The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 204
The Awakened Management Bureau was especially bustling today due to the upcoming general assembly. And there was one person who cut straight through the chaotic middle of the building.
Tap, tap, tap… A cane tapped against the floor, and shoes echoed as they walked down the hallway. It was Ham Seok-jeong and Jung Bin. People hurriedly bowed their heads, but Ham Seok-jeong only nodded and swiftly passed by. Her steps were quick, and if you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t even notice that she had a slight limp. As they entered a quieter hallway, she asked Jung Bin, who was following a step behind.
“How are the preparations for the general assembly?”
“We’re in the final stages. Most have confirmed their attendance, and J has also stated they’ll be coming. Hong Ye-seong has expressed interest in attending as well, so I’m planning to escort him soon.”
“Heh, who wouldn’t want to attend if it meant escaping from the mountain? Even though he was the one who asked to be locked up.”
“Haha, isn’t it human nature to long for freedom?”
“Anything else of note?”
“Oh, there’s been contact from the Pado Guild.”
“What about?”
“They’ve reported that Honeybee… destroyed the entire research facility. Yes, Lee Sa-young also warned that tracking any traces will be more difficult from now on.”
Jung Bin handed over a file. Ham Seok-jeong frowned slightly as she took the file and quickly flipped through it.
“Honeybee? Was there ever a Hunter from HB Guild who turned into a mutant?”
“Not that’s been reported. The Pado Guild didn’t provide a reason, either. However…”
“Come to think of it.”
“Yes?”
Ham Seok-jeong stopped walking.
“I haven’t heard from Matthew lately.”
“…”
“That kid used to send greetings every week, without fail.”
“…”
“So, there are times you’d look all flushed, too.”
Ham Seok-jeong smiled as she lifted the corners of her mouth.
“How long should we keep pretending?”
“It’s not that I was pretending. I intended to report it, but…”
But the Director… Jung Bin swallowed the words that almost escaped his lips.
Ham Seok-jeong was a figure who had maintained her position as director solely through her abilities and composure. After the Day of Change, when J revealed themselves to the public, Ham Seok-jeong had started showing signs of unease. She became notably more sensitive when it came to discussions about J and the West Sea rift. There were times when she’d stare blankly into space or would fail to control her emotions, even to a point where Jung Bin, busy as he was, couldn’t help but notice.
But ever since the day J visited her, she seemed to have returned to her old self. Or perhaps, she had become more detached.
Jung Bin bowed his head.
“My apologies. I was trying to be considerate of the Director’s feelings, and that delayed my report.”
“Next time, report it right away. Even if I’m out of my mind, I still have enough sense to listen.”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Now then, tell me what’s going on. What happened?”
“Yes. Matthew got addicted to a drug. Luckily, his body hasn’t mutated, but he’s lost his mind. I used my power to isolate him in the basement of the Seowon Guild.”
“And his current condition?”
“It hasn’t changed. Dr. Nam Woo-jin is attempting to detoxify him, but it’s only been enough to maintain the status quo. Honeybee seems to be going around research facilities, looking for materials.”
“When did the addiction start?”
“Well, Honeybee suspects Song Jo-heon. She said Matthew’s condition worsened after cooperating with the Samra Guild, but without clear evidence, it’s just suspicion.”
“…Song Jo-heon, huh.”
Ham Seok-jeong stroked the handle of her cane. Jung Bin waited patiently for her to speak. Her gaze dropped, and she muttered quietly.
“He’s not the type for something like that.”
Was it trust in Song Jo-heon? Well, the two of them had been working together since the establishment of the Awakened Management Bureau, so she likely knew sides of him that Jung Bin didn’t. But what she said next was,
“He’s not the kind of person with enough backbone to pull something like this.”
Jung Bin involuntarily stifled a smile that was about to creep onto his face. Ham Seok-jeong, her face serious, tapped the handle of her cane with her fingers.
“Song Jo-heon is ambitious but lacks the drive. He’s someone who prioritizes self-preservation above all else. There’s no way he’d risk something as dangerous as poisoning the 3rd-ranked Matthew. There must be something else…”
“…”
“There’s no way he acted alone. Someone else must’ve whispered the idea into his ear.”
“…Could it be someone from the Prometheus faction?”
“…Ah, I wish it were.”
Ham Seok-jeong let out a cold smile.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if all the troublesome ones were bundled together?”
As Ham Seok-jeong handed the file back to Jung Bin and resumed walking, a vibrating sound broke the air. Ham Seok-jeong pulled out her phone from her pocket and checked the screen, her face showing a hint of curiosity when she saw the name displayed.
“Why is this troublemaker calling me first?”
