Chapter 70
Chapter 70
"…How long do you plan to just sit here?"
"I'm only going to watch this. I have to go to work tomorrow."
"Seriously. I'm not going to live out my full life span because of this."
"Can you stop acting like a mom nagging her unemployed daughter?"
A few days later, Nari, dressed in black mourning clothes, sprawled out on the sofa in Nan’s room watching TV. On the screen, the state funeral of Kang Ihyun’s parents was being broadcast.
"…Isn’t there going to be a funeral for Grandma Nahan?"
Nari glanced around the quiet room. After Grandmother passed away, Nan quietly filed the death report.
Her life activities had already ceased a few years earlier, but she had been living on by consuming her soul energy inside the memorial Nan created.
Such things were common among Hunters, so her death was only officially confirmed when she was removed from the roster and the number of S-rank Hunters was reduced to five.
The funeral had been held quietly as a family ceremony. Of course, Nari had worn mourning clothes as well.
"Still, she was an S-rank. Wouldn’t a lot of people have wanted to come?"
"My mother made it very clear while she was alive that she wanted only a family funeral. Because of this, others couldn’t just ignore it, since she was an S-rank who protected Korea for so long. That’s why the Sanctuary delayed the national funeral for a few days as a way of paying their respects."
Nari chewed on a shrimp chip while watching Kang Ihyun on TV, standing neatly and delivering a calm eulogy for his parents.
'…That must be tough.'
Even if he didn’t care much about his grandfather, Kang Ihyun had said there was no way he could skip the state funeral.
That night, after staying with Nari at Mago’s dormitory, Nan returned to her rented room the next day through the rift in dimensions that Nari opened.
"I like Kang Ihyun very much. At first he seemed slippery and I didn’t like him, but the more I talked with him, the more I saw his true character."
"Stop acting like a mom trying to marry off her daughter."
"He carefully laid out my bedding, didn’t touch his phone, went straight to sleep, got up at six sharp, folded his blanket perfectly, and went jogging. That left quite an impression on me."
"Oh, so you’re teasing me now? Forget it. I can’t say anything, can I."
Nan watched the TV with a serious face. Nari, still eating shrimp chips, scratched her leg with her toenail.
"That drives away blessings, Nari!"
"Ugh, seriously!"
Annoyed by his nagging, Nari shot up to sit and let out a loud sigh. Then she snapped back at him.
"Stop it already! If I don’t get up by seven you bang on the dorm door until I wake up. If I sleep, you tell me I have to eat breakfast first. When I force myself to eat breakfast, you say I can’t sleep until it digests. By the time it digests, it’s lunchtime, and then I can’t sleep again!"
"Napping during the day is what’s strange. You should just go to bed earlier at night."
"That too! Look at this!"
Nari shoved her phone messenger at him. A string of late-night messages from Nan was displayed.
Nan Uncle
[Nari, please go to bed early tonight] 10:55 p.m.
[Nari, turn off your phone] 11:55 p.m.
[Nari, sleep before one o’clock] 12:55 a.m.
[Nari, I’ll still wake you up at seven tomorrow. Please sleep] 1:55 a.m.
[The Lord of Chaos chuckles, saying, ‘What kind of person acts like an alarm clock?’]
"What kind of person acts like an alarm clock?!"
Nari yelled, stealing the Lord of Chaos’s words verbatim. Nan looked at her with a baffled expression.
"Yet you always read my messages the moment I send them, don’t you? If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have to send more."
Unable to find a counterargument, Nari just groaned and looked away. After mumbling more complaints, she shoved something toward Nan.
"Here. Take this. It’s a memorial stone."
"You’re not placing it at your mother’s spot yourself?"
"My mom’s keepsake is you, Uncle, so I should give it to you."
Hearing that, Nan quietly accepted the small stone.
It was a memorial stone inscribed with words of remembrance. On the back was carved the name “Kang Hana.” He blinked at the unmistakable emblem of the Sanctuary.
"…I thought you disliked the Sanctuary. And Kang Ihyun too."
"They never did anything to me. The people who treated me badly were others. Kang Ihyun actually helped me a lot. The Sanctuary’s guild master seemed like a good person too."
"Yes, Kang Sujin is trustworthy."
After saying that simply, Nan looked at her again. At times she still seemed like a child, but in moments like this, she showed surprising generosity.
"…You don’t have to join the Sanctuary. You can just stay here."
"Why are you suddenly saying that?"
"I mean you could live as Shin Bitnari instead of as Lude. Of course, it’d be more office work than Hunter work, but isn’t it painful to live wearing someone else’s mask? No one would even know who you really are."
