IH Ch 75

Chapter 75

“……What the hell are you talking about?”

As if a press guideline like that would really be issued.

They were a group that made money by churning out articles solely for sensational clicks. To restrict coverage on the most tantalizing topic—Hunters’ private lives? Ahn Yuna figured there must’ve been some misunderstanding and rolled her eyes dismissively. But the Hunter who had brought it up protested.

“No, I’m serious. I didn’t believe it either, so I asked a journalist I’m close with—”

He trailed off, glancing around nervously, then raised a hand to the side of his face and lowered his voice.

“It seems to be connected to Hyeseong. They bankroll most of the media companies, right? If they say jump, you jump—or your funding’s gone.”

“……Hyeseong, you say?”

The name made Ahn Yuna’s expression turn sharply serious.

There wasn’t a soul living in Korea who didn’t know Hyeseong. In the early days of the gate outbreak, the Hyeseong chairman’s son awakened as an S-rank Hunter and helped stabilize the chaos. When the government subtly tried to register and control all Hunters, it was Hyeseong that pushed back and enabled them to remain independent. It was thanks to them that high-ranking Hunters were able to form guilds and the Hunter Association eventually came into existence.

Back then, Hyeseong had a sort of righteous image. But after a change in leadership, they devoured the media industry and became just another typical conglomerate.

Hyeseong had recently been making unusually aggressive moves toward contacting Jae-i’s guild.

At first, it seemed like they, like other corporations, simply wanted to collaborate due to the media buzz around the Guildmaster’s “Smile Incident.” But that theory was quickly debunked once Hyeseong began tearing into Pungjin with clear intent.

Big corporations generally maintained an unspoken alliance to survive in the same ecosystem, so it was better to cooperate and maintain friendly ties. But Hyeseong’s latest offensive seemed more like an attempt to utterly wipe out a sworn enemy. At first, Ahn Yuna had wondered if there was some personal grudge involved. She never once thought they were doing it for Hwang Jae-i’s sake.

Growing serious, Ahn Yuna looked the Hunter straight in the eye.

“Does Hyeseong have any children of marriageable age?”

“No, as far as I know, they had one son, but he died in an accident.”

“Are you sure there isn’t some secret daughter hidden away somewhere?”

“With their family traditions, I doubt it. They’re strictly monogamous. Break that, and you’re out as heir—no exceptions. It’s practically Joseon Dynasty-level strict.”

“Did you live in the Joseon era or something? What do you know? Don’t spout crap—just look into it—”

“……Come on, that’s literally common knowledge.”

It was the intel officer who stepped in to support the flustered Hunter.

“The Hyeseong chairman didn’t have a son until he was over fifty, and then five years ago, the son suddenly died. Hyeseong kept it quiet, but word is it was some kind of romantic elopement. The family was so opposed that the couple tried to flee in secret, and that’s when the accident happened.”

“…….”

“The car was completely burned, and only a few bone fragments were recovered. After that, the chairman reportedly developed aphasia. It was a huge mess. Since then, he’s practically lived in seclusion. You know that, right? Rumor is, things have been a bit unstable lately regarding who’ll be the next successor. But don’t tell me…”

The Hunter narrowed his eyes and looked at Ahn Yuna.

“Are they trying to adopt our Guildmaster…?”

“As if.”

Why was Hyeseong acting this way? The ridiculousness of the speculation wiped out the serious thoughts Ahn Yuna had just been forming. Her eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, as if she’d just heard the most absurd thing in the world, and the Hunter quickly shrank back, lowering his head before pointing toward the screen.

“The exploration’s complete. Guildmaster should be coming out now.”

Before he even finished his sentence, Ahn Yuna bolted outside. Running past the tents at full speed, she soon spotted the gate growing brighter at the entrance. Not long after, the Hunters who had entered came stumbling out. Clearly exhausted, they collapsed to their knees, gagging or lying flat on the ground. Normally, she’d be yelling at them to get up, reminding them that cameras were rolling—but today, her focus was elsewhere.

Everyone had emerged—so where was the most important one? Had he somehow slipped past her and left already? Just as she was about to panic, he appeared. Hwang Jae-i walked out, casually brushing his shoulder off, dressed in his gate exploration uniform. The sleek black uniform that clung to his body from head to toe, along with his special gear, fit him so well it almost shimmered. Even knowing what a pain his personality was, Ahn Yuna had to shut her eyes for a moment from the sheer radiance, then quickly reopened them and rushed to his side.

