Trigger

"J has returned, right?"

The abrupt statement made the hunter cough unexpectedly. While J's survival was well known, his direct return was a fact known only to a select few within the Awakened Management Bureau. Moreover, the news had just recently come in…

Noticing the skeptical look, Song Jo-heon sighed softly for effect.

"A comrade who fought alongside us returned from the brink of death. How could I not rush over? I must be getting old. Haha."

"Haha…"

The hunter laughed soullessly, glancing at Song Jo-heon as he picked up the fallen paper cup.

'Where on earth did he hear this from?'

Despite the suspicious look, Song Jo-heon continued to smile leisurely. He tapped the ground with his cane once.

"Good stance… as a talent of the Management Bureau. But don't be too wary."

"Pardon?"

"I already heard all about it. Yes, from the person you know as well."

Song Jo-heon winked playfully. The wrinkles around his eyes folded pleasantly. At the same time, the subtle pressure he had been exerting since he entered slightly diminished. The hunter forced a smile, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his temple.

Awakeners who had emerged within half a year since the Day of the Rift were now categorized as early Awakeners or first-generation Awakeners. They were the ones who first discovered their abilities and fought monsters on the front lines and attacked dungeons during a time of chaos and misinformation.

Eleven years had passed since then, and most of the first-generation Awakeners were either deceased or too injured to continue activities, except for a select few.

The tiger-like man watched the hunter with a gentle smile. His low, grating voice whispered softly.

"I haven't heard the details… but I want to hear more."

Song Jo-heon was one of those rare individuals. He founded Korea's first guild, Samra, which he still managed smoothly, and despite his middle age, his rising rank made him an exemplar among hunters.

Song Jo-heon rubbed the handle of his cane with his thumb.

"That's right. Tell me everything slowly. No need to worry."

The hunter suddenly wondered why he had doubted him. Didn't Song Jo-heon give interviews about J in documentaries? If you couldn't trust someone like Song Jo-heon, who could you trust? The hunter straightened up and nodded slowly, setting aside the paper cup.

"Yes, understood. What would you like to know?"

"Hmm."

With the suspicion gone from his eyes, Song Jo-heon nodded contentedly.

"I want to hear more about J's return…"

His sharp gaze shifted to the monitor.

"Did he really say so himself? Has anyone actually seen him alive?"

"Yes, according to Team Leader Jung Bin. But even he didn't meet him directly; he heard it from Hong Ye-seong. It seems Hong Ye-seong was the one who met him…"

"Where is Jung Bin now?"

"Recovering at the Seowon Guild."

"Can I meet Hong Ye-seong privately?"

"That would be a bit diffi…"

Before the hunter could finish his sentence, Song Jo-heon rubbed his cane again. The hunter's eyes glazed over. As he swallowed and opened his mouth again,

"It's possible…"

BANG—!!

"Ah!"

A loud explosion tore through the speaker. Instinctively screaming, the hunter's focus returned. He quickly checked the monitor.

Everything was as it had been, except for one screen. It was the interrogation room where Lee Sa-young was being held.

He had kicked the metal desk to the corner of the room and was now calmly folding his legs. The center of the desk was dented. The hunter clutched his head.

"Just when I thought it was quiet for once…"

Song Jo-heon clicked his tongue.

"Lee Sa-young is at it again. You have a hard job."

The hunter, still clutching his head, stood up with a gloomy face and grabbed a gas mask.

"Sorry, Hunter Song Jo-heon. I have to go."

"Go ahead. Better stop it before it gets worse."

"Yes, yes. Thank you for understanding!"

Bowing his head quickly, the hunter dashed out of the monitor room. Left alone, Song Jo-heon pushed the chair aside with his cane and stood in front of the monitor. Gripping the handle of his cane tightly, he stared at the screen without a hint of a smile.

Lee Sa-young was back in the metal chair, crossing his legs again. Leaning slightly forward, he looked up. His purple eyes fixed directly on the CCTV, as if piercing through to Song Jo-heon in the monitor room. His lips curved smoothly. Lee Sa-young mouthed silently.

"Not as you please."

Song Jo-heon's lips twisted fiercely.

"You brat…"

They glared at each other for a long moment. Eventually, the monitor showed the hunter, who had rushed out, bursting into Lee Sa-young's interrogation room, panting. Lee Sa-young turned his gaze to the hunter as if he had never looked at the CCTV. Watching this, Song Jo-heon took out his phone. A brief dial tone ended as someone picked up.

