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It was a boy about a head shorter than Haeun.
The child holding Haeun’s hand started running quickly. It’s not that strong, but Haeun was dragged away.
“Shh!”
The boy who dragged Haeun through a small gap in the cave put his index finger on his mouth and signaled her to be quiet. Haeun nodded with a tearful face.
Sssskkk—-.
The monsters that had approached right in front of them passed by without spotting the two. The child let out a sigh of relief. Then he turned his head toward Haeun and shouted in a low voice, showing his anger.
“Are you stupid? You almost died!”
Haeun blinked her eyes.
“How can you stay there like a fool!”
He was a living person. Haeun grabbed the opponent’s body. The child flinched as if frightened. Haeun asked urgently.
“Where are the others?”
“No, I’m alone.”
Haeun’s heart dropped all of a sudden. The hand holding the child’s arm gradually got stronger.
“Don’t lie. What do you mean alone? There will be other adults too!”
“You saw it earlier! The people—”
The child shouted fiercely. It was only then that Haeun saw the child’s appearance properly.
The child’s body, wearing a hoodie and shorts, was a mess. There are scratches on his cheeks and knees. The child was so scared that he could barely stand and was shaking and clenching his teeth.
“All……all of them have been beaten by monsters.”
“No way.”
Haeun collapsed on the seat and sat down. What she wanted to deny became a reality. She murmured, stunned.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
The child said in a trembling voice.
“I was hiding with the adults, but the monsters suddenly started to grow. The Uncle said that if I hold on a little longer, a rescue team will come—”
She thought she would know what followed without talking.
“Were you hiding too? How could you be alone? There are monsters roaming around outside.”
The child glanced at Haeun, who wasn’t hurt.
“By any chance, are you Awakened? Is that why you were fine?”
“I…”
Haeun’s mouth moved slightly.
And at that moment, Haeun felt that the monster that had passed the two of them was rapidly approaching again.
“It’s dangerous!”
At the same time as Haeun covered the child, the monster rushed to Haeun.
The moment the sharp teeth fill Haeun’s eyes.
“Ugh!”
Haeun woke up from her dream and jumped up.
“Huh, haa.”
She grabbed the white blanket and gasped. Her whole body was wet from sweat from the nightmare.
The afterimages of the dream gradually faded, and the focus returned. The room of the accommodation she was staying with Jung Jinho caught her eye. Haeun finally let out a deep breath. She frowned and looked for her phone.
The time that appears on the screen is now only 5 in the morning.
“So it was a dream.”
Haeun closed her eyes. She feels terrible.
It didn’t say anything, but she felt that her Constellation was watching her.
It’s all in the past.
It’s over now.
For some reason, she felt like she couldn’t sleep again.
*****
「Welcome! This is the Haniel Expo, where the future of the Great Hunter era unfolds! 」
The fireworks exploded. The expo theme song rang through the speakers as if it was an amusement park.
Today is the first day of the expo. And at the same time, it was also the day Haeun decided to meet Baek Soyeon.
[You’re coming today, right? I’ll be waiting.]
This morning, Baek Soyeon sent a DM to Haeun, full of her expectations.
In the end, Haeun couldn’t find a substitute for herself.
But she couldn’t even tell Baek Soyeon that she couldn’t meet her because Baek Soyeon was the only person Haeun found and knew about the constellation.
‘Let’s go for now. I’ll go and see the situation.’
At the entrance of the expo, the staff asked with a friendly smile.
「Do you have a reservation number or tickets for on-site purchases?」
「Here.」
Haeun handed out the two tickets that Jung Jinho had brought to the staff. Tickets that can be purchased on-site have already been sold out since dawn.
“Haeun-ah, see you at the expo later.”
Jung Jinho, who had a stage schedule for the opening event, left the invitation ticket to Haeun and left early in the morning.
The staff member smiled brightly.
「Your invitation has been confirmed! Have a good time!」
An employee put a plastic paper bracelet around Haeun’s wrist. The mascot character winking with her thumb up was quite cute.
Haniel Expo.
This event, officially called the United States Item Exhibition, was a very large schedule held once every four years. People in the item industry treat it like the Olympics, and not only hunters but also civilians are very interested.
What will be the item that will win first place in this item exhibition?
And who will own the item?
