Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gates — paths that lead from here to the other world. About a decade ago… the first gate appeared, and the inexplicable began to happen. For one, awakened beings known as hunters began to show up. They receive their powers during their awakening, and that power never changes.

I’m one of them. While I’m not the strongest hunter, as a top A-rank, I think I’m doing alright. I also don’t raid much anymore; now I’m the Chief Inspector of the Hunters Association’s Surveillance Team. While I do occasionally participate in raids, my main job is to keep an eye on the hunters.

Chief Woo Jinchul sat in his office, his cup of earl grey tea cooled and forgotten as he reviewed the reports from the Double Dungeon incident.

Only six of seventeen hunters survived. All but one of their stories matched, and that one had yet to wake up. Fatalities happened — that was the risk all hunters accepted when they stepped into a gate — but in recent years, those losses were far fewer with the precautions the Association had put into place. That said, to have this many deaths in a D-rank gate was nearly unprecedented.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly.

D-rank gates didn’t wipe out strike squads. They didn’t produce statues that could shoot lasers and kill hunters with a single strike.

A round stone-constructed room, stone statues all around against the walls — some with weapons, others with musical instruments — an angel-like statue holding a tablet of commandments, and a massive statue that could shoot lasers from its eyes, insta-killing. The final hunter had figured out that they needed to follow the commandments listed there for them to survive. When they kowtowed, the laser eyes stopped, but then the biggest statue with its creepy grin started walking, killing people with its sheer size. They found safety next to statues that held musical instruments… some of them, at least.

Then finally, a sacrifice to be made? They gathered at a sacrificial-looking altar and the doors opened. And then, without listening to that hunter, the others started abandoning the raid — abandoning the injured the moment the door opened.

Abandoning their teammates. He glanced at their files; he’d commit those names to memory. He understood the desire to live — he was a hunter too, after all — but to abandon their teammates at the first opportunity was despicable. He’d watch them. If their cowardice caused more injuries or, in the worst case, deaths, he’d revoke their licenses.

The only report he hadn’t gotten yet was from the last hunter, the one who figured out the statues’ rules. He and a handful of hunters from the White Tigers guild had charged in after the first deserter escaped and reported the double dungeon. They found him unconscious on a stone altar, his clothes shredded and soaked with fresh blood that also pooled and dripped from the round table.

Aside from the massive amount of blood around him, there were no visible injuries. The hospital reported he had yet to wake up. No injuries — not even a bruise. They said his body was weak, malnourished, and anemic; that, combined with the trauma of the dungeon, was why he was still asleep after three days.

Hunter Sung Jinwoo, E-rank, MP listed at 10. Jinchul had never seen an awakened person with such a low number; he was basically a civilian with that score. Most E-ranks scored at least 70. And his records… Jinchul shook his head. Had he ever left a dungeon uninjured? Hospitalized just from walking through an E-rank gate. Why was he even—ah. Hunter insurance was covering his mother’s medical costs. Father deceased, younger sister in high school. Gotta give the kid respect for enduring gates to take care of his family.

Kid… Jinchul almost laughed. He looked like a fifteen-year-old in his file photo, but he was twenty-four. Must’ve been an old photo.

How did he manage to survive this, and without a scratch despite the others reporting he’d lost a leg? Was it possible he’d re-awakened? He’d never heard of a re-awakening healing a major injury. If he’d re-awakened as a healer class… no, they generally couldn’t heal themselves well. And then it still left the question of who defeated the boss — and where did the room with the statues go.

Normally, he wouldn’t be the one following up on low-level incidents, not when he had stacks of B, A, and S-rank paperwork waiting on his desk, but this incident was unusual.

“Hunter Sung Jinwoo?” Jinchul asked as he knocked on the open hospital room door.

“Yes, that’s me?” Hunter Sung said. He was sitting up, hair a little messy but clean. Considering he’d been soaked with blood when they found him, the nurses must have had a difficult time getting it all off. His eyes were dark, tired, but calmer than someone who’d endured that incident — someone who was left to die — should have been.

“Apologies if I startled you.” Jinchul offered his business card. “My name is Woo Jinchul. I’m Chief of the KHA’s Surveillance Team. This is my assistant, Seo Minjun.”

“T-the Chief? Why are you here, sir? I mean—Chief Woo?”

“We’re investigating the reports of a double dungeon. You are the final survivor who has yet to provide an account. But before we begin — have you spoken with your doctor since awakening?”

“Ummm, no… I just woke up actually.”

With a nod from Jinchul, his assistant left to check with hospital staff.

When the doctor arrived, Jinchul stepped out. He was privy to portions of a hunter’s medical records regarding raid injuries, but he wanted to respect doctor-patient confidentiality.

A few minutes later, the doctor signaled for him. They discussed that Hunter Sung would be unable to participate in raids for at least ten days and requested he be placed on the no-call list.

“Sorry for the trouble,” Hunter Sung apologized.

“Trouble?” Jinchul raised an eyebrow. “By all accounts, including your own, you should be dead — or nearly so.”

Sung laughed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck as he averted his gaze. “Well… I’m kind of used to it.”

Something about that twisted in Jinchul’s chest. No one, even a hunter, should be used to almost dying.

Assistant Seo took notes as Hunter Sung reported his account. It matched the others. He asked after Hunters Song and Lee — the only two who’d stayed nearly to the end.

The shock on Hunter Sung’s face looked genuine when Jinchul offered his hypothesis of a possible second awakening.

A hunter’s ability was established when they awakened. Rarely, a hunter could awaken a second time, pushing beyond their limits — a C-rank to A-rank, a B-rank to S-rank.

Jinchul’s assistant opened a large case, setting up a device with a purple crystal beside the bed.

“This is a mana meter. Just place your hand on the essence stone.”

Jinchul watched as Hunter Sung complied. His surprise seemed real, excitement lighting his eyes as he eagerly retested. With his MP level… he couldn’t blame him for being hopeful.

If they’d truly met insta-kill level magic beasts, an average hunter couldn’t have handled it. The Association would’ve summoned A-ranks and even S-ranks. But the high-level beasts had vanished without a trace… leaving only one possibility: Jinwoo Sung had experienced a second awakening.

The mana meter beeped. A glance at the screen left Jinchul disappointed — 10. No improvement.

“What’s the result?” Hunter Sung asked.

“We must’ve made a mistake. I apologize,” Assistant Seo replied. “Your reading is the same as listed in your file.”

Jinchul nodded. “Thank you for your time, Hunter Sung. I hope your recovery goes well.” He kept his disappointment hidden as he left, his assistant packing the meter in a hurry.

Several days later.

Jinchul rubbed his temple. “How did we allow a D-rank gate to break in the middle of the city?!”

“I’m sorry, Chief — we sent out requests to available hunters but couldn’t find enough to form a raid group before the break.”

“What’s happening now?”

“Reports say several low-ranks have succeeded in dealing with the beasts and are fighting the boss.”

“Can they handle it? Or do I need to intervene?”

“…I’m not sure, sir.”

He sighed. They should have notified him before the break. If nothing else, he could have taken an Association team to clear the gate before it happened, or even just did it himself.

He went back to his office to grab his gear. “Where was the gate?” he asked while heading to the elevator, already putting his armor on.

Just before he reached the street, his phone pinged.

[Reports indicate that the boss of the gate has been defeated. The gate is now closed.]

He typed back quickly:

[How are the hunters? Do they still need assistance?]

[No, sir. Crews are on site. No fatalities or mortal injuries are being reported.]

He exhaled in relief as he removed his armor and headed back inside. He wasn’t worried about handling a D-rank boss himself — his concern was for the low-level hunters.

His mind drifted to the bright blue eyes of the hunter he’d met in the hospital…

The image of Hunter Sung haunted him enough that he went to the office of Jung Mira — one of two friendly false rankers he’d recruited. They worked undercover in raids, participating at their “registered” level to watch for problems and intervening when necessary. Jung Mira usually handled the E- and D-rank gates.

“Hunter Jung, I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Chief Woo — no, of course not. Please come in.”

“How has everything been? Any issues?”

“No sir. Everything’s been normal.”

“Glad to hear it.” He hesitated. “I’d like to ask about a hunter. His name has crossed my desk recently — Hunter Sung Jinwoo, from the Double Dungeon incident.”

“Oh, Hunter Sung. He’s one of the survivors, right?”

“Yes.”

“He’s a nice guy. I’m glad he made it out.”

“Tell me about him. Any possibility he’s a false ranker?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“You seem quite certain.” Jinchul said, slightly surprised with her certainty.

“I am. When I join raids with him, I try to stay next to him.”

“Why is that?”

“He gets hurt a lot. Like… a lot a lot. He’s fairly agile and perceptive — hyper-aware of danger inside a gate — but he’s got zero defense and not much attack ability. I stay near him because if anyone’s going to get killed, it’s him, so I try to protect him.”

She sighed. “He’s also got a bit of a protective streak. He’s good at alerts and will sometimes jump in to protect others… though I wish he wouldn’t, since he gets hurt more then the person he’s trying to help would have.”

“Hmm. And the other hunters? Do they not try to protect him — or each other?”

“At E- and D-rank, it’s a mixed bag, sir. Some are happy to have him there… because of what they call him, they’ll look out for him sometimes. Those raids are generally easy.”

“What do they call him?”

“It’s kind of mean, sir. They call him ‘The weakest hunter of all mankind.’”

“They call him that to his face?”

“The friendly ones don’t. The less friendly ones sometimes do.”

“And the ‘not so friendly’ ones?”

“Most ignore him. Whether he needs help or not — they don’t care. Then there are the ones who intentionally let magic beasts get to him to see what he can do.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve spoken with Gate Assignments, to try to match him with certain friendly hunters whenever possible.”

“Alright. Keep up the good work, Hunter Jung.”

“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.”

Several days later, after confirming Hunter Sung’s release from the hospital, Jinchul had his assistant schedule a meeting. He normally didn’t involve himself like this, but he couldn’t shake the image of the younger man in that hospital bed.

He’d been too cute before, with messy hair and those blue eyes he couldn’t forget — though a little too young-looking for his tastes. But now, the man who arrived seemed older somehow. Taller. Had he only seemed small because he was malnourished? Maybe the hospital fed him well. Jinchul took a steadying breath. Sure, a healthy Hunter Sung was checking a few boxes, but he had to stay professional.

“Hunter Sung, thank you for meeting me,” he said, sitting across from the younger hunter and waiting for him to sit.

“How are you feeling? You were released yesterday?”

“Um—yes, sir. They let me go home yesterday. I’m doing fine. Thank you for asking.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Jinchul watched him fidget. “I must confess — I have some concerns regarding you.”

Hunter Sung looked up, those blue eyes wide. Jinchul imagined he could swim in those blue depths and never be tired.

“Your file documents not just the raids and gates you’ve completed, but also your injury reports. Simply put… I don’t think active duty suits you.”

“A-are you taking away my license, sir?” he asked, worried.

“No. You’re free to continue as you have been — though I don’t recommend it. I’d like to give you some career information here at the Association. Entry-level positions. They may not pay as well at first, but the mortality rate is infinitely better.”

Hunter Sung accepted the papers, barely glancing at them. He was quiet a moment, a small, almost sad smile on his face.

“Thank you… I don’t think I’m ready to give up being a hunter yet, but I’ll take this and consider it.”

Jinchul almost smiled back. The man’s determination was impressive — idiotic, but impressive. “Here is my card. If you decide to apply to any of them, you may use me as a reference.”

He stood and shook Hunter Sung’s hand when the younger hunter rose.

As he watched him turn to leave, the words slipped out before he could stop them:

“Just… don’t die.”

Jinwoo turned, blinking in confusion — then smiled. Warm. Enough to make Jinchul’s heartbeat stutter.

As he left the conference room, Jinchul couldn’t help but reflect. It was a sad smile… but a nice one, he could only imagine what a happy smile would look like on that face.

He prayed silently for Sung’s survival as he returned to his office.

Chapter Text

Sitting back in his armchair with a hot cup of Earl Grey, he opened the HM app. Hunters Meet— it was a dating app for hunters. He’d heard that some people crassly called it “Hunters Meat.”

Since hunters were stronger than non-awakened humans, many preferred to date only other awakened; there was less chance of accidentally injuring your partner that way.

That was his preference too. He didn’t care about rank, only that they were awakened. But with only 0.001% of the world’s population being awakened, there weren’t many matches. Truthfully, he had yet to meet anyone through this app, had yet to even fill out his own bio—he just lurked once in a while. He’d made it months ago and had been disappointed in what he’d seen then. He wanted to find a partner, not a one-night stand, which seemed to be the majority here.

He was about to close the app when a photo caught his attention. Was that… Hunter Sung?! The photo showed him asleep on a couch, one arm raised above his head, his shirt slightly pulled up to reveal his slim waist. He tapped on the bio link.

Name: Woojin
Age: 24
Orientation: looking for… uh… guys. Nice guys? Handsome would be cool.
Bio: I’m a hunter, very manly, and I work out a LOT lately. Like… I’m basically ripped, you just can’t tell because of my horrible fashion sense.
Looking for someone who appreciates a hardworking man who comes home tired, sweaty, and maybe a little bloody sometimes, but in a cool way, not a weird way.
I’m really busy so I don’t have time for anything too serious right now, but maybe we can meet up and see where things go.
I like guys who are fit, confident, older is fine I guess, but not too old. I’m an awesome cook, but I might use too much salt sometimes.
Interests: Working out, not dying in dungeons, cooking, taking care of my amazing little sister.
What I’m Looking For: Someone who can handle a man with BIG responsibilities.

Something about that didn’t sit right with him. He didn’t know what Hunter Sung’s relationship status was before now, but thinking about him having one-night stands with randos irked him for some reason.

He quickly typed out a message.
Jinchul: [Hunter Sung?]

He didn’t hit enter… he reread the bio. He didn’t know Hunter Sung that well, but this sounded off, like a kid wrote it—and why a pic while he was asleep?

Jinchul chuckled to himself at the “amazing little sister.” He clicked on his message to rewrite it but accidentally hit send. Damn it.

Woojin: [You know me?]
Jinchul: [I am acquainted with Hunter Sung.]
Jinchul: [But you are not Hunter Sung, are you?]
Woojin: [oh shit!]

He smiled slightly to himself, a bit disappointed that Hunter Sung’s post wasn’t real.

Jinchul: [A young lady should not speak so crassly.]
Woojin: [how did you know?!]
Jinchul: [The bio sounds more like a teenage girl wrote it.]
Jinchul: [You should also know… some of that sounds like a request for a one-night stand.]
Woojin: [damn it! what part?]
Jinchul: [Most of it, to be fair. He’s going to get some creeps contacting him with that kind of bio.]
Woojin: [r u a creep?]

He looked at his phone, feeling slightly offended.

