easily lost its shape right in front of their eyes.

The complexions of the male students grew paler and paler.

Jin-Woo then placed the 'spoon' on their table.

But, what was left there could no longer be called a spoon anymore.

No, it was just a piece of folded metal, roughly shaped like a ball.

”Heok!”

The male students nervously swallowed their saliva.

'That, that's not a human's strength.'

'This guy, he's a H-Hunter.'

The male students signalled to each other before the kid who threw the serviette at him bowed and apologised for real.

”I-I'm really sorry.”

The rest of his friends then started apologising as well.

”I'm sorry.”

”It was our fault. Forgive us.”

The male students bowed several times with pale complexions, before making their hasty retreat from the cafe while dragging the girls out as well.

”Hooray-!!”

The customers surrounding that noisy table sent gazes filled with appreciation towards Jin-Woo.

Meanwhile, Jin-Woo returned to his seat and settled back down.

Yu Jin-Ho's eyes sparkled as he spoke up.

”As expected of you, hyung-nim!”

”Enough.”

Jin-Woo got back on topic at hand.

”Why did you ask me for a meeting?”

”Well, that.... Hyung-nim. I gave this matter a lot of thought. I mean, lots and lots of thought, you know? But, I think I really, seriously, must ask you.”

Jin-Woo tilted his head.

”What are you talking about now?”

”Hyung-nim, actually....”

Yu Jin-Ho's face reddened as if he was embarrassed about something, before he summoned up his courage and spoke up.

”Actually, I was thinking of forming my own tea.....”

Jin-Woo didn't even hesitate one second and replied.

”I'm not interested.”