“Guildmaster, I know you probably want to bail right away, but can we talk for a moment?”

Even saying that, she was anxious that he might refuse. If he did, she’d just have to drag him by force. She was bracing herself for resistance when Jae-i blankly glanced at her, then walked right past her toward the tent.

What was this? Was he actually willing to talk? Seriously? Still doubting it, she chased after him in case he changed his mind.

Inside the tent, the Hunters stood and greeted them, thanking Jae-i for his hard work. Ahn Yuna waved them off and told them to check on the others outside instead. In the meantime, Jae-i grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and rinsed his mouth.

He seemed oddly relaxed. Normally, after a gate mission, he was even more high-strung than usual. There were so many things she had planned to ask him, but now she decided to just go for it. Approaching him, she asked directly,

“Guildmaster, have you had any private contact with Hyeseong?”

Jae-i swallowed the water and raised an eyebrow as if hearing something ridiculous. His expression alone was answer enough.

So, nothing had happened. Then why were they acting like this?

“No, it’s just… Hyeseong apparently issued a directive telling the media not to dig into Hunters’ personal lives. That’s why all the reporters outside cleared out. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”

“Maybe they just felt like it.”

“That’s what I’m saying—why all of a sudden?”

“…….”

“Now that I think about it, even their attack on Pungjin is suspicious. It feels like Hyeseong is trying to extend an olive branch. I don’t think we should ignore it. I’m planning to arrange a meeting soon. Let’s sit down with Hyeseong.”

There was no way a conglomerate like Hyeseong would move without some hidden agenda. Something was definitely up, and instead of speculating, it was better to ask them directly. But to do that, she needed Jae-i. The problem was whether he would agree. If he was uncooperative, she’d just have to trick him into showing up.

“Fine by me.”

“Okay, even if you didn’t want to, I was going to force you to—wait, what?”

Ahn Yuna turned her head in disbelief. A Hunter nearby gave her a slight nod, confirming she hadn’t misheard. Realizing she’d actually heard correctly, Ahn Yuna tilted her head in confusion.

It was a relief to get the answer she wanted, but it left an odd feeling behind. When people suddenly started acting out of character, it usually meant something bad. Surely—

“Guildmaster, are you feeling sick?”

“What?”

Seeing Jae-i respond with his usual grim face finally set her mind at ease.

Still… this was weird. Staring at him, Ahn Yuna muttered hesitantly,

“You’ve changed a bit, haven’t you?”

“…….”

Something about him was different today.

From the beginning, he wasn’t the kind of person to go along quietly just because someone said they had something to talk about. Normally, he’d brush them off with a glare and walk away. Laughing in front of the Association Director, suddenly vanishing to get involved in some seaside town’s business—none of it added up.

She didn’t know why, but honestly, it was easier to deal with him this way, so she didn’t see it as a bad thing. He was an adult now, after all. Maybe he’d just decided not to live like he used to. Better to take this change as a good sign. Yes, if a wild stallion started acting like a person, that was a win.

With that in mind, she decided to send him home. She was just about to tell him he’d done enough today and should head back when she suddenly froze.

“…….”

Jae-i was crushing the water bottle in his hand. His head slightly bowed, his eyes flicking side to side—it was the classic look of someone with something to say but hesitating. The problem was that Hwang Jae-i had never worn that expression before.

This was a red alert. Ahn Yuna couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of bombshell was about to come out of his mouth. Panicked, she waved at the people around her.

“H-Hey, could everyone step outside for a bit?”

People looked puzzled, but her expression was so serious they all stood up and left one by one. Once the last person was gone, Ahn Yuna looked at him with grave concern.

“What is it?”

“…….”

Jae-i gave her a sidelong look, as if annoyed at being interrogated, and flattened the water bottle completely as he spoke.

“……What’s your clothing size?”

“…….”

Ahn Yuna slapped her palm against her ear so hard it made a loud smack. Startled by the sudden movement, Jae-i flinched and frowned.

Her bizarre behavior didn’t stop there. She quickly retreated several steps until she was at the edge of the tent, and with a very unnatural expression, stammered,

“W-Wh-Why are y-you asking me that?”

“…….”

“W-Why do you suddenly want to know my clothing size? Surely not—no, it can’t be, but…”

Her complexion going pale, Ahn Yuna stumbled over her words.

“D-Do you… have feelings for me or something…?”

“What?”

The moment Jae-i’s expression turned violently sour without even a second of delay, Ahn Yuna let out a sigh of deep relief.

“Oh good. That’s not it.”