Side Story 3. Free flight (1)

The pen making scratching sounds under the desk lamp light stopped moving. Han Tae-un, who had been skimming the textbook open next to his notebook with his thick fingertips, put the pen tip back on the notebook. Sitting at the desk in a plain T-shirt and sweatpants, his current appearance looked closer to an ordinary college student than a hunter.

Angular writing filled the last line of the notebook. He sighed softly through his nose as he turned the page. The desk lamp, the only light left on for concentration, reflected in long oval shapes on his dry eyes.

Balancing hunter duties that required being on call day and night with law studies, known for their heavy workload, was by no means easy. It would have been impossible without the stamina granted upon awakening as a 1st-grade hunter. On top of that, Tae-un had one more factor that consumed a lot of his time.

Han Tae-un's official position was a hunter affiliated with the Rift Phenomenon Management Agency, and his status straddling the boundary between public and private was that of a university student. Lastly, in an extremely private capacity, he was someone's lover and live-in partner. For him, who was performing various roles in one body these days, personal time was practically non-existent.

So he should be using this precious time of being alone in the dormitory after a long while.

The pen stopped again after writing just a few more characters. It was too quiet all around. He hadn't realized the pen made such a loud sound. That was because usually, the sound of his lover watching TV or bustling about outside the door constantly leaked in.

'Han Tae-un, when are you coming out!'

'Just a moment. Let me finish this part. It won't take long.'

"..."

"..."

Bang!

'You said it wouldn't take long, so why aren't you coming out!'

'How long has it been since I said that...'

His lover, unable to exercise even 5 minutes of patience, would barge in and complain that he should stop studying. In the end, Tae-un had no choice but to put down his pen and get up.

No. He couldn't just blame his lover. When he was in the same space as Jin Soram, he equally wanted to touch him, talk to him, and couldn't take his eyes off him. The symptoms had worsened to affect even moments when Soram wasn't there. Like now.

Today, Soram had been absent since six o'clock. He had gone to carry out an external schedule with Park Jae-seon, who had become the Rift Management Agency Director a few months ago. That's why Tae-un had made do with a hastily bought hamburger set instead of cooking stew for dinner and sat in the study room.

His resolve to finish assignments in advance was fading. He was having even more trouble concentrating now than when Soram would whine while clinging to his back. Unable to read even two paragraphs, his eyes turned to the wall clock. The hands formed a slightly disheveled right angle. 9:05. He wanted to ask when he would be back, but it would be difficult to contact him as he would be meeting important people. He had no intention of calling first in case he might disturb him. He just missed him a little. It wasn't like he was Gyeon-woo crying for his love while looking at the night sky, but he couldn't help feeling sentimental.

Perhaps the study environment wasn't that important after all. The purpose of this difficult path of balancing studies and hunter duties was to be with Soram peacefully for a long time, but lately, when he was with him, he already felt like he had achieved everything. It meant he was full to bursting, let alone having a hungry spirit...

Still, with some of his diligent student spirit remaining, he stubbornly sat at the desk even while lost in thought, then pulled himself together and picked up his pen.

I miss you.

He inadvertently wrote an irrelevant content in the notebook where he was summarizing class material. He sighed and reached for the correction tape, then put it back down.

He started writing notes again from the line below the doodle. The waiting time resembled the sky that had turned completely black.

By the time he finished and submitted one assignment, and got up with an empty water glass, it was past eleven o'clock.

He's quite late.

While filling the cup with cold water, Tae-un entered his phone's message inbox. Lest he make a mistake outside, Soram's number was saved as "Chief Jin Soram" just like before they started dating. However, the atmosphere of the message inbox was quite different from the stiff title.

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Chief Jin Soram: [Righteous Soram dispatched]

Chief Jin Soram: [Coming back after clearing out the bastards blocking the Director's path]

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Below that, a single emoticon with a clenched fist...

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Me: [Calm down.]

Me: [Take it easy.]

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The messages he had sent urgently afterward were still unread.

'So what on earth are you trying to do?'

"..."

After staring at the text for a long time, he put down his phone without figuring out the answer.

He had heard that various hardships were piling up for Park Jae-seon, who had become a minister at a relatively young age. And Soram was not someone who would just stand by and watch Park Jae-seon struggle.

...The problem was that he probably wouldn't be too patient with the people giving Director Park Jae-seon a hard time.

Tae-un realized he was already assuming some incident would occur, only hoping it wouldn't be too big.

