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Chapter Text

Woo Jin Chul looked at the phrase his mother had posted on her social media. “10 encounters are enough to move a heart.” And then a private message for him with links to different jewelry stores

His mother kept making those passive aggressive comments and suggestions ever since he got together with his girlfriend and introduced them. He didn’t expect Sung Jin Woo to get along with literally his entire family. Even his father’s stern face was happy to see her on his video calls

Normally introducing his girlfriend to his parents would be something that would only happen after deciding to get married, but with both being hunters who couldn’t guarantee they would still be alive by next week, things had sped up a bit for them. Which was good in many ways. It had been four years since he met Sung Jin Woo, two years since he asked her for their first date as a couple and now…

Woo Jin Chul breathed slowly to calm down. Now he had gone to ask for the approval of Sung Jin Woo's parents and younger sister. He had asked for the father's approval when he and Sung Jin Woo had gone to the cemetery to clean Sung Il Hawn's grave. Now it was Sung Jin Woo's sister and mother's turn. Although the mother was imprisoned in the Eternal Sleep it was important to ask these things.

He watched as Sung Jin Woo's sister entered the room and had a small feeling of Dejavu when he saw her. Like the first time he saw his adorable girlfriend.

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The first time he saw Sung Jin Woo, she was twenty years old and he was twenty-seven. He had awakened less than a month ago and was an A-Rank. He had decided to work in the Hunter Association due to his past as a police officer. The Woo family had a history in law enforcement.

His grandfather had been a military policeman, his father was the police chief who controlled the Seoul area and Woo Jin Chul had been a detective at a surprisingly young age. But Woo Jin Chul's police career had been cut short by his awakening as a hunter. According to law, hunters could not be part of the police, the army or other law enforcement agencies. The only exception was prison guards who watched over awakened people.

Hunters were supposed to hunt and solve the portal problem, the politicians had said. So Woo Jin Chul had resigned from his position and signed a contract with the Association. The President of the Association, Go Gunhee, was an old friend of his father and grandfather, so he took him under his wing. Although he still had to do basic training like every member of the Association.

Then he saw her. She was crouching behind a flower pot, obviously hyperventilating and sweating profusely. Her long, thick black hair fell around her almost like a curtain that hid her from the world. She looked like an ordinary college student. Woo Jin Chul could have ignored her, walked past her and not spoken to her. But something stopped him from doing so, and he later thanked the gods for that

She raised her grayish blue eyes to him and Woo Jin Chul thought she was very cute

-Are you okay?

-Yes, just very nervous. – The girl's hands trembled as she tried to get up and she was about to fall if it weren't for Woo Jin Chul helping her stabilize. Her face blushed in a very adorable way. – Thank you

-It's nothing. There's a coffee machine over there and I'm on my break, I can keep you company for a few moments.

-Thanks again for that. I wouldn't want to bother

-It's not a bother, helping hunters is my job, literally. – Woo Jin Chul could barely sense a hint of magic in the girl. An E rank, without a doubt.

They went to the coffee machine and Woo Jin Chul invited her to her cup.

-Why are you so nervous? The evaluation doesn't hurt, it's not that big of a deal

-My father died in a portal almost nine years ago. – Woo Jin Chul understood. His father must have been one of the first hunters, at that time the mortality rate was close to 95%, even President Go Gunhee, as an S rank, had many scars from that time. – I'm afraid that if the same thing happens to me I'll leave my sister and my mother alone, they barely endured when my father died. A second loss would destroy them completely.

Woo Jin Chul understood. He had also lost friends at that time. They had all lost someone who had awakened during the first wave. Things were better now, they had the right weapons, the magicians knew how to use their magic, the healers knew how to heal, ...

Even so, many hunters did not overcome their first foray being arrogant and foolish

-You don't have to go into the dungeons if you don't want to. – The girl looked at him with wide eyes in surprise. – People are no longer forced to hunt, we have enough hunters for that. Even if they include you in a hunting group because you are in the area where there is a portal you can decline. And the truly dangerous portals are taken by the larger guilds, so even those are easy portals with weak monsters

-I don't have to hunt if I don't want to? – The girl began to cry and hugged him tightly. Woo Jin Chul blushed at that moment when he noticed that she smelled very good. She also seemed to notice what she had done and pulled away with her face completely flushed. – I'm so sorry, I got excited. I'm Sung Jin Woo, by the way

-My name is Woo Jin Chul, from the Supervision Department. – Both of them separated as Sung Jin Woo went to the crowd waiting to be evaluated and Woo Jin Chul returned to his table

Later that day one of Woo Jin Chul's companions mentioned that they had evaluated a girl with the lowest amount of mana ever detected, only 10 units of mana. Woo Jin Chul looked up the name of the girl he had met and saw it. The weakest hunter in the world.

Luckily, she didn't seem to need to hunt

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Sung Jin Ha looked towards the door when it opened and saw Woo Jin Chul enter with some flowers.

-Big brother Jin Chul. Did you come with my sister? – Sung Jin Ha looked behind him expecting to see his older sister appear

-No, I came alone. I want to talk to you and your mother

Sung Jin Ha looked at Woo Jin Chul curiously but pointed to the chair to the side for him to sit down.

-What did you want to talk about?

-I… - Woo Jin Chul blushed. – I've known your sister for four years, I've been dating her for two. I think it's time to make our bond closer.

Woo Jin Chul watched as Sung Jin Ha opened his mouth in surprise and joy

- Are you saying that…?

- I'd like to ask permission to marry Sung Jin Woo. She's sweet, kind, tender, a little clumsy, she keeps forgetting names and, frankly, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. I'd like to receive the blessing of both of them to propose to the most wonderful person I know

Woo Jin Chul bowed respectfully to Sung Jin Ha and his mother.

- You have my blessing, Brother Jin Chul. My sister has been much happier since she met you, you brighten up her life. And I think our mother and father would think the same as me

Woo Jin Chul nodded and bowed again to thank him. At that moment Sung Jin Ha's phone rang with a bounce tone that meant his sister was texting him. Having lived with the sisters for quite some time Woo Jin Chul knew well the tone of messages they used for each other

-My sister asks if it's okay if I invite you to dinner tonight

-I would love to have dinner with you two, I'm free

-Should I tell her that you're with me? – Sung Jin Ha looked at him with some emotion in his eyes

-No, please. I want to ask her on our second anniversary of dating, in five weeks. So, for now, it's a secret for her. I want to give her a perfect night. – Sung Jin Ha nodded and gave him a thumbs up indicating his approval for his plan

Sung Jin Ha typed quickly and after a few seconds Woo Jin Chul received a message on his cell phone from Sung Jin Woo asking him if he wanted to go to dinner. Woo Jin Chul sent her an affirmation and a kissy face emoji

Sung Jin Woo quickly responded with several heart emojis. Then Sung Jin Ha's phone rang and she made a face

-She sent me to buy some ingredients.

-I'll go with you, we'll say we met on the way. That way your sister won't complain if I pay for the groceries

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The television was on and a very popular dating show could be seen rebroadcasting.

-They won't end up together, she has very strict values ​​and he is very liberal in his opinions. – Sung Jin Woo said looking at the television as she finished putting the rice in front of them. – I hope you haven't been eating too much pre-cooked food while you were in South Jeolla.

-I mostly ate in restaurants, I've missed your home cooking so much. – Woo Jin Chul looked at his girlfriend sitting next to him. He had been on a trip checking on the monitoring of Jeju Island for the past month, today was the first day he was back in Seoul. His precious Sung Jin Woo knew perfectly well that he was capable of burning water before he could cook… Whatever.

-I don't cook that well. I'm glad you like it. – Woo Jin Chul looked at his plate. As an A-rank hunter he needed a lot more calories than a normal human. Between 8000 and 10000 calories a day. Sung Jin Woo always cooked food with a lot of concentrated protein for him to eat, that way he wouldn't have to eat large quantities constantly. But really the difference between his ration and that of the sisters was almost comical. And that was even though they both ate a lot.

-How are things going over there? They say it's almost a ghost region now. – Sung Jin Ha looked at Woo Jin Chul with curiosity

-That's true, only those who can't leave are left, the elderly and the hunters. It used to be a very rich and beautiful area, now it's almost abandoned because everyone is afraid that the ants might cross the ocean one day. But one good thing is that nature is recovering very well and the air is very clean. One day I'll take you there

-Wouldn't it be dangerous?

-I don't think so, the ants are confined to the island, they can't reach land. That's the only good thing about the S-rank portal emerging on a remote island.

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Woo Jin Chul had Sung Jin Woo on top of him as they kissed passionately, Sung Jin Ha had gone to his bedroom to study and the two were on the couch in the living room. Sung Jin Ha had already caught them doing things like this enough times to not leave his bedroom that night.

-I've missed you so much. – Sung Jin Woo smiled radiantly as she hugged him and was hugged in return.

-Me too, darling, but the trip was necessary. That region is too important to leave unsupervised.

-I know, but that doesn't mean I haven't missed you every day and every night. – Sung Jin Woo examined her face carefully and he did the same with her. – Do you want to stay the night?

-Yes, please. – Woo Jin Chul stood up with Sung Jin Woo in his arms and carried her to the girl's bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed before leaning over her in an almost predatory manner, although she laughed when he began to kiss her neck. – How lucky that I left one of my work suits here.

