GM Ch75

Minjun was the type to endlessly open up to those he trusted. And Soohyuk was taking full advantage of that.

Instead of pushing hard, Soohyuk decided to take his time, letting Minjun get used to light physical contact. At the same time, he intended to subtly let others know about their relationship.

“Oh, Guild Leader Wooju is doing the drawing. I’m up next, so I should hurry over.”

“Okay,”

“Relax.”

Soohyuk waved lightly and headed towards the stage. Watching Soohyuk’s light steps, Minjun had a premonition. It felt like Soohyuk was going to push him into doing a commercial.

But he didn’t worry too much. He could just refuse when the time came.

After Seo Wooju finished the drawing, Soohyuk took the stage. The final prize was a legendary longsword. Even from a distance, the sword’s gleaming brilliance was impressive.

“Everyone, please put your hands together for a moment. Yes, just like that. Thank you. The legendary item, the Raging Flame Sword, was donated by me. Now, give it up!”

The man holding the microphone captivated the audience with a smoother delivery than the host. Soohyuk spread his arms, urging applause. Cheers and claps erupted.

“And the lucky winner of the Raging Flame Sword is!”

Soohyuk didn’t drag it out and announced the winner immediately. The final prize went to a B-class hunter. As the woman, holding the legendary weapon, descended the stage with a trembling voice of gratitude, Soohyuk stepped forward again.

It was time for his eulogy. Holding the microphone, he took a deep breath and looked around the audience.

“Seventeen years ago, I met a hero. I was in the fourth grade. On my way home, I got into a car accident. The car caught fire, and the door wouldn’t open. I was terrified. As I trembled in fear, a hero in a school uniform appeared like a miracle, tore off the door, and saved me. I searched for him but never found out who he was.”

Hearing this story for the first time, Minjun’s eyes widened. It wasn’t just him; everyone at the event held their breath, listening intently to Soohyuk’s voice.

“Then, twelve years ago, on the day of the Catastrophe, I met the hero again. On Gangbyeonbuk-ro. A man was beating monsters pouring out of a gate with his bare hands. I recognized him instantly. He was my hero. Yes, you all must have guessed by now. My hero is hunter Kim Minjun.”

Minjun remembered the car engulfed in flames. The door, twisted from the crash, wouldn’t open easily. So Minjun borrowed a shovel from a nearby store, tore off the door, and pulled out the elementary school boy and the unconscious driver trapped inside.

He had been on his way to a part-time job, so he left the driver and the boy with nearby adults and left the scene.

That elementary school boy was Soohyuk?

Minjun was speechless at the astonishing connection. It was also surprising that Soohyuk had been on Gangbyeonbuk-ro on the day of the Catastrophe.

Minjun had been on his way to meet a friend that weekend. Suddenly, a giant lizard-like monster appeared in front of a bus that had come to a halt. Struggling to escape from the lizard monster that had wrapped its long tail around his waist, Minjun awakened his power.

The monsters pouring out of the gate were not just one or two. Since he could turn the lizard monster to dust with a single punch, it wasn’t difficult to fight them off, but he was so out of it that he couldn’t remember who was around him that day.

“On the day hunter Kim Minjun disappeared with the Hydra, I witnessed it with my own eyes. When I close my eyes, I can still vividly see him crossing the sky like a brilliant comet. I can say with confidence that the reason Seoul wasn’t destroyed and the reason I can stand here today is all thanks to hunter Kim Minjun’s brave dedication.”

The solemn and sincere praise brought a hush over the crowd. Everyone at the event clearly remembered the incident that had occurred that day. The majesty of the Hydra, which was called the second catastrophe, was captured in countless videos. The poison, fire, and ice spewed from the Hydra’s mouth had turned Seoul into chaos in an instant. Even though eight years had passed, the fear and despair etched into people’s hearts remained.

No one could deny Soohyuk’s words that Seoul was safe and that they were all there thanks to hunter Kim Minjun’s sacrifice.

“Eight years ago, a hero appeared on this land and defeated the catastrophe. I remember the hero’s name. Hunter Kim Minjun. I hope your name will be remembered and respected for a thousand years, and another thousand years, and yet another thousand years.”

Some people took out their phones to capture Soohyuk’s image, while others pressed their fingertips to their eyes, trying to hold back tears.