Looking back on his own behavior since childhood, Soram's personality was very far from the people he had associated with until now. Honestly, even now, if he met a similar troublemaker, he would probably quietly slip away. Except for Soram.

Han Tae-un's standards for others had long since become meaningless when it came to Jin Soram.

So.

He wished he would come back soon, even if it meant completely preventing him from doing his assignments, chattering all night, and getting upset over nothing.

Tae-un put the cup down in the sink and walked to the refrigerator. He intended to make at least simple preparations for tomorrow's breakfast. He had no plans to sleep until Soram returned anyway.

While assessing the ingredients in the cold air of the refrigerator, his phone on the home bar vibrated, rattling against the marble. The vibration didn't end with one but continued several times. Tae-un closed the refrigerator door and returned to his phone.

Since it wasn't ringing with the designated ringtone, it wasn't a call from Soram. However, upon checking the caller, it was someone he had to immediately bring the phone to his ear for.

"This is Han Tae-un."

–Hmm, Tae-un. Are you still up?

"Yes. Director, is something the matter?"

–Can you come out to pick someone up for a moment?

Pick someone up?

***

"Uuuuuu."

"..."

"Auuubrbrbrp..."

Jin Soram was making sounds that seemed more fitting for pre-evolved humans while rubbing his head. Tae-un picked up Soram, who was sleeping as if glued to a pile of cushions, and carried him on his back. As he lifted the limp body with a suppressed sigh, Soram again cried out in an unclear language.

Usually, people this drunk would smell of alcohol, but Soram's body scent was almost no different from usual. Except for that fact, he was the typical image of an obnoxious drunk.

"I'm sorry. At this late hour."

"It's alright. Are you okay, Director?"

"I'm fine, of course. Soram's alcohol tolerance is a really unique case among hunters."

Tae-un carried Soram on his back and left through the back door of the traditional Korean restaurant with Park Jae-seon. Park Jae-seon walked alongside him and spoke with a voice tinged with laughter.

"Soram once told me, if there was ever a situation so awful I wanted to overturn everything, to call him."

"Yes."

"This time it was really senile... well, someone who wouldn't listen to reason. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I asked Soram to come out, and would you believe it."

At first, Soram pretended to be well-behaved. He imitated an inexperienced, naive young man and occupied a corner of the drinking party surrounded by stubborn old men.

Even Park Jae-seon, called a national hero, was being disrespected by people citing his age, let alone Soram who wasn't even thirty yet. As expected, casual remarks were exchanged. However, Soram maintained a docile attitude to an extent that surprised Park Jae-seon.

Nevertheless, after various nitpicking, he was criticized for not emptying even one glass of alcohol. Drink quickly, tsk tsk, how can you not do even that, how dare you when an elder is offering, you can't survive in society like that. After such talk, Soram reluctantly emptied one glass, and before he could catch his breath, another under pressure.

Exactly two glasses. He became completely drunk right then and there, his eyes rolling back.

Soram, who had raised his previously gentle gaze, pointed at each person sitting there with a sharply raised index finger.

I've remembered your faces and names.

Know that you'll all see yourselves in the news tomorrow for forcibly making a young hunter who risks their life to protect the country drink and being stubborn.

If that promise were to be realized, the news headlines the next day would probably be something like this:

<Power trip even on hunters? "This is too much even for them" Chosen people mentality gone too far... "Who do they think they are?">

<Famous hunter J, the burst resentment of a young civil servant in their 20s>

<[Column] South Korea stabbing the backs of those it protects behind hunters>

Considering Soram's image after the 4th Great Rift, it was something that could really be taken to a public opinion battle and bury everything.

The people present belatedly recalled Soram's infamous reputation they had forgotten. As well as his appearances causing trouble on the news from time to time.

"Did the matter get resolved well?"

"Yes. Soram took care of everything and they ran away."

"I see."

Whether he really caused trouble through the news tomorrow, or used this incident to gain a hold over them. Either way, he achieved what he wanted.

Tae-un sighed softly so Park Jae-seon wouldn't hear.

He knew this incident ranked among the minor ones among the troubles Soram had caused.

As for treating people roughly, he no longer had the heart to nag about it. He hoped Soram would do whatever he wanted in this life, no matter what it was.

But did he have to use the fact that he was weak to alcohol, knowing he would suffer from a hangover the next day? Maybe it would have been better if he had just smashed up the building where the drinking party was held.

It was still the method Tae-un hated most, throwing himself while embracing the bomb. Jin Soram, altruistic to the point of foolishness.