"Bubu...!!"
The faint and familiar calling voice echoed through Yeon Yujun's ears as he stirs from his sleep, his phone is already ringing with missed alarms and notifications.
He unconsciously reaches for his phone beside his bed with closed eyes and turns off the alarm like someone with a hangover.
"PUBU!!!" Pouch squeals, jumping up and down at Yeon Yujun's chest, trying to wake him up and it worked.
Yeon Yujun gets up in an instant, still drooling from his sleep as Pouch gets flung to the end of the room.
"Mmbu...!!"
Pouch whimpers, shaking its head and glares at Yeon Yujun.
"Pububu!! Bubu!!!"
"Okay! Okay! I'm up! Sorry..." Yeon Yujun groans, rubbing his eyes before he finally registers reality. His sleep was long and fulfilling but it wasn't good at all now that he's fully back to his consciousness...
He has a screening today, thanks to Seo Hwigeon and Yeon Yujun is not grateful.
After a while, Yeon Yujun finally gets out of bed and takes a shower out of annoyance and reluctance. He goes back to his room with only a towel on and picks out some clothes he should wear for the screening.
"What should I wear...?" Yeon Yujun digs through his closet and drawer, only finding some casual and way too formal clothes — when's the last time he bought new clothes?
Pouch just finished its dust bath by the windowsill as it jumps down to the ground and starts digging through Yeon Yujun's clothes.
"Pu...pu..!" Pouch bites onto the familiar black fabric from the very bottom of Yeon Yujun's clothes and he flinches.
'My clothes when I was...'
Yeon Yujun takes the clothes from Pouch, tracing the ruined texture and he remembered that it was washed by Kim Misook on his first day here at the house.
"Y'know I can't wear torn clothes for the screening..." he sighs, putting it away. He wasn't surprised that Pouch still remembers the scent of his clothes back at the vortex.
'I should burn these later.'
Once Yeon Yujun finishes picking out his clothes, he puts on his grey field jacket and drinks a couple of pills that he couldn't bring himself to even count.
He goes to the kitchen where Lee Seolji had just finished cooking some ramyeon and the elderly couple were out to buy groceries for Lee Seolji and Yeon Yujun.
"Instant? Really, Seolji-ah?" Yeon Yujun sighs after sniffing the familiar scent of food and she quickly turns while stirring the pot.
"H-hey! You know that I can't cook fancy meals!" she pouts, turning back to the stove before turning it off.
"You really need to learn how, you know I won't be around home much since I awakened."
"I know, Oppa! But..." Lee Seolji angrily puts down the bowl at the table and didn't dare to meet Yeon Yujun's gaze.
"It's not fair..."
Yeon Yujun's eyes widen as he stares at Lee Seolji after hearing her words.
'What do you mean not fair? She should be grateful she's living a normal life while I'm forced to come back to the life I long abandoned...'
"You won't leave us, right? Do you know how dangerous it is to be a hunter! My friend almost died fighting in a vortex so..." Lee Seolji blurts out of concern as she looks away and sits down at the chair.
'She's... unusually concerned about me? I misunderstood. Is it because I won't be home often anymore and out of the house fighting?'
Yeon Yujun sits down across from Lee Seolji, the tension between them is awkward while she seems to be trying to hold back her tears.
Pouch comes out of Yeon Yujun's room and crawls up onto the table, sniffing the bowl of rice next to the ramyeon.
"Hey, stop worrying and look out the house for us," Yeon Yujun shakes his head with a wistful smile and reaches out to ruffle Lee Seolji's hair gently.
Lee Seolji flinches from her seat as the tears finally fall from her cheeks and sniffles—
"Oppa..." she wipes her tears, clearly not used to not having Yeon Yujun around the house.
"You can close the café for a while if it's getting in the way of your focus at school, babysitting Jinho, and looking out for the house. How about you stay with Jinho's for now?"
"No way! I can handle it!" Lee Seolji stubbornly disagrees, determined to fulfill the tasks while Yeon Yujun and their grandparents are away.
"I'll open the café and I'll invite some of my friends to help me out there — y'know they have fun serving the customers too!"
"Seolji-ah..."
"I know, but I can handle it, Oppa!" Lee Seolji gives Yeon Yujun a tearful thumbs up as he had no choice but to completely trust Lee Seolji... arguing with her would just lead to more tasks.
"Alright, I'll leave the house and café to you when I'm away. But if I'm free from my work, I'm helping out." he playfully flicks Lee Seolji's forehead as she whines.
"Oppa!"
"You should eat, I can't eat anything in the morning." Yeon Yujun gives her a reassuring smile as Lee Seolji huffs and takes the bowl of ramyeon — when she was about to take the bowl of rice, Yeon Yujun stops her.
