Chapter Text
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โ Let me tie my shadow to your feet and call it friendship, I said to myself. โย
โ Ocean Vuong.
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I never saw him coming.ย
Then again, no one outside the government did, not like this.ย
I didnโt intend to be there until I wound up in that place at the exact time he did.
Sometimes, a chance, unplanned decision that changes lifeโs trajectory is disguised as fate.
I wonder now, as I have lately, more than once, if that is true or takes other forms.
Like meeting an American, Christopher Reed.
The last person I ever expected to โ
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My running feet are a rapid blur, pattering rhythmically, as I practically leap along the Southern Bank of the Han Riverโs edge beside Yeouidoโs park district near the National Assembly, nearby where Jinah and I explored places as children. The overcast pre-dawn light bathes my once white, worn, mud-splattered sneakers in a washed-out silver, my toes darting ahead of me in my lower peripheral vision, as if Iโm chasing two snow rabbits. The frayed shoe laces look like ears. To my left are gray, quicksilver waters, tall spindly reeds, and a gargantuan weeping willow, drooping branches and swaying leaves stroking the damp ground like tresses.ย
I can feel squelching moisture through my worn soles. I enjoy the peaceful, mindless act of going somewhere new without a destination beyond the ten kilometers I need to finish for my daily exercise routineโa simple goal to get stronger. Seoulโs beautiful skyline looms at my back as I fight to run faster, struggle to swallow with the burn in my throat, lungs, and chest burning, white fire brazing a path through the determination rushing in my veins until a searing heat wave hits my back like distant Napalm as a deafening explosion ricochets in my ears. The world lights up, painted a harrowing crimson. At first, I think Iโve been burned, that the color is my blood, and I fall face-first, drenched in mud.ย
I instinctively take stock of my condition, find Iโm in one piece, but it is no comfort as my head whips, neck twisting to see over my shoulder behind me. My widening eyes peering down the river as fragments of shrapnel rain down like shooting stars. The sky itself looks like the clouds are bleeding from mortal wounds where they arenโt blackened. There is a pillar of pure flame reaching into the sky. Distant screams raise the hairs on my nape. Like a shard of live coal, I watch a smoldering piece drop on the weeping willow, and it combusts like an atom bomb, the tree instantly turning black and crumbling into a heap of pitch-black ash. A mushroom plume of smoke rises in the sky menacingly, and it doesnโt smell acrid. Much worse.
โHoly hellโฆโ I donโt finish. I canโt. Because, somehow, I am sure I will meet Death early if even a spark touches me. Scrambling to my knees with a startled shout, my survival instinct propels me forward, flight kicking in instantly, adrenaline bleeding in my every cell. The scent of smoke makes my heart pound as fire rains down behind me and kills everything it touches with ruthless, instantaneous fury. I instinctively run toward the concrete piers to search for other humans and skid to a halt on the nearest floating dock, where river cruise ships and small diplomatic foreign vessels are. When I reach it, the fire I saw flickers out, and something is floating in the water, splashing, gasping for air. It is a man.ย
The man locks gazes with me, two icy blue eyes held in a pallid face, brown hair plastered to his head.
Yet, the man does not shout for help as I stand frozen there, tiny bright flashes of light raining and burning deep, smoldering holes into the ground, through stone pebbles.
My conscience decides for me when the desperately struggling man sinks silently beneath the waterโs surface.
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I donโt know why I jumped into the deep end of those waters when I couldโve died,
When I was running on pure adrenaline, every instinct warned me to evacuate the area.
That sinister, all-consuming fiery shrapnel still rained around me, and turned the water into steam on contact.
I had to get back to Jinah, mother. But my father didnโt hesitate to save people; we shared blood. Even I could be an idiot.
I couldnโt stand there and let this helpless stranger die when I couldโve saved him.
Perhaps, thatโs the nature of Hunters.