Jinchul: [I am not.]
Woojin: [ur empty bio seems creepy]
Jinchul: [I suppose it might seem that way.]
Woojin: [prove that ur not a creep!]
Jinchul: [Why would I do that?]
Woojin: [because ur interested in my brother, and I won’t let him date a creep.]

Jinchul sighed to himself. He wanted to deny his interest, but it would be a lie.

Jinchul: [And how would I prove that I’m not a creep?]
Woojin: [what color are your eyes?]
Jinchul: [violet…]
Woojin: [do you have a purple shirt or something?]
Jinchul: [yes]
Woojin: [ok, go put it on and take a picture of yourself wearing it]
Woojin: [also, in the pic, hold 2 spoons and a fork]

Jinchul: [that’s… random?]
Woojin: [exactly, that way I know ur not just sending me a random pic from the internet]
Jinchul: [Very well, give me a few minutes.]

*He uploads a pic of himself wearing a pale mauve knit sweater—one of his favorites, even though the neck seems a bit stretched. His hair is slightly tousled, and he’s awkwardly holding two spoons and a fork. His smile isn’t fake; he’d been laughing at the absurdity while taking the picture.*

Jinchul: [Does this prove I’m not a creep?]
Woojin: [shit! ur hot!]

Jinchul nearly choked on his tea.

Woojin: [totally approved! now to convince my brother to go out…]
Woojin: [there’s a cafe not far from us, I’m sure I can get him there tonight, think you could meet him there?]

Jinchul: [You’re not going to tell him about this profile you made, are you?]
Woojin: [nope!]
Jinchul: [Will you at least delete it? The profile could cause some embarrassing situations for Hunter Sung.]
Woojin: [if u agree to meet up with my brother then I will take it down]
Woojin: [after your date of course (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵) ]

Jinchul shook his head, laughing to himself as he realized he was being blackmailed by a teenager. As a thought, he quickly clicked on the profile picture and saved it.

Jinchul: [At least remove the picture for now so he’s not so recognizable.]
Woojin: [ok]

He parked his car at the Cafe Pene’s lot, staring at the brightly lit storefront as he rubbed his temple. What had he been roped into? And by a teenage girl, at that. Hunter Sung must have his hands full with her.

He took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair, and stepped inside.

Hunter Sung was wearing a blue hoodie and dark jeans, looking up at the menu. And that must be his sister—she turned as soon as she heard the door open. He was still wearing his mauve sweater, so he was sure she recognized him.

Jinchul took another breath, grounding himself. The coffee and fresh pastry smell was warm and calming. He ignored the girl—he wasn’t supposed to “know” her yet.

“Hunter Sung, good evening.”

Sung jumped slightly, startled, blue eyes wide. “Oh… Chief Woo… yes… um… good evening.”

“This cafe came highly recommended, so I thought I’d check it out,” Jinchul said casually.

“It is really good. They roast the beans themselves,” Jinwoo said, nodding.

“Why don’t we treat you… Chief Woo?” the teenage girl piped in, eyes shining mischievously.

“Sorry, this is my little sister Jinah. Jinah, this is Chief Woo from the Hunters Association,” Jinwoo introduced.

“I’m off-duty, Hunter Sung. Please call me Jinchul.”

He couldn’t help but smile as Jinah grinned like an idiot behind her brother.

“Then… please call me Jinwoo.” He shifted nervously. “Would you like to join us?”

Jinchul nodded. “I think I’d like that.”

They placed their orders—coffee for two and a strawberry banana sundae.

“I can bring the order over. Why don’t you find a table?” Jinwoo offered.

Jinchul followed Jinah to a table. Once seated, he asked quietly, “Are you happy now? Can you delete that profile?”

“Well, this is technically not a date sooo…” she whispered, trying (and failing) to look innocent as Jinwoo arrived with their order.

“What exactly are you up to, Jinah?” Jinwoo asked, glaring suspiciously.

Jinchul sipped his coffee—really good coffee—and prepared to be entertained.

“What makes you think I’m up to something?” she said, attempting innocence.

“I’m your brother. I can tell when you’re scheming.”

“I’m not!”

“Then what about what you just said to Chief— to Jinchul just now?”

“Shit! You heard that!?”

“I didn’t… but now I know for a fact that you’re up to something. Fess up… or do I need to ask Jinchul?” Jinwoo said, sliding her sundae away.

Jinah looked pleadingly at Jinchul, who smiled slightly.

“I’m not in the habit of lying,” he said simply.

Jinah sagged in her chair, arms crossed. “Fine… I made a profile for you on a dating app…”

Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed. She quickly looked away.

“You did what?!” he hissed.

“… and I guess it implied some things…”

“Implied what things, Jinah?”

Jinchul decided to have mercy and slid his phone to Jinwoo—already opened to the profile.

Jinwoo ran a hand through his hair, eyes widening as he read.

“Jinah… we’re going to have a long chat when we get home. And you are deleting this.”

“Yes, Jinwoo-oppa…”

“You also need to properly apologize to Jinchul for roping him into your schemes.”

Jinah stood and bowed. “I’m sorry, Jinchul.”

Jinwoo sighed and slid the dessert back.

“I’m sorry, Jinchul. I… had no idea.”

“No harm done,” Jinchul replied. He truly wasn’t bothered. Not only was he getting to see Jinwoo again, but the coffee was excellent. Overall, this was turning into a very good evening.

The three continued chatting amicably, Jinah doing most of the talking as she animatedly told stories. Even if he was upset with her, Jinchul noticed how easily Jinwoo smiled at his sister’s enthusiasm.

In the parking lot, Jinah hopped into Jinwoo’s jeep. Jinwoo locked her inside with his fob before bowing to Jinchul.

“Sorry again about my sister.”

Jinchul laughed softly. “Don’t worry about it. It was… fun.”

Jinwoo blinked, surprised—an unexpectedly cute look.

Jinchul’s heart beat a little too fast as he stepped closer. “Would you perhaps want to do this again sometime? Without your little sister?”

Both glanced toward the jeep—Jinah was watching eagerly, practically bouncing. The lighting was poor, but Jinchul thought he saw a faint flush on Jinwoo’s cheeks.

Jinwoo stepped smoothly in front of the window, blocking her view. “I… I think I’d like that,” he said with a shy smile that made Jinchul’s heart stutter.

Jinchul pulled out his phone. “Shall we exchange numbers, then?”

Jinwoo fumbled slightly with his own phone—adorably—and they exchanged contacts.

After their goodbyes, Jinchul watched the siblings drive off before looking down at the new contact entry. He renamed it to Mr. Blue Eyes.

His mind raced the whole drive home, thinking about where to take Jinwoo on their first real date.

He hadn’t been home long when his phone chimed.

Mr. Blue Eyes: [Hi]
Mr. Blue Eyes: [Sorry to disturb you]

Jinchul smiled—he hadn’t expected a message so soon.

Jinchul: [You’re not disturbing me.]
Jinchul: [You both got home safely?]

Mr. Blue Eyes: [Yeah, we’re home.]
Mr. Blue Eyes: [If you don’t mind, could you check that app again?]
Mr. Blue Eyes: [I made my sister take down that bio. I just want to make sure it’s really gone.]

Jinchul: [of course]

He opened the HM app, searched for the Woojin profile—nothing. His chat list now only displayed one entry: Unavailable — User has removed profile.

Jinchul: [it’s down, I don’t see it anymore]

He was glad he’d saved the picture earlier.

Mr. Blue Eyes: [thank you]

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Jinchul was sipping his tea at home with some soft music playing when his phone notifications sounded.

A message from the dating app? He clicked on it curiously.

Woojin2: [Jinchul… it’s Jinah]
Jinchul: [Hello Jinah, why are you in this app again]

He smiled. Up to more mischief, is she? Checking the new profile and finding it thankfully blank.

Woojin2: [I’m scared]

His smile vanished.

Jinchul: [Call me – #####]

A second later his phone rang and he answered immediately, even as he was heading out to his car.

“Jinah, what’s wrong?”

She was crying on the other end. “Sorry… Jinwoo isn’t home and our neighbor is—” Jinchul heard a loud bang and Jinah gave a small eep.

“Are you hurt? Is someone in your apartment?”

His car was already in gear as he pulled out onto the road.

“N-no, I’m okay, just scared.”

“Stay on the line. What’s your apartment number? I’m coming over.”

“It’s going to be fine. I’ll be there soon, just stay inside and lock your door,” he said, listening to her quiet sobs.

“Do you know where your brother is?” Jinchul asked.

“He said he’s working in a dungeon tonight. They can’t get cell service in there so I can’t reach him.”

Jinchul sighed. That was true—electronics didn’t work inside gates.

Throughout the call he could hear more bangs, doors slamming, raised voices.

When he reached their floor, he found several neighbors quietly talking at the end of the hall.

“I’m outside your apartment, Jinah. I’m going to hang up now to speak with your neighbors, but I’ll see you in a moment.”

He talked to the neighbors. They were all a little scared, trying to decide whether they should call the police. Another loud bang echoed. He could sense it from here—the person causing the disturbance was a hunter, their mana flaring wildly even out in the hall.

Jinchul reassured the neighbors before knocking on the offending neighbor’s door.

A large burly man answered. He was angry and tried to intimidate Jinchul, who remained polite and professional, but responded with his own mana pressure, startling and significantly calming the other down. Jinchul took a quick picture of him with his phone.

“Sir, I’d like to ask you politely to calm down. You are making quite a nuisance of yourself to your neighbors.”

The man glared at Jinchul, but shrank back from the mana pressure.

“Sure… whatever…” he muttered, glaring down the hall at his neighbors before shutting the door.

“Hmmm,” Jinchul mused, his Association app identifying the man as a C-Rank in the Hunter’s Guild. The name looked familiar… oh right, the Knights Guild’s broken wall incident from a few days ago.

Returning to the small crowd, he said, “He should be quieter now, but I’ll be staying awhile with my friend in case there are further issues.”

Some of them bowed and thanked him as they dispersed into their respective apartments.

Knocking on Jinwoo’s door, he called, “Jinah, it’s Jinchul, may I come in?”

The door suddenly swung open and a tear-stained Jinah ran into him, her arms wrapping tightly around him. It shocked him for a moment before he hugged her back, petting her hair as he comforted her and guided them into the Sungs’ apartment.

“Everything’s fine now. You’re safe.”

After Jinah settled, she went into the kitchen to make them tea. He called his assistant to set up an appointment with the hunter and the guildmaster—tomorrow, no later, he demanded. Yes, it was after hours, but gate and hunter issues didn’t conform to a workday, so neither did he nor, in turn, his assistant.

He assured Jinah that her neighbor should be quieter now and offered to stick around for a while so she could feel safe.

Jinah turned on some animated movies—one after another of singing animals on a theatre stage. Jinchul didn’t have much interest in the story, but the music was good at least, and the comedies seemed good for Jinah’s nerves. Still, she jumped slightly whenever normal noises came from the neighbors.

So “a while” turned into overnight, Jinah changing the sheets on her brother’s bed so Jinchul could sleep there. The couch was far too uncomfortable, she insisted.

Jinchul couldn’t help looking around the room. Jinwoo didn’t seem to have much in the way of decoration. His room was quite plain but clean. A couple books sat on his desk—a few well-worn fantasy novels, a book on martial arts, and a self-confidence book.

The next morning he woke early as usual and was brushing his teeth with the pink sparkly toothbrush Jinah had given him. It was new, still in its packaging—she said Jinwoo had bought it to replace her old one but she hadn’t opened it yet, so Jinchul could have it.

He heard a noise, wondering if it was that hunter again, and stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth, to check the door.

He didn’t expect what he saw. Jinwoo was standing wide-eyed at the front door. His hair was disheveled and sticking up at odd angles; his clothes were dirty, torn, bloody, scorched—the left arm of his hoodie was missing completely.

“J-Jinchul?” he said finally. Regardless of how he looked, he seemed uninjured. Jinchul held up a hand briefly for Jinwoo to wait a moment before ducking back into the bathroom to rinse his mouth.

“Jinwoo, sorry… Jinah was scared last night and asked me to stay… I hope I’m not overstepping?” Jinchul said, hurrying back to the living area.

“N-no, it’s fine. Thank you for looking out for her… is she…?”

“She’s fine. One of your neighbors was making some noise, but he quietened down after I arrived.”

“Thank you.”

The self-conscious man fidgeted slightly, like he wanted to hug Jinchul but then realized the state he was in.

“I… umm… I should get cleaned up.”

Jinchul smiled as Jinwoo ducked past him into the bathroom.

Jinchul, only wearing his slacks and undershirt, returned to Jinwoo’s room to put on his sweater. He was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water when he heard Jinah getting up. She yawned loudly, shuffling toward the bathroom and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

At that same moment Jinwoo emerged from the bathroom.

Jinah shrieked happily, “Oppa, you’re home!”

“Hey, Jinah…”

And suddenly she was pushing Jinwoo out into the living area. “You can’t go into your room, Oppa! We have a… guest…”

The silence hit as she realized Jinchul was in the kitchen.

But Jinchul couldn’t take his eyes off Jinwoo—wearing nothing but a towel wrapped tightly around his hips, water dripping from his hair down over his bare chest and well-defined abs. His shoulders were broad, and his arms and legs were lean but well-muscled. Jinchul had no idea Jinwoo looked like that under his layers of baggy clothes, and he felt his face heat up.

A deep blush ran from Jinwoo’s face down his neck as he quickly turned to his sister. “Oh, you’re up, Jinchul-oppa.”

Jinah immediately ran to shut herself in the bathroom.

Jinwoo let out a long sigh before turning back. He looked even redder. “I’m… I’m gonna get dressed…” he muttered before retreating into his room.

Jinchul smiled. Well, that was an image he hoped would be forever burned into his brain.

Jinchul was getting ready to leave when Jinwoo emerged. Jinchul was momentarily disappointed to see him fully dressed in his normal baggy sweats.

“Sorry about… everything, Jinchul.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“And um… thanks again for looking after Jinah.”

“You’re welcome, Jinwoo. Anytime.” Jinchul said, putting on his shoes.

“We’ll talk later?”

“I look forward to it.”

They were about to kiss when Jinah shrieked, “OMG, are you two kissing!?”

“Jinah!” Jinwoo yelled as she scampered out of sight.

“I’m sorry, Jinchul…”

Jinchul laughed softly, giving Jinwoo a quick peck on the cheek before opening the door, smiling at him.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said as he slipped out.

Those two siblings… Jinchul shook his head, smiling as he drove home. They cared for each other so much, and being around them, even as brief as it had been, filled a spot in his heart that had been empty for a long time. He was happy for Jinwoo, to have a sister who accepted and encouraged him to be himself. Already, Jinchul felt protective over them.

Chapter Text

“Chief Woo, I have a report that I think you should see,” his assistant, Mr. Seo, said as he handed Jinchul a folder.

Jinchul glanced at the report. “This was nearly two weeks ago. Why is this coming to me now?”

