Monday, in front of the restroom at the Hunter Association.
Mikoto leaned against the wall, his face pale, one hand clutching his stomach. "...Ana."
"Yes, sir?"
"...I regret it."
Ana glanced at him briefly. "Which part?"
Mikoto closed his eyes. "Last night... I was too happy."
Ana let out a quiet sigh. "That wasn't happiness, sir. That was wasteful spending."
Mikoto's stomach churned again, and he grimaced. "...I can't hold it anymore." His eyes locked onto the restroom door in front of him.
The night before, Mikoto had stood in front of the instant noodle shelf for a long time, his expression flat and exhausted. Then he slowly closed it. "...Enough. I want to eat something good." Without hesitation, his hand reached for the cash drawer. The money that should have gone to electricity, internet, and other important expenses changed hands.
Later, the lights of a luxury restaurant shone across his face. Mikoto sat in a cushioned chair, staring at a steaming plate of meat. The aroma was rich and tempting. He smiled. "...This is living."
Piece after piece disappeared. Without a trace. Without regret.
And without a plan for tomorrow.
Mikoto opened his eyes again, still standing in front of the restroom. "...Ana."
"Yes, sir?"
"...So this is the price of eating well, huh?"
Ana folded her arms. "You made that choice yourself, sir."
A few minutes later, the restroom door opened and Mikoto stepped out with a much lighter stride. His face looked noticeably fresher. "...I can't believe the hundreds of dollars I spent last night turned into waste in an instant."
Ana looked at him blankly and said nothing.
The two of them entered the building. The cold marble floor, the sound of footsteps, and the tense atmosphere hit them immediately. People stood in line clutching documents, their faces full of hope... or anxiety. At the far end of the room stretched a long registration desk, and Mikoto walked straight toward it.
"Excuse me, we'd like to register to become Hunters."
The receptionist raised her head with a neat professional smile already in place. "Please fill out the form first."
She handed over several sheets of paper without much explanation. Mikoto accepted them and started reading.
First line.
Second line.
Third line—
His hand stopped.
"...Ana."
"Yes?"
Mikoto raised the paper. "What's this?"
Ana glanced at it briefly. "The administration fee, sir."
Mikoto frowned. "If we pay this, does that mean we'll automatically be accepted as Hunters?"
The receptionist was now looking at them too, still smiling, though this time a little more stiffly.
Ana quickly pulled Mikoto toward a seat far enough away from the registration desk. "So, sir, here's how it works. Almost every office in this country requires some kind of administrative fee."
Mikoto tucked the pen behind his right ear. "So even if we pay five hundred dollars, there's still no guarantee we'll become Hunters?"
"That's right, sir. We still have to pass whatever test they give us."
"And if we fail, will they return our five hundred dollars?"
"No, sir."
"This is robbery!"
Mikoto's voice echoed throughout the room. Several people turned to look at them.
Ana immediately stood and bowed quickly. "Sorry! We're so sorry!"
Before the situation could get any worse, she dragged Mikoto out of the Hunter Association office.
In the end, they sat at a coffee shop across from the Association building. Outside, under a large umbrella, a small round table stood between them. It was empty. No food. No drinks. No hope.
Ana looked at Mikoto sharply. "Sir. Allow me to explain how this world works."
Mikoto leaned back casually. "Go ahead."
Ana raised one finger. "First, everything in that office costs money. Administration, taxes, tests—everything."
She raised a second finger. "Second, please do not shout like that in public again."
Mikoto nodded slowly. "That makes sense."
At that moment, a waiter approached with a friendly smile. "Would you like to order anything?"
Mikoto immediately raised two fingers. "I'll have two sirloin steaks and—"
Ana instantly covered his mouth. "My apologies, we'll order at the register later."
The waiter blinked in confusion. "...All right."
He walked away awkwardly.
Ana slowly removed her hand, then raised three fingers right in front of Mikoto's face. "Third." Her voice was flat and cold. "We don't have any money."
Silence.
The wind blew softly. Mikoto stared blankly ahead.
"...All right."
Ana held her head, closed her eyes, took a long breath, then let it out slowly. She already knew. Out of everything she had just said, not a single word had truly sunk into Mikoto's head.
A man suddenly approached their table. "You two look pretty gloomy," he said casually. "Failed the Hunter test?"
Mikoto glanced at him. "Yeah... something like that."
The man pulled out a chair without permission and sat beside him. "The Hunter Association is rotten to the core these days," he said quietly. "If you don't have money or connections, don't expect to pass."
Mikoto's eyes lit up at once. "I completely agree with you."
The man smiled faintly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bahlil." He leaned back in his chair. "If you need work... you can come with me."
Mikoto immediately looked away. "Sorry, we don't need work."
Bahlil frowned. "...Then what do you need?"
"We need money."
A brief silence followed.
"Um... the job I'm offering also pays money," Bahlil replied, sounding slightly uncertain.
Mikoto looked at him again. "What I mean is, I want a job that's easy... but pays a lot."
The corner of Bahlil's eye twitched slightly. "...Yes. Our work is easy."
He smiled faintly, as though hiding something. "We have strong Hunters. There's even a C-rank. All you need to do is carry the equipment... and mine mana crystals."
Mikoto crossed his arms. "Hmm..."
He looked Bahlil up and down for a moment, then nodded. "All right."
Bahlil looked a little relieved.
"But," Mikoto continued casually, "at the very least, you should treat us to a meal first."
A short while later, empty plates were stacked on the table.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Bahlil stared at the pile with a forced smile. Meanwhile, across from him, Mikoto leaned back with complete satisfaction. "...I feel alive again."
Ana sipped her coffee calmly.
Bahlil let out a long breath. "All right," he finally said as he stood up. "Now let's head to headquarters."
Mikoto stood as well. "Ana, you can go back. Open the internet café like usual."
Ana nodded calmly. "All right, sir."
Bahlil immediately panicked. "Wait—wasn't the agreement that both of you would come?"
Mikoto scratched his head. "Agreement? We never even discussed that."
Bahlil started to look restless. "We need two people. If it's only one..." He swallowed hard. "...my boss might get angry."
Mikoto and Ana exchanged glances for a moment. Then Mikoto held out his hand toward Bahlil.
"Rental fee."
Bahlil frowned. "...What?"
"She's my employee." Mikoto pointed at Ana casually. "If you want to use her services, then you have to pay."
Bahlil stared at him in disbelief. "But I already treated you both to a meal!"
Mikoto nodded. "That was the fee for recruiting me."
Silence.
Bahlil took a long breath. "How much?"
Mikoto answered without hesitation. "One thousand."
Bahlil blinked. "...One thousand what?"
"Dollars."
Silence fell again.
Bahlil stared at Mikoto for a very long time. Then, slowly, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. With the expression of a man on the verge of death, he handed it over.
Mikoto took it without hesitation. "A pleasure doing business with you."
Ana merely looked up at the sky. "...Sir."
"Yes?"
"I'll be raising my rates later."
Bahlil smiled.
A strange smile.
As if he had just acquired something far more valuable than the money he had spent.
And they still had no idea what they had just agreed to.