Chapter 9 - Crazy Guy

Meanwhile, in a narrow alley near the house, two men dressed in identical long padded coats had entered. One of the men, holding a walkie-talkie, muttered.

"This seems to be the target's house, but there's no movement."

"What's this? Min-gi-nim warned us a lot too… Seems anti-climactic. Did he just go to bed?"

A man crouched on the trash can lid, chewing gum noisily. As the streetlight's glow poured over him, the word "PADO" written in white on the back of his long padded coat was revealed.

"Hey, it's cold. Let's wait for 30 more minutes… If there's no movement by then, let's head back."

"Understood."

"And buy some fish-shaped buns on the way back."

"Sounds good. Man, what kind of overtime is this?"

"Exactly."

The last agreement came from an unfamiliar voice. Before the two men could react, a plastic bag was suddenly thrown over their heads.

Thud! Something heavy struck one man in the stomach. He let out a gasp and crumpled to the ground. The hit was so powerful that sweat started pouring from him with just one kick. Damn… it hurts like hell! But the pain was so intense he couldn't even struggle. A strange voice muttered.

"This should be enough…"

"Wh-who are…?"

"Oh, sorry."

Whack! This time, a strong pain hit the back of his head. As his consciousness dimmed, the strange voice gently echoed.

"I didn't hit hard enough."

'Fuck, I was just supposed to keep watch…'

What kind of courtesy is hitting again after saying it was too soft? This kindness is unnecessary. With that thought, the man passed out with his eyes rolling back.

"…Is it done?"

Cha Eui-jae checked the condition of the two fallen men. Their pulses were fine, and the plastic on their faces was rising and falling, showing they were breathing well. After confirming they were properly unconscious, Cha Eui-jae removed the "Family Delivery" plastic bags he had put on them before the assault.

He thought one light hit would suffice, but since they were awakened, they were tougher than expected and needed another blow. Cha Eui-jae squatted beside the men and muttered.

"Sorry, I'm going to check your wallets."

He politely asked the unconscious men for their understanding as he searched their long coat pockets. Fortunately, without much effort, he found a wallet in the first pocket he checked. Is there a business card? He rummaged through the contents and smirked. There it was.

[Pado Guild Combat Support Team 1]

[Rank B Woo Chang-hyuk]

'Pado Guild, huh…'

The long padded coats the men were wearing also had "PADO" written on them, so the business card didn't seem fake. It was also a name he had heard frequently from the regular hunter customers at the hangover soup restaurant.

After carefully putting the wallet back in the man's pocket, Cha Eui-jae placed the business card on the ground. He then took a pen from his apron pocket and,

Click. He scribbled some crooked words with his left hand.

[Touch them and you're dead]

Where should he put it so it would be seen immediately? After looking around, Cha Eui-jae decided to just place it in the man's hand. He propped the two unconscious men against the wall and walked away leisurely.

***

When he returned to the restaurant, the old clock was already pointing to 11:45.

"Ah, the time is tighter than I thought."

Due to the uninvited guests who came in succession, he now had to prepare diligently to open the restaurant on time. Fortunately, Cha Eui-jae didn't need much sleep, so staying up all night wasn't a big problem. He put on a sanitary hat and mask, then looked down at the apron he was wearing.

A Soju brand logo was boldly displayed in the center of the apron, as if it was showing off. It made him automatically picture Lee Sa-young's insolent face.

"I saw everything, chum churum apron."

"Holding a ladle too."

Damn. Cha Eui-jae irritably took off the apron and replaced it with one that had a cute toad drawn on it. He then slapped his cheeks with his palms. There was no time to waste if he wanted to finish preparing to open the restaurant. After washing his hands three times, he took out the meat that had been soaking to drain the blood.

As he mechanically went through the familiar tasks, his thoughts kept drifting back to Lee Sa-young. Why did he go out of his way to tell him his name? Was it confidence that they'd meet again? An invitation to look him up? Whatever the reason, Cha Eui-jae didn't like it.

He tapped the strainer against the pot with a grim expression.

'It feels like I'm losing.'

Moreover, it was odd that he let him go so easily when he expected him to stick around annoyingly. Was it confidence that he could find him wherever he hid?

'Try finding me all you want. Let's see if you can.'

Though he had been tailed once, that house was where Grandmother and Park Ha-eun mainly lived. Since hunters wouldn't harm civilians, he just had to avoid going there unless absolutely necessary.

They'd never think he'd be cooking hangover soup in the restaurant. Cha Eui-jae drained the blood from the meat and shook off the water. The important thing now was gathering information. Knowing the enemy was the only way to figure out how to deal with them.

As he filled the pot with fresh water, Cha Eui-jae spoke clearly.

"Hi Nexby, search for Lee Sa-young."

—Searching for Lee Sa-young on the internet.