-It's not luck, a third of my closet is yours. – Sung Jin Woo looked at what was hanging from the ceiling, a device that prevented sound from leaving the room. That was well placed, the first time Jin Ha couldn't look either of them in the face for almost two weeks. – Today I want to be loud, I want to be able to be by your side so much that your absence will be erased from my mind.

Woo Jin Chul decided at that moment that sleep was something he could do without that night.

Chapter Text

Woo Jin Chul left the lunch that Sung Jin Woo had prepared for him in his personal fridge under his desk and went to get a cup of coffee while yawning. The reason for the fridge was because high-ranking hunters tended to eat a lot and that if they were always going to the machine or the break room they couldn't do their job. The figure of his boss was already at the machine and greeted him.

-Are you still tired from the trip? - The old man patted Woo Jin Chul's shoulder, if he wasn't an A-rank hunter he would have sent him headfirst into the wall just with those friendly pats

-I didn't sleep well last night, the change of environment, I think.

-And it has nothing to do with the hickey that Sung Jin Woo left on your neck? - Woo Jin Chul quickly brought his hand to his neck. It was very difficult to mark the skin of an A-rank hunter, but if you concentrated hard on one area you could leave marks. Like Sung Jin Woo had done. – It reminds me of my wife. She loved marking territory the same way

-Marking territory?

The older man nodded and pointed at Woo Jin Chul's desk. On the desk you could see work stuff, a photo with Sung Jin Woo and a small pink paper ornament that she had tried to fold into a flower and failed miserably. But Woo Jin Chul still kept it

-The photo, the ornament, … They are marks that you have a girlfriend. And I guess today you come with a homemade lunch in that light yellow wooden box with purple flowers in which she usually sends you food, with an adorable note that will make you smile all afternoon. – The old man laughed out loud. – Sung Jin Woo sure is a possessive person. Do you think she will want to work for the Association at last? I would love for her to give the basic monster course to the newbies.

-I'll ask her again. I think she's hesitating because she thinks I'm going to get her the job.

-No, it's because she's managed to survive four years in the dungeons being the weakest of all the hunters. To do that you need great skills. If she only had a little more mana she'd be one of the best E rankers.

Mana could do many things. Increase one's strength, give them the ability to use magic,… In Sung Jin Woo's case, mana hadn't helped her improve her physical strength, but her senses. Sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste,… Her senses were almost sharper than many B rank and A rank.

-Well, I love her just the way she is.

-And that's why I like you. Not like the young men of today who go for the strongest girls, you like one and you go for her. I heard that you've contacted the Association's craftsman? Has your equipment been damaged? I heard that you participated in a couple of raids while you were in South Jeolla

Woo Jin Chul didn't want to tell his boss the truth. He had entered portals to look for materials to make a ring suitable for Sung Jin Woo. It was a little embarrassing to say out loud. But he had an Onyx and Dungeon Silver. Enough to make a ring for Sung Jin Woo and a chain for him to wear around his neck

-It was for a personal matter

The old man smiled mysteriously before returning to his office.

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The second time Woo Jin Chul saw Sung Jin Woo was at the reception of the Association. It had been three months since they had their first meeting, but Woo Jin Chul had no trouble recognizing the pretty girl at the counter even with her hair short

-Is something wrong?

Sung Jin Woo had tears of frustration as he turned to look at him.

-He don't want to take my forms, even though I filled them out correctly. – The receptionist looked at her angrily. As if he didn't expect her to dare to talk about the treatment he was giving her

-Just because you low-ranking people come to beg for money… – The man fell silent at Woo Jin Chul's angry expression. Sung Jin Woo blinked several times looking at him. Later the girl recognized that seeing him so angry had been one of the hottest things she had ever seen in her life

-Your job is to assist hunters, all hunters. It doesn't matter the rank. If you can't fulfill that task, the best we can do is replace you and dispense with your services. – He took the papers from Sung Jin Woo's hand and gave her an apologetic smile. – I'll handle this

They went down the hall to Woo Jin Chul's desk and he looked at the documents. Request for help for hunters with relatives in the Eternal Sleep

-Any siblings of yours?

-My mother. The last time she slept was twenty-two hours and fifty-eight minutes. We have been told that the next time will be the last. The machine, the hospital,… Everything is too expensive for me to pay for, but online they said that the Association helped with these things.

-We provide assistance, she will be transferred to a hospital associated with the Association and there she will be given the appropriate care, the machine will be given as well. But there is a problem with this. – Woo Jin Chul knew it by looking at Sung Jin Woo's raid history. Zero, she had not entered any portal. – We can only give this aid to active hunters, those who enter portals, or members of the association

-And if I enter portals will they give me the aid? Will I be able to keep my mother alive?

-I will put you on the list that you are active. Tomorrow there is a raid on a rank E portal near here. I will put you on the list. Remember, one raid per month if you are not hospitalized and you will be considered an active hunter. In addition to that you will get what is necessary to keep your mother alive

Sung Jin Woo looked at him with his big and innocent eyes.

-Will I need something more than this? What will I need?

-We provide the bed and the machine, but you need to provide the magic ore or the cores that will keep the machine running. Two cores a month is enough, so two raids and you can continue with your normal life.

Sung Jin Woo nodded and Woo Jin Chul helped her install the Association's application where the portals and raids appeared.

-The E and D rank portals do not attract much attention from large or small guilds and private raid groups. They are usually covered by temporary or spontaneous groups, or the Association calls hunters from the area to cover them. - Woo Jin Chul finished explaining to the girl.

She thanked him profusely and Woo Jin Chul was left with the feeling that she was a very adorable person.

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-Boss Woo. – One of the monitoring department's rookies approached Woo Jin Chul's desk around lunch time. Woo Jin Chul was finishing up a report of his backlog of work since his trip to South Jeolla. He'd be working overtime to finish the pile for a week. -I was wondering if you'd like to come down to the cafeteria with me. I have some questions I want to ask you about how to make my training more effective.

-I'm bringing lunch today, I won't be going to the cafeteria. – Woo Jin Chul absentmindedly checked that Sung Jin Woo had signed in at the exit of the portal she'd entered today. He would always be grateful to his subordinate who paired her up with that scared B-rank Healer and the C-rank senior magician

Since then Sung Jin Woo got hurt a lot less. And she'd been hospitalized a lot less.

-Oh… Maybe we could train together, since we both have the same rank and the same classification training would be a great learning experience for me. I'm free this afternoon.

-Not me. This afternoon I'm meeting my parents. .- – Woo Jin Chul looked at the woman. She had loosened her shirt to show her cleavage and was leaning over his desk. What was wrong with her? By now everyone in the office knew that Woo Jin Chul was in a serious relationship.

This woman coming to blatantly flirt with him only made him feel disgusted

-Is that your sister over there? She's so adorable!

Woo Jin Chul glared at the woman causing her hand to stop before grabbing the photo of Sung Jin Woo and him that he had on his desk

-She's my girlfriend for two years. If you have time to come talk to me you could check out the C-rank portal problem report from last week, Miss Kang. – Woo Jin Chul left the report, full of errors, in the hands of the woman who looked at it with quite a panic before returning defeated to her desk

One of his coworkers, a B-rank hunter in his late fifties and with a prosthetic leg, approached his desk.

-Can you send your father my regards? I miss my old partner.

-Of course. Although I think my father would appreciate seeing his old friend. – Woo Jin Chul knew this man from a young age, his father's first partner in the police and one of the man's best friends

-Your father yes, your mother not so much. The last time your father and I saw each other we ended up getting drunk. Your mother didn't take it well. – The man rubbed the back of his neck with a smile that showed he didn't regret anything

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Woo Jin Chul entered his parents' house and was greeted by his mother. She immediately cupped his face, scanning it like a jeweler with a rare gem. That mix of motherly love and concern made Woo Jin Chul smile quite easily.

-You're too thin, you're lucky I made a nutritious soup for you. – Ra Mi Sook, Woo Jin Chul's mother put her hand in the pocket of her apron to check the time on the watch she had taken off to cook.

-Thanks mom, the trip has exhausted me.

-Has he arrived yet? – His father's voice came from the living room and the man came out wearing a grey tracksuit. Woo Jae didn't look like the head of the local police force with that look. – You look good, son.

-Thanks, dad.

-How is your girlfriend? – His father said with a smile. – She's a lovely girl, many would be delighted to have her as their girlfriend.

-She's fine, I saw her yesterday. And I'm delighted that she's my girlfriend.

Dinner went by with normal chats. His mother asked him about South Jeolla and remembered how they had their honeymoon there almost forty years ago. She was very disappointed to know that there were now very few people living in one of the most beautiful areas she remembered

-Housing will be very cheap there. We could buy something as a retirement plan. – The father took a sip of his tea, the doctor had temporarily forbidden him coffee. – A nice house with sea views and a beautiful sunset.

His mother pouted theatrically

-I don't want to move so far away. I want to stay close so I can take care of my grandchildren. – Woo Jin Chul's mother looked at him expectantly. Since he turned thirty and with a girlfriend they approved of, the insinuations of weddings and grandchildren were something of every visit. After all, his older brother and sister-in-law had decided not to have children, something that put his mother even more against the woman

Even when Sung Jin Woo was with him, his mother made comments about grandchildren and marriage.