“Who is it?”
“Who else would call like this out of the blue?”
She showed Jung Bin the phone’s screen. When he saw the name, he smiled awkwardly.
[Troublemaker 1]
Ham Seok-jeong placed the phone to her ear and skipped any greetings, going straight into a joke.
“The sun must rise in the west tomorrow, seeing as you’re calling me first.”
A low, growling voice responded without any pleasantries. There was a touch of grumpiness in the tone.
—J?
“J…”
Ham Seok-jeong turned to Jung Bin and silently mouthed, ‘Did J say they were coming?’ After carefully watching her lips, Jung Bin shook his head. She looked down at the floor and smiled.
“Ah, J. Yes, what about J?”
—He said he was going to see you.
Jung Bin rolled his eyes, trying to suppress a chuckle. J hadn’t shown up at all today. There couldn’t have been any issues with J, so they must have lied and snuck off somewhere else.
Jung Bin’s shoulders trembled slightly. His colleague had guts, far too much of it. Lying to both the Director and Lee Sa-young? If they got caught, what about the consequences?
Ham Seok-jeong’s lips curved upwards.
“What I’m asking is, why call me instead of J?”
—Ha… Because they’re not answering, so I’m calling you instead.
“I’ll have to tell J to never answer your calls again. It feels so good getting your call like this.”
—Shut up.
Lee Sa-young growled sharply, but Ham Seok-jeong continued, undeterred.
“Don’t be too suspicious. You need to learn when to let things go.”
—…
“I’ll surely inform you back, so just wait. It’s been a while since we met, and I have much to talk about.”
Click.
The call ended abruptly, without a goodbye. Ham Seok-jeong looked at her phone and smiled broadly.
“I should thank J. Finally, something fun to tease him with. He used to be like a wooden stick, no fun at all.”
“Haha…”
Jung Bin gave an awkward laugh. When they had barely managed to teach him how to control his powers and brought him to the Awakened Management Bureau, Lee Sa-young had been the epitome of bluntness. No matter who spoke to him, he wouldn’t respond, nor would he even glance in their direction. Only when people like Jung Bin or Bae Won-woo approached did he offer a word or two.
It was the same with the Director, Ham Seok-jeong. When she spoke to him, Lee Sa-young would respond by merely nodding without uttering a single word. Bae Won-woo and Jung Bin had been flustered, waving their hands behind his back, trying to get him to engage.
Maybe it was wariness, maybe it was a lack of socialization, or maybe, as some said, it was just plain arrogance…
“Well, we’ll have to keep the fact that J didn’t come here a secret. I’m counting on you to handle that.”
“Yes.”
Ham Seok-jeong began to walk slowly again. Jung Bin matched his pace to her slightly slowed steps.
“Otherwise, they might not visit me again in the future.”
***
Meanwhile, back in the truck. Both were still in shock, unable to snap out of it. Yoon Ga-eul was rubbing her head against the window in frustration, while Cha Eui-jae was gripping the steering wheel, completely zoned out. Despite the driver and passenger both being out of it, the truck continued to move smoothly on its own. The goldfish’s red tail fluttered. Cha Eui-jae, who had been absentmindedly staring at the tail, suddenly had a thought.
‘Wait a minute.’
He had just wanted to find out how they knew about the watch, but instead, he ended up hearing a cryptic message. From Nam Woo-jin. So, what should he do now? Should he go find Nam Woo-jin? But Nam Woo-jin doesn’t have abilities like Yoon Ga-eul does, so does he even know anything? His mind felt hazy, as if it were floating in the air. Just then, the phone in his pocket buzzed briefly. Cha Eui-jae pulled out his phone.
“…”
He was shocked to see 12 missed calls.
To top it off, every call was from…
[Sa-young]
What the hell, is this guy crazy? Cha Eui-jae rubbed his arm, which was covered in goosebumps. He’d only been wandering through Yoon Ga-eul’s memories for about 20 minutes. And yet, Lee Sa-young couldn’t wait for 20 minutes and called 12 times!
But soon, Cha Eui-jae’s chills shifted in a different direction. Wait, at this point, didn’t he probably call the Director too? If the Director said something like, ‘J? He hasn’t arrived yet?’ though he didn’t think the Director would do that. Cha Eui-jae’s mind started working quickly. Just then, his other phone rang. It was the one Seo Min-gi had set up for him.
[The Director covered for you. I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope things are resolved smoothly.]
It was a text from Jung Bin.
Cha Eui-jae let out a sigh and pressed his forehead against the steering wheel.
“…”
And then he thought.
Since I’ve bought myself some time, I should probably head to the Seowon Guild, shouldn’t I?