"It's Song Jo-heon."

His face was as cold as it had ever been, devoid of any earlier smiles.

"Let's meet as soon as possible."

The man glanced over the monitors one last time before leaving the room without hesitation. The sound of his footsteps faded away.

***

The dim street was lit only by the flickering streetlights. It wasn't a bustling alley to begin with, but today it was especially quiet.

Cha Eui-jae turned up the TV volume a bit more and played an ASMR video of cutting green onions on his phone, placing it on the counter. The small sounds filled the shop, making it somewhat more bearable.

After a while, Cha Eui-jae took off his wet rubber gloves and hung them on a clip, glancing at the door out of the corner of his eye. It had been a few days since Seo Min-gi had visited, and there was still no news from those who had entered the eroded dungeon with him.

It's understandable that Jung Bin doesn't know his identity, and Hong Ye-seong is busy and wouldn't come around often, but he has something to collect from him. Cha Eui-jae glared at the ceiling.

'He said it would take a week to make it, but what a lie…'

"How long do you think it will take? A week tops. I'll send it to Kkokko once it's done."

The thing he was waiting for was a mask.

What was the point of announcing J's return if the Management Bureau had no intention of revealing it, and he couldn't start acting alone without the mask? Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth as he shook off the apron.

'And why isn't Lee Sa-young contacting me either?'

Was the Management Bureau holding him and not letting go, or had something else come up? Cha Eui-jae sighed as he untied the tightly knotted apron strings.

He was also curious about the content of the fragment Yoon Ga-eul had found, but she hadn't shown up either. Although he knew which school she attended, it was a girls' high school, so visiting was out of the question.

At that moment,

Cha Eui-jae suddenly looked up. He sensed a familiar presence at the door. Without further thought, Cha Eui-jae ran from the kitchen through the hall to the door and pushed it open without hesitation.

"Hey, you…!"

But the alley remained as empty as ever. Cha Eui-jae looked around, then down. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it before— there was a large black lump by the door, reminiscent of the box Kkokko had been in last time.

It was Lee Sa-young.

Wearing a gas mask and a black coat, Lee Sa-young was crouched by the door, looking rather pitiful. Cha Eui-jae was at a loss for words, looking up at the sky, then back at Lee Sa-young, who remained motionless.

Carefully stepping out of the shop, the chilly night air brushed against his cheeks and hair. Cha Eui-jae stared at Lee Sa-young's curly hair and head, then crouched down beside him.

"…"

"…"

Somewhere, a grasshopper chirped. It was still chilly, yet there were already grasshoppers. Cha Eui-jae rolled his eyes and glanced sideways at Lee Sa-young. He remained silent. The night sky, instead of the moon and stars, swirled with black holes, and a plump ant crawled between the cracks of the sidewalk blocks.

When would they take it down? A slightly worn "Congratulations on Awakening" banner flapped gently in the breeze. Cha Eui-jae, taking in the familiar and ordinary surroundings, muttered.

"Why are you just sitting here?"

"Just."

The response came surprisingly quickly, given the preceding silence. Just, my foot. Cha Eui-jae stood up with a grunt. He stood before Lee Sa-young and tapped his black boots with the toe of his sneaker. Lee Sa-young slowly raised his head.

Cha Eui-jae, one hand still in his apron pocket, extended his other hand.

"Get up. Your knee joints will give out."

"…"

The gas mask lenses stared at the hand. Thin scars on the firm palm shimmered with a faint golden chain. Cha Eui-jae shook his hand once.

"Grab it quickly. I need to close up the shop."

Despite this, Lee Sa-young remained seated, even plopping down on the ground. Not going to stand up? As Cha Eui-jae was about to retract his hand, a cold leather glove grasped it firmly. Before Cha Eui-jae could brace himself, the black hand yanked him forward.

Cha Eui-jae lost his balance and tumbled forward, his eyes widening. The iron door was rapidly approaching.

'Is this guy repaying kindness with hostility?'

Before the indignation reached his head, and before he could brace himself with the hand he had put in his pocket, something tightly grabbed his waist and pulled him back. In the next moment,

"…"

Cha Eui-jae found himself firmly embraced in a now-familiar, solid chest.