As they stood together in the sterile, quiet corridor of the hospital, Minjun's entire focus was anchored on the two women beside him.
Whether it was Sung Jin-Ah or Cha Hae-In, they were both breathtaking in entirely different ways.
Sung Jin-Ah possessed a bright, infectious vitality. Her smile was a grounding warmth that could instantly chase away the darkest shadows of his days. Beside her stood Cha Hae-In, possessing a quiet, elegant strength. Her gentle, unwavering support was a constant reminder that no matter how bloody or desperate the situation became, she would fiercely stand by his side.
They were both incredibly attractive, brilliant women. Either one of them was deeply worthy of a man giving his absolute everything—his heart, his absolute loyalty, and his love.
Logically, the sensible thing to do was to make a choice. To let one go so the other could be happy.
Yet, as he looked at them, a dark, possessive greed swallowed his rationality. He didn't want to choose. He wanted them both.
If there is someone in this world who deserves to be cursed, it's definitely me, Minjun thought, a self-deprecating smirk tugging at his mind. I really am a selfish piece of shit.
Still, it was incredibly difficult to express the heavy, burning desires in his heart, especially right now. Everything was caught in the chaotic aftermath of the disaster. Between the mysterious System, the horrifying incident inside the Double Dungeon, and the sobering reality of the Hunters who had just been slaughtered, the timing was terrible. The oppressive atmosphere made it nearly impossible for any of them to voice the turbulent feelings and burning questions they desperately wanted to ask.
Who is this girl? Hae-In wondered, her sharp eyes briefly flickering toward Jin-Ah. Why has he never mentioned someone so beautiful? Is she that important to him?
At the exact same time, a mirrored anxiety gnawed at Jin-Ah's heart.
Why is Oppa with Cha Hae-In? Jin-Ah thought, her hands gripping her sleeves. Aren't they just coworkers? Why were they together tonight of all nights?
The air between the two women was thick with unspoken tension, but neither dared to break the fragile peace. Especially now. Minjun had just returned from rushing into a nightmare to pull her brother from the brink of death. They were both terrified of overwhelming him or pushing him away with their heavy, demanding emotions.
When compared to the brutal, bloody reality of the dungeon, did their romantic jealousy even have the right to take priority?
"Minjun-oppa... how is Jinwoo-oppa?" Jin-Ah finally asked, her voice trembling with barely suppressed worry.
She knew Jin-Woo had miraculously escaped the slaughter, but seeing the grim, terrifying expressions on the faces of the Korean Hunter Association staff swarming the hospital had left her shaken. "There are so many people in suits with scary faces out there..."
She didn't want to voice her darkest fears, but the terror was evident in her soft, pleading eyes.
"Don't worry about the Association staff, or about Hyung," Minjun said, his voice a deep, soothing rumble that instantly eased the tension in the hallway. "He is stable now. His body just needs a few more days of rest to fully recover."
"But how?" Hae-In couldn't help but ask, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion.
Unlike Jin-Ah, Hae-In was an elite S-Rank Hunter. She understood exactly how impossible this was. Sung Jin-Woo was famously known as the weakest Hunter in Korea—perhaps the world. How had he survived a massacre that wiped out veterans?
"He might be undergoing a Reawakening," Minjun answered smoothly.
"A Reawakening?!"
"What does that mean? Is it dangerous?" Jin-Ah asked, her panic instantly spiking again while Hae-In just looked absolutely dumbfounded.
"No, it's a good thing. It means Hyung has suddenly become much stronger."
Others might have argued that it was safer for Minjun to completely hide the truth of Jin-Woo's survival. But Minjun didn't like the uncomfortable feeling of lying to the people he cared about. Instead, he simply offered a partial truth, allowing them to draw their own conclusions.
While incredibly rare, a 'Reawakening' wasn't entirely a myth. Typically, once a Hunter awakened, their magical capacity was permanently capped until the day they died. But very rarely, a Hunter's core would shatter and reform, granting them explosive new power. Jin-Woo's new connection to the System wasn't technically a traditional Reawakening, but the end result was the same: he was about to grow terrifyingly strong.
"It's a blessing," Minjun added softly, looking at Jin-Ah. "With this new strength, he will be much safer in the future."
"...I'm glad he's safe, but... I really just don't want him to fight anymore," Jin-Ah whispered, the honest, heartbreaking truth spilling from her lips.
She couldn't help it. She was terrified of losing what little family she had left. Her father was presumed dead, her mother was trapped in an endless coma, and Jin-Woo was her only pillar. If she lost her older brother...
If... if Oppa ends up with Hae-In-unnie, too...
