Chapter 33
The second round of the selection was creeping closer—neither too fast nor too slow. I lay on my bed, staring blankly at the calendar on the wall, as if it had become a habit. Before the selection, there was my middle school graduation and the high school entrance ceremony. Both were tedious events, but my parents seemed determined for me to attend the graduation. Since there was no real reason to refuse, I dug out my school uniform for the first time in ages and asked the housekeeper to iron it.
Yu Hyunjae had gone to school today, too. He was probably spending the whole day training. I knew all too well how terrifying his abilities were—even though I’d never seen them in my previous life. His power could cripple an entire guild with status abnormalities, so its scale had to be enormous. I found myself curious—how would he wield his sword, as if it were an extension of his own body, effortlessly cutting down his opponents? And when I imagined it, the scene played vividly in my mind, as if I’d witnessed it before.
“Chanhee.”
A soft voice came from outside the door. It was my mother.
“You can come in.”
She slowly opened the door and entered, her face slightly animated. I recognized that expression. It was the same one she’d worn in my previous life, when she visited me alone in the hospital after Yu Hyunjae disappeared. She probably had something similar to say.
“Suhyun is coming back soon.”
“Ah.”
“You’ve been close to Suhyun since you were little.”
“Well…”
“I heard you still keep in touch sometimes? From Hyerin.”
“Yeah, occasionally.”
“Why don’t you go greet him in person when he arrives? He’d like that.”
I almost scoffed at the idea of Cha Suhyun liking it, but I just nodded slowly.
“When is it?”
“The day right after graduation.”
“Okay, I’ll clear my schedule.”
My mother lingered even after she finished speaking.
“Chanhee.”
I sat up in bed and leaned against the wall. The pain in my back had mostly faded, though it still stung a little.
“Is it because of your brother?”
“What?”
Her expression was complicated.
“After what happened to your brother… your father was worried, too.”
“Father was worried?”
“Yes, as you know, your father—”
“Was a Hunter.”
“…”
“If he changed careers because of my brother—”
“…”
“It’s regrettable. But it wasn’t because of my brother.”
“Chanhee.”
“I’m not my brother.”
The label of “Yu Dohyun’s little brother” had haunted me relentlessly. Had the original Yu Chanhee, before I took over, spent his entire life just chasing after his brother’s shadow? If the real Yu Chanhee had only ever wanted to follow in Dohyun’s footsteps, did that mean I, as Yu Chanhee now, had to do the same? Why did everything about Yu Chanhee always circle back to Yu Dohyun? Why?
***
Cha Suhyun finally appeared at the arrival gate, thirty minutes past his scheduled time. His face looked unfamiliar—perhaps because he wasn’t scowling or picking fights like he used to. His unbleached hair was neatly combed down, and he held his phone, scanning the area. Cha Hyerin, standing beside me, waved as if she had been waiting for this moment. Suhyun spotted us and dragged his heavy suitcase over.
“Our nephew!”
After lightly hugging Cha Hyerin, Suhyun turned to me. Since this was the first time I had actually met him in this life, I wasn’t sure how to act. Fortunately, my awkward hesitation didn’t seem to bother him much.
“Has it really been almost ten years since you and Suhyun last saw each other?”
“Seems so.”
“How did you two keep in touch all this time?”
I awkwardly smiled and avoided Cha Hyerin’s gaze. If she found out her nephew was colluding with an anti-government group, she wouldn’t be smiling so peacefully. Suhyun smoothly changed the subject and chatted with Cha Hyerin about what had been going on. Just as we reached the parking lot and were about to get into the car, Suhyun leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“Relax your face, you idiot.”
He casually swore at me and then got into the car. I opened the back door, slightly taken aback.
“Come to think of it, Chanhee, the second selection is next month, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You should get Suhyun’s help.”
“What?”
“Well, Suhyun here is from the Pentagon, you know.”
“Who’s listening would get the wrong idea.”
I raised an eyebrow. I had never heard anything about Suhyun’s life in America. Then again, in my previous life, I had only ever seen him after he returned to Korea or as a child.
In my first life, Suhyun used to silently visit the house where I lived before leaving for America. He would spend a long time in Yu Dohyun’s unfinished room before leaving. The first few times, it was curiosity; the next few, suspicion; and after that, absolute certainty. This was all backstory never revealed in the novel, so Suhyun himself wouldn’t even know that I was aware of it. In my first life, ignorant of everything, I had casually mentioned this to provoke him. But now, things were different. Suhyun and I were no longer adversaries; in fact, we were collaborating for something.
I watched him for a moment before impulsively replying.
“If he teaches me, I’d appreciate it.”
“Oh my.”
Cha Hyerin playfully tapped the steering wheel, as if things were going well. Suhyun’s face twisted slightly.
“There’s a lot to learn from Hyung.”
“Learn what?”
“You know. I’m interested in studying abroad, too.”
“Chanhee, you were interested in studying abroad?”
“Yeah. Since I started as a Hunter late, there’s a lot I want to learn.”
“Suhyun, you have to help Chanhee.”
Suhyun reluctantly nodded, like a five-year-old forced to listen to his parents.
“By the way, Suhyun, have you decided which guild you’re joining?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why not just join Haedam in Korea?”