-Actually… Mother, Father, I have asked permission from Sung Jin Woo's parents and sister to ask him to marry me. I would like your blessing to make Sung Jin Woo my wife.

Woo Jin Chul had been in all kinds of portals. He had heard howls of monsters of all kinds, but his mother's squeal of excitement overshadowed several of those howls. His father began to congratulate him like a determined and strong man while his mother began to talk about wedding arrangements

-I'm going to ask her in a few weeks, for our anniversary

-How romantic. You didn't get that from your father. – His mother sighed before launching forward with the planning. – I'll have to ask the bridal shop we used for your cousin's wedding, they did everything very well. And we'll also have to look for a good hotel for the ceremony. Do you think Sung Jin Woo would like to wear his mother's Hanbok? I saw the wedding photos of his parents and it was beautiful. If it has been preserved well…

Woo Jin Chul knew that he was no longer part of the planning of his wedding, and that had not even started and he did not know his girlfriend's response to his proposal

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As usual, before going to sleep he checked Sung Jin Woo's raid history. Fortunately last month she had not been hospitalized for anything other than a sprain. He still remembered, when a week after meeting her for the second time he looked her up in the system and saw that she was raiding daily.

Chapter Text

Sung Jin Woo was in the hospital while her finger was being fixed. It was the last thing left to fix on her hand

-How is it possible that you come out of a dungeon more or less okay only to fall at the exit and have your hand run over? – Said the D-rank healer who worked as a nurse at the hospital

-I got hurt and lost so much blood that when I came out of an ice dungeon in the summer heat I got quite dizzy. Although the idiot who ran over my hand with a wheelbarrow was totally to blame. Who carries a construction wheelbarrow to carry someone who has fainted and even more so a girl? – Sung Jin Woo looked at her already healed hand and she opened and closed it twice. Then she made the movements that the healer told her

-Some men lack tact completely. – The woman sighed and let Sung Jin Woo go. She was older, most people her age didn't enter portals even if they awakened as hunters. They usually became craftsmen or members of the association

Mr. Song Chi Yul was an exception to the rule. He had a strong body as a swordsmanship instructor and his magic was quite good, although he only entered portals of ranks lower than his own. Mr. Song said that he had entered C-rank portals at first, but that his hips and back could no longer withstand the physical activity required in one of those portals

Sung Jin Woo looked at the hospital and remembered that this was where she had fallen in love with Woo Jin Chul almost three years ago.

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Sung Jin Woo had been hospitalized for being stabbed in the back by one of the hunters she was in the group with. If it weren't for the other hunters she would be dead now. If the sword had been stuck three centimeters higher she would definitely be dead.

The man had been taken to a special prison for hunters and she had been in the hospital for two weeks with low-rank healers helping her heal from a punctured lung

The door to her room opened and a member of the Association entered

Sung Jin Woo was pleasantly surprised to see that it was the sexy and handsome man who had helped her the two times she went to the Association before.

-Good morning, Hunter Sung. I hope you are recovering steadily and quickly. – The man looked at her with some concern on his face

-Good morning, Chief Woo. I am recovering well, my lung is almost healed and they are going to keep me under observation to give my tissues time to recover

Woo Jin Chul nodded and sat in the chair next to Sung Jin Woo's bed.

-I know this may seem traumatic, but we need to know everything that happened in the portal for the report.

-Will I have to testify in a trial against him?

-No, in the case of hunters things don't go like that. He was seen committing a crime in a portal, that leads to immediate imprisonment. - Woo Jin Chul took out his recorder and put it in front of Sung Jin Woo. - Please, tell everything you know about the hunter Oh Do Yoon.

Sung Jin Woo looked at the man before her

-We don't like him. Oh Do Yoon has a very bad reputation among hunters. He's always flirting with younger girls and I've heard rumors that if you reject him too abruptly or don't follow his flirtations he doesn't fulfill his duties as a tank and leaves you alone in danger. - Sung Jin Woo gulped.

-Did he try to get too far with you?

-He didn't succeed, he was very annoying, but Mr. Song Chi Yul helped me get rid of him. I once saw him whistle because a goblin had ripped off a girl's shirt leaving her in her bra. Honestly, no female hunter feels comfortable with him and we all group up when he's in the hunting party so he can't catch us off guard. Honestly, he's a slimeball and a creep who brags about his rank which isn't that great. - Sung Jin Woo grimaced at a slight pang of pain in her lung, she shouldn't get so excited

-And what happened today?

-Everything was as usual. He was being nasty to the girls, but we were attacked by a group. I managed to kill a goblin, but when we were collecting the monster cores when he attacked. The next thing I knew, his sword had pierced my chest and I noticed that most of the men had moved away a bit to hunt the remaining goblins

Sung Jin Woo remembered everything as her heart pounded she felt it, the pain, the screams, the fear, …

If it weren't for Lee Joohee she would have died from blood loss. Even with the other hunters coming to help them and the others on alert after Sung Jin Woo's scream, two more girls had died. Seong Mi Na was brain dead and was donating her organs and Noe Hyo Jin who had almost been decapitated.

-They came back. But before they got back he pulled the sword out of my body by placing his foot on my back and decapitating Noe Hyo Jin with one fluid blow. I remember my blood dripping from the sword as he swung it. At that moment I thought the drops in the air were very beautiful. After that Seong Mi Na stood before him. She was a tank. She endured two hits from him, but as he was getting nervous because the others were almost there he grabbed Seong Mi Na's head and slammed it into the wall behind her. The wall cracked and Seong Mi Na slid to the ground. Her eyes were still open, but she could no longer see.

Sung Jin Woo tried to remember more, but at that moment he had become very dizzy from the loss of blood.

-I remember Mr. Song's fire. And the other hunters cutting him down. The four women in the group were all E-class except for the hunter Lee Joohee, she is B-rank, but a healer. I couldn't have stood up to her. Our job was to protect the healer and since another monster had already eaten a core in the portal before, when we were left behind we had to collect the cores

Woo Jin Chul nodded, later telling her that her statement matched what other witnesses had told him. Then he took off his sunglasses and looked at her. He had also turned off the recorder.

-Why are you entering portals every day?

-I have to pay for my mother's medical expenses

-But the Association helps with that. You would only need two raids a month to pay for it

-There's also the rent, my sister's tuition, food and other bills. And many jobs don't want to hire hunters for fear that one day we won't return from a portal and they'll have to fill a gap suddenly. And those who do hire them don't pay enough to support my sister and me. My sister is thirteen years old and if I don't have a stable income they'll take her away from me and put her in an orphanage. – Sung Jin Woo looked at the man and smiled. – Fortunately I'm strong, I can take care of my sister. Being a hunter gives me benefits, like the fact that they can't take Jin Ha away from me. I would give up college a thousand times if it would keep my sister by my side

Sung Jin Woo knew what was coming. He would tell her that she was a fool, that she was throwing her life away after getting into a good university, that Jin Ha might benefit from being in the care of real responsible adults, that she could move from the house she lived in to a cheaper one, …

Instead the man put his hand on her head and stroked her hair tenderly. Sung Jin Woo looked at him somewhat stunned

-Hunter Sung is stronger than I thought. – The man had a soft and warm smile on his lips. – Hunter Sung is a very kind, sweet and responsible person who has sacrificed everything that others would consider valuable in order to not let go of what she loves. That makes Hunter Sung a great person

Sung Jin Woo burst into tears after that. And later that night, in her hospital bed, she realized that she had fallen in love with Woo Jin Chul, the member of the Hunter Association, monitoring department

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The hospital door opened and Sung Jin Woo saw her boyfriend standing before her. He was her emergency contact after all.

-How did you manage to hurt yourself when you came out of a portal?

-I totally blame the guy who tried to heroically rescue me with a cement wheelbarrow. – Sung Jin Woo watched as her boyfriend scanned the blood stains and tears in her clothes. – I'm fine, Lee Joohee healed me.

-The president asked if you want to be part of the association again. I think you should accept. I've already told you that I don't mind…

-I know, and you're great at this. But I don't want to depend on you and have people say that I've seduced someone of a higher rank.

-Sung Jin Woo, most of the Association members already know that we've been together for two years. And you've helped us out a few times already, I doubt anyone would think there's favoritism

Sung Jin Woo sighed and took his boyfriend's hand.

-Did you bring me the clean lunch box?

-Yes, of course. My mom wants to know if you and Sung Jin Ha want to go to her house for lunch next Tuesday. I think Jin Ha's school is closed to prepare the seniors for their college exams.

Sung Jin Woo opened her phone's calendar and confirmed it with him.

-I miss your mother so much, she's a lovely woman. We talk daily on Weechat. – Sung Jin Woo looked at her boyfriend, he looked at her while simply shaking his head

-I have a feeling that if we break up, they'll be the ones cutting contact with me and not you

-They only love me so much because I'm literally the only serious girlfriend you've ever had in your life. – Sung Jin Woo smiled at his boyfriend. - Will you walk me home?

-Yes, then I have to go back to the office. My work is incredibly piled up from the time I was away.

-Oh… Remember to eat dinner and come home to sleep. And if you need to stay up don't hesitate to call me, talk to you while I clean and stuff like that keeps us both alert. – She saw her boyfriend laugh. – But in your office there is no one to take care of your work if you're not there?

