Chapter 29
[29] Oppa, What Exactly Is Your Relationship with That Woman?
“Wow.”
The moment Minjun entered the restaurant, he let out an exclamation of amazement.
When he’d spoken with Junhwi yesterday, he’d heard that it was an upscale Chinese restaurant.
But he hadn’t realized it would be this luxurious.
The elegant interior, along with the certificates and trophies displayed where everyone could see them, seemed to speak to the restaurant’s prestige.
As Minjun gazed around, mesmerized, Jiyoon sidled up to him.
“This place is popular with celebrities and high-ranking Hunters. It’s so hard to get a table that even they have to book a month in advance.”
“How did you manage to get a reservation?”
“My friend owns the place. I asked her, and she managed to squeeze us in.”
Perhaps she was proud of her friend. Jiyoon looked delighted as she talked about her and the restaurant.
“Wow. Your friend made it big at such a young age.”
“Right? Even I think she’s amazing.”
As Minjun and Jiyoon chatted warmly, Sia watched them from right beside him.
It was an ordinary conversation about nothing in particular, but Sia still felt uncomfortable seeing Minjun talking one-on-one with another woman instead of her.
She could have let her displeasure show, but she kept a poker face and continued watching him.
Perhaps he sensed how she felt, because Minjun turned toward Sia.
“If it’s good, let’s come back together sometime.”
“Mm!”
At his words, “together,” Sia’s mood softened.
After taking their seats and ordering a course meal, the four of them began chatting in earnest.
Given the reason they’d gathered, their conversation naturally began with words of gratitude.
“Thank you again.”
Jiyoon seemed overwhelmed with emotion as they talked. She took a sip of water before continuing.
“Actually, both of my parents passed away when I was young. Junhwi was the only family I had left…”
She spoke calmly, but Minjun could sense how she felt.
How much must those two siblings have relied on each other, growing up without their parents?
If Minjun hadn’t been there, Jiyoon would have lost the only family she had and been left all alone in this world.
Listening to her story naturally made Minjun think of Sia’s past.
She’d lost her entire family during the Gate disaster when she was in high school.
Even now, he could picture her sobbing alone at the funeral, having lost her family in an instant.
“I don’t think I could ever thank you enough.”
“Please, don’t mention it. I wasn’t the only one fighting, either.”
“What are you talking about? You took on almost all those villains by yourself, hyung. Wow, even as a guy, I thought you were incredible.”
Junhwi casually joined in. At the word “hyung,” Minjun shuddered theatrically, as though cringing.
“I told you to stop calling me that.”
“Habits are hard to break, hyung.”
For a moment, the unpleasant memories had nearly dampened Minjun’s mood. But Junhwi kept things light, and Minjun was able to shake off the gloom.
Meanwhile, Sia watched with pride as the siblings sincerely thanked Minjun.
Seeing her boyfriend recognized so warmly by someone else brought her great joy, too.
As the four of them continued their cheerful conversation, Sia joined in now and then while keeping an eye on Jiyoon’s reactions.
‘I still can’t tell.’
If anything, Jiyoon complimented Sia’s looks and asked her secret. She even admired how well their matching outfits suited them, without a trace of jealousy.
On top of that, Jiyoon and Junhwi had prepared a gift for the two of them: a pair of luxurious slippers, matching ones for Minjun and Sia.
No matter how she looked at it, there were no signs that Jiyoon had her eye on Minjun romantically.
Still, Sia kept reminding herself:
She mustn’t let her guard down until they’d said goodbye.
Anyway, while Sia fought her private battle, the first course finally arrived.
Crab Meat and Crispy Rice Soup.
The tender crab meat and crispy rice blended together beautifully.
Sia took a spoonful of soup and watched Minjun’s reaction.
“Is it good, Oppa?”
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
“I’ll make it for you sometime.”
She’d been learning to cook lately, and told him with a loving smile to just say the word whenever he wanted something delicious.
“Oppa, say ‘ah.’”
Sia scooped up a generous spoonful of soup and fed it to Minjun.
It was almost as if she were showing off their relationship to Jiyoon.
‘This is a little embarrassing.’
When they were alone, they often fed each other. But there were other people beside them now.
One was a younger friend he knew, and the other was that friend’s older sister.
And he’d only met the sister today.
Still, he couldn’t refuse the soup his adorable girlfriend was feeding him.
As soon as Minjun swallowed, Sia opened her mouth adorably, as if it was her turn.
“Anyone would think you two had been dating for less than a hundred days.”
The sight must have looked pretty sweet, because a smile spread across Jiyoon’s face.
“How long did you say you’d been together?”
“Almost five years.”
Jiyoon was surprised by Minjun’s answer.
“Wow. And you’re still so lovey-dovey.”
Five years was long enough for the excitement to fade, and for a couple to become more like comfortable friends than passionate lovers.
But—
“Anyone in our situation would be the same.”
They’d turned back the clock on one lifetime and miraculously reunited. How could their feelings for each other not remain so strong?
As he answered, Minjun rested a hand lightly on Sia’s shoulder and drew her closer. Sia snuggled up beside him with a smile.
The meal continued in this warm atmosphere, and at last, dessert arrived to mark the end of the course.
“By the way, Sia, you said you’re a Hunter too, right?”
Jiyoon asked.
“Yes. But I think I’ll take a break for a while.”
For Sia, there was no reason to go through the trouble of entering a Gate unless she could go with Minjun.
“You haven’t retired, though, have you?”
