Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Predator (1)

"Is it another unidentified S-rank this time?"

Jin Su-hyuk, the representative of Grand Nova, said that and gave a wry smile.

A new S-rank awakener who was said to have appeared during the recent Jeju Island rift incident.

"I wonder who that could be..."

There were more than a few suspicious aspects about the Jeju incident this time.

The unidentified S-rank awakener was one such factor, and so was the unprecedented gate crisis.

Considering the sheer number, the gates that actually appeared weren't of particularly high level.

'I heard an S-rank gate almost opened at the end, but that felt like a separate issue.'

Coincidentally, Shin Ah-yeon was on Jeju Island at the time. And the higher-ranked hunters from JM helped the association. Is this all just a coincidence?

If Shin Ah-yeon had been there, that meant Park Jung-woo was on Jeju Island, too.

Jin Su-hyuk wondered if this gate incident was also connected to those two, but then shook his head.

"Whew, this is probably too much of a stretch."

According to the information, Shin Ah-yeon had gone to Jeju Island for a movie shoot at Director Cha Jae-seok's request.

In other words, this trip wasn't something that Shin Ah-yeon or Park Jung-woo had planned with a purpose.

'But JM is different.'

JM had absolutely no reason to visit Jeju Island.

In fact, after the gate crisis was over, didn't they head back dragging their feet?

On top of that, Jin Su-hyuk had picked up some other interesting information.

For example, Ivan Hunt, who targeted Shin Ah-yeon, was one such tidbit.

"There's definitely something going on."

He muttered, quietly staring at the news displayed on the screen.

The article was about a new "Demonic Zone" soon to appear in Mexico.

***

I was bothered by the trouble arising in Mexico, but there was really nothing I could do.

Even if I flew to Mexico, I couldn't just recklessly solve an erosive-type dungeon that was about to become a Demonic Zone, and even if I did resolve it, I'd only raise their suspicions.

'If you're going to stop it, it's already too late once it's happened.'

You have to stop the perpetrator who creates it.

If only I could somehow get a lead on the demons, things could move forward—but there was no progress.

"Manager Park."

Just then, Soo-ah, who was sitting beside me, poked my side and quietly asked.

"Would you like to step out for a bit with me?"

Today, Soo-ah and I came to the Awakener Crime Investigation Division as part of the "Awakener Crime Prevention Ambassador" project.

We should have come much earlier, but because I ended up trapped on Jeju Island, our visit was delayed.

Thankfully, superintendent Shim Hyuk-soo of the awakener crime division understood, or things could have gotten really tangled up from the start.

Unlike last time, Soo-ah seemed quite uncomfortable here today.

No wonder—she wasn't the only hunter in the office today.

'Two A-rank hunters from KDC and NBT.'

They were silently staring holes into Soo-ah.

As if they might pierce right through her with their gaze.

"Sure, why not."

There weren't any other police officers in the office anyway, so we were just sitting around waiting.

A quick step outside for a breath of fresh air wouldn't be a problem.

"Haa."

No sooner had we stepped out of the office than Soo-ah let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders drooping.

"Why are they glaring at me like they want to kill me?"

"That's obvious, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"They're jealous, of course."

I'd already heard about them from Superintendent Shim Hyuk-soo.

They apparently kept up a good public image, but their personalities left much to be desired—they were the problem A-rank hunters in question.

"It's only natural. You went from C-rank straight to S-rank, Soo-ah-ssi. Of course they're jealous."

"Ah... I never thought about it that way. Honestly, I still can't believe I'm an S-rank hunter."

Her personality sure had brightened, but it really didn't feel like she was an S-rank.

She was still the type who would formally greet even B-rank hunters all the time.

"There'll be more people like that from now on. Here's a tip: when those sorts come at you, you have to step on them hard. If you don't, there's a good chance they'll keep up their shady business."

"S-step on them? No way, would they really go that far?"

"Well, it'd be nice if they didn't..."

Honestly, it seemed unlikely.

If I ended up officially helping with investigations in this division, it was obvious they'd eventually make a move.

"Oh, right. There's a lot I've been wanting to ask because of everything that's happened lately."

"Lately? Ah, you mean what happened on Jeju Island?"

"You smashed that S-rank gate, right? That was you, wasn't it, manager?"

"... No, it wasn't."

"Oh, come on. You used your fists on that demon before, too. When you swung your fist then, didn't your hand turn black?"

Soo-ah's powers of observation were as sharp as ever.

I had no idea she would catch on right away.

Any more denial would just draw more suspicion, so I had no choice but to admit it.

Rather than awkwardly hiding it, it was better to warn her in advance.

"It's true I did it, but please don't talk about it anywhere. It's not something I can do whenever I want. The requirements are really strict."

"Okay, I get it. Does Ah-yeon unni know about this too?"

"Ah-yeon? ... She hasn't asked, at least."

To begin with, the last time I spoke with Shin Ah-yeon was after we finished filming, when we parted ways at Incheon Airport. We hadn't called or otherwise contacted each other since, and she'd been staying home in the mansion ever since.

"R-really? Hmm, well, maybe that's for the best..."

"What?"

