Chapter 11: Did You See That Employee's Blank Face Earlier?

"Kik-kik, did you see that employee spacing out earlier?"

"Do you find that so funny?"

"Yeah. It was fucking hilarious. Since I said I came to return a license, he probably thought I was E-Class or F-Class. You saw how dumbfounded he looked when he saw 'S-Class', right?"

I kept giggling, recalling the situation earlier at the Association's civil service counter when I went to return my Hunter License.

Usually, those who return their Hunter Licenses are Hunters of C-Class or lower.

It is a step taken when they realize the harsh reality of the Hunter industry, feel they cannot endure the hardships required to climb higher, and truly decide to give up the path of a Hunter.

Of course, the number of Awakened is always insufficient.

And among those who return their licenses, quite a few eventually take the test again to reclaim them later.

"But I didn't expect it to go all the way to a meeting with the Association Chairman."

"Of course. Ahem. You should show some reverence now that you know your friend's status."

"Yep, but you're not an S-Class Hunter anymore, just a civilian, riiiight?"

"Oh, you!"

After getting slightly angry at Jin-wook for hitting me with facts, I recalled what happened at the Association earlier.

And the Resident Registration Card (ID) that was now visible in my wallet, in the spot where the Hunter License used to be.

"Haa."

I'm really just a civilian now.

Waiting for the bus to school, I briefly immersed myself in the memory.

'It's been a long time, Hunter Hwang Eun-ha.'

'Well, I suppose so. I saw you around the winter break ceremony at that school last year, and now I'm seeing you this year, so it's been about 10 months.'

Even though I hadn't seen the Association Chairman in a long time, he still remembered me. He started the conversation by bringing up topics about me so naturally that it didn't feel like he had been briefed beforehand.

'The person beside you is...'

'He's my friend. His name is Jin-wook. The friend who stayed by my side when I was having the hardest time.'

'I see. Nice to meet you. I am Park Jung-tak, the Association Chairman.'

'Ah, hello. I am Jung Jin-wook.'

'Anyway, have you been well? I feel sorry that I always sent Manager Yu instead of taking care of things personally, even though there might have been matters requiring direct attention.'

I just laughed at those words.

How much emotional suffering did Ha-young go through because of me?

Being in charge of an S-Class Hunter who refused to move despite requests couldn't have been an easy job.

'I was just playing around, but Ha-young-ssi suffered a lot.'

'No. The care of S-Class Hunters is naturally the Association's duty. I feel a sense of responsibility for not fulfilling that.'

'Well, you don't have to take responsibility anymore. I'm quitting anyway.'

I handed my S-Class Hunter License to the Chairman.

The very license that had left the receptionist downstairs dumbfounded.

Seeing that license, the Chairman looked troubled for a moment.

'Are you really quitting?'

'I think I've done enough.'

'Could you please reconsider just a little? South Korea still needs your power, Hunter-nim.'

I knew that fact in my head.

Korea still lacked S-Class Hunters compared to its national power, often filling the gap with a quantity of A-Class Hunters.

The only saving grace was that a genuine S-Class Dungeon had only appeared once so far.

'I know. I know it well. That Korea needs even one more strong Hunter.'

'Then...'

'But maybe I'm just tired now. You know as well, Chairman-nim, that I registered as a Hunter when I was 17.'

17 years old.

Of course, in Hwang Eun-ha's body, that age was slightly younger than my original age.

But even so, it was too young an age to live on a blood-splattered battlefield.

'And unofficially, I started smashing Gates when I was 16.'

I opened my hand and showed my palm to the Chairman.

A scar ran all the way from the center of my palm down to below my wrist—a scar others wouldn't notice unless I showed it on purpose.

'This scar is from when I was 18. You know, when I broke that S-Class Demon Castle.'

As I spoke to the Chairman, I felt the memories of living as a Hunter flash before my eyes like a lantern slide.

Maybe because this was my final moment as Hunter Hwang Eun-ha.

Sending the license away like this felt a little bittersweet, but I didn't bend my resolve and appealed strongly to the Chairman.

'It might be time I could endure only because Jin-wook was there.'

When I fell silent after saying that, a slight stillness hung in the Chairman's office.

It was a silence that would break as soon as he organized how to respond, but...

'Thanks to this guy who has been there since I was 16, back when I was almost sexually assaulted by boys in my class. The only other person who saw me as a human being, not a Hunter.'

'...'

'But I don't think I can hold on anymore. You understand, right?'

'Your will is firm.'

Hearing that, the Chairman no longer urged me to reconsider returning the license. He showed an expression of acceptance.

Honestly, twenty is the perfect age to be active in the Hunter industry.

Young enough to overflow with stamina, recover quickly from injuries, and have a sharp mind for brilliant strategies during raids.

'And honestly, I'm just twenty now. It feels a bit wasteful to spend my youth on a battlefield. Other college students my age meet friends and hang out, date, or mess up exams because they didn't study properly. I haven't had any of those experiences.'

Silence again.

Feeling like I made the mood too heavy, I hurriedly babbled whatever came to mind.

The elderly Chairman smiled slightly and reached out his hand to me with eyes that looked like he was looking at a daughter.

'We were entrusting such a heavy burden to these small hands.'

'...Well.'

'It seems I can no longer hold onto you, Hunter-nim.'

