MBTJ 06

Chapter 06

“Uh, yes—what is it?”
“As you know, all information regarding Hunter Gyeon Suho is classified. That includes his rampage index.”
Worldwide, information on Awakeners of S-rank and above is classified. Among them, the data on SS-rank Gyeon Suho was said to be treated with a security level comparable to that of a president.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I won’t tell anyone about what happened today. I have no intention of doing so.”
“I’d like to believe you, but regulations are regulations.”
“Then… do I need to write some kind of affidavit?”
“There’s no need to go through that trouble.”

As Shin Jiyul stepped back, Gosan approached. He scratched his eyebrow with a slightly apologetic look.
“I’ll just delete your memories from the moment you met Gyeon Suho up to now.”
“Ah….”

She wasn’t all that surprised. She’d expected this from the moment Gosan entered the room.
Morae nodded bitterly.
“Okay.”
“I’ll touch your head for a moment. Don’t be nervous—just relax.”
“Yes….”

Gosan came closer and placed his hand on the crown of Morae’s head.
“Whoa….”

Sitting there blankly, Morae let out a breathy exclamation.
She could see a blue ripple that started from Gosan’s heart gathering in his hand.
She’d seen other Awakeners use their powers many times before, but never anything like this. In fact, she’d never even seen a person’s wavelength before.
Had something changed because of what happened with Gyeon Suho?

As she was thinking, a warm sensation spread over the top of her head. Soon, her memories would be erased. An unavoidable sense of resistance welled up.
‘I don’t want this.’
Even if I forget everything else, I want to remember at least the fact that Gyeon Suho has been suffering all this time….

But Morae lowered her gaze, hiding her feelings.
“What? What’s wrong?”
At the flustered voice, she looked up again. Gosan’s expression had turned strange.
“Were you talking to me?”
“Do you happen to have a mental defense skill or a mental fortification item?”
“No?”
“You should have something. Think carefully.”
“I don’t even know what that is….”
“Then why isn’t my skill working?”

Shin Jiyul glared at Gosan with narrowed eyes.
An S-rank ability not working on an E-rank Awakener? That was absurd.
“Gosan, are you messing around again?”
“No—do you think I’m some lunatic who jokes around about this? I’m serious this time!”
“You drank yesterday, didn’t you.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah….”

Gosan averted his gaze with a sheepish expression.
Mental-type abilities couldn’t be used properly after taking drugs or drinking alcohol. The chill in Shin Jiyul’s expression deepened.
“Hm, I didn’t drink that much, though. That’s weird. Uh, I’ll try again.”

Answering awkwardly, Gosan cupped Morae’s head with both hands.
But the blue ripple only hovered around the crown of her head. Waiting silently, Morae rolled her eyes.
‘Is it not working because I’m thinking I don’t want it to?’
No way….

It sounded ridiculous, but just in case, she pushed away her negative thoughts. She wanted to get out quickly and check if Songi was okay.
Coincidentally, that was when the blue ripple finally seeped into the top of her head.

A hazy, floating sensation immediately enveloped her entire body, making her feel light. It felt like she’d turned into a soap bubble, drifting along.
It felt like a dream, and Morae didn’t even realize she was speaking.
“Team Leader Shin Jiyul….”
“Yes?”
“Hunter Gyeon Suho… he’ll be okay now, right?”
“He should be.”
Thank goodness.
Morae smiled faintly.

“Morae, Morae.”
Morae rubbed her cheek against the pillow and smiled drowsily.
“Thank goodness….”
“You passed out, and you’re saying ‘thank goodness’? If you’re awake, open your eyes.”
“…Huh?”
“Get up.”

The foggy haze in her head cleared in an instant. Morae snapped her eyes open.
Where am I?
“Songi….”
“Yeah.”
“Did you hit me?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Then why am I in a hospital?”
“Our car got into an accident. You don’t remember?”
“An accident…? Oh, right!”

Blinking blankly, Morae suddenly sat up as the memory came back to her—colliding with something unknown.
“What happened?”
“Looks like we both passed out right after the accident. The other driver found us and called an ambulance. I came to and realized I was already at the hospital.”
“The other driver?”
“The driver of the car we collided with.”
“Uh… really?”
Did we hit a car?
That was strange. It didn’t feel like they’d collided with a car. As Morae looked doubtful, Songi whispered conspiratorially,
“The person who caused the accident said it was entirely his fault and that there was no need to go through insurance. He said he’d cover our treatment costs, hospitalization fees, and even compensation.”
“Really?”
“He said he’d replace the car, too. Told us to pick whatever we want.”
“…Isn’t that a scam?”
“I don’t think so. The driver was Gosan.”
“…Gosan? The S-rank mental-type hunter Gosan?”
“Yeah. Crazy, right?”

If it was Hunter Gosan, he’d want to handle this quietly. He wouldn’t want to end up in the media over something like this. And he was practically as rich as a chaebol.
Morae’s face immediately brightened. Thinking of Songi’s Jeep, now basically a wreck, had been making her chest feel tight—this was such a relief.
“Morae, are you that happy?”
“Yeah, totally!”

When Morae suddenly hugged her, Songi giggled.
“Should we stay hospitalized a few more days? Hunter Gosan said we could stay as long as we want.”
“There’s no point—I’m not even hurt. Let’s just get discharged.”
Morae rarely went to the hospital unless she was seriously ill. Knowing that, Songi readily nodded.
“True. Staying here would just be boring. Go home and make some kimchi stew for me.”
“We should have it as a late-night meal, right?”

It was already dark outside—it seemed they’d been unconscious for quite a while. Checking the time, it was well past 9 p.m.
The two hurriedly changed clothes and asked the nurse to process their discharge.

A moment later, the person who knocked on the hospital room door wasn’t a nurse, but Gosan.
As a tall, slender man over 180 cm with a sweet-looking face entered, the drab hospital room brightened instantly.
“Gasp!”
Morae and Songi froze in unison.

To a C-rank defender you could trip over anywhere and an E-rank tamer barely different from an ordinary person, an S-rank Awakener was like a star in the sky.
And it was Gosan, no less.
The human marshmallow they’d only ever seen in videos or on the news was moving right in front of them. They couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

Gosan smiled warmly and asked,
“Ms. Songi, are you being discharged already? Why not stay a few more days?”
He called her Ms. Songi.
Morae bit her lip hard to keep from screaming, while Songi replied naturally,
“We put up a barrier right when the accident happened. We passed out from the shock, but we’re not hurt anywhere. The test results were normal, too.”
“That’s a huge relief.”

Gosan turned his gaze to Morae.
“Are you okay too, Ms. Morae?”
“…Y-yes, I’m f-fine.”

As Morae stammered with flushed cheeks, Gosan smiled gently.
“This accident was entirely my fault. I’m truly sorry. I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated.”
He bowed deeply in apology. Flustered, Morae hurriedly bowed as well.
“N-no! I mean—no, it’s fine….”

“If anything feels off later, please be sure to contact me. Anytime is fine.”
He handed her his business card and winked one eye. With a strange sense of déjà vu, Morae answered a beat late,
“…Yes, thank you….”

Gosan left the room with a smile.
Once the sound of his footsteps faded, Songi and Morae started hopping in place at the same time.
“Oh my god! He’s insanely handsome! He even smells amazing!”
“Songi, I feel like my heart’s about to burst….”
“Damn, I was shaking so bad I thought I’d die. Morae, how was I? Did I answer well?”
“Yeah, totally natural. I was the one who was freaking out.”
“You’re cute, so trembling suits you.”
“What kind of nonsense is that….”

The two ended up delaying their discharge longer than planned, too busy sharing the joy of having met a star.