Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

The sound of that damn “puppy” after so long almost made me run over instinctively. I barely managed to stop myself, but seeing me hesitate brought a smirk to Seong San-ha’s face. Meanwhile, the air around Han Seo-jin turned razor-sharp in an instant.

 

“My… stic? Why is he here?”  

 

“Hyung.”  

 

Behind Park Mu-il, who was muttering stupidly, Han Seo-jin grabbed my arm and asked in a low voice. 

 

“Did you call him?”  

 

“…No. My phone’s dead, so I couldn’t contact him yet.”  

 

I had no idea why Seong San-ha was here at the airport instead of the workshop—especially right at the gate of the Center line.  

 

A short distance away from Seong San-ha stood people in Cheon Rang’s white uniforms, forming a line to prevent anyone else from approaching. Seong San-ha crooked a gloved finger in my direction.  

 

“Come here already. I’m not going to scold you.”  

 

Han Seo-jin blocked my path and spoke up.  

 

“What brings the Cheon Rang Guild Leader here?”  

 

Seong San-ha’s eyes narrowed.  

 

“Lucky timing. I was just on my way to retrieve what’s mine.”  

 

“To think you’d even consider showing up at the Center. Shameless doesn’t even begin to describe it.”  

 

“Why don’t you just hand him over quietly and get lost? Disciplining a kid with sticky fingers isn’t my thing.”  

 

“Hand him over? Who do you think took him first?”  

 

Watching their strange standoff, I asked indifferently.

  

“…What are you two doing? Do you know each other?”  

 

Both Seong San-ha and Han Seo-jin turned to look at me at the same time. Seeing the mix of disbelief, exasperation, and a hint of pity in their eyes, I felt wronged and turned to Park Mu-il for backup.  

 

“What? Did I do something wrong?”

 

“…….I won’t say anything, hyung nim.” 

 

Park Mu-il said, taking a step back. I glared at him for the cowardly retreat and scratched my head under the intense stares fixed on me. Finally, I looked at Seong San-ha.

 

“When did you get here? Weren’t you in Germany?”

 

“Greece, actually.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“I was only gone for a few days, and you managed to stir up quite a mess, huh? Seems you also forgot about our contract.”

 

The friendly smile in Seong San-ha’s eyes sent a chill down my spine. Despite our familiarity, the agreement between us was still in effect: secrecy about Hamal, and guaranteed safety as long as I kept him close.

 

Though technically I hadn’t violated the contract—Han Seo-jin had read my mind about Hamal, but that wasn’t entirely my fault—the fact that I’d been detained at the Center and nearly lost Cloud there was a close call. 

 

If Seong San-ha knew that much, he wouldn’t hesitate to take my workshop under Cheon Rang’s control. Trying to act natural, I forced an awkward laugh and waved it off.

 

“Forget the contract? What’re you talking about? We’re both here in one piece, aren’t we?”

 

“Good, then. Come here.”

 

“What, do I look like a dog to you?” 

 

I muttered, barely lifting a foot forward when Han Seo-jin grabbed my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“It’s not like that…..”

 

“I told you, we can’t trust anyone.”

 

With Han Seo-jin’s intense expression, I decided to hold off on explaining that, for the sake of the constellations, these two would eventually need to work together. For now, it seemed wiser to take Han Seo-jin to the workshop, especially since he’d just come around to my side. I lifted my powered-off phone and waved it in Seong San-ha’s direction.

 

“I’ll call you! Let’s talk later—maybe drop by the workshop when you get a chance!”

 

He didn’t respond, and as Seo-jin pulled me along by the arm, I didn’t catch his expression as we left.

 

***

 

In Park Mu-il’s car, we finally approached the area near my workshop. I craned my neck out the window, wondering if any customers might be around, when Seo-jin tugged at my shirt from the back seat.

 

“Hey, you’ll hurt yourself. Sit down.”

 

“Uh… hyung, are you sure we’re on the right path? Most workshops are to the west, closer to the center of Dalseom. It’s way too quiet around here; maybe we took a wrong turn…”

 

“No, it’s right—just go straight. Oh, park the car over there.”

 

The street near the workshop was eerily quiet, which, to be honest, was a bit of a letdown. But I tried to hide the disappointment; I’d had a few customers recently, after all… It’ll pick up soon.

 

As we parked and walked toward the workshop, we turned a corner and found Lim Cheong leaning against a wall, a cigarette between her lips.

 

“Cheong-ah!”

 

“…”

 

The cigarette, barely hanging from her parted lips, was caught just in time as Lim Cheong gave a slight nod. Her expression remained unreadable, but I could tell she was surprised.

 

“You’re safe.”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I was debating when to come find you.”

 

Her sharp gaze shifted behind me to the Espers. But what she’d said a moment ago struck me as strange, so I asked again, unable to hide my surprise.

 

“You mean you knew where I was?”

 

“…Yes. Zero figured it out alone. But he suggested waiting until today to see if you’d return on your own.”

 

Waiting until today? It might have been a coincidence, but it almost sounded as if Seong San-ha had known to expect me at the airport. Suspicious, to say the least.

 

“Sorry to make you worry. Things got complicated. Are you coming inside with us?”

 

“No… Please, go on ahead. I’ll follow shortly.”

 

I glanced at the cigarette still hanging from her hand and nodded.

 

“Alright. We’ll head in first. Is everyone there?”

 

“Just Yoon Ha-yan’s family at the moment.”

 

I nodded and took a few steps away. Once there was some distance, Park Mu-il hurried over, a bit too eager as he whispered.