Haedam was an official guild operated by the Combat Division. It was a guild in name only—Rankers there were practically civil servants. The entry requirements were low, and it was stable, which was why it was usually filled with low-ranking Rankers just making up the numbers. Those who wanted to make a lot of money or gain fame as Rankers didn’t even glance its way.
“I don’t really have political ambitions.”
“Wow, our nephew has gotten pretty bold.”
The only reason Haedam maintained its high ranking was that it was mandatory to join if you wanted to rise to a certain position in the Combat Division or had political aspirations. In other words, it had no appeal unless you were politically motivated. In reality, Haedam usually ranked between 4th and 5th, and at its worst, barely in the top 10.
“Well, kids these days don’t really like joining Haedam.”
“Did you know that and still suggest it?”
“It’s not bad to prepare ahead of time. For joining the Combat Division.”
All Rankers, in the event of war, must prioritize national defense over personal gain under the command of the Combat Division. In other words, even if you belonged to a private guild, once you were a Ranker, national defense became your top priority. In a society where this rule was absolute, the Combat Division didn’t necessarily need to keep outstanding Rankers under its direct control. This arrogant mindset was why the Hansung Guild had been able to grow so large. As Han Jaemin put it, not everyone prioritizes national defense. That was the loophole they exploited.
“I’m joking. I’m going to Hansung.”
“Hansung?”
Cha Hyerin looked surprised.
“Is that so unexpected? It’s the biggest guild in Korea.”
“I thought you were more interested in the military side.”
“I’m not particularly.”
There was only one reason to go to Hansung: to communicate smoothly with Han Jaemin. The Hansung Guild had been founded by Han Jaemin’s parents, and he was currently the guild master. Crush operated in the shadows of Hansung, and Hansung existed to facilitate Crush’s movements. In other words, the two groups were like Han Jaemin’s arms, one in the light and one in the dark.
“Hansung’s reputation isn’t great these days.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rumors say Chairman Yu is cutting off funding.”
“That doesn’t make sense. The Yu family founded Hansung.”
“But ultimately, it’s Chairman Yu’s company.”
I smiled cynically. That Chairman Yu was nothing more than a figurehead, and the real power lay with Han Jaemin—did she know that? Probably not, which was why she said such things. She wouldn’t know, and she wouldn’t find out. I wondered how strong Yu Hyunjae would have to become for the director of the Combat Division to miss this fact and for him to destroy Hansung.
“Well, I’ll join and see for myself if it’s true.”
Cha Hyerin and I laughed at Suhyun’s bold remark. Our laughs had different meanings, but I matched mine to hers for the sake of appearances.
***
“So, you said something about tearing Hansung apart?”
Han Jaemin laughed as if it were amusing. Suhyun silently cut his steak, looking slightly sulky.
“How much are you planning to tear it apart?”
“Cut the jokes.”
Suhyun stabbed a piece of meat with his fork and put it in his mouth. I watched him for a moment before slowly looking around the place again. It looked like a perfect restaurant, but the inside was eerily quiet. It was probably a place made specifically for meetings like this, or it would become one.
“Chanhee, I heard you got hurt. You look better than I expected.”
“I’m in agony.”
“You were so confident, and look at you now—completely crushed.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Hey, Suhyun. You know what? This guy and Yu Hyunjae fought in the Combat Division basement.”
“What?”
Suhyun slammed his fork down. I met his gaze with a what-are-you-gonna-do-about-it look.
“Why are you acting so recklessly?”
“I lost my memory.”
“What bullshit.”
“Maybe it’s the drugs.”
At that, Suhyun shut his mouth. I recalled the texts where he had called me a drug addict. Han Jaemin pointed his knife at me with an ah sound.
“Drug day!”
“Put the knife down first.”
“Where else are you gonna find someone who feeds you drugs on time like me? Not even your mom would do that.”
Han Jaemin gestured with his chin to the “uncle” standing behind him. A packet of medicine was placed in front of me. I tore it open normally, but I hesitated at Han Jaemin’s next words.
“So, are you studying hard after taking your meds?”
“You’re such an old man.”
“If you don’t study, there’s no point in taking the meds.”
“I am.”
I tore the packet and poured the pills into my mouth. The bitter taste lingered on my tongue as I washed it down with warm water. Just like last time, my body reacted strangely to the drug. My vision blurred, and when I blinked hard, my focus wouldn’t return. I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, but everything remained unfocused.
“You didn’t study properly, did you?”
“…I’m just tired.”
“You know there isn’t much time left.”
I searched my memory for the last time I had looked at The Basics of Necromancy. In this world, you had to study the basics to acquire skills, but the damn system’s one advantage was that it objectively proved your skill acquisition with numbers. I had only looked at the book once after the first time, so my progress was a measly 20%. It was no wonder the drug wasn’t working. I barely suppressed the nausea rising in my throat and abruptly stood up.
“Bathroom.”
“Don’t puke.”
As I rushed toward the door, a few men grabbed my shoulders.
“Let go.”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Let go of me.”
“Just hold on until the drug absorbs~”
My legs gave out, and I ended up leaning on the men. I forced myself to stay conscious. Han Jaemin turned to me with an indifferent expression.
“That drug is hard to get.”
I ended up sitting back down, suppressing my nausea. I felt like a perfect tool.
