Chapter 325: Comma (1)
And so, the two strolled through the streets of Osaka.
They didn’t head to a crowded high-end restaurant or drink expensive liquor. Instead, they simply walked hand in hand, like any happy young couple, enjoying the path ahead.
With their tall builds and striking appearances, the pair naturally drew the eyes of passersby. Though unintentional, it was as if celebrities had appeared—people stepped aside on their own.
Some even recognized Kang-hoo, thanks to his face being known through Huntergram. Of course, the two paid little mind to the attention and simply continued chatting as they walked.
“Ayane, what brought you to Okinawa?”
“A large-scale raid.”
“Ah, so you were recruiting mercenaries?”
“Yeah. Had a blast. Got pretty bloodstained, too.”
The subtle twitch of Ayane’s fingers made it seem as if she could still feel the sniper rifle in her hands—just like Kang-hoo, who had eagerly taken part in the Hell of Judgment raid led by the Jeonghwa Guild.
Group raids, referred to as large-scale raids, were always a major point of interest among hunters. Because the dungeons involved were enormous, the rewards increased exponentially as well.Leveling up was easy, and the chance of good loot was high—naturally, participation rates were high. And if a public call for mercenaries went out, there was no way Ayane—who was always looking for work—would ignore it.
But something must have annoyed her; she scratched her forehead with her thumb and frowned.
“Those Hayabusa Guild guys are more persistent than I expected. Back when I worked under them, they pretended to be so chill.”
“Now that you’re their enemy, I guess they’re showing their petty side?”
“Yeah. They’re still tailing me. If they’re that upset, they should just put a bounty on me or something. I don’t get why they’re being so sneaky.”
“Probably their twisted idea of honor—like revenge must be exacted with their own hands or something.”
“If that’s their creed, I’d really love to tell them it’s complete bulls**t.”
“Agreed.”
Kang-hoo nodded.
“That’s just the life of a mercenary, so I’m going with the flow. But I am thinking of heading to the Fukuoka Liberation Area soon.”
“A warning?”
“Yeah. If they keep pestering me, I need to make it clear anyone can end up with a hole in their head.”
“Sounds like something you’d do.”
Kang-hoo thought it was a solid plan. After all, nothing warns better than a threat to one’s life. No matter how blinded by revenge, everyone’s life is equal.
If they realize anyone could be the target, even Hayabusa Guild members might back off.
Kang-hoo then shared his own recent experiences with Ayane—though he left out the part involving Takashi and his group.
After listening for a while, Ayane brought up a topic she had been concerned about for some time.
“Aren’t you worried about fighting Yuji? It’s turned into a battle you can’t avoid now.”
“Not really. I expected this. Even if I went back in time, I’d make the same choice.”
“I might be able to give you a few tips on Yuji’s weaknesses… want to hear them?”
“Absolutely.”
He had no intention of clinging to pride by refusing to hear about his opponent’s weak points. Yuji’s level was more than twice Kang-hoo’s. He’d need every method at his disposal to have a chance at winning.
“There were a couple of times I worked with Yuji in the past. What I noticed then was…”
Ayane began her story.
The details were too sharp to be dismissed as mere exaggeration, and Kang-hoo couldn’t help but listen attentively.
Visiting a popular restaurant. Checking out hotspots. Taking photos with trendy backdrops. Eating sweet ice cream.
Ayane’s date with Kang-hoo was growing sweeter by the minute. To him, it was all a wondrous experience.
It was an ordinary kind of date that everyone else gets to enjoy, but something he had never really experienced.
Ayane felt the same way.
In a life where she often had to shoot through someone’s head or torso, her view had always been soaked in blood—black shadows, red blood.
That was all she ever saw—until today, when her life was painted in vivid rainbow colors.
It was a fresh stimulus, a fleeting moment of happiness she felt might never come again. Awkward, but cherished nonetheless.
Then she spoke.
“It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve gone on a date like this. Worth every bit of the 2 billion won price tag.”
“When was your last date?”
“Not sure, don’t really remember. The last time I held someone’s hand while walking was 20 years ago—with my mom.”
“Your mom.”
“Yeah, my mom. Can’t hold her hand anymore even if I wanted to.”
Ayane’s ever-steady eyes wavered for the first time. A flicker of unstable emotion passed through.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”
“It’s okay. It’s a fair question. It’s all ancient history now. I barely remember it.”
“Hmm…”
“My dad was the worst. The kind of man who treated domestic violence like his daily routine. In the end, he killed my mom.”
“You mean… he murdered her?”
Though Ayane said it nonchalantly, Kang-hoo couldn’t help but react. He had considered the worst-case scenario, but he hadn’t expected that worst to be outright murder.
“Yeah. But thanks to his money, he threw around cash and managed to escape any serious punishment.”
“…….”
“It’s okay. After I became a hunter, he got his judgment. I didn’t kill him directly—just a bullet ricocheted the wrong way, and poof, he was dead. I didn’t mean to kill him, but he just up and died.”
