365 – HGL 365

365

Hong Ye-seong, who had been staying in the world created by Doomsday, miraculously returned to his original world. When asked about the details, he couldn’t remember either.

‘Did the Hong Ye-seong from the first world help?’

That was all he could guess.

After the System disappeared, Cluck, which had been operating using Mana Stones as its power source, could no longer move. Cluck was now just a round, smooth ceramic chicken. The same was true for the numerous pieces of equipment Hong Ye-seong had created. He set up a workshop at the foot of Mount Bukhan and lived alone. Even though he could now enjoy the secular world to his heart’s content, he deliberately settled in the mountains. When asked why, he only said one thing.

‘It’s just… I find it more comfortable.’

He occasionally made bowls or cups and sent them to Eui-jae, always in pairs. The Artisan’s skills hadn’t gone anywhere; each piece was beautiful and sturdy. These days, with Ga-eul’s help, he was selling them online little by little, and they were said to sell out in a minute every time they were listed.

Just then, a rumbling, thunderous motorcycle engine sound echoed outside the store. Eui-jae looked at the door with a resigned expression. Honeybee, who roughly took off her helmet, stomped over and held out a shopping bag.

“Here, pine needles!”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Eui-jae carefully took the shopping bag. It was strangely light. A bad feeling came over him, and he opened the shopping bag to look inside…

“…Huh?”

There was nothing left except for a few pine needles stuck in the folded part of the bottom. Eui-jae looked back and forth between the empty shopping bag and Honeybee.

“…Uh-huh?”

“What? You said you needed pine needles.”

Honeybee primly brushed her brown hair behind her ear. She had now dyed her hair a light brown instead of gold. This was because there was no strong hair dye in stock that could dye the hair of an A-class Awakened. She was still working as a model and training in fencing, in order to return as a fencer someday when all her abilities disappeared and she returned to being a civilian.

Eui-jae rummaged through the shopping bag and took out a few pine needles.

“Is this all there is?”

“What? I came with the shopping bag full!”

“Didn’t you blow them all away on the motorcycle?”

Bae Won-woo chuckled, holding a toothpick. Honeybee was about to snap back, but she stopped, unable to continue. She looked at the motorcycle once, then at the shopping bag Eui-jae was holding, before turning her head away sulkily.

“…Well, I’m sorry.”

Eui-jae chuckled and put the shopping bag down by the door.

“It’s okay. Pine needles aren’t essential. Come on in. Let’s make Rice Cakes together.”

“Ah, we came at just the right time.”

A beat-up compact car sputtered and stopped behind Honeybee’s motorcycle. Jung-bin and Gyu-Gyu, who had been crammed into the compact car, got out with groans. Gyu-Gyu put one hand in his pants pocket and waved the other.

“Ah~ J. Long time no see~”

“It’s been a while. Is your mother doing better?”

“Yeah~ Thanks to you. There are almost no Mutation aftereffects left.”

As Doomsday disappeared, people whose bodies had been partially mutated by its influence slowly returned to their original forms. It was as slow as the disappearance of an Awakened’s ability, but they could recover relatively quickly by taking the Mutation Cure developed by Nam Woo-jin.

Eui-jae’s Mutation was also slowly disappearing. Someday, his gray hair would turn black again. Or maybe it would stay this color forever. Well, either way was fine.

Just then, something poked Gyu-Gyu in the back. Gyu-Gyu turned around, saying, “Huh?” A boy about waist-high stood there, his green eyes shining. It was Nam Woo-jin’s secretary, Marionette Boy. When Gyu-Gyu stepped aside, the boy eagerly held out something heavy wrapped in a yellow cloth.

“Greetings, J. Master sent this. Master could not visit in person as they are personally producing Mutation Cures. This is a Chuseok gift.”

“Wow, doctors who make a lot of money are different after all.”

“Looks expensive?”

The Hunters surrounding them began to clap their hands in unison. Open it, clap. Open it, clap. Sa-young, who was still wrapped around Eui-jae’s neck like a snake and clinging to his back, also gestured for him to open it quickly.