“It had been misfiled, Sir. It reports that eight hunters were killed in a C-rank dungeon raid. But the survivors were a D-rank, Yoo Jinho, and an E-rank, Sung Jinwoo.”

Sung Jinwoo? He was a bit more interested now.

“Maybe they ran away. That’s not unusual,” Jinchul said, flipping to the second page of the report. Jinwoo survived, so why was this report important now?

“But they didn’t. They cleared the dungeon. Yoo Jinho, the D-rank hunter, had really expensive gear, so he likely had no problem with the C-rank boss. The boss was a giant arachnid that wouldn’t have posed much of a threat to experienced squads. It’s odd that eight were killed.”

Jinchul laid the barely read report down. It was odd, sure, but not enough to warrant his attention. “Enough beating around the bush. Misfile aside, you’re telling me this because something’s not right. Spit it out.”

“Well… it’s about one of the dead hunters. Hwang Dongsuk…”

“Hwang? Hunter Hwang Dongsoo’s older brother? Well, that does change the situation. Keep an eye on it. I want to know immediately if Hunter Hwang Dongsoo is coming to Korea.”

“Yes sir.”

Jinchul pinched the bridge of his nose. This could become a very bad situation.

He was at the Hunter’s Guild headquarters for his appointment later that day. Guildmaster Choi Jongin—one of the more sensible Korean S-ranks, or at least one of the ones that gave him the least paperwork… normally.

“Chief Woo, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Guildmaster Choi, good to see you. I hoped I could speak with you regarding one of your hunters.”

“Of course, anything we can do to assist the Association,” Choi said amicably.

“Technically I suppose this is not an Association matter… yet.” Jinchul’s tone made it clear he’d make it one if necessary.

“I understand,” Choi said. “And what is it about?”

“Seems you have a new hunter with far too much energy and might be in need of some additional training.”

“Oh? I haven’t heard of anyone in my guild causing a ruckus lately,” Choi said, checking his computer screens for a missing report.

This was one of the reasons Jinchul liked Choi—he did his best to keep his people in line. Since hunters were stronger than non-awakened humans, sometimes they needed extra training and awareness of their new strengths. The Association provided some, mainly for unaffiliated hunters, but guilds were expected to take care of their own people. The Hunter’s Guild was normally top class in that regard.

“There has been no report on this specific incident, although you should have received a different report on this same hunter a few days ago,” Jinchul said. Choi looked up at him. “Last night I was called to… a friend’s apartment. It seems that Hunter Gwak Minsuk, a new C-rank of yours…”

Jinchul paused as he heard voices outside Choi’s office. “Ah… there he is now.”

The C-rank was guided in by Choi’s assistant, the smile on his face instantly falling when he saw Jinchul.

“Hunter Gwak, please come in,” Choi said. “I don’t believe we’ve officially met.”

“You might already know, but I am Choi Jongin, Guildmaster of our Hunter’s Guild. And I believe you’ve met Woo Jinchul, Chief Inspector of the Hunters Association’s Surveillance Team.”

Gwak paling was a satisfactory sight as Choi introduced Jinchul with his full title. As always, Choi’s voice was polite, but Jinchul heard the slight note of anger. Choi might not yet know the situation, but he understood that it was extremely rare for Jinchul to personally bring an issue directly to a guildmaster—and he was none too pleased.

Jinchul nodded politely, though his tone was noticeably cold. “We didn’t get a chance to properly introduce ourselves last night.”

“G–Gwak Minsuk, C-rank. N–nice to meet you, s–Sirs.” The man’s eyes darted nervously between the two leaders, his face pale.

“As I was saying, I was personally called by a very scared acquaintance of mine, as Hunter Gwak was causing quite a commotion. Granted, in his own apartment, but it was causing significant distress to many of his neighbors,” Jinchul continued. “I understand he is somewhat newly awakened… so I wanted to be sure the Hunter’s Guild is aware of the situation so that there will not be a repeat of last night.” He leveled a steely gaze at the C-rank, who shrank back noticeably.

“Of course, Chief Woo. We’ll make sure that Hunter Gwak gets any training or assistance he needs to prevent that. On behalf of the Hunter’s Guild, please accept my apologies.”

Hunter Gwak nearly jumped out of his skin as he bowed deeply. “I’m sorry, sir—C-Chief Woo. It won’t happen again!”

“Be sure that it doesn’t,” Jinchul said, barely concealing the threat in his voice. He nodded to Choi, his tone returning to professionally pleasant. “Thank you for your attention to this matter, President Choi.”

With that matter settled, he headed back to the Association headquarters.

Back in his office he checked the dungeon reports. Strange. Sung Jinwoo was not listed in any of the gates that were cleared last night.

He was about to look further into it when he received a call from one of his subordinates. There was an incident involving an Association Inspector that needed immediate attention.

“How long has it been since the dungeon was cleared?” Jinchul asked the surveillance team member.

“It’s been forty minutes, sir,” she said.

“Twenty minutes left. We’re late. Retrieve the bodies within eight minutes. If that’s not possible, abort and exit.”

So that bastard Taesik was allegedly hired to kill the prisoners and any hunters in his way…?

“Was it the survivors that cleared the dungeon?”

“Yes, they’re waiting up ahead,” she said.

Sung Jinwoo? Jinchul’s eyes widened upon seeing Jinwoo standing among the surviving hunters. He was wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up, a lighter grey T-shirt, and dark track pants. There was blood on his clothes and a few tears that looked like blade marks, but he thankfully didn’t look injured.

“Hello again, Hunter Sung.”

“C… Chief Woo, hello.”

Jinchul turned to the others. “I’m Woo Jinchul, Chief of the Surveillance Team. It looks like one of our men caused a huge problem. You’ll receive a formal apology once everything is cleared. The investigation team will take over from here.”

Jinchul stood before the group, right hand in his pocket as he tried to look relaxed—or at least un-imposing.

“As a member of the Surveillance Team, I’m curious about a few things. With your cooperation, we’ll be done quickly, okay?”

Jinwoo and the others nodded.

“Then I’ll get straight to the point. Who killed Kang Taesik, a B-rank hunter?”

“I did it,” Song said. “I’m the one who killed Kang Taesik.”

“May I ask what your rank is?”

“I’m a C-rank.”

“How did you, a C-rank, defeat him, a B-rank…?”

“Don’t you see who’s standing behind me?”

Jinchul nodded. “If you had the support of a B-rank healer, you certainly could win against a B-rank hunter.” But Taesik was a loose cannon—and skilled, even among B-ranks. Was it possible for a one-armed C-rank hunter to defeat him?

“Please come with us. We just need your help with the report.” He motioned toward the surveillance members prepared to write.

“Hunter Sung Jinwoo…” He looked carefully at the man he’d kissed only that morning. He hated this, hated having to say it to someone he was beginning to have feelings for. “There’s something I should tell you. You might not be long for this world if you’re not careful.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The incident with Hwang Dongsuk’s strike squad—I’ve only just received the report. Only you and a D-rank hunter survived that.” He sighed. “The problem is, Hwang’s younger brother Dongsoo might come after you two.”

“You mean Hwang Dongsoo, the S-rank hunter?!”

“Yes,” Jinchul nodded. “It doesn’t matter what actually went down. All he cares about is that you survived, and his brother didn’t. S-ranks aren’t bound by laws. They are miraculous, but also dangerous. You’d better be careful. A monster feared by monsters may be hunting you. Might be a good idea for you and yours to get out of the country.”

His heart ached. Jinwoo had to leave—or go into hiding—to be safe from Hwang. But that meant their relationship, however new, would be over.

He turned away from Jinwoo and headed over to hear Song’s report. He didn’t think he could handle looking into those blue eyes after he’d basically just told Jinwoo to leave him.

Chapter Text

Mr. Blue Eyes: [We’re not leaving]

Mr. Blue Eyes: [Or was this just an excuse to stop things between us?]

Jinchul stared at his phone as the messages appeared one after the other, each word landing like a physical blow. Stop things? Was that really what Jinwoo thought he was trying to do? The idea of Jinwoo believing he was being discarded made something inside Jinchul ache.

He typed out a message, deleted it, started another… delete…

“Oh hell,” he muttered under his breath, heart pounding as he called Jinwoo’s number.

“…hello.” Jinwoo’s voice was quiet enough that Jinchul could hear the sadness hiding under it; he felt even worse.

“I don’t want to stop!” Jinchul blurted, the words bursting out louder than he intended. He forced himself to steady his breath, lowering his tone. “I don’t—Jinwoo, I’m not trying to stop anything.”

Silence.

Jinchul could hear Jinwoo breathing on the other side of the call.

“I… I don’t….” Jinwoo’s voice wavered. “I just want you safe.”

Jinchul pressed a hand to his brow, eyes squeezing shut. “I’ve met Hwang Dongsoo,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t care about human lives. Jinwoo, please… I don’t think I could bear it if…”

He stopped, chest too tight to speak. They’d only been on a handful of dates, but the idea of anything happening to Jinwoo made his blood cold. His throat closed around the words he couldn’t manage to say.

The silence on the other end stretched again, and this time it terrified him.

“Jinwoo?” he asked softly.

“I’m here,” Jinwoo whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Jinchul murmured immediately, because the silence had felt like a door closing and he couldn’t stand it. “I didn’t mean to…”

“I don’t want to run anymore…”

Jinwoo’s voice made Jinchul fall silent.

“…I’m tired of always running away from magic beasts,” Jinwoo continued; he sounded tired. “Hwang is… he’s just another type.”

“Jinwoo…” Jinchul’s heart clenched painfully.

“I’m not running away anymore, Jinchul. I made up my mind after that Double Dungeon. I’m done with running. And I’m certainly not going to run from someone that might not even come here.”

Jinchul breathed out shakily. “I’m sorry, Jinwoo…”

“I’m not going to run from you either,” Jinwoo said suddenly. “Run to you, perhaps… but not away.”

Jinchul could hear Jinwoo’s fierce determination; it made him smile even as his chest tightened painfully. He could feel tears dripping down his cheeks as he wiped them away.

“…Jinchul?”

He sniffed, trying, and failing, to make his voice steady. “I’m here.”

A soft exhale through the line. “Can I… ‘run to you’ now?”

Jinchul nodded silently before realizing Jinwoo couldn’t see him. “Yes,” he said, voice quiet.

It felt like forever and a single heartbeat all at once before he heard the knock on his door. He barely got it open before Jinwoo surged forward, arms wrapping tightly around him. Jinchul melted into the embrace, letting out a shuddering breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He hugged Jinwoo back just as fiercely.

Minutes passed before Jinwoo finally leaned back just enough to see his face. He reached up, thumb brushing a tear from Jinchul’s cheek gently.

“Please don’t ever tell me to run away from you again,” Jinwoo whispered. “I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not letting you push me away to ‘keep me safe,’ either.”

Jinchul swallowed, nodding slightly. “I’m sorry, Jinwoo.”

“You’ve said that already.” A soft, tired smile curved Jinwoo’s lips. His eyes were red-rimmed, just like Jinchul's felt.

“It bears repeating,” Jinchul murmured.

Jinwoo chucked softly and leaned his forehead gently against Jinchul’s. They were still standing in the doorway, arms loosely around each other.

For a moment neither of them said anything.

Jinchul exhaled slowly. “I didn’t mean to make you think I was pushing you away. I just… when I think about someone as dangerous as Hwang Dongsoo…” His arms tightened slightly.

Jinwoo’s eyes softened. “I know. And I get why you said it. But running… I’ve been doing that since I awakened.”

He pulled back a little, just enough to look Jinchul in the eyes. His expression almost self-conscious, almost angry.

“But that night in the Double Dungeon… something changed. I got so tired of feeling helpless. I’m tired of being afraid of everything.”

“You’re not helpless,” Jinchul said gently.

“I was.” Jinwoo shrugged, but there was no defeat in it—only honesty. “But I don’t want to be anymore. That’s why I want to stop running. That’s why I want to get stronger.”

“You already are stronger,” he said quietly. “Stronger than me… here.” Jinchul said, putting his hand over Jinwoo’s heart.

Jinwoo smiled a little, hugging Jinchul close. “Thanks for that, though I might debate that later… I’ve been trying to get physically stronger.”

“You can’t raise your rank, but you can always improve your skills,” Jinchul said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Would you ever want some company during your workouts?”

Jinwoo nodded shyly. “I’d like that.”

Jinchul smiled. “Me too, tomorrow morning?”

Jinwoo’s smile widened. “Tomorrow morning.”

They stayed like that for a few more quiet heartbeats, the tightness in his chest finally at ease, before Jinchul leaned in and kissed him again.

Later, they had drifted onto Jinchul’s couch, a movie flickering quietly on the screen. The room was dim, with Jinwoo curled against him as they lay together, his head resting on Jinchul’s shoulder. Halfway through the movie, Jinwoo’s breathing evened out, his muscles relaxing as sleep pulled him under.

Jinchul looked down at him, a quiet smile spreading across his face. Carefully, almost reverently, he threaded his fingers through Jinwoo’s hair. It was softer than it looked, silky and oddly soothing for him.

Jinwoo shifted in his sleep, curling in closer, cheek brushing the fabric of Jinchul’s shirt.

“…love you, Jinchul…” he mumbled.

Jinchul froze. His breath caught in his throat—did he… just say…?

Jinwoo didn’t wake. He didn’t even flinch. He simply tucked himself closer as if Jinchul was the world's best body pillow.

Jinchul’s heart thudded against his ribs, stunned and overflowing. After a long moment—after he found words again—he leaned down slightly and whispered back, voice tender, “Love you too.”

He reached for the throw blanket draped over the back of the couch, pulling it over them both. The warmth of Jinwoo’s body and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulled him down, until sleep found him as well.

They slept together like that on the couch—tangled and warm in each other’s arms.

Chapter Text

The next day, Jinchul started joining Jinwoo for his morning workouts. He matched Jinwoo’s pace easily. He knew Jinwoo was fit, he’d seen that as he recalled the image of a barely-toweled Jinwoo. But for an E-rank to be able to match even half of his pace as an A-rank was very impressive.

Jinchul asked Jinwoo if he was doing any kind of martial arts training, remembering the book Jinwoo had on his desk.

“No, it hasn’t been something I’ve been able to budget,” he said.

“I can teach you some if you’d like?”

“You would be okay with that?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” Jinchul smiled at Jinwoo. He was more than fine with it. In addition to getting to spend more time with him, it would increase Jinwoo’s survivability. “We can start adding it to the end of our workouts if you want, that way you’re already warmed up.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Okay, do you have time to start today after we finish this?”

Jinwoo nodded enthusiastically. It made Jinchul glad. He’d been in different types of martial arts and combat sports since he was a kid and was now a master in several. While growing up, he’d planned on going into law enforcement, so his military father had been more than happy to support his endeavors.