"Ah, nothing! Anyway, actually, I'm even more curious about something else than that gate!"

"A gate is no big deal?"

No matter what, that was an S-rank gate—wasn't she downplaying it too much?

"Um, did something happen between you and Ah-yeon unni on Jeju Island? Not filming or gate-related."

"If it's not about shooting or the gate..."

Did anything even happen?

If it was something that interested her more than destroying an S-rank gate, there had to be a reason, but I couldn't think of anything.

"At most, we visited the Jeju Island Hunter History Museum together."

"The Hunter History Museum? ... You went with Ah-yeon unni, just you two?"

"Yes, we had some free time so we stopped by. It's well done—you should go when you have a chance, Soo-ah-ssi. I recommend it."

The information there actually helped me, so I gave her a thumbs-up.

But for some reason, Soo-ah looked dissatisfied.

"Um... Can I ask what you did at the museum?"

"What else? We just looked around."

"Really? Hmm, then why..."

Her strange reaction made me tilt my head.

"Did something happen to Ah-yeon?"

"Ah, it's not that..."

"I answered all your questions, Soo-ah-ssi, so you should tell me a little, too."

"Ugh."

Soo-ah reluctantly nodded at my reasonable request.

"Fine. But it's really nothing."

"Hurry and tell me, then. I'm dying of curiosity here."

"Well, ever since Ah-yeon unni came back from Jeju Island, she hasn't been gaming."

"...!!"

My god, that's anything but nothing!

"She's not totally off—she still plays mobile games, though."

"Ah, you should have started with that. That had me worried for a moment."

"B-but it's still weird, you know? Normally, she split her time about 70:30 between PC and mobile games, but these days she just lies around playing mobile games nonstop."

So after coming back from Jeju Island, she'd just been lying there playing phone games.

That was so typical of Shin Ah-yeon in a way, but it was still odd.

"And she randomly kicks at her blanket."

"Kicks at her blanket?"

"And punches her pillow, too! Do you know how scary that is for her housemate?"

"Hmm..."

That does sound kind of scary.

If my roommate started punching pillows or kicking blankets by herself, that'd freak me out too.

"But I really have no idea... Ah, could it be because she cursed at me at the end?"

"She cursed at you, manager?"

"Yes. She suddenly shouted, 'You crazy bitch!' but wouldn't tell me why."

"Wow."

Unlike in high school, Soo-ah had probably never sworn in her life as an adult, so she was in awe.

"Maybe she did it reflexively, since she's used to swearing all the time?"

"I thought about it, and I think that's the most likely reason."

"Ah-yeon unni really needs to break that habit of swearing for no reason. Sometimes when I watch her game, it's scary, you know? When she swears in front of you, manager, trust me, she's being mild."

"That's her being mild?"

Sometimes I wondered how she didn't get reported to the cybercrime unit.

At that level, surely it must have happened at least once...

"Why are you both standing in front of the office door?"

Just then, superintendent Shim Hyuk-soo appeared with a bunch of papers.

For some reason, his expression was especially grim.

"You don't look well, sir. Are you feeling alright?"

Soo-ah asked, looking at him with concern, but Shim Hyuk-soo slowly shook his head.

"No, it's just... something's giving me a headache."

"A headache?"

He shot a glance my way, then hesitated for a moment.

It looked like he wanted to ask something but was deliberating.

"I don't know what it is, but if there's something you want to ask me, feel free."

"Whoa, was it that obvious?"

"A little."

"Well, since it's come to this, I'll just ask—do you know someone named Shim Chun-hoo?"

Shim Chun-hoo? There was no way I didn't know that name.

He was Javelin's vice-guildmaster.

If Shim Hyuk-soo brought him up directly, did they finally catch a lead on something?

"Yes, the vice guildmaster of Javelin. He's notorious for being ruthless and using any means necessary—"

"He's my younger brother."

"—and is the real power behind the guild, ruling it with charisma."

I never imagined Shim Chun-hoo would be Shim Hyuk-soo's brother.

'They had the same last name, but... my god.'

Now that I thought about it, I started to feel suspicious of Shim Hyuk-soo for no reason.

Could he have helped them evade the police's notice all this time?

But Shim Hyuk-soo had been keeping a close watch on JM, hadn't he?

That was odd.

"Must be because you're in the same field—you know your stuff. He really is a nasty guy."

"Ah, yes, well... rumors are rumors in this industry, aren't they?"

"I understand if you find his actions suspicious. That's why I've been trying to catch him myself."

"Why?"

Shim Hyuk-soo gave a bitter laugh at my words.

"How could I just watch my little brother run into fire with a can of gasoline? I was hoping to stop him before things got out of hand..."

He trailed off, unable to finish.

From his attitude, I realized something had happened to Shim Chun-hoo.

"He's gone missing. No contact at all."

The vice guildmaster of Javelin, Shim Chun-hoo, missing.

Then I finally understood why Shim Hyuk-soo had brought it up with me.

He'd taken an interest in Javelin and JM, and since I was in the same industry, he must have wondered if I had any information.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
They were brothers.
(ㆆ.ㆆ )
Also, I feel like Ah-yeon relapsed on the gacha game.