Chapter 47: I Really Wanted to Hear It Today

"Jin-wook-ah, how did you get here..."

There was no way Jin-wook could have stopped by his house and come back in that short moment.

Nor was it possible that the card I sent home obeyed Jin-wook's command.

"First, put that down and let's talk. Hmm?"

Then, does it mean that summoning Jin-wook back here was...

My will?

"...I don't want to."

"Eun-ha-ya."

"You don't know what happened to me, Jin-wook-ah."

But I tried hard to deny that thought.

Because I hated the fact that even in this dangerous moment, I had summoned Jin-wook here by my own will.

Because I wanted to believe that my intention was not to rely on Jin-wook even in this moment.

"Eun-ha-ya."

My hands were trembling.

It felt like I had shown my shame, which I never wanted to show to others.

Especially to him—the person I wanted to show only happy moments to in the future.

"This is self-defense."

"To the extent of taking that person's life?"

I shut my mouth at Jin-wook's words.

To the extent of taking a life.

Until a moment ago, I thought I had sufficient right to take her life.

After all, those bastards back then, including Elijah, planned to kill me the moment I killed the Demon King.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"...Yeah."

"That woman is such an existence to me. An existence that could have made the current me not exist."

I clenched my fist.

My telekinesis reacted to my unstable emotional state, causing cracks in nearby buildings.

The glass shards I held to kill Elijah had turned into glass powder and were floating in the air.

Perhaps due to that resonance.

The part of the building's glass window where Elijah had hit earlier shattered, cracks appeared on the road, and all the surrounding ground was shaking.

"But the current you is in front of me."

"...Yeah."

"Eun-ha-ya, if you wanted to kill that person, you could have killed her long ago. Right?"

I nodded at Jin-wook's words.

The reason I didn't kill her was simply because she took a different path than the other four.

It wasn't because I had any intention of saving her.

It stemmed from the last bit of mercy one could have as a human being.

"Let's not kill her."

"..."

"If she doesn't go back, we can just make her spend her whole life atoning here."

Tears began to fall from my eyes.

It's been 5 years since I lived killing the desire for revenge I only held inside.

Now, the fire was rekindled in those fading emotions.

But Jin-wook's words preventing me from acting on my revenge felt so hateful in this moment.

"Revenge isn't the only way."

"..."

"You know it too. That even if you don't dirty your hands, they will be punished someday."

Jin-wook continued speaking while glancing at the collapsed Elijah.

My clenched fist trembled.

Thoughts were colliding in my head about whether I should kill that woman in front of me or not.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"Yeah."

"I was a savior who almost saved that woman's world. In that world that dragged me away regardless of my will."

My voice was trembling before I knew it.

I caught sight of Elijah, who was slowly channeling mana to heal her body, sitting down at some point.

Her gaze looking at me contained sorrow instead of hostility.

The desire to kill her, which I held until just now, was melting away little by little.

"And by those I believed to be my comrades, including that woman, I was almost killed in the end."

"..."

"So I hate that woman. So I want to kill her."

I gritted my teeth.

The expression of primal instinct stemming from the desire for revenge, wanting to kill.

But even so, Jin-wook would tell me not to kill.

"I am not a Saintess, and I am definitely not a pure white person as you think, Jin-wook-ah."

"I know."

"Rather, I'm the kind of person who can be called pitch black if anything."

Unable to pour out my emotions anymore, I, who had collapsed sitting down, lifted my head to look up at Jin-wook.

He who always ran to protect my side whenever I was having a hard time.

No, now I saw the face of the man who I could say saved me.

My last bastion of morality.

My own anchor that holds me so I don't waver.

"So decide for me."

"Decide what."

"Whether to kill that woman or not."

Elijah looked at me and Jin-wook, panting heavily as if her wounds weren't fully recovered yet.

Her mana was moving solely for recovery without a shred of aggression.

Once when slammed to the ground.

Once when pierced by iron fragments.

Once when thrown into the glass window.

A total of three strikes left heavy damage on her.

Right now, she probably wouldn't even have the mind to speak properly.

"As you wish."

Back then, I stood at the forefront, blocking and countering all attacks to buy time.

But now, I, who used to block the front, had become the enemy.

"Let's not kill her."

"..."

"I don't want to see you dirty your hands anymore."

At those words, my hand stopped.

The telekinesis that was cracking the surrounding buildings stopped.

Accordingly, the trembling of the earth stopped as well, and the telekinesis binding everyone's movements here was released.

"Now, Eun-ha, you are not a Hunter anymore."

Clash of values.

I protect my people and do not leave those who antagonize me alone.

On the other hand, the person named Jung Jin-wook is a civilian.

He fears the act of murder, and therefore avoids the choice of killing even if it's an enemy.

"Right."

A choice unimaginable for the original me.

But nevertheless, I withdrew my hand following Jin-wook's words.

"That person... the Hunters will take care of her."

Jin-wook reached out his hand.

I held his hand and stood up.

Guided by him, I sat on the card I used to send Jin-wook away and began to float quietly into the air.

"Wait...!"

But Elijah's voice holding back my steps was heard.

When I looked down, holding her side where blood seemed to be still seeping out a little...

She asked me with an expression asking 'why'.

"Why aren't you killing me?"

She wouldn't understand.

Because the 'me' she had seen was a cold-blooded human itself who killed everyone without mercy if they were enemies.

"Because he told me not to kill."

But to Elijah, that was all I had to say.

I didn't want to talk to her anymore either.

