Delusive Fate

#094

At 11:15 AM on a weekday, Ham Yun-ah, Seo Hee-ju, and Kim Jin-oh were sitting by the sun-drenched café window, mindlessly killing time. The café had a mid-century modern atmosphere with an interior that appropriately combined Mars Yellow, Prussian Blue, and Sap Green, and the softly playing swing jazz created a relaxing mood. Kim Jin-oh gulped down his iced vanilla latte and glanced around the café interior. Despite it being a weekday morning, there wasn’t an empty table in sight.

“Are all these people unemployed? Why is the café so packed on a Tuesday at this hour?”

Ham Yun-ah, who was scrolling through social media on her phone, replied offhandedly, as if it wasn’t worth engaging.

“Don’t be narrow-minded, Jin-oh. To others, you’re just a bum too. There are various lifestyles in this world, you know.”

Seo Hee-ju chimed in with a “tsk tsk tsk,” causing Kim Jin-oh’s face to scrunch up.

“Ham Yun-ah, you… I knew you were always a bit unpleasant, but is it because I’ve been seeing you too often lately… You’re really fucking annoying? Why are you getting more insufferable by the day?”

“Sorry, but Jin-oh, you’ve been consistently ignorant and unlikeable from the start, regardless of time.”

This time, Seo Hee-ju added, “That’s right, that’s right. A rare specimen of unlikeability.” Kim Jin-oh gritted his teeth in exasperation and shouted.

“But why is this bastard taking so long? He’s the one who asked to meet, so why is he the only one late?”

Although Ham Yun-ah, Seo Hee-ju, and Kim Jin-oh seemed to bicker, they were actually long-time friends. Living in similar areas and of similar ages, they had naturally become close through raids, and on days without schedules, they would gather to spend personal time together.

However, recently, they had been meeting much more frequently than usual. Even in their mid-teens, when they had just started becoming close, they didn’t see each other this often. Including the times when those who were free would meet separately in twos or threes, they were essentially meeting almost every day. There was, of course, a reason for this sudden change.

“What the hell is Lee Han-sol doing? First, he suddenly says he’s moved, and now he’s calling us out every day when he used to act all high and mighty and ignore us when we asked him to come out. And today he’s late without even contacting us? Does he think he’s so great because we’ve been going along with him, huh? Damn, he’s doing whatever he wants.”

It was all because of Lee Han-sol.

Lee Han-sol was a peculiar person. Whether for better or worse, he was. People who had worked with Lee Han-sol even once generally treated him like a fox. It was common to hear that he was a habitual player who toyed with people’s hearts, pushing and pulling anyone, and that he acted like he was too good for others.

There were various reasons why Lee Han-sol received such evaluations. First, the most fundamental issue was his face.

To be honest, Lee Han-sol was objectively handsome. Whether you’d call it pretty, cute, or even somewhat sexy, the way people described it might differ, but the clear fact was that no one in this world could say Lee Han-sol was ugly. Once, at a post-raid gathering without Lee Han-sol, someone who was completely drunk said something like this:

“Our Han-sol… looks like an expensive apple polished to a shine, costing 25,000 won each… but when he smiles, he’s like a tangerine… when he’s angry, he’s like a plum… when he’s tired, he’s like a soft persimmon… he’s a comprehensive fruit gift set… Your apple-like face… so pretty… the government should clone Lee Han-sol… sob sob sob.”

At that time, people said, “Hey, stop exaggerating. What’s with tangerines and plums for a grown man? Stop saying gross things and go home if you’re drunk.” But truthfully, they were all nodding in agreement inside.

Despite all the talk about lookism and whatnot, as long as you have two eyes, you can’t help but be drawn to pretty and handsome things. Most people who saw Lee Han-sol wanted to get closer to him. They actually tried hard to approach him, and Lee Han-sol easily accepted them. The second problem was precisely this point.

Unlike the impression that he might be difficult to get close to, Lee Han-sol was actually quite approachable. He had no walls with the people around him throughout the raids, and when bored, he would even initiate jokes or pranks.

