Chapter 49 …
Déjà Vu (2)
“Hello…”
Lee Sung-jun quietly greeted as he opened the door. Upon entering the East Division, four men were looking at him.
Roll… his gaze dropped downward. It wasn’t to avoid the overwhelming stares directed at him.
It was because there was someone far more attention-grabbing than their eyes.
On the floor, sitting with his face buried in his hands, was Choi Yeon.
A faint sound—was it a laugh or a sob?—escaped through his fingers. It was impossible to tell.
“Hunter Choi Yeon…?”
“Yes.”
The moment his name was spoken, he replied immediately. There was no hint of moisture in his voice.
So… he had been laughing.
“Why are you like this…?”
“I was just too happy to see you, Sung-jun.”
Ah, so that’s it.
Lee Sung-jun quickly figured out what had happened. He didn’t believe for a second that it was out of joy.
Choi Yeon, sitting on the floor with his bag still on, looked utterly defeated, while the others looked on smugly…
In short, Choi Yeon had been trying to leave work but was stopped—by none other than Sung-jun, who had just entered the East Division.
“…I’m sorry. I’ll come back tomorrow—”
“Sung-jun, it’s a joke, a joke. If it were real, that East Division Chief would kill me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s how it should be…”
With a thud, Choi Yeon’s head sank.
Seeing him drained of energy, Sung-jun naturally felt a twinge of guilt, even though it wasn’t necessary.
Should I leave now?
Just as he was about to fall into needless worry, Choi Yeon brushed his knees off and stood. He then gestured to the table.
“Let’s sit there, Sung-jun.”
“Yes.”
At Choi Yeon’s gesture, all the men moved.
Those at the table stood up, and Sung-jun, who had been standing by the door, stepped forward to sit.
Among those exchanging greetings, Cha Jae-hyuk’s face drew his attention.
He had never seen a face like that in his life. It was so striking that, despite knowing it might seem rude, he couldn’t look away.
Even the lead actor in his mother’s favorite drama would pale in comparison to that face.
“Ah, hello…”
Caught staring blankly, Sung-jun hurriedly greeted when their eyes met.
Nod.
Cha Jae-hyuk lightly nodded once. It could have looked arrogant, but his intellectual aura made it seem dignified.
“Sung-jun.”
“Yes?”
“Why aren’t you sitting?”
“Ah, ah. Yes! Sorry.”
At Choi Yeon’s words, Sung-jun snapped out of it and sat at the table.
By now, East Division Chief Kim Jae-sang and Choi Hee-seok had returned to their seats, and Choi Yeon had neatly cleared the table, gathering cake boxes and coffee cups in one place.
“What brings you here? Trouble with control?”
“No, thanks to your guidance, Hunter, I’m fine now. I don’t even need to use the mini fire extinguisher.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“I also got to hang out with friends for the first time in a while.”
“That’s good too.”
Sung-jun chuckled. Memories of enjoying time with his friends brought a smile to his face.
Then, responding to Choi Yeon’s question, he pulled out his smartphone.
“The reason I came today… was because I got a message from the Hunter Guild.”
“From the Hunter Guild?”
Out of the blue?
Choi Yeon immediately checked the message.
A summary of the message from an unsaved number:
“We are a D-rank Hunter Guild called Red Pang. We need a fire-wielding Hunter and want to recruit you. Let’s meet tomorrow afternoon.”
“…?”
Choi Yeon tilted his head. It was truly strange.
How did the Hunter Guild know Sung-jun and send a message? And why were they so overbearing in their tone?
Are these guys even legitimate?
No matter how hard he thought, he had never heard of a guild called Red Pang.
Choi Yeon was usually indifferent to information, but if it were a famous guild in Chungcheong Province, he would know. At least he knew all the guilds under the Sunhwa-dong East Division’s jurisdiction.
“They have good reviews on Guild Planet.”
“You already checked?”
“Well, I was curious. Haha…”
Choi Yeon fully understood Sung-jun’s awkward smile.
A recruitment offer usually came to a skilled Hunter or a promising newcomer. It made sense to check them out.
Choi Yeon also logged into Guild Planet and searched for Red Pang.
“…Oh, the reviews are really good.”
“Right?”
“A guild with a family-like atmosphere that grows together…”
The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, all five-star ratings.
…but something felt off.
He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, but he kept tilting his head in suspicion.
What’s strange…?
“…Ah.”
Choi Yeon realized something.
The fact that the reviews were only good—that was what was odd.
Even Pakatozzo didn’t have only perfect reviews. A guild at the edge of Yuseong Intersection with perfect scores? It was natural to be suspicious.
“Uh, Hunter Choi Yeon.”
Sung-jun cautiously called out to him as he was lost in thought. When their eyes met, he asked slowly:
“What should I do about this recruitment?”
“…You’re asking the wrong question.”
“Huh?”
“This question shouldn’t be about moving forward, but about staying in place.”
“Staying in place…?”
“Sung-jun. What do you want to do?”
“Ah… I…”
Understanding Choi Yeon’s meaning, Sung-jun hesitantly continued. Choi Yeon waited calmly.
“To be honest, I don’t know… I still can’t get a grip on it…”
“I see.”
“I’ve thought about wanting to become a Hunter, but it’s such a hard job, isn’t it?”
“It’s not easy, that’s true.”
“Exactly. That’s why I haven’t decided yet…”
A weak smile spread across Sung-jun’s face, bitter in its attempt.
“Indecisive, right…?”
“……”
“That’s why I even got a tattoo to push myself… and yet, here we are.”
Sung-jun pressed his shoulders together.
