MBTJ 20

Chapter 20

The next day, as usual, Morae logged into the “Hunter Bureau” while brushing her teeth.

She looked through everything carefully, but there were no suitable requests. There were already only a handful of requests that a tamer could handle, and when midsummer came, even those tended to decrease.

“Should I get a part-time job…?”

She recalled the part-time job notice she had seen at a nearby convenience store. Working at the convenience store on weekdays and focusing on requests on weekends seemed like it would be manageable.

“I’ll check it out later.”

Deciding to stop by the convenience store on her way back after meeting the alchemist, Morae generously watered her vegetable garden.

After eating a simple breakfast, washing up, and coming out, she leisurely checked her phone and saw that Songi had called.

“Songi, did you call?”

– Morae, Morae, go to the Ability Management Agency’s official website right now.

“Why? Did another dungeon open?”

– Just go in first.

When she opened the Ability Management Agency’s official website, there was a notice about a second-wave incident that had occurred in a C-rank dungeon.

– That’s the dungeon you went into, right?

“Yeah…”

– Because of this, everything’s in an uproar right now.

“It’s a C-rank dungeon, though?”

– Does the rank even matter? A second wave appeared in a dungeon where the攻略 was already finished and even the seventh round of gathering had been completed.

Morae anxiously bit her lip and went onto YouTube.

Just as Songi said, nearly all the news outlets were covering this incident.

When she played one of the videos, experts’ voices burst out, passionately arguing that the safety ratings of all cleared dungeons needed to be re-evaluated.

“Seventy thousand views already?”

The speed at which comments were appearing under the news was astonishing.

Thinking about it, it made sense. A 0.025% chance—something believed to be impossible—had happened.

– Soon, attention will turn to the gathering team that went into the dungeon as well.

Songi was the only friend who knew about Morae’s injuries.

Reporters might come looking for her under the pretense of covering the situation. Just imagining it made her feel suffocated.

– Come stay at my place until things quiet down. I already told my dad.

“Wait, wait a second, Songi.”

Morae quickly closed the video and went back to the Ability Management Agency’s website. With slightly trembling fingers, she checked the gathering team notice.

“…It’s not there.”

– What isn’t?

“The gathering team list. I don’t see my name.”

– Really?

The list was there, but her name was not on it. Just in case, she even checked the lists of other gathering teams, but it was the same.

– It really isn’t there? There are twelve people, though… What’s going on?

“Hunter Gyeon Suho said he’d take care of it.”

Rather than simply deleting Morae’s name from the list, it seemed he had replaced her with someone else.

That way was more natural, after all. Gathering teams were usually made up of twelve people.

How did he resolve it all in just one day? Was this the taste of power? It really was a good taste.

Morae let out a long breath and closed her eyes. She had stared so hard at the list with her eyes wide open that her eyeballs ached.

– Hmm, something feels off.

“What is?”

– Introducing you to an alchemist is one thing, but even manipulating the list? Gyeon Suho wouldn’t do something like that for no reason. Didn’t he ask you to tame something in return for helping you?

“No. He didn’t say anything like that.”

– You think Gyeon Suho is stupid enough to say that outright? He’s probably trying to put you in his debt.

“I told you yesterday. At first, he tried to persuade me, but when I kept refusing, he gave up.”

– That’s exactly why it’s suspicious. Since when does someone like Gyeon Suho give up that easily?

“I’m only E-rank. What would an E-rank tamer have that he’d want?”

Songi’s voice immediately sharpened.

– What’s wrong with E-rank? Can you tame anything yourself? Have you ever persuaded a bee to move its hive, or found even one abandoned dog?

She didn’t think those abilities were particularly enviable…

But saying that would really make Songi explode. Morae smoothly changed the subject.

“Hunter Gyeon Suho isn’t a bad person. If you join the café with me and stay active…”

– Hey, no way! I’m not joining!

Songi shouted in disgust. When Morae chuckled softly, Songi’s mood eased a bit.

– You remember, right? You need to avoid stressful situations as much as possible. No matter how much Gyeon Suho tempts you, don’t fall for it. Got it?

“I won’t.”

– When do you want to watch the Australia raid video?

“The one Hunter Gyeon Suho participated in? How about tonight?”

– Okay. Call me when you’re on your way.

After hanging up, Morae sat down on the wooden platform. Beside her, a parasol propped up at an angle swayed gently in the breeze.

The person who took Morae in after she lost her parents overnight and became an orphan was her aunt.

Fortunately, there was no one in her aunt’s neighborhood who recognized Morae.

The Ability Management Agency had helped prevent media exposure, but changing her surname to her uncle’s had also helped.

Even so, she still couldn’t speak properly, and she was afraid of crowds.

Because of this, she was bullied at school, but Songi helped her, and that connection had continued to this day.

