Chapter 98
“I will go to South Korea.”
After Juhyeok and Jia had left, the family sat down for dinner.
Cheonsi spoke to his parents with a resolute voice.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but ever since hearing Juhyeok’s refusal, a thought had dominated his mind.
[I am not mature enough to be a proper influence on him. My presence would be a burden, and this burden would not have a positive effect on Cheonsi either.]
A humility that did not indulge in his own strength.
If an S-rank Hunter joined a guild, anyone would immediately accept such a tempting offer, seeing only the advantage before them.
Yet Juhyeok, even in front of such a sweet offer, objectively judged whether he himself was worthy, and kicked away the fortune that fell into his lap.
“There is no one in all the continents who can be trusted and followed as much as him. Even if there were, finding him would be like reaching for the stars.”
The world was vast, and virtuous people did exist.
But discovering them was never easy.
Just when Cheonsi’s magic was nearly exhausted from a grueling schedule, meeting Juhyeok and seeing his true self was no mere coincidence.
No, even if it was coincidental… Cheonsi wanted to consider it fate.
“Today, after listening to your conversation, Father, I am even more certain.”
“….”
Cheonsi’s father quietly lowered his spoon mid-motion.
He spoke to his son in a calm voice.
“I understand how you feel. Perhaps if not now, this connection would slip away like fleeting fate.”
At a young age, Cheonsi had been influenced heavily by those around him.
The boy who had always been confident in his abilities had finally found someone he looked up to.
It was understandable that he would want to immediately board a plane and follow him.
Juhyeok’s sincere refusal had resonated not only with Cheonsi but also with his father.
“But even if you stubbornly chase after someone who has firmly refused, what will you gain?”
It wasn’t a refusal made lightly.
After considering every circumstance, Juhyeok had judged he could not rise to the situation and declined the offer.
“You first need to convince me of how you plan to persuade him.”
“….”
Cheonsi’s lips pressed firmly together at his father’s words.
He bowed his head and sipped his tea.
The warm, high-quality aroma spread through his body, relaxing him.
Meeting his father’s eyes, he felt tension slowly melt away.
“I cannot persuade him.”
Cheonsi said it with certainty.
Indeed, with his current knowledge and rhetoric, it would be difficult to make a convincing excuse to his father.
That very difficulty gave Cheonsi confidence instead.
“As you said, Father, he has made his decision, and I have no idea how I could overturn it.”
There was no clear path forward.
Though Cheonsi spoke those words, his confident gaze did not resemble a lost lamb.
“Still, I want to go to South Korea to meet him.”
If he had been afraid of the darkness that blocked his path, he wouldn’t have said this at all.
“I will spare no effort or method. My heart burns that intensely right now.”
If he had to kneel, he would do so even in the rain, begging.
If money were required, he would give all he had saved so far.
Even he found it ridiculous.
They had only entered the Gate together once.
And yet, somehow, he felt a debt of life, an inexplicable urge to reach out to him.
His father asked directly.
“If I ask why you are willing to go that far for someone you’ve known only a day or two… what will you answer?”
Cheonsi recalled the figure he had seen yesterday.
Juhyeok effortlessly dodging attacks from an S-rank boss monster and completely conquering it.
Remembering that first feeling, Cheonsi answered.
“For the first time in my short life, I’ve found someone I want to follow.”
“…I see.”
His eyes, observing quietly, slowly softened upon hearing the answer.
Finally, with a warm voice, his father responded to the passion shown by his son.
“Then go and give it your all.”
“Having received that permission, I immediately completed all the procedures and arrived in Korea just the other day.”
Cheonsi smiled brightly.
With a soft voice, he told the story wonderfully, and finished with a beautiful, boyish smile—so charming it almost made one forget to breathe.
Snap!
“Ouch!”
A light flick to Cheonsi’s forehead.
“This is for coming to our house without telling me first.”
As a child, it was only a light punishment. If he were an adult, he’d have been tossed straight back outside.
Juhyeok asked, stroking Cheonsi’s reddened forehead.
“Leaving aside other things, how did you even find our house?”
“That… would be a bit complicated to explain.”