"And... Leave that to me," Yeon Yujun glances at Pouch who's already drooling at the sight and smell of the steaming rice.
'I can go on without eating at least an entire month anyway...' Perks of being an awakener.
Lee Seolji just shrugs and begins wolfing down the bowl of ramyeon with the chopsticks and renge.
Yeon Yujun pushes the bowl to Pouch gently and Pouch didn't hesitate to eat the plain rice like a squirrel.
With the sound of the bowl moving on its own, Lee Seolji pauses from eating with her mouth full and watches the bowl move on its own.
"Oppa...? Why is that..."
"... It's just my ability, that's how I eat." he smoothly lies with a smile.
***
"That's a cute little creature!" boisterous laughter broke out from behind Yeon Yujun with Pouch chewing on an almond in his shoulder.
"Huh?"
Yeon Yujun turned around and saw the broad man with a long beard and greatsword resting on his shoulder.
Yeon Yujun was fifteen when he first met the former strongest hunter in the US— Noah Bailey.
This was their first encounter.
'H-huh...? He's one of the hunters who can see Pouch! And he's... fluent at speaking Korean too.'
"You... Can you see Pouch?" Yeon Yujun relaxes his grip on the
"Well, of course! It's my first time seeing a species like that. What is it?"
"I... I also don't know..."
Noah Bailey took a closer look at the fluffy creature, startling Pouch as it hid under Yeon Yujun's scarf.
"Hey little guy! Didn't mean to scare ya." he laughed, putting his huge sword away by sticking it to the ground.
Then Noah Bailey stays quiet all of the sudden, observing Yeon Yujun's face as if he couldn't quite solve a puzzle.
"I suppose the rumors are right after all! Your face really is... indescribable, blurry? But you look way too wrong to be fighting out here."
'I can't help but feel curious...'
( "[S] The Mind's Eye" skill is now activated! )
[ Name: NOAH BAILEY ]
[ Age: 28 ]
[ Luminary: "[SS+] WOLFSBANE" *enhances the awakener's stats to the highest level and senses for a limited time. (25 minutes cooldown). ]
[ OTHER SKILLS CANNOT BE VIEWED ]
'A strong luminary skill!'
"Now, who taught you to view other people's profiles without their consent?" Instead of being mad, it sounded like Noah Bailey is amused.
"H-Huh!? How'd you know...!"
"I'm an S-class awakener," he winked playfully before activating a similar skill to
( "[SS+] Hunter's Watch" is staring back at you. )
Yeon Yujun suddenly felt stiff on the spot as if he could feel eyes looking right through his <[S] Concealment> skill —
"Hngh...?" it's like something's holding him down without Noah Bailey trying at all. This hunter is really strong!
( "Conflict Judgement" activated! )
'[Conflict Judgement]? What's that...?'
"PUPU!!!"
Noah Bailey tore his eyes from Yeon Yujun, shifting towards Pouch instead with a surprised expression.
"I... I can see right through your skill," Noah Bailey muttered, after activating the conflict judgement, it seems like Yeon Yujun is laid bare for Noah Bailey to see.
"Your skill's fighting back, that's how [Conflict Judgement] activates." Noah Bailey adds, noting his confusion.
"You really are young, you're just a kid." his expression turned concerned and worried quickly.
"I... can handle myself,"
For the first time, Yeon Yujun felt uncomfortable from the fact that someone sees his face behind his skill — it looks like the stronger they are, the more they could bypass Yeon Yujun's skill.
"Hey now, I won't tell a soul about your identity! No worries, I couldn't even see your real name behind your concealed profile." he chuckles, reaching out to ruffle Yeon Yujun's hair.
"This'll be our secret, between strong hunters, eh? Let's duel each other next time, I gotta see your abilities against mine!"
Yeon Yujun's eyes sparkled in admiration, as he watched Noah Bailey took out the sword from the ground and turned to walk away.
"Let's meet here once in a while. Make sure to not push yourself hard, Eight."
Noah Bailey then finally turned away and Yeon Yujun watched him leave.
After a month, Noah Bailey died in the SSS-ranked vortex raid back in America.
Yeon Yujun never dueled him.
***
"Granny!" Lee Seolji stands up from her seat, startling Yeon Yujun from his thoughts as he looks up and sees Kim Misook and Shin Jongsu all bundled up with winter clothes.
"It's cold out, dear. Wear more clothes underneath if you go outside," Kim Misook smiles as when she was about to put the groceries to the counter, Yeon Yujun takes it from her.
"I'll take this, you and Gramps should load the truck with the luggage." Yeon Yujun smiles as Kim Misook reaches out her hand to gently pinch Yeon Yujun's cheek.
