How a legendary returner lives

Whoosh.

My body is engulfed in white flames. The guy flinches.

“…What is this… This is nonsense…”

“Is it nonsense that you’re still breathing?”

Crack, the tendons on his forehead start to form. There’s no more space to carve them, but they keep appearing, so I guess his forehead is wider than I thought.

Then he shouted.

“Arrogant bastard! Die!”

It was in an instant. Light erupted from his hands. The light erased everything around him. The ground disappears, mana vanishes, and the air is gone.

I swung my arm.

[White Lotus Church Sacred Fire Seven Bindings.] [Chapter 5: Sun and Moon.]
The moon descends.

And then.

Boom-!!

***

The color of the gate changed. Outside, Cha Joo-yeon could see it. Slowly, Jin Si-hoo was walking out.

How should I explain this?

When I first saw that man, he seemed rather frail. We’d greet each other occasionally, but… something about his appearance seemed to have changed, I guess.

It wasn’t just now. I felt the same when I saw him a few days ago in Pangyo, and again when I first greeted him at this gate, and now.

His appearance had clearly changed.

And…

He had become more handsome. His aura had softened.

There was a certain ease about him that wasn’t there before.

But why is he wearing that coat? It’s already summer.

“Good job. And congratulations.”

“Congratulations?”

“Yes, Jin Si-hoo has just broken the unofficial record for the fastest B-rank gate clearance. Of course, it will be processed unofficially because it was done illegally.”

Jin Si-hoo just smiled as though he couldn’t care less about such things.

More than that…

“When did you awaken? It’s been over 8 years since we first met, and you’ve never mentioned this before.”

“It’s not that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t awakened. I just exert a bit of strength. More than the average person.”

It’s not just “a bit” of strength…

As Cha Joo-yeon looked at Jin Si-hoo, he too examined her. He looked her over, from top to bottom. It wasn’t in a sexual way or anything like that.

Jin Si-hoo’s eyes widened slightly as he spoke.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“…What?”

“We met in Pangyo, didn’t we? Late at night.”

“Right, you remember? It was late, and the distance was pretty far.”

At Cha Joo-yeon’s words, Jin Si-hoo smiled and looked around.

The awakened members of the Salvation Guild standing near Cha Joo-yeon and Jin Si-hoo didn’t even glance in their direction, keeping their focus on other areas.

It seemed their command structure was quite solid.

That was a bit reassuring.

Jin Si-hoo asked.

“You handle a bow, don’t you?”

Right now, Cha Joo-yeon was in casual clothes. She hadn’t even taken out a bow.

Actually, no.

To be more precise, there was no need for her to take out a bow. Anyone who searched a little online would know what weapon she used.

“…That’s a bit sudden.”

“Well, how about I give you some advice?”

Cha Joo-yeon was curious. What kind of advice was he going to give?

Before she could nod, Jin Si-hoo spoke.

“How about trying a short sword?”

“A short sword?”

“Yes. But the hilt should be around 40 cm, and the blade should be about 50 cm. The guard can be any shape, but the blade should always be a little longer than the hilt. Not too long, though. Try using a short sword like that. I think you’ll do well with it.”

Honestly, Cha Joo-yeon was a bit… baffled.

I mean, does such a sword even exist? A 40 cm hilt and a 50 cm blade?

And to suggest that to someone who uses a bow?

“Are you messing with me?”

“I’m not the type to mess with people like that.”

“…”

“I have good eyes. I can tell what people are good at, just by looking. And…”

“And?”

“Where’s our secretary?”

“He’s at work. There’s a lot of backlog. The Master is coming back tonight, and as you know, there’s been a lot going on, so he’s busy.”

She accepted that explanation.

“Well, thanks. Take care.”

With that, Jin Si-hoo left, and Cha Joo-yeon watched him walk away, her expression dazed.

For sure, something had changed.

***

Cha Joo-yeon headed straight to the Salvation Guild’s secretary’s office.

There, as always, she saw Yun Young-su sitting at his desk, tapping on his watch and filling out paperwork.

Honestly, it was a little sexy. Maybe more than a little.

“I’ve received the report that Jin Si-hoo has successfully cleared the gate. But, you said you had something to discuss?”

While busy with his work, Yun Young-su didn’t even look up, speaking only with his mouth.

Cha Joo-yeon stared at him blankly.

Even that was sexy.

A man obsessed with his work.

But also a kind man.

It would be strange if you didn’t fall for him. And he’s handsome, too.

When no response came, Yun Young-su looked up and met Cha Joo-yeon’s gaze.

“Team Leader?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is something going on?”

Cha Joo-yeon waved her hand.

“Ah, no, nothing like that.”

At Yun Young-su’s look, as if telling her to get to the point, Cha Joo-yeon went straight to the subject. She was confident that she knew Yun Young-su well enough. He was the type who didn’t like unnecessary words. And strangely, he liked strawberry-flavored candy.