“No. I’m just taking a break for now.”
Even if it wasn’t possible at the moment, Sia dreamed that someday she and Minjun would enter a Gate together, just the two of them.
At Sia’s answer, Jiyoon clapped her hands.
“Perfect timing. There’s something I haven’t mentioned yet. You know my friend who owns this place? She used to be an A-rank Hunter.”
“Really?”
“Wow.”
Minjun and Sia were both interested by this unexpected news.
Jiyoon had said she was twenty-seven this year, and that the restaurant’s owner was her friend.
That meant the owner had succeeded as a Hunter and achieved a great deal as a businesswoman, too.
“She must be amazing.”
“She is. Even though she’s my friend, I think so too. Anyway, that’s not what I meant to say. I was wondering if I could introduce her to the two of you.”
Though she’d retired, she was still an A-rank Hunter.
Jiyoon explained that learning from the experience she’d gained as a Hunter could be helpful. And when you considered the connections she’d made along the way, she could help them in all sorts of ways.
It was Jiyoon’s way of showing gratitude to the two people who had saved her younger brother’s life.
But Sia seemed to sense something instinctively and asked:
“Your friend is a woman, right?”
Could this person see Minjun as a romantic prospect or not?
That was all that mattered to Sia.
Unaware of why Sia was asking, Jiyoon answered casually.
“Yes. She’s probably in the kitchen right now. If I call her, she’ll be here soon.”
Jiyoon called her friend and got a reply that she’d come over shortly.
By the time they’d nearly finished the second course, Jiyoon’s friend—and the restaurant’s owner—opened the door and came in.
“Jiyoon! How long has it been?”
“Yuna! Why have you been so busy lately? You said you’d have more time to see me after you retired!”
“That’s just how life goes. I never thought I’d end up running a restaurant, either.”
After greeting each other warmly, Jiyoon introduced her friend to Minjun and Sia.
“This is my friend, Go Yuna, the one I mentioned earlier. And these are the people I told you about. This is Minjun, who saved Junhwi’s life, and his girlfriend, Sia. She’s a Hunter, too.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure.”
As soon as they’d exchanged greetings, Go Yuna stared at Minjun’s face as if something seemed familiar.
“Why is she doing that?”
She was staring at someone else’s boyfriend so intently.
Just as Sia began to wonder whether to let her discomfort show, Yuna, the restaurant owner, tilted her head slightly. With a puzzled expression, she blurted out:
“Are you Yoon Minjun from Saetbyeol Kindergarten at Wooju Apartments?”
“…How do you know that?”
At Minjun’s reaction, Yuna’s uncertain expression turned into a confident smile.
“It’s me! Go Yuna! Don’t you remember playing house at my place? We went to kindergarten together!”
“Oh!”
As if the memory had finally come back to him, Minjun clapped his hands.
The woman who’d introduced herself as Go Yuna smiled brightly and greeted him with delight.
“I thought I’d never see you again. It’s so good to see you, Minjun! How have you been?”
“Wow, I remember everything now. What a coincidence, meeting like this.”
The coincidence was so unbelievable that Minjun briefly forgot Sia was standing beside him as he greeted Yuna warmly.
“We should get a meal together sometime.”
“Then…”
Minjun started to answer, but stopped and glanced at Sia.
“…”
Her expression didn’t give anything away, but Minjun had watched her long enough to know.
If he casually agreed, something would go very, very wrong.
“That’d be nice, but I’ve been busy lately. I don’t think I’ll have time for a while.”
“Really? That’s too bad.”
Yuna seemed genuinely disappointed to hear he had no time.
And Sia was watching the whole thing unfold right in front of her.
Whether Yuna didn’t notice Sia’s sharp gaze, or was pretending not to, she asked Sia with an easy smile:
“Or was it Sia? If you’re free, would you like to have a meal together sometime?”
It looked like simple goodwill on the surface, but Sia’s instincts were warning her.
That woman was dangerous.
Sooner or later, in some place or another, she would become a major obstacle between Minjun and Sia.
“Sure!”
Keeping those thoughts to herself, Sia answered brightly.
She needed to find out exactly what this woman was thinking.
As they talked and ate, an hour and a half passed before they knew it.
“We should get going.”
“You’re leaving already? Why don’t you have a cup of coffee first?”
Jiyoon seemed disappointed, saying there was a lovely café nearby.
But they didn’t seem to be in any condition to sit around chatting over coffee.
Feeling Sia’s scorching gaze from right beside me, I brought things to a neat close.
“We have plans. Thank you for lunch. Junhwi, I’ll get in touch with you later.”
“See you soon, hyung!”
After seeing the siblings off, only Yuna was left.
“Sia, let’s have a meal together sometime soon. I’ll get in touch. Minjun, it’s such a coincidence that we ran into each other. Let’s stay in touch now and then.”
She handed me her business card and told me to contact her there.
“I’m busy, so I have to get back inside. Let’s talk soon.”
“Okay, Yuna noona. Take care.”
Yuna waved us off with a smile until the very last moment before heading inside.
Once she’d disappeared from sight, the presence beside me gradually grew stronger.
Goosebumps began to rise all over my body.
It was definitely my instincts warning me.
“Oppa.”
Sia laced her fingers with mine and gazed steadily at me.
Usually, I found her eyes adorable. Why did they feel so cold today?
“That woman named Yuna… exactly…”
Sia’s voice grew more forceful.
At the same time, I could feel her mana surging through our clasped hands.
“What kind of relationship do you have with her?”