"Well done."

Because I didn't want to face the past 'me' anymore.

Rain began to fall.

Two days passed.

In the end, that day, I couldn't hear the answer from Jin-wook.

Our date was completely ruined due to the incident at the end.

I indirectly handed my answer to Jin-wook, but there was no time for Jin-wook to hand me his answer.

And...

[ I'm at home right now. ]

Since they couldn't grill me, a former S-Class Hunter, the investigation by the Association and the police was naturally centered around Jin-wook.

Of course, knowing that I was by his side, they wouldn't be coercive or anything like that.

But I was the one who fought directly, so why are they asking Jin-wook this and that, bothering the innocent person?

'Why? Because I almost bulldozed the Association building, probably.'

I let out a small sigh.

My mother and father didn't say much to me about what happened that day.

Though they seemed to inwardly hope I wouldn't go anywhere and just stay home while I was at the main house.

"Dad."

"Huh?"

"I'm going out for a bit."

"Where to?"

"...Police station."

After spending a day like that, I couldn't sit still because I didn't like the look of the Hunter Police grilling an innocent person while leaving me alone.

Plus, there was something I didn't hear that day, and I was going crazy with curiosity about those unspoken words.

That was why I went out, knowing fully well they desperately hoped I wouldn't.

"Come back safely."

"I won't cause trouble."

"I trust you."

To hear the answer from Jin-wook.

I sat on the card and flew up into the sky.

Surely, those police bastards must be working hard on the investigation based on what they heard from Jin-wook.

In the direction of treating Elijah enough so she doesn't die, while grilling her hard.

"What brings you here?"

"I came to see the Hunter Police."

"Is it a complaint about Awakened crime? Or..."

"Patrol officer (Sun-경)? Do patrol officers ask Hunters who say they came to see the Hunter Police if it's a civil complaint these days?"

Ah.

Words should come out nicely, but I just can't do it.

It was slightly inconvenient at times like this without a Hunter license.

If I just showed the S-Class Hunter license, ranks below Sergeant would bow their heads, and Lieutenant-level officers would run out immediately.

"Uh, don't tell me..."

"If you recognized me, get out of the way. I'm a bit annoyed right now, so if I get mad, I might bulldoze this place."

Hunters don't mess with the police no matter what.

Fighting the police brings no benefit and only makes future life difficult; in the worst case, they might have to leave this country.

But even that, for an irregular powerhouse like me, the police definitely fold one step and enter.

"You can go straight up to the Hunter Division."

The patrol officer stepped aside quickly, sweating profusely.

I gave him a light nod and said, "Sorry. I'm in a bad mood right now..." and quickly went up to the second floor of the police station.

"H-Hunter Hwang Eun-ha?"

"Long time no see. Superintendent Kim Chun-gu (Gyeong-jeong). Or are you more comfortable with 'Hunter-nim'?"

"Call me whatever you want."

Then, the Hunter Police officers all stood up from their seats in surprise at my appearance.

As I went and sat in front of Superintendent Kim Chun-gu, who was known to have taken charge of Elijah's city terror incident directly, everyone sat down awkwardly.

"But what brings you all the way here..."

"I came because you guys aren't calling the person you should call, and are grilling an innocent person instead."

"I have nothing to say. If you felt uncomfortable, I offer my apologies..."

"Forget the apology, just don't grill the innocent person. That's enough."

Still, it seemed the fear coming from the overwhelming gap in power was unavoidable.

Superintendent Kim looked around at his subordinates and asked me carefully, "Can we talk outside?"

Instead of nodding, I stood up and led the way out of the office first.

"Do you drink coffee?"

"I don't drink instant mix."

"Oh my, mix coffee is so delicious though."

"So, seeing that you called me out here, I guess you don't have any separate questions?"

If it was about writing a report unconditionally, he is the type of person who would conduct the investigation in the office no matter how strong I am.

I knew this from facing him after causing accidents a few times.

So calling me out here meant there wasn't really anything left to investigate.

While caring for the safety of his subordinates who would fear me.

"Yes. Since that student answered faithfully, we found out everything deemed absolutely necessary for now."

"Then aren't you curious why I came all the way here?"

"I am curious, but you were always like that, Hunter-nim. That you only visited us when you needed something."

"Ah."

I deliberately showed a smiling face to Superintendent Kim Chun-gu.

But behind it, I smiled with a cold meaning.

Looking at my face, Superintendent Kim instinctively sensed he did something wrong, flinched, and looked at me again.

"I returned my license."

"I see..."

"To go back to earlier and say it again: From now on, when incidents like this happen, don't grill innocent people for no reason."

Warning.

Before, Jin-wook knew nothing about how the Hunter world worked.

And since the police didn't know Jin-wook, there was no reason for him to get entangled.

"If you break what I just said, I don't know how I'll react?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Huhu. Still, it's a relief that you are here, Superintendent. Since there's no one among the police who knows me as well as you do, it might have been frustrating if it were someone else."

Giving a light smile, I moved my steps leaving Superintendent Kim behind.

"Go back safely."

I raised my hand once to him bidding me farewell, left the police station, and took out my phone.

Actually, the real purpose of coming out today deliberately was this side.

Stopping by the police station was just something I did while I was at it.

[ Eun-ha-ya? ]

"Jin-wook-ah, where are you?"

[ Home. ]

"I'm going to in front of your house right now, wanna see me for a sec?"

The answer I couldn't hear.

I really wanted to hear it today.