Chapter 8 …
With cautious movements, Sejin took a seat at a table as far away from Do Jae-gyu as possible.
“But… why am I avoiding him?”
Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, the idea of trembling in fear just in case was funny, and Sejin bit her lip.
Sitting with her back turned was slightly better. She pressed the brim of her hat down and hunched her shoulders.
But this was supposed to be a 50-year-old traditional restaurant. Why were there so few customers at dinner time?
Aside from the table where Do Jae-gyu was sitting, there were barely three other parties.
Unlike the bustling lunch hours, the evening was unusually quiet, almost desolate.
“Ugh… why did a gate have to open near the restaurant? Tch. What’ll you have?”
The owner grandmother, who Sejin had seen earlier, frowned and glanced at the gate response vehicle outside the glass door.
“Ah, that’s why there are no customers…”
Sejin had forgotten that a disaster alarm would appear whenever a gate opened. As the one who had closed the gate, she quietly placed her order.
“Uh… one bowl of gukbap, please.”
The grandmother quickly scribbled the order and left.
“Why does my back feel so hot? Am I imagining it?”
Sejin put in one earbud from her bag.
“This might be bad…”
She made sure to keep her voice as low as possible.
[Stay calm. You have to stay calm in situations like this!]
You stay calm! You shouting at me like that is even weirder!
[For now, he doesn’t know who we are.]
“Right.”
[And he has no reason to catch us. Isn’t that so?]
“Yeah… that’s true.”
But why did her gut feel so uneasy? Past experiences were sending signals: Get out of here.
According to Pagun’s logic, nothing was wrong.
Do Jae-gyu wasn’t a government-affiliated hunter, so he had no reason to target her. He could intervene for the public good, but…
Would he?
Sejin hadn’t completely cut herself off from news or hunter communities.
It was widely known that Do Jae-gyu had a poor relationship with government agencies in Korea.
The two were legendary rivals—Do Jae-gyu and Han Ki-tae—and their enmity was notorious.
Wouldn’t he prefer to ignore her and let the government and Han Ki-tae struggle, rather than turn her in?
Their rift began when Do Jae-gyu left the government.
He had famously exposed the government’s exploitation of hunters as public assets.
People supported him, criticizing the government. Families of hunters who had died while closing gates also joined in.
Do Jae-gyu, after causing a stir, calmly established a guild with strong backing from major corporations.
He shattered the stereotype that hunters belonged to the government.
It was a revolutionary move.
Even years later, people still talked about it. Sejin remembered her classmates splitting into Do Jae-gyu and Han Ki-tae factions, arguing passionately despite neither being involved.
Because public attention was so intense, the government had to negotiate with Do Jae-gyu instead of punishing him.
The government reluctantly allowed the first guild to be established, though they reserved some rights over resources from gates and first recruitment of hunters.
Sejin faintly remembered the Do Jae-gyu faction cheering, claiming justice had prevailed.
Do Jae-gyu’s revelations had caused significant change.
Guilds popped up everywhere, and government hunters received better treatment.
The news spread abroad, and guilds began forming internationally.
Wow… he really is an impressive figure, Sejin thought, sipping water from the glass in front of her.
Do Jae-gyu had indeed contributed enormously to the growth and development of the hunter industry.
Plus, he was known for being handsome.
“Phew.”
Thinking she was in the same space as someone like him made her mouth dry.
[Don’t get nervous! Just act normal! Normal!]
You act normal!
If that voice in her head wasn’t there, her eardrums might have burst from the stress.
“So… maybe this is just a coincidence?”
Yes. It had to be a coincidence.
[Do Jae-gyu just recognized the 50-year-old gukbap restaurant. Stay calm, Sejin!]
Sejin touched her forehead with her fingers to calm the overly excited Pagun.
“Okay… I’ll calm down.”
Even if her blood pressure rose, it wouldn’t matter—Pagun was overly panicked anyway.
Contrary to her calm thoughts, her back felt hot.
She adjusted her voice and rubbed her dry lips with her fingers.
There was no proof she was Heuk-yeong. If there were, Han Ki-tae would have recognized her first and chased her. Don’t panic. Don’t panic!
Sejin gently patted her cheeks with her palms.
Act natural. Just pretend to eat and leave quickly.
Even as she talked to herself, sweat formed on her forehead.
Ah, this is why you shouldn’t live a life of crime…
Hm?
Wait, am I living a life of crime?
Suddenly, she got irritated again.
“Oh my!”
The grandmother, who seemed uninterested in anything outside running her restaurant, suddenly clapped her hands loudly.
Sejin jerked and turned her head at the sudden noise.
“No! Wait. I wasn’t sure… Hey, hey! You’re Do Jae-gyu, right?”
The quick-to-recognize grandmother patted Do Jae-gyu’s shoulder, her hands full of gold rings.
“You’re even better-looking in person.”
“Really? Thank you.”
“Lately, everyone tries to copy Do Jae-gyu, dyeing their hair red, so I didn’t recognize you at first. Oh-ho-ho.”
Do Jae-gyu, used to such attention, remained relaxed.
“The original is always different!”
The grandmother’s rustic accent and fuss drew the attention of the few other customers.
“Is this really Do Jae-gyu?”
“Wow… why is Do Jae-gyu here?”
“Because a gate just opened here?”
Sejin glanced sideways, observing the situation.
“If it’s Do Jae-gyu, you should get it for free. He’s the first to show up when a gate opens, no matter where. Should we also give him some boiled pork?”
“No, that’s okay.”
“I’m not okay! Kitchen aunty! Extra boiled pork here. Our pork is delicious!”
Her voice was louder than Do Jae-gyu’s polite refusal.
“By the way, before you go, can I get a signed photo? Huh?”
“Of course.”
Do Jae-gyu agreed cheerfully, making the grandmother smile.
“If you need anything else, let me know.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Sejin perked up at his courteous voice.
She wiped the sweat forming on her forehead and hoped this moment would pass quickly.
Auntie! Gukbap, please!
She whispered in her head, her legs trembling nervously, her anxiety almost palpable.
Why does my back feel hot?
Yet Sejin had no courage to look back.
“Hmm.”
Is he… making a ritual over the gukbap?
Myeong-jin sighed quietly, watching Do Jae-gyu stir the gukbap with his spoon.
“Is something wrong? Does the food not suit your taste?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Then why isn’t he eating? Myeong-jin wanted to shout, You invited me here! but restrained herself.
What exactly was bothering him? Her mouth filtered her direct thoughts.
“Is it uncomfortable because people are recognizing you?”
“Hmm.”
Do Jae-gyu rested his elbow on the table and propped his chin on his hand, as if that wasn’t the right answer either.
Myeong-jin set down her spoon, impressed by Do Jae-gyu’s aura.
Were they really in the same gukbap restaurant?
Do Jae-gyu made even a cheap, simple restaurant feel like a luxury hotel.
He picked up a stainless steel water cup, looking pensive.
I thought it was a wine glass.
The cup tilted slightly in his hand, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“This is a bit strange.”
“What do you mean? Strange how?”
Myeong-jin couldn’t wait for him to finish and asked.
“It smells.”
Myeong-jin sniffed.
“The smell of gukbap?”
Do Jae-gyu raised an eyebrow as if she was hopeless. Of course it smells like gukbap in a gukbap restaurant…