Minjun felt a mix of embarrassment and pride. It was touching to know that someone was there to loudly proclaim that he had lived his life to the fullest.

As Minjun rubbed his flushed cheeks, the eulogy continued.

“Right now, we are fighting enemies we have never seen before. These terrible monsters are trying to destroy everything we have built. Throughout human history, insurmountable hardships have always come, and we have always overcome them. Just like hunter Kim Minjun did. Everyone, please become brave heroes. I, too, will follow in hunter Kim Minjun’s footsteps to protect the world.”

When Soohyuk finished his eulogy, cheers erupted. People stood up and applauded. As Soohyuk bowed slightly and waved with a smile, the cheers and applause grew even louder.

Feeling a mix of pride and emotion, Minjun couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden status window that appeared.

***

“Wow, what a nice speech.”

“My fingers are all curled up.”

“The reporters must be delighted with their scoop.”

“This isn’t an ordinary relationship it seems. How many times has hunter Kim Minjun saved his life?”

“Three times?”

“So it’s fate.”

The S-rank hunters, except for Seo Wooju, were all making comments to Yoon Soohyuk. Their tone was one of admiration mixed with teasing, indicating their close relationship.

The atmosphere seemed good.

Minjun, who was listening to the S-rank hunters’ conversation using the wind spirit, quietly smiled. From the moment Soohyuk casually mentioned he had plans today, Minjun had anticipated a gathering of S-rank hunters.

He needed to confirm whether Choi Euiseong had informed the S-rank hunters about the Whispering Poison. So, he had placed the wind spirit next to Soohyuk.

After the opening ceremony, Minjun returned to the dormitory, changed clothes, and waited in the living room. The dormitory was the safest place to quietly listen to the S-rank hunters’ conversation.

The S-rank hunters gathered at a Korean restaurant somewhere in Seoul were quite chatty. The warm atmosphere suggested they were on good terms with each other.

“By the way, is it true? That he tore off the door? He wasn’t a hunter back then, right? How was that possible?”

“Yeah, really?”

“You’re not making this up, are you?”

All the S-rank hunters looked at Soohyuk.

“I borrowed a shovel from a nearby store. Our hunter Kim Minjun is quite resourceful.”

The wind spirit didn’t just transmit sounds. It conveyed the appearance of people, the surrounding scents, and the flow of the air.

Soohyuk’s voice, filled with joy, made Minjun feel a bit embarrassed again. The unwavering faith of his first believer was a burden for an ordinary human who had yet to attain divinity.

“This is definitely going to be on the news. Do you think Minjun will see it?”

“He doesn’t watch the news.”

“If it’s spread everywhere, he’ll see it.”

In the brief conversation, Minjun felt a sense of incongruity. They were talking as if he were still alive.

No way?

Minjun quickly deduced the culprit. The only person who knew he was alive was Choi Euiseong. Despite his earnest request to keep it a secret, it seemed he had revealed it already.

Minjun had braced himself for this possibility when he wrote the letter. Still, he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

“If Minjun hyung hears people calling him a hero or a savior, he’ll run away. He hates that kind of stuff.”

Cursing Choi Euiseong inwardly, Minjun couldn’t help but agree. Thanks to their close relationship before he went to the other world, Choi Euiseong knew him well.

“Yeah, Minjun does have that side.”

Lee Hana agreed with Choi Euiseong’s words.

“That’s what you call a tsundere, right?”

Kwak Jonghoon mentioned the term.

“Hunter Kim Minjun is a tsundere?”

Hwang Sujin asked if that was certain. Next to them, Lee Hana asked what tsundere meant, and Choi Euiseong explained that it referred to someone who appears cold on the outside but is warm on the inside.

The S-rank hunters who knew Minjun didn’t deny it. Instead, they all agreed in unison. Even Seo Wooju’s agreement shocked Minjun.

“Yeah, Minjun does have that side.”

“He acts grumpy, but he takes on all the tough jobs.”

“He hates suck-ups, but if you beg for help, he can’t just walk away.”

“That’s why he suffered a lot.”

Choi Euiseong and Lee Hana exchanged remarks that could be either compliments or criticisms. Listening quietly beside them, Soohyuk muttered with a smile, “A tsundere, huh? That’s kind of cute.”

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