"You're always helping, young man. Don't make it into a habit!"
Yeon Yujun just laughs it off and puts the groceries into the counter while Shin Jongsu comes out of their room with two pieces of luggage in hands.
"We'll be leaving now, be sure to do your tasks while we're gone!" Shin Jongsu chuckles, leaving the house first to prepare for departure.
Kim Misook hugs Lee Seolji and then Yeon Yujun next, "Take care of you both, especially you, Yujun. You're a hunter now!"
"Gran… I haven't passed the screening yet," he chuckles, hugging her back warmly before after a few seconds, they pull apart.
"Enjoy your vacay, granny!" Lee Seolji waves and watches Kim Misook leave the house.
The sound of the truck door opening and closing, then the engine turning on before driving away. The sound gradually becomes distant.
After Lee Seolji shoos him out the door before he can find another reason to stay, Yeon Yujun decides to leave for the screening.
At the Hunters Division Building, Yeon Yujun has just arrived on time. He may have used <[B+] Sprint> to get there. Just a little.
Pouch sits perched on his shoulder, chewing on a stolen almond from breakfast, completely unbothered by the speed.
Outside the entrance he pulls up his concealment profile one last time, checking the fake details like someone checking their reflection before a job interview.
His actual name… his skills… and he has to hide his main skill <[S+] Reoccurrence> too.
"Changing your details, I see? Need any help with that?"
A familiar voice cuts through the air as Yeon Yujun turns around and sees Seo Hwigeon standing behind him.
"Bubu..." Pouch narrows its eyes at Seo Hwigeon from Yeon Yujun's shoulder, clearly unimpressed and still holding a grudge towards him.
"Still mad at me, Pouch?" Seo Hwigeon tilts his head with amusement.
"Bubu!!!" Pouch turns away pointedly, stuffing the rest of the almond into its mouth with great dignity.
Yujun doesn't even comment. He agrees with Pouch.
"Still wearing that dumb mask, I see?" Yeon Yujun rolls his eyes.
Just the last person he wanted to see today.
"Don't be meanie and let me help! I'm sure you've got that <[B] Thunder Spark> skill, right? Make it your base skill." he offers with a chuckle that Yeon Yujun doesn't trust at all.
It's true that Yeon Yujun still has that skill… He didn't even question how Seo Hwigeon knew because when they first met, he clearly activated the [Conflict Judgement] to view right through his fake profile.
"I'll think about it."
"Or do you have any other lame skills?"
'Now he's calling me lame!? Has he seen his own dumb shapeshifting powers?'
"Shut it, your shapeshifting abilities are corny."
Seo Hwigeon flinches from his words, not shocked but rather surprised. "Wow, you're learning a new slang old man!"
'Thanks to Lee Seolji… But why is he calling me old man now!?'
"Just because I'm eight years older than you, that doesn't mean you can call me kitten or old man!"
"Sorry, Ahjussi," Seo Hwigeon snickers, completely enjoying Yeon Yujun's reaction as his head turns to the entrance of the building while Pouch just stares both of them.
'That guy… That's somehow more worse!'
"Y'know you could just use your other skills… <[S+] Bloodseal> and <[A+] Residual Flame>?" Seo Hwigeon suggests smoothly as Yeon Yujun's eyes widen just slightly but it quickly disappears as it appears.
Right, of course… his most neglected skills that he refused to use, <[A+] Residual Flame> skill allows him to leave delayed combustion marks on surfaces or creatures that activate later. As for <[S+] Bloodseal>... using his own blood to create a barrier or binding. But it drains almost all of his blood whenever he uses it instead of his mana.
He had almost forgotten about those two because he got way too used and attached to <[S+] Reoccurrence>.
"Or your luminary skill, <[S] Nullify>?"
"Seriously? I hate using that!" Yeon Yujun complains, shaking his head at the fact that he would use that skill… it temporarily cancels another awakener's active skill. He rarely uses it because it requires precise timing and concentration he hasn't practiced in years.
That's why he had always depended on <[S+] Reoccurrence>.
"I know you hate using that luminary, but it's strong. Practice it more." Seo Hwigeon squeezes his shoulder before walking away and turning invisible as if he'd never been talking to Yeon Yujun, leaving him to ponder on his thoughts.
'How… the hell did he know the reason behind that?'
Yeon Yujun stares at the empty space where Seo Hwigeon stood, the invisible weight of that question settling somewhere uncomfortable in his chest.
He's been asking that since the beginning. And somehow, the answer keeps feeling less like a mystery and more like something he's not ready to face.
"Let's head in..."
"Pupu!"
Yeon Yujun turns back to the building entrance and walks in. Following the invisible Seo Hwigeon, if he's still there at all.