S Chapter 70

‘Again.’

Shin Jukyeong secretly sighed. He had a hunch that the nagging session wasn’t over yet. He was wondering to himself what they would say this time, when a completely unexpected remark reached his ears.

“I heard you’re starting tomorrow. The Management Department, isn’t it? Although you didn’t have a separate interview, I believe you’re talented enough to have been selected even without Chairman Shin’s request, so don’t entertain any useless thoughts about ‘parachute appointments’ or anything else, and work hard.”

“……Excuse me?”

“You have a tenacity uncommon for young people these days. I like people who challenge themselves. Therefore, I highly value that quality in you. Hmm!”

Along with an inexplicable sound, a rough pat landed on his shoulder.

Employment? Parachute appointment? These were all new to Shin Jukyeong. He couldn’t provide any answer.

It made sense. He hadn’t received any prior notice. Suddenly being employed? He hastily turned his head towards his father, but his father maintained a relaxed expression, showing no sign of agitation. It seemed Shin Jukyeong was the only one unfamiliar with the situation.

Employment, parachute appointment, father’s request…

Ah. Shin Jukyeong let out a short sigh. He understood the situation belatedly.

‘So, I was employed in the Hunter Academy’s Management Department due to my father’s influence.’

And without his own will or consent, at that.

“Shin Jukyeong.”

As soon as the Hunter Association Chairman left, his father shot him a sharp glance. Before he could even feel bewilderment, he had to tense his body.

“Does it hurt your pride?” his father asked, his dark eyes piercing. Shin Jukyeong couldn’t answer yes or no. He just tightly clenched his fists and swallowed.

“Tch, pathetic bastard.”

“……”

“Don’t forget. This is your current position. A fool pitied by everyone.”

“……”

“Originally, you should have been on that stage reading the oath. Not living such a low-class life. Huh? Shin Jukyeong. If you were my son, you should have done that.”

His father suddenly grabbed the back of his neck and pressed down hard. Ugh! A groan escaped him involuntarily from the strong grip. Even when Shin Jukyeong grimaced, his father showed no mercy. Instead, he tutted and reprimanded him not to make a sound.

“Shin Jukyeong, listen carefully.”

The low voice was like the warning of an enraged beast.

“You are someone who can do nothing without this father.”

Shin Jukyeong bit his lip. It was because the pressure his father exerted was more suffocating than the accusations that chipped away at his self-esteem.

He tried hard to maintain his composure, but it wasn’t easy. An instinctive repulsion kept rising. Thump-thump-thump! His heart pounded wildly. He wanted to shake off the hand suppressing him and just run away. It was strange; there was nothing to be scared of, yet his body stiffened on its own, and his hands and feet trembled.

“……Ugh.”

“From now on, you have one task.”

His father whispered.

“Yang U-dam. Monitor and report everything about that ‘thing’—who he meets, what he learns, what he thinks.”

Here, you will be my eyes and hands.

“Remember, Shin Jukyeong. This is all for your own good. You must not go against this father. Because you’re someone who can’t do anything properly on your own.”

With those words, his father left without waiting for his younger brother. He had already passed the responsibility of wrapping things up to Shin Jukyeong.

“Huk, haak, cough, cough…!”

As the constricted airway opened, a fit of coughing erupted.

‘I need to pull myself together.’

Shin Jukyeong wiped away his cold sweat, steadying his stumbling body. His complexion was so pale that a few passersby asked if he was okay. Shin Jukyeong forced himself to nod, pretending everything was fine. “It’s nothing,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.

‘…This is troublesome.’

Damn it. Shin Jukyeong ran a rough hand over his face.

He was the one who insisted that his younger brothers needed to cultivate their own strength to resist their father in order to change the future. Yet, despite that, he himself was being swayed. How foolish could he be?

‘I, too, needed to escape from my father’s shadow.’

Not just my brothers, but me too.

Shin Jukyeong closed his eyes tightly and muttered to himself.

It was at that moment.

“Shin Jukyeong.”

Someone abruptly grabbed his shoulder. Shin Jukyeong, uncharacteristically, flinched violently. His reaction was slow due to fatigue and being off guard. Gasping, he sucked in a breath and hunched his shoulders. Seeing his startled reaction, the other person hastily released his shoulder.

“S-sorry…”

The other person offered an apology, holding both hands up in the air. That characteristic delinquent-like appearance. Shin Jukyeong knew the face.

‘Ah, right. This guy was also a Hunter Academy student.’

The person who startled him was a student known as the ‘monster fanatic,’ wearing the usual uniform.

