I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

A small café in Sangdang-gu, Cheongju.

The business hours had ended, and the last customer had long since left. Inside, a woman was tidying up, cleaning the store for the final time that evening.

Her black hair fell gracefully around her face, and her dark eyes reflected a quiet determination as she worked.

This was Han Sooyoung.

Despite being in her early 30s, her youthful appearance made her look as though she were still in her early 20s. But even she couldn’t completely hide her exhaustion as she paused for a moment, leaning on the mop.

“Phew…”

She let out a small sigh, a mixture of weariness and relief from the day’s hard work.

At that moment, a small yet cheerful voice broke the quiet atmosphere.

“Mom, are you tired? Should I help you?”

Turning toward the sound, Sooyoung smiled softly at the sight of her daughter.

Han Ran.

Her daughter, now 13 years old, looked up at her with bright, inquisitive eyes.

Ran was the spitting image of her mother. It was almost as if someone had turned Sooyoung back into a child, she would look just like her daughter now.

The only difference was in their eyes. Sooyoung had deep black eyes, while Ran’s were an unusual, vivid shade of red.

Seeing her daughter’s wide, concerned eyes, Sooyoung felt her exhaustion begin to fade away.

“No, it’s fine,” she said gently, her voice carrying a warmth reserved only for Ran. “I’m almost done. Just wait a little longer, okay?”

“Okay, Mom!” Ran said with an enthusiastic nod. “I’ll go back to studying. I’m going to get a perfect score on the math test tomorrow!”

“You’re such a good girl,” Sooyoung replied with a smile. “Study hard and become someone amazing, alright?”

“Yes, Mom! I promise!”

Hearing her daughter’s cute, confident response, Sooyoung couldn’t help but smile wider.

Her heart felt light as she returned to her task, scrubbing the tables with renewed energy.

Just then-

–Tiriling~

The doorbell chimed, signaling someone entering the café.

Caught off guard, Sooyoung instinctively turned toward the door, already halfway through her polite dismissal.

“Oh, I’m sorry! We’re closed for the day, so- ”

Her voice trailed off abruptly, and her expression shifted into one of pure surprise.

Standing in the doorway was someone she hadn’t expected to see.

“It’s been a while, sister,” the man said with a gentle smile.

“Jinhyun!” Soo-young gasped.

It was him.

The face she hadn’t seen in almost two years.

In response, Sooyoung dropped the rag she was holding and hurried over, grabbing my hand.

“How long has it been? Without any contact? Weren’t you busy with work? No… more than that, why does your face look so drawn? Have you not been eating properly?”

“Hahaha… Well, I’ve been busy with a lot of things,” I replied, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. “And the reason I didn’t call was that I wanted to surprise you a little after so long.”

“Honestly…” she sighed, but her eyes sparkled with warmth. “Anyway, welcome back. Sit down! Can I get you something to drink? Or maybe something to eat…”

“Didn’t you just say the café was closed?” I asked, smiling apologetically. “I feel bad for interrupting like this.”

“Where’s the need to feel bad?” she said with a laugh. “Your older sister taking care of you isn’t a problem. Now, hurry up and tell me if you’re really hungry; I’ll even make something myself.”

“Haha, well… if you insist, I’ll just have a cup of your cocoa. The kind you make. I’m not particularly hungry.”

“Is that so? Alright then, wait here for a moment,” she said with a bright smile as she turned and headed back behind the counter.

***

Sooyoung had always been like this.

Ever since I was a child, she’d been a kind and dependable presence in my life.

Han Sooyoung.

My older sister, not by blood, but someone far more important to me than most people with blood ties could ever be.

And… she was also the woman I had once truly loved.

Though circumstances had prevented us from being together in that way, she remained someone who felt like home to me. Her warm personality and gentle nature had always been a haven, a place I could mentally retreat to even in the harshest times.

When I was living through hell in the Hunter Guild, it had been her messages, her words of encouragement, and her presence, even if it was from afar, that had kept me sane.

And now, sitting here and seeing her radiant smile as she happily made me a cup of cocoa, I finally started to feel like I could relax.

For the first time since leaving the guild, I felt truly at peace.

‘Really… coming here right after being discharged was the best decision I could’ve made.’

The sweet aroma of cocoa wafted from the counter as Sooyoung prepared it, washing over me like a soothing balm. I leaned back slightly, letting myself sink into the warmth of the moment.

***

At that moment…

“Gee…”

“Hm?”

A cute voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.

I turned my gaze to the source of the sound, a young girl staring at me with a curious, almost skeptical expression.

It was Han Ran, Sooyoung noona’s daughter.

I had often played with Ran before being recruited by the Hunter Guild, but now, two years later, she didn’t seem to recognize me at all.