Damn it. Under the burdensome gazes, Eui-jae carefully untied the wrapping cloth. The object inside was…

“…Huh?”

“A 50-volume set of children’s books for Ha-eun, and hearing aids for your grandmother. The results of this year’s health checkup showed that her hearing has deteriorated since last year, so we prepared them. They are set to match the levels, so you can wear them right away.”

Crazy, Nam Woo-jin is the best.

So cool. So thoughtful.

The best of the super hamsters who only ever fight.

Eui-jae stared blankly at the gifts in the wrapping cloth and then at the boy, before jumping up and hugging the boy tightly. The boy stared blankly at Lee Sa-young, who was glaring fiercely behind Eui-jae’s back.

“How should I interpret this reaction?”

“Thank you. Please convey this hug to Nam Woo-jin as is. Ah, and when the Rice Cakes and pancakes are done, I’ll bring them to the Seowon Guild. Thank you.”

“Understood.”

Marionette Boy bowed politely and left the store. As Eui-jae headed to the kitchen to make Rice Cake dough with Sa-young clinging to his back, Bae Won-woo glanced at Marionette.

“Isn’t he moving with Mana Stones too?”

Ga-eul, who had already started frying meatballs next to him, replied.

“I heard from The Artisan that he’s moving with the ability of an Italian Awakened. They called them a puppeteer, I think?”

“Then if that Awakened’s ability disappears…”

“Hmm, he’ll probably stop… That’s a story for the distant future, though.”

“…How lonely.”

“Hong Ye-seong too…”

Ga-eul glanced worriedly at Hong Ye-seong, who was leaning against the wall.

“He’s seemed a bit depressed since Cluck stopped.”

“Parting comes silently.”

Jung-bin smiled gently. He had already taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. He neatly flipped the zucchini pancakes with chopsticks.

“How many perfectly prepared farewells are there? There’s always regret left behind. But you mustn’t be consumed by regret.”

Jung-bin moved the golden-brown zucchini pancakes onto the oil-absorbing paper.

“You can pause for a moment, but you have to keep moving forward. Sadness, regret, failure, they all become the foundation for the future.”

“As expected of the public service announcement man. Good words~”

“Haha, don’t tease me, Gyu-Gyu.”

In the friendly atmosphere, Eui-jae came out with the Rice Cake dough and sesame filling.

“Now, let’s all make Rice Cakes together.”

“Yay~”

Eui-jae divided the dough and filling into groups, and naturally sat down with Sa-young. Sa-young looked at him with a leisurely smile. Eui-jae skillfully made Rice Cakes and said, “You make some too. I’ll steam yours separately.”

“Will Hyung eat them for me?”

“Of course. Who else would eat them but me?”

“Well… Okay, then.”

Sa-young nodded obediently.

“I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He took a little dough as Eui-jae taught him, spread it out in a circle, and pressed the center to make a hollow space. Then he took a little sesame filling, put it inside, and shaped it well. It was a little bumpy, but a decent-looking Rice Cake was completed.

“Good job.”

“…Hmph.”

Sa-young didn’t seem satisfied with the compliment. He started making new Rice Cakes with more concentration.

Eui-jae carefully observed Sa-young’s face. He grumbled, but when asked to do something, he worked hard. He wanted to give Sa-young many things. Things he had never experienced. A warm holiday with people, the experience of making food himself.

As they were making Rice Cakes, a small movement was felt at his feet. What was that? Eui-jae blinked. When he glanced down, Sa-young was gently touching his ankle with his foot.

“Hey.”

“Don’t focus too much on the Rice Cakes.”

“Then what? What should I focus on, me?”

“You should focus on me, of course.”

His flamboyant and delicate face smirked as if to say, “Look at me.”

“You should be watching me make Rice Cakes.”

