After another hour of flirting and teasing with my now absolutely in love girlfriend, said girlfriend finally gained her senses.
So, after I cleaned up our long cold breakfast, I sat beside her at my sofa and handed her a cup of coffee. "Okay, Love. You clearly have questions for me. Ask me anything. If I can't or don't want to answer it, I'll tell you. But I'll never lie to you."
Yura took the cup of coffee from me and stared into my eyes, as if she was trying to see into my soul. Then, satisfied with what she saw, she nodded and said, "You'd better not lie to me after all of that, Neol. But first..." She tilted her head and said, "Who ARE you? You're not just an ordinary high schooler. And you're not a Hunter either..."
"Mm... that's a complicated question. Do you want to be more specific? I don't want to misspeak or leave anything out."
Yura blinked. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "That's worse than answering straight on... but fine. Let's do this. I'm Yura Shin. 18 years old... Ah, according to American standards. By Korean standards, I'm 19. I'm from America, but Mom's from here so she moved us back here when she found out I awakened to my ability. I just graduated high school last year. Your turn."
I nodded. "Alright. I'm Neol Won. Also 18 years old. I turn 19 on June 21st. Technically 20 if we're going by Korean standards, like you said. I graduated just a bit ago, but I'm pretty much set in terms of life. I write NovelBins, you see, and I make quite a lot from that."
Yura took a look around my apartment and said, "Considering you have a place just a little bit away from Main Street, I'd say that... Wait. NovelBins?" She gave me a sideways glance and said, "Like, the ones where the Hunters go to fantasy worlds?"
I blinked and then smirked. "Why yes. Do you know about them, Love?"
Yura flinched. "That's... well... S-S-So what if I do, huh? A girl can have her hobbies too you know!"
"Right..." I gave her a once over. Then I paused, thinking. "Wait." I stared pointedly at her eyebrows. Her black eyebrows. And then I remembered the 'other' hair color I saw last night... "Oh my god. You dye your hair violet?"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Yura flailed and swung a pillow at me, a bright red. "It's for the image! Hunters have to maintain a brand! I use violet lightning! I have to match!"
"Riiight."
Yura glared at me and then said, "W-W-Well, at least I'm interesting! Look at you, you... you... faker! You aren't normal at all, even though you look like it!"
"Love, I haven't been normal since the day I was born in this world." I laughed, playing it off as a joke.
But the best jokes always had a bit of truth in them. And I absolutely told the truth just now.
"Hmph." Yura crossed her arms, still red-faced. "...It's stupid. I'm never like this. How the hell are you making me act like some... some tsundere!?"
I smiled. "Love makes fools of men and women alike~"
"Who said I love you?! I just... that's... ugh." Yura slumped in her seat. "...Whatever. You promised that you'd tell the truth, right?"
I nodded. "That's right."
Yura stared at me, hesitating. Then she said, "You aren't one of the Ten, right?"
The Ten?
Ah, she was talking about the Ten SSS-Ranked Hunters.
Scattered across America, Japan, Korea, China, and Europe, there were roughly two in each country.
Apparently, there USED to be more. South America, Africa, and Australia had some too. But apparently, the cartels turned South and Central America into a no-man's land, Africa was riddled with Hunter Warlords, and Australia had a permanent gate outbreak dilemma.
As for why the rest of Asia didn't have any...
Well.
When China realized they had access to superhumans, and when they realized their sheer population resulted in lots of high rank Hunters...
Let's just say by the time the SSS-Ranked Hunters emerged, most of those countries were either glassed, genocided, or turned into elixirs.
Yes.
It was, uh... pretty bad.
That's why there's an international hunter accord run by the Legendary Hunter and the Ten to stop any country from doing that.
Now, there's nothing stopping an individual from doing that, but at the least it wasn't on the level of government sanctioned activity.
Ah, as a side tangent, the people responsible for that in China were executed. These days, China switched back from the communist state to more like Wulin. It's a place where technology coexists with martial arts and stuff.
Think Shaolin Temple, Mt. Hua, things like that.
But anyway.
To answer Yura's question...
"Nope." I smiled. "I'm just me. Did you think I was some older creep disguised as a young man?"
Yura flinched and said, "No! Not... it's just... well." She murmured. "It's weird. You seem so mature. And you're so mysterious too... Plus you do normal SCARILY well..."
Huh. Sharp instincts.
Well, I DID say I wouldn't lie.
I hummed and said, "Well... I do have my secrets. But does that matter?" I gave her a serious expression and said, "I mean it, Yura. Since you chose me, I'll choose to love you and only you. Even if everything in existence turns against you, I never will. If you decide to burn this world, I'll burn it right beside you."
Yura's breath hitched. Then she averted her gaze and mumbled, "That's not fair. You can't just say that and mean it. How am I supposed to doubt you when you're like that...?"
I kissed her chin and smiled. "You just trust me. I will always be on your side."
Yura stared at me. Then she said, "You're weird. Most people would say they won't betray me. But you're saying you're choosing my side all the time."
I winked. "My love's as sharp as ever. But that's right. Betrayal is a choice. But so is choosing you. And I choose you, always. Betrayal isn't even in the cards."
After all, I'd already died once for a stupid reason. This time, I might as well die for the sake of a beautiful young woman, right?
Yura's eyes watered again and she brushed them with her hands. "Dammit...! At this rate you might as well marry me already- No, don't you dare!" She glared at me, then at my pockets as if I was about to pull out a ring.
Honestly, if I had one, I would have pulled it out just to see her reaction. But sadly, I didn't.
Note to self: change that.
I laughed and said, "Before the year's over, Love. But until then, we should take the time to get to know each other, right?"
"...You damned pervert. You already know every inch of me..." Yura blushed and averted her gaze. "...But fine. No takebacks."
I nodded and said, "No takebacks."
Yura took a deep breath and fanned her face to regain her composure. Then she looked at me and said, "...You really are serious, aren't you? About me?"
"I'll say it as many times as you want, Love. I'm devoted to you. Everything I have and am, it belongs to you. From the moment you kissed me, I was yours."