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Today's meme is here. [ ]
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With a hardened expression suddenly softened into a cheery smile.
"Begin the discharge procedure right away."
"Indeed, we should do that."
"Yes, we must."
A smile of a good-natured person remained on Lee Seong-Chul's lips.
They should definitely release the patient now. What were they hoping to gain by getting on the bad side of not just one but two rank S Hunters? He quickly came with a logical-sounding excuse that contained the rough meaning of what both of them were thinking about.
"We surely can't force a perfectly healthy person to remain cooped up in a hospital, now can we?"
"Indeed, Director."
The doctor in charge quickly stood up from his seat.
And after he left….
"Whew…."
Lee Seong-Chul stared at the now-closed door to the director's office and spat out a sigh of relief.
***
As soon as she got the call, Jin-Ah dropped everything and rushed to the hospital with Esdeath.
Jin had been sitting on a chair next to mom's bed, and when he sensed his fast-approaching sister and his first love, quickly stood up. Right then, the door to his mom's hospital room was flung open.
"Mom?? Mom!!"
She hadn't even crossed the doorway yet, but Jin-Ah's face was already a messy mixture of streaming tears and snot falling from her nose.
"Oh, my gosh. My little girl, you've grown up so much." in all her emotions his mom didn't noticed the another cold presence closely follows behind as she stood just little far away from the bed.
The last time their mom, Park Gyung-Hye, saw her daughter was when she was still in middle school. She gazed at her grown-up daughter with a surprised expression, but shortly afterwards, opened her arms wide to welcome Jin-Ah with a warm smile on her face.
When that happened….
"Mom!!"
Jin-Ah tightly embraced her mother.
Jin hesitated slightly but his hand was grabbed by Esdeath as he looked at her she shook her head she stopped him from doing anything. As he was going to stop her as That wasn't something she should have done to a patient who regained her consciousness after four years of being in a coma.
But, seeing his sister crying her eyes out like that while locked in their mother's embrace, he couldn't bring himself to stop her plus Esdeath was still holding his hand.
"Mom, Mom….."
She always acted all grown-up, but in the end, Jin-Ah was still a kid inside. The energetic and brave everyday appearance of Jin-Ah overlapped with the current sobbing one, and that stung Jin's nostrils a bit.
"That is eno…."
Jin eventually moved in to separate Jin-Ah, but Park Gyung-Hye placed her index finger on her lips and slowly shook her head, her other hand still gently patting her daughter's back while eyeing the young woman who was holding her son's hand.
Jin sighed softly and took a step back. As he looked on at his sister in his mom's embrace, as well as his mom's gentle and warm expression, a satisfied smile automatically formed on his lips.
'My effort wasn't in vain.'
It felt like he was being fully rewarded for all the hard work he had put in right at this moment. Also, he felt as if something hard and stubborn stuck in the corner of his heart, a corner of his mind had finally melted down and was now flowing away, out of him.
In that case, should he leave the two of them alone for a while? At least, until his little sister found a way to get a hold of her overflowing emotions.
Since she was one smart girl, she'd know not to unnecessarily stress out mom. Only that, she needed a bit more time here.
Jin grinned a little and shifted his gaze to Esdeath as both looked outside the hospital window. As if to congratulate the reunion of their family, the weather outside was brilliantly sunny today.
Feeling a bit awkward from standing there and staring at the weather without saying anything, he decided to pull out his phone.
'.....'
There was a scary amount of missed calls and text messages left on his phone that he couldn't even dare to attempt replying to a select few, never mind all of them. Jin scrolled the list of the missed calls and texts, before giving up and closing the window altogether.
'Well, if it's something urgent, I'm sure they'll contact me again.'
He quickly gave up on replying and instead, accessed the internet browser.
But then….
'…Heok!!'
He clicked on the online news portal without thinking too much, only to perform a grand facepalm.
[A flying monster spotted over the skies of Seoul?]
[The potential destination of the flying monster?]
[Hunters Association fails to respond. What about the safety of citizens?]
Photos of Kaisel were plastered all over the various internet news sites and it was even clearer than the original as Kaisel was flying slower this time.
