“No method…….”

The second it lastly grew to become checkmate, Salamander collapsed in a heap. The group of onlookers cheered and clapped in unison. The sound of the explosion washed over me like a wave. No, it was a reminiscence of the previous that I had buried within the sea that day.

I do know it as a result of I’ve seen it dozens of instances. Heo-sang’s chess behavior. When he strikes a chunk, he all the time maintain it between his index and center fingers, and the swift movement of his hand to seize it is sort of a searching beast. And when he’s positive of victory, he faucet the board twice.

Simply as Simeon had simply accomplished.

‘I can inform it’s you by the way in which you play chess.’

He was half joking.

‘…Don’t mislead me, it’s unhealthy.’

‘Severely, even if you happen to lined your face, I’d recognise you by your fingers.’

Nonetheless, I used to be assured. I used to be positive I’d recognise him sooner or later. However now that the second had arrived, I couldn’t imagine it.

Truthfully, I’d be mendacity if I stated I didn’t spend seven years questioning how he was doing. I’ve searched the hunter neighborhood for his identify many instances. However in seven years, I by no means discovered a single submit about him. I vaguely assumed that he hadn’t change into a Hunter but, or that he was ranked too low to be heard from.

However this explains his absence.

“Simeon the Apostle is Heo-sang…?”

Nonsense. Even with that thought, I googled Apostle Simeon as quickly as I acquired house.

Guild Apostle (使徒).

Wearing black from head to toe, they have been quickly dubbed the “Apostles of God” by the folks. Not solely did your complete guild use their baptismal names as aliases, however they have been nicknamed for showing out of nowhere, slaying monsters and disappearing into skinny air. The variety of apostles is twelve. Most of them are A-class, so that they’re naturals.

And Simeon.

Title, origin, look. An S-class Hunter whose identify, origin, and look are all unknown. He’s so unknown that some say he’s really a felony, however his abilities are recognised by all, as he’s taken the hunter world by storm in simply two years after founding the guild.

“So….”

You imply that this nice Hunter is definitely the dwarf child I do know?

“Bullshit.”

It’s a bunch of bullshit.

I pulled out my digicam’s SD card, plugged it into my pc, and watched the footage time and again. As if that weren’t sufficient, I scoured the web for Simeon and took notes on his traits. Earlier than I knew it, I used to be taking a look at a web page stuffed with Simeons and laughing my arse off.

It wasn’t an phantasm in spite of everything. Simeon had the whole lot that Heo-sang had. From the tiny behavior of tapping the air simply earlier than declaring a verify, to the graceful fingers with no marks, to the 2 tiny dots on the third knuckle of her index finger.

“No method….”

Calling me “hyung, hyung.” The child who’d been calling and following round was now an S-class Hunter, and the top of the Guild Apostles…. I used to be not simply satisfied. I considered going to go to him another time, however I compelled myself to cease.

I need to not neglect. I’m the one who gave up Heo-sang.

So, whether or not Simeon is Heo-sang or not is of no consequence to me. If he’s certainly Heo-sang, the second after I seem earlier than him as John won’t ever come once more.

I crossed out the phrases ‘Simeon = Heo-sang’ in my pocket book with a pen. The extra I lined the identify of He-sang with black traces, the extra my sophisticated thoughts appeared to vanish, so I stroked tougher. Till the paper of the pocket book was pierced by the nib.

[This is the picture you requested. I will send you the rest of the pictures when you deposit the balance].

I bought my conscience for 3 million gained. Effectively, I suppose it’s a small worth to pay for awakening him. Anyway, I don’t have any relationship with him anymore, so it doesn’t matter. He can dwell as he’s, and I can dwell as I’m.

Even after I lastly acquired it collectively, I couldn’t throw it away.

“It’s simply… a memento, yeah.”

I made a print of one of many images I’d taken on the Mapo Bridge, the one with Simeon’s greatest options. I printed it out to not preserve it, however in case I wanted to make use of it later. I tucked it between my notes so it wouldn’t get wrinkled.

No selfishness. By no means.

“What’s for dinner….”