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I almost drowned, dragging his muscular figure out of the water. If it werenโt for my exercises I do to avoid penalties and the modest level I've reached, I would have. I struggle less than I would have a month ago, hauling the heavy bastard to the floating dock and dropping him flat on his back with all my strength, coughing water violently from my lungs as I pump his abnormally hard chest to restart his heart after checking that he isnโt breathing. Performing CPR is the easy part. The Korean Hunterโs Association teaches every hunter first aid, especially E-Ranks with the lowest chance of survival in dungeons. I donโt think twice about opening his mouth and forcing oxygen into his lungs with rescue breaths before continuing compressions with steady hands, counting in gritted out curses as I do. Any moment now, shrapnel can land on us. My ears ring, shrill, like the after-toll of a bell.ย
His eyes snap open with my lips on his, and he gasps a massive lungful of air.ย
โThereโs no time! We have to go!โ I shout at him, holding out my hand so he will take it, and I can guide him to safety.
Those arctic-blue irises land on me, stunned, then flicker to my outstretched fingers, and he glowers furiously as if Iโve offended him, and he will strike me dead. I back away automatically as his sheer, overwhelming anger washes over me. A light flashes above my head, but heโs up instantly, pulls me against his chest, and slaps it away like a firefly. My gut drops through the wood beneath my feet, anchoring me to my spot, my feet glued as if stuck to cement, but I pivot on my heel, sure that he is the causeโย
โTake me somewhere nobody will find us.โ He coughs.
His hand tightens around my waist, his lips burning against my frigid ear, yet heโs warm as a summerโs day, his muscular chest smolders against my back through our ice-cold, drenched clothes. Heโs not much taller than me, but my instincts tell me that if I refuse him, he will abandon me to my fate. I am wrong, but I donโt know it. Only the danger he poses awakens my lizard brain, but his grip is not hurting me. Confusion wars with survival, yet Iโm far more concerned with the shrapnel.
โW-what?โ
โGuide me somewhere isolated and close by,โ The man assumes I donโt speak English, and fluent Korean snaps from his lips, his deep voice breathless and ragged against my cheekbone, โand Iโll keep you safe from the flames.โ
โAre you a criminal?โ I question anyway, because Iโll be damned if I assist a fugitive who intends to burn down Seoul. Not even Choi Jong In has flames that burn through stone, and this man just swatted it aside with his knuckles, which are unmarked, and gripping my bicep.
โNo.โ He snarls ballistically, โIโm trying to help you!โ
All I see is honesty in those emotional eyes, twin globes of hellfire fury, and a startling earnestness. I point in the opposite direction from the explosion.
I donโt get a chance to deny him again. He picks me up, like a bride, hugs me to his chest, and every piece of shrapnel snuffs out before it can touch us, as we fly through along the river bank I was jogging along minutes before, moving at faster speeds than Iโve ever traveled. It takes me a moment to realize heโs abandoned me, or so I thought, but heโs only leapt ten feet in the air and claps his hands together. Every fire in sight snuffs out immediately, and now Iโm positive. Heโs the source of the explosion. I glare like Iโve never glowered at anyone, because how many humans did he kill? The weeping willow was reduced to ashes instantly. If those flames touch any human, theyโll meet the same end. Given the area the shrapnel spread, there have to be casualties. What if Jinah had asked me to run with her? This is a disaster.
โNo civilian is dead.โ The man rakes a hand roughly through his hair, meeting my suspicious glower with as much poisonous resentment, for reasons I canโt imagine since I did nothing but save his life, but his demeanor has changed. If I can call him anything, itโd be dignified by how he raises his head and peers down at me, but his eyes betray the storm inside him. โI would know because those flames are a part of me. The area was deserted when I blew up my ship.โ
โWhy did you do that?โ
โMy crew members lost their minds.โ He scoffs derisively, โThey only joined me on my trip to assassinate me before I reached the shore because some idiot mistakenly assured them I am weak to water.โ
That sounds more believable, I thought, observing the open expressions flickering across his face, so much different from my naturally reserved and guarded features. Itโd be amusing, if anything can be in this situation, cornered by a stranger in the forest who wants to flee despite claiming he is a victim of an assassination attempt. My mind races. He is a mighty Hunter. Yet, I know no hunters with his description, powers, or face. Which means he is a foreigner. He came by ship, down a secluded area of the Han River. He blew up a boat and caused massive damage to the surrounding area, somehow wound up drowning, and now he wishes to be concealed.