From the vicinity of his house all the way to this hospital, the distance between the two points was rather considerable, but he figured nothing serious would happen because he was travelling at much needed speed. But this….
It seems they used super slow motion cameras.
'….It was only a short flight, but we got photographed a lot, didn't we?'
The only fortunate unfortunate thing here was that the photos didn't show him riding on the back of Kaisel.
He made up his mind to not care about what others thought of him when he summoned Kaisel near his house, but now that he was dominating the headlines, he sure felt conflicted now.
'Oh, well. It's not like I care'
Anyone would have their hearts in their mouths, seeing a monster flying in the sky like that. Jin scanned the news articles filled with a great deal of anxiety and fear.
'There's no need to go out of my way to scare the public, anyway.'
'However, if the frenzy over a winged lizard is this huge, then, uh, the responses to the gigantic Typhon would really be something else, no?'
As he scroll past it and switch to the hunter app after as he started to look for the jobs available around as he was hoping that he could find Hunters guild post for minors.
While he was doing this suddenly….
Vrrr…. Vrrr….
His phone began vibrating.
'Who's this?'
He didn't recognise the number; after exiting the hospital room, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
– "Sung Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
A baritone yet still bright voice of an old man came out. Jin immediately recalled the owner of that voice.
"Association President?"
– "Yes, this is the Association President Goh Gun-Hui speaking."
'Why is he giving me a call? Is it due to I didn't went through the appointment'
What prompted the one-and-only Association President to give him a call like this? Jin noticed that there were several people walking to and fro within the hospital's corridor, so he quickly walked towards a more secluded area. He continued to speak in the meantime.
"What's the matter, ?"
– "I'm sure you've heard of the news by now."
'…What news?'
Jin tilted his head a bit, before realising that this wouldn't do and asked again.
"I'm not sure what news you're talking about….?"
– "Wait, could it be… You haven't seen the news lately?"
'Wow. I guess the speed of news getting around these days is nothing to scoff at.'
Jin readily admitted to his wrongdoing.
"I'm sorry about that. It's very careless of me to do that, anyway I'll make sure to be more careful next time."
– "….Excuse me?"
Only after hearing the confused voice of Goh Gun-Hui did Jin realise that he was deeply mistaken about something here.
'Wait, wasn't he calling me about Kaisel?'
If not, what else could the news outlets be talking about, instead?
The dual dungeon, the Red Gate, clearing the rank A dungeons, the appointment, etc….
Now that he thought about it, there were quite a few potential topics of contention, instead.
"…..Can you clarify what happened?"
– "Looks like you really haven't heard anything yet."
"I've been spending some time in a location recently where contacting outside was difficult, actually."
He wasn't lying about that, technically speaking.
Goh Gun-Hui's voice betrayed how surprised he was, but then, it became even graver than before.
– "Hunter-nim."
According to Jin's experience, this could only mean that the reason for this call should be brought up now.
– "I'd like to come and discuss something with you face-to-face. Will that be okay with you?"
Jin's suspicion grew even larger compared to when he first answered the phone.
'Calling me on the phone isn't enough, so the Association President wishes to come here and see me personally? Was there any event that got sped up due to the butterfly effect?"
Just how much of an important matter was this to make someone as busy as him personally move?
Even then….
Jin glanced in the direction of mom's hospital room.
'I can't ask the Association President to come here.'
On the other side, when Goh Gun-Hui didn't hear any answer for a long time, he felt like Jin, who rejected it, so he spoke.
"How about we also book the appointment for both you and Ms. Esdeath hunter evaluated." said Goh Gun-Hui with some hope that the young man would come to terms with this.
On the other side Jin was still glancing at his mother who was curiously looking at Esdeath as the pair of mother and daughter were talking out.
He might have to come up with bullsh*t stories related to his mother if that happened.
"No, I'll go over there, instead."
– "Will you do that for us, then?"
"Yes, I will. But not today you see sir I am very busy today something great had happend and I can't just leave them but it's super impotent then I could few minutes out of busy schedule"
That was far simpler for him as he didn't even had time to spent with his family; he was just hoping that Esdeath would be able to fill the gap that he would leave.
