The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 107

J carefully studied the boy. His pale, cracked lips were tightly pursed, clearly showing his discomfort.

How could someone express their emotions so clearly with just the shape of their lips? Despite being on the verge of fainting from the pain, the boy remained defiant, making his feelings known even in such extreme circumstances.

‘They say pain makes people more irritable.’

Was the boy’s sharpness due to the pain, or was that his personality from the start? J’s curiosity piqued. As he pondered, he suddenly asked,

“Do you remember me?”

“…….”

“I brought you here. From there.”

Although his words were vague, the boy seemed to understand, as his tightly pursed lips relaxed a little. His head turned slightly toward J, as if recalling that moment.

‘It’d be better if he didn’t remember that.’

If the melted figure that had been holding the boy was really his parent or family… all the more reason to forget. J bit the inside of his cheek. Memories don’t always cooperate. The more you want to forget, the clearer they become over time. Staring at the boy’s face, wrapped in bandages, J spoke again.

“They said you can’t speak yet… but how about your fingers? Can you move them?”

As if in response, the boy’s fingers twitched. J propped his chin on his hand and mumbled,

“Then just move your fingers. I’ll do my best to understand.”

“…….”

“I’m good at talking to myself. And I’m good at reading people.”

“…….”

“Got it? Now, try moving your fingers.”

The boy’s fingers twitched slightly. J smiled.

“Yeah, just like that.”

*Beep, beep, beep….* The sound of the boy’s labored breathing mixed with the quiet hum of the machines. The room, which had previously echoed with only one person’s breath, felt a little fuller now. It was a long-awaited moment of peace. With his eyes closed, J whispered,

“My name is J.”

“…….”

“It’s not my real name, but that’s what people call me. I’m a Hunter, pretty high-ranked, and I work for the Awakener Management Bureau. That’s about it. Ah, damn… now that I’m saying it, there’s not much else to tell.”

The boy’s fingers twitched again. J stared intently at the movement, though truth be told…

‘I have no idea what he’s saying.’

It was impossible to decipher. J felt a bit sheepish, and his smile twisted awkwardly.

Well, with time, he figured it would become easier. Spending more time together would help him understand the boy’s signals better. J had always been a quick learner. Tapping his mask with his finger, he responded casually,

“You’ll never see my real face, even when you’re healthy. I’m always wearing this mask, so don’t feel too bad about your eyes. They’ll heal eventually.”

“…….”

“And the voice you’re hearing? It’s not my real voice either. The mask changes it.”

“…….”

“Oh, do you want to feel it? Can you move your arm?”

J leaned closer to the bed and gently pulled up the boy’s sleeve.

But the boy’s arm, wrapped in bandages, was covered in tubes and connected to various machines. It was clear that any attempt to move him would bring a swarm of researchers or doctors rushing in.

J scratched the back of his head and looked away.

“…Yeah, that’s not gonna work.”

“…….”

“If I touch anything, it’ll be a big mess. Sorry.”

The boy’s fingers stopped moving, and his lips tightened into a pout. J cleared his throat and quickly looked away.

“When you’re stronger, I’ll let you touch it.”

“…….”

The boy’s head slowly began to turn away. J hurriedly added,

“No, really. I’m not lying. I promise, I promise.”

J quickly reached out, gently touching the boy’s pinky with his own. It wasn’t possible to link their fingers, given the boy’s fragile condition. After all, he was a weakened civilian, while J was a top-ranked Awakener.

Thankfully, the boy seemed to accept it, as his head turned back toward J. With a relieved sigh, J carefully touched the boy’s fingers, handling them as if they were made of delicate porcelain.

“If it hurts, scratch my hand to let me know.”

“…….”

“But don’t scratch too hard. Your fingers might break.”

Every time J’s hand touched the boy’s bandaged fingers, they flinched like a mimosa plant folding its leaves. It was strangely satisfying to watch. As J fiddled with the bandaged fingers, he muttered,

“It must be boring being alone.”

Just then, his watch buzzed loudly. He was being called.

“Oh.”

How much time had passed? Realizing he had lost track of time, J quickly let go of the boy’s hand, but not before the boy’s fingers brushed against the back of J’s hand. J blinked in surprise. The boy’s fingers reached out toward him again. Confused, J gently held the boy’s hand.

“Hey, does it hurt?”

“…….”

The boy’s fingers twitched slightly as if to say yes. J sighed in frustration.