“Jin Si-hoo cleared the gate. He brought some strange person with him, but he came out alone. Can you explain this?”

Yun Young-su stared at Cha Joo-yeon in silence.

“Team Leader Cha.”

“Yes, Secretary Yun.”

“I can’t give you an answer right now. This is still classified at the highest level.”

“…I’m starting to feel a bit hurt here. Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then why is it so hard to tell me…”

“…It’s not within my authority. By the way, have you had lunch?”

At that, Cha Joo-yeon smiled brightly as if the earlier conversation had never happened. There was no way she was busy. She had plenty of time.

Considering the mood, it seemed like he was asking her out on a date.

Finally.

“Then let’s go.”

“Where should we go? I’m not good at picking out a course.”

Yun Young-su blinked. A course? What was that about?

“A course?”

“…I was talking about food. Course meals. You know I like them.”

“Is that so? I thought you preferred Jajangmyeon and Sweet and Sour Pork. Well, if it’s course meals, I know a good place. Beef is okay, right?”

“Of course.”

And so, the two of them left.

As they walked out of the front gate of the Salvation Guild, they both stopped in their tracks.

That was because they spotted a man walking toward them. And that man…

He was someone who could never be ignored by any key member of the Salvation Guild.

His hair was neat, and he was dressed in a sharp black suit. He looked well-maintained, so despite being in his late 50s, he appeared to be in his mid-40s.

“Ah, Secretary Yun, is that you? And Olympic archery player Cha Joo-yeon as well.”

“I’m not an athlete. I’m Team Leader Cha.”

At Yun Young-su’s words, Cha Joo-yeon glanced at him with a strange look. Well, anyway…

Yun Young-su turned to the man and asked.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

To be clear, Yun Young-su was always a very polite man. Whether it was a stranger or someone he knew, he always treated them kindly and spoke with warmth.

That was just how he was.

But right now, Yun Young-su didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked almost angry.

That’s understandable. The man in front of him was someone who could make Yun Young-su upset.

The man smirked and said.

“What do you mean, what brings me here? Obviously, it’s because of this.”

He rubbed his thumb and index finger together, making it clear he was here for money.

“…You have no shame, do you?”

“Shame? Does that put food on the table?”

Yun Young-su was genuinely frustrated.

“So, what is it this time?”

“Do I really need to explain to the Secretary? It’s simple—just a few friends getting together to play some games, and you know how it is. You end up putting something on the line and sometimes you lose.”

“You’re saying you gambled?”

“That’s a weird way to put it. It’s not gambling, it’s just a game.”

Since their reunion, Jin Si-hoo and Jin Song-yi had never once talked about their parents.

It wasn’t because they forgot, but because they intentionally avoided the topic. They each had their reasons for not wanting to talk about it.

But there’s something that needs to be addressed.

Jin Si-hoo and Jin Song-yi weren’t orphans.

They were originally from Seoul, but moved to Cheongju because of their father’s gambling debts.

Their mother had passed away in an accident, and their father, Jin Tae-seob, had used even the insurance money from her death to gamble.

No matter how he was in the distant past, now he was nothing but trash. He wasn’t even human, just a dog.

“Jin Tae-seob, I’m sure I told you before. If you keep gambling, there will be no further financial support.”

“Heh, even if you call it gambling, it’s still just a game.”

Jin Tae-seob was always like this.

He demanded money, using his connection with Jin Song-yi to manipulate the media and create all sorts of trouble.

He was someone beyond Yun Young-su’s control.

And fundamentally, Jin Song-yi was too kind-hearted.

Because of her affection, she couldn’t get rid of this man.

Honestly, he was just garbage.

“Leave. There’s no money for you.”

After saying that, Yun Young-su turned to the front gate guard.

“Stop him from entering, whether you have to break his arms or whatever. I’ll take responsibility.”

Seeing Yun Young-su’s action, even Jin Tae-seob, who had been acting like a troublemaker, had no choice but to stop.

“Heh… you really don’t know how to respect your elders. If it was back in the day, I would’ve…”

He clicked his tongue, and Cha Joo-yeon and Yun Young-su stared at him coldly.

They continued to watch until he disappeared from view.

Cha Joo-yeon subtly whispered.

“I feel like there’s something going on here.”

“…Whatever it is, it’s not going to happen anymore.”

Cha Joo-yeon made a genuinely regretful expression.

Yun Young-su hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he had handled the situation perfectly.

And as for Jin Song-yi, it could be seen differently depending on the perspective, but she hadn’t done anything wrong either.

She was just too kind.

That was both a strength and, at times like this, a weakness.

“How about telling the Master about this?”

“…We’ll see. He’s busy right now, and I don’t want to bother him with something like this.”

Shrugging, Cha Joo-yeon led Yun Young-su to a nearby restaurant.

After all, they had to eat. All of this was just to make a living.