"Mmmm if that's the case I don't see any problems with it but when" said the chairman as he didn't see any problems with it as it would take days before they could even finalize the terms and conditions with other countries especially with Japan to organise the Jeju Island raid.
"How about Overmorrow"
"Fantastic" replied the chairman as he agreed with Jin that it was pretty good for him.
With that their conversation was over as he cut the call and strode back to the hospital room. Quickly making the arrangement over the phone..
The hospital room was bathed in soft, natural light that filtered in through the curtains. Jin-woo stood beside the bed, his mother, Park Kyung-Hye, who had recently awakened from her long slumber. She looked up at her son with a mix of curiosity and warmth in her eyes.
As his mother blinked and adjusted to the light, she looked at Jin-woo, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of anxiety. "Jin-woo, who is this young lady? Won't you introduce her to your mother?" Her voice was gentle, but there was an unmistakable tension in the air.
Jin-woo smiled warmly and stepped aside, gesturing to Esdeath, who stood nervously by his side. "Mother, this is Esdeath. She's the one I've been telling you about. We're together now. "She's not just my puppy; she's also the love of my life. We're here to introduce her to you, to officially meet my family."
Esdeath bowed respectfully to Park Kyung-Hye, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke, "I'm honored to meet you, Mrs. Park. Jin-woo has told me so much about you."
Park Kyung-Hye's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Esdeath. She was a vision of beauty, confidence, and strength. Her presence seemed to fill the room, and Jin-woo's mother couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"Well, well," Park Kyung-Hye said with a warm smile. "You've chosen quite a remarkable young woman, Jin-woo. I can see why you fell for her."
Jin-woo let out a sigh of relief, realizing that his mother's initial anxiety was giving way to acceptance. "Thank you, Mother. I knew you'd like her once you got to know her."
After all no one is immune to the charms and charisma of someone who is leading armies in her entire life.
Esdeath's anxiety began to melt away as she sensed the genuine warmth in the room. She replied, "I promise to take good care of Jin, Mrs. Park. He means the world to me…."
However, before she could continue, Park Kyung-Hye gently interrupted her. "Esdeath, you don't have to be so formal. Call me 'Mom,'" she said warmly, her eyes softening. "As far as I'm concerned, you're already part of this family."
Esdeath blinked in surprise, touched by the immediate acceptance she received. She felt her heart swell with gratitude. "Thank you, Mom," she replied, her voice filled with genuine emotion.
Park Kyung-Hye's smile widened, and she patted the space beside her on the hospital bed. "Come, both of you, sit down. I'd love to get to know the young lady who captured my son's heart," she said, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
As Jin-woo and Esdeath took their seats beside her, a warm and genuine conversation flowed between them. Park Kyung-Hye asked Esdeath about her background, her interests, and her dreams. Esdeath, in turn, shared stories of her life, her adventures, and her growing feelings for Jin.
As they continued to converse, Park Kyung-Hye learned about Esdeath's background, her accomplishments, and her love for her son. She also shared stories about Jin-woo's childhood, his determination, and his unwavering love for his family.
It wasn't long before the mother and daughter-in-law-to-be were chatting like old friends. They discussed wedding plans, future family gatherings, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
The conversation soon turned to more personal matters, with Park Kyung-Hye offering motherly advice and sharing anecdotes from her own life. Esdeath listened attentively, feeling a sense of belonging and warmth that she had never experienced before.
She also shared stories about Jin-woo's childhood, his determination, and his unwavering love for his family.
It wasn't long before the mother and daughter-in-law-to-be were chatting like old friends. They discussed wedding plans, future family gatherings, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
Park Kyung-Hye couldn't help but feel grateful that her son had found such a loving and capable partner. "Esdeath," she said, "you are like a ray of sunshine that has brightened our lives. I'm delighted to welcome you into our family."
Tears welled up in Esdeath's eyes as she replied, "Thank you, mom I promise to cherish and protect your son with all my heart."
The room was filled with laughter, tears, and heartfelt conversations as the three of them embraced the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Jin-woo felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that his mother and the woman he loved had found common ground and acceptance.