“A happy ending, huh.”
“Yup! Exactly! That bastard should’ve been in hell long ago. Took him a while, but he finally found his way.”
She had sugarcoated it slightly, but Kang-hoo could tell—she had taken revenge the law never could.
And he had no intention of saying something like, “Even so, it was wrong to take justice into your own hands.”
Nor would he spout nonsense about how the man should’ve faced justice through the legal system.
Because Kang-hoo felt that, had he been in her shoes, he would’ve done exactly the same.
All that talk about legal justice, or how murder is wrong, was the kind of hypocritical nonsense that only naive storybook characters would say.
“Haa.”
Ayane let out a sigh—something she had never done before. A rough breath, laced with emotion.
As Kang-hoo silently looked at her, she sighed twice more, then began to speak again.
“Lately, I keep thinking I want to quit this mercenary life and settle down somewhere. Maybe it’s because I want tomorrow to be as happy as today.”
As she spoke, Ayane’s eyes remained fixed on Kang-hoo. They were still walking, but her gaze was turned sideways, not ahead.
“You don’t have to just think about it. You could act on it too. It’s not like someone’s forcing you to stay a mercenary.”
“You’re right. No one ever pushed me into this life.”
“Don’t deny your own feelings.”
“Yeah… I guess you’re right.”
“Mm. It’s like when someone says, ‘Don’t think about elephants,’ and suddenly all you can do is think about elephants.”
At that moment—
Squeeze.
Ayane, who had been holding hands with Kang-hoo, naturally slipped her arm into his. He could feel her warmth through his arm.
All day, Kang-hoo had been quietly but vividly reminded of something: warmth.
Being this close, physically touching someone, felt soft, gentle, and warm.
Maybe this was the temperature of the feelings between him and Ayane.
That night.
The two of them, sharing the night for the first time in a while, used Osaka’s nightscape as a backdrop as they shared deep, passionate breaths.
Their previous night together had been nothing more than primal and fleeting—a mere spark.
But tonight, the way Ayane looked at Kang-hoo was completely different.
“Kang-hoo. Love me like this is our last night. Even if we don’t love each other tomorrow, let’s pretend we did today.”
She didn’t take her eyes off Kang-hoo for even a second. Her gaze held nothing but sincerity.
“Okay.”
Kang-hoo answered simply.
There was no need for a long reply because he intended to honor her words.
From that moment, as if there were no tomorrow, they shared a fiery love—neither initiating nor holding back.
Their bodies, consumed by each other’s heat, abandoned reason and surrendered completely to emotion.
Where their hands or lips roamed didn’t matter.
What mattered was that they were insatiably exploring each other, leaving behind their own kind of love.
A night that burned everything away.
Even Kang-hoo—who rarely fell into deep sleep—drifted off like he had fainted.
And when he woke, Ayane, who had fallen asleep in his arms, was gone.
Only a note remained on the bedside, quietly left behind.
—I’m going to untangle the twisted threads. Only then can I finally place a comma in my life. See you again, Kang-hoo.
“She really is selfish at times like this.”
Kang-hoo chuckled, thinking of Ayane, who was no longer beside him, though the warmth of her presence still lingered.
She made the decision—and bore the responsibility.
Leaving alone meant she wanted to handle it on her own. Offering help would only be an intrusion.
Around lunchtime.
Just as promised with An Yeong-ho, Kang-hoo proceeded with the meeting with the Rikou Guild.
The Rikou Guild welcomed Kang-hoo, their distinguished guest, and once again, Suzuki Fumiya appeared in person.
Though he wouldn’t have minded just talking with An Yeong-ho, the Rikou Guild’s courtesy never wavered.
Kang-hoo wasn’t meeting with them for any special purpose.
Since he was in Japan anyway, it seemed like a good opportunity to show face and maintain connections.
But during the meeting with Suzuki Fumiya and An Yeong-ho, he received an unexpected proposal.
“Our guild will soon be launching an expedition into Western Australia. While it’s a collaborative effort, we won’t be partnering with any other groups.”
“Did you say Western Australia?”
“Yes. It’s known as a region where the number of Hybrids far exceeds even North Korea’s. Western Australia.”
Kang-hoo had been keeping Western Australia in mind for a while.
The problem had been the strict access regulations—outsiders needed special permission to enter.
But now, the Rikou Guild had conveniently stepped in as a solution to those entry issues.
The proposal was unexpected, but not strange.
Assuming one could survive inside, Western Australia was undeniably a land of opportunity.
A paradise of Hybrids, rare resources, and even hidden skills from Hybrid hunters—such was that place!
With a chance to scoop up rewards without the usual burden, there was no reason not to jump in.
Miss the chance once, and there might never be another.
A proposal to a place he’d long wanted to go—coming at just the right time—things were looking promising.
The signs were good.