Chapter 88
Chapter 88
“Lude….”
“Sorry. But I couldn’t help it.”
“You don’t even tell me the reason, and then you suddenly do this. I’m really upset you know…”
The next day, just before the ceremony restarted, Kang Ihyun stood at the awards hall entrance biting his lip as he held Lude’s hand tightly. Lude gave an awkward smile and answered.
“I’ll keep in touch. Don’t worry. We still have our contract.”
“That’s true….”
Lude squeezed Kang Ihyun’s hand again. Kang Ihyun grumbled in a half sulky tone.
“Please call me at least once a day then.”
“Alright.”
“And we have to meet and hang out at least once a week. Minimum once!”
“Sure. Anything else? You want to add more?”
“W-Wait! Let me think…”
He rested his chin on his hand and thought for a long moment. His eyebrows gradually folded into a deep crease. Lude chuckled and shook Ihyun’s hand lightly.
“Don’t worry. You saved me. As long as you’re okay with it, you can keep contacting me too.”
“…You better not regret saying that.”
Lude nodded. Kang Ihyun still looked sulky, shoulders drooping. It was a completely different sight from yesterday when he had been the one taking care of Lude while Lude looked dazed and lost.
“Let’s go inside. We must be late.”
Lude gently pulled his hand free, patted Kang Ihyun on the back twice, and walked toward the main entrance. Even though reporters were packed along the red carpet waiting for photographs, Lude deliberately chose to walk that path anyway.
As he stepped forward, Kang Ihyun called out.
“Lude!”
“What?”
“So, um, wherever you go and whenever, I hope you’re happy. Really.”
Lude smiled quietly. Then he simply turned without another word. Kang Ihyun hurried after him. Lude stopped at the edge of the red carpet and posed for a few photos.
Of course, he still couldn’t look directly at the cameras, so he stood half hidden behind Kang Ihyun, but he managed.
Once inside the award hall, Lude went straight to the quiet corner seat that Min Jaewon had prepared for him. Kang Sujin and Baek Jangmi, who had already been seated, looked at him.
“Hello, Lude. Did you rest well?”
“Yes. Thanks to everyone.”
He sat down with a surprisingly relaxed expression. Baek Jangmi, who had been watching him with worry, spoke softly.
“You seem much more at ease now.”
“Really? I don’t know. Maybe… so.”
Lude pressed a hand lightly over his chest. Then he lifted his shoulders in a faint shrug. Kang Ihyun, seated nearby, glanced at him. He looked entirely different from a few hours ago, as if his entire emotional world had shifted.
He no longer looked sharp or distressed. Instead he seemed calm, composed, and quietly warm. His fundamental gentleness had not changed.
Soon, Hunters began filling the seats one by one. Most of the ceremony had been held yesterday, so many people could not take additional time off and were absent.
“They say they’re broadcasting only on YouTube?”
“Yes. But… are you really going to do it?”
“…”
Lude looked behind him. There must have been cameras hidden behind the curtains, streaming the event live. He looked at the space for a long moment, then turned back.
“Yes.”
That was all. He did not look scared, nor overly excited. He was simply calm. Kang Sujin and Baek Jangmi exchanged a glance.
“L-Lude…!”
“I heard the news. Is it really true?”
Jeong Suho and Lee Jisung pulled open the curtain behind him. Lee Jisung looked utterly shocked. Lude nodded. Jeong Suho grabbed his hand tightly and spoke again.
“W-Wherever you go, I-I’ll help you. Yeah. So don’t worry too much…!”
“You’re the one who worries too much. I’m fine. Go do your job.”
“But still, I, I’m worried…you know.”
Lude let out a small laugh. Seeing him smile eased Jeong Suho’s anxiety. He loosened his grip and smiled back.
“Yeah. You’ll do great. You’re my friend, after all.”
“…Thank you.”
Then Lee Jisung spoke, sounding relieved after watching Suho’s reaction.
“Well, the number one Hunter will do a great job. I guarantee it! But please toughen your heart a little, and stop letting people trick you so easily.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“Wow. Since when do you accept my advice without arguing? Still, that’s good to see. Whatever you were worrying about… seems resolved.”
After they left, Min Jaewon finally stepped inside the tent. His philtrum was red and swollen from how many nosebleeds he had suffered. He looked at Lude and complained.
“Lude, this is so unfair.”
“Is it.”
“It is unfair! It’s the worst! You stick me here, and then you, who are a hundred times more amazing, go out and do something like that!”
After grumbling for a while, Min Jaewon pouted. Lude smiled and replied.
“But still, this should be enough to bury yesterday’s White Night incident.”
“That makes it even more unfair! Who asked for that kind of help? Seriously, I’m going to make Kang Ihyun hyung repay you a hundredfold later!”
He yanked the curtain shut again. Lude finally checked his phone. A message from Uncle Nan had arrived.
Nan Uncle
[Understood. I will support your path, Nari.] 5:30 p.m.
