Chapter 17: I Need to Buy New Underwear Too

"F-Fuck. Who are you!"

"Me? Just a passing former Hunter."

The guy, desperate, tried to kick my foot away and run.

But I pressed down on his back with telekinesis, saying, "Uh-uh, that won't do," and crushed him down even harder so he couldn't get up.

Then, he threw two needles toward me with his free hand behind his back.

"Unnie, watch ou—...?"

Yoon-jung.

No, unlike Lee So-hee’s shout of danger, the needles flying toward me couldn't reach my vicinity and stopped in mid-air.

Even though I hadn't even taken my hands out of my pockets.

"Because of you, I skipped a lecture. The girl you were chasing came running to me crying, huh?"

When I relaxed the pressure on my foot, the guy tried to get up immediately to run away.

He did get up, but he got up too much, to the point where his feet left the ground.

To be precise, I lifted him up with telekinesis.

"WHAT! ARE! YOU! GONNA! DO! ABOUT! IT!"

Anyway, looking at him, rage naturally exploded at the thought that this bastard was the reason I had to skip a lecture when my grades were already in danger.

So, syllable by syllable, I slammed him onto the floor intentionally loud enough to make a thud-thud sound.

How many times did I slam him?

Once my anger subsided a bit, I looked at him and thought:

Ah, that guy makes a really satisfying sound.

How does he make such a sticky, solid smacking sound every time I slam him against the floor?

Truly fascinating.

"Gurgle..."

"Oh, looks like he fainted. So-hee-nim, this is the guy, right?"

"...Yes?"

Turning my head, I saw both So-hee and Hyuk-jin looking at me with blank expressions, as if they were seeing such a spectacle for the first time.

Well.

Seeing someone standing with their hands in their pockets while a person flies up and slams down on their own might be a first for them.

But they couldn't possibly not notice that an ability was being used.

"I-I think that's him."

"That's a relief. So-hee-nim, don't just stand there blankly, could you call the police? Ah, the Hunter Police number is 1122."

"Yes?"

"...Never mind, I'll call."

Seeing So-hee still out of it, I took out my phone.

I opened the Hunter App, assuming my access hadn't been revoked yet, and called Ha-young immediately.

To Ha-young, who greeted me happily with [ Oh my, Eun-ha-nim! What's up? ], I sighed softly and delivered a short and bold request.

"Ha-young-ssi, can you contact the Hunter Police and come over here? I'm at the Iria Cafe in front of the main gate."

[ Yes? Yes? Police? Did you cause an accident by any chance? ]

"No, why do you always assume I caused an accident? That's really hurtful."

[ Just kidding. But what happened? ]

"Hmm, maybe because I caught an Awakened criminal?"

[ What? ]

To Ha-young who asked back blankly, I said, "Do I have to deliver him to you directly for you to believe me?" She snapped out of it, said she'd come right away, and hung up.

"Hmm."

Checking his phone, he was definitely registered with the Association.

What kind of guts did he have to do something like this?

Well, not that it's my business anymore.

"Un-Unnie!"

While I was looking at the phone while spinning the guy around in the air to keep him disoriented, Yoon-jung's voice came from behind.

I don't know what was so amazing, but she was looking at me with eyes full of awe.

"Th-That was amazing," she said, then started glaring at the stalker.

"That bastard... all this time..."

She must have suffered a lot.

But soon the police would come, and she'd have to go for a simple investigation, which meant bringing up the stalking story again.

"So-hee-nim."

"Yes?"

"If the police ask for a statement beyond what is necessary, you can refuse."

"Why say that all of a sudden..."

"Just telling you."

Watching the black Hunter Police vehicle approaching from afar, I gave her a simple piece of advice.

It was something a lawyer I knew once told me.

I never thought I'd use it like this.

"Because the saying that refusing to testify works against you in court is all bullshit."

To make sure he was out cold, I slammed the guy onto the ground hard enough to crack the asphalt.

Seeing Ha-young get out of the car and approach, I bent my legs slightly.

Using telekinesis, I slipped a note with my phone number into Yoon-jung's pocket.

"Hunter-niiiiiim!"

Then I leaped and fled from the spot immediately.

In the eyes of the Hunter Police, I would be a criminal who committed a misdemeanor (?) by using an ability when I'm not a Hunter.

"Phew, almost got caught."

Actually, if it weren't for the promise with Jin-wook, I probably would have let myself be dragged (?) to the police station easily.

It would have ended with a simple warning like, "Next time, don't use your abilities outside, okay?" and a release.

'There's no crazy person who would arrest a former S-Class Hunter anyway.'

Currently, I was the first S-Class to retire, and the first S-Class subject to the clause banning ability usage for non-Hunter Awakened.

Honestly, I didn't know how they would react.