“Hi, Ran. Long time no see. Do you remember who this oppa is?” I asked with a hopeful smile.

“No,” she replied bluntly, her voice clear and unwavering. “I don’t know anyone like you.”

“…Well…”

Her response was so straightforward that it left me momentarily speechless.

Thinking about it, though, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. The age gap and the two years I’d been away made it feel like a lifetime had passed for her. As Sooyoung’s daughter, she was technically in the right to say that we didn’t know each other anymore.

Unable to argue, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and tried again.

“Um… well, you know, when you were little, I used to play with you a lot. You really don’t remember anything?”

“Nope,” she said flatly, crossing her arms. Then, as if to add insult to injury, she continued, “So… what are you doing here, bothering Mom at this hour?”

Her tone had a sharpness to it, something far too mature for a child her age.

For a moment, I could only blink in disbelief. It seemed that getting close to Ran again was going to take more time and effort than I’d expected.

“Well… if I had to explain,” I said, keeping my tone light despite my growing awkwardness, “I’m a close friend of your mom. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“Hmm…” Ran tilted her head slightly, as if considering my words. “So that’s why Mom looked so happy when she saw you.”

With that, she nodded to herself, seeming satisfied with her own conclusion. Then, without another word, she turned back to her workbook, flipping through its pages as if I no longer existed.

Her dismissiveness might have stung a little, but at the same time, I couldn’t help finding it endearing.

‘This little kid… she’s grown so much. And she’s definitely sharper than she was two years ago.’

Despite her prickly attitude, I felt an odd fondness toward her. I’d known Ran since she was born, after all. Even if she saw me as a stranger now, she still felt like family.

Watching her focus intently on her studies gave me a strange, warm feeling. It was like watching a younger sibling, or even a daughter, working hard to achieve something.

As I sat there, quietly observing her, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in years.

“Have you waited long? Here you go,” Sooyoung noona said, bringing over a steaming cup of cocoa and placing it gently in front of me.

The rich, sweet aroma filled the air, and I carefully picked up the cup, taking a sip.

“Thanks, noona,” I said with a smile.

Sooyoung sat down across from me, resting her hands on the table as she watched me drink.

After a moment, she spoke, her tone curious but gentle.

“By the way, what really happened? When we talked on the phone a while ago, you said it would be hard for you to come down here this year.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. And it was true,” I admitted.

“…So? What changed?”

Sooyoung’s dark eyes held a mix of concern and curiosity.

She knew my situation well enough through our occasional calls. She understood how difficult it was for me to leave the Hunter Guild, let alone make my way here.

The fact that I was sitting in front of her now was, to her, almost unthinkable.

I set the cocoa cup down carefully, taking a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, I felt truly relaxed, the weight on my shoulders easing.

“Yes,” I said with a small, relieved smile. “Something very important happened.”

“What is it? Did something bad happen?”

Sooyoung noona spoke with a familiar tone of worry, her eyes searching mine for answers.

Looking at her like that, I responded lightly, summing up the current situation in just a few words.

“I’m discharged.”

“!… What? Really? But… you said it wasn’t easy to get discharged in the current situation. Did… did something happen? Did you have an accident?”

“Haha, no, nothing like that,” I replied with a laugh. “To put it simply, I benefited from a change in the guild’s management policy. Thanks to that, I quickly packed my things and left on the very day I got the notice.”

“Whew… Well, it’s good to hear it wasn’t something to worry about.”

Sooyoung noona let out a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing.

But after a moment, her expression shifted, relief giving way to a wide smile, her face lighting up with joy.

“Wait, if you think about it, shouldn’t we celebrate this? My brother has finally escaped from that evil guild!”

“Well… strictly speaking, it’s not exactly like that. But yeah, I guess it’s something to celebrate.”

Watching her expression change so quickly, I couldn’t help but smile lightly. But seeing her like this, it seemed she wasn’t about to let this slide as just a “simple thing.”

“Great! There’s a glass of whiskey in the fridge right now… how about it? Let’s have a small toast to commemorate this.”

“Um… well… sure. Let’s do that. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve had a drink, and I wouldn’t mind one now.”

At my response, Sooyoung noona’s eyes sparkled mischievously, and she gave me a knowing glance.

In turn, I hesitated for a brief moment but eventually nodded in agreement, accepting her proposal.

Whatever the reason, there was still a lingering feeling inside me, an emotion that made this small moment of joy shared with her impossible to refuse.

A little while later, Sooyoung noona poured a full glass of whiskey over ice for me.

For Ran, who was still sitting next to us, she brought over a glass of apple juice.

The three of us raised our glasses together.

“Cheers!”