The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 249

Uijae held Sa-young’s face in his hands, carefully inspecting every inch of it. A low growl of contentment echoed from Sa-young as he nuzzled into the touch.

‘I can’t monitor him all the time, so you go in and check his condition too!’

That had been the not-quite-command from ‘Hong Yeseong.’ In his current state, Lee Sa-young seemed more driven by his instincts than usual. He clung to Uijae more than ever, seeking constant physical contact and comfort. If Uijae pulled away even slightly, Sa-young would immediately show his displeasure. Still, the boundaries Uijae had set last time seemed to hold, as Sa-young hadn’t crossed a certain line.

As Sa-young rubbed his cheek against Uijae’s palm, Uijae asked, "Are you alright?"

"I can bear it... for now."

"How long do you need to stay here today?"

"Mm, I don’t know..."

Sa-young began gnawing on Uijae’s hand. With a sigh, Uijae sat down on the damp floor with a wet slap, pulling Sa-young close. The chains and metal bars rattled as Sa-young's hands gripped them tightly. They couldn’t be removed.

A heavy feeling settled over Uijae’s heart. He felt powerless, as if there was nothing he could do. Stroking Sa-young’s hair as he started nibbling at his neck, Uijae closed his eyes.

What value do I have if I can’t even fight?

That thought crossed his mind unexpectedly.

---

Uijae received a call from Haeun just after he had showered in the Wave Guild’s facilities. He noticed a missed call from her and dialed back. Her voice sounded a little down when she answered.

—Uncle, could you come pick me up today? But only if you’re not busy...

How could he refuse such a request? Uijae immediately contacted Mackerel, who grumbled about not being a personal chauffeur but still drove him in an old truck to Haeun’s school. They arrived just in time for dismissal. Uijae spotted a small figure walking with her head down. He spread his arms wide.

"Haeun-ah!"

Haeun looked up, and her previously gloomy face lit up with a bright smile. She ran straight into Uijae’s arms, though he caught her just before she collided to prevent her from getting hurt.

"So, Uncle, guess what? The teacher gave us some homework..."

"Yeah?"

With Haeun’s pink character backpack slung over his shoulder, Uijae listened to her excited chatter as they walked to a nearby convenience store. They sat across from each other on the plastic chairs outside, and Uijae handed her a yogurt with a straw. While drinking her yogurt, Haeun pointed at his hair.

"Uncle, aren’t you going to dye your hair anymore?"

"Dye my hair?"

Uijae picked at his bangs, inspecting them. No matter how expensive the Kraken ink dye was, the black never lasted long. His hair always returned to its original ashy gray soon after. The last time he had dyed it had already faded. Uijae shrugged.

"Yeah, I’m just leaving it for now. How’s school? Everything okay?"

"It’s fine, except it’s boring."

"Why’s it boring?"

"The teacher says we can’t go anywhere after school. No staying in the computer room or library. And all the kids go to academies..."

Haeun kicked her feet under the table. Uijae wondered if she was having trouble fitting in with her peers. He tried to recall his own childhood, but memories of that time felt distant and vague. And kids today were born into a world with Awakeners and cracks—different from the world he grew up in. Their perspectives were bound to be different, too.

Uijae tore open a bag of snacks and spread them out on the table.

"Do you want to go to an academy too?"

"No... but I don’t have anyone to play with."

"Because they’re all going to academies?"

"Yeah. And now you’re not around either."

Her bowed head looked even more downcast. It must be hard for her if she didn’t have friends to hang out with. Even if she had friends in school, if she couldn’t spend time with them afterward, she’d end up feeling lonely. Uijae vaguely remembered his own experience of loneliness as a child.

"...Do they still have taekwondo or hapkido classes these days? Do you want to try going to one of those? It might be fun."

"...Do you have a lot of money, Uncle?"

Uijae was speechless. He’d heard people ask for loans or joke about his wealth, but it was the first time someone had directly asked him if he had money. Haeun sighed dramatically as she sucked on her straw.

"Uncle, you’re unemployed."

"Where did you even learn that word...?"

"Minji lives with her unemployed uncle, and her mom is always mad at him."

"......"

Uijae feigned ignorance.

"I told you before, I work at the Wave Guild. I have plenty of money."

"......"