After rolling around in the dirt for a few days with him, who laughed carelessly, everyone naturally thought they had become quite close to Lee Han-sol. The joy and sense of achievement from becoming friends with a popular person was much greater than what could be gained from ordinary relationships. However, people’s expectations were often quickly overturned, never lasting long.

As soon as Lee Han-sol left the gate, he was in a hurry to go straight home. He never accepted even light suggestions like “Shall we have a meal together before parting?” People were bewildered, saying that Lee Han-sol outside the gate and inside the gate seemed like completely different people. In fact, Lee Han-sol’s personality or actions didn’t change drastically like a split personality, but disappointed people thought as they pleased. This was Lee Han-sol’s final problem.

People felt embarrassed to realize they had misunderstood their relationship with Lee Han-sol. If it had been someone other than Lee Han-sol, they might have quickly laughed it off, thinking, “This person was just a typical popular type, distant yet close. I almost mistook their popularity for friendship.” But due to the overlap of Lee Han-sol’s various conditions, the evaluation of him remained as “someone difficult to get close to, who acts this way and that because he knows he’s pretty.” As this image solidified, the number of people privately pursuing Lee Han-sol gradually decreased, and at the end of it all, what remained were Ham Yun-ah, Seo Hee-ju, Kim Jin-oh, Lee Su-hyeon, and others.

They had no great expectations of Lee Han-sol. All four of them, as extreme face-fanatics, had adopted the mindset of “Lee Han-sol isn’t pretending to be expensive, he just is expensive. He’s not a prince wannabe, he’s just a prince. It’s just that seeing that face is my healing.” So they weren’t disappointed or hurt like others. As time passed like this, they eventually grew very fond of each other. Even Lee Han-sol, who ignored everyone else’s messages, became close enough to reply once or twice out of ten to their messages. That’s how Lee Han-sol and they became friends.

Anyway, Lee Han-sol, who had been like that, suddenly changed as if struck by lightning. Overnight, he went from being a comprehensive fruit gift set to some neighborhood hoodlum, which was really strange. In the midst of this, he even acted like a fortune-teller, correctly guessing that Seo Hee-ju’s boyfriend Moon Kyung-chan was cheating. Lee Han-sol’s change was so dramatic it felt unsettling, and to be honest, he seemed unstable. Everyone felt the same way.

Just when they were starting to get seriously worried, Lee Han-sol took it a step further and suddenly moved to District B. As if that wasn’t surprising enough, the more shocking thing was that Lee Han-sol contacted them first and asked to meet. And that request had been repeated every day since then.

Lee Han-sol really made plans with someone every day. Repeating actions unlike himself, he seemed like someone who wanted to avoid being alone at all costs. Seeing Lee Han-sol like this, somehow looking too precarious, Ham Yun-ah, Kim Jin-oh, and others were going along with him without complaint. That was the entire reason why they had been meeting and running around here and there almost every other day lately.

“When on earth is Lee Han-sol planning to come? At this rate, he’ll show up at 12, he’ll show up at 12.”

Nodding at Kim Jin-oh, who was constantly grumbling, Ham Yun-ah said,

“I know, and no contact either. Han-sol has become a bit… no, a lot weird, but he used to be good at keeping time commitments.”

“He calls us out and then he’s late? Just wait until he gets here. I’ll teach him some manners, I swear.”

It was then that Seo Hee-ju suddenly thrust his phone between them.

“Han-sol will come when he comes. Stop that and look at this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s an official document that came down from the association. Someone leaked it on the community forums, they say?”

Although they could have easily looked at it on their own phones, they huddled together to peer at Seo Hee-ju’s phone screen. It was a post on the free board of the Center community, where hunters and related government officials gathered, already with over 700 comments. The original document that the Hunter Association had supposedly circulated to all centers was uploaded as is. The content was as follows:

[Free Board] Real-time Hunter Association Official Document

Civil Servant · asdf1234

Request for Cooperation in Center Education and Posting of Notices Regarding Citizen Protection Regulations

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in complaints due to friction between currently active hunters officially registered at the centers and non-awakened general citizens.

