Chapter 32
Hong Man-gi quietly stood and slowly approached the new guest.
As always, his gaze carried sympathy and understanding.
"Welcome. You look like you've been through a lot."
At Hong Man-gi's calm voice, the man flinched and raised his head.
His empty eyes turned toward Hong Man-gi.
Then he looked Hong Man-gi up and down as if he could not believe what was happening.
"...You... can see me?"
The man's voice was rough and dry.
He sounded like someone who had not drunk a single drop of water for a very long time.
"Yes, I can see you. Please sit down first. Would you like some warm water?"
Hong Man-gi pulled out the chair at the nearest table.
The man hesitated and looked around.
The warm lights inside the food cart, the smell of food, and Hong Man-gi treating him as though nothing was strange seemed to make him wonder whether any of this was real.
"What... is this place? A food cart?"
He muttered in confusion, staggered toward the chair, and dropped into it.
A cold aura was still flowing from his body.
Hong Man-gi quietly sat across from him.
Lee Yu-han stood some distance away, watching them with a confused expression.
To him, it only looked like Hong Man-gi was speaking to empty air.
"This is simply a place where hungry people come to eat. Especially people like you, people who are lost and exhausted, can rest here for a while."
The man's eyes trembled slightly at Hong Man-gi's words.
"Lost... Yes. That's right. I don't know where I'm supposed to go. My body is here, but my heart is still trapped back there."
His voice was filled with deep pain and guilt.
"My name is Park Si-hoon. I was a C-rank Hunter."
The man who introduced himself as Park Si-hoon lowered his head weakly.
His shoulders were trembling.
"Hunter Park Si-hoon. My name is Hong Man-gi. If you're comfortable with it, could you tell me what happened? Perhaps I might be able to help, even if only a little."
Hong Man-gi carefully spoke to him.
There was no pressure in his calm voice.
Only sincere comfort and a willingness to listen.
Perhaps because of that,
Park Si-hoon remained silent for a long time.
He stared down at his rough hands and let out a deep sigh.
A heavy silence filled the food cart for a while.
Lee Yu-han still did not understand what was happening, so he anxiously watched Hong Man-gi.
Finally, Park Si-hoon slowly opened his mouth.
"I...."
"I used to be a fairly successful Hunter. I was only C-rank, but I could clear most low and mid-level dungeons by myself. I was a martial arts skill user, so I was confident in close combat, and I actually had good results."
A faint trace of his former confidence and pride remained in his voice.
"People around me respected me too. They said I was cheerful and took care of the younger guys like an older brother. But once combat started, I became pretty stubborn. I always believed my judgment was right, and most of the time it actually worked. I was the type to say, 'I'm telling you, this is the right way!' and force everyone to follow me."
He stopped speaking for a moment and frowned painfully.
"That was what caused everything. I never imagined something like this would happen."
Park Si-hoon's voice grew lower again.
"A few days ago, without thinking much about it, I took two juniors I was close with into a D-rank dungeon. We were just going for fun. I thought we'd earn enough for drinks and have a few together afterward. The monsters were weak and the mood was light. It almost felt like we were on a picnic."
He bit his lip and could not continue for a moment.
The happy memory seemed to make his current pain even sharper.
"I think it was around the middle of the dungeon. We reached a fork in the road. One of my juniors said the left path looked safer and suggested taking the longer route. But I couldn't be bothered. I didn't want to go around, and more than anything, I trusted my own strength. I said, 'Hey, we're C-rank. Why would we be scared in a D-rank dungeon? This path is the fastest!' I insisted, and because of me, we took the right path that looked shorter."
Park Si-hoon's eyes turned red.
"That path was a trap zone. You know what those are, right?"
"Yes, I do...."
"Ha... The moment we entered, the ceiling collapsed. I was lucky enough to dodge, but one of the juniors who had trusted me and followed me couldn't get out in time. He was crushed under the rocks."
His voice began breaking with tears.
"I rushed in to save him, but it was already too late. He had already been badly injured. And I ended up suffering a fatal injury too."
Park Si-hoon covered his face with both hands.
His shoulders shook violently.
"Right before I died, I saw his eyes. He was looking at me... like he blamed me. He didn't say anything. He just stared at me like that, and I still can't forget that look."
He continued through his sobs.
"I wish he'd cursed at me instead. I wish he'd shouted, 'Why did you do this? I'm dying because of you!' But he said nothing. He just stared at me with disappointment and resentment... and honestly, that hurt even more. Much more."
Park Si-hoon collapsed over the table and began sobbing.
There was no trace left of the strong and confident C-rank martial artist he had described.
The guilt of driving a beloved junior to death because of his arrogance and poor judgment, along with the junior's final gaze, seemed to be binding his soul.
"I don't care that I died. Hunters always have to be prepared for death anyway. But the kid who trusted me and followed me died because of my stubbornness. I... I killed him."
His sobbing filled the food cart.
Lee Yu-han, unable to understand what was happening, looked helplessly toward Hong Man-gi.
Hong Man-gi said nothing and gently patted Park Si-hoon's back.
'The responsibility of the strong. He was someone who couldn't bear that weight.'
Hong Man-gi could understand Park Si-hoon's pain.
Back when he had been F-rank, Hong Man-gi had also suffered from the guilt of believing he was only a burden to his companions.
Their situations were different, but he could still understand some of what Park Si-hoon felt.
After crying for a long time, Park Si-hoon finally managed to stop and raise his head.