โIsnโt it better if you report this immediately? There is a police station and Embassy offices not far from hereโโ
โWhy are you asking all these questions? Do you not recognize me?โ The man raises his chin, peering down at me with pride. I observe him with caution. Iโm the only witness and the first person he has informed of the situation, which doesnโt make sense to me. Only someone who has committed a wrongdoing will not want to tell the authorities he is responsible for the fire. Explaining is in his best interest to avoid being accused of crimes he didnโt commit, whether in an accident or a matter of self-defense.
โBecause I donโt help fugitives.โ
โFor godโs sake. Iโm Christopher Reed.โ The man breathes, โA National-Authority Hunter. If I reveal myself now, reporters will swarm to me, and Iโm in no conโโย
I'm stunned by who he is, at first, until he chokes off the last word, locks his jaw to grind his teeth, before he falls sideways. I catch him on instinct.
โYouโreโฆsuffering from mana depletion, arenโt you?โ
โI donโt suffer from anything.โ He snarls like a wounded beast would, tearing himself out of my arms, โAnd I donโt need your fucking help.โ
So thatโs it.
โAre you sure all the fire is out?โ I ask again before making my decision, because itโs written all over this manโs face. Iโve never seen anyone more humiliated in my entire life. I've been embarrassed like Christopher Reed feels, many times, after getting wounded in E-Rank dungeons, so I have a pretty good idea why the National-Authority Hunter is avoiding the cameras. For a powerful Hunter of his status to be seen weakened on National Television is tantamount to obliterating their reputation as an invincible Hunter. If they knew he almost died in the water, it would be worse. We saved one anotherโs lives, and I donโt do that half-heartedly. Maybe I also feel empathy toward him. Even if he looks like heโs two seconds away from burning me alive if I humiliate him any further, the resentment he feels toward me is because he needed my help in the first place. I have never gotten to meet someone of his caliber, either. If anything, he is my future goal, and I aspire to reach it to protect my family and myself.
โOf course it is.โ He grits his teeth, โMy command over fire is perfect.โ
โCome with me. I know where you can recover.โ
โI donโt need to recover.โ He shifts on his feet, attempting to stand straight, but I duck myself under his arm, supporting him, and tug on his heavy form to get him to move. Christopherโs gaze widens before narrowing, and his fingers clench into fists, looking so vulnerable in all his pride, that I canโt stop myself from reassuring him.
โAlright, then letโs just avoid the reporters for a while. I donโt feel like dealing with them, either.โ
โDo you think Iโm stupid?โ He looks like a volcano ready to blow.
โI would like to spend some time with you, out of interest. I have questions about what a National-Authority Hunter is like.โ
โAh, an ulterior motive.โ This makes Christopher Reed more relaxed, like he wants to believe I am getting him away from here, because he is so GREAT, and not that I am potentially saving him from humiliation out of some semblance of pity. I've never met anyone this prideful. The only way to survive mana depletion is through bed rest, if not sleeping, not moving, at least. A hospital will be better for him, but since heโs an S-Rank, he will recover within an hour or so, likely.
โIf thatโs what you want to think, so be it, but we donโt have much time left, and I have a lot I want to ask.โ
โDo you have a phone so I can call the Embassy?โย
He does want to warn them.
โItโs waterlogged, but might work once it dries.โ
Christopher Reed shakes his head, pride winning out over the panic he will cause when people gather at the site of the explosion. An international incident is already a given. I hope Iโm not misreading the man. Not helping out a murderer who will burn me as soon as he gets what he wants from me, but I've always been perceptive, an excellent judge of character, and this manโs actions speak louder than words, as do his many sincere, entertaining expressions.ย
โWeโre going behind the dock, to a locked maintenance tunnel beneath a bridge,โ I inform him, trembling intermittently from the frigid water still coating every inch of my skin in the early morning chill. Abruptly, Christopher trails a finger along the nape of my neck, and the oddest energy flows over my chilled skin, beginning from my vertebrae, spreading through the bumps of my spine, and outward like an open dam of warm water. Iโm so warm my forehead sweats, and Iโll give anything to tear off my clothes. I almost drop him, thinking of sprinting back toward the docks so I can dunk myself in cold water, but he keeps me locked against him with his arm over my shoulder, as if he can sense exactly what Iโm planning.
