The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

What is Excitement?

After checking the list, Ah-rin immediately ran out of the house.

The hunters from the Sura guild, who were affiliated with Qiongqi, a national special task force.

The woman Ah-rin had just met looked exactly like a hunter listed on that roster.

'Damn it! Damn it!'

Ah-rin dashed toward the place where she'd met that woman.

With no one else home, Ah-rin was the only one who could move.

But as she went, she'd already called Sang-ah, so they'd agreed to meet there.

Hearing that Seongjin might have been kidnapped startled Sang-ah just as much.

'It's a good thing I saved Sang-ah's number!'

It was impossible to simply believe it was a coincidence.

Of course, as a member of Qiongqi, one couldn't just let awakened criminal activity slide.

If she'd approached Seongjin only for that reason, Ah-rin would have let it go.

Since Qiongqi is a government run suppressor unit for awakeners, infiltration is not easy.

Even at most, there'd be less than five people on such a team.

But of all people, one of these select few had approached Seongjin.

It all smelled fishy.

'Yeah... the smell!'

Most critical of all, Ah-rin's suspicions had been swept away by one decisive factor.

There was no smell.

Members of the Sura guild always carried an unpleasant scent.

Those who'd tormented Ah-rin as a child had a similar, strong stench.

Even if they disguised themselves, Ah-rin could always sniff them out.

'But why that woman...!'

There was no trace of the unique Sura guild smell.

Not even a whiff of the Heaven and Earth Society's scent could be sensed from her.

Instead, that woman exuded a sweet fragrance.

A pink, candy-like scent, as though she could tempt anyone.

It was a scent that only good people had.

Though not as much as Seongjin, it was in no way unpleasant whatsoever.

'And if the information in the roster is true...!'

Her name: Kang Juhee. Age: 26.

Hunter rank: A-rank.

A succubus-type Mutamit, with a trait called 'Aroma' that manipulates perception through scent.

Trait grade: 8-star Aroma.

If this info was accurate, then Ah-rin had confused her nose because of that Aroma.

For Ah-rin, who relied solely on her sense of smell, that was a bad matchup.

And it wasn't just an ordinary trait, but an 8-star one at that.

At that level, manipulating the scent that represented her very identity was possible.

"Kang Ah-rin! Over here! Over here!"

"Huh?"

At that moment, across the street, Kwon Sang-ah was waving.

Rushing over to meet Sang-ah, Ah-rin quickly explained the situation.

And so they could arrive at the spot where she'd encountered the woman.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yeah. What time is it right now?"

"3:10."

The woman had clearly said it would only take an hour.

It had been exactly 2 o'clock then, so now an hour and ten minutes had passed.

It could simply be that her plans had changed and she was late.

But after seeing the roster, it all seemed suspicious.

"So, Ah-rin, what you're saying is... Seongjin has been kidnapped?"

"That's right. Do you have anything with Seongjin's scent on it?"

"Scent? If it's something he always carried, then... here."

Sang-ah pulled a bracelet from her pocket.

It was the registration bracelet for Hand that Seongjin had originally worn.

Her younger sister Yunhee had brought it to show off at the academy, saying her oppa was with Hand, and it had been confiscated.

"Will that be enough? Shouldn't we check the CCTV..."

"There's no need! I can find him easily without all that."

As long as it didn't rain, Seongjin's scent wouldn't fade.

If she tracked the scent from this bracelet, she'd find him in no time—unless he'd gone far away.

She had used this exact method to meet Seongjin at Hand before.

"Let's go."

"But, I mean... do you really think that's possible? Think carefully about who Seongjin really is."

As they walked, Sang-ah asked.

Who exactly was Ma Seongjin?

It wasn't just about his personality or appearance.

Did she just say Ma Seongjin had been kidnapped?

The Ma Seongjin who had cowed even the Hwasan guildmaster and the chairman of Hand?

Someone like that being dragged away by a member of the Sura guild? Unbelievable.

If you're going to lie, make it believable.

"I know. Seongjin is even more of a monster than I expected."

Of course, Ah-rin already knew this.

The fact that he'd calmly made stronger shadow troops obey him than even she could was proof enough.

But it was something else about Seongjin that sent chills down Ah-rin's spine.

"But you know what?"

"What?"

"The woman who took Seongjin... she's a succubus."

"A succubus...?"

Since Sang-ah was a comic lover, she'd heard that term.

A female demonkin that survives by devouring male essence.

She'd even seen Mutamits of that type.

There had even been a woman like that among the ones her damn oppa had brought to the mansion.

"But could Seongjin really fall for a succubus?"

That infamous Ma Seongjin?

Someone who'd wipe out even a truckload of succubi?

Based on everything Sang-ah had seen of him, it was incomprehensible.

At this rate, it would make more sense to wish the succubus luck.

"But, Sang-ah. You know what?"

"Yeah?"

"The succubus... she has another ability."

The roster described Kang Juhee's abilities in detail.

What Ah-rin had just listed was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Sang-ah. You like Seongjin too, don't you?"

"Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden..."

At that moment, Sang-ah paused to think.

Her days spent with Ma Seongjin flashed through her mind.

Though she'd only met him last year, they'd been through a lot together.

Sometimes he seemed eccentric and abnormal, but he could also be serious and even scary.

Without him, Kwon Sang-ah would probably still be cowering beneath her father and oppa.

Though she wouldn't exactly praise him as the perfect person, this much was certain:

She didn't want to let him go.

"I could tell. From the first time I met you, you had a scent just like mine."

"..."

"If you're anything like me... it's best you listen up."

Ah-rin told Sang-ah about the succubus' other ability.

Though it wasn't combat-oriented at all, Sang-ah's expression began to tremble.