 

“Hyung! You know Lim Cheong?”

 

“Yeah. She’s our workshop’s mercenary. Do you know her, too?”

 

“Of course! He’s Hunter Lim Dan’s younger sister! I’m a huge fan of Hunter Lim Dan.” Park Mu-il said with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

 

Lim Dan? The name clicked. I’d seen her before on the big screen at a dungeon — the same woman who shot a public service ad with Seong San-ha. The screen had drawn quite a crowd, with hunters waiting to catch just a glimpse of her. So, Lim Cheong is her younger sister? Now that he mentioned it, their names did sound similar, though their looks and vibe were worlds apart.

 

Judging by my expression, Park Mu-il realized this was news to me and looked as if his eyes would pop out of his head.

 

“You didn’t know?”

 

“Nope. I had no idea. Is Cheong famous, too?”

 

“She’s more under the radar; only certain people know about her. But still, she’s your workshop’s mercenary! How could you not know she’s Lim Dan’s sister?”

 

I barely know who Lim Dan is. How would I know her family tree? Nudging Han Seo-jin’s foot, I asked.

 

“You know Lim Dan?”

 

Seo-jin nodded. “Yeah, she’s pretty well-known.”

 

“There are people who’d do anything to get close to Lim Dan, you know? If her sister’s your mercenary, that’s practically a direct connection!”

 

Just then, I caught footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Lim Cheong emerging from the alley, her expression calm as always. She wasn’t smoking; there was no smell to suggest she had been, either. I waved off Mu-il, who was still talking excitedly.

 

“My mercenary is Lim Cheong, and that’s all that matters. I only bring the best into my workshop, and Cheong’s one of them.”

 

Strong, steady, and an ideal match with Zero — Lim Cheong was perfect for the job.

 

‘Seung-yeon said we need to renew the contract soon…..’

 

I thought in concern, but Lim Cheong had already vanished. Setting that thought aside, I pushed open the gate to the workshop’s garden, stepping onto the familiar grounds with Han Seo-jin and Park Mu-il following me slowly, eyes sweeping over the surroundings.

 

“This is my workshop.”

 

As I opened the door, the dimness inside struck me as unusual. The first to notice me was Su-cheol, who dropped his cleaning supplies and sank to the floor in surprise.

 

“B-Boss! You’re here…!”

 

The commotion brought down Ha-yan, Jeong-hyuk, and Ha-jeong, who looked equally astonished as they descended the stairs.

 

“You’re safe, boss! We were all really worried.”

 

“Boss!”

 

“What happened? Is everything alright?”

 

“Let’s start by getting a quick assessment.”

 

I said, grasping Ha-yan’s wrist to use my skill. Thankfully, her vitals and condition were stable, similar to how they’d been previously. Knowing she was safe relieved a weight off my mind. Without Seung-yeon present, I turned to Jeong-hyuk.

 

“How are the patients at the hospital?”

 

“Just as you warned, we did have some cases where patients relapsed due to the mana potion shortage, but we managed to suppress each incident by working together. After those incidents, everyone’s been extra cautious.”

 

“It’s a relief there hasn’t been anything serious.”

 

I replied, reassured. Behind me, Seo-jin muttered, “Relapse?” as Su-cheol approached with a question.

 

“Sir, are the two people behind you… clients?”

 

“They’re not……exactly cilents. Just… people. Sit down for a while.”

 

I said, gesturing for Han Seo-jin and Park Mu-il to sit down. Without a word, Su-cheol poured them tea. While Park Mu-il darted his eyes around, Han Seo-jin shot a quick glance at Jeong-hyuk’s family, who sat slightly apart. His gaze lingered a bit longer on Ha-jeong in her pajamas.

 

“So, those people over there… they’re the ones who took the fake potions? They don’t exactly look like guests.”

 

“They’re just staying at the workshop temporarily for some follow-up checks.”

 

“And you’re staying here too?”

 

I nodded, and Han Seo-jin’s face lit up with satisfaction. 

 

“Then I’ll stay here too.”

 

“What? Where did that come from?”

 

“You’re serious, Han Seo-jin?!” 

 

Park Mu-il’s face mirrored my shock as we both turned to Han Seo-jin, who looked as calm as ever, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

 

“It just makes sense for me to stay close to you, doesn’t it? For multiple reasons.…What’s the problem? Is that not allowed?”

 

“It’s not exactly forbidden, but…”

 

Before I could finish, Park Mu-il interjected in disbelief. 

 

“Of course, it’s a problem! You’ve got a ton of work lined up—you can’t just stay here. I let it slide for a few days, but now it’s time to get back. You’ve got meetings, reviews—people are lined up waiting for you.”

 

“I’ll get back to work. This is personal, so stay out of it, Park Mu-il.”

 

“Hey, you—!”

 

Park Mu-il shot up in anger, but just then, the door opened with a clear chime, drawing everyone’s attention. We turned to see Yeon Seung-yeon standing there, face flushed and clutching a paper box tightly to his chest. His breath was labored as if he’d run the whole way, and his expression twisted with emotion, almost as though he were about to cry.

 

“Ho-hyun…”

 

“Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

 

“Ho-hyun nim!” 

 

He cried, letting the box slip from his arms as he ran towards me with open arms. Caught off guard, I awkwardly began to stand, but before I could react, Han Seo-jin had already risen and stepped right in front of me. He blocked her approach, calmly placing a gloved hand on his forehead, gently but firmly holding his back.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Won Seung-yeon.”

 

“You… you’re…”

Jeez, he's still getting his name wrong. I am starting to wonder if that's on purpose.