Public attention was focused on the Haniel Expo. In addition, the Haniel Expo was basically an item exhibition, but it was also a place of education where they could experience the overall hunter industry.
There were also many experiential activities for non-Awakened people, such as wearing items or making potions.
Of course, according to the Non-Awakened Person Protection Act, the items are the lowest-grade normal items, and they are mainly armored and potions that only have the effect of nourishment. Still, it was an interesting enough experience for non-Awakened people.
[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ tells her to think about Baek Soyeon later and enjoy the moment for now.]
Haeun nodded.
If she comes all the way to this place and doesn’t enjoy it, she’s the only one to lose. It’s not something that can be solved by thinking about it, and since they’re in the same space, if she waits, there might be an opportunity.
When she thought about it that way, it made her feel better.
“I think the scale is much bigger than before.”
Haeun looked around and said cheerfully.
“I’ve been here once before. Seo Dojoon, you’ve been here before, right?”
“It’s my first time.”
“Oh, really?”
“Four years ago, I was busy because I had just Awakened. So, I just saw it on the TV.”
Well, just because the Olympics are held, not everyone goes abroad to watch them. Haeun smiled cheerfully.
“Go and see a lot today. But thanks to my offer to sign the contract, our stay in the US was extended by one more week, and we could visit the expo.”
[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ mumbles to Haeun that she is the king of showing off.]
“Let’s go see that!”
“Wait a minute, Haeun-ssi.”
Seo Dojoon caught Haeun trying to go ahead. He opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Please promise me this first.”
“What is it?”
“Today, you must not disappear alone, without a word.”
Again, that sound. Seo Dojoon’s nagging is making her ears hurt. Haeun pursed her lips.
“Is Seo Dojoon-ssi my mother?”
“I’m saying this out of old age. If there are a lot of people like today and if there is a problem with Haeun-ssi, Hunter Jung Jinho will not stay still.”
“There’s no place safer than here today.”
Now the Expo is crowded with hunters not only from the United States but also from all over the world.
In addition, since it was a place where high-end new items were unveiled, Haniel also paid the greatest attention to safety.
It means that they have already prepared perfectly in every aspect, whether a crack occurs with extreme probability or a terrorist attack aimed at an item.
“Don’t worry. There will be no danger whatsoever.”
“For now, please swear that you will not leave my side today.”
“Wow. Seo Dojoon-ssi, don’t you believe me?”
“I’m just trying to block the possibility of an accident fundamentally. If I fail the request twice, Hunter Jung Jinho might try to bury me in the industry.”
“My Dad—”
She tried to refute that she wasn’t such a bad person, but at the same time, she imagined Jung Jinho automatically getting angry in Haeun’s head.
“How dare you put my daughter in danger twice? Can you still say that you are ranked #1 in Korea? It will be difficult for you to make a living by working as a hunter in Korea in the future! because! Because I will make it!”
He might actually bury him right away.
“Ehem. It can’t be.”
Haeun barely denied it.
“Even if Dad gets angry… I will defend you.”
“I wish he wouldn’t have to be angry in the first place.”
“The world doesn’t always go the way you want.”
“Haeun-ssi, I’m not joking.”
“Ah, really.”
As Seo Dojoon persisted, Haeun suddenly crossed her arms with Seo Dojoon.
[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ predicts the possibility of Seo Dojoon’s stock sold, saying that Haeun will come in without blinking again.]
Seo Dojoon’s body rattled like a broken machine at the sudden contact. Haeun casually pointed to the helium balloons being sold at the stand.
“Look at that. Isn’t it really cute? I want to have it.”
Seo Dojoon frowned because her intention to change the topic was obvious.
“Do you want to buy one each? If we share the same thing, it will be easy to find each other even if you are far away.”
“Haeun-ssi.”
“And wouldn’t it not fall off in the first place if you cross your arms like this?”
Haeun held on to each other in a friendly way, with her arms folded tightly. Seo Dojoon, who was speechless due to a sudden change in attitude, opened and closed his mouth. He seemed a little embarrassed.
‘Aha. Are you weak against things like this?’
The corners of Haeun’s mouth went up.
Now, nothing can stop Haeun, who has realized how to get rid of Seo Dojoon’s nagging. Haeun deliberately pulled him with more force.
“Let’s go from there!”
The tall man was dragged along like a helium balloon.