โWhat did you do?!โ
โKeeping your jumpy self warm. Youโre like a block of ice.โ Christopher clucks his tongue, โHurry up.โ
I peer at him widely with my flushed cheeks, and the National Authority-Hunter stares forward pointedly, like itโs no big deal. Perhaps, to him, this small act of kindness isnโt. Thatโsโฆreassuring. I guide him through the forest as quickly as possible, supporting his weight, when police and fire department sirens wail in the distance like cries. Animals avoid us like the plague, as if they are intimidated by the Hunter I am carrying, since it is usually magic beasts afraid of Hunters stronger than them. The National-Authority Hunter doesnโt glance at the terrified creatures, but is more focused on the area, as if heโs suspicious Iโm leading him into a trap, or he is seeking out reporters with his enhanced senses.
Birds scatter in flocks. Even the ants skitter away frantically beneath our feet as we pass a hill. Itโs as if his energy, the fire inside him, terrifies even the Earth. I've seen S-Ranks avoided by people, but itโs as if every creature is avoiding flames.ย
โIs it lonely?โ I murmur to myself under my breath. Unfortunately, he hears me.
โWhat did you just say?โ A vein protrudes in his temple, and I almost let go of him because his arctic-blue eyes are glowing iridescently, like auroras. I sense I have every reason to be afraid at that moment, that if I say the wrong thing, Mana Depleted or not, he may snap my neck from the murderous intent he is radiating. Itโs as if he thinks โ
โLook down on me again, I dare you.โ He leans down, smirks inches from my lips, and it takes all my willpower to keep my features wiped clean of emotion. He peers at me with a hint of something, close to surprise, perhaps curiosity, but that is probably arrogant of me to assume.ย I can only nod.
Next, we pass a rusted equipment shed that has seen much better days. From experience, I know it to be filled with old tarps, ropes, and gasoline cans from the last time I was here. It might be empty now. We wind up in a stairwell, leading to a forgotten bunker, an old flood control station. He releases me immediately as soon as he closes the door behind us. He sits on one of two chairs, forcing himself as upright as possible, stifling his breaths that arenโt so ragged anymore, to appear unaffected by exhaustion. Yet, heโs observing me quizzically, as if he canโt figure me out.
โHow do you know about this place?โ
โI used to explore here as a child.โ No need to let this powerful man know I have a family, or mention Jinah, until I am sure I can trust him, because Christopher has a temper. Christopher flicks a stray strand of wavy hair out of his face and pushes it back so itโs no longer sticking out at odd angles. He must like things neat and orderly, but his clothes are beyond saving. The fabric is scorched in places, where anyone else wouldโve burned to death. His pants hang off his hips slightly, but theyโre mostly untouched, which means the fire he shot out came from his upper body, or perhaps he has fireproof clothing, because I canโt imagine how anything on his body survived but him, given how his magic fire melted down stone in a microsecond.
โYou could have made millions if you were the first to report my presence here, and the fire. Were you worried Iโd get revenge?โ
โNo.โ I whisper honestly, but donโt elaborate, for a time, โI just donโt do things half-assed.โ
โYouโre still sweating.โ Christopher observes, after the silence stretches on long enough to seep tension into my shoulders, โLet me lower the temperature before you get so dehydrated, you pass out.โ
If this person intends to burn me up, he would have already, and I sense the strangest gentleness in him from warming me in the first place, simply because I was shivering. He isnโt ungrateful to me; he is upset that he needed help at all.
โWell?โ He snaps.
I pad up to him; he reaches for the nape of my neck. For a split second, I think he might choke me to silence me for witnessing his moment of weakness, now that Iโve lead him to a safe, obscure place where he can rest in peace, but thatโs only because Iโve been betrayed, abandoned, and have come to realize many people are only out for their own best interests.