[No matter what people say, do not let them sway you too much. Your mother would be very proud of you.] 5:32 p.m.
Lude sighed softly. Without his noticing, many people had gathered around him. He had finally learned, even if only a little, how to form connections and how to trust.
“Lude. Are you really alright?”
Kang Ihyun asked quietly beside him. Lude smiled and nodded. Last night, he had made his final decision. That alone brought him peace.
People moved even when he stepped back. People constantly changed. That was frightening, but in another sense, it was reassuring. Change also meant growth.
“Phew….”
He pressed a hand gently over his heart. It had been pounding wildly since last night. But it was not anxiety. It was not panic.
Baek Jangmi soon left the table, and the ceremony resumed. A famous MC stepped onto the stage.
After briefly mentioning the earlier disruptions, he officially opened this year’s Hunter’s Night.
* * *
The ceremony progressed smoothly. The S ranks received their expected awards.
“Thank you very much for this honorable prize. Everyone, always put your health first. We all do this work just to live, you know?”
Kang Ihyun received the Priest of the Year award for safely treating students at the academy. He joked about taking care of his own body first. Considering how he had once worked until he nearly collapsed, he had changed a lot.
“Ah, Th… Thank you. S-So, um… There are still many who cannot come down from above. I believe this honor belongs to all of us, not only to me. I’ll put the trophy at Wargod and polish it every day.”
Jeong Suho received a Special Appreciation Award as the Wargod representative. Rather than talking about himself, he spoke about improving conditions for the night workers. That was exactly like him. Pure and admirable as always.
“M-Me? I didn’t expect this. I really never thought about a speech. I feel lacking in so many ways since becoming a Hunter. But I’ll be someone who can help others. I’ll grow into a great Hunter!”
Min Jaeyoon received the Rookie Award and did a deep bow without thinking. Since he had only registered as a Hunter in November, he clearly never expected to be chosen. His bewildered reaction made him look even younger and drew laughter.
“This… I think I get this every year. What is the meaning of this award exactly?”
Baek Jangmi and Kang Sujin received the Best Couple Award again. Judging by their expressions, this was not their first year winning it. Still, Baek Jangmi looked at the trophy and continued.
“...We may not be a couple. But just having someone you can trust and rely on is a blessing. I always lived like I was walking a tightrope, but it seems there were plenty of safety nets underneath. I never noticed.”
She gazed at the trophy, then suddenly smiled brightly.
“I’ll take it as a reminder to keep good relations between guilds. Thank you as always. And please do not give this to us next year. Please.”
And then Lude,
“The Hunter of the Year award goes to Lude from Sanctuary!”
He had received the Grand Prize.
Lude stood and walked slowly toward the stage. Cameras were pointed directly at him, but he did not falter. He would be lying if he said he felt nothing, yet he walked with dignity.
Holding countless bouquets, he looked around at the faces before him.
Some admired him. Some showed no interest. Some held open hostility.
The tension of the moment pressed heavily on him. He closed his eyes tightly for a brief moment, then opened them again. Just as the unpleasant emotions began to rise, he saw Kang Ihyun staring at him.
Nearby was Kang Sujin. At the Wargod table sat Jeong Suho and Lee Jisung. At the White Night table sat Min Jaeyoon and Baek Jangmi. On his phone, Uncle Nan was cheering for him.
[Status effect :: The effect of Social Aversion weakens!]
Seeing the people who trusted him weakened the status effect within him. Lude took a deep breath. Then he began to speak.
“First of all, thank you very much… for giving me such an incredible award.”
Once he started talking, the words flowed easily. He wondered if The Lord of Chaos was helping somehow, but that being had remained silent since last night. This was entirely Lude’s own strength.
“It has been six years since I became a Hunter, and, well… I know I caused a lot of trouble to everyone. But even so, thank you for giving me this.”
People in the hall burst into laughter. Lude blinked, startled.
“Lude is adorable~!”
“So cute! Keep talking! You’re doing great!”
Encouraged, he relaxed a little and continued speaking.
“Before I joined Sanctuary, I, uh, honestly thought everyone looked bad. Like… demons. I felt like they would attack me for no reason, hate me for no reason, whisper about me behind my back….”
He looked down at the bouquet and murmured.
“But after working for a while, I learned that wasn’t true. People… were better than I thought. Surprisingly.”
After working as a Hunter, he realized something. There were just as many people who liked him for no reason as those who disliked him for no reason.
He had pushed that kindness away, convinced it was false. Yet he discovered that people acted without complicated intentions. They were not so different from him.
“So, I… decided I shouldn’t reject all people and all peace because of fear.”
Therefore, he would try believing in people. Just once more.
Lude slowly looked into the camera. Beyond the lens, people were living their usual days.
Which meant he could also live those days. He did not need to achieve something grand. He could simply live an ordinary life, happily enough.
No one was born knowing their purpose. So it was fine to live without one.
“So I, Lude.”
He looked directly into the camera and smiled brightly.
“As of today, I will retire as a Hunter.”