"Does that mean Seongjin... will turn his back on us?"

Would that really happen?

Just as she was about to dismiss it as nonsense—

"Sang-ah. Let me ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"That woman—with her perfect looks and body. But compared to her, we're just short and undeveloped."

—If you were a man, which would you choose?

That question immediately made Sang-ah's expression freeze.

The answer was obvious.

"No way! No way! No way!! NO WAY!!"

Sang-ah screamed on the spot, stamping her feet furiously.

"Where! Where is he!"

"This way!"

At last, their hearts united, the two dashed in the direction the scent led.

From the lingering fragrance, it hadn't gone far.

"But Sang-ah, you're surprisingly sensitive about stuff like this."

"Shut up! Just play navigator already!"

Flustered by Sang-ah's unexpected reaction, Ah-rin followed as told.

After roaming around for a while, they arrived at an alleyway.

It was an area that felt entirely inappropriate for kids, but they kept moving forward.

The closer they got, the stronger the scent became.

"It's definitely around here."

"Where do we go?"

"There's some weird medicinal smell mixed in nearby, so it's a bit confusing. But..."

—It's probably there.

Ah-rin pointed to the largest building in the area.

The source of the strange medicinal scent, and where she could faintly sense Seongjin's scent.

"But what's with the weird medicine?"

"I'm not sure, but... I doubt it's for anything good."

The two quickly walked up to the front of the building.

At that moment, men holding steel pipes appeared and blocked their way.

"Who're you kids?"

"This isn't a place for children, so get lost. Got that?"

Judging by the men's outfits and their weapons, both girls immediately understood what kind of place it was.

Only one thing left to do.

"Get lost!"

"Move!"

They knocked out the two thugs with kicks like street thugs themselves.

At the commotion, a crowd of similar men rushed toward them.

****

A law office in an alley somewhere in Seoul.

This was the main hideout used by Kang Juhee, member of Qiongqi.

It had originally belonged to a colleague lawyer, but she could use it as she pleased.

That lawyer was also a fellow member of the Sura guild.

"So, after what happened at your house, nothing else happened?"

"Probably not?"

Sitting on the couch in front of Kang Juhee was a boy.

That boy, Ma Seongjin, replied curtly between bites of his hamburger.

Kang Juhee felt satisfied as she looked at him.

'Looks like everything went smoothly.'

Her Qiongqi status was only a cover.

Her real job was a spy for the Sura guild, and she was among the Heaven and Earth Society's ranks.

Currently, their collective target was this boy, Ma Seongjin.

Having used her Qiongqi agent identity, the boy followed her here without suspicion.

Furthermore, Kang Juhee could emit whatever scent her target desired.

Whoever it was, they'd inevitably become fond of Kang Juhee.

'Normally, there'd be underlings hidden in this building...'

She'd made them all hide, worried that the boy would get scared otherwise.

They wouldn't show themselves unless an intruder appeared.

'It's already gotten this late?'

An hour had passed since bringing him here.

She'd maintained her act as the 'kind' Qiongqi agent, so as not to arouse his suspicion.

She had lied, saying this was her colleague's law office, and ordered plenty of food for the boy.

After that, she'd brought up the incident that had trashed his house.

Her concerned tone let her keep Seongjin's guard down.

'Then, time to ask him.'

By now, she'd built up the image of being a kind Qiongqi agent.

This was the perfect moment to question him.

The boy was connected to Sura. There was only one question to ask.

"So, are there any strange friends around you, Seongjin?"

"Strange friends? Why do you ask that all of a sudden?"

"Ah... sometimes there are those who pretend to be friends but do the same bad things."

Sura was said to be a young girl.

So, it was possible this boy might be close with her.

There was a possibility that Sura was among his friends.

"Hard to say? They're all normal, really."

"Yeah?"

"They're a little weird, but that's just how awakeners are, right?"

"..."

Suddenly, the guildmaster had ordered her to bring Sura to despair.

She didn't know why, but carrying out such a command would make her a top executive.

But Kang Juhee had a better plan.

"Then, let me ask you a few last questions..."

She leaned toward Seongjin.

"You have to answer this nuna honestly, okay?"

Her alluring voice and seductive face were enough to enchant any man.

Combined with her special trait, Kang Juhee's other ability:

She could read her target's physiognomy and figure out their preferences.

She would then emit personalised pheromones to stir up their heart.

Even S-rank hunters much stronger than her had fallen for this.

'There's a reason I'm considered the Heaven and Earth Society's top asset.'

Within the Sura guild, there were more than a thousand from Heaven and Earth Society.

The secret? All thanks to Kang Juhee's abilities.

She had even once thrown hundreds of men from rival guilds into turmoil at the same time.

Thanks to that trust, she had become involved in the Sura guild's most secret projects.

'Now, kiddo. Time to answer honestly.'

Like any other man, the boy should be 'excited' by now.

This skill had nothing to do with 'strength'.

If the target had anything between his legs, it always worked.

That was all.

"Now, when you look at this nuna, doesn't your heart waver?"

Once the target gives in, the game is over.

After that, she could just ask him who Sura is.

If by any chance, he knew Sura's face?

She wouldn't even need to become an executive to take Sura's head.

No one in the guild would imagine such a simple method would work.

However...

"What's supposed to waver?"

"Huh?"

"The chair isn't shaky or anything."

Seongjin's indifferent reaction made Kang Juhee doubt her eyes for a moment.

Did something go wrong?

If she'd released her pheromones properly, the target should have caved instantly.

"Hey, student... by any chance, don't you get 'excited' when looking at this nuna's face?"

If you had anything between your legs, you should fall for it instantly.

But...

"What is 'excited'?"

What was with this kid?