In the Chairman's hand that released mine, my Hunter License was held—clean as if it had just been printed, though the ink was dry.

He stood up from his seat and bowed to me, someone decades younger than him.

"On behalf of the Association, I would like to express my gratitude to the Hunter-nim who has worked hard all this time."

Receiving a bow from a grandfather much older than me, I panicked and tried to stop him.

'You have worked hard. I pray that you find your own life, free from the shackles of a Hunter, and that your future is full of blessings...'

"Hey! Hwang Eun-ha! What are you doing! Aren't you getting on the bus? I'm going alone!"

"Ah, no, I'm getting on!"

...It seems there were some lingering effects.

Now that the status of S-Class Hunter, which I had exercised naturally, had left me.

I had truly become a civilian.

Well, since I still possessed powerful abilities, I would probably still keep in touch with the Association occasionally, but...

"By the way, is that bracelet even useful to you?"

"This?"

I lifted my wrist and looked at the silver bracelet I received as a retirement gift.

They said it was a device to help control mana so I wouldn't have inconveniences in daily life.

The problem was, my ability wasn't a manifestation of mana, but pure superpower (telekinesis).

"Probably not really needed."

"Then you don't have to wear it, do you?"

"That's true, but it's pretty. And it's not like I can't turn off the mana control function."

The inside of the bus was quiet.

I sat side-by-side with Jin-wook in a two-seater.

With the vroom of the engine sounding in my ears, Jin-wook took out his phone and looked at something.

Sitting by the window, I just watched the scenery passing by outside.

Not crushed by the weight of a Hunter.

The sunny street outside, viewed after casting off all shackles, seemed to fill something in my heart just by looking at it.

"Hey, Hwang Eun-ha. We're here."

"Uh, hmm?"

"What. Did you doze off?"

"Uh, seems like it?"

I stretched my body with a groan.

Following Jin-wook, I got up and got off the bus.

I hadn't come out much before because I didn't want to get involved with people as a Hunter, but now that I'm not a Hunter, what does any of that matter!

"Aah, slept well though."

"How far is the distance that you managed to sleep?"

"Mm, still takes about 30 minutes, right? Well, anyway, shall we go then?"

I felt Jin-wook's gaze from behind, looking at me like I was a crazy bitch.

But so what?

I feel this good right now!

"Hey, hey, watch out in front!"

"Huh? Woah!"

It was then.

Walking forward absentmindedly because I felt so good, I inadvertently bumped into a person in front of me.

Worried that the person might have gotten hurt rather than me, I looked forward in shock, but fortunately, it seemed I didn't need to worry.

"Ow, that hurts like hell... Huh? I'm the one hurting?"

Since it was an A-Class Hunter, he probably wouldn't get hurt even if I bumped into him.

"Uh, hey, Kang Tae-woo. Sorry..."

"As expected, the only person who can make me hurt is you. I'm not injured, so don't worry."

I heard Jin-wook sigh in relief from behind.

He seemed to consider pulling my cheek again as punishment but stopped after seeing many people passing by.

Instead, he scolded me quietly, "Be a bit more careful."

"Hello to you too, Senior." (Note: Tae-woo greeting Jin-wook)

"Uh, yeah. Hello."

The awkward greeting between the two followed.

Honestly speaking, both are decent guys, so now that I'm not a Hunter, I wondered if they could get along.

Well, they aren't kids; they'll figure it out.

"Anyway, if you skip class again, you're really getting scolded at home."

"Ah, I said I won't skip!"

"As if it's only been once or twice that you said that and ran away. Seriously, sometimes I don't know what to tell your parents."

"Sheesh, bad bastard Jung Jin-wook..."

Hearing my words, Jin-wook said, "That was a swear, right?" then sighed softly and turned around.

With a promise to meet at the main gate after the lecture.

I nodded, walked side-by-side with Kang Tae-woo, and spoke first. "Ha. So good."

"Tae-woo-ya, the weather today... isn't it really nice?"

Suddenly, I felt Kang Tae-woo's gaze from the side, looking at me as if thinking, 'She's not usually like this, did she eat something wrong?'

Honestly, my attitude toward him had been quite cold until now, so it was natural for him to feel a severe gap from before.

But my current mood was just that high.

"Uh, yeah. But did something good happen?"

"Something good? Weeeell?"

After all, I had finally quit the tedious Hunter title and taken my first step into life as a civilian.

"Well, quitting the tedious Hunter job is definitely something good, probably?"

But that remark of mine seemed to have become a bomb for Kang Tae-woo.

He probably never imagined that the complaint he filed would actually lead to the result of me quitting being a Hunter.

But what can you do?

I was on my way back after throwing my Hunter License at the Association about 40 minutes ago.

"I'm a civilian now, Tae-woo-ya. Not a Hunter, but civilian Hwang Eun-ha. So, as a fellow student, let's get along well from now on."

And as if engulfed in shock...

Kang Tae-woo made a blank face, and then, realizing the situation, expressed his level of surprise by shouting, "Ehhheng?!"

He grabbed both my arms and asked me again, "You really quit being a Hunter?!"

"Yeah. But is that something to be so surprised about? Hmm."

Actually, it is something to be surprised about.

But I spoke like that on purpose to tease him.

Kang Tae-woo, seemingly having taken a massive blow, just uttered "Uh..." and walked toward the lecture hall blankly out of inertia.