Lee Kanghyun immediately shoved the mana stone into his pocket and headed for the exit without looking back.
“We should go together, Kanghyun.”
Kang Yujun strode up and slung an arm around Lee Kanghyun’s shoulders.
“You’re heavy. Get off.”
“Don’t want to. My legs are giving out, so I think I need someone to support me.”
“Quit lying. You were perfectly fine a second ago.”
“My mental health took a hit too. From hauling you around.”
Kang Yujun deliberately leaned his weight onto Lee Kanghyun, crushing him beneath it. Lee Kanghyun shoved at him in disgust, but Kang Yujun clung like glue.
“Ugh, you stink! Get away from me!”
“I do not.”
“You do. You smell like blood. And snakes.”
“Isn’t that coming from your clothes?”
Their bickering shadows stretched long across the cave wall.
Bzzzzzz—
The sound of a drone came from outside the gate. Then someone’s voice boomed through a loudspeaker.
—The time is now 6:30 p.m.! The A-rank gate has been confirmed cleared! Hunter Kang Yujun, excellent work!
Cheers from the reporters and spectators waiting outside the cave entrance rolled toward them like a wave. Beyond the exit, camera flashes began going off like lightning.
Lee Kanghyun stopped dead.
Ah.
He had forgotten.
Hell was waiting for him outside.
And these bastards knew perfectly well that he had entered with Kang Yujun, yet they were only thanking Kang Yujun for his hard work.
The malice could not have been more obvious.
“I’m not going out.”
Lee Kanghyun turned around and tried to flee back into the darkness.
Kang Yujun caught him by the back of the neck.
“Where do you think you’re going? You owe me dinner.”
“No! How am I supposed to go out there? Look at the cameras. Look at all those people.”
“It’s fine. I’ll cover for you.”
Kang Yujun smiled as he pulled Lee Kanghyun toward him.
“But on one condition.”
A chill ran down Lee Kanghyun’s spine at that smile.
Whenever this bastard smiled like that, something incredibly troublesome always followed.
“What.”
“From now on, you raid one gate with me every week. No going alone. You have to go with me.”
“Are you insane? Absolutely not!”
“Then I’ll just leave by myself. The reporters probably won’t go anywhere until you come out, so enjoy all the interviews you want.”
When Kang Yujun made as if to release him, Lee Kanghyun recoiled in horror and grabbed his arm.
“Ah, fine. Fine! I’ll do it, okay?”
“Good. Deal.”
Looking satisfied, Kang Yujun wrapped an arm around Lee Kanghyun’s shoulders.
Then he walked out, deliberately waving toward the countless camera lenses.
Lee Kanghyun buried his face against Kang Yujun’s shoulder and tried to erase his presence as much as humanly possible.
If he had known the next morning’s front pages would look like this, he never would have done it.
[Kang Yujun and Lee Kanghyun Clear Gate in Heated Embrace, Flaunt Bromance… “We’re the Perfect Partners”]
[The Class of an S-Rank! Kang Yujun Shows “True Leadership,” Looking After Teammate Despite Exhaustion]
[Lee Kanghyun Buries Himself in Kang Yujun’s Arms—The Passionate Friendship of S-Rank Hunters]
[“National Trash” Lee Kanghyun’s Unexpected Good Looks? Visual Shock Turns Mismatched Socks into Fashion]
[“Move, I Want to Get Off Work”—Lee Kanghyun’s Ice-Cold Exit Line Goes Viral]
Articles poured out, and the comment sections became outright war zones.
Lee Kanghyun’s return, with all the controversies surrounding him, had become a subject of nationwide interest.
And just like that, Lee Kanghyun’s peaceful life as a recluse was forcibly brought to an end.
It was not as though Lee Kanghyun had gone five full years without raiding any gates. He had simply done so privately, slipping in and out without the public knowing.
It had been nearly five years since the public had officially seen Hunter Lee Kanghyun.
[Lee Kanghyun Sparks Attitude Controversy in Comeback Raid… Shuffles Around in Slippers, Says He “Wants to Get Off Work”]
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And it was not just the news.
Online communities were in an uproar too.
[Anyone See Yujun at the Ansan Gate Yesterday~?]
