I Possess Too Many Characteristics

Chapter 36

On the path leading from the Korea Hunter Association’s main gate to the main building.

The weather was clear, and the breeze was cool, making it a moment where you couldn’t help but feel good just walking.

Perhaps because it was a public institution, the Korea Hunter Association seemed to have paid quite a bit of attention to landscaping its vast grounds, making it feel like a park.

“Ha, the weather’s great……!”

Jeonghyeon, too, was enjoying this leisurely moment after a long time and stretched out his arms wide to take a deep breath.

But at that moment, he saw someone and froze in place.

‘W-why is Cha Yerin here?’

From afar, Cha Yerin was walking straight toward Jeonghyeon.

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, his heart suddenly tightened, and his breath hitched. The refreshing feeling he had until a moment ago was gone.

Jeonghyeon quietly folded his outstretched arms and turned around as naturally as possible.

Even if he had to go back outside the Association, he wanted to avoid getting involved with Cha Yerin.

‘Damn it, why is that person working at the Association when she’s an A-Rank? Why not join another guild……’

It wasn’t even the time when people were coming and going for work.

But who would have thought he’d run into Cha Yerin at the entrance of the Association, which he visited by chance?

Jeonghyeon grumbled inwardly for an absurd reason and started walking back the way he came, trying to appear as natural as possible.

However,

“Were you just thinking, ‘Why is an A-Rank Hunter working at the Association?'”

“Eugh!”

Startled by the voice he shouldn’t have heard from behind, Jeonghyeon let out a strange cry.

“How……”

“Oh? Is that true? That’s a bit hurtful. There are so many A-Rank Hunters in the Association besides me.”

“N-no, how did you cover such a long distance so quickly……”

He was at least 200 meters away when he saw Cha Yerin.

Moreover, it wasn’t like there were few people around.

Even if it wasn’t rush hour, she managed to spot him through the crowd, which was comparable to a busy street, and in less than 3 seconds, she was right behind him.

It was a chilling experience.

“Aha, well, I’m an ‘A-Rank Hunter’. I can’t understand why someone like you would work at a ‘place like the Association’.”

“No, I’m telling you I wasn’t thinking that!”

“More importantly, how long are you going to keep your back turned? I’d like to see your face.”

Only then did Jeonghyeon realize that he was still facing away from Cha Yerin.

He couldn’t seem to stand up to Cha Yerin, as if he were a prey animal encountering a predator.

“Ahaha, I was just surprised. How have you been?”

“No, I haven’t been well.”

“……?”

Was that really the answer he should have gotten?

Of course, being the head of the Association’s Investigation Department wouldn’t be easy.

She might have had a bad day.

But still, it wasn’t normal to respond to a greeting like that, was it?

Especially when Jeonghyeon wasn’t even the reason.

“I heard you went hunting with the Jeongjin Guild.”

‘Ah, I was the reason.’

Only then did Jeonghyeon vaguely understand why Yerin felt particularly intimidating.

He turned to face Yerin, his joints creaking like a broken robot.

Yerin was smiling, but somehow, her beautiful smile seemed to hide the aspect of a ferocious beast that sent shivers down his spine.

“Well, I didn’t really want to go, but they…… No, wait, how did you know?”

“Never mind that, why don’t you go with me sometime?”

‘Is she deliberately changing the subject? This brazenly?’

He had a feeling she was.

Well, it wasn’t that surprising considering it was Yerin.

He had a vague idea of how she might have known he entered the Gate with Jeongjin.

The Association manages guild reservations, after all.

If someone like the head of the Association’s Investigation Department wanted to find out that kind of information, there was no way she couldn’t.

She probably had her own connections with the guilds.

Anyway, hunting with Yerin? No way.

He didn’t even want to go near the Gate entrance with her, but there was something he had to ask.

“……What level are you?”

“Well, wouldn’t a 5-level Gate be a good start?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Of course not.”

The question and the immediate answer were given without a moment’s hesitation.

A 5-level Gate?

It was a suggestion that made him wonder if she was really out to kill him.