"…Hm."
Nari flopped back onto the sofa, munching shrimp chips. On TV, the memorial wall was shown, filled edge to edge with the names of the fallen.
"I don’t know. I think I still need to keep working as a Hunter."
"You’d still get paid as much as the Sanctuary offers. Nari."
She rolled her eyes for a moment. Dusting off her fingers, she looked at the screen. Families were dabbing their tears with handkerchiefs.
As Lude, Nari had saved many lives. The elementary school child who first thanked her. Kang Ihyun, who had come to save her because she saved him. The students at Min Jaeyoon’s school.
"Even so… I think that’d be better."
Nan blinked at her words. She was still moody, but she was strong. He felt relief and guilt together, grateful she’d managed to grow up well on her own. He spoke with a faint smile in his voice.
"Oh my, I was even going to give you a house if you stayed here."
"What? A house? Is it in Seoul?"
At the word house, Nari’s eyes lit up. Real estate, as always, had the power to excite people.
"…Eh? Of course. Your mother’s house."
"Huh?"
"Your mother’s house. The one you lived in as a child. I noticed it went on the market at some point, so I bought it."
"…What?! You should’ve told me that sooner!! Then I would’ve believed you right away without doubting anything!"
[The Lord of Chaos stares at Nari, saying, ‘Nari! We’re really going to achieve our first goal!’]
"Wait! So you’re the one who left that house in such a mess?!"
"Oh, you saw it? Yes."
"Why?! Do you know how much it hurt me to see that…?!"
"I had to make it look abandoned so no one would contact me to sell it. I’m sorry, but it was necessary."
Nari’s eyes went wide as she stared at him. He gave an awkward shrug. Her jaw dropped.
The goal she’d been saving toward with her own work was suddenly about to be fulfilled overnight. Nan watched her grow suddenly serious and spoke.
"Ah, but I can’t give it to you right away."
"What? W-Why not?"
"Uh."
He looked at her puzzled expression.
'Why… is she smiling when I say I can’t give her the house right away?'
The corners of her mouth curled up oddly. Something about it unsettled him, and he cleared his throat.
"Shin Bitnari has no declared income. She’s earning money as Lude, yes? If Shin Bitnari suddenly buys an expensive house far beyond her means, the National Tax Service will investigate."
"…Oh… r-really? I thought you were just giving it to me?"
"You’d still have to pay the gift tax. That’s why."
As expected, Korea’s National Tax Service. Nari ground her teeth, thinking it was the scariest institution in the world. Nan folded his arms and looked back at the TV. The state funeral was wrapping up.
"If you bought it as Lude, it might work, but then it’d look bad that Lude was buying Kang Hana’s house. I’ll think of a way and let you know."
"Alright. Then I’ll just head home. I need to clean my place and rest."
"Yes, do that."
"…I’ll see you next year."
"Come often. Whenever Kang Ihyun upsets you, come and vent. I’ll take your side."
"Hmph! As if. I can only picture you saying it’s my fault, since that good man wouldn’t say anything thoughtless."
Nari nodded, then stood up from the sofa.
She slipped off her black funeral hanbok, folded it neatly, and put on her hoodie over her T-shirt and black sweatpants.
"Miss Nari."
"I folded it properly, see? Stop nagging me."
"I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner."
She blinked at that for a moment. She was about to brush it off with a “It’s fine,” but Nan continued.
"I shouldn’t have let things go so badly with your father. If I had paid more attention, he wouldn’t have been so wary of me, and maybe none of this would’ve happened. I underestimated my role."
At those words, Nari narrowed her eyes. In them flickered a hollow light that made Nan clench his fist. That emptiness was hauntingly similar to what he had seen in her mother.
But soon she regained focus and smiled again, waving her hand.
"…Well. It can’t be helped. I don’t like dwelling on things like that. It only makes me feel powerless. I’d rather be glad you’re here for me now. Thanks."
"And, there’s something else I need to apologize for."
"Oh, what now?"
"Well, hm."
Nari glared at him irritably. He fidgeted with his fingers and muttered.
"I’m sorry. A few weeks ago, the one who strongly insisted that Lude should be sent to the army was…"
Her eyes widened. Come to think of it! Wasn’t it right after the guild leader returned from the Four Great Guilds’ meeting that she suddenly got a conscription notice?
And this man was one of the Four Great Guild leaders!
No way!
The culprit was…!
She pointed her finger at him. Nan fumbled, then admitted.
"…It was me. I’m sorry."
"Agh!! I really hate you!!"