At the end of their jog, Jinchul directed them to a field in the park.

“This will work fine for our first lessons today. I’ll check the schedules in hunter-class gyms later so we have a proper area to train in.”

“Ummm… Jinchul… I’m sorry, I don’t think I can afford to pay for time in a hunter-class gym right now. I’m doing better in gates, but I don’t have enough for that type of expense yet.”

Jinchul smiled and wrapped his arms around Jinwoo. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”

“T… that’s not what I meant… you don’t have to…”

Jinchul stopped him with a quick kiss. “Please let me do this? Knowing you have some martial arts training will reduce how much I worry about you.”

“…”

“I can’t cook…” Jinchul added suddenly, the change in topic startling Jinwoo. “Jinah said you were a good cook in your online profile. Let me do this, and you can maybe treat me to a home-cooked meal once in a while?”

Jinwoo nodded quietly, still looking uncertain. “Okay.”

They pulled apart and Jinchul started showing him some basic stances. Jinwoo picked it up quickly. As they moved onto punches, Jinchul had Jinwoo strike his hands for practice.

“Of course, when you’re fighting magic beasts, when you punch, don’t just use your mana to shield—you need to hit them with mana too,” Jinchul said, noticing Jinwoo wasn’t putting any mana into his hits.

“Hit them with mana?”

Why was that a question? Surely he’d been using his mana against magic beasts?

“You’re a brawler-type, right? Then you should be channeling your mana into your strikes.”

Jinchul watched Jinwoo’s face as he looked surprised, like he’d just learned a major secret.

“How have you been killing magic beasts all this time without using your mana?!”

“I, um… stab them?”

“And when you don’t have a weapon?”

Jinwoo looked like he wanted to hide away. “I… get stabbed…” he said a bit jokingly

Jinchul stared at him, more than a bit shocked. He’d seen Jinwoo’s dungeon record, but he hadn’t realized it was this bad.

“You are channeling your mana into your daggers, then?”

“Well… no… my daggers already have mana imbued in them.”

“Jinwoo…” Jinchul shook his head slightly. “The mana imbued in our weapons and armor isn’t meant to kill magic beasts on its own. It serves as a conduit so we can transfer our mana into our tools, making them stronger… able to deal more damage.”

“…”

“Okay, we’ll add that to your lessons too.”

“I’m sorry…”

Jinchul blinked. Jinwoo looked sad, but there was also a spark of anger in his eyes—not directed at him. Was Jinwoo angry at himself?

At work, Jinchul looked at Jinwoo’s record, noting that he was running with a raid today for a private group, Yoojin Construction. C-rank dungeons… he hoped Jinwoo was being careful. He didn’t like seeing E-ranks in a C-rank gate, and certainly not when the E-rank was Jinwoo.

But it wasn’t his place to interfere in Jinwoo’s work. The best thing he could do was support him, give him the technical skills to make the best of his abilities.

Later that evening, he arrived at the Sungs’ apartment building. Heading up in the elevator, the doors were about to close when a burly man jumped in.

Jinchul quirked an eyebrow as the man checked the floor buttons to see that the floor he wanted was already selected.

“Good evening, Hunter Gwak,” he said.

The man looked over, finally noticing who he was sharing an elevator with.

“C… Chief Woo!”

“I’m glad you remember me,” Jinchul said pleasantly while keeping a straight face—but he was silently delighted to see the man’s terror.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Jinchul stepped out and walked down the hall. He noticed with some satisfaction that Gwak, frozen in the corner, had forgotten to get off as the doors closed behind him.

It had been years since Jinchul had a home-cooked meal, and Jinwoo’s cooking did not disappoint.

Getting to see him wearing an apron as he cooked was also a joy, in Jinchul’s opinion.

“Any more noise from your neighbor, Jinah?”

“No. He’s been really quiet since then,” she said happily. “He and another man in a flashy suit actually came around and apologized to everyone on the floor.”

“That’s good to hear. Do keep me in mind if there’s any trouble though, okay?” Well done President Choi

“I will, thanks Jinchul-oppa!” she said cheerily.

After supper, Jinah headed to her room to study, and the couple watched a movie on the couch.

“She seems to like studying.”

“Yeah, she wants to be a doctor,” Jinwoo said proudly.

“That’s impressive,” Jinchul said honestly. Both siblings were impressive to him in their own ways.

For the movie, they chose Ratatouille. The story didn’t make much sense to Jinchul, but Jinwoo had said he liked cooking shows, so it was agreed on.

Jinchul glared at the screen as the rat puppeted a lanky human. “Is it wrong that I’m jealous of the rat?”

Jinwoo laughed softly, watching Linguini fumble around with a rat on his head. “Why, are clumsy awkward men your type, or is it your obsession with playing with hair?”

Jinchul’s eyes roamed obviously over Jinwoo’s form. He looked good in just a T-shirt and jeans, with no oversized hoodie covering him. Jinwoo had seemed slight and awkward when they first met, but after joining him for workouts, he’d seen the difference. Jinwoo still looked awkward sometimes. “Maybe once, but now… not so much. And for the record, it’s only your hair I find myself obsessed with.”

Jinwoo blushed.

“I’m jealous that a rat can cook better than me… actually that guy, Linguini, can probably cook better than me.”

Jinwoo snorted into his drink. “There’s no way you’re that bad.”

“Well, I haven’t burnt water yet…”

Jinwoo laughed. It was a good sound and a good look on him, and Jinchul chuckled along.

A few days later and it was Jinchul’s turn. He’d found a recipe online—it didn’t seem complicated—so he invited Jinwoo over for supper and bought the listed ingredients.

He was partway through “cooking.” Why was there so much smoke? The fire alarm started blaring and he waved a towel at it to try to quiet it when Jinwoo arrived. Jinwoo opened windows and turned on the stove fan, laughing the whole time and taking the burning food off the stove, while a disheveled Jinchul leaned against the counter after the alarm finally turned off.

Jinwoo wrapped his arms around Jinchul, kissing him deeply. “I’m starting to think you were telling the truth—the rat’s human might actually be a better cook than you.”

Jinchul swatted him with the towel. “I think there’s something wrong with my stove.”

“Oh?” Jinwoo said, that mocking tone unmistakable.

“I was following the recipe. There’s no reason for it to have started burning like that unless the stove is broken.”

Jinwoo laughed, looking at the recipe, then investigating the ingredients. “Kimchi fried rice? How did you manage to burn this?!”

Jinchul glared as Jinwoo started salvaging the supper, remaking things.

Damn the man is sexy as hell when he’s cooking. Scratch that—everything he does makes him look delicious.

Jinchul tried to help, pointing out that “yes, he did that too,” and “why is that not burning when you do it?”

Nearly burning down his apartment, might be stretching the truth a little, but still, his poor attempt at cooking was worth it for the smiles and laughter coming from Jinwoo as he worked to fix their supper.

They enjoyed the meal amidst more laughter, then cleaned the kitchen together.

Afterward, they cuddled up on the sofa, Jinchul idly playing with Jinwoo’s hair. The gentle touches led to gentle kisses.

“Would you like to stay the night?” Jinchul asked quietly, smiling when Jinwoo nodded and deepened the next kiss.

It didn’t take long for them to abandon the sofa and head to Jinchul’s bedroom.

Chapter Text

“There’s been a gate break in Bucheon.” Mr.Seo said bursting into his office.

“Do we know what rank?”

“No, Sir. It was an undiscovered gate. Reports are coming in of casualties— we’ve already got a call out to the guilds.”

“Okay,” Jinchul says, grabbing his gear and putting it on even as he’s walking out of his office. “I’m heading there too.”

The scene is absolute chaos. Scorpions the size of cars had emerged from the gate. Most of the hunters on scene seem to be B-rank or lower and have been struggling. The gate must be a B- or maybe even A-rank. Jinchul wastes no time and jumps into the fray.

With no one else calling orders, he takes charge. He calls hunters into groups, requests buffs, and orders D- and E-ranks to evacuate citizens and get injured hunters to the back of the line for healing. Racing around the battlefield, using his speed and strength to maneuver behind the beasts where they are least defensive, his first targets are the deadly stingers—grabbing and twisting the small tail joint to break them off. Even with most of those poison barbs out of action, the beasts are fast, and he just barely evades those sharp pincers time and again.

He’s got most of their attention now as the groups start pulling one at a time away from him. With creatures like these, he regrets being a brawler— the beasts’ armor makes it difficult to get a killing blow. But he’s fought them before and knows the most effective way to kill them. Grabbing the sword of a fallen hunter, he steels himself. He’d have no skill wielding it against a humanoid monster, but he doesn’t need sword skills to simply stab things.

Jumping onto the back of one of the now stinger-less beasts, he neatly stabs the creature at the soft neck joint. He rips the sword out, unwilling to abandon the weapon, as the pincer of another scorpion slices across his hip. It stings, but it’s not deep enough to affect his muscles as he twists around another beast to make another killing blow to its soft neck joint.

The other hunters pick up on his success. The groups he hastily formed are starting to coordinate amongst themselves—tanks and mages distracting the beasts while combat fighters go for that neck joint from behind.

He scans the field, choosing scorpions that still have stingers or are overpowering the hunters first, and letting others chase him. They’re fast, but he’s still faster.

Things are beginning to look up—he and the hunters have reduced most of the scorpions’ numbers—when the boss emerges from the gate: a massive scorpion that exceeds the size of a bus.

There’s no tank or other high-level hunter here yet to help him with the boss, so Jinchul does what he can. He orders the other hunters out of the field as soon as their fights finish. The boss is fast and focused on Jinchul. It’s a struggle to avoid that stinger, and even harder to get behind the beast. He narrowly evades it as it jabs into the ground next to him, taking the opportunity to stab the sword into the tail joint, nearly severing it completely before the beast spins around on him. It’s too quick as it catches him.

Jinchul cries out as the beast’s claw pinches over his head. He throws as much defensive mana as he can around his skull as the claw tightens. The pincer is too strong to fight against, so Jinchul pours as much offensive mana into his hand as he can. He’s starting to black out from the pressure as he jams his hand into the small soft joint of the scorpion’s claw, grabbing anything he can—muscles, tendons, flesh—and ripping it out. He gasps as the claw releases him, the pincer disabled, and he falls to the ground.

His vision is blurred, everything spinning as he tries to get up—has to get up—but his body won’t respond anymore. He’s too injured, and his mana is all but depleted.

He doesn’t see it coming, not that he could have done anything, as the beast swings its claw, slamming it against his body, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying into a building.

He has a vague sense of rubble falling on top of him as he loses consciousness.

Chapter Text

Everything hurt; his eyes weren’t even open and yet it all seemed painfully bright. What happened, he wondered, as he slowly cracked his eyes open. He’s in… a hospital?

A doctor was suddenly next to him, checking vitals and asking questions. “Can you tell us your name?”

He managed to voice out, “Erik Quinn.” Why did that seem wrong…? He shook his head slowly as pain bloomed in his skull and then more blessed darkness.

He could hear voices talking, things beeping around him… he couldn’t move, didn’t want to move; he felt like he’d been hit by a bus… and then run over by it, twice. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He felt his consciousness slipping away again.

He opened his eyes slightly. It was dark and quiet; he could hear the low hum of machines. Everything hurt so much… his eyes closed again, thankful when that painless darkness welcomed him back.

The pain was a bit better this time. His head was still throbbing, but the lights were dim and he could open his eyes a little. Someone was crying next to him — a dark head of hair. He moved his hand slightly to reach them, but it was too much; his eyes closed again as an image of bright blue eyes flashed in his mind before the darkness sucked him down again.

He heard voices. His entire body hurt, but his head most of all. He opened his eyes, glad the lights were still dim as he looked at who was speaking.

“Mom?” he managed to croak out. Damn… his mouth and throat were so dry.

His mother immediately came to his side. “Erik, you’re awake, you’re finally awake, we were so worried.”

He blinked at her. “What happened, Mom?” He vaguely remembered her dark hair next to his bed; her dark eyes were red-rimmed with worry.

Glancing toward the brightly lit door made him wince as a doctor came in.

“Good to see you awake, Mr. Quinn. How are you feeling?”

“M’head hurts… everything hurts… and I’m all dry,” he said, sucking his tongue slightly.

The doctor started checking his vitals. “This might be a bit uncomfortable but please bear with it.” He shone a light into Erik’s eyes, making him wince and groan.

“You’re looking good; we had hunters in to heal you, but there’s just so many people hurt that they’ve only been able to take care of any immediate mortal injuries.”

He shifted slightly; pain shot through his ribs, making his breath hitch. One of his arms was in a cast; his leg felt similar but was covered by the blanket so he couldn’t tell for sure. What the hell happened to him?

“Do you know where you are right now?”

“Hospital,” he croaked out. His mother brought a glass of water with a straw to his lips.

He sipped it gratefully. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Do you remember what happened to you?” the doctor asked.

He shook his head slightly but the throbbing increased when he moved. “No.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Ummm… I’m not sure… was at the mall… with my friends, I think.”

“A little memory loss is normal; you took quite a beating from those magic beasts.”

Magic beasts? What was that? He thought as he drifted off again.

“Mom…” he grumbled when he woke next. A rough pat on his shoulder made him wince. “She’s gone to get some rest; we’ve been taking turns so one of us is always here.”

“Dad?” he said, looking up at the large blond man, blinking his eyes into better focus. His father seemed different, older somehow.

“Yeah, I heard you did good. Put up one helluva fight against those magic beasts. Took out most of them yourself.”

A nurse came in and checked him, offering him a drink which he sipped from the straw gratefully.

She spoke cheerfully, “How’s your head feel today?”

“Still hurts…” he mumbled.

She nodded. “It might for a few days at least, but you’re improving, we’ll have another healer come in when one is available. Does it hurt more or less than the last time you woke up?”

“Less… I think… I dunno…”

“That’s expected. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.” As she left, he saw his mother coming into the room.

“Erik, you’re awake again,” she said happily, moving to his side.

He tried to smile.

The doctor arrived then. “Good to see you awake again.”

“Mom… Dad… why is everyone speaking Korean?”

“We’re in Korea, Erik; of course we’re speaking Korean.”

“We’re not in Japan?”

“Japan? Why do you think we’re in Japan?”

“It’s where we live right now?” he said, feeling the answer should be obvious since that’s where his father was currently stationed.

His mother shook her head. “No dear, your father and I live in the U.S. right now.”

“Erik…” his father said, “We haven’t been to Japan since you were a teenager.”

He looked at each of his parents, what were they talking about? “But… I am a teenager…”

All three of them looked shocked. The doctor flipped open his chart. “More than a decade… that’s an unexpected amount of memory loss. I’m going to order some more tests and speak with the KHA to see if we can get a higher-ranked healer.” He said, leaving the room.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. Bright blue eyes flashed in his mind but made his head hurt as he winced.