Was that really the look of a child? Haeun’s suspicious eyes examined his face closely, as if she wouldn’t believe him without evidence. Uijae realized he’d need to get a fake business card printed. Scratching his head, he replied, "I’ll show you my business card next time. Will you believe me then?"

"Yeah."

"And about taekwondo, if you want to go, we can sign you up this month. I’ll talk to your grandmother about it. Or we can register right now."

Haeun’s head shot up, and her eyes sparkled. It was adorable.

"Really? Can we?"

"Yeah. Is there a place you want to go?"

"Minji goes to a taekwondo place nearby. It’s close!"

Haeun jumped out of her plastic chair as if she were ready to dash there right away. Uijae smiled as he followed her small figure, skipping along in front of him. She seemed to have grown a bit since the last time he’d seen her. He felt a pang of guilt—since the haejangguk restaurant had closed, he hadn’t been able to check in on Haeun and her grandmother as much.

‘I need to pay more attention.’

As he followed her, they passed a familiar alley—the one where the haejangguk restaurant used to be. His steps slowed. It felt strange to be there with Haeun. It was as if the restaurant doors could open any moment, ready for business again.

"......"

Uijae deliberately averted his gaze from the red letters on the closed door. He knew better. The memories of the restaurant flooded his mind, though. His grandmother wouldn’t reopen it. Her knees were still in bad shape. They’d probably end up closing the place permanently. It wasn’t like Uijae could go back and run it himself.

"It’s just up ahead!"

Haeun stopped in front of a nearby building. Uijae looked up. A sticker of a cute tiger in a taekwondo uniform was plastered on the window, along with some cracked blue letters.

**Gak Seong Taekwondo** 

Everyone was throwing the word “Awakener” around these days, it seemed. Uijae looked at the place with mild skepticism and followed Haeun up the stairs to the third floor. The door was wide open. He peeked inside. Slippers and small shoes were scattered at the entrance, and the place seemed tidy enough. He could hear the sounds of children laughing and yelling as they practiced. Not bad. As Uijae rubbed his chin, someone approached him.

"How can I help you?"

"Ah, I’m here to register for... Oh?"

Uijae’s eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly open. The man in the taekwondo uniform looked exactly like Baewon-woo, whom Uijae had just seen in Incheon. Without thinking, Uijae pointed at the man.

"B-Baewon-guy?"

"......"

The man’s expression turned flat for a moment, but it seemed like he was used to it. He quickly wiped away his reaction and bowed politely.

"He’s my cousin."

"...Baewon-guy? Or you?"

"Baewon-woo is my cousin."

"Ah, I see. Right..."

They looked so alike that Uijae could have sworn they were brothers. The man, Baewon-woo’s cousin, glanced at Haeun, who was now gazing up at him with bright eyes, and smiled. That smile was so similar to Baewon-woo’s that it gave Uijae a slight chill.

"Is this the student you’re registering?"

"Yes, that’s right."

"I’m Minji’s friend! Minji goes here, right?"

"Minji? Jang Minji? Yeah, she should be here in about ten minutes."

"Uncle! I want to come here!"

"Alright, alright..."

Uijae’s mind was already half gone. So when Baewon-woo’s cousin sat him down and began explaining the curriculum and schedule, Uijae just nodded along absentmindedly. Then something caught his eye. In the corner of the small office was a framed picture. It looked like a photo of Baewon-woo and his cousin with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

‘They look creepily alike...’

Just as Uijae made a puzzled face, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the hallway. Uijae and the instructor turned at the same time. A

 student, looking slightly older than Haeun, burst into the office, on the verge of tears.

"Master!"

"What is it? What’s wrong?"

"They’re back downstairs... They’re blocking the stairs this time!"

"......"

The instructor’s face went cold. He stood up abruptly and bowed to Uijae.

"Please excuse me for a moment. We can continue our conversation afterward."

"Oh, uh, sure. Can I come with you?"

"...I’d rather you didn’t."

"I’m an Awakener, you know. Only D-rank, though."

Uijae had long since gotten used to lying about his rank. However, the instructor’s expression only grew sterner. He slowly shook his head.

"That’s all the more reason you shouldn’t follow."

"Why not?"

Faint voices could be heard in the distance, growing louder.

"Awakeners, leave...!"

Uijae’s face hardened.