His large, blazing hand cups the nape of my neck, and it feels more intimate than any other touch Iโve received. His face is too close to mine, and I find his foreign features interesting and handsome. Heโs peering at me with those arctic-blue hues, one soft corner of his lips quirking upward, biting his bottom lip as if forcing himself not to chuckle at my expense, but thereโs something else in his eyes, too, that makes my gut clench and chest tighten. Iโm breathing more shallowly and donโt know why, when my eyes briefly flash to his lips, forming into a slow smirk, and I tear my gaze back to his.
โYouโreโฆusually difficult to read.โ
He thumbs the side of my sweaty throat, fleetingly pressing on the fluttering pulse point. I stumble back immediately, my features unknowingly flushing a shade darker. I notice in the back of my mind that my temperature has cooled to a comfortable level. He huffs through his nose, but doesnโt move to come near me, leaning back, crossing his legs, and folding his hands in his lap, looking almost imperious, like a prince or some nobleman from those shows Jinah enjoys watching. Did Christopher Reed make a subtle advance on me? No way, right? The man backed out of my personal space so fast, Iโm probably imagining it. E-Rank Hunters arenโt exactly appealing to S-Ranks that often, from my experience. My father doesnโt count since he married my mother before the gates and monsters appeared.
โYou said you have questions,โ Christopher murmurs, imperiously waving his hand in a graceful arch. โIโll give you two.โ
โOnly two?โ
โI like fair exchanges.โย
He explains, seeming in a much better mood than earlier. I donโt ask why there are only two. It goes unsaid that I have saved the National-Authority Hunter twice. I gave him CPR and found him shelter. If I point that out, Iโm certain the American Hunter will shut down, possibly leave, or worse โ set the whole bunker on fire. I am oddly not afraid of this man, but Iโm not stupid, either. One day, I will be strong enough to say whatever I wish in his presence and not worry about retaliation, if the system continues to allow me to grow exponentially, as Iโm hoping. For now, I will play it smarter than I have, since many might argue that it is already a mistake to get involved with Christopher Reed in the first place, the way I did.
I nod in agreement. Itโs an opportunity. Though I only said it earlier to salvage Christopherโs pride, to get him to cooperate.
โAfterward, I will ask you one question,โ Christopher says, as if it is already decided.ย
He is used to getting his way. Someone needs to humble him one day. If I get the chance, Iโll do it.
โIf I say no?โ
โYou still get two questions.โ He says, frowning, โOr I can ask for something else in return.โ
โLikeโฆwhat?โ
โMoney.โ The National Authority Hunterโs arctic-blue hues glitter with amusement: โI donโt save people for free anymore, and even the South Korean government canโt afford my services.โ
Anger simmers in my blood, but hasnโt worked to a boil. Does this rich bastard know that Iโm low on funds? Is this an insult? It didnโt quite feel that way, but I had to wonder if he was poking fun at the fact I am not paid millions or billions to fight in dungeons. I didnโt exactly look very wealthy, in my hoodie, my slightly distressed jeans, and these worn sneakers. But his gaze is severe, as if he fully expects to take my money for everything Iโm worth if I donโt answer one question in exchange for Christopher saving me from his own fire, when it was the National Authority Hunter's in the first place. I have heard S-Ranks can be highly unreasonable. Perhaps I can entertain him this once, for the sake of information. Itโs dangerous, however, because S-Ranks are lie detectors. Whatever he asks, I will have to answer honestly, or find a way to word it into a half-truth. Iโm confident I can do that.
I frown darkly, โOne question.โ
But Christopherโs eyes shutter closed before I can, he slumps back, and his chin drops against his chest unceremoniously likeย marionette with its strings cut. Water drips in the uncomfortable silence, as I wait for him to move, to try and scare me, to do something other than look like heโs kicked the bucket. I donโt want him dead, nor do I want to get in trouble for not bringing him to a hospital when I had the chance. Oh god.