His mother placed a hand on his. “Erik… you’re thirty years old.”

“Thirty!” He nearly jumped up from the bed but the sudden movement caused a sharp pain in his head to bloom viciously as he blacked out again.

Chapter Text

Both of his parents were there when he woke next, his mother at his side while his father sat on the room’s small sofa.

“We were so surprised to hear from the hospital. It took a little convincing, but your father and I got on the first flight we could to come see you.”

His mother’s eyes were still red-rimmed from crying as he offered her a small smile. Glancing over at his father, the man seemed somehow disappointed in him.

His mother was letting him sip some water when he sensed something odd.

“Ah, I had a feeling I might find you here. We’ve been searching for you for some days now.”

He blinked up as an older man entered the room, scars covering his face, but the man’s presence seemed to fill the entire room and then some. Even his military father’s commanding presence didn’t fill a room like this man did.

His parents greeted him as the man introduced himself. “My name is Go Gunhee, Chairman of the Korean Hunter’s Association.”

“How do you do? I’m Sergeant Major Michael Quinn. This is my wife, Yewon. How do you know our son Erik?”

“Erik?” the man said, looking curiously over at him. “Since when has your name been Erik?”

“Since I was born, obviously,” he said sarcastically. The old man looked surprised.

“Erik, manners!”

“Sorry, Mom.” He sank down against the bed, wincing as even that slight movement hurt.

The old man raised an eyebrow. “Hunter Min, if you’d be so kind as to see if you can help our Chief Woo.”

“Woo? That’s my mother’s family name…” his mother said, looking at him questioningly. He didn’t understand the look, nor why the old man was calling him by his grandmother’s name.

The old man turned to his father. “Hunter Min is Korea’s S-Rank healer. He should be able to treat all of ‘Erik’s’ injuries.”

They nodded, his father and the old man chatting quietly as a kind-looking man came in with the doctor. He hadn’t even noticed him after the old man had seemed to fill the room.

“Hello, Chief Woo. I’ll see if I can heal you now,” the man said, hands hovering over his body.

“Da fuq? You some kinda priest that’s gonna pray me better?”

“Erik!”

“Shit… sorry, Mom,” he said, cowing slightly.

The man looked slightly taken aback, glancing at Go. “No… I’m an S-rank hunter who specializes in healing magic.”

“I get the words you’re saying, but that makes no sense to me.”

Hunter Min took out a book; he figured his eyes were playing tricks on him as it looked like it glowed and the pages flipped open on their own. “This won’t hurt, and hopefully when I’m done, things will begin to make more sense to you, Chief Woo.”

He nearly rolled his eyes but thought better of it, as even that made his head ache worse. “Not m’name. But sure, do whatever hocus pocus you want. If it’ll at least make my head stop hurtin’, I’ll take it.”

Hunter Min smiled. The glowing around the book increased, spreading over the man and himself.

He blinked. The pain was actually fading all over his body as he looked wide-eyed up at him.

“How’s the pain now, Chief Woo?”

“Damn… dude, that’s a nifty trick. How da f—” He glanced at his mother and changed his words quickly. “—how’d you do that?”

Hunter Min smiled. “I can’t actually do anything about the amnesia, but with the injuries in your brain healed, I expect your memories to start coming back in a couple of days to… maybe a week.”

“Much appreciated, Hunter Min,” Chairman Go said, patting the healer on the shoulder.

“Of course. Chief Woo has had my back more than a few times, so I’m happy to help.”

The doctor came over to his side, checking his vitals as normal and shining a light into his eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief when the light didn’t hurt for once. “I’ll have someone come in and remove your casts shortly, Mr. Quinn.”

“I’ll be heading back now, Chairman Go. I hope you get some good rest, Chief Woo,” Hunter Min said, turning to leave.

“Still not m’name… but thanks,” he said as Hunter Min walked out, hand raised in a wave.

He slept restlessly that night without pain, and without painkillers to knock him out. His dreams were disjointed, quick moments he couldn’t piece together into anything coherent. Throughout it all, one thing seemed to dominate: a pair of blue eyes.

He and his parents were eating lunch the next day when he thought he heard a familiar voice just outside his room.

“Excuse me, could you tell me if a man that looks like this is here? He’s a hunter that might’ve been in the recent gate break.”

A teenage girl peeked into the open door of the room, her face lighting up when she saw him. “Oppa! He’s here!” she called loudly, running into the room. She restrained herself at the last moment as she hugged him gently. “Jinchul-oppa, I’m so glad you’re ok! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said, tears running down her cheeks.

Who was this? …They weren’t gonna tell him she was his daughter or some shit, were they?!

He looked up as a tall, dark-haired man filled the doorway. His breath caught in his throat as he looked into a pair of very worried, very bright blue eyes. The same eyes that had been in his dreams.

“Jinchul!” the man said as he started to come into the room.

“Now hang on!” his father’s military voice echoed loudly in the room, making the stranger pause. “We’re not having any of your kind in here contaminating our son again!”

He looked at his father and then at the shocked faces of the strangers. Contaminated? What was he talking about?

Those blue eyes narrowed at his father, but it was the girl who spoke. “What do you mean, ‘our kind contaminating him’?”

His father waved his fingers rudely toward the blue-eyed man. “You know… homos. Our son is straight again now, and we mean to keep it that way.”

His chest felt tight all of a sudden. His father knew he was gay? …Since when? …Then the blue-eyed man was…? He couldn’t breathe. Vaguely he could hear alarms sounding nearby and people yelling as everything went black.

Chapter Text

When he woke next, he could hear his father arguing with the doctor. The hospital didn’t want to discharge him. Yes, his physical injuries were healed, but they wanted to keep him until they could confirm signs of his memory returning. But it sounded like his father wanted to take him back to the U.S.?

He looked up to see his mother’s dark eyes watching him. The two strangers were gone, and his heart twinged slightly as his mind conjured those worried blue eyes.

“What’s going on, Mom?” he said, glancing over at his father.

“We want to take you home with us, to the U.S. Your father will let me get you the help you need there… but the hospital won’t release you.”

“I thought I was ok now? That my memories would come back in a few days?”

“That’s right, but we’ve found a program that will get you other help as well.” She held his hand.

He looked up at his mother. Something about this seemed too familiar; a vague memory seeped into his thoughts as he pulled his hand away. “Is this ‘other help’… is it because I’m… gay?”

“Don’t worry, Erik, the U.S. has programs that can fix you.”

“I don’t want to be ‘fixed,’ Mom! There’s nothing wrong with me!” he said, louder than he intended, as his father and the doctor turned to him.

“Erik. Don’t be difficult; this is for your own good,” his father chided.

He almost laughed as he felt his eyes tear up. “I’m not doing it. I’m not going to the U.S.”

His father stood tall over him, a pose he always found intimidating. “I should’ve made you do this back then. Now, you’re going to do this program and then you can find a nice woman to have a life with. You’re 30 years old; it’s time you started a family.”

He wasn’t sure why, but he realized he didn’t feel intimidated by his father’s military attitude anymore. “If I’m 30… then I’m not a teenager anymore… I can make my own decisions. And I’m not going to the U.S., and I’m not getting ‘fixed’!” he said sternly, glaring at both of his parents.

“I think you should both go now,” he said sadly, not looking at either of them.

His mother looked ready to cry as his father glared at him, putting an arm around his wife and leading her out without another word.

Later, when the nurse came in to check on him, he asked, “Ummm, earlier… I’m not sure when… there was a man with blue eyes, and a girl around my age—wait, no, she was a teenage girl. Did they leave any contact info…?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll go check at the desk. Would you like me to call them if they did?”

“Yes, please. Ask if he would come back… I don’t know who he is, but he feels familiar, and I’d like to talk to him if he doesn’t mind.”

She nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

When she returned, she was smiling sadly. “I’m sorry. The desk nurse said he tried to leave his information but was prevented from doing so.”

“By my parents?” he asked, though he already suspected the answer.

“Yes, sir.”

The next day was quiet. His parents didn’t visit; he didn’t know if they were giving him time or if they’d left completely. He wasn’t sure he cared.

A bouquet of flowers—red roses and white daisies—and a small brown teddy bear were delivered to him later that day. The card read, “Glad you’re alive, we miss you,” with a bunch of girly doodles drawn all over it. There was no name. He wiped his face as a tear rolled down his cheek. It felt like it was from them—Mr. Blue Eyes and the teenager. He hoped it was.

He woke up in a cold sweat the next morning. His dreams were full of monsters he was fighting endlessly. Mr. Blue Eyes was there too, but he wasn’t fighting—he was running, and the monsters were after him.

A nurse spoke with him later that day. “Mr. Quinn, Chairman Go Gunhee of the KHA has called. He wanted to check to see how you are doing. May we respond?”

“What is that, the KHA?”

“It’s the Korean Hunter’s Association. They help regulate hunters and the guilds.”

“I feel like I’m in a different world here. What’s a hunter? It’s been mentioned before but I don’t get it.”

She nodded. “Yes, I suppose if you don’t have memories of the last 10 or so years, then you wouldn’t know. Hunters are people with special abilities—they can fight better, cast spells, do healing. It’s all pretty amazing… if it wasn’t for the gates.”

He blinked at her. This sounded like some unreal fantasy novel as she continued.

“Gates are these weird portals that started appearing about 10 years ago. There are monsters inside—magic beasts. Hunters use their powers to defeat the beasts before they can come out and kill us regular people.”

“Huh… why would the chairman of a group like that be concerned about me?”

“Well, your chart lists you as Erik Quinn, but Chairman Go had us add Woo Jinchul as your name as well. He said you’re the Chief Inspector of the KHA, and to provide you the best care we’re able.”

“Does that mean I’m, like… important or something?”

“As I understand it, it means you’re among the higher positions at the KHA? Though I’m not really sure—it's not something I’ve really looked into.”

His eyes were wide as he looked at the nurse. So many things were on his mind, and it was starting to give him a slight headache.

“Please tell Chairman Go whatever he wants to know.”

The nurse turned to leave.

“Oh—and if he knows me well… does he know if I have a… umm, partner?”

“I will ask him, Mr. Quinn.” She smiled as she walked away.

His slight headache eased as he rested his head back on the pillow, closing his eyes for a nap. He wished he had his memory back already. He wanted to remember Mr. Blue Eyes.

Shortly after his nap, the nurse returned, delivering a vase of lavender flowers and another little black teddy bear. The note was simple again, with more of the doodles: “Hope you are sleeping well.”

Unfortunately, she told him that while Chairman Go did seem to think he had a partner, he didn’t know who it was.

He went to sleep that night to the scent of fresh lavender and did not have another nightmare.

Chapter Text

His mother returned the next day, checking the flowers that were obviously not from her. Scowling at the notes, he watched her, understanding now why they weren’t signed. If a man had signed his name, then his parents would’ve gotten rid of them.

She pleaded with him to reconsider. They were returning to the U.S. tomorrow, and she wanted them to be a family again. His father was willing to let him back into the family if he would just—please—let them ‘fix’ him.

So they weren’t a family before now?

When was the last time they considered him family? he asked. That had shocked her, and she refused to answer any questions about how long it had been since they’d seen each other.

He got a full flashback then—of his parents disowning him for being gay, of moving to Korea to live with his grandmother, Woo. When his mother left, he refused to hug her goodbye. He might regret it later, but he didn’t think he would.

A bunch of balloons arrived next, along with a small box of Earl Grey teabags and a stuffy little rat. The note was complete with scribbles: “We checked, you can’t burn water, but maybe get a nurse to help anyway.”

He laughed as he tried to figure out what that meant. And tea? Did he like tea now?

The nurse was kind enough to bring him some hot water. Sure enough, the tea was delicious. He drank it as he looked at the rat stuffy, eyes wide as it triggered some memories—burning food, rats cooking, laughter, and blue eyes. They didn’t all make sense, but he grinned, happy to have even that much of his memory return.

Chairman Go visited later that day, and they talked for a bit. He was still confused about the whole hunter thing, even more so when Go told him that he was a hunter too, and that he’d been hurt fighting monsters.

Go asked if he remembered anything yet. He did—but it was bits and pieces, and none of it made much sense yet.

He asked Go if he had any ideas about who he might be dating, but the older man didn’t, saying he was typically quiet about his personal life. Did he remember anything about the person?

He shook his head, recounting what he remembered about Mr. Blue Eyes from a few days ago. Go’s eyebrows went up slightly as he moved to the window, pointing down into the small garden next to the entrance.

“Sounds a lot like that man who’s been pacing and watching the hospital since I arrived.”

He nearly tripped over his own feet getting to the window. He was three floors up; he couldn’t see the person clearly, but his heart skipped a beat when the man looked straight up at him.

“Why… why won’t he come in then? If he is that person?”

The nurse, who had just delivered more hot water for his tea, glanced down. “Oh, the nurses have been talking about him. That man spends most of the day walking around there. Apparently, he was banned from the hospital—security won’t let him in.”

He couldn’t breathe again, and the nurse was pushing him down into a chair, rubbing his back and telling him to take deep breaths. Go left the room, returning moments later with a doctor and more nurses.

“Is… is he… here… to see me?” he gasped. Don’t black out, don’t black out, he repeated in his head as the nurse positioned an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.

“I don’t know, sir. We can send someone to check?”

“Yes… now… please.”

One of the nurses ran out.

It felt like forever before the man arrived, escorted by two angry-looking security guards. Chairman Go smiled broadly and excused himself, but Jinchul barely noticed—he only had eyes for this man right now.

The tightness in his chest eased.

One of the guards started arguing with a nurse as Mr. Blue Eyes tentatively stepped into the room.

“I know you, don’t I?”

Mr. Blue Eyes looked sad for a moment. “You do.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t really remember…”

“That’s okay,” he said softly, with a small, encouraging smile. “We can make new memories if you want.”

That made him smile too. “I think I’d like that.”

He moved to step further into the room, but a guard grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Why aren’t you allowed here?” Jinchul asked, glancing at the guard.

“Your parents—”

“My parents are gone, back to the U.S.” He looked at the nurse who was always checking on him. “Have the ban removed, please.”

His eyes lifted back to Mr. Blue Eyes. “This man… I think… is important to me. I’d like him to be able to visit whenever he wants.”

The nurse smiled. “Yes, Mr. Quinn.” She ushered the other nurses and guards out as she left.

“Erik Quinn? That’s your name?” Mr. Blue Eyes asked softly as he stepped closer, gesturing to the small sofa.

“Yes… well, I guess the chairman calls me something else. Woo… ummm… Woo is my grandmother’s family name. I remembered earlier about changing to it when I came to Korea to live with her. Can’t remember the given name though.”

“Woo Jinchul,” he supplied.

“That’s it. Sorry… but I don’t remember your name?”

“Sung Jinwoo,” he said, offering a hand. “Which name would you like me to use for you?”

