Chapter 101: The Blue House (1)
"K-Kim Ki-Rok?"
"What on earth is Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok doing here?"
The moment they spotted him, the staffers inside the Blue House[1] froze mid-step. Some stood in stunned confusion, while others instinctively backed away, as if afraid to get too close.
"U-uwaaah...!" Kim Ji-Hee let out a delighted gasp at their reactions.
Kim Ki-Rok tilted his head. "Hm? What is it, Ji-Hee?"
She turned to him with a bright grin. "Mister, you must be really strong!"
"Hmmm... well, your mister definitely isn't weak," he replied with a smile of his own.
After moving further into the building, Kim Ki-Rok gently lowered Ji-Hee from his arms and crouched to meet her eyes.
"Ji-Hee," Kim Ki-Rok said seriously.
"Yeees," she replied, calm and attentive.
"Would you like to wait here, or maybe..." He trailed off, glancing toward the Hunter assigned to guide them through the building.
The man had a bristling hedgehog-like beard, intimidating sunglasses, and a physique made entirely of muscle slabs. Kim Ki-Rok figured it might make Ji-Hee uncomfortable.
Turning his head, he surveyed the nearby guards. Man, man, man... and finally, a woman.
She had her hair tied back in a bun and wore the same uniform as the other government-employed Hunters. Judging by the mana radiating off her, she was at least B-Class.
But for Kim Ki-Rok, it was more important that she was a woman.
"Ji-Hee, wouldn't you rather wait here and play with that pretty and cool unnie over there?" Kim Ki-Rok suggested.
Following his gaze, Kim Ji-Hee turned to look at the woman.
The female Hunter visibly flinched at suddenly being put on the spot. She had been sneaking glances at Bear Ji-Hee[2], who was dressed in an adorable, bear-themed padded coat.
"The pretty and cute unnie..." the woman muttered to herself, blushing in embarrassment.
"Hm..." Kim Ji-Hee pursed her lips thoughtfully as she observed the woman.
After a few moments of intense deliberation, she tugged on Kim Ki-Rok's sleeve, clearly torn.
"Mister."
"Hm?"
"What will you be doing, Mister?"
"I'm going to have a talk."
"With who?" She tilted her head.
"With the ahjussi who gets cursed out no matter how well he does his job," he said with a smile. "Remember him?"
Kim Ji-Hee nodded. "Is it a business meeting?"
"That's right. A very boring business meeting," Kim Ki-Rok confirmed with a chuckle.
Letting go of his sleeve, she trotted over and wrapped both arms around the female Hunter's leg in a firm, decisive hug.
"I want to play with this unnie," she announced.
Kim Ki-Rok burst out laughing. "So you're just going to abandon this poor mister?"
"Business meetings," Ji-Hee said with a dramatic grimace. "No fun."
Kim Ki-Rok shrugged. "Well, in that case, it can't be helped."
To any child, sitting through endless adult talk was about as exciting as watching paint dry.
He turned to the female Hunter, who had frozen like a statue the moment Ji-Hee clung to her leg, and addressed her formally, "Hello, it's good to meet you. I'm Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of the DG Guild. Do you mind watching over Ji-Hee for a little while? I have a meeting with a certain man who gets yelled at whether he succeeds or fails."
The woman, eyes wide with a mix of surprise and flattery, glanced uncertainly at the other Hunters on duty.
One of them called out to her. "Lee Hye-Rin, is this something you want to do?"
The female Hunter snapped into a salute. "Yes, sir! I'd really like to do this!"
The unexpectedly firm response from Agent Lee Hye-Rin drew a burst of laughter from the Team Leader of Security Team Two.
After regaining his composure, he cleared his throat and gave the order. "Agent Lee Hye-Rin, you will be temporarily assigned to guard Hunter Kim Ji-Hee and give her a tour of the building until further notice."
"Understood," Lee Hye-Rin replied sharply.
She moved as if to spin around and salute again but remembered that Kim Ji-Hee was still latched onto her leg. Instead, she twisted at the waist and offered a sideways salute to her superior.
Then she took off her sunglasses and addressed Kim Ji-Hee directly. "Greetings. I'm Lee Hye-Rin, currently serving in Security Team Two."
Finally letting go of her leg, Kim Ji-Hee brought her hands together and gave a polite bow. "I'm Kim Ji-Hee of the DG Guild."
Lee Hye-Rin looked like she was about to ascend to another plane of existence from sheer joy. Her nearby colleagues couldn't help but mutter under their breath.
"Whoa... just take a look at that witch..."
"She seriously looks like she's about to collapse."
Ignoring the rude comments and her own racing heart, Lee Hye-Rin crouched down to meet Kim Ji-Hee's eyes. "Would you like me to show you around?"
"Business meetings aren't fun," Ji-Hee grumbled with a pout.
Then, she reached out and grabbed hold of Lee Hye-Rin's hand.
Ji-Hee's hand was soft and smooth. Lee Hye-Rin's, by contrast, was rough with calluses and scars, etched from years of intense training and dangerous fieldwork.