“Huh.”
It had been a long time since he felt this way.
Most of the people connected to him hadn’t shared their locations, yet Cheonsi had found out everything about their current positions and home addresses.
“Why is he… hitting the kid?”
“Should we reward him just because he came all the way from China to our house blindly?”
His mother didn’t seem concerned at all about how Cheonsi had found the house.
Juhyeok, frustrated, also scolded his mother.
“Mom, why are you happily cheering him on?”
“Why, it’s cute. He flew all the way here from China just to learn under our son. Isn’t that admirable?”
“Admirable… he’s just fearless.”
Born as the son of a wealthy family and an S-rank Hunter, Cheonsi thought nothing was impossible and boldly barged in.
At only 14, such actions were understandable—but that didn’t justify taking risks to bring him here.
“Book the fastest flight back to China.”
“No.”
Cheonsi’s expression was determined, his forehead still red from the flick.
“I promised my parents I would never return until I joined the guild you are forming.”
“When you were young, it’s okay to tell a little lie. Go back.”
“No! I haven’t told a lie since I was seven!”
He began asserting himself proudly.
According to Juhyeok’s mother, he was stubborn too… but even she was no match for a teenager’s obstinacy.
Of course, Juhyeok had no intention of giving in easily.
Until now, he had been welcomed everywhere due to his handsome face and S-rank Hunter abilities—but now, things were different.
“No.”
“Please accept me.”
“No.”
“Please.”
Cheonsi tried to explain, in a jumble of words, why he should be accepted.
Juhyeok rebutted point by point, and the endless conversation probably lasted an hour or two.
Jia, distracted by the freshly baked bread she was enjoying, quietly joined the conversation when she felt full.
“Why don’t you just accept him?”
“You’re egging him on too?”
“Even in politics, he’s made enemies. If an S-rank Hunter joins now, they won’t dare touch you easily.”
“That’s what I said on the way here. Having him around only makes things more troublesome.”
With already established enmity, having one more S-rank Hunter would only double the trouble.
Jia, chewing her bread, asked again.
“Then are you going to stay holed up while hunting alone? Eventually, you’ll run into high-ranking people, so it’s better to strengthen yourself a little beforehand.”
“….”
“You know how important it is to have at least one reliable ally.”
Her words weren’t wrong, so Juhyeok fell silent.
Even he, in the past, could have easily grown stronger thanks to the connection with Yena.
He could have done it alone, but in one year, it would have been nearly impossible to reach his current strength.
As Jia said, the already existing grudges could not be undone.
‘Quietly staying out of trouble is over then.’
Why had he wanted to stay quiet in the first place?
To keep the existence of the artifact secret as much as possible.
‘Why did I want to hide it?’
If discovered, it would be treated like a time bomb, captured by the association, and locked away.
But now?
He had become an S-rank Hunter, strong enough to be recognized by anyone.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
‘Surely the day will come when the artifact is discovered.’
No secret lasts forever.
He had to keep that day in mind and, as Jia said, conserve his strength for it.
Juhyeok had only relied on his own power, but Jia’s words were gradually changing his perspective.
“….”
Cheonsi watched in silence.
He still stared with clear, bright eyes, unaware of the future the man before him envisioned.
“Cheonsi.”
“Yes.”
Juhyeok spoke.
“I planned to live quietly in this world.”
He intended to quietly grow his strength and only then freely roam the world without interference.
Jia quietly interjected.
“When has he ever been quiet?”
“…Anyway.”
Ignoring her, Juhyeok continued.
“If I bring you into my guild, you’ll have to give up any thought of living quietly.”
In South Korea, a country with more than one S-rank Hunter, the guild would be unmatched.
With that title, all eyes would inevitably fall on him.
Being handsome and pretty, he would attract all kinds of scandal.
“Are you worth it enough for me to endure all that to bring you in?”
He asked.
Was Cheonsi truly worth it, to endure all the noise and trouble?
Cheonsi didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, I am.”
“….”
Without a moment’s doubt, he answered.
How could someone so young have such confidence?
Juhyeok took a bite of the untouched bread and said,
“If you start whining later, don’t complain.”