“No, I, uh, didn’t mean to startle you…”

“……”

“W-were you very startled…?”

Noticing Shin Jukyeong’s pale complexion, the student started to fidget uneasily. He seemed to have misunderstood, thinking it was because of him.

Oh, really? If his condition had been normal, he would have scoffed, but alas.

‘As if I’d be startled by you when there’s nothing to be startled by.’

He rejected unnecessary worries. Therefore, he wanted to tell him not to mind.

…But what was this? His lips were pressed together and wouldn’t open.

“You must have been really startled. I’m truly sorry.”

The student grew increasingly serious. Only Shin Jukyeong felt wronged. He hadn’t been startled by him of all people!

However, his lips were still trembling and showed no sign of opening. As Shin Jukyeong remained frozen, the student hesitantly pointed towards the auditorium door.

“Hey, just… shall we go outside for a bit? Some fresh air might make you feel better.”

He hated to admit it, but it was a pretty good suggestion.

‘Yes, it seems better to move away from the place where father was for a while.’

He didn’t like his weak self, but since recovering his condition came first, he followed the student without complaint.

Indeed, breathing the outdoor air made his mind and spirit much more at ease. His lips, which had seemed forever sealed, also opened naturally.

“Ah-ah, ahem, ah.”

As he lightly cleared his throat, the student approached and spoke to him.

“You look a bit better, at least. That’s a relief.”

The guy made a gesture of great relief.

‘Again, I wasn’t startled because of you.’

Shin Jukyeong grumbled inwardly. But whether the student knew his true feelings or not, he simply handed over a paper cup.

“Here, drink.”

“……”

He had chosen an iced americano for himself, but gave a warm one to Shin Jukyeong. Of course, since he was receiving it, he didn’t voice any complaints. Shin Jukyeong simply nodded in gratitude.

“Seeing you like this, it feels new. You came to see your younger brother, right?”

“Ah, yes. Well…”

After that, the two exchanged small talk. To be precise, the student alone was spewing unsolicited TMI. Well, to summarize, he was nearing graduation next year, didn’t particularly want to join a guild, and was conflicted because he was more interested in monsters than being a hunter… that was it.

Of course, these were all facts Shin Jukyeong already knew.

‘Should I tell him he’ll build a large research institute in the future?’

Hmm, never mind. He wouldn’t believe it anyway. Shin Jukyeong let out a chuckle and sipped his coffee.

Anyway, the impromptu counseling session, which seemed like it would be brief, surprisingly continued for a long time, and Shin Jukyeong simply repeated “Ah, yes, I see” without much sincerity.

About ten minutes passed? The student suddenly glanced around, then lowered his voice. He even pressed his body closer. This seemed like the main point.

“Tsk… I actually had something to tell you. That, the favor you asked for last time.”

A favor? Shin Jukyeong thought for a moment, then immediately brightened. Finally, a topic of conversation that would pique his interest had emerged.

“Did you find them?”

His eyes even sparkling; he was clearly full of anticipation. However, unfortunately, the student’s answer did not meet Shin Jukyeong’s expectations.

“No. I’m sorry, but there hasn’t been any particular progress.”

He scratched his cheek and let out a deep sigh.

Shin Jukyeong also let out a short sigh. It was understandable, as he had waited for this result for quite some time, so his disappointment was all the greater. Especially since it concerned the search for his younger brother’s parents.

‘Did Yang U-dam perhaps misunderstand?’

The possibility was high. But something still felt uneasy in his heart. He had a strong hunch that he shouldn’t just let it end like this.

‘There are too many things bothering me to simply dismiss it as “oh, I see”.’

His younger brother hadn’t said it directly, but he must have had some conviction to be so stubborn. More importantly, he hadn’t fully understood the relationship between his father and his brothers. Shin Jukyeong needed to know what they were hiding.

“So, about that…”

Just then, the student added.

“No matter if it’s B-rank, it’s normal to find them by now, you know? Especially the guys we used this time are incredibly good at tracking scents. If the person were alive, there’s no way they wouldn’t find them. Therefore, the subject…”

Then he scratched his eyebrow. It seemed he was hesitant to continue.

Indeed, it was understandable. It’s not easy to tell someone who’s desperately searching, “The person you’re looking for seems to be dead.” However, Shin Jukyeong’s situation was also not good enough to offer consideration.

“You mean they’re dead?”

He asked again, as if for confirmation.

“Ah, uh. Well… that’s right.”

The student replied, averting his gaze.