โโฆChristopher?โ
I wonder about two things at that moment:ย
One: Is the National-Authority Hunter messing with me?
Two: Or is Christopher so mana-depleted that he died?
Peering at his chest, rising and falling steadily, I am relieved that he appears to be passed out cold. Then, I still have push-ups and sit-ups to do, so I spend my time going through both processes as quietly as possible. Someone has to warn the Famous American Hunter if paparazzi or authorities knock on the door, and Iโm determined to go through with this, especially now that I get to question him. I wait for an entire hour, considering my two inquiries carefully. My sight strays to him increasingly as moments stretch to minutes to a half hour, as he sleeps soundlessly, looking more relaxed than ever when Iโve interacted with him awake.ย
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I donโt know why I was fascinated by how he behaved.ย
The man could not hide his emotions on his face to save his life.
Christopher was a time bomb, volatile, and prideful to the extreme.
And there was no denying Christopher was curious about me, too.
Or he wouldnโt want to exchange questions.
Most importantlyโ
Iโm sure heโd deny it if I pointed it out,
But Christopher was also subtly warm in a way that had nothing to do with his fire magic.
Just him.
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I see no need to place my hoodie over the man and tuck him in since he is heat incarnate. Still, I need not because he awakens an hour and a half later, his eyes snapping open vigilantly, and the room instantly heats, as if by instinct to burn anything near him, before he lays eyes on me. The gratification I feel when he relaxes is strange.
โYou feel better,โ I observe.
โI never felt bad,โ Christopher says, โIt was a long journey. Itโs natural to take a napโโ
โYou owe me two questions.โ I interrupt him before his pride can get the better of Christopher, and an argument emerges.
โFire away.โ He scowls.
โIs being a National Authority Hunter fun?โ
For the first time, Christopherโs features shut down, and I stare back, caution rising in my gut, because I know how to react to him when heโs angry, prideful, and irritable naturally, but I havenโt seen this cold, blank expression or demeanor heโs exhibiting before.
His nose flares, a cold fire burning in his eyes, the darkest blue, and I sense heโs warring with an internal debate. I half-expect him not to answer until he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, bringing his face inches from mine, a threat, a warning, to never speak of what heโs about to tell me to anyone without him having to utter a word.
โNo.โ He whispers, jaded disillusionment in his stare of the purest, most genuine kind that makes my heart ache as if Iโm gazing into a future that can be mine, that I might not find as agreeable as I thought I would, as his tone darkens with a hint of despair I canโt imagine. What does he possibly have to be unsatisfied with? He can grasp anything in this world he desires with his power alone โย
โItโs boring.โ
My heart skips, my dark eyes widen, and I blurt out the following question before I can stop myself. It is not what I intended. I wanted to ask something far more important to me, yet this caught me off guard, and my instincts told me I needed to hear this. "Why?
Christopherโs smirk returns, but it is vehemently bitter, like a slash across his mouth, as sharp as a poisoned blade, as he silently lifts his hand, and the third strongest National-Authority Hunter points at the ceiling.
โBecause there is no higher place we can reach. I can touch the heavens if I want to, as you saw. I can have anything I want, even burn down this world if I felt like it.โ
My lips part, and a chill sweeps down my back, imagining the ability to create pillars of fire like that, so devastating, they can burn down the world. The fire had not spread when Christopher used it. But couldnโt it? If he wanted it to? And it burned through the ground itself. Then again, why was his mana so low? Does he really have enough? Did something happen before he got to the River? I have so many questions. Moreso...For some reason, even though I have the system, the statement strikes me in a way I canโt yet comprehend, but for the same reason, with potentially endless power at my fingertips, I can work hard for it, I can imagine it. What if I became so powerful, there was no longer any equal, no goal to fight for, no more to accomplishโ
โI thought success would beโฆsatisfying.โ I breathe, as Christopher goes eerily still, his smirk widening, before, of all things, he throws his head back and laughs like Iโve said something incredibly funny. I peer at him cautiously. โYou didnโt want it?โ
โOf course, I did. Be grateful that you still find power fascinating.โ The National Authority Hunter murmurs, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, before he observes me, just staring with his head slightly tilted to the side as if Iโm some conundrum, no mirth in his gaze despite his sudden bout of laughter. Yet, I donโt feel patronized, or looked down on, almost like Iโm envied for my ignorance of the magnificence that is being at the pinnacle of power. I didnโt expect him to answer me so honestly. I realize, then again, who would believe that Christopher Reed is so bored when he has so many gifts?
