It was a rare instance for the guild master of White Tiger Guild, Baek Yoonho, to sit this leisurely, considering how much-pending work his office table was piled up with.
The reason why the man seemed currently in a state of denial stems from the fact that someone he previously evaluated to be on par with his own strength was now stronger than Baek from any angel the guild master could see.
Sung Jin-Woo, during the red gate incident, was still at the level where the orange-haired man could have landed a decent fight and might have lost an arm or both in the battle, but now...
'Can someone really grow limitlessly... ?'
If it would have been just Jin-Woo then Baek Yoonho might have made some pact with the realization but he wasn't sure what to make out of the other one.
'Nanase Haruka... 'From what he has received after a brief investigation, it shows that he's a son of an S-rank hunter and also the Vice-master of the strongest guild in Japan yet the boy, Haruka, was here in Korea for some unknown reason.
The latter one seems fishy and not to talk about that absurd amount of mana Baek sensed for the first which made him believe that some high-ranking gate had emerged within the building. However, it was the boy who was showcasing one of his skills which held such destructive power that could have taken down an A-rank or maybe higher ranked creature in one shot.
If not for the boy himself ceasing the attack, a major part of the nearby town would have been destroyed.
'I was a fool to think they would join mine or Choi's guild. With such strength, they would make their own guild and easily rise over the rankings...'
Although it was a shame that Baek couldn't recruit new powerful hunters, the thought of Hunters Guild being ranked below the top made the man chuckle.
'I can't wait...'
*****
"Abducting me like this...Haru, are you a delinquent kind of guy who likes to break rules?"
Jinah couldn't help but ask as she found herself on the top of an unknown building from where the city seemed extremely beautiful.
Despite liking the closeness they had, Jinah was feeling slightly restless about disappearing from the class out of nowhere. She has barely taken any leave from school, and to think she would bunk classes...?
If asked some weeks ago, Jinah wouldn't have even entertained the idea but now being held like a princess by her favorite person, the teenage girl found her principles wavering.
"I have been evaluated as a S-rank so there must be some reward for me, no?" Haru spoke in an innocent tone like his actions come under the 'matter-of-fact' category.
"And what is that reward?" Jinah raised her brows with a sly smile formed on her lips. The distance between their faces was so close that Jinah just had to whisper her words which made the scene even more intimate.
"Spending time with you like this is hefty enough compensation for me. Well, of course, if you have something more to offer, then I would gladly accept it..." For some reason when he said that, Jinah's gaze fell on his lips.
Was he deliberately trying to make her think something so indecent? Was he trying to seduce her? Jinah couldn't come up with an answer for that. She just felt so tempted at the moment to do something irreversible that her mind stopped working properly altogether.
She wasn't bold enough to do such things like kiss Haru without being in a relationship with him, yet right now she felt Haru has chanted some aphrodisiac spell on her, that kind of allurement his lips held at the moment.
But in the end, she took a deep breath and pecked lightly on his cheek.
"This much should do for now. Don't expect everything from me, hmph!"
Jinah was so red from the embarrassment that she had to turn her head. It was too bold!
However, because of being embarrassed in herself, she missed how dumbly Haru was looking at her like his mind just blew off.
Haru was trying to take his chances without any hope of receiving anything in return for more than some compliments. And that would have been enough for him.
But this sudden kiss...
Both teenagers remained silent for a good while. Just basking under the setting sun, the silence which ensued between them wasn't uncomfortable but from Jinah's perspective, she sure made the atmosphere awkward.
"Hey, Jinah..."
Haru suddenly called out for her in a soft tone before the girl steadily turned her head to look at his intense gaze which was looking at her with a blend of determination and anxiety.
Confused she was about to ask why this sudden shift of temperament when Haru suddenly clarified the reason for his stress, "I want to introduce you to my family. Will you accompany me?"
This time Jinah was rendered speechless with her mind falling into eternal numbness upon realizing what Haru just said.
"Y-You me-mean... "Jinah didn't have to continue before Haru nodded with a small smile arching his lips.
Jinah didn't have to entirely clear things out since she already was aware of his feelings for her and how Jinah herself felt for Haru.
She thought Haru would choose the classic way of proposing to her but this was way smoother. Regardless she already had her answer prepared so there was no point in contemplating her decision.
Jinah might have remained silent for a bit more, to make Haru even more nervous but the way he was expectantly looking at her, melted Jinah's heart before she sighed and replied, "Yes, I would love to. "
*****
A/N: - Probably the shortest chapter to date? Well, the next one would be longer, I promise.
Their love story and the way they express their love is probably different from the norm.
Alright, that was about this chapter. Now about the second floor of the Gates of Divination.
Recently an anime episode nearly made me cry even though I have read it in the manga. At that time I decided that I would change the initial course of action I have chosen for the second floor and write about the anime which made me emotional after a long time.
This is solely because of my own wish fulfillment but I hope you guys would like it as well.
The next chapter is almost prepared so as soon the power stone count reaches three hundred I will post the next one.
Drop a comment~