“…But I’m being called. I really have to go. I’ll call the doctor for you.”

“…….”

The boy’s lips pouted again. Without thinking, J blurted out,

“I’ll come back.”

“…….”

The boy’s lips remained pursed. J groaned, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke,

“I’ll try to come as often as I can. But I don’t know how often that’ll be.”

“…….”

The boy’s lips seemed to pout even more. Damn it, I shouldn’t have been so honest. J was never good at lying. He sighed.

“Sorry. Just wait a little, okay?”

“…….”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise.”

Finally, the boy’s fingers gave J’s palm a light tap before pulling away. Though he still didn’t look entirely happy. J gently patted the boy’s bandaged cheek before standing up.

“See you next time.”

J turned and headed for the door. When he opened it, he saw Ga-young sitting in a chair, arms crossed, her eyes closed. She snapped awake the moment the door opened, quickly wiping her mouth and standing up.

“Oh, you’re done already! You could’ve stayed longer, you know.”

“No, I’ve been called by the Bureau.”

“Aren’t you overworked? With all these dungeons and rifts… and on top of that, bringing us the poison.”

“Well… it can’t be helped.”

J shrugged as he closed the door. They walked back in silence until they neared the research lab. Then J spoke up.

“By the way.”

“Yes! What is it?”

“Could you make me a keycard for the boy’s room? A personal one.”

“Uh… what?”

Ga-young looked at J with wide eyes. J, hands behind his back, spoke with a smile in his voice.

“I’ve made a few generous donations… Surely that’s enough for a keycard, right?”

Time continued to pass swiftly, though J was somewhat grateful that it felt lighter than before.

*Splatter!* As J swung his spear through the air, droplets of blood rained down. He shook the blood off the blade and headed toward the dungeon's exit. His body felt weightless as the familiar scenery appeared before his eyes.

He was standing at the entrance of a shabby house. This was one of those rare cases where a house itself had become a dungeon, so J had entered directly. Fortunately, it was a relatively peaceful situation. A Hunter waiting by the entrance handed him a damp white towel. J wiped the blood from his hands and pressed the button on his earpiece.

“J here.”

A calm voice responded.

?How did the dungeon go?

“It was fine. It was a forest-type dungeon with some useful resources. I’ve taken care of the dungeon boss and all the monsters. It might be worth sending in a research and investigation team.”

?Got it. But…

There was a brief silence. J furrowed his brow, checking his earpiece to see if the connection had been lost. It wasn’t. It was unusual for Ham Seok-jung to trail off like this. After a few moments of quiet, she asked,

?Did something good happen to you?

“…Pardon?”

J stopped in his tracks, glancing at his watch. He thought for a moment that maybe he was speaking to his aunt instead of the director, but no—it was definitely the director. Since when did the director ask such questions? Just as J was about to get lost in confusion, Ham Seok-jung continued quickly.

?No, it’s just that you’ve seemed happier lately, that’s all.

“…….”

?…It’s not a bad thing. I might be overthinking it. Just forget I said anything.

“Ah, no.”

J replied, sounding a bit dazed.

“Um… thanks for asking.”

?…Alright. Things are relatively calm today, so take some time to rest.

“Y-yes….”

The communication ended. Had something really changed about him, enough for Ham Seok-jung to notice? J scratched his head and nodded to the Hunter standing nearby.

“Thank you. You should head back too.”

“Aren’t you returning to the Bureau with us?”

“No, I have somewhere else to go.”

“Understood. Take care, and thanks for your hard work.”

The Hunter bowed and left. J also started walking, but his pace picked up as he reached familiar streets. By the time the white building came into view, he was practically running.

He entered through the staff entrance, took the elevator, climbed the stairs, walked through the corridor, and finally scanned his ID card at the machine. *Beep.* The familiar sound was followed by the sight of the hospital room door. With a wide grin, J swung the door open.

The bed in the center of the white hospital room was still surrounded by machines, but the room no longer felt as cold and empty as before.

The boy, now sitting up in bed, slowly turned his head. His bandaged face had changed as well. Whereas before only his nose and mouth were visible, now his entire face, including his eyes, was exposed. Although his eyes were still clouded and blurry from the toxins, they were undeniably focused on J.

J spread his arms wide.

“Your big brother’s here!”

The boy’s clouded eyes narrowed slightly, as if smiling.