-Apparently not

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Sung Ji Woon is used to cleaning the blood off her clothes after so many raids. So by the time her younger sister got home the clothes were already hung up and sewn.

-Bad day?

-I got hurt outside the dungeon. Very bad day

-Oh… I bought vegetables on the way home.

-I'm making soup for dinner. It has liver to help me replenish blood. – Sung Jin Woo pointed at his sister with the saucepan in his hand. - Why are there no snacks in the cupboard?

-You said I could have snacks while I was studying!

-But you can't finish them. I don't want you to have bad eating habits and I want to try them too. Plus you've been complaining lately about gaining weight because you don't go running with me anymore.

-That's because exams are coming up!

Chapter Text

-Thanks again for the help, Hunter Sung. -Said one of the Association members as Sung Jin Woo looked at the new hunters entering the exam room. A year ago, an exam had been imposed to obtain the license. A practical test and a theoretical test. You passed if you passed one of the two tests and showed the future hunters what real hunting was like

-It's nothing. I don't mind helping with the written exam. - Sung Jin Woo had already sent a message to Woo Jin Chul to eat together in the cafeteria, as a temporary worker for today Sung Jin Woo had access to the wonderful cafeteria of the Association.

-----------------------

Sung Jin Woo received the box with the exams ready and entered the classroom. There were more than four hundred applicants taking the test. And this was only one of the five exams planned for today.

-Good morning. I will be your examiner for today. I am hunter Sung. – She greeted the nervous examinees with a smile. – For those who don't know, due to the amount of deaths in the portals by people who foolishly rushed in without a plan or any idea of ​​how to use their weapons or skills, those who didn't know the monsters or who were simply too arrogant, the exam to obtain the license for hunters was created.

The people nodded, staring at her.

-The exam is held twice a year, so if you fail don't worry. But remember that there is a limit of four attempts. Now, to pass you must get more than fifty percent of the correct answers in the written exam and the approval of two of the five judges in the practical. For those of legal age, it is enough that you pass only one of the exams to obtain the license. For those under age you will have to pass both exams due to the high mortality rate among minors. So if any minors who have awakened as hunters want to leave the room, they can do so right now, it won't count as an attempt

About twenty people stood up, Sung Jin Woo wanted to curse when he saw a girl under fifteen and another who was still wearing an elementary school uniform. Sung Ji Woon waited until they left the room to look around.

-The same goes for adults. It will only count as an attempt when I take the exam ticket. And don't think about leaving with a copy and studying it at home. There are more than two hundred exam models, the questions are mixed from a database with more than 45,000 questions and every day more and more questions proposed by hunters are added. Of course, for anyone who has read the manual it is relatively easy to pass because half of the questions are easy or repeated. The other half are specific questions that are there to divide the wheat from the chaff. So, who thinks they can't pass and decides to leave? And who is left to bet everything on the combat test?

Sung Jin Woo watched as another fifty people stood up and left. She opened the box with the E-rank exams, the easiest of all, and turned with a smile to look at the remaining ones.

-Well, now I will give you the exam. Cheating is punishable by the loss of an attempt. There are assassin-type hunters hidden in the room watching that no one cheats. Even if you are caught cheating, you will not be warned and you can continue with the exam until the end without knowing that you have failed.

Sung Jin Woo went on to hand out the exams before turning on the timer that marked the start of the two-hour exam. It would be two very long hours.

-----------------------

Sung Jin Woo looked at Woo Jin Chul as he guided her through the most delicious options in the employee cafeteria. Today's specialty was bibimbap with kimchi, but Sung Jin Woo chose the second option which was noodles with vegetables and seafood.

-You still can't stand the spiciness of the cafeteria?

-My eyes burn just by being close to it. - Sung Jin Woo saw a woman approaching them quickly as soon as they sat down at the table. Woo Jin Chul looked at her with clear recognition in his eyes. - How can you stand it on a regular basis?

-After six months of constant antacids, you get used to it.

- Boss Woo! - The woman's shrill voice squeaked from the side. Although they had both been ignoring her, they obviously couldn't anymore. - Do you mind if I eat with you today?

Sung Jin Woo frowned. They had picked a table for just two people precisely so they could share a moment alone. Woo Jin Chul was so busy that it was difficult for them to see each other regularly. Although they had already said they would go to Woo Jin Chul's house that night.

- There is no room at the table.

- I'm sure your companion wouldn't mind moving to another table. I've seen her talking to other people there. - The woman forcibly placed her tray almost on top of Sung Jin Woo's.

Woo Jun Chil moved his finger against the edge of the woman's tray and its contents ended up flying until they landed on her, who seemed stunned. At that moment Sung Jin Woo noticed that the woman had exactly the same thing as Woo Jin Chul. Obviously she had picked it up after he had picked it up, because that level of precision was not natural.

The woman screamed and jumped away, but it was too late and she was soaked in a red liquid that stained her hair and clothes.

Sung Jin Woo looked at her with a grimace while Woo Jin Chul looked at the woman coldly.

-If you come closer to me again with your insinuations even though I have a girlfriend and you are seeing her, I will go to Human Resources with a complaint about your behavior. If you think you can't be professional, it is best that you look for another job or change departments

The woman ran away, dripping red liquid

-That was cruel of you

-She should learn to accept a refusal. The only thing she has not done is throw her underwear in my direction. - Woo Jin Chul began to eat calmly while Sung Jin Woo looked at him

-When I was chasing you, did I ever bother you like that?

The man stood up and looked at her

-You didn't chase me, I chased you. I made sure to always be the one to check the portals you entered so I could see you. You fascinated me, so small, so adorable and so determined. Impressive

Sung Jin Woo laughed as he blushed and looked at her with a sweet smile. She had thought that these were coincidences, but apparently they had both done the same

-Do you really think that someone goes so many times to bring thank you gifts to another person? My little sister complained about how many cookies and other things she had to eat in order to finish the failed attempts of the ones I brought you. That's not counting the coffee, tea and other drinks we drank together

Woo Jin Chul blushed slightly and smiled sweetly at Sung Jin Woo.

-We are made for each other, don't you think?

-----------------------

Sung Jin Woo looked at the entrance of the association nervously. She had asked a friend from college about things to do to get a guy and she had suggested bringing him homemade cookies. And if not, checking his social media to see what he liked and what he didn't

Sung Jin Woo had found Woo Jin Chul's social media profile pretty quickly. He didn't post much, just once or twice a week, mostly food. That was enough for Sung Jin Woo to figure out his tastes, more or less, and prepare a box of cookies she thought he would like. She hadn't been this nervous since the college entrance exam.

How long had it been since she fell in love?

She was eleven years old the last time she really liked someone that she could remember. He was her classmate and he was really good at playing soccer, plus he always ate the beans that Sung Jin Woo didn't like before the teacher scolded her.

The year her father disappeared those feelings came to an end. Her mother started working and she had to take care of Jin Ha, who was only four years old. She still remembered the feeling of seeing her classmate, the giggles with her classmates and how she had loved watching him play sports. But after her father's death her heart had turned to ice

But that was nine years ago.

At sixteen she had had a boyfriend because he had confessed his love for her. They had dated for a while, but he woke up as a hunter and left her saying that he would get a lot of girls when he found success. It wasn't like that, he was a C rank in a small guild, so she knew about him from her friends' gossip.

She lost her virginity to the brother of one of her friends because he hinted at it, she was also a virgin, so it was somewhat embarrassing for both of them. It was sweet and tender, but neither of them had romantic feelings for the other.

And that was Sung Jin Woo's romantic history. A couple of crushes, a boyfriend who had lasted less than three months and a sexual experience with a friend.

Sung Jin Woo finally gathered her courage and went in, asked at the reception where the monitoring department was and approached there with her heart beating faster and faster. When she arrived she looked around the tables until she saw the man she was looking for.

It really looked good on him to comb his hair back. He didn't like guys like that before, he used to like them more relaxed or expressive

When she approached she saw him raise his head and look at her

-Hunter Sung

-Boss Woo, I've come to bring you a gift. – Sung Jin Woo blushed a little more when he noticed that people were looking at her. – You've helped me on several occasions and you've always been very kind to me, so I wanted to thank you.

The man looked at her and took the bag from her hands, which made Sung Jin Woo's heart beat even faster. If he didn't faint or suffer a heart attack it would be a true miracle

-Thank you very much Hunter Sung, I love yakgwa cookies. – The man smiled and Sung Jin Woo blushed violently.

-They are a classic. – Sung Jin Woo bowed. – Again, thank you very much for your help. I will let you work, I don't want to bother you anymore

-----------------

Woo Jin Chul was eating the cookies that Hunter Sung had brought him a few days ago. Today it was his turn to supervise one of the portals on the E-rank list that they had forcibly filled with nearby hunters.

It was not an ideal situation, but in the E-rank portals they barely made any money, but there were many who tended to be careless until their breakups. If an E-rank portal broke and released its monsters, it was quite dangerous because humans were still weaker than those monsters.

As he was checking the list, a name of the participants caught Woo Jin Chul's attention.

Hunter Sung Jin Woo

The cookie in his mouth hung for a moment and Woo Jin Chul marked the portal as the one he planned to supervise.