It didn't take long for Nexby to display the search results on his phone screen.

"…What?"

Is this really the search results for Lee Sa-young? Cha Eui-jae stared at the screen in disbelief while his hands moved mechanically. There were so many search results that the scrollbar was incredibly tiny. Just who the hell is this guy!

[The third S-grade awakener in South Korea is born!]

[New rank 1 Lee Sa-young, who is he?]

[「Cheonsujin Column」Can the new number 1 fill J's void?]

[Lee Sa-young speaks for the first time after awakening… 'Pado Guild will be operated by a select few']

No way… was he really that famous?

Cha Eui-jae scanned the headlines of the articles and posts one by one.

[Unwavering number 1 Lee Sa-young, attitude controversy at official events…]

The fact that the rude gas mask-wearing punk was an S-grade hunter was not surprising to Cha Eui-jae, who had felt it firsthand. But that he was the current number 1 in South Korea?

'Why do I have to run into the number 1?'

Cha Eui-jae wiped his forehead with his wrist instead of his wet palm. No, why was the supposedly strongest guy in the country beating up people in an alley? Is life that leisurely for him?

In the past, Cha Eui-jae would have thought, 'This country's fucked if that punk is number 1!' But now, he didn't have time to worry about the country's future because his own fate was too harsh. In fact, South Korea had been in worse shape eight years ago.

'Things have become more livable now.'

He had intended to spend his remaining years quietly cooking hangover soup. But why did it have to be a hangover soup restaurant popular among hunters? Cha Eui-jae traced back his memories to the root cause of all the trouble like a salmon swimming upstream.

Who would have known that so many hunters would come to this restaurant? Cha Eui-jae had only found it because of the [help wanted: looking for a kitchen aunt] sign posted by the door by the benefactor grandmother. Maybe it was a problem that he came even though he wasn't an auntie.

After starting work, it was strange that every customer was a hunter, so he looked it up and found numerous posts introducing the place as a well-known spot among hunters. Regretting not searching beforehand, by the time he realized, he had already become a master server. After this incident, Cha Eui-jae developed a habit of searching the internet for everything.

"My luck is just terrible."

Cha Eui-jae felt wronged. He had joined the hangover soup restaurant to live a quiet life hiding his strength, not knowing it was such a place, and the person who found out his strength turned out to be the number 1 hunter. Why did these rare chances always happen to him?

With a deep sigh, Cha Eui-jae continued washing the meat under cold water. Thoughts of Lee Sa-young naturally led to today's events. Reflecting on the day, Cha Eui-jae paused for a moment.

'That thorny guy and the rank 1 showing up to deal with it personally…'

There were many puzzling points. Cha Eui-jae grabbed his phone again.

Even after searching keywords like thorn, hedgehog, nothing relevant came up. Those thorns were too large and noticeable to hide, yet there were no reports or similar results.

So, it had to be one of two things. Either the information was still underground, or it was being controlled by higher-ups.

Either way, Cha Eui-jae was familiar with the scenario. In a time where hunters were considered national assets, any information deemed to be of national interest was often classified. J himself was an example of such a case. Cha Eui-jae's mind raced.

'The current threats are… Lee Sa-young finding me, and Grandma and Ha-eun's safety being compromised.'

The latter was concerning since Pado Guild had managed to find the address of the house where grandmother and Park Ha-eun lived. But Pado Guild was quite famous, largely due to its Guild Leader Lee Sa-young's reputation, so they likely wouldn't harm civilians recklessly. They were under the watchful eyes of the Awakened Management Bureau.

'And well, I already gave a warning.'

Now, the only concern was whether Lee Sa-young could find him. Cha Eui-jae sighed again as he chopped a radish in half. Fortunately, he had worn a mask that covered most of his face and hadn't given his name.

What that guy knows is… Cha Eui-jae glanced at the apron hanging on the wall. That damn apron and the soup ladle that had been used for over five years in the restaurant— which had tragically been destroyed by Lee Sa-young today— were all he had left.

'He might try to get information through Ha-eun, but… since she's not family, nothing will show up in official records.'

He hadn't signed a formal employment contract, so it would be impossible to track him through official documents.

But… a slight unease took root in his mind. What if, by some incredible chance, Lee Sa-young came to this restaurant? Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes tightly and shook his head to dispel the ominous feeling.

"No way that's gonna happen."

Cha Eui-jae muttered to himself, trying to sound upbeat as he chopped green onions. Yeah, a pretentious guy who wore a gas mask as a fashion statement wouldn't set foot in a restaurant known for curing hangovers. Yet, the cheerful chopping didn't last long.

'…I should have killed them instead of knocking them out.'

Cha Eui-jae let out a short sigh and stared into the pitch-black darkness of the early morning.

He had only been hiding his power for a few months, and already a crisis was upon him. Life just never seemed to go as planned.