He shook it; Jinwoo’s hand was strong and warm. “Woo Jinchul, please. It’s what you know me as, right?”

Jinwoo nodded. “Do you… remember me at all?”

Jinchul took a breath. “I think so… at least I remember your eyes. I’ve been calling you Mr. Blue Eyes in my head for days now.”

“Mr. Blue Eyes?” Jinwoo grinned. Damn, this man had a nice smile.

“And are we… boyfriends?” Jinchul asked.

Jinwoo considered it for a moment. “I don’t think we ever put a label on us… but I consider you my boyfriend.”

They talked for a long while after that, Jinchul asking most of the questions—how long they’d been together, how they met, laughing at how Jinwoo’s sister had made him a dating profile.

At the end of the afternoon, Jinwoo had to leave to go home to his sister. Could he come back after supper? He’d bring home-cooked food, if Jinchul wanted.

Jinchul said he’d like that. Before leaving, Jinwoo asked if he could kiss him.

Jinchul blushed and said yes. Jinwoo gave him a soft, gentle kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

Jinchul got back into the hospital bed, head resting against the pillow as he closed his eyes. He didn’t have a headache, but he was tired—maybe from information overload.

He was happy, though. Happier than he’d been since waking up here.

He woke later to see the teenage girl on the sofa, playing on her phone.

“Are you Jinah?” he asked softly, startling her. She jumped up and ran to his side.

“Jinchul-oppa, you remember me?”

“Not really,” he said honestly. “From th’ other day… and Jinwoo told me some stuff today… sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said worriedly. “It just takes time for your brain to kinda rewire after an injury. I guess you were hurt pretty bad.”

“Yeah… I guess so.”

“Jinwoo’s just gone to get us something to drink. He’ll be back soon, but we brought supper if you want some?”

Jinchul nodded. Jinah went to rewarm it at the nurses’ station and set up the bed table.

Jinwoo returned, giving Jinah a soda before vanishing again and coming back with hot water for Jinchul’s tea.

The food was amazing—much better than hospital food—and he said so.

The three talked until visiting hours were over, Jinwoo giving Jinchul a gentle kiss and promising to return tomorrow.

That night, he dreamed good dreams—of laughter, food, cuddling, workouts, towels, and blue-eyed smiles.

Chapter Text

Jinwoo arrived early the next day with a piping hot tea for him, casually giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

“You’re not, ya know, missing work or stuff, are you?” Jinchul asked.

“No, I have a bit of savings so I can afford to not take any jobs right now.”

“So what, you’re like a contractor or something?”

Jinwoo shook his head. “No, I’m a hunter.” He smiled, kind of embarrassed. “And a low-rank one, so I’m not really needed in any gates.”

“The nurse told me about that, so you can what, do magic stuff?”

Jinwoo laughed. “No, I’m classed as a brawler, like you, just not as strong.”

Jinchul looked at him incredulously. “I’m a hunter, really? …Wait, I think that chairman guy said something similar.”

Jinwoo nodded. “From what I’ve heard, it’s how you got hurt. You took down most of the escaped magic beasts by yourself. You saved a lot of people. Before the gate boss appeared, it took four A-ranks and two B-ranks, aside from yourself, to take it down.”

Jinchul looked thoughtful. “That all just doesn’t sound real… and what do you mean about ranks?”

Jinwoo took a breath. “Hunters are given ranks based on how much magic power they can use. There’s a machine at the Association where you work that can measure it. Based on what it says, we get assigned a rank. S is the highest, followed by A, B, C, D, and E as the lowest.”

“And you said you’re low?”

Jinwoo nodded. “Yeah, E-rank.”

“What am I?”

Jinwoo smiled. “A-rank.”

Jinchul laughed. “So I’m what, like super strong?”

Jinwoo smiled, a light blush over his cheeks. “Yeah, you are.”

“And we work out together… I’m teaching you martial arts?” Jinchul said, trying to piece his dreams and memories together.

“We do. You remembered that?” Jinwoo said, surprised but happy.

“Yeah, I think so. It’s still a little fuzzy though. Umm, I think the doctor will be here soon for his rounds, but after that, do you think we could walk around outside for a bit? I’ve been cooped up here for days.”

“Sure. If the doctor gives the go-ahead, we can do that.”

Later that day, Jinchul was released into Jinwoo’s care. His body was in perfect health, and while his memories were few and disjointed, the doctor suggested that being in more familiar surroundings might help speed his recovery.

The nurse brought in a small bag of Jinchul’s belongings. It wasn’t much; the staff had discarded the torn and bloody clothes he’d been wearing, but they’d kept his armor and any items that were in his pockets—which was only a vehicle fob.

Jinwoo brought in the spare outfit he kept in his car for Jinchul to wear for now, since the two men were about the same size.

Without keys to Jinchul’s apartment, Jinwoo brought him home. Jinwoo cooked supper for the three of them, and they chatted during the meal. Jinchul asked about Jinwoo’s parents, since he and Jinah seemed to live alone. Jinwoo told him that his father was a hunter who had been lost in the gates almost ten years ago, and that his mother had been in a coma in the hospital for over four years now.

That night, Jinwoo insisted that Jinchul sleep in Jinwoo’s room while Jinwoo slept on the couch. Jinchul said he could stay on the couch or that they could sleep together, but Jinwoo refused. Jinchul couldn’t sleep on the couch after just getting out of the hospital, and since his memories hadn’t returned, Jinwoo didn’t feel right sharing a bed.

Jinchul woke up early the next morning. Jinah was getting ready for school, and the two tried to be quiet as Jinwoo slept in the living area. Jinchul asked if he could have cereal, the same as Jinah, and she got him a bowl. They chatted quietly as Jinwoo woke and headed to the bathroom, Jinah commenting that she’d never seen Jinchul wearing a hoodie, or seen his hair not styled back. Not that he didn’t look good—he did—it was just a different look for him.

Jinah headed out for school, and Jinwoo and Jinchul discussed plans for the day. Jinwoo figured the first thing would be to check the gate site in Bucheon to see if they could locate Jinchul’s car. They might find his apartment keys in the car; if not, they’d visit the Association to see if Jinchul had left his key in his office.

Jinwoo asked Jinchul if he’d mind if Jinwoo got his workout in before they went to Bucheon; he’d rather complete it now than later.

Jinchul didn’t mind and actually decided to join, reminding Jinwoo that the doctor said his physical health was perfect, and that since this was something they’d done together, it might help his memories. Jinwoo conceded.

They cleaned up after the workout and headed to Bucheon using public transit. If they found Jinchul’s car, Jinwoo wanted to be able to drive it home. He didn’t want Jinchul driving just yet.

They found the car. It was mostly undamaged, but had some debris scratches. It was parked just outside of the battle area. They looked around a little, but as cleanup and construction had been busy in the area, it didn’t spark any memories for Jinchul.

They used Jinchul’s fob to access the car, and inside Jinchul found his wallet, keys, and cell phone, which was dead from low battery.

From there, Jinwoo drove them to Jinchul’s apartment.

Jinwoo made himself busy in the kitchen, making tea for the both of them and letting Jinchul explore on his own. The apartment was neat, with neutral, functional furniture. It didn’t feel like him. It felt like the apartment of someone who didn’t spend much time at home. Jinwoo’s apartment felt more like home to him, but as he’d been told, they hadn’t been together all that long yet.

He had two pictures of his grandma, but none of the rest of his family, and he was saddened to understand that his parents really had disowned him. He’d hoped it was a false memory or something. Jinwoo hugged him, trying to comfort him.

Sitting on the sofa with one of the photo frames, staring at the kind smiling face of his grandmother Woo, Jinwoo served the tea.

“I remembered something before, in the hospital… I’d just hoped it wasn’t true…” He felt the cushion move slightly as Jinwoo sat next to him. “But my parents… they really did kick me out of the family.”

He felt Jinwoo’s arms around him then, holding him tight as tears trailed down his cheeks. They stayed like that for several minutes, Jinwoo holding him, rubbing his back as Jinchul cried, mourning the loss of his family for the second time.

“Umm, Jinwoo?”

“I’m not sure… if I like it here…” Jinchul glanced nervously at Jinwoo. “Would it be okay… if I stayed at your place for a couple more nights?”

Jinwoo nodded, pulling him in for another warm hug. “You’re welcome to stay with us, for as long as you want.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly as he hugged Jinwoo back.

Jinchul packed quickly—just some clothes and toiletries, and the photo of his grandmother.

“Do I really have no comfortable clothes?” Jinchul said as he went through his wardrobe. “Almost everything here is a suit. Your sister wasn’t kidding when she said I never wore anything but suits.”

Jinwoo chuckled softly. “You do look really good in your suits, though.”

Jinchul felt his cheeks heat up as he added a couple of suits to the few more casual sweaters he’d found.

In the Sung apartment lobby, they passed by a large, burly man. Jinchul smiled in greeting, and the man paled, changing direction to the stairs. Jinwoo asked if Jinchul knew him, and Jinchul didn’t think so.

That evening, while Jinwoo was cooking, Jinah showed news footage of the gate break and Jinchul fighting. Jinchul couldn’t believe it was him, but he had some flashbacks to the fight. Jinwoo scolded Jinah; even if they were Jinchul’s memories, they shouldn’t be trying to trigger traumatic ones.

Jinchul started looking through his phone, now fully charged. He scrolled through his text conversations and showed the screen to Jinwoo. “Am I chatting with you here?”

Jinwoo looked at the screen, grinning. “Yes, I remember that chat… you have me on your phone as Mr. Blue Eyes?”

Jinchul laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

Jinchul’s sleep that night was restless, his dreams full of more memories. In the morning, he and Jinwoo went to the hunters’ gym for their workout. Jinwoo said this had recently become a routine for them; they would exercise, then Jinchul would teach him some techniques, or they might spar.

The hunters’ gym was quiet and felt familiar as they got ready. Jinwoo stretched nearby, hoodie discarded, wearing a white T-shirt that stretched tightly across the man’s chest.

“Can we try sparring a little?” Jinchul asked after they completed Jinwoo’s routine.

Jinwoo hesitated for a moment. “Okay.”

They squared off on the mat. Jinchul didn’t need his recent memories for this; he’d been in one martial art or another since he was a child.

Jinwoo struck first, a quick jab to test distance. Jinchul blocked it easily, countering with a sweep of his leg that Jinwoo hopped back from.

They exchanged a few more moves, Jinchul noting that Jinwoo seemed quick—faster than his teachers had been—but it all felt a bit slow to him. Jinwoo stepped in, aiming for Jinchul’s side. Jinchul blocked it and responded with his own strike.

His fist connected with Jinwoo’s arm. The impact cracked through the gym like thunder.

Jinwoo was thrown back across the length of the gym, falling to his knees and cradling his arm.

“Shit!” Jinchul was at his side instantly. “Jinwoo, are you okay? I didn’t mean—”

Jinwoo sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, testing the movement of his fingers. “It’s fine. I’m okay, Jinchul.”

He winced as he further tested his arm. “Forgot you were an A-rank hunter?”

“I… um… yeah, I’m sorry…”

Jinwoo smiled faintly. “It’s okay, but I think our workout is done for today.”

Jinwoo’s arm was already starting to bruise as Jinchul nervously watched him wrap it with a bandage.

“Maybe we should take you to the hospital?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“That doesn’t look fine.”

“I’m used to it. Hunters heal faster than normal people.”

“Just because you heal faster doesn’t mean you should be used to being hurt.”

“Well, I don’t try to get hurt. It just happens.” Jinwoo smiled sadly. “But since you’ve been teaching me stuff, I haven’t been getting hurt as much.” He added quickly.

A memory crept into Jinchul’s mind suddenly. “Is that how we met… you were in the hospital after getting hurt in a gate?”

Jinwoo nodded. “Yeah. I was one of the lucky ones. Most of our group didn’t make it out.”

“I don’t think I like the idea of you being a hunter…”

“If I wasn’t a hunter, then we would never have met.” He smiled at Jinchul, hugging him with his good arm. “And without hunters like us, so many more people would be getting hurt.”

Jinah saw the bandage and asked Jinwoo what happened; he shouldn’t be going into gates while Jinchul-oppa was still recovering. Jinwoo insisted that he hadn’t, that he’d just made a mistake while they were sparring and that it was no big deal.

Jinchul was concerned that Jinwoo was still favoring his arm, enough that Jinwoo said they would get takeout for supper so he didn’t have to cook, insisting that his arm really wasn’t that bad and that it would be fine by morning.

When Jinchul started dressing in his own clothes again instead of Jinwoo’s borrowed outfits, he felt a bit more back to normal. He didn’t feel like he was seventeen anymore, but there were still gaps in his memories.

Then Jinwoo took Jinchul to the Association, where they met up with Jinchul’s assistant, Seo Minjun, and he was given a tour. Jinchul felt like there was something wrong with Seo, as he was grinning like an idiot every time he glanced at him and Jinwoo.

Every day, Jinchul remembered more, his memories becoming clearer and more cohesive. But his frustration grew as Jinwoo continued to treat him too carefully. His memories with the man were the clearest of all. So when Jinwoo tried to give him another chaste kiss, Jinchul slipped his hand to the back of the other man’s neck, twining his fingers into dark hair as he pulled him close, deepening the kiss.

He was rewarded with a groan as Jinwoo’s arms wrapped tightly around him, pulling them against each other. Jinchul smiled into the kiss, moaning as he felt the other man’s eagerness against his own. He was glad it was still early in the day; Jinah wouldn’t be home for hours as Jinwoo led them to their bedroom.

Almost two weeks after the gate break, his memory was mostly back, and Jinchul returned to work.

Jinwoo, as well, started going back into more C-rank gates for Yoojin Construction again.

Chapter Text

Jinchul braced his stance and lifted his hands, keeping his mana tightly reined in to defense only. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt Jinwoo again as they sparred.

Across from him, Jinwoo bounced lightly on his feet, rolling his shoulders as if loosening invisible tension. The smile on his face was relaxed; they both enjoyed sparring with each other, even if it was only a challenge for one of them.

They’d been working out together for several months now. Jinwoo was still a beginner, but he proved himself to be a very quick study, picking up on Jinchul’s lessons like a duck takes to water. His mana control had improved greatly, too, but it made Jinchul question the younger man sometimes. He kept getting the feeling that Jinwoo had more mana, and more strength, than he was letting on. And occasionally, he was sure that he felt the other’s mana spiking.

He’d tried asking, but Jinwoo had simply put it as it feeling different because he was using it properly now. Jinchul accepted that, for now; it could indeed account for some of the sensation, but there was certainly more to it.

“Ready?” Jinchul asked. He smiled slightly; he’d been showing Jinwoo some boxing moves recently, finding them to be one of the more useful skills when fighting magic beasts unarmed.

Jinwoo nodded and started, hitting Jinchul with well-practiced, if simple, combinations. Even though Jinwoo had no chance of getting past his mana defense, Jinchul still defended and countered as if he could.