He wanted to see how things were going for Hunter Sung.

Woo Jin Chul arrived relatively quickly at the place where the raid group was leaving the portal. The C-rank mage greeted him, introducing himself as the leader of the group. Woo Jin Chul asked how the raid had gone until he saw Sung Jin Woo among those who had left. She had a backpack full of mana ore, but Woo Jin Chul could not see any cores.

Maybe she was making a living like this, since she was too weak to fight, mining and collecting might be her best option. Even in an E-rank portal, money could be taken from the ones the hunters discarded when they were more focused on fighting and the much more valuable cores.

-Boss Woo? - Sung Jin Woo turned around and Woo Jin Chul saw a dark purple, almost red bruise on her cheek. But she could move well, from what he could see. Something inside Woo Jin Chul's chest tightened when he saw the wound.

-Hunter Sung, I'm glad to see you again. Do you need to be taken to the hospital? - Woo Jin Chul was worried and it was his duty to make sure the hunters were okay.

-It would be a great help, Boss Woo, but I don't want to distract you from your tasks.

-Taking care of the hunters is part of my job.

Chapter Text

Sung Jin Woo sat on the couch in Woo Jin Chul's apartment after she texted the mother of her sister's friend that she was staying with that night. She didn't like leaving Jin Ha home alone, but she also needed some alone time with her boyfriend.

She mainly didn't like leaving Jin Ha alone because her younger sister was incredibly messy when left alone. She also tended to eat all kinds of junk food and play until late at night.

Sung Jin Woo sometimes wondered if she had raised Jin Ha too harshly, but she was only twenty years old when they were left alone. And Jin Ha had just turned thirteen at the time, even now she was still only sixteen. Plus Jin Ha wanted to be a doctor and in order for her to get a scholarship Sung Jin Woo had been pushing her harder and harder in studying.

Woo Jin Chul had offered to pay for Jin Ha's tuition more than once, as well as the medical expenses of their mother and the rent. But Sung Jin Woo had refused because she didn't want to be a burden on her boyfriend. Her mother had always told her that if you accepted money from a person, even if you paid it back, that loan would always hang over your head.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Woo Jin Chul, she just didn't want to have that kind of responsibility.

- Has the food arrived yet?

Sung Jin Woo saw her boyfriend with his hair a bit messy from getting out of the shower and wearing a short-sleeved shirt and sweatpants. It wasn't that she was much better dressed, with her shorts and shirt with a hole in it.

- Yes, I've already served it. What movie do you want to watch?

Woo Jin Chul took the controller and began to explore until he found a specific one that they had already seen. Zombies and chainsaws could be seen on the poster. But Sung Jin Woo smiled like an idiot when she saw the movie

-We watched that movie on our first official date

-That's why I like it so much. – Woo Jin Chul took the bowl of rice and started eating while the opening credits came on. – Honestly, I didn't expect you to want to watch a scary movie on our first date, I expected you to point out the romantic movie that was also playing in the room next door

-I've never liked period romances. And many female leads are idiots. It's almost as if by loving the jerk on duty they let themselves be trampled by him until one day they remember that they have self-esteem and talents of their own

-And the male leads are arrogant pigs. – Woo Jin Chul watched as in the opening scene the female lead ripped off a zombie's head with a chainsaw. It always surprised him when he thought that it wouldn't be like that in real life when watching one of those scenes, it wasn't like that before. Professional deformation, you could say. – They think that because they are loved everything will be forgiven. If I were to do something like that to you, I know that you would cut my balls off while I sleep. With the help of my mother and your sister, and maybe my sister.

-The good thing is that you are not like that. – She laughed as she watched a zombie move only its amputated arm to try to reach humans. It was ridiculous, if they needed the nervous system to move that arm should not be able to move. – One of my favorite parts of your body would be lost if we had to remove certain things from you.

-And which is your favorite?

-Your hands. They are big, strong and calloused. You can see the hard work you do training and that you work a lot. The hands of a man you can trust will always have the marks of his effort. That's what my father used to say.

Woo Jin Chul brought his hand to Sung Jin Woo's cheek and with his thumb he caressed the girl's lips and cheek

-My favorite part of you is your hair. It's very noticeable that you take care of it carefully and I know that as a hunter you have to keep it short. When we met you had it very long, it was quite a big surprise to see you the next time with short hair.

Sung Jin Woo smiled, since she was little her father had told her that her hair looked a lot like her mother's. Long and thick, a beautiful black tone. She had let it grow all her life so that it looked more like her mother's. She had it a little longer than her when her mother got sick. Keeping her hair long was an excessive expense for their economy in danger at that time, so Sung Jin Woo cut it and sold it to make wigs.

Even so, she had continued to take care of her hair carefully, no matter how short it was.

----------------------------

Sung Jin Woo had been panting and sweating on Woo Jin Chul's bed when the man's phone had rung with the emergency tone and Woo Jin Chul had had to pick it up. She knew this happened from time to time and wasn't surprised to see her boyfriend get up and talk. Even though just moments before they had both been very focused on a private activity.

-What do you mean you measured the level of a portal wrong? What machine did you use? Damn, number 8 is broken, there's a note that says it needs to go to maintenance. No, I'm going there.

Woo Jin Chul looked at her longingly before Sung Jin Woo covered herself with the sheets and watched him go to the closet with an almost sad expression.

-They need you at work, go.

-Will you be okay alone? This will take a while. - The man grimaced as he looked at his girlfriend's naked body, covered only by the thin sheet.

-I'll take a shower and sleep for a while. If you come back soon we can continue, but if you come back late don't wake me up and go straight to sleep. I don't want you to spend the whole day tomorrow grumpy because you're sleepy

-I can be grumpy for a day

Sung Jin Woo smiled and she shook her head as the poor man walked out the door clearly upset that the night had been ruined. Sung Jin Woo waited for him to leave to throw herself on the bed and cling to the pillows covered in her boyfriend's masculine scent.

-I don't want you to leave on the call either. - She whispered with a pout, but she couldn't say it to her boyfriend's face. He would want to stay and she knew how seriously he took his job.

She had lived with that all her life, her father being a firefighter who had just received a call and had to run out in the middle of whatever happened. Whether it was a birthday, in the middle of the night, a day off or a school visit. Her father just grabbed his equipment and went to save people.

It was what Sung Jin Woo had grown up with. She remembered when she had talked to Lee Joohee about what was going on

------------------------------

-That's inexcusable! – Lee Joohee had gotten so angry that his hair stood up. - He shouldn't leave you in the middle of a date for any reason!

-But his job is important, many depend on him. Besides…

Lee Joohee wagged his finger in Sung Jin Woo's face

-No excuses! If he's with his girlfriend, said girlfriend should be his priority!

-I find him attractive. It's a sign that he's a committed and serious man. Besides, I like him so much that I can forgive these things. And I grew up with a firefighter father, I'm used to the men I love running away at a call.

Le Joohee sighed and said that Sung Jin Woo was a jerk that matched the broken Woo Jin Chul.

-And what about your boyfriend?

-We broke up, the idiot wanted me to join his strike force as his private healer, I refused and he started bombarding my phone with messages. Guys like that are horrible! Why do I only find bad boys?

-I'm sure you'll find someone good, think that I, even Woo Jin Chul, didn't have the best experiences. – Or rather no experience, as Sung Jin Woo mentally reminded himself

-I give up on men, at least hunters. If you were just a boy I would try to date you.

Sung Jin Woo blushed.

-I think if I were a boy I would be too shy to ask a girl as pretty as you out on a date

Lee Joohee had blushed and that had been it

------------------------------

Sung Jin Woo was sleeping when the mattress sank beside her and she woke up feeling a soft kiss on her lips

-What time is it?

-It's still early. – Woo Jin Chul smiled as he pulled back the sheets with a flick of his wrist

Sung Jin Woo looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was a quarter to two. She then looked at her boyfriend with a pout as he began to kiss her neck

-It'll have to be quick.

-Whatever my lovely girlfriend says

------------------------------

Sung Jin Woo looked at her neck in horror. The night before when she showered she hadn't had so many marks and bites.

Woo Jin Chul stood behind her and caressed her neck.

-Were you very anxious last night?

-Blame it on the fact that we were interrupted halfway. You can wear a turtleneck. Or accept that it's my revenge for the other night

-Woo Jin Chul, you evil guy! Today I have a parent-teacher meeting at Jin Ha's school!

The man looked panicked before apologizing

---------------------

-Aren't you hot, Miss Sung?

Sung Jin Woo had called Lee Joohee in case she could help her with a cure but the girl had to enter a portal and couldn't get out. So, even though it was the beginning of summer, Sung Jin Woo went to the appointment with Jin Ha's teacher wearing a turtleneck and long sleeves

Jin Ha had tried to help her put on her makeup, but they hadn't been able to cover it all in time

-I'm a hunter and I got hurt at work. I thought this would be better than wearing bandages in plain sight

-I appreciate your consideration for our students. – The woman looked at her. – We've called you because we have serious concerns about Sung Jin Ha's environment that may distract her from her studies

-Serious concerns?

