46 - Chapter 44: Sowing Discord
"You're the intern who came with Natalia, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
Seo Jae-eun used her foot to sweep away the ashes of the Reaper Skeleton, which had crumbled to dust in an instant, as if cremated.
"Still, bringing an intern to a place like this is a bit much."
Tossing the comment out casually, Seo Jae-eun subtly checked Han Su-hyeon's reaction.
"Well, the whole point of an internship is to get hands-on field experience under a pro's guidance. I don't think she's to blame for that."
When his response came back surprisingly cynical, Seo Jae-eun clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Well, that's true. Anyway, it's dangerous to be on your own, so..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, another Reaper Skeleton materialized.
"Whoa!"
The second Reaper Skeleton targeted Han Su-hyeon as well, having judged him to be the easier target.
"Well, that startled me."
Despite her words, Seo Jae-eun handled the situation with practiced ease. First, she wrapped an arm around Han Su-hyeon's shoulder and pulled him close.
Pressing their bodies close, she naturally used her other arm to block the swinging scythe.
"Ah, that stings."
As the blade of the scythe bit into her forearm, blood trickled down.
"That hurts, you motherfucker."
In the hand of the arm wrapped around Han Su-hyeon's shoulder, she held a reloaded grenade launcher. With a quiet curse, she aimed and blew the Reaper Skeleton's head to pieces.
"Are you okay?"
Watching the Reaper Skeleton turn to dust, she asked in a deliberate whisper.
With their bodies pressed close, his rapid heartbeat pulsed through his back and straight into her chest.
"U-um... I-I'm fine, but..."
Han Su-hyeon's eyes drifted down to her bleeding forearm.
"Oh, this? It's nothing."
"No, but... because of me..."
The suspension bridge effect, topped with a healthy dose of guilt. It was the perfect recipe for him to mistake his feelings.
Seo Jae-eun smiled inwardly, running the calculations in her head.
"Geez, I told you, I'm fine."
Seo Jae-eun brushed it off and pulled away, making sure not to linger too long. Then, she reached for a first-aid kit.
"...."
She began administering first aid using only one hand. As expected of a veteran, she was quite skilled, but she couldn't help looking a bit awkward doing it one-handed.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
In the end, unable to just stand by and watch her struggle, Han Su-hyeon stepped in.
"Here, let me help."
At Han Su-hyeon's offer, Seo Jae-eun let out a soft chuckle.
"Would you?"
"Give it here."
With that, Han Su-hyeon took the first-aid kit and treated her forearm, drawing on what he had learned in school and practiced during training.
"That feels much better."
Once he was finished, Seo Jae-eun smiled and patted the bandage wrapped around her forearm.
"Ah, thanks for the bandage. You learned well in school, junior."
After checking that the bandage was secure, she reached out and gently patted Han Su-hyeon on the head.
The gate raid was successfully completed without any major casualties.
Given the freelance nature of the hunter ecosystem, once the common goal was achieved, everyone immediately scattered and headed home.
However, since Han Su-hyeon was essentially an intern working under Natalia, he had to loiter outside and wait while she, as the raid leader, drafted the report with her secretary.
"Hey, junior."
Just then, someone approached him from behind. He could tell it was Seo Jae-eun instantly, just by her voice and how she addressed him.
"Ah...."
"Work's done. Want to grab a drink?"
At her suggestion, Han Su-hyeon shrugged.
"I don't know. I haven't been dismissed yet."
"What about after you're off, then?"
"I'm not much of a drinker..."
"Hmm."
At his polite but firm refusal, a playful glint appeared in Seo Jae-eun's eyes.
"Ah, that scythe wound from earlier is suddenly starting to throb."
With that, Seo Jae-eun clutched her forearm, putting on a show of exaggerated pain.
Watching her, Han Su-hyeon let out a sigh.
"Then you definitely shouldn't be drinking..."
Stopping mid-sentence, he realized he wouldn't be able to brush her off with a simple excuse.
"...Let me at least get dismissed first."
After all, she was the savior who had gotten hurt protecting him inside the gate, so turning her down repeatedly felt a bit ungrateful.
"Sure, sure."
Seo Jae-eun happily accepted the compromise and stepped back.
