Chapter 30: Absolute Proposition (11)

‘…I messed up.’

Even after hearing Ihyun’s words, Nari still didn’t answer. Practically leaning against her chest, Ihyun lowered his eyes. He was suddenly afraid to raise his head again and check her expression.

Being rejected had always terrified him too. He had refined his way of speaking for years so that no one could turn him down, but caught up in the impulse of the moment, he had failed completely. That sense of self-reproach took hold of his entire body.

“Ah, um, Nari. I’m sorry. It must have startled you, I just…”

“Then you.”

Clang! The mug she was holding fell to the floor. Ihyun’s body toppled backward. Nari climbed on top of him, lacing her fingers tightly with his, and stared down at him with a blank face.

“…Nari?”

“Listen, hey, you, what if I…”

Her pupils were dark, devoid of any light, staring straight into him. Her hands clenched tightly around his.

Was she upset? Ihyun looked up at her. Her brows were drawn tight.

“What if I…”

Unable to finish her sentence, Nari faltered. Seeing this, Ihyun smiled faintly.

‘Ah, so she’s just nervous.’

From behind her, black spirit energy slowly spread out. Everywhere it touched, the illusion cracked with a sharp sound. Without realizing it, Nari was releasing illusions with no signal at all.

Illusionists usually preferred expressing themselves through illusions rather than words. That was why they trained their minds sharply, to clearly separate reality from illusion. But if she was releasing her spirit energy without even realizing it, then Ihyun’s words had undeniably struck her deeply.

And he liked her like this. He liked it when Nari, when Lude was overwhelmed by the affection she felt for him. Even more so because he rejected affection from anyone else.

Who would hate being treated as someone special? Ihyun always tried to show Nari a calm, flawless image, but he too was only human, and he too felt insecure.

The only difference was that his way of revealing his anxiety was far more cunning than hers.

“It’s okay, Nari. You don’t have to say it.”

Squeezing her clasped hands, he smiled with his eyes half-closed. With his usual bright smile and a soft voice, he spoke. Nari was weak to that kind of voice. It was a calculated move.

“No matter what happens, I’m on your side. I can’t help it.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I was really thinking.”

“Nari, I’m a priest. And I’m not a believer.”

He closed his eyes tightly and smiled. The fluorescent light flickered and went out completely, and the sound of the house collapsing boomed around them.

But it was only an illusion. Ihyun didn’t waver. He read the real message hidden in her illusion. That was a priest’s work. In the dark room, he reassured her with that same smiling face.

“You’re the direction of my life. How could I betray you?”

At his words, the noises stopped. The black spirit energy spreading everywhere slowly receded, and her pupils, which had looked like they would swallow all light, returned to normal.

Finally seeming to come back to her senses, Nari jerked her hands away and leapt up from the sofa. Her face flushed red with embarrassment as she raised both hands awkwardly.

“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine! I was the one who provoked you first.”

“Aghh! Look at the cracks on the wall, I’ll fix them, just wait a second!!”

Nari turned her head stiffly and waved her hands at the wall, which was covered in cracks. Her black spirit energy dispersed again, and the smooth wall was restored.

Illusions could be recognized by both sides, so it was just an embarrassed attempt to escape the situation. Ihyun, knowing her, reassured her lightly.

“I really am fine! I’ve heard that people who use spirit energy often get overwhelmed by anxiety. If you’ve calmed down, that’s good.”

Sensing it was time to keep some distance, Ihyun shifted back into a businesslike manner. Nari always longed for affection but feared forming truly deep connections.

“…Y-Yeah. Thanks.”

At last, she seemed to relax, letting out a long sigh. She drew back all the illusions scattered through the house and fidgeted with a lock of her hair.

“My spirit energy is strong, so when I get anxious or tired, sometimes it feels like it’s going to swallow me up.”

“I’ll keep that in mind! You must’ve been especially tired this time, right?”

“Probably…”

Nari ran her hand up her face and down again. Ihyun also fidgeted with his hair in silence. The silence between them stretched.

As they each racked their brains for a way to break the awkward atmosphere, his phone suddenly rang.

[Please answer the call. If you don’t answer within 3 seconds, this phone will explode. 3, 2…]

“Ahh! Wait, wait!!”

Ihyun’s phone, which was left on the living room table, rang at a perfect time. Startled by the odd ringtone, Nari glanced at the phone, then nodded when she saw the screen said “Guildmaster.”

“Y-Yes, Guildmaster. Ah, yes, I’m home right now. Yes, Lude woke up. No, it was nothing serious, I think he was just tired. Yes, yes… Oh, should I ask him? Ah, alright, got it!”

Tapping the phone with his fingers, Ihyun handed it over to her. After clearing her throat a few times, Nari disguised her voice with an illusion to mimic Lude’s and took the phone. A slightly weary Guildmaster’s voice came through.