-A man, Miss Sung. Sung Jin Ha has been seen leaving the obstetrics wing of a hospital accompanied by a man and she has also been seen in the supermarket with him. He was paying for her groceries. Obviously he was an older man and as an institution with a reputation… – The teacher stopped when Sung Jin Woo raised her hand

-Light hair combed back, black suit, fancy car?

-That's a description that fits the man in question. Do you know him, Miss Sung?

-He's my boyfriend. – Sung Jin Woo looked at the teacher. – If the hospital is the one I think, then it's the one my mother is admitted to. The gynecology wing is a shortcut to get to the area where the patients with the eternal sleep are. And a few days ago my boyfriend accompanied my sister to the store because I invited him to have dinner at home with us.

The woman seemed relieved

-It's a relief to know that Sung Jin Ha was only with his sister's partner instead of getting an older boyfriend to distract her from her studies. She's one of our most promising students, we're very interested in promoting her education

-She's also very happy with this institution. I'm glad that in the end it was all a misunderstanding.

Chapter Text

Sung Jin Woo carefully bandaged her arm after serving as bait for the beast-type creatures. At least she had gotten two cores thanks to that.

It wasn't her usual group but she knew them. And that made her less nervous

-Come with us, Hunter Sung! Let's celebrate the victory in a bar! – One of the middle-aged Hunters called out to her. Sung Jin Woo didn't want to be rude, in this world she couldn't allow one of the few groups that let her work with them to veto her

-I'm sorry, I can't. My little sister needs me. – Most of the Hunters in the area who weren't her friends thought Jin Ha was an elementary school girl. Sung Jin Woo had made sure they thought that

She didn't want to spend her nights entertaining drunk men for protection in the portals, like some E-rank girls did. High-rank hunters shined brightly, but where Sung Jin Woo was was a dark place with all the drugs and sex were the order of the day

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A hunter looked at Sung Jin Woo with predatory eyes

-The weakest weapon of humanity is sexy

Several of his companions looked at him

-She looks like a child, my eldest daughter looks older than her, and she's still in high school. – Said an older man

-She's also too much of a loli for my taste.

-Well, I see her as sexy in a sweet and innocent way. I'm sure she's still a virgin. – The man followed Sung Jin Woo's movements as she left the construction zone. - Do you think I'll get to spend a night with her?

One of the older hunters started laughing.

-I don't recommend you do that. Hunter Sung has a boyfriend, he works at the Association. I've seen him pick her up several times and from what I know they've already introduced themselves to each other's parents. - The man looked at the hunter in question. - Some of the hunters with dishonest intentions with Hunter Sung have disappeared after trying something with her.

- Does your boyfriend do something with those hunters?

- Not that I know of, they just... Move or similar things. Although that's not unusual in this line of work. Hunters who want to continue hunting but not on a daily basis go to less populated areas where fewer portals emerge

-------------------------------

Sung Jin Woo wholeheartedly thanked the dagger that Woo Jin Chul had given her for her last birthday when she stabbed a monster, for Christmas she had obtained the chest armor that she wore under her clothes because it was of very good quality and she didn't want it stolen. It wouldn't be the first time that there were violent equipment thefts between the E and D ranks

She had given him a voucher that she would fulfill one of his wishes and he had wanted... Well, to go to Bukhansan National Park because he loved the outdoors and nature. Sung Jin Woo thought that if it weren't for the spontaneous nature of his job he would spend the weekends camping

So they had gone, had a picnic and came back. The next day the poor girl had aches all over her body from climbing rock walls in areas allowed for hunters who went to train. And that was with Woo Jin Chul carrying the backpacks. But it was worth it just to see how happy her boyfriend was in the middle of nature

-Hunter Sung, good job!

-Thank you, Hunter Lee. - Sung Jin Woo watched as the fight ended around them both. It was kind of pathetic that it took her so long to defeat a single enemy compared to the other E or D rankers

-Do you want to hang out after this? I know a good restaurant.

Sung Jin Woo stared at the man calmly

-I'm sorry, Hunter Lee. But I have a boyfriend.

Before the man could say anything else Lee Joohee called Sung Jin Woo to help her take out a core. The girl finished taking out her own core and approached her friend.

-Another interested guy?

-Yeah, it seems so. At least this one doesn't have a sign behind him that screams that he's a pedophile. – Sung Jin Woo greeted an E rank hunter who had just spoken. – Girl, you have a good boyfriend, don't be like my daughter and throw it all away for a good fuck. Bad sex can be solved with masturbation and sex toys, infidelity is still an offense punishable by jail by law

-Didn't they say they would remove that law a few years ago? – Lee Joohee seemed curious

-It's been forgotten because of all the problems with the portals. – Sung Jin Woo was no longer studying to be a lawyer, but she was still interested in judicial news. – Due to the massive amount of laws that have to be approved due to the hunters, many civil laws or renewals of obsolete laws have been left behind on the list to be approved by the government.

-Here's the voice of the one who was going to be a lawyer! - Lee Joohee smiled just before a jet of blood hit her cheek and she stood there in shock

-I'll do it. How the hell can you not stand blood if your parents have a fish shop? You told me that you helped them when you were little

-It's totally different. - Lee Joohee stepped back. - It's just the smell of fish and all my ills go away.

-Maybe you should try entering portals to aquatic places? - Another hunter suggested, everyone had gotten a little closer seeing Lee Joohee so pale and dizzy, the healer was the most important part of the hunting group.

-I tried, I was too terrified to move, but I did great at the part where I gutted the monsters for their cores.

----------------------

Sung Jin Woo was cleaning the house. Twice a year she would go into her parents' room and air out her clothes so they wouldn't smell musty. It might be stupid and many people had told her that, but she couldn't bear to think that her parents' clothes would smell like no one was wearing them.

Even though she knew perfectly well that they weren't going to come home she couldn't shake that feeling.

Even though she had worn her mother's clothes several times since she started dating Woo Jin Chul, especially when she wanted to make a good impression or they were in a fancy place. Most of Sung Jin Woo's clothes were practical and cheap, but considering how much she tore her clothes in the doorways she didn't want to spend money unnecessarily on her everyday clothes.

She found her high school uniform and looked at it. It must still be about the same size as back then. It had only been six years after all. Sung Jin Woo took advantage of the fact that she was alone and put it on.

Looking in the mirror she knew she had made a mistake. How could it fit her better and wider than when she was in high school?

Although with all the exercise she did, she was better than when she was in school, where she barely played sports. Even so, it seemed almost too perverted, she knew she had more of a baby face than her sister, but she didn't expect to look younger than her. Those damn genes from her grandmother who looked like a twenty-something until she started to wrinkle were playing against Sung Jin Woo now.

The sound of a camera made her turn to look at her sister who had a devilish expression.

-How much do you think big brother Jin Chul will pay me for these photos?

-Jin Ha, delete that right now!

-Nope, why did you wear your old uniform anyway? Is it some kind of perverted sex game you're going to play with big brother? – Her sister smiled mischievously hiding her cell phone

-No, I was just airing out clothes and found it. It still fits me.

-I think you could go to my school and no one would call you out on it. – Jin Ha circled around her thoughtfully. – Are you sure you didn't fall into the fountain of youth in one of those portals?

-No. Believe me, I would know if it had happened. – Sung Jin Woo sighed as she began to take off her clothes. – Don't tell anyone, I don't want them to think anything strange. Especially Woo Jin Chul

She saw her sister's guilty expression and saw that she had the messaging app open on her phone

--------------------------------

Sung Jin Woo entered Woo Jin Chul's parents' house with a familiar greeting.

-Thank you for offering to help me cook for the family meal. – Woo Jin Chul's mother hugged both girls

-Mrs. Ra, it's always wonderful to come and spend some time with you and steal your recipes. I hope you're making your dumplings, I haven't finished understanding the recipe yet. -Sung Jin Woo already knew they were going to make the dumplings just by the smell. It was so strange to have such a keen sense of smell. Although it wasn't false, she still didn't know how to make dumplings well, hers were good, but not that good

-I would like to know more about how to make your nutritious soup, it's fantastic for when I want to spend the night studying. - Sung Jin Ha said it with all the naturalness that a teenager could have

-You flatter me, dear. You both do. You're good girls who come to help an old lady, not like others who only come to the set table and complain. My eldest son got married badly, honestly, I was excited for him to marry the daughter of a businessman, but that girl acts as if getting her hands dirty was the worst thing that would happen to her in life. – Woo Jin Chul's mother led them to the kitchen and on the way the girls greeted Woo Jae who was on the sofa opening the folding table for everyone to enter. He refused to receive help and the girls continued on their way

The kitchen was already full of ingredients and preparations for the meal for eight people. Sung Jin Woo took one of the aprons and a knife to start cutting the ingredients while Jin Ha dedicated herself to washing and peeling the vegetables

-You are such good girls, very hard-working. I wish my daughter was like that, but she is not interested in learning how to take care of the house. I don't know what will happen when she gets married or moves out. I wish she was more like you

Sung Jin Woo closed her mouth, she would not get involved in her boyfriend's affairs. She had been like that too. So blinded by her supposedly bright future that she had ignored her mother and the housework. Growing up in a single-parent home since her teens, she knew how to do the various chores, but she never took it seriously, she always thought that her mother would be there to help her.

After her mother fell asleep and she had to start working, the house was a mess for a while until she got it into her head that if she didn't do the housework, no one else would do it. Since then, the house was more tidy and clean.