And yet, the moment Ji-Hee's tiny hand touched hers, Lee Hye-Rin felt like her soul was on the verge of floating out of her body. Somehow, she managed to stay upright and coherent as she stood and began walking with Ji-Hee in tow.
"Well then, allow me to give you a tour of the Blue House," she said with a gentle smile.
"Yeees!" Ji-Hee replied, then turned and waved. "Mister, bye-bye!"
Kim Ki-Rok gave a satisfied nod. "That's good. Have fun! Bye-bye!"
Watching the pair disappear down the hallway, Kim Ki-Rok turned to the group of Hunters who had escorted him this far and gave them a small bow. "Thank you very much for guiding me."
One of the Hunters cleared his throat. "Do you mind if I ask just one question?"
"Sure. Please, go ahead."
"Why didn't you pick me?" His lips, which had been pressed into a straight line, drooped at the corners. His shoulders slumped. It was obvious to anyone watching that he was deeply disappointed.
Kim Ki-Rok looked flustered. "Um... well, Ji-Hee is a girl, after all, so I thought it would be more appropriate for a woman to accompany her?"
The Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Is that the real reason?"
"Yes. Please believe me. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Blessed are those who have faith?'[3]"
Sensing this was spiraling into emotional damage territory, Kim Ki-Rok quickly tried to change the subject. "Hemhem. You already notified the man who gets cursed at no matter how well he does his job about my visit, right? I think it'd be rude to keep chatting when he's probably waiting for us inside."
The Team Leader of Security Team Two, who had been quietly chuckling like he was watching a skit, nodded and relayed Kim Ki-Rok's arrival through his earpiece.
***
Elsewhere in the Blue House.
"I-it's really Ji-Hee!"
Kim Ji-Hee was a MeTube star; she was especially beloved among viewers who followed Hunter-related content.
She was a Spiritualist, someone who could communicate with the dead and borrow their power.
She was also a victim of the crimes committed by Awakened criminal Ma Ak-Soo.
And on top of all that, she was the DG Guild's beloved mascot.
With her arrival, the Blue House went into a frenzy.
"Wow! She's even cuter in person!"
"She has this aura... like something holy. You'd never guess a child like her could wield that kind of power..."
Agent Lee Hye-Rin, basking in the waves of envy radiating from the surrounding staff, looked down at Ji-Hee, who was following along while holding tightly onto one of her fingers.
Lee Hye-Rin respectfully tried to get her attention. "Miss Ji-Hee."
"Hmmm?" Kim Ji-Hee frowned and tilted her head, confused. "Miss Ji-Hee?"
Lee Hye-Rin awkwardly hesitated. "Ah... In that case, allow me to call you Hunter Ji-Hee."
Still staring up at her with a puzzled expression, Kim Ji-Hee simply said, "Unnie."
Lee Hye-Rin swallowed back a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a spiritual collapse. "Kugh... yes, Miss Ji-Hee!"
It felt like her soul was about to ascend then and there from the sheer, weaponized cuteness in front of her, but somehow, she endured.
"Ji-Hee is just Ji-Hee," the little girl said seriously.
"Ah... would that really be alright?"
Kim Ji-Hee only gave a bashful smile and nodded. That was all it took for Lee Hye-Rin to clutch at her chest again.
"Kugh!"
That moment was somehow even more lethal than the last.
After pulling herself together, she asked, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go, or something you want to see, Ji-Hee? I'd be happy to show you around."
"Food!" Ji-Hee answered immediately.
Lee Hye-Rin blinked. "You want... something to eat?"
"Yeeees! Food!"
For a brief moment, Lee Hye-Rin had to tamp down a surge of unfiltered rage. She remembered the rumors that Kim Ji-Hee had once been abused by the Awakened criminal Ma Ak-Soo.
Although Ji-Hee looked a little chubbier now—a sign that Kim Ki-Rok had been taking good care of her—Lee Hye-Rin couldn't help but wonder if the little girl was still carrying invisible scars, ones that even she might not be aware of.
If I'd been there, Lee Hye-Rin thought bitterly, I would have torn Ma Ak-Soo into a million pieces.
However, like the elite agent she was, she steadied herself. Then, without delay, she notified the staff restaurant over her earpiece, alerting them to an incoming "VIP."
Still uncertain about how to navigate this high-stakes babysitting mission, she cautiously asked, "Umm... shall we head over to the restaurant?"
***
"Aaaargh, I'm dying."
"Junior, what's up next on the schedule for Team Five."
"Team Five's next assignment is..."
After the appearance of the Gates and the monsters within them, a new building had been constructed behind the main Blue House facility. It was designed to accommodate government-employed Hunters stationed at the Blue House, tasked with protecting the president. The building offered all the necessary facilities for them while on duty.
Due to the nature of their work, these Hunter Agents weren't allowed the same freedom of movement as ordinary Hunters, and their pay was considerably lower. If their beds had been uncomfortable and the food bad on top of that, no one would've agreed to take the job.