Jeonghyeon’s level was, at best, close to a 4-level Gate.

He’d just gone through so much trouble in a 3-level Gate.

‘I was thinking of going to a 4-level Gate soon, but…… No, wait, what’s with this person?’

“So, you’re a 5-level?”

“You’ll have to hunt with me to find out.”

Yerin answered with a relaxed smile.

He figured Yerin must have lowered the level as much as possible to accommodate him, but the pressure of a 5-level Gate was still immense.

It was a clear limit that lower-ranked Hunters couldn’t reach and a turning point where even among higher-ranked Hunters, the class changed.

No matter how amazing an A-Rank was, reaching level 5 at her age required that much talent and experience.

‘This person, she’s a bigger monster than I thought……’

What was she hiding behind that beautiful face and delicate body?

Anyway, Jeonghyeon didn’t want to hunt with her, let alone go near the Gate entrance.

“Unfortunately, I can’t go hunting with you. I’ll be going now.”

“Oh my, where are you going?”

“To the Equipment Rental. It was nice meeting you.”

His tone clearly indicated that he didn’t want to see her face anymore.

After waving his hand lightly, Jeonghyeon definitely started to leave.

However,

“……Why do you keep following me?”

Yerin started following Jeonghyeon, even though it wasn’t the direction she was originally going.

Jeonghyeon asked, fixing his gaze straight ahead, as if not wanting to give her any leeway.

Yerin chuckled and replied.

“You’re a person of interest, Mr. Han Jeonghyeon. I’m worried you might enter a restricted area with Hunter secrets.”

“I’m telling you I’m not!”

Why was he a person of interest?

Well, of course, if his EX-Rank were to be revealed, he would be a person of interest, but for now, he was just an ordinary unregistered Hunter.

More than anything, it was more burdensome because it was Yerin, of all people, who was acting like that.

But once she decided to follow him, there was nothing Jeonghyeon could do.

He’d have to beat up an A-Rank level 5 Hunter, which was incredibly unpleasant and annoying.

‘Just wait until I become A-Rank……’

All he could do was grit his teeth and bear it.

In the end, Yerin, for some reason in high spirits, followed him all the way to the Equipment Rental behind the main building with light steps.

Creak━

“Welcome…… Oh?”

As he opened the door to the Equipment Rental, Cheol-yong greeted him in his usual old-fashioned way.

But he tilted his head before he could finish his greeting properly.

Was he surprised to see Jeonghyeon because it wasn’t quite a month yet, or was he surprised to see Yerin following Jeonghyeon with a bright smile?

“That young man aside, what brings you here, Manager Cha?”

It seemed likely to be the latter.

“Oh, I have no business at the Equipment Rental. I’m just following a person of interest.”

It would be a big deal if security were compromised, right?

Yerin added with a grin.

Jeonghyeon was too tired to argue or get angry anymore.

“Goodness, a person of interest, you say. What brings you here?”

At the sound of Cheol-yong clicking his tongue, Jeonghyeon suddenly remembered why he had come to the Equipment Rental.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it even more infuriating than Yerin following him here?

“Hey, Mister. Look at the state of this mace, huh? Can I trust you to rent this out in this condition?”

“What? Oh dear, this is a disaster.”

‘Disaster? Yeah, a disaster, a disaster for my life!’

Cheol-yong received the mace, now separated into its handle and head, and examined it with a regretful look.

Jeonghyeon started arguing, as if steam were about to come out of his nose.

“I almost died because of this! Huh? A Ghoul scratched me here? Huh?”

It seemed like his pent-up frustration had exploded at the right moment, but his momentum was quite fierce.

But Cheol-yong wasn’t someone who would easily back down either.

“Well, that’s unfortunate, but since the equipment is damaged, you’ll have to pay for it.”

“What? Pay for it? Mister Cheol-yong, if I had died, would you have paid for my life?”

“What are you talking about, young man? I’m sorry, but damaged equipment is damaged equipment.”

A tense battle of nerves ensued between Jeonghyeon and Cheol-yong.

