Siwoo also put down the spoon he was holding. Compared to Eunha’s empty bowl, his bowl still had a heap of curry rice.

‘For him…… the senior.’

He had been trapped in an unknown gate for 30 years. In short, he had sacrificed himself.

Thinking about it, a question naturally arose.

‘Why?’

Siwoo had never made such a sacrifice for anyone, and he had no intention of doing so, even for his family.

“What kind of person was he?”

He didn’t expect to be satisfied with whatever answer he got.

But he was just curious.

What kind of person was he that made her throw herself into that sacrifice?

“Well, if I must say, he was a gentle person.”

Eunha, who had been staring at the empty bowl, murmured vaguely and even managed to crack a faint smile, as if recalling some memory.

‘Gentle…… you say?’

Who? The Maestro? It was an unbelievable story, and not even a hollow laugh escaped him.

Eunha’s gaze fell on Siwoo, whose complexion had turned very serious.

“So tell me now. How do you know Baek Lee Joon?”

“How? There’s nothing to it. Every Korean knows him.”

Eunha tilted her head slightly at Siwoo’s words. She seemed not to understand what he meant.

Although he didn’t feel like bringing it up, Siwoo had no choice but to open his mouth again.

“He’s South Korea’s first Sclass Hunter.”

“What?”

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders. Eunha looked genuinely surprised.

It was natural. The Lee Joon that Eunha remembered was far from combat.

“Ah. It might be a bit awkward to call him South Korea’s first Sclass since he’s American.”

With that, Siwoo pulled back his chair and stood up.

“Anyway, he visited South Korea. After about 30 years.”

He spoke nonchalantly as he gathered the dishes from the table and headed to the sink. His hand, reaching for the rubber gloves, stopped.

“……Senior.”

Without turning his head, Siwoo licked his stiff lips.

“Senior, do you want to meet him?”

It was such a difficult question that his reluctant lips were frustrating.

The answer didn’t come right away. She might think it was a strange question.

He shouldn’t have asked. The late regret rushed over him like a flood.

“Not particularly.”

Suddenly, Siwoo’s head turned, his eyes meeting Eunha’s as she sat at the dining table, propping up her chin.

“Why are you surprised? Do I have to want to see him?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Siwoo blinked slowly, licking his trembling lips.

“Didn’t you sacrifice yourself for him, Senior?”

“Sacrifice?”

She brushed the hair flowing down her shoulders behind her ear and spoke again.

“You seem to think of me as a hero.”

If she had to say, she was close.

Being a firstgeneration Hunter was almost synonymous with being a hero for modern Hunters.

But it seemed that Eunha didn’t see it that way.

“If so, you may be mistaken. I’m probably much more listless than you think.”
That day, the moment she was trapped in the Unknown Gate, it wasn’t that Eun Ha made a sacrifice. She had simply chosen the option that seemed less damaging when thought about realistically.

Eun Ha had neither the strength nor hope nor anything else left to live in reality. So she chose to stay in the Gate.

She had no intention of wrapping it up as a sacrifice.

“You’re the one who’s misunderstanding.”

Turning around, Siwoo quietly denied it.

“You’re probably much cooler than you think, Senior.”

“……”

“Really.”

Eun Ha, who had been resting her chin, slowly lowered her hand.

A moment of silence.

Wearing rubber gloves, Siwoo turned on the tap. Perhaps to hide her embarrassment.

Swoosh─

The tap water hit the faucet and poured out vigorously. A low chuckle was heard from behind it.

“Yes, thank you.”

Suddenly, Siwoo, who had been washing dishes, stopped. But that was only for a moment, and she resumed washing the dishes carelessly.

Siwoo, who had finished washing the dishes neatly, put on her hood again and picked up her car keys.

“Hmm. I will deliver a new mobile phone to you tomorrow.”

“It’s not urgent, so you can give it to me slowly.”

“No, it’s urgent. For me.”

Siwoo shook her head firmly. She really didn’t know that not being able to contact her would be so frustrating.

Besides, it wouldn’t be strange if something happened soon with Trickster or Maestro’s gun. Both sides were people to be watched.

Siwoo, who had picked up the food waste bag she had tied earlier, put on her shoes.

“I owe you a lot in many ways.”

Eun Ha, standing in front of the shoe rack, murmured. Siwoo, who was tying her sneakers, looked up slightly.

“Eh? What?”

“Just. This and that.”

Eun Ha, leaning her head slightly against the wall, narrowed her eyes with a smile.

“It would have been really tough without you.”

“……No, well, that’s.”

Siwoo bowed her head deeply and answered briefly and weakly. Only after a long struggle with the unusually troublesome shoelace today did she raise her bowed head.

“Then…… I’ll go now.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Eun Ha gave a quick wave of her hand. After a short farewell, he ran out of there.

Thump, thump, thump. The footsteps echoing in the corridor were unusually loud.

Ding dong─

「17th floor.」

The moment the elevator doors opened, Siwoo realized that she had not yet said everything she needed to say.

She had to tell Eun Ha, whose mobile phone was broken, about Trickster, and she should have asked more about Lee Joon……

Siwoo quickly turned her head and stared at the closed front door.

‘See you tomorrow.’

─Well, does it matter?

Turning her head back again, Siwoo got on the elevator.

…….

…….

Ding dong─

「1st floor.」

The elevator doors opened, and the moment she took a step.

‘It would have been really tough without you.’

Inadvertently, she quickly turned her head.

Suddenly, she caught eyes with herself in the elevator mirror.

“……”

Only then did Siwoo realize that she was wearing a strange face.

……If she had known she was making such a foolish face, she would have never looked in the mirror until the end.

With great effort, Siwoo pulled down the corners of her mouth, which were slowly rising, and hurried out of the elevator.