โMy turn.โ The National Authority Hunter reaches for me, sliding a finger beneath my chin, and quirking my head up, โWho are you?โ
โSung Jinwoo.โ I introduce myself. Itโs not the correct answer. He scoffs irritably. I almost slap his hand away, and freeze.
โPretty name, but thatโs not what I mean.โ He pauses, and glares at the same time he smiles like heโs won the lottery as he roves his gaze over my face searchingly, raising my head as if lifting me, like something to be proud of, but I sense he hates me a little, too.
โI want to know why the hell you donโt bore me at all.โ
I feel like Iโve just gotten myself into an entirely different kind of trouble than the many scenarios Iโve considered this whole time.
โWouldnโt telling you change your mind? Take away the mystery and all that?โ I ask, not daring to move, because I feel like Iโm on a slippery slope, teetering on the edge of a cliff, and if I disappoint this man, there is a part of me that doesnโt want to see him walk away with that jaded, disillusioned expression. โOr are you hoping Iโll disappoint you so you can return to being bored?โ
He considers me, his brows rising, heaves a choked laugh, and answers bluntly, โI donโt know yet.โ
โThen find out on your own.โ
โYouโve got secrets.โ He smiles, โEveryone does, but I bet no one really knows who you are, do they?โ
The statement and insinuation slam into me like a truck, and my walls raise automatically. I scramble to think of anyone who knows me, but I come up empty beyond my family.
A piercing sensation slices through my chest, so deep it leaves an exit wound, until I remember:
Jinah does, Mother and Father did.ย
โYes, they do,โ I claim strongly, mostly believing it, because I know them. They donโt know everything, but they love me, and I love them. Weโve been together my whole life. Thatโs what matters. You donโt have to know all there is to someone to be close and known.
โLooks like I wasnโt entirely on the mark.โ Thereโs a hint of genuine remorse in Christopherโs tone thatย I donโt expect or understand.
Did I show him the sadness that had plunged into my chest like a sword?
We peer at one another, he holding my chin in that blazing palm. Lingering for a collection of accelerating heartbeats, before he releases me, and leans back again, crosses his arms, and throws me a curve ball that nearly knocks the wind out of me.ย
โIโll answer you one more question,โ he taps his bicep, โin exchange for your contact information.โ
I blink rapidly, then laugh, โYou should have just asked.โ
Christopher tries and fails to scowl, his expressions flashing from irritation to delight and back again so fast that I find him endearing.
โMay I have your number?โ
My stomach flips like a capsizing ship in a storm, but I have taken an interest in him. If I keep it discreet while I level up, why not? Weโre just talking on our phones; he lives in another country. The odds of my being thrown into the limelight that way are slimmer than our being caught together here.
โYes. Will you remember it?โ
Which means I need to leave soon.
He taps the side of his temple, and Iโll only realize how true his statement is later.ย
โI donโt forget anything.โ
So I rattle off my phone number, and the National-Authority Hunter nods and rises, standing at his full height with that dignified demeanor again.
โIโll go first since you have secrets, and you said you donโt feel like dealing with reporters, either.โ
He did remember.
I nod, offering him the smallest of smiles. He returns it with a broader, crooked one, waves, and vanishes like the wind. I barely hear his feet thud over the metal stairwell. I pull my hoodie over my face and take out a key from my inventory.ย
Nowโs as good a time as any to enter the Instance Dungeon. I can use a distraction. Itโs also guaranteed to get me out of this area unnoticed.
After speaking to Christopher, Iโm unsure how Iโll feel depending on the future, but I have goals, and I intend to achieve them.
&
Christopher Reed and I were plastered on the news the next day, anyway.
That, too, was something I didnโt expect.
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