It was a situation where neither could easily back down.

When they were just staring at each other without saying a word.

“Excuse me, I overheard that the mace rented by Hunter Han Jeonghyeon broke during battle, is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s it!”

Yerin intervened.

Realistically speaking, even if she wasn’t directly involved, Cha Yerin was the most influential person present.

They both looked at her with anticipation in their eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s embarrassing.”

“Ahem.”

“Ahem.”

This time, they both cleared their throats, blushing, as if on cue.

Yerin smiled and continued.

Cheol-yong might not know, but,

“I understand that according to the rental regulations, if equipment is damaged during battle, the rental fee is refunded, and a compensation of 200 is added. Isn’t that right, Chief? I’m from the Investigation Department, so I don’t know for sure, am I wrong?”

In fact, as long as the opponent was Jeonghyeon, the outcome was as good as decided.

“━!”

“What? There’s such a thing?”

“Ahem, ahem! Such a regulation…… Oh dear, this kind of thing doesn’t happen often, so I must have forgotten……”

The tables had turned, and the outcome was decided in an instant.

Jeonghyeon pressed Cheol-yong, his voice rising.

It was Yerin who answered instead of the stammering Cheol-yong.

“Of course. Equipment is a Hunter’s life. If you charge a Hunter, that makes you a thug, not the Association. I think the Equipment Rental Chief must have made a mistake.”

“That’s right, I must have mistaken it for the damage regulations for daily use! Of course, we should compensate if it was during battle.”

Cheol-yong made excuses, sweating profusely, but Jeonghyeon wasn’t fooled.

‘What a pathetic excuse.’

No matter how he tried to see it in a positive light, he couldn’t see Cheol-yong as anything but despicable.

To think he was trying to rip off small-time Hunters who had to rent equipment, and even try to take their lives.

At that moment, Yerin placed the equipment in Jeonghyeon’s hand on the counter.

“When……?”

Jeonghyeon, who hadn’t even noticed when the equipment was taken from his hand, looked at Yerin in shock, but she just smiled and spoke to Cheol-yong.

“Then please take care of the return of these rentals. And please make sure the compensation is delivered to Hunter Han Jeonghyeon through the Association.”

“Ahem, I understand. I won’t forget.”

“Now that we’re done here, shall we go?”

“No, I need to talk a little more━ Ugh!”

As Jeonghyeon, furious at Cheol-yong, seemed like he was about to argue further, Yerin grabbed his wrist and immediately left the Equipment Rental.

“Hunter Han Jeonghyeon.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think the Chief would have taken the money anyway. Well, he probably wouldn’t have given you the compensation either.”

“Exactly! Regulations must be followed!”

“Well, maybe he has his own reasons?”

Jeonghyeon couldn’t speak when Yerin’s voice, staring intently at him, was devoid of its usual playfulness.

Reasons?

“I’ll report this matter to the relevant department and make sure it’s resolved properly. Do you have any other business?”

“Ah, I have to go pick up the cake I ordered━ I’m so forgetful. You’re busy, so go ahead and take care of your work.”

Jeonghyeon, unable to adapt to the suddenly serious Yerin, almost blurted out his remaining schedule and barely managed to make an excuse.

But Yerin’s eyes had already flashed once.

“As expected…… A Hunter who’s only been awakened for a month using the Crafting Workshop. You’re a person of interest.”

“It’s not the Crafting Workshop, it’s a custom-made cake━”

“Then why don’t you go ahead?”

“……Are you going to follow me there too?”

Yerin just smiled without answering Jeonghyeon’s question.

Jeonghyeon, who had been making eye contact with her for a moment, sighed and started walking.

Of course, that direction was towards the Crafting Workshop behind the Equipment Rental.

Now that he thought about it, thanks to Yerin, he was able to receive compensation, so maybe he could get some help at the Crafting Workshop as well?

“By the way, you’re making good use of the Association’s facilities. Have you considered joining the━”

“Would you please shut your mouth!”

Of course, he’d have to endure that much stress.