But based on the internal policy I knew, the consensus was to turn a blind eye to minor (?) usage in daily life as long as it wasn't a crime.

It was a problem if it became a problem, but there was actually an S-Class who naturalized to a foreign country because of this regulation.

"Oh, Jin-wook-ah!"

I waved my hand seeing Jin-wook walking from afar with his bag.

As soon as he arrived, he shook his head left and right, saying, "Haa, the day finally comes when I skip a lecture because of you."

I purposely snorted, "Hmph," and asked if he disliked it.

"As long as you buy clothes and don't cause your mother to call me..."

"No, why does Mom call you instead of me?"

"Before saying that, why don't you reflect on how well you listened to your parents?"

I grinned at his accusatory words and said, "Let's go," dragging him by the wrist and burying his arm slightly between my breasts.

As someone who used to be a guy and knows very well, this was the best method to shut him up when he was saying things I didn't want to hear.

"W-What the. Won't you let go?"

"Hehe. Why? Don't like it?"

"No, I don't have a hobby of linking arms with a du—"

"You said I was a woman yesterday?"

"Hey, you shi...!"

As expected, teasing Jin-wook is the most fun thing in the world.

Since we almost reached Rodeo Street, I let go of his arm and walked toward the street I used to hate coming to.

Actually, the weather was getting cold, so I really did need to buy new winter clothes.

'The stuff I brought from home... I don't really want to wear.'

The clothes I bought just for practicality, thinking I'd be smashing Gates.

Naturally, most of them weren't pretty.

They'd tear after a few wears and get worn out from rolling around anyway, so I never needed pretty clothes.

"What should we buy first? Coat? Knitwear? Or..."

If I hadn't been like that, with this face, wouldn't I have been treated as the Engineering Department Goddess?

Of course, that's largely my fault for not participating in any school activities to avoid attention as an S-Class Hunter, but anyway.

"I need to buy new underwear too."

"...!"

"It would be nice if you picked them out for me, Jin-wook-ah. What do you think?"

"Seriously, stop teasing. You're gonna get hit."

"Heng, bleh."

Whispering that into Jin-wook's ear.

Teasing him was too fun no matter how much I thought about it.

He looks like he'll get angry if I do it more, so I should stop now.

"Ha, the scent of new clothes."

"Can you even smell that?"

"Just saying. Ah, should I try this on?"

When I held a white turtleneck hanging nearby against my body, Jin-wook sent a contemplating gaze.

But my eyes were already caught by a unique pattern on that knit.

Thinking of making a set with this, I looked around and spotted white cotton pants.

"I think it would be perfect if I throw a beige coat over this."

"Planning to buy a lot?"

"Yeah. I heard my pension is something like 8 million won a month for 20 years. Can't I spend this much?"

I thought my past dungeon clear records wouldn't be properly recorded.

But all the clear records from the time when there were no support funds were calculated into the pension, so my pension was quite a bit higher than other retired Hunters.

8 million a month for 20 years... Hehe.

"Good ability you got there..."

"Why? Coveting me?"

"No, I feel sorry for the guy who gets caught by you."

"You little, seriously!"

When I got angry for a moment, Jin-wook giggled and recommended a navy hoodie to me, saying, "Try this on."

I wondered if the outfit would look a bit dull.

But since the hanger (body) is good, I figured it would work out somehow.

"Give it here."

I picked up a pair of black jeans hanging nearby.

Looking at the clothes Jin-wook recommended, I tilted my head, thinking, 'Was this bastard's taste like this?'

"How is it?"

When I changed clothes and came out of the fitting room, Jin-wook let out an exclamation, "Oh."

Seeing him satisfied with himself as if his eyes weren't wrong, I wanted to play a prank.

"Then shall I just wear this out?" I asked, and Jin-wook nodded.

"Not bad?"

"Then could you take off the tag and pay for me?"

I gathered my hair and lifted it up, exposing the nape of my neck as I said that.

Jin-wook coughed, "Kuh-hmm," then walked over cautiously and brought his hand near the back of my neck.

I should buy a padded vest later too.

"The pants too."

"Can't you do that yourself?"

"Eeing (Whining), if I do it wrong now, I might tear the clothes. Hurry."

When I lifted the hoodie slightly, a bit of my skin was revealed before Jin-wook's eyes.

Come to think of it, this bastard's fetish was 'that' side.

Rather than just being naked, he gets more turned on by glimpses of skin revealed through gaps in clothing.

"I'll go pay."

"Here's the card."

I handed my card to Jin-wook and rummaged a bit more to see if there were any other clothes to buy.

There weren't any more clothes I liked in that store.

But this isn't the only clothing store.

"This too."

"Okay."

"Shall we grab lunch after buying this?"

"Sure, what do you want to eat?"