She wandered off, claiming that waiting around was boring. Not long after, Natalia finished her report and returned with her secretary.
"That's it for today. Let's head back."
At Natalia's declaration, Han Su-hyeon quickly spoke up.
"Ah, excuse me. I actually have plans after this, so would it be alright if I head home on my own?"
"Really? Go ahead, then."
"I'll see you tomorrow, then."
With a brief farewell, Han Su-hyeon and Natalia parted ways.
He hadn't walked far after they split up before Seo Jae-eun, who had been waiting nearby, caught up with him again.
Seo Jae-eun led Han Su-hyeon straight into a nearby BBQ restaurant.
Once inside, she ordered pork belly, makgeolli, and cider.
"You said you can't drink much, right?"
With that, Seo Jae-eun mixed the makgeolli and cider in a perfect ratio and poured him a glass.
"This should go down easy."
"Haha..."
Taking a sip of the drink she confidently offered, he found she was right. It tasted just like a sweet, milky soda.
"Good, right?"
"Yeah... this is actually..."
"Come on, have some more."
Makgeolli was already on the sweeter side, and mixing it with cider made it taste completely non-alcoholic. Before he knew it, he was readily accepting glass after glass.
If there was one thing he overlooked...
It was the fact that a makgeolli-cider mix actually had a surprisingly high alcohol content despite how easy it was to drink.
"Mmm..."
After downing several large cups of the mix, Han Su-hyeon's eyes were slightly unfocused, and a warm flush had spread across his cheeks.
Meanwhile, Seo Jae-eun had barely touched her drink, keeping her wits entirely about her as she happily munched on the grilled meat.
Plans, huh...
Meanwhile, Natalia sat in the driver's seat of her car, staring blankly ahead.
No matter how she looked at it, Han Su-hyeon was his own person, not her property.
It wasn't strange at all for him to make plans without her knowledge and act independently.
In the past, she wouldn't have given it a second thought.
But getting into the car alone—a car they had constantly shared lately—made her feel strangely restless. She couldn't settle her mind.
Just what kind of plans does he have?
In the end, instead of starting the engine, Natalia got out and began walking in the direction Han Su-hyeon had gone.
How long had she been walking?
She hadn't actually expected to run into him, but as she idly scanned her surroundings, she suddenly froze.
Her wandering gaze locked onto a single spot.
It was a bustling BBQ restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, making the entire interior fully visible.
"Ah."
Through the glass, Han Su-hyeon's profile was the first thing she saw.
"Huh?"
Then, she noticed Seo Jae-eun sitting directly across from him.
Were those two close?
The atmosphere between them didn't look bad, either. That realization sparked a strange annoyance in her chest.
"Look at them, having a grand old time."
Natalia strode forward, fully intending to barge straight into the restaurant. But just as she reached for the door, her sensitive hearing caught their conversation.
"What do you think of Natalia?"
"Huh...?"
Hearing her own name, Natalia froze. She quickly stepped out of sight and strained her ears to listen.
After all, she had been secretly curious about what Han Su-hyeon actually thought of her.
"Well..."
"Isn't it hard working as her intern?"
"...Why do you ask?"
"Just... to be blunt, it's not like Natalia has a good personality. Since most of her trouble gets swept under the rug, she's quick to get physical, too."
At Seo Jae-eun's words, Natalia's eyebrow twitched.
She was openly baiting him to badmouth her. Her intention was to get him talking behind her back, let him vent his frustrations, and then swoop in to comfort him.
If she succeeded, she would tear down Natalia's image in Han Su-hyeon's eyes while boosting her own.
Natalia wanted to barge in right then and there. But at the same time, she was dying to know how Han Su-hyeon would respond.
"For me..."
After pondering for a moment, Han Su-hyeon finally spoke.
"Honestly... we didn't exactly... get off... on the right foot..."
For a brief moment, triumph and despair crossed between Natalia and Seo Jae-eun.
Oblivious to this, he continued falteringly, his voice heavily slurred with alcohol.
"But... if I add up... all the time... we've spent together so far..."
A faint, genuine smile spread across his drunken face.
"I think... she's helped me... a lot more... than she's... hurt me..."