- I'm sure that with time Woo Jie will understand the importance of household chores and how wonderful it is to have a mother who can teach you them. - Sung Jin Woo smiled at the woman.

- I wish you were my daughter. You are much better than that woman my eldest son brought home and you treat my daughter and son very well. Although you may soon be my daughter-in-law. - Mrs. Ra approached Sung Jin Woo. - Is there any movement in your belly?

Sung Jin Woo blushed deeply. It wasn't unusual for Mrs. Ra to say such things, but she was still embarrassed

-All hunters have implants to prevent conception. I have an IUD. When I want to have children with Woo Jin Chul, I'll have to remove it first. – Mrs. Ra smiled sweetly

-You said when, not if you'll have them. When, that means you're already planning for the future. The Woo family genes will be perpetuated for another generation.

Chapter Text

Woo Jin Chul arrived late to the family meal. He was supposed to arrive an hour early but a problem had arisen that he had to solve. He didn't want to even imagine what the mood would be like. His sister must already be arguing with their sister-in-law, his mother would be angry and the rest would be uncomfortable.

It wasn't as if having been there would have changed much, but at least he would have enjoyed the time before the confrontation

A knock on his window caught his attention and he saw his sister.

-Our older brother and his wife can't come, so everything is fine for now. Mom is complaining because that woman has decided to go eat with her family at a fancy restaurant instead of coming to the meal she has been planning for more than half a month. - His sister informed him after he got out of the car

Woo Jin Chul sighed in relief before getting out of the car.

-Why did you come out to greet me? You don't usually do these things.

The girl had hair the same shade of orange as him, like their father had had before he started going bald and decided to shave his head instead of losing his hair little by little. Only their older brother had inherited the brown hair that the mother of the three still sported at her age. But they all had their father's black eyes. His sister wore a braid that passed her shoulders and was wearing a light, short-sleeved dress. She had cut her hair a little shorter than the last time Woo Jin Chul saw her.

She looked nervous.

-If I awakened my mana would I be forced to work as a hunter? - Woo Jin Chul looked at his sister, it was normal that she had decided to talk to him outside the house. Woo Jie was preparing to enter the accounting department of the police. It was the family's last chance to continue the legacy of belonging to law enforcement.

-If you were a hunter you wouldn't be able to work in any law enforcement. It's illegal. Have you awakened?

-I don't know. I have this weird feeling and I'm stronger, but… If I don't register no one has to know. I can still be a normal person.

Woo Jin Chul shook his head

-It doesn't work like that. Many E-rank and D-rank don't notice when they awaken so there are detectors in many places where job interviews and such are held to see who is a hunter or not. Part of my job is to find hunters who escape the system.

His sister looked at the ground.

-I don't know if I want to hunt.

-No one would force you unless it was an emergency situation. About 30% of awakened people never become hunters. Plus, among hunters many retire after their first forays. And if you wanted to hunt you would have to get a hunter's license, it's something that was established this year.

His sister stared at him. Woo Jin Chul knew that most of the non-awakened saw hunters as a mass that as soon as they received their rank they started hunting and killing without rhyme or reason.

- Could you accompany me to the hunters association to evaluate me?

Woo Jin Chul took out his cell phone and scheduled an appointment for when they were normally closed. Fortunately all the employees knew how to use the measuring machine, it was the association's policy.

- The day after tomorrow, at seven.

- But didn't they close at five?

- I'm the head of a department. I can go after hours. Just... Promise me that if you're a hunter you'll enter portals below your rank and not risk yourself on almost suicidal missions

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Woo Jin Chul entered the house and heard footsteps approaching. He turned around expecting to see his mother but froze when he saw Sung Jin Woo looking at him with an apron and a smile. Was this a vision of his future with his girlfriend? Was this how she would look when she was his wife and he came home? Gods, he hoped so

-Welcome. I heard there was a problem with some hunters so we've delayed the time to serve the food a little. How are you? Did everything go well?

-Yes, two idiots had a competition of strength outside a portal, which led to the portal breaking because they took too long to enter the portal and the monsters overflowed. Luckily it was a D-rank aquatic portal, so the monsters couldn't really go very far or cause much damage. But those two are on probation for the next few months

Sung Jin Woo leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before turning around to go back to the kitchen accompanied by Woo Jin Chul's sister.

- Could you help your father with the table? I think he's about to take it down.

-I've been saying for years that we should buy another one. That thing has never worked properly. - Woo Jin Chul would have to control his own strength. He didn't want to break a table that he knew his mother didn't want to throw away because it was a wedding present. But even when Woo Jin Chul was a child that damn table had never worked as it should, even with regular oiling. He remembered a Christmas when they had been pulling between six until the table opened.

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Woo Jin Chul didn't want to say it. But the family meal was much calmer and more harmonious without his older brother and his wife.

His brother five years older, Woo Hae Il, had joined the police force. In his second year, before being promoted, he had been seriously injured in a shooting, which had left him with a trauma that prevented him from returning to the police force. From that moment on he had been bitter towards Woo Jin Chul because he had been able to stay in the police and had not been hurt like him

Then he met his wife, Mae Mi Ri. She was three years older than him and had gotten to where she was thanks to being someone's daughter. Somehow the woman had taken a fancy to him and they had started dating. Woo Hae Il's mother was very happy with the girlfriend who was pulling her son out of depression until she met her.

-A great person like me could easily marry a rich businessman or an heir to a family fortune. You should be grateful that I decided to marry the son of a simple policeman

Woo Jin Chul could almost hear his father's blood pressure rise from where he was hiding snooping. His mother had not been so calm and had gotten up to argue with Mae Mi Ri.

That had been eight years ago, his brother and sister-in-law had been married for seven years. His mother had tried to calm down and look on the bright side until Mae Mi Ri had said that she had no intentions of deforming her body with a pregnancy. According to her, she had enough brothers to keep her family's business well secured and the Woo family had two more children to continue their bloodline

Now Mae Mi Ri was almost forty years old and had already been told that she couldn't get pregnant, although she had kept some frozen eggs just in case. The Woo family matriarch's hopes for grandchildren were on Sung Jin Woo

Woo Jin Chul was one hundred percent sure that his mother was prepared to hate Sung Jin Woo from the moment he told them about her. Before meeting her, his mother had complained that she was too young, had little money, and her family had moved from the countryside only two generations ago.

But after meeting the sweet, somewhat shy, and charming girl, the matriarch of the Woo family had grabbed her second son by the collar of his shirt and told him that he either married this girl or he would be removed from the family register. Woo Jin Chul had only been able to nod as his father gave his approval for his girlfriend. According to him, she also had family in law enforcement and that was good enough for him, although over time Sung Jin Woo had also won her affection.

-------------------------------------------

After finishing the meal, Woo Jin Chul and the two younger girls helped load the dishwasher before Woo Jin Chul asked Sung Jin Woo if they could take a walk in the nearby park.

Sung Jin Woo accepted and the two held hands as they walked.

-Our second year of dating will be in a week.

-Do you want to do something special?

-Yes, but I wanted to know if it will clash with what you wanted to do because your sister sent me some photos… - Woo Jin Chul laughed when he saw his girlfriend blush. – Don't worry, it happened to me too when I was twenty-five or so. That desire to wear your school uniform again

-And how was it?

-Obviously it didn't look as good on me as it did on you. We might wear it another time, but I'd like to have an intimate dinner, both of us well dressed. Good wine, good food, and excellent company

Sung Jin Woo's blushing face was obvious. But she nodded

-I'll make sure to get ready for the day. But don't take me to an expensive restaurant like last year. I almost died when I saw how much the dishes cost and I couldn't relax the whole evening because I was so nervous.

Woo Jin Chul didn't want to say that he had also almost died of shock. It wasn't that he didn't have enough money to pay, but he had always been a person of simple tastes and seeing some of those prices had almost killed him. Everything was too fancy for them. It had gotten to the point where the restaurant employees had even thought they would run away without paying, they were so nervous.

He had to come out and say it was their first anniversary date and show his license as an A-rank hunter so they wouldn't come and bother them. Although the night had been nice at the end, the memory of the restaurant was something that had tarnished the day. It was the last time Woo Jin Chul asked his older brother and the president for recommendations

-I want to kiss you.

Sung Jin Woo blushed even more

-Here, in public?

-Why not? You're absolutely adorable.

The girl stood on her tiptoes and Woo Jin Chul bent down a little. They both kissed calmly

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-Brother, you shouldn't take advantage of your girlfriend if you're going back to your parents' house later.

Woo Jin Chul blushed before looking at where on the couch his father was talking to Sung Jin Woo, telling him one of his many anecdotes from when he was a tough police officer.

-Wait until you have a partner on your own, brat. We'll see what happens

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Woo Jin Chul was angry. He had planned to spend the night with Sung Jin Woo but a sudden call had taken him away from his wishes and now he was returning home with leftovers from the meal.

He warmed up some in the microwave and started looking through files while he ate dinner. He wanted to clear most of his work so he could have a totally free night. No one was going to ruin his night, the night he would ask Sung Jin Woo to marry him.