After just a few days of consuming nothing however triangular kimbap whereas travelling across the affiliation constructing, I used to be craving one thing fancy. I turned on the supply app and headed house, serious about the menu. I intentionally went right into a abandoned alley to keep away from the after-work crowds, however there was a clear barrier at first. Curious, I reached out and as an alternative of shooing me away, it let me in.

“What’s it?”

Is that this a method of coping with monsters? Anyway, it let me in, so I figured it could be no downside and went into the alley. As I rounded the nook, I noticed a determine standing within the mild of a streetlamp.

Black masks, black garments.

“Uh…….”

Apostle.

I rapidly hid behind a wall and peeked my head out. One with lengthy uncooked hair and a frilly gown, the opposite with brown hair and a neck pole. The Hunters who fought Salamander on the Mapo Bridge again then. From their gestures, they appeared to be saying one thing, however I couldn’t make out how low they have been whispering.

Why are they right here? Have been they those who arrange the conflict within the alleyway?

I turned to return the way in which I got here, however I might really feel the hunters coming from the other way.

I’mscrewed. If I transfer now, I can be seen. I couldn’t get far and ducked behind an air-con unit between buildings. As I waited with bated breath, the sound of heavy footsteps grew nearer.

Quickly, a determine emerged from beneath the streetlights, resembling a frighteningly pale shadow.

“Hi there, boss.”

Because the frilly apostle approached and greeted him, goosebumps broke out throughout my physique.

It’s a accident: after I’m frantically trying to find him, he’s nowhere to be discovered, and simply after I’m hoping to keep away from operating into him, he’s right here, and it’s solely ten steps away. The memorable zither I buried at sea seven years in the past is true in entrance of me.

“Effectively, we’ll simply preserve our eyes peeled for it…”

Unaware of my hiding place, they chatted eagerly. There was no method I, a non-hunter, might perceive what they have been saying about work. And with Simeon in entrance of me, I couldn’t see the rest.

The shock of this sudden reunion was nice. As if hiding wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, he hadn’t even realised he was midway out of the air conditioner. Within the subsequent second, Simeon all of the sudden held up a hand to cease him and glanced this manner.

“Suck.”

I finished respiratory and rapidly ducked again behind the out of doors unit. However he had already been noticed, and an extended shadow was slowly approaching. It was too late to meekly reveal my id and make the excuse that I had taken a unsuitable flip.

The one reply is to run.

I scrambled like a racehorse and headed for the crowded road. No hunter, regardless of how skilful, would have the ability to discover me by the crowds. It wasn’t till I blended into the gang and entered a division retailer that I started to gasp for air.

My coronary heart felt prefer it was going to burst. I’d by no means been this near doing something harmful earlier than. I’d gotten away with it this time, however subsequent time…. No. There shouldn’t be a subsequent time.

”Ha, I assumed I used to be going to get caught.”

I shook out my sweaty T-shirt and touched my pockets, feeling empty.

“Nothing….”

No notes.

“Did it fall out of my pocket earlier…?”

Fuck no. Inside was the observe I’d put collectively whereas trying to find Simeon. I even slipped in a photograph I’d secretly taken of him. It’s like I’d arrange a jerky dish and put it in entrance of him so he’d suppose I used to be wanting into him.

The one good factor is that he doesn’t know who I’m or the place I dwell. If I preserve quiet for some time, I’ll disappear from their minds as naturally as water flows. I ought to have….

“So, the employer of quantity 99 was Heo-sang…?”

A while later, I went to an public sale for a shopper and bumped into Simeon. This time, I used to be head to head with Simeon. In fact, my face had modified a lot from seven years in the past that he wouldn’t have recognised me as John, however that didn’t cease me from feeling uneasy.

“…I’m exhausted.”

Simeon will need to have identified. That the person who lurked within the alley and overheard the dialog that day was the identical man who was on the artifact public sale.

That’s why he’s been lay low because the public sale ended. And I’ve a brand new rule in terms of taking requests. By no means do something that entails people, particularly Hunters. I turned down each request to take an image of Hunter or to observe him. I didn’t wish to be a kind of reporters who went behind the Apostle’s again and disappeared with out a sound.