Songi was the only friend who knew Morae’s wounds—and her benefactor. It was thanks to her that Morae was able to overcome her aphasia.

Morae smiled faintly and closed her eyes.

In her reddened vision, she saw Songi’s face, hugging her tightly and crying her heart out.

It was one winter day when the words that had been tightly blocked suddenly burst out without warning, and she called Songi’s name.

After lightly getting ready, Morae looked at herself in the full-length mirror next to her bed.

A short-haired woman wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts stood there with an awkward expression. Morae fiddled with the wavy ends of her hair.

“Does it look weird…?”

She had lightly curled it with a roller while drying it, but she didn’t like it at all. Maybe she shouldn’t have touched it when she wasn’t even good at it.

“Should I wash my hair again?”

There was less than an hour left until the appointment. After hesitating for a moment, Morae pulled a cap down low and went outside.

The stifling heat made it hard to breathe. It was like a steam room. Muttering that, she flapped her T-shirt.

It was a birthday present Songi had given her last year, but she hadn’t worn it because it felt too precious, so it still smelled like new clothes.

“Phew… I’m nervous.”

Morae placed a hand on her chest. Thump, thump. Her heartbeat tapped against her palm.

Meeting Gyeon Suho. Of course, it was for another reason, but as a fan, it was only natural to feel nervous.

Hiding her flushed face under her cap, Morae briskly walked down the hill.

Thanks to leaving early, she arrived at the meeting place forty minutes ahead of time.

Her scalp, heated by the blazing sun, felt hot. Sweat trickled down from her temples.

To cool down her overheated body, Morae hurried into a café and ordered an iced Americano and apple juice.

As she sat waiting for her drinks, her phone rang. Seeing the name [Kang Minwook] on the screen, Morae’s expression darkened.

As she hesitated, the call ended, then started ringing again.

He would probably call dozens, even hundreds of times until she answered. Kang Minwook, her aunt’s son, had always been that kind of person.

Swallowing a sigh, Morae answered the phone.

“Yeah.”

– What are you doing, answering so late? Meeting a guy or something?

“Say what you need to say. I’m busy.”

– That hurts your oppa’s feelings. We were family once, you know?

“If you don’t have anything to say, I’m hanging up.”

– How rude… When your oppa, who’s like the sky itself, is speaking, how dare you hang up first?

The pleasant fluttering in her chest vanished without a trace. Morae let out a long breath.

– Are you still sending money to Mom?

“Why?”

– Because of you, my mom can’t quit the house!

The house? Flustered, her mind didn’t work properly.

“W-what…?”

– You don’t know what a house is? My mom plays hwatu! It’s been about two years now, I think?

Her aunt, who had even resented Morae for spending money on psychiatric treatment because it was “a waste,” had gotten into gambling?

It was hard to believe, but Minwook didn’t seem to be lying.

While she was thinking, the drinks came out. Morae took them and left the café.

– Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you listening?

“Why are you telling me this?”

– Stop being a sucker and invest in me instead.

“What?”

– I’ve got a great business item this time. Listen, it’s such a huge hit—

“No, I don’t want to hear it. I have no intention of investing, and I don’t have that kind of money.”

When she refused firmly, Minwook’s voice turned vicious.

– Did you forget who we suffered because of? It’s because of you. Our family was ruined because the murderer’s daughter came into our house!

“……”

– We’ve been living like beggars, and now that we’re finally barely getting by, shouldn’t you naturally help us? If you had any shame at all, you’d at least do that!

It was true that her aunt’s family had suffered damage because of Eun Seok-hyeon’s rampage incident.

For a while, their names had circulated online as the family of a murderer.

However, it was also her aunt’s family who had taken all the insurance money left to Morae by her parents and the compensation paid by the Ability Management Agency.

Even knowing that, Morae had sent money to her aunt every month for four years after becoming independent, wanting to repay, somehow, the debt of having been taken in and raised.

“That’s why I’ve been sending three million won every month.”

– What, are you giving alms? Do you think I’m some beggar? What can you do with a measly three million?

Three million won might be trivial to others, but to Morae it was an enormous sum. It was money she could only earn by working herself to death without a single day off.

And yet, was it still not enough? How much was enough, exactly?

– If it’s about thirty million, it should put out the urgent fire. Get it ready by the end of this month.

Morae’s expression, which had been tinged with self-mockery, settled into calm composure.

“Oppa.”

– Ah, what.

“I’ll say this clearly. I don’t have money. And even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you.”

– …Are you crazy?

“I think I was, until now. I knew your family had a straw stuck into me, sucking me dry, but I pretended not to know. Thanks to you, though, I’ve finally come to my senses. Thank you, oppa.”

– You little—hey! Kang Morae, you right now—

Morae firmly ended the call.

As she tried to put the phone, which immediately started ringing again, into her pocket, a horn sounded from somewhere.

Beep!

A white SUV was parked right in front of the roadside.