I took my kid over to watch~^^ Yujun is even taller and more handsome in person. But that Hunter Lee Kanghyun who came out with him, my goodness… the way he was dressed… My child asked, “Why is that guy wearing different socks?” and I had no idea what to say. Still, seeing Yujun take care of him all the way out really showed what a good person he is. Lee Kanghyun should at least buy Yujun a nice meal~
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[Lee Kanghyun’s Free Ride Is LEGENDARY]
(Photo: Lee Kanghyun emerging from the gate perfectly clean beside a slightly exhausted-looking Kang Yujun)
Going in: Lee Kanghyun whines because he doesn’t want to do it. Kang Yujun drags him inside.
Coming out: Kang Yujun is sweating + looks tired. Meanwhile Lee Kanghyun? Hair looks EXACTLY the same as when he went in. Not a single drop of sweat.
Kang Yujun clears an A-rank gate by himself while Lee Kanghyun takes a leisurely stroll behind him and comes back out. Forget S-rank Hunter, this guy’s S-rank baggage lololol. Is Kang Yujun a saint or a sucker? Why does he put up with this?
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[Why the Hell Is Lee Kanghyun STILL Not in the Military?]
People have been talking about this forever lol. Saw him raid a gate today and he looks perfectly healthy, so why isn’t he serving?
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[Honestly Kang Yujun and Lee Kanghyun Are Both INSANELY Hot]
I was literally watching the news and unfollowed my favorite celebrity because he suddenly looked like a squid next to them, fuck.
First, Lee Kanghyun. You saw him yesterday in those garbage sweatpants and mismatched socks, right? His hair looked like a bird’s nest. But his face completely overpowered the homeless look.
Honestly, once I saw his face, I understood why his personality is such a disaster. If he looked like that AND had a nice personality too, fuck… it would destroy all sense of realism.
And Kang Yujun has always had that elite image. Flawless, barely ever smiles in interviews. Sharp-eyed, cold handsome type.
But did you see him standing next to Lee Kanghyun yesterday?
(Photo: Kang Yujun waving to reporters with an arm around Lee Kanghyun’s shoulders)
Whoa… I never realized Kang Yujun could look that gentle lol. Lee Kanghyun looks so sharp and touchy, like some hardcore gangster, that Kang Yujun looks ridiculously soft by comparison.
Kang Yujun normally looks really cold, but put him next to someone who genuinely looks vicious and suddenly he’s just a huge golden retriever who listens to his owner.
Forget personality. Their faces are definitely S-rank.
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At that same moment, Lee Kanghyun—the center of all the attention—was sleeping peacefully, utterly oblivious to the world.
He was dreaming of a day when he had visited the Association at twenty years old.
Walking down a corridor, Lee Kanghyun encountered a man coming from the opposite direction.
Tall, striking, with sculpted features.
Kang Yujun, whose face appeared on the news so often Lee Kanghyun was sick of seeing it.
Lee Kanghyun glanced at him and looked away.
So that’s the other S-rank. Pretty polished-looking.
Then he tried to walk right past him.
There was no reason to acknowledge him and create unnecessary hassle.
But Kang Yujun stepped in front of him.
‘Excuse me. You’re Hunter Lee Kanghyun, right?’
‘…Why?’
What does this guy want? Annoying.
At Lee Kanghyun’s curt response, Kang Yujun’s eyes lit up.
‘I’m a fan. I’ve really wanted to meet you.’
His smile was so kind and well-mannered it seemed almost unreal.
Back then, Lee Kanghyun had thought Kang Yujun seemed polite and decent.
Up to that point, it was exactly like their real first meeting.
Then things started getting strange.
‘Then, as a little fan service, why don’t you come raid a gate with me?’
‘…What?’
‘Come on. Right now.’
In an instant, a whip made of deep-blue water appeared in Kang Yujun’s hand.
The pleasant smile from moments before had been replaced by something demonic.
‘Come on. Time to work, Kanghyun. You don’t have time to rest.’
‘What the hell are you talking about? Let go of me! You said you were my fan!’
‘That’s exactly why I’m doing this. Hurry up and show me how you kill monsters. Hm? Come on.’
Before he knew it, the surroundings had transformed into a gloomy gate.
Kang Yujun approached Lee Kanghyun with disgusting snake monsters dangling from both hands.
‘You promised. You said you’d be a Hunter with me and only me for the rest of your life.’
‘I did not! I never said that!’
‘No. You will. Forever…’
Kang Yujun grinned and shoved a snake’s head toward him.