Jinwoo threw a jab-cross combo, the strikes light but hitting with a solidity that made Jinchul blink.

“Don’t take this the wrong way… but recently I’ve noticed you’ve been getting a lot stronger than an E-rank should be.”

And there it was again. Every time Jinchul tried to talk about Jinwoo’s rank or mana, the man would refuse to even look him in the eye. It was starting to become frustrating.

“I guess I’m just getting stronger because of the workouts… and your training.”

There was the normal excuse he gave, but no matter how much you trained, there was no way Jinwoo’s strength or mana could have increased this much—unless he had reawakened. If that were the case, then why didn’t Jinwoo trust him enough to tell him?

“Tomorrow, can you bring your raid weapons and gear to our session?” Jinchul said, trying not to dwell on his unanswered questions.

Jinwoo looked over at him with a strange expression. There was a fine sheen of sweat across his brow.

“You want to fight with weapons?”

“In part… I want to see how you move in your gear and how you use your weapons so we can build your skills with them. Is that okay?”

Jinwoo nodded. “Well, I don’t wear any gear… most E-ranks don’t, from what I’ve seen.” His face fell slightly as he stared off into space. “And I’m not sure I want to use my dagger on you. It’s got a wicked poison effect, so I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Oh, sounds like a good dagger. How’s the feel of it? Comfortable to wield?” Jinchul said. He was glad he’d asked; knowing that Jinwoo had a reliable weapon was a bit of a relief.

“I like it…” Jinwoo said.

Jinchul blinked. For a moment, it looked like Jinwoo wanted to say more, but then he shut down. It made him curious.

“Could you bring it tomorrow, then? We won’t use it for sparring, but I’d still like to see how you wield it and whether we need to work on your form.”

“I… um… I have it now… if you want…” Jinwoo said nervously.

Jinchul looked at him, a little confused, and then surprised as Jinwoo pulled a red-bladed dagger out of spatial storage.

“You can use spatial magic?!” Jinchul exclaimed.

Jinwoo nodded slightly, his eyes downcast.

Jinchul’s gaze lingered on the younger man. How could he use spatial storage as an E-rank? His thoughts from earlier resurfaced. Was Jinwoo hiding a reawakening?

He refocused, realizing that he might have been glaring at Jinwoo while lost in thought, making the other man shift nervously.

He never wanted Jinwoo to feel nervous around him. Jinchul wrapped his arms around Jinwoo’s waist, pulling him into a reassuring hug.

“Can we please talk about this?” he asked, eyes glancing at the dagger. “…About how you don’t feel like an E-rank to me anymore?”

Jinwoo tensed at that, but his arms wrapped tentatively around Jinchul, the dagger vanishing once again. “I want to… but not today… Is… is that okay?”

Jinchul gave him a soft kiss. He was a bit frustrated with Jinwoo’s answer, but it also meant that they would talk about it eventually.

“It’s okay.”

The next morning, they’d slept in, neither wanting to leave the bed or each other’s arms, and decided to skip their morning workout.

Jinwoo would be heading out of town for a gate that day, but he didn’t know when he would be back.

Even as Jinchul scanned reports and forms, his mind kept drifting back to their workout and conversation from yesterday. He wondered what Jinwoo’s actual rank was now, but more than anything, he wondered why Jinwoo felt like he had to hide it from him.

He sighed, realizing he’d read the same report three times now without absorbing any of it.

They’d been together just over five months, and somehow it felt both impossibly new and comfortably old. He was back in his own apartment, but still stayed most nights at the Sungs’. Jinah had found the photo of his grandmother and added it to the collection of family photos on the Sungs’ shelf. She’d added pictures she’d taken of him and Jinwoo together there, too.

It was, without question, the happiest relationship Jinchul had ever had. Jinwoo and Jinah weren’t just people he cared about; they were beginning to feel like family. The first family he’d had since his Grandmother Woo passed eight years ago. He hadn’t realized how starved he’d been for that until his feelings for the siblings had filled that dark hole in his heart with light and happiness.

He got up from his desk. He wasn’t getting anywhere with his work today, so he went to the break room to make a cup of tea and stretch his legs.

Meetings, and meetings about meetings, took up most of his day. He was glad he’d finally gotten caught up with the backlog of paperwork from his medical leave. Even so, with the yearly survey of Jeju Island happening, he knew there would be plenty more soon.

He’d already warned Mr. Seo that they would be working late tonight in an effort to catch up. To be fair, the only reason he didn’t mind working late was because Jinwoo was out of town for a gate. If he was going to be alone, he might as well get some extra work done.

Once mostly caught up, he dismissed Mr. Seo for the night. Wondering how Jinwoo was doing, he quickly searched the Association’s gate database to see when the raid had been set to begin.

But Yoojin Construction had nothing scheduled for tonight. He found no records even after checking for Jinwoo’s name.

Did he lie about going to a gate? Why? What was he doing?

Jinchul left his office, too uneasy now to sit still.

Noticing the Chairman’s office light on, he knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Chairman Go said.

“Chairman, you still haven’t gone home?” Jinchul asked as he stepped into the office and closed the door.

“I don’t feel like calling it a day just yet, so I’ve been dealing with some work that’s piled up,” Go said.

“Likewise. I’ve been clearing some non-urgent items off my plate,” Jinchul replied, remembering the memo on Jeju Island.

“The Hunters’ Guild is surveying Jeju Island today?” Jinchul asked.

“Indeed,” Go said as his phone buzzed on his desk. “Speak of the devil.”

He answered it and put it on speaker. “I’m here. Are you heading out soon?”

“Yes, sir. I wanted to thank you before that.” It was windy on the other end of the line, but Jinchul recognized Guildmaster Choi’s voice. “I’m grateful you approved this operation.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s all because you’ve kept Jeju Island’s name afloat in the media. That’s kept it in the public consciousness and is swaying their opinion. All I did was help tip the scales a bit,” Chairman Go said.

“All the same, I appreciate the Association’s support. The third raid on Jeju Island… to me, that battle never really ended,” Choi said quietly.

Jinchul stayed silent. He’d read the reports. He understood.

With a sigh, Chairman Go looked down at his phone. Choi had already disconnected.

“The third Jeju Island raid… my body was no longer fit for combat by then, so I wasn’t there. How about you?” Go asked.

“I was. I was on perimeter security, acting as a point of contact, sir,” Jinchul said. He hadn’t seen combat during the raid attempt, but he remembered well the condition the survivors were in when the retreat was called.

“So many lost their lives. And those who survived still bear the mental scars…”

Jinchul nodded. That was something most hunters experienced at least once.

“Will you be staying in the office until the Hunters’ Guild reports in again, sir?”

“Hmm, yes. But you needn’t stay. I’m sure your partner wouldn’t appreciate me keeping you too late.”

“It’s not a concern, sir,” Jinchul replied, making Go’s eyebrow rise.

“Oh? I assumed you were still together,” Go said, sounding a little disappointed.

Jinchul nodded. “We are, sir. But he’s working a gate out of town tonight.” At least, that’s what Jinwoo had told him.

“He’s a hunter?” Go asked curiously.

Jinchul sighed softly. While his relationship with Jinwoo wasn’t a secret, he preferred to keep his private life separate from work when possible.

“Yes, sir,” he said, giving Chairman Go no further details.

The older man grinned, seemingly pleased to get even this much personal information from Jinchul.

Chapter Text

“Is that one of my shirts?” Jinchul asked, admiring how the dark grey button up looked on Jinwoo, the sleeves slightly rolled up to reveal his forearms.

”Is it?” Jinwoo smiled looking down at it. “I don’t think I’ve seen it on you?”

”Don’t think I’ve worn it much...” Jinchul said, pressing close to Jinwoo, smoothing the material as he kissed the dark-haired man. “It looks good on you.”

”And the hair… it’s a bit less for me to run my fingers through, but the style suits you.”

Jinwoo smiled, a tiny bit of flush coloring his cheeks.

”So what’s the occasion? We don’t have plans that I’ve forgotten do we?” Jinchul asked, his mind already reviewing his mental schedule and conversations with his boyfriend.

”No, you haven’t forgotten anything. I had a meeting with Jinah’s teacher today, I didn’t think my normal look would be appropriate.”

”ah, and how did that go? If you don’t mind me asking?” Jinchul asked, wondering if he should send the teacher a thank you card for Jinwoo’s makeover.

”Good. Jinah’s top of her class, the teacher believes she’ll have no issue getting into the med school of her choice.”

”That’s good to hear, glad her hard work is paying off.”

They’re sitting on Jinchul’s couch later, Jinwoo relaxing against Jinchul as they're watching a nature documentary. They might watch an occasional movie or show, but neither of them normally watched much television.

“Jinwoo, I’ve been noticing this for awhile but it’s even more noticeable now”

”…“

“Your mana has been changing a lot over the last few weeks, I chalked it up to training at first, but today, it feels completely different.”

Jinchul is taken aback somewhat as Jinwoo startles, his blue eyes averting away from Jinchul’s own.

“I’m mostly just curious, we don’t need to talk about it if you're still not ready.” Jinchul says quickly, letting Jinwoo have an out.

”I’m… afraid… that you won’t like me… if I tell you the truth…”

”Everything about you that I’ve learned so far, I’ve liked, I enjoy the time we spend together.” Jinchul gave Jinwoo his most reassuring smile, “I mean, if you tell me you are planning mass genocide, I might have to change my mind...” Jinchul tried to joke.

Jinwoo laughed softly but Jinchul felt no happiness in it.

”Whatever it is that you think I can’t handle, we don’t need to talk about it until you’re ready Jinwoo, just please… don’t run from me.”

Jinwoo smiled softly for a moment before he looked sad again.

”I… I don’t like feeling like I’m lying to you by not …explaining things”

”…“

”Do you remember the Double Dungeon incident?”

”Of course, I’m pretty sure my memories have been fully back for a while now” Jinchul said, more curious now but trying not to press. Letting Jinwoo speak at his own pace.

”There’s something I didn’t report… because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. I still have a hard time believing it myself.”

“I think I reported that I blacked out after Song and Lee left the dungeon, but that’s… not entirely true. The statues… they attacked after they left, they practically killed me. I was about to die when I saw this… screen pop up, like a hologram in my vision…
I know, it sounds stupid… crazy… but this screen said I would die if I didn’t agree to be ‘The Player’.”

”So you agreed?” Jinchul said curiously.

”yeah, then I blacked out and woke up in the hospital three days later, my arm and leg were back and the slice through my chest was all healed up without even a scar.”

”I thought the reports only said you lost a leg?” Jinchul said, mentally reviewing what he remembered of the file.

”oh yeah… the statues cut off my arm and cut me through… after everyone had left.” Jinwoo’s fingers traced up the length of his torso, his eyes looked haunted.

Jinchul could barely believe what Jinwoo was saying, but it didn’t sound like he was lying, and wouldn’t have a reason to lie either.

”So what does becoming ‘the player’ mean?” Jinchul asked hoping to move Jinwoo’s story along to distract him from his painful memories.

”I’m not entirely sure, it’s like my life has become a video game… ah shit, that makes me sound more crazy…”

”I won’t say it doesn’t,” Jinchul said truthfully, “but I’d like to hear more before I pass judgement.” Jinchul hugged him close, trying to comfort him, it did sound crazy, completely unbelievable.. but he wanted to believe him.

Jinwoo looked at him, he looked almost desperate, to be able to tell someone, or to be believed. Jinchul hoped he could be the person to take away that desperate look.

Jinwoo took a deep breath of resolve.

”I still see the screens, they have my stats, give me quests, describe my skills and gear…”

”I’ve never seen you wear any gear… though I suppose I don’t see you going into gates either…” Jinchul pondered.

”My gear is… invisible…” Jinwoo struggled a bit against Jinchul’s embrace and Jinchul just hugged him tighter.

”I’m not ‘running’” Jinwoo said calmly.

Jinchul slowly relaxed his embrace, letting Jinwoo sit up straighter on the couch. Watching him as his eyes seemed to look off at something and then a full knight’s helmet appeared on his head. Jinchul’s eyes were wide as he reached up to touch it, his fingertips touching cold solid metal. Then it vanished again and Jinchul’s fingers touched Jinwoo’s warm skin. “How does that work?”

”I don’t know, but it does, I can feel the difference when I’m fighting”

”But that was a full face guard, how am I able to kiss you if you’re wearing that all the time?”

Jinwoo choked back a nervous laugh, “That’s what you want to ask?”

Jinchul shrugged, more than a little pleased that he could break the sombre mood a little.

”I like kissing you” he smiled at Jinwoo and to prove the point, he leaned forward and kissed him lightly.

Some of Jinwoo’s visible tension eased.

“You also said you see some kind of screen?” Jinchul inquired, pressing against Jinwoo’s side.

”Yes”

”Can you see them now?”

Jinwoo nods, “I can open and close them.”

Jinchul moves closer to Jinwoo, looking in the air ahead of them. “Where are they?”

Jinwoo blinks, he seems surprised that Jinchul hasn’t kicked him to the curb yet and it makes his heart ache for Jinwoo a little.

”One screen is here” he said, his hand raised to point to a place in front of them.

Jinchul’s eyes widened when the air distorted at the end of Jinwoo’s finger. “The air there just… shimmered, are you touching the screen?”

”They aren’t touchscreens, so they kinda get scrambly when I touch them.”

Jinchul raised his hand, his fingers sliding over Jinwoo’s outstretched hand to the air shimmer, it felt like a static shock but a slightly distorted screen materialized when he touched it.

Jinchul’s eyes read the screen, widening with amazement.

Status
Name: Sung Jinwoo
Level: 51
Job: Shadow Monarch
Title: Wolf Assassin(and 1 other)
Fatigue: 0
HP: 11035
MP: 1022

Strength: 132
Agility: 111
Perception: 93
Stamina: 91
Intellect: 70

Physical Damage Decrease: 46% Activated
Available points: 10
[SKILLS]
[Passive Skill]
(Unknown) Lv. MAX, Willpower Lv 1, Advanced Dagger Wielding Lv 1
[Active Skill]
Dash Lv.2, Murderous Intent Lv.1, Fatal Strike Lv.2, Dagger Throw Lv.1, Stealth Lv.1, ruler’s Hand Lv.1

[JOB-EXCLUSIVE SKILLS]
Active skill: Shadow Extraction Lv.1
Shadow Storage Lv.1

[ITEMS EQUIPPED]
Crimson Knight’s Helmet(S), Warden’s Collar(A), High-Rank Knight’s Chestplate(B), High-Rank Knight’s Gauntlets(B), High-Rank Mage’s Ring(B), Mid-Rank Assassin’s Boots(B)

”I….can see it…” he said, his voice a bare whisper of surprise as his eyes read the screen, ignoring the tingling that was increasing and spreading through his hand.