The welfare upgrades, though initially pushed through the National Assembly by the president at the time, were now welcomed. The facilities were also available to members of the security teams[4].
The group of Hunter Agents rode the elevator up from the underground training area and made their way to the twenty-four-hour staff restaurant on the first floor of the security team's dormitory. With no fixed times for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they could drop in anytime for a good meal. It was one of the few small comforts the Blue House Security Service had to look forward to.
Just as the junior Agent assigned to check the next schedule was about to step into the restaurant, he stopped short. The Agent ahead of him had come to a complete halt, blocking the doorway.
The junior Agent bumped into his back, nose-first, and grumbled, "What's your problem? Why aren't you going in?"
But the Agent in front didn't respond. He just stood there, stunned.
"L-l-look. Over there," he eventually stammered.
The rest of the team craned their necks around him, trying to see what had thrown him into a stupor.
"Hm?"
For reasons no one could explain, all the female Hunters employed by the government had somehow gathered in the restaurant. From those just returning from missions to others who had been holed up in their rooms because it was too cold outside, they were all here.
"I-i-it's Ji-Hee," the frozen Agent stammered.
"Ji-Hee? Who's Ji-Hee? Is she some newly recruited Hunter?" the junior Agent asked, confused.
That earned him a round of stares from his entire team. Some looked horrified. Others just seemed disappointed at how oblivious he was.
The junior Agent flinched under the weight of their gazes and quickly tried to defend himself. "What the fuck? If she's new, then it makes sense I wouldn't know her, right?"
His foul language earned him a smack on the back of the head.
"It's Ji-Hee, you moron. Kim Ji-Hee," one of his teammates said, exasperated.
"Kim Ji-Hee?"
"Yeah."
"Oh? So the new recruit's name is Kim Ji-Hee too? That's a funny coincidence... Same name as my dear Ji-Hee."
His colleague let out a long, exhausted sigh. "No. Your Ji-Hee is right over there."
"Huh?"
He tilted his head, trying to process the sentence. And then, suddenly, the 183rd member of the Love Kim Ji-Hee, Love the Nation fan club shoved past his teammate's shoulder and ran into the restaurant ahead of everyone.
As he finally entered the room, his eyes locked onto the girl sitting at the center of the crowd of female Hunters, a cute child with neatly done pigtails and a bear-themed padded coat that perfectly completed the look.
"Hurgh!" Fan No. 183 excitedly gasped.
"What's Ji-Hee doing here?" someone muttered behind him.
However, Fan No. 183 was already too far gone. He began to shout, "It's not the usual Rabbit Ji-Hee, but the rare Bear Ji-Hee!"
"Rabbit Ji-Hee? Bear Ji-Hee?" someone else mumbled in confusion.
"Ph-ph-photo... I have to take a photo! I need a camera! A camera! A cameraaaaaa!"
Panic set in as he started patting himself down like he was trying to extinguish a fire. Shirt pocket, pants pocket, belt—nothing. He had actually left his smartphone in his quarters prior to their training session and was only wearing a smartwatch.
Panicked, he spun around and spotted another Agent holding a phone. Without thinking, he lunged.
"Hey!" the Agent yelped as their phone was snatched away.
"Shut up! Can't you see Bear Ji-Hee is waiting for me?!" Fan No. 183 yelled, completely ignoring the Agent he'd just robbed. Without another word, he sprinted toward Kim Ji-Hee.
"What the—?!"
Fan No. 183 charged straight into the group of female Hunters, shoving and weaving his way through the crowd until he reached the front and saw her up close.
His eyes widened. "Heeuk!"
"Hmmm?" Kim Ji-Hee tilted her head, puzzled by this strange man's sudden appearance.
"So cute!" Fan No. 183 passionately exclaimed.
"Heehee." She let out a giggle at the compliment.
"To think I'd get to see Bear Ji-Hee in person!" he cried, overwhelmed.
"Bear Ji-Hee?" Ji-Hee echoed, blinking.
Perhaps pleased to have her name linked to her favorite animal, Kim Ji-Hee pulled up the hood of her padded coat, a bright smile spreading across her face.
Two round bear ears flopped into place on top of her head. Then, she looked right at her wide-eyed fan, lifted her arms like tiny paws, and gave a soft, "Raaawr?!"
"Heeeeuk! So cute!"
As Ji-Hee burst into giggles, Fan No. 183 collapsed backward, clutching his heart with both hands. If overwhelming happiness could give you a heart attack, this would be the textbook example.
The other Hunter Agents just shook their heads in disbelief, thoroughly unimpressed by their colleague's dramatic behavior.
1. The nickname for the residence of the Korean president, derived from the White House. ☜
2. The original text uses a pun on Ji-Hee's surname "Kim" and the Korean word for "bear" (gom). ☜
3. A line derived from the Korean translation of Matthew 5:3. ☜
4. Although these teams include Hunter Agents like Lee Hye-Rin, they also consist of unawakened agents. ☜