‘AAARGH!’
Just as Lee Kanghyun screamed and stumbled backward—
Bzzzt. Bzzzt—!
A vibration buzzing beside his ear made his eyes snap open.
“Hah… Hah…”
Cold sweat streamed down him.
Breathing hard, he looked around.
No snakes.
No deranged Kang Yujun.
Just the familiar sight of his own room.
For a dream, it had been horrifyingly vivid.
His phone vibrated nonstop, spitting out notification after notification.
Obviously Kang Yujun.
There was no one else who ever contacted him.
Lee Kanghyun stuck only one hand out from under his blanket and grabbed the phone.
He did not even check the screen.
He simply held down the power button.
The screen went dark.
The vibrations stopped.
With the irritating noise gone and silence restored, Lee Kanghyun gradually began to calm down.
He rubbed his face against his pillow.
Now that he was rolling around in his own bed, the remnants of the nightmare faded, leaving only a pleasant languor wrapped around his entire body.
Lee Kanghyun let out a satisfied sigh and buried his face in the pillow.
My blanket. My home. I missed you so much…
It almost brought tears to his eyes.
Kang Yujun would undoubtedly raise hell later when he discovered Lee Kanghyun had turned off his phone, but right now, Lee Kanghyun needed rest.
Especially after a nightmare like that.
Just thinking about Kang Yujun’s sly smile and relentless persistence sent goosebumps crawling over his entire body.
After the gate raid that day, Kang Yujun had put Lee Kanghyun in his car, saying they should hurry up and go eat Korean beef.
Except the place he took him was not a restaurant.
It was Kang Yujun’s house.
Lee Kanghyun remembered Kang Yujun grilling meat while saying, ‘It’ll be noisy if we eat out. I’ll grill it for you.’
The meat had been good.
He would admit that much.
But throughout the entire meal, Kang Yujun had constantly pestered him with, ‘Is it good?’ ‘Want more?’ ‘What do you want next time?’
Lee Kanghyun had nearly gotten indigestion.
He pulled the blanket all the way over his head.
He still could not believe he had to raid a gate with Kang Yujun once every week.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he chose to escape reality by going back to sleep.
Please let it have been a dream.
When I wake up, please let me be back to my peaceful life as a bum.
When Lee Kanghyun finally woke again, the sun was already high in the sky.
It was two in the afternoon.
He felt refreshed.
Naturally—he had slept for more than half a day as though unconscious.
“Mmm…”
Lee Kanghyun squirmed under the blankets.
Instinctive hunger began creeping in.
Should he turn his phone back on and order delivery?
Or eat the cup noodles buried somewhere in his cupboard?
No.
Both were too much trouble.
I’ll just lie around.
Lee Kanghyun had just finished making that delightful decision and was rolling happily around in bed when—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
His expression instantly went flat.
He tried covering his ears to block it out, but his sworn enemy’s voice still penetrated his eardrums.
—Kanghyun. Open the door.
Lee Kanghyun did not even dare breathe loudly.
He lay rigid beneath the blanket like a corpse.
Pretend I’m not here. I’m not here. I’m dust.
But the unwanted visitor outside was persistent.
—If you don’t open up, I’m coming in.
Ridiculous.
How was he supposed to come in when he did not know the code?
Lee Kanghyun scoffed.
Three seconds later, that scoff turned into horror.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beedle-dee!
With a cheerful unlocking chime, the door lock opened with humiliating ease.
What…?
Lee Kanghyun’s eyes shook beneath the blanket as though an earthquake had struck.
How the fuck does that lunatic know the code to my door?
Click.
Before Lee Kanghyun could even decide how to respond, the front door swung wide open.
Kang Yujun strode inside as casually as though he were entering his own home.
Both hands were loaded with full grocery bags.
“Wow…”
The moment Kang Yujun stepped inside, he gave an incredulous laugh.
“You really are incredible. I thought there was no way, but your door code is actually ‘0000’? Are you telling burglars, ‘Welcome in, please rob me’?”
Lee Kanghyun felt wronged.
What’s wrong with 0000? It’s so easy to type.
He pulled the blanket all the way over his head and muttered,
“Get out. This is trespassing.”
“If your code is 0000, this isn’t a private residence. It’s a community shelter. Anyone can drop by and rest.”
“I said get out!”
Lee Kanghyun practically screamed the words.