Jinchul glanced over at Jinwoo, the younger hunter’s eyes were tearing up a little.

”What’s wrong?” he said, taking his hand away from the screen to thumb the drop of liquid from the corner of Jinwoo’s eye. “Was it hurting you? When I touched it?”

Jinwoo shook his head, “I think I’m just happy that you believed me and didn’t just kick me out.”

“It’s definitely hard to believe, but, I didn’t feel like you would’ve lied to me. And seeing that…” Jinchul’s eyes looked back to the empty air where a screen had been.

”I certainly have more questions… if you don’t mind still talking about it?”

Jinwoo nods, leaning more comfortably against Jinchul. “I’ll try to answer anything you want.”

”If you don’t want to answer I won’t make you.. or ‘kick you out’, okay?” Jinchul wraps his left arm around Jinwoo’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

Jinwoo nodded, “okay”

”I guess my first question is, if you reawakened after that dungeon, why didn’t our mana meter register it?”

”I didn’t re-awaken… at least it’s not a normal re-awakening from what I understand.”

”What do you mean?”

”When you tested me in the hospital, I was still E-rank, but ever since then, I’ve been… leveling up, bit by bit after every fight.”

”You’re getting stronger?!” His surprise must have made Jinwoo nervous as he felt his shoulders hunching slightly under his arm.

”I am”

”How strong can you get?”

”I don’t actually know yet. You’re an A-rank right?”

”I am”

”I feel like your mana is still stronger than mine, but I think I’m getting close to your level.”

”hmmm. If what I just read is accurate to our meters…” Jinchul looking the empty air, “Right now, you’re about mid A-rank, I’m top rank, my MP measures at 1538.”

Jinwoo’s eyes were wide as he took in that info, it looked like he was staring at the invisible screen. Jinchul blinked, he’s watched Jinwoo do that before, like he was staring off into space, the action making sense to him now.

“ok, next question. If you’re an A-rank, why not get re-evaluated?”

“If you want me to, I will… but I’d like to wait until I think I’m S-rank.”

“You think you can continue leveling up to S-rank?”

Jinwoo nodded.

“…Do you know what MP an S-rank has.” Jinwoo asked curiously.

”Our best mana meters only register up to 1600, anything above that is considered S-rank.” Jinchul said, they didn’t normally share the MP numbers, there was enough contention between ranks, the Association didn’t want to deal with it within ranks too.

”Wait, so you’re basically S-rank!?” Jinwoo looked at him wide eyed.

Jinchul laughs, “My number is pretty close, but I’d be weak for an S-rank, being top of the A-rank suits my needs better.”

”ok, next question, what does the job mean? I think it said Shadow Monarch?”

”ah, yeah that’s new, my class just changed… that’s the change you feel in my mana I think.”

”You were listed as a brawler right?”

”A brawler? …yeah I guess that’s what my E-rank class was. I kinda thought I was becoming an assassin type lately since I mostly use daggers and speed.”

”And now?”

Jinwoo laughs, “Now apparently I’ve been given a mage class by ‘the system’.” he said, waving at the invisible screens.

Smiles down at Jinwoo, “A mage?”

”The Shadow Monarch is a nec… a type of mage, I can summon… shadows. Haven’t tried fighting with them yet though. Kinda disappointed in myself for neglecting my intellect stat. Now that it’s looking like something I’ll need.”

Jinchul wondered what Jinwoo almost said, but he didn’t press, he didn’t want Jinwoo to lose this sharing mood by overstepping.

”You can change your stats?” Jinchul asked, this ‘system’ of Jinwoo’s was becoming more unbelievable, or would be, but it helped some of his questions recently make sense.

”Kind of… when I level up, or finish quests, I get points that I can use to increase my stats. I’ve been putting them mostly to strength and agility since those seemed the most useful.”

“One more question. Since we’re both around A-rank right now, I’m interested in how a real spar with you would go. So… would you like to spar with me?”

”I would” Jinwoo finally smiled a genuine smile not shadowed by nervousness.

”We can’t use the gym at your real level without raising questions about your rank, but I know a place we could fight in private. We could go tomorrow?”

”Can we do it in the morning? I’ve arranged to help my sister’s friend in the afternoon.”

”Of course”

”A-and you’re ok with me not getting re-evaluated right away? I guess I’m kind of a false ranker, that’s not normally tolerated by the Association is it?”

“It’s not the false ranking specifically that the Association doesn’t like, it’s the murdering. Not all false rankers are murderers, it's just a few bad ones that have given the idea that they all are.” “It’s like saying all Pitbulls are bad dogs, they’re not, but a few bad ones in the headlines have given them a bad reputation.”

Jinchul looks over at Jinwoo, Jinwoo looks sad again, almost guilty and a disturbing thought enters Jinchul’s brain.

”You’re not murdering people behind my back are you?” He tries to make a half joke out of it, he doesn’t really think Jinwoo is a murderer but that guilty look is bothering him.

Jinwoo hunches his shoulders more and is weirdly quiet.

”Jinwoo?”

”I have…” he said sadly, “But I didn’t have a choice!” He said quickly, blue eyes turned pleadingly up at him. “They were trying to kill me… kill my friends… and I… I had to…” Jinchul looks shocked as Jinwoo’s eyes teared up. He looked ready to run and it broke something in Jinchul to see that look directed at him.

”Are you talking about the Hwang group, or… Kang?” Jinchul asks, remembering the sketchy reports. Jinwoo nods, flinching as Jinchul reached over to wipe a tear away from his cheek.

”That’s self-defense, not murder. You did it to save yourself, and others.” Jinchul hated the look on Jinwoo's face right now.

“You haven’t killed anyone that wasn’t trying to kill you first right?”

”No.” Jinwoo said quietly, more tears dripping from his eyes.

”I know it’s hard, I’ve…. had to do it too, but you need to think about who’s alive now because of what you had to do.” Jinchul hugs him tight. “I’m glad you were there to protect others, and I’m more glad that you survived.”

Jinwoo hugs him back, crying quietly against him as Jinchul rubbed his back.

They stayed like that for a while, holding each other. Jinchul felt bad for Jinwoo, just how much has he had to endure in secret because of this ‘system’?

He felt a little guilty too, guilty that Jinwoo’s trust in him, to share things like this with him, made him happy.

Before he leaves, Jinwoo wraps his arms around Jinchul’s waist, resting his head on Jinchul’s shoulder. Jinchul hugs back, fingers threading lightly though Jinwoo’s shorter hair.

“Jinchul… thank you again… for believing me…. it really means a lot to me that you did.”

Jinchul smiles, squeezing Jinwoo, “of course, thank you for trusting me.”

Jinchul kisses Jinwoo, it’s gentle and loving as Jinchul tries to give Jinwoo as much reassurance as possible though it.

Chapter Text

The next morning Jinchul drives them about an hour outside the city for their daily workout, then heading to a field nearby. 
“Fight rules, you can win by grabbing the other’s wrist, or tapping them on the back.  You also lose if any part of you besides hands or feet touch the ground.  Agreed?”
”Agreed.”

They fight, Jinwoo has more strength, it actually feels like being hit by an S-rank, but Jinchul has more technical skill.  Jinchul is, after all, a martial arts master.  Jinwoo is still a beginner. Jinwoo is faster but speed isn’t as important if you can grapple them.
Jinchul wins, barely, by using a martial arts maneuver to knock Jinwoo down and pin him.
Jinchul licks his lips as he looks down at Jinwoo pinned beneath him.  They’re both breathing hard as Jinchul leans down and kisses Jinwoo.  Twining their fingers together as their bodies press close against each other.

“I’m not sure if I’m impressed that you’ve managed to hold back so much during our sessions… or if I’m mad that you did...”  Jinchul laughs.
Jinwoo looked up, a ghost of worry creasing his face as Jinchul continued, “… because this was fun.”

Jinwoo smiled then, relief flooding his features as his eyes shined and suddenly Jinchul found himself on the ground looking wide eyed up at Jinwoo.

Jinchul groaned softly as Jinwoo pressed down against him, holding him firmly against the ground as the younger man kissed him deeply.  Damn he thought, A-rank Jinwoo was more than a little appealing as his legs curled around Jinwoo’s hips.

After a little clean up, Jinchul had brought extra clothes just in case their fight caused a wardrobe malfunction.
They head back, grabbing a small breakfast to eat in the parked car.

Jinwoo told him, he has a gate planned in the evening as an observer with his sister’s friend who wants to quit high school to be a hunter.
”You’re going into a White Tiger raid?  Are you planning to join their guild?”

Jinwoo hums as he thinks about it. “No? I get that Manager Ahn is trying to recruit me, he’s gotten the idea that I’ve re-awakened. But I don’t think I’m interested in joining the White Tiger guild.  I’m just doing this in the hope that seeing a proper C-rank raid will convince Songyi to stay in high school.”
”Once you re-assess as an S-rank, you’ll have your pick of guilds.”
”I suppose…” Jinwoo said disinterestly.
”You’re not interested in joining a guild?”
”Well, I mean, they’ve never wanted me before as an E-rank. Now that I’m stronger, I’m not sure that I want them.  …Does that make me petty?”
“Not to me.”
”I’m also not sure if I could work well in a raid group.”
”You’ve worked with raid groups for years though,” Jinchul said.
”Maybe a higher level guild raid would be different, but most D and E-rank raids I’ve been in are more makeshift groups, like ‘fend for yourself’.  I’ve never actually liked raiding until I started leveling and doing things by myself.”
”I know you’re getting stronger… actually if you were to fight me for real, with your blades, I’d doubt I would’ve won this morning.”
Jinwoo looks surprised at Jinchul’s confession. 

“But I can’t say I like the idea of you being on your own.”
Jinwoo scratches the back of his head nervously.
”I’ve… kinda… already been clearing a few gates… on my own”
Jinchul nearly yells, “What?!”
Jinchul takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm himself.
”What gates?  When?”
Jinwoo’s eyes stayed down, “The system…the screens… they’ve given me some, they’re a little different than normal gates…. And… I’ve been helping a friend with his gates.”
”The C-rank gates for Yoojin Construction?”
Jinwoo looks up shocked that Jinchul knows about those
”I am the Chief Inspector at the KHA.”
Jinwoo smiles nervously, “Right… you’d see that, sorry”
”But you’re doing those gates with a group.”
”Well….”
”Jinwoo.”
”Only Jinho and I go in the gates, everyone else stays safe outside”

”You have been clearing C-rank gates with just yourself and a D-rank?”  Jinchul glared at Jinwoo who looked embarrassed as he slunk down in his seat, trying to look smaller.
”I clear the gates… Jinho collects the mana and essence stones.”
”Jinwoo.”  Jinchul felt like he was going to have a migraine.
”Sorry”
”Do you still have more with them?”
”Yes, three left, Jinho wants to get a guild masters license, and I’ve agreed to help him clear the minimum he needs.”
”When is the next one?”
”Tomorrow.”
”And you said there are other hunters that remain outside the gate while you and Jinho clear it?”
”Yes.”
Jinchul was frustrated now, he wanted to go in the gate, make sure that Jinwoo was safe, was being safe.  But as Chief, going there knowing that most of the raid group were sitting outside… 
“I don’t like this Jinwoo, you’re being too risky.”
”Sorry”
“No chance I could get you to pause until I can figure out a way to be able to join you?”
”Join us?”
”Yes join you!  Dammit Jinwoo, even if we can, A-Ranks aren’t expected to clear a C-Rank dungeon solo!”
”Sorry”
”So can you? Put a pause on those gates?”
”We have one scheduled for tomorrow, after that I’d need to check with Jinho.”
”What time tomorrow?”
”11am”
Jinchul closes his eyes, tapping on the steering wheel. “I don’t know if I can make it, and I still have to figure out how without being recognized.”
”I really am ok Jinchul… I’m not getting hurt at all, at least in the C-rank dungeons, and now I have summons, they should help alot…”
Jinchul leveled a glare at Jinwoo, making him shrink more.
”What does that mean?  You’re not getting hurt in the C-rank dungeons?  What dungeons are you getting hurt in?”
“The ‘system’ dungeons are a little bit more difficult than C-rank gates.”
”I still don’t understand these ‘system’ dungeons you talk about, do you think I can go with you in those?”
”I don’t know, I don’t think so, but I’ve never tried to bring anyone into one.”
”Fine, do you have a schedule for those or just whenever you want?”
”I have one right now, I can go whenever, but I wanted to get a bit stronger before I try it again.”
”Again?” Jinchul leveled another look at Jinwoo who shrank more into his seat.
”yeah, I’ve tried it once, that wasn’t fun, but I was still pretty low level then”
“Tried it once when?”
”Umm… I think it was the night Jinah got scared and called you?”
”Tell me about it?” Jinchul said, breathing deeply to try to calm himself, he could tell Jinwoo was close to shutting down, which was likely his fault for his reactions, but he wanted to keep him talking.

”I only fought one magic beast, but it was boss level I think.  At least it was for the level I was at then.”
”What kind of magic beast?”
”A three headed dog, a cerberus I think it was called”
”You defeated it?”
”Yeah, but it was close, it tore me up pretty good”

”I remember when you got home, you didn’t have any injuries?” And Jinchul did remember, seeing Jinwoo in just a towel, flustered and shy, it was still one of the images of Jinwoo that he hoped never to forget.
”oh… I have a kind of healing spell that I can use on myself, and my injuries heal when I level up too, so…”
Jinchul put his head down on the steering wheel, this man was full of surprises.

”So you are still getting hurt, you’re just healing afterwards?”
”Well, not in the C-rank dungeons with Jinho, I’m really not getting injured in those.”
”What does Hunter Yoo know about… the ‘system’?”
”Nothing, I’m pretty sure he just thinks I’m a false ranker.”
”Are you going to tell him, or Jinah about it?”
”No, I try not to discuss much hunter stuff with Jinah, I don’t want her worrying unnecessarily.  Jinho is like a brother, but I don’t think I want to try to explain this.”  Jinwoo said, waving his fingers at the invisible screens.

Jinchul collected the wrappers from their breakfast and deposited them in the refuse containers in the parking lot.  Taking in a deep breath of fresh air before getting back into the car. Leaning over and hugging a stiff Jinwoo as he spoke softly, “I’m sorry if I’ve reacted badly… You’re very important to me and I just want you safe…”  Jinwoo slowly relaxes as he hugs Jinchul back. 
“I love you Jinwoo.”
“I love you too Jinchul.”

On the drive home, Jinchul steals a quick glance at Jinwoo.
”Jinwoo, is there still a lot of stuff you haven’t told me about the system, and being The Player?”
”Yeah there’s still stuff…” Jinwoo said nervously.
”I’m not asking right now, it’s a bit of information overload already and I don’t want to be distracted from driving…  But will you continue telling me more later, please?” 
Jinwoo smiled softly at him, “Yeah, I will.” 
Most of the remaining ride was spent in a comfortable silence.