Jin-Ah swallowed hard, forcing the bitter insecurity down. If Minjun chose the S-Rank Hunter, Jin-Ah promised herself she would just smile and be happy for them. She knew her own limitations. Compared to her, Cha Hae-In was a goddess who could actually stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him on the battlefield.
Jin-Ah was just a normal, fragile human. She was studying hard to become a doctor so she could at least patch Minjun and her brother up when they got hurt, but her ability to help them in their violent world was so painfully limited.
It still hurts, though, Jin-Ah thought, forcing a bright, wobbly smile onto her face.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Hae-In asked, her clear eyes locked onto Minjun.
She honestly wasn't sure why she was asking about Jin-Woo's future. If she were being completely honest with herself, she didn't actually care that much about the weakest Hunter.
Yes, Jin-Woo shared a similarly unique trait with Minjun—neither of them gave off the foul, overwhelming stench of mana that usually made her physically nauseous around other Hunters. Because of that, she could stand near Jin-Woo without feeling disgusted.
But it didn't matter. Her heart was already entirely, undeniably claimed by the man standing in front of her.
She knew the risks. She knew Minjun's heart might be divided, and she could feel the undeniable emotional tether connecting him to Jin-Ah. But even if it meant sharing him or enduring the sting of jealousy, Hae-In just wanted to stay by his side. Despite their limited time together, his presence had completely upended her lonely world. Instead of walking away to protect her pride, she wanted to treasure the intoxicating warmth he brought into her life.
"Nothing," Minjun replied calmly, answering Hae-In's question. "I'll let Hyung make his own choices. If he decides to join the Association with his new power, that's fine too."
Minjun knew he didn't need to control or guide Jin-Woo's life. The System would guide him. Jin-Woo just needed to enter dungeons, slaughter the monsters, loot the rewards, and repeat the cycle.
Instead of worrying about Jin-Woo, Minjun knew he needed to focus entirely on his own survival. By forcibly hijacking the System, he had painted a massive target on his own back. He needed to accelerate his own growth. He needed to become stronger than the Shadow Monarch itself. When Ashborn finally realized what Minjun had stolen, Minjun had to be an existence powerful enough to instill absolute fear into the Monarchs, ensuring they would never dare touch him or the people he loved.
"Kim Minjun-nim! So you are here."
Minjun's dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a stern, respectful voice. Woo Jinchul strode down the hallway, stopping at a polite distance away.
"Jinchul-ssi?"
Despite being addressed so casually by a man significantly younger than him, the Chief Inspector didn't show a hint of anger. If anything, Jinchul exhaled a quiet breath of relief that Minjun wasn't agitated.
The Double Dungeon incident had spawned a mountain of terrifying questions for the Association. But the most horrifying revelation of the night wasn't the statues—it was the fact that Kim Minjun had violently torn a dimensional gate wide open with a single, devastating arrow just to save his friend.
Jinchul couldn't stop his hands from trembling slightly when he looked at the young man. He had realized the terrifying truth: Minjun's power was on a completely different, unfathomable level.
"If it isn't an inconvenience, could you please follow me?" Jinchul asked, bowing his head respectfully. "The Chairman has requested to speak with you personally."
"Chairman Go?"
"Yes, sir."
"Alright. Give me a moment. I need to finish my conversation with them first."
"Of course. I will wait for you at the main entrance," Jinchul said, executing a perfect ninety-degree bow before quickly retreating down the hall, knowing better than to eavesdrop on a monster in human skin.
As soon as he was out of earshot, the girls turned to him.
"Shouldn't you go ahead, Oppa? It sounds like the Chairman has something really important to discuss," Jin-Ah urged, not wanting to hold him back.
"They're waiting for you," Hae-In added softly, though her eyes lingered on his face, clearly reluctant to see him leave.
While the two didn't know Chairman Go personally, they knew what kind of important figure this man was, as he often appeared during their childhood growth; the hero of Korea, and the one who had given his entire life to protect its citizens, so for Minjun to be called by the Chairman, he definitely couldn't make him wait.
"I'm sorry," Minjun said quietly, his gaze heavy as it shifted between the two of them.
"What?" they both asked in unison, blinking in confusion at his sudden apology.
Minjun took a slow breath, stepping just a fraction of an inch closer. The air in the corridor suddenly felt impossibly thick, charged with a magnetic, undeniable tension. He looked deep into Jin-Ah's wide, warm eyes, and then met Hae-In's sharp, wavering gaze.
He refused to be a coward any longer.
"I'm apologizing because I'm about to be incredibly selfish," Minjun said, his voice dropping into a low, intoxicating register that sent a shiver down both of their spines. "I love the two of you. Will you both be mine?"