“Haa…”

Somehow, Lee Sa-young was becoming more and more childish. Sulking, acting selfishly, and yet still lovable. Eui-jae rested his chin on his hand and nodded. Only then did Sa-young make Rice Cakes with a satisfied expression. He had made a few, and his movements were quite familiar. He pressed the dough firmly to shape it for a long time, then smiled like a contented cat and held it out.

“Here, take it.”

“…What? What is this?”

“My heart.”

Sa-young got up from his chair as if he had finished his work.

“The smell of oil is making me nauseous. Call me when all these humans are gone.”

He left the store without hesitation. Eui-jae stared blankly at what Sa-young had given him. What Sa-young had spent a long time pressing and shaping with his hands was a heart-shaped Rice Cake. Perfect, without a single dent.

“……”

Eui-jae rubbed his strangely reddening ears. Damn it, damn it. Over something like this. Eui-jae held that Rice Cake in his hand for a long time. He couldn’t even put strength into it, afraid of crushing it, but just held it preciously in his hand. Until everyone else had finished all the Rice Cakes.

Because so many people gathered to make them, it took longer than expected. Already, the scenery beyond the window was sunset, and a dim darkness was settling in. It seemed too late to ask them to wait until all the Rice Cakes were steamed. In the end, Eui-jae sent the people away.

“Come and pick them up tomorrow. I’ll bring them to those who can’t come.”

The people sighed regretfully as they left the store. One by one, the people left. Saying goodbye, waving their hands, promising to meet again. Eui-jae saw them off until the store was empty.

“……”

He wasn’t lonely. Partly because he was sure they could meet again, and, “Hey, come in. Everyone’s gone.”

“……”

Because Lee Sa-young was always there to protect him, as if he had been waiting for this moment, he had no time to feel lonely. Sa-young yawned widely and approached Eui-jae, leaning his head on his shoulder. It was a very familiar gesture.

“That took way too long… Don’t call so many people next time.”

“Why? Wasn’t it fun, though?”

“……”

“…Wasn’t it?”

“…Well, I’ll just say it wasn’t unpleasant.”

A surly voice flowed from his plump lips. Eui-jae laughed out loud and hugged Sa-young, who was clinging to him. The warm warmth felt good. Sa-young’s body temperature, which had always been cold or lukewarm, was rising closer to the average temperature as the days went by. This must also be evidence that his abilities were disappearing.

Someday, we will both lose all our abilities.

“Sa-young.”

“Uhh…”

Strangely, Eui-jae wasn’t afraid of that day. Perhaps Eui-jae had been hoping for this kind of life. Living a small but noisy life with people he knew.

“Let’s go home.”

And next to him, a life with his only success.

Eui-jae took Sa-young’s hand and turned off the lights in the Hanover Soup Restaurant. Then he came out the door, closed the sliding door, and locked it. When he turned the sign on the door to “close,” today’s business was over.

Sa-young naturally intertwined their fingers. The two walked towards the night streets where the streetlights flickered.

The Hunter wanted to live quietly.

And after a long wandering, he finally achieved that wish.

『The Hunter Wants to Live Quietly』 End

Synopsis

Hunter ‘Cha Eui-jae,’ who had been deployed to contain the Rift that occurred in the West Sea, was ejected outwards as he closed the Rift, and regained consciousness in a garbage dump.

Feeling extreme hunger, he was drawn like a zombie into a certain Hanover Soup Restaurant, where he realized that he had fallen into South Korea eight years into the future.

An era where disaster texts notify you in advance when and where a Gate will open, Slime ASMR videos collected from Dungeons are popular, and idle Hunters do delivery unboxing broadcasts with A-grade longswords.

Unlike the past, when he trembled in fear that Doomsday might come, Eui-jae feels empty in the peaceful future.

Now that it’s come to this, should I open the second act of my life as a Hanover Soup Restaurant part-timer instead of a Hunter?!

“That’s strange.”

“……”

“Have we ever met before?Eui-jae’s plan to quietly spend the rest of his life as the sole part-time worker at a Hanover Soup Restaurant that’s been around for decades gets completely tangled when he encounters an unidentified ‘Gas mask’…