Seeing this, Choi Yeon recalled the voice of a middle-aged woman—Sung-jun’s mother, who had scolded him, saying a tattoo wouldn’t make a person passionate.
Indeed, she was right. If a tattoo could make you passionate, everyone would have one.
Mothers’ words were always worth heeding. It helps everything go smoothly. Early and on time.
“Of course it’s natural to worry about a career choice.”
“Is it?”
“Of course. Well, the sooner you decide, the less time wasted.”
“Really?”
“But worrying a long time is better than rushing into a choice you’ll regret.”
“…Are you teasing me? Because I made you miss leaving work?”
“Not at all. I’m serious.”
Choi Yeon smiled gently.
Though it sounded playful, his advice was sincere.
It was okay to take your time worrying, but it was also good to finish quickly. Regret is an experience, but there’s no need to force it.
“So take your time. It’s okay.”
“…Yes!”
“You can’t make a choice you’ll never regret, even if you worry a long time.”
“Hehe, that’s true…”
Sung-jun chuckled softly.
Even though Choi Yeon spoke jokingly, it felt heartfelt, which made him feel at ease.
“I’ll think about it carefully and make my choice.”
“Good. Oh, and about Red Pang—I’ll check and contact you.”
“Ah, can you really? I wanted to ask that too…”
“Of course. Providing information about a guild when someone is recruited is also East Division’s duty.”
“Thank you so much…!”
Sung-jun bowed deeply in gratitude. Choi Yeon waved it off.
Partly for Sung-jun’s sake, but also because Red Pang annoyed him.
No matter how he looked at it, the reviews for Red Pang didn’t make sense.
How could a guild praised everywhere even while criticizing the country? The recruitment message was overbearing, yet the employees’ reputations were supposedly excellent.
Even for an East Division Hunter who had handled hundreds of complaints, it was unbelievable. Impossible.
With his business concluded, Sung-jun left the East Division. Sitting back at his desk to turn on his computer, the Division Chief asked:
“What’s up?”
“A Hunter Guild offered me recruitment.”
“Huh? The info spread already?”
“I guess… he hung out with friends. Probably explained the situation then, and that’s how it got out.”
“I see… Anyway, which guild?”
“Red Pang.”
“…They recruited you from there?”
“Yes. Do you know the guild?”
“Just the name and rank.”
Choi Yeon looked regretfully at the shrugging Chief. If he knew, it would’ve been easy to get info without extra effort.
“But aren’t you leaving work? You’re done, you can go.”
“I have something to check first.”
“Is that so?”
The Chief’s lips sagged as if mirroring his voice. Their satisfied expressions were clear to the two middle-aged men. Choi Yeon, focused on the monitor, didn’t look at them.
“Red… Pang…”
His long fingers typed, and a white internet page filled with information.
A few news articles caught his eye: one about clearing an F-rank dungeon voluntarily, another about lending equipment to new guild members for free.
From the articles alone, the guild seemed impeccably community-minded.
Yet Choi Yeon was dumbfounded.
“Do these things even make the news nowadays?”
He checked their SNS. Activity was frequent, so he quickly saw Red Pang members’ posts.
Most photos were taken in front of volunteer dungeons, with captions like #FamilyLikeGuild #GrowingTogether.
But the members’ expressions were telling. While senior members looked genuinely happy, the younger members looked stiff.
Choi Yeon immediately recognized it.
At East Division events, when photos were taken, he’d seen the same kind of faces next to the Division Chief.
“…Hmm.”
Definitely strange. The more he looked, the more unusual it seemed, so he decided to investigate further.
“I’ll make a quick call.”
“Go ahead.”
He stepped onto the rooftop yard and dialed. Few contacts would know Red Pang.
Hello?
“Min-seok, are you busy right now?”
Not really. The mayor’s briefing on the Red Blood Association is about to start.
“Oh.”
It was about that time. Normally, he would be leisurely watching TV while eating chicken.
What’s up?
“I wanted to ask if you know about Red Pang.”
Red Pang? No, never heard of them.
“Just as I thought…”
Kim Min-seok was one of the busiest Hunters in Daejeon. Even with a lot of incoming info, he had to filter it. Handling C-rank guilds alone would be impossible.
Want me to check?
“No need. I’ll handle it.”
Okay, got it.
“Yes. Thanks.”
You too, Choi Yeon.
Click.
After hanging up, Choi Yeon called the next contact.
[Unpleasant Guy]
Picked up immediately, as if waiting.
What’s up? Yeon, you’re making all the calls.
“Cha Jae-hyuk. Do you know Red Pang? It’s around Yuseong Intersection.”
Where?
“Yuseong District.”
…Yeon, how would I know a guild there?
“Exactly.”
Even with his network on the streets, it was impossible to know guilds in other areas.
Shall I gather info?
“That’d be great, but can it be done by tomorrow?”
Not possible.
“Not possible?”
Our territory isn’t there.
“…Exactly.”
Choi Yeon nodded in acknowledgment. Even someone as well-connected as Nu-byeok couldn’t gather info in just one day.
“Alright. Let’s hang up.”
Wait, Yeon—
Click!
The voice of protest cut off, and the address book appeared on screen. There was no one who knew about Red Pang. He’d have to investigate in person… if only he had a reliable informant…
“…Huh?”
Choi Yeon muttered.
Then he remembered.
There was one.
An unsaved number, seemingly an informant.
Tap, tap, tap…
Choi Yeon dialed skillfully, having memorized the number from flyers across Jung-gu. After three rings:
Hello, this is Haedream Detective Agency.
The other side answered.