He had to decorate the house, something romantic. And choose the best moment. He had already ordered some flowers and bought some candles, but he had to think about the wine and the food. It wasn't fair that Sung Jin Woo was always the one who took care of the food and the romantic moments

At that moment Woo Jin Chul's phone rang and he looked at the screen when he saw his brother's number. Why would his brother be calling him at night?

Chapter Text

Woo Jin Chul suddenly felt very tired and rubbed his brow as he answered the phone.

-Good night

-Brother? Why do you sound so tired at your age? Do you want me to ask Mi Ri to let you stay at the family vacation home in Hawaii? Although with your salary I doubt you can afford the plane ticket

-I'm working and you don't know how much I earn. – It was possible to regret taking the call faster, but that only happened when his brother called him collect during his honeymoon in Hawaii. He would never tell his brother the true amount of his salary, it was for the best

-You civil servants really work hard despite what people say. – His brother's tone was mocking.

-Did you want something or are you just provoking me to see if I can't go to your house to kill you? Because I can, it would take me ten minutes to run at top speed

-Why don't you seem like you're joking?- His brother finally sounded nervous, that was good

-Because I am not joking. What do you want? Mom is angry because you skipped today's family meal

-I had something important with Mi Ri's family! That's precisely why I'm calling you!

Woo Jin Chul felt irritated, nothing good came out of that woman's family. They were condescending, pretentious and judged people. If it weren't for him being President Go Gunhee's personal assistant he knew they wouldn't even know his name.

-And what was so important in your wife's family that you skipped the meal to celebrate me coming back from a month-long business trip?

-It was the celebration because Ri Su Bin has awakened as a hunter and already has her license approved! If you had picked up the phone the last time I called you, I'm sure you could have pulled some strings to get her license sooner! – Woo Jin chul had to remind himself that he couldn't break another phone because of his older brother. Although his hand wanted to clench very tightly

Was his brother really that stupid? Was the celebration because his wife's cousin was a hunter more important than the family meal? And what was that about pulling strings for that girl?

The only awakened ones who could skip the exam to get the license were S-rank hunters. And since there hadn't been any, since he would have been the third to find out, that meant that Ri Su Bin wasn't an S-rank. Besides, her name didn't ring a bell, so she wasn't A-rank and they hadn't tried to recruit her.

-I'm going to hang up and go hunt you down if you don't tell me what you want quickly.

Her brother was silent for a few seconds

-I was wondering if you have any contacts with a major guild.

-Well, I do. But why do you want them? – Then Woo Jin Chul realized. -Do you want me to help her get into one of the five major guilds?

-She's really depressed because the scouts haven't contacted her and Mi Ri asked me to call you to see if you can do something

-What was she dressed the day she went to pick up the results, what rank and what kind of hunter is she? – If it was what he thought he expected it was normal that the guilds had ignored her. The rich boys and girls who woke up tended to be very capricious and didn't want to work hard. So the big guilds didn't take them into their ranks unless they were very famous and wanted to use them as public relations

The Mae family was rich and powerful, but it wasn't among the richest and most powerful and the current patriarch wanted the family to live discreetly in an era where every scandal could be known internationally in a matter of seconds. So the Mae family wasn't very famous

-Why do you want to know what she was dressed like? Is it some kind of perversion?

-Of course not. But if she was dressed in very expensive clothes it's possible that the guilds would think she was already targeted and wouldn't want to waste resources trying to recruit her. – Telling the truth would only make the conversation more problematic

-Well, she was wearing a Chanel outfit that her parents gave her for the occasion. – Woo Jin Chul felt that he understood the reason why no one had approached the girl. – Rank B, I think, magician.

-Do you think so?

-I'm not really sure. They didn't advertise it much. I think they were upset that she wasn't A or S rank.

-But does she want to hunt or does she just want the fame of being a hunter? – At the silence of the line Woo Jin Chul wanted to curse. – Look, you have to ask her if she'll be okay tearing monsters apart or fighting for her life over and over again. This isn't an easy and comfortable life, most hunters hunt because we need it, it's an impulse that awakens in us after awakening. But there are many who manage to overcome the impulse because of fear or because they are simply not made for life as hunters. Think that there is a retired S rank hunter.

The line went silent for a few seconds

-How about I give you her phone number and you talk to her? She's a lovely girl, she's twenty-nine years old and…

Woo Jin Chul looked at his phone angrily this time and hung up.

It was another one of his brother and Mae Mi Ri's attempts to get him a new girlfriend. He didn't know why his brother's wife didn't like Sung Jin Woo. Sung Jin Woo was liked by most of the world, even the stray animals she found in parks and walks.

Even his brother liked Sung Jin Woo!

But not Mae Mi Ri. For some time now, that woman had been introducing Woo Jin Chul to all kinds of cousins ​​and relatives or friends of hers. Girls she considered “suitable”

Nothing to do with his tender and feisty girlfriend

Now that he thought about it, those attempts at introduction had started after he was appointed head of the monitoring department

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-I can't believe he wanted to set you up with that bitch! – Woo Jie was furious as they walked through the empty hallways where evaluations were normally done

-Do you know her? How do you know her?

-Ri Su Bin studied at my university and still hangs out with her circle. The rumors surrounding her aren't good at all, bro. They portray her as a capricious and arrogant little princess who solved everything with money, and what she couldn't solve with money she solved with sex. There are rumors that she held orgies and constantly seduced guys with girlfriends

Woo Jin Chul wondered how much time his sister really spent studying and how much time she spent gossiping. She seemed to know everything about everyone at her university

Although he let her talk because he could clearly see that she was very nervous

The black crystal made his sister open her mouth. Woo Jin Chul pointed out where she could stand and how to place her hand. Woo Jin Chul approached the controls of the machine and left everything ready for an evaluation, all that was left was to press a button. Honestly, he was praying for a negative result.

-I'm going to start the evaluation. Are you ready?

Woo Jie nodded and Woo Jin Chul pressed the button. An alarm message immediately appeared. Woo Jin Chul repeated the test again and the same message appeared on the screen

-What's wrong? Have I woken up?

-No mana is detected. You haven't woken up. - Woo Jin Chul let out a sigh of relief as did his sister. – But it seems that you have some sensitivity to mana. I saw you look at its entry point in the black crystal.

-Is that weird?

-Quite a bit if you're not a magic-type hunter. But there are more cases of unawakened people with sensitivity to mana. – Woo Jin Chul turned off the machine and kept the records. – Think of it like people who know when the weather is going to change or that there's a lot of humidity in the air. Most likely you feel weird because someone who goes to class with you has recently awakened

-And the part where I'm strongest?

-You're already starting physical training to be a police officer, it's normal for your strength to increase. – Woo Jin Chul opened the door and his sister came out before locking it. – I have to say that I'm relieved. Being a hunter is very dangerous. I already have enough worries with the fact that Sung Jin Woo is one without now adding you too.

-What is sister Jin Woo going to do when you get married?

Woo Jin Chul thought about it for a moment. The few times they had talked about their plans for the future, they had both said that they would like to be parents as soon as possible after a possible wedding. But he knew that Sung Jin Woo would not want to be just a housewife and would insist on working.

Rather, the real objective was to get Sung Jin Woo out of the portals and start working at the association. It was true that at the beginning Woo Jin Chul had helped her get some temporary positions. But she had done her tasks very well and since then there were several things that she took care of even if she was just a temporary employee of the association.

But Sung Jin Woo was more capable than many useless people who worked at the association and had an offer for a permanent position. In addition, if she was part of the association she could ask for a temporary leave from combat to get pregnant and the contraceptive measures that all hunters carried would be removed. In that way, even if it happened that the members of the association were forcibly called to combat, she would not be called.

-We have talked about having children soon if we get married. This line of work is very dangerous and you don't know what day will be your last. So she will retire from active combat for a while. And I hope to convince her to take a job at the association.

-Are you two going to be parents so soon? Sister Jin Woo is only a couple of years older than me.

-Many hunters are young parents. A job with such high mortality rates makes people want to have children quickly.

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Woo Jin Chul was arriving home when he saw someone standing outside his building and smoking.

-How long. Are you more muscular?

-Good evening, brother, what are you doing here?

Woo Hae Il had gained some weight since he got married and left the police force. Enough to be called chubby. He was also starting to have receding hairlines that he hid quite naturally, which told Woo Jin Chul that he probably went to an expensive hair salon that his wife paid for.

-I came to see you. Isn't that good?

-Mae Mi Ri sent you to reconsider her cousin

At least the older man had the decency to look embarrassed

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The folder with the girl's photos was slid before Woo Jin Chul. If it was the first he would wonder what would happen if Sung Jin Woo found this. But it wasn't the first and Sung Jin Woo would get adorably jealous, maybe he should show her this one

-She's a B rank, she's an ice mage.

-Those are weird. – Woo Jin Chul opened the folder and felt like shuddering. He smelled money from afar. -Is she going to use this to get a job in a guild?

-Yes, why?

-No one will hire her or she will join a small guild that will want to use her as easy funds.

-Could you get her to join the association?

-Will she be willing to do all the work of an association member with the shitty pay they give us? I can only live well because of the investments I made and the inheritance from grandpa, plus the extra pay because I'm a department head. – Woo Jin Chul sighed and looked for a number on his phone and sent it to his brother. – He's a hunter trainer. If she manages to pass his training, he'll recommend her to some guild.