Chapter 4: World's Weakest Hunter and The Angel

(TW: Small implication of non-consensual touching)

By the time Apollo's 21, his life has done such a 180 that those lonely times have long disappeared. His father, Go Gun-Hee, has shown him a world of kindness he sometimes felt as though he didn't deserve. His self-doubt has never fully disappeared either, as it sometimes makes the smallest reappearance. Luckily for him, his father or his best friend is there to squash it with a fiery vengeance.

When Apollo was 17, he became a model by accident. He had gotten all fashionable for a charity event his father was hosting for Heart's Orphanage, when a strawberry-haired, green-eyed woman ran into him. She was completely freaking out, mumbling broken sentences of how her model had gone and disappeared on her. As Apollo helped her up, she stared at him dumbstruck before begging him for help.

Apollo and his selfless nature couldn't help but say yes and before he knew it, he was standing in front of JC Entertainment. The woman, whose name was Maya, a foreigner from Spain, dragged him into the building and straight into the elevator. The two arrived on the 7th floor and Apollo was taken by the stylists and make-up artists.

The healer believed he would appear in a small-time magazine..and not a high-end fashion magazine. Unfortunately, Apollo became easily recognizable by plenty of men and women, which made life difficult in the sense that his privacy was becoming a luxury. The worst times were where people would touch him in places he wasn't comfortable with, especially in that area. He was a child for fucks sake and yet, that didn't stop eager 'fans' from getting a piece of him.

His father was not pleased at all, especially as he was late to the charity event. In order to combat the sudden popularity he was facing, his father decided to finally introduce him to the world. At first, Apollo had been known as his father's apprentice, rather than his son for the sake of his safety and privacy. Now, the world would really know who he was and hopefully, people would think twice before invading his privacy.

This entire event led to another unfortunate moment for Apollo at the age of 20, where he was forced to 'awaken' as a hunter. The beautiful male's popularity had continued to skyrocket even further, bringing him closer to that of an idol, rather than a regular person. He'd been stalked on more than one occasion and Apollo became paranoid whenever he used his abilities, fearing that someone would see him and call him an abnormality, especially as everyone knew he wasn't a hunter.

Apollo had spoken out about his fears to his father, who believed they should fake his awakening so that it would give him an excuse to use his powers. The male was to awaken as a B rank hunter, as his abilities were strong enough to be at an S rank but needed to be weakened in a sense. No one can find out the truth however, as he'd be labeled a freak of nature. There was no obligation for Apollo to enter the gates in the first place anyways...or that was what he thought.

His best friend, Sung Jin-Woo, had also awakened at the age of 20 as a hunter, at the E rank. This led to some unfortunate encounters, such as his best friend constantly being made fun. Sung Jin-Woo didn't mind at all, as he needed the funds to help his mother who had fallen into Eternal Sleep.

Apollo offered his best friend money to help support his mother, but Sung Jin-Woo wouldn't take his charity. Despite his friend's inherent timidness, he could be extremely stubborn at times. With countless rejections, Apollo eventually decided that even if he didn't want to be seen as a hunter, he could at the very least help his friend.

From then on, the World's Weakest Hunter and The Angel began entering whatever dungeons they could whenever they had the time. Not every hunt was profitable or enjoyable, as his friend was constantly belittled and treated awfully. Apollo played as a Healer, while Sung Jin-Woo was a more-than average human. Apollo often had to disguise himself, out of fear that fans would willingly follow him into dungeons no matter their rank. He wasn't comfortable with the notion at all, especially if it could jeopardize the raid. Yes, Apollo could probably save everyone if that happened, but it would reveal him as being more than just a Healer class, something that has never happened in the history of hunters.

Sometimes, Apollo wouldn't join his friend on raids as there was another support player who often joined in, who is known as Lee Ju-Hee. She is also a healer and often is found healing his injury-prone friend. The girl is someone his friend currently has a crush on..or at least that's what he has been led to believe. The guy blushes whenever she helps him out or is at the very least, just kind to him.

Life has been good for the 21 year old, who was finally able to go to college without much worry. Due to his rising popularity, he'd taken to online schooling for an undisturbed school life. Unfortunately, his father, nor the college, could really prevent fans from coming on campus as it is an open campus. However, Apollo finds it better than nothing, as he can live the college campus dream for at least a few years.

His friend isn't as lucky, as he puts all his money towards supporting both his sister and mother, therefore he cannot attend college. Sometimes, Apollo wishes his friend wasn't so stubborn, but he doesn't want to offend Sung Jin-Woo. He's been by his side for 8 years and it's a friendship he never wants to lose.

Apollo remembers a time where he tried to heal his friend's mother, believing that his abilities would be able to do the trick. However, it was futile. Nothing worked, no matter how much energy he put into Park Kyung-Hee, it felt as though it was being sucked into a never-ending vortex.

Unknown to Apollo, his powers would never work on the Eternal sleep, as the reasoning behind the illness in the first place comes from some people being weak to the magic power emitted by Earth. Apollo's own powers are also considered to be the same magic emitted by the Earth, so it won't ever heal those poor patients.

Life would continue to be a breeze for Apollo and a struggle for Sung Jin-Woo, until one fateful day. Apollo was unavailable to raid with his friend and that one dungeon would change both of their lives forever.