“Hello, Guildmaster.”

[Ah, Lude. Good evening. How’s your body? Any better?]

“Yes, thanks to you, I feel much better.”

[I didn’t do anything. I just wanted to check on your condition. I asked Hunter Kang Ihyun to tell me, but he wouldn’t say a word.]

“I only just woke up, so I think that’s why he couldn’t tell you.”

The sudden call from the Guildmaster made both Ihyun and Nari sit stiffly upright on the sofa.

She said it was just to check Lude’s condition, but they knew better than to take such words at face value. In Korean, the real point always came at the end.

[Anyway, glad to hear nothing’s wrong. I’ve marked it as sick leave, so don’t worry about your vacation days. Rest up and come to work the day after tomorrow.]

“Yes…!”

Their spines, stiff as rods, bent into a C-curve at the word “sick leave.” Relieved that their precious vacation days were safe, Nari felt the tension drain from her body, until the Guildmaster suddenly struck.

[By the way, about that school. Besides Hunter Lude and Hunter Kang Ihyun, was there someone else there?]

“Eh… Huh?!”

The unexpected blow made Nari jump to her feet, then sit right back down. The Guildmaster continued.

[Looking back, it seems someone deliberately stole a magic stone, disrupting the flow, and some artificial mana was barely holding things together. That wasn’t your doing, was it?]

“Ah, well, that’s…”

Nari pulled a troubled face. Beside her, Ihyun gave her a half-lidded stare.

‘I thought rebuilding the school would erase all traces.’

Once again, she realized how hard it was to hide power in Korea. She scrambled for excuses, but the Guildmaster already seemed to understand her silence and pressed further.

[Don’t tell me it was an unregistered Awakener?]

“Yes. He just… doesn’t want to reveal himself.”

[If he were under fifteen it’d be fine, but he isn’t, is he? He’s in high school.]

It felt like Min Jaeyoon himself was screaming in her head, “Please keep my secret!!!”, so Nari smiled awkwardly. On the other end, the Guildmaster let out a long sigh.

[Lude, lying in this situation could only make things worse, you know that, right? Even if we end up shouldering the blame, that’s not the point. That kid could face serious legal trouble later.]

“Yes…”

The Guildmaster’s voice carried an edge now. Not exactly scolding, but sharp enough to pierce.

[Don’t lie to me of all people. I’m the Guildmaster. If something goes wrong, can you take full responsibility?]

“No.”

It had been a long time since anyone had scolded her. Holding the phone, Nari bowed at a ninety-degree angle, while beside her Ihyun watched with eyes wide in surprise.

[Tell me who he is. Or at least tell Hunter Kang Ihyun instead. If people find out you deliberately hid him, you have no idea what kind of prey you’ll become.]

“He really doesn’t want to be revealed… What would happen if I told you?”

The Guildmaster paused. She probably guessed that Lude, too, after being gossiped about endlessly, wouldn’t hand over someone’s name so easily.

[He’ll be registered as an awakener. Whether he becomes a Hunter will be his choice, but if he can create magic stones, he’s practically guaranteed to become one.]

“Why does it have to be like that? Why can’t it just be handled anonymously? He doesn’t want to be exposed. Why must he be?”

Nari’s voice hardened as she gripped the phone tight, forcing Lude’s voice out through clenched teeth.

“You say it’s his choice, but you yourself know it isn’t. Someone with that kind of power will always be pressured to join the Hunters. Who would want to do good under that kind of pressure? It’s easier to just ignore it and walk away…!”

She had lived under immense pressure herself, hiding behind the name Lude. Ihyun was destroying his own body for Hunter work. And Min Jaeyoon, too, would inevitably be dragged into it against his will.

It was as if she were projecting her own feelings onto him.

[This is unpleasant. Why are you shouting at me?]

The Guildmaster’s sharp voice cut her off. Nari snapped back to her senses and clutched the phone.

It wasn’t something to shout at the Guildmaster about, but she had anyway. Pressing her fingers to her brow, she let Ihyun pat her shoulder as if to calm her.

“…I’m sorry.”

[Lude, this is a matter of responsibility. I understand how you feel, but emotions alone can’t solve it. The victims who want the truth are just as important as the student’s feelings.]

“…Yes.”

[I’ll give you two days. Get the student’s consent at that time. Remember, I’m being generous here. And don’t assume everyone will think like you. That’s arrogance.]

Everything she said was true, leaving her with nothing to say. Feeling as if she had been struck on the head, Nari could only stammer out a broken “Yes, yes” like a broken machine.

Finally, the Guildmaster’s tone softened a little.

[…I was worried, but it’s expected from Lude himself. I’m glad I can still trust you with this. Good work today. Put Hunter Kang Ihyun on the line please. See you in two days.]

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