Our hunters and related public officials must take the lead in protecting citizens and should not cause disputes or friction, especially physical friction, under any circumstances.

According to Article 2-7 (Duty of Hunters and Related Public Officials to Protect Citizens) of the [Act on Life Stabilization and Maintenance of Public Order], hunters and related public officials have the duty to serve and protect citizens, and the currently most problematic issues in complaints, “threats by hunters” and “physical friction with hunters,” are strictly prohibited according to Paragraphs 8 and 9 of Article 2 of the same Act’s Enforcement Decree. After confirming the content, each center should ensure that such situations absolutely do not recur….

Attached link

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Kim Jin-oh, who was reading the post, furrowed his brow as if he couldn’t understand at all.

“What the hell is this nonsense? Complaints? Are they saying hunters are going around beating up civilians?”

“Seems like it? But how do you educate about that? How do you educate about not beating civilians?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Isn’t this just an overreaction? What kind of crazy person would beat up a civilian?”

As they were talking skeptically as if it made no sense, they soon played a video that was separately attached below the document. It looked like CCTV footage, and it showed two men standing face to face. Although the quality was poor and their faces weren’t clearly visible, it was obvious that the two people were of different weight classes, judging by their build and height. The two stood still for a while, seemingly in conversation.

“What’s this, the video isn’t much either. What are they trying to show us by uploading this? Anyway, everyone must have a lot of time on their hands, 700 comments on a post like this….”

Kim Jin-oh’s grumbling, unable to wait even that long, was suddenly cut off with an “Uh?”

“What’s wrong with this guy? What’s this? Why is he suddenly headbutting?”

The slim man on the screen suddenly threw his head towards the face of the larger man. Before they could understand the scene that unfolded in an instant, the man who delivered the first blow crouched down next to the man who was holding his nose and fidgeting. Then he picked up something that had fallen to the ground and… stuffed it right into the other person’s mouth. And that’s where the video ended.

“What is this? Are they saying this is a video of a hunter beating up a civilian? That the one who headbutted is a hunter?”

“Wow, unbelievable. There really is a crazy person who beats up civilians. What is he feeding him at the end? He’s like a total psycho.”

Kim Jin-oh and Seo Hee-ju were in sync, laughing and calling the person crazy, saying things like getting involved with someone like that would be trouble. Meanwhile, Ham Yun-ah quietly replayed the video. The slim body, familiar clothing style, round back of the head… Even the nimble movement of headbutting towards the target.

“Hmm… This back view looks familiar… Really familiar….”

Ah, where have I seen it? Who is it? As Ham Yun-ah was struggling with a memory that seemed just out of reach, someone plopped down in the empty seat next to her and casually asked,

“What’s familiar?”

When she looked up, she immediately saw Lee Han-sol with a cynical expression.

“Hey, Lee Han-sol, do you want to die? You’re the one who asked to meet, so why are you so late? And what’s with your appearance? Did you go on a solo raid or something?”

Kim Jin-oh snapped at him, and Ham Yun-ah felt an ominous premonition. Lee Han-sol’s sweatshirt with a stretched-out neck as if someone had grabbed him by the collar, his lightly dressed appearance unsuitable for the season. Decisively, the scratch-like wound on his cheek. No way… no way, could it be…? As Ham Yun-ah was muttering to herself, unaware of her own thoughts, Lee Han-sol answered nonchalantly.

“On my way here, I ran into some weird bastard… He was spitting phlegm on the street like he was a llama or something, it was fucking disgusting to look at. I got so angry that I had to blow off some steam, that’s why I’m late.”

It’s not my fault, it’s that llama bastard’s fault, so if you’re going to make a fuss, go find that bastard and do it.

The crazy hunter who beats up civilians. The madman they had been excitedly cursing just moments ago turned out to be Lee Han-sol, standing right in front of them.