Part X

The next day

"Emiya-ssi," Jin-Ah called his name as soon as he arrived at the Sung family's apartment, eyebrows pulled down in a frown. "Are you the kind of guy with a closet full of the same shirts?"

"Uh," Emiya replied nervously, feeling déjà vu for some reason. "I have other colours."

"You mean the dark grey one? I saw you wearing that yesterday and three days ago."

"...I have a white t-shirt."

"Wasn't that your sleepwear?"

"..."

The clapping sound of Jin-Ah facepalming reverberated through the apartment.

Emiya looked down at his summer outfit, which consisted of black shirt over white tank-top and black long pants. It was the same outfit he had worn when he first came here. He had washed it and there was nothing wrong with it, so he couldn't understand why Jin-Ah looked so exasperated.

"I swear you're like my brother…," Jin-Ah groaned. "Jin-Woo-oppa used to dress like a hobo because he only had the same t-shirts and sweatpants in his closet for years. Even after working out and cutting his hair, he still dresses like a bum. I had to buy him new, stylish clothes so he'd stop wearing the damn bland sweats."

"Um, you're a good sister, Jin-Ah-ssi," Emiya chimed in.

"Yes, because it's a waste of good looks if you are fashion-blind," Jin-Ah said, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "And now, I have another one who keeps wearing the same shirts everyday. That's it. Oppa, let's go shopping."

Emiya blinked in bewilderment. "Now? But didn't you say you want to learn how to cook today?"

"Jin-Woo-oppa won't be home for a few more days, so we have time. Besides, it's Saturday. Weekends are supposed to be spent outside."

"You're supposed to study."

"My exams are already over. Stop making excuses and get your wallet. You're in South Korea now; you haven't been to South Korea if you never shop for clothes here."

What nonsense. Still, Emiya relented and took out his own brand-new smartphone. Yoo Jin-Ho sure was generous to buy him one, knowing Emiya didn't have it back when they were in Japan.

"Hold on, let me message the group chat," Emiya tapped a few things on his phone. Soon enough, a KakaoTalk group chat titled 'Emiya's fanclub' appeared. Apparently, an S-Ranker named 'Byungee' had changed the group name, for whatever bloody reason. Reading through the older messages, it seemed like 'Byungee' was Min Byung-Gyu, the retired Hunter.

Ignoring the embarrassing group name, Emiya typed his message and sent it.

[Lim Tae-Gyu]: Why is this group called 'Emiya's fanclub' now? I almost quit the group.

[Byungee]: Because I feel like it ;)

[Baek Yoon-Ho]: Byung-Gyu…

[Byungee]: Hey, 'Emiya's Escort' is even weirder. Emiya-ssi is not a king.

[Emiya]: I need an escort.

[Byungee]: Oh hey, here comes the king!

[Byungee]: Sure sure, where do you wanna go?

[Byungee]: Let's go get barbecue again!

[Baek Yoon-Ho]: Oi, it's still 9 AM.

[Emiya]: Sung Jin-Woo's sister wants to go shopping. She told me to come.

[Byungee]: Shopping? What are you shopping for?

[Emiya]: Clothes.

[Cha Hae-In]: I'll go.

[Byungee]: Okay, I

[Byungee]: Huh, Hunter Cha!

[Byungee]: Didn't expect you to agree so quickly

[Byungee]: Well, there you go, Emiya-ssi

[Byungee]: My fashion sense is awful so maybe you should go with Hunter Cha

[Byungee]: Let's eat barbecue again tonight with Yoon-Ho-hyung

[Emiya]: Thank you.

[Baek Yoon-Ho]: I haven't agreed on anything!

His phone suddenly chimed, notifying him of an incoming message. Emiya blinked at the personal message, while Jin-Ah looked over his forearm to peek at his phone.

[Cha Hae-In]: Is Hunter Sung Jin-Woo coming too?

[Emiya]: No. That's why I asked for an escort.

There was a prolonged silence from the other side.

"Cha Hae-In?" Jin-Ah wondered out loud. "That S-Rank Hunter Cha Hae-In Jin-Woo-oppa had talked about? The one with the magic pickaxe?"

Recalling their idle conversation during the dinner two nights ago, Emiya nodded. "I think so."

Suddenly, Jin-Ah's eyes sparkled in delight.

"Tell her to come with us!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "I haven't heard Oppa talk about a girl since Joo-Hee-unnie! Hunter Cha Hae-In? I've seen her on TV, she's super pretty! Oh my, oh my oh my. I need to interrogate her!"

"Uh, okay," Emiya took a step back warily. Jin-Ah looked too much like a predator finally spotting a prey. "She hasn't replied yet so - Hm? Nevermind, she has just replied. She's still going."

"Yes!" Jin-Ah pumped her fist. "Tell her to meet us in Seolleung Station at 10:30!"

Emiya snorted in amusement when Jin-Ah tripped over her own feet in her haste to go get changed.

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Two hours later

After a round of basic introduction, Sung Jin-Ah wasted no time to ask, "So, do you like Jin-Woo-oppa?"

Cha Hae-In did a spit-take. Fortunately, Emiya had lightning-fast reflexes, as he moved away before the coffee she had spat out could reach him.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Jin-Ah took out some tissue from her pouch before passing it to the fumbling Hae-In. "I didn't expect my guess to be cor- I mean, I didn't expect you to react like that."

"N-no, it's okay. I'm sorry, Emiya-ssi," Hae-In apologised to her charge, face flushed red. She regretted getting a takeaway coffee before coming to meet the duo.

"It's alright. The coffee didn't hit me," Emiya pacified her. "I should be the one apologising for this rude kid. Do you want another coffee?"

"I-It's okay. Let's just go."

Hae-In sighed as she followed the two out of the train station. When Emiya said in the group chat that Hunter Sung Jin-Woo's sister had asked him to go shopping with her, Hae-In had impulsively thought that she would be able to meet Hunter Sung if she joined in. Hae-In felt a bit stupid now, since it should be obvious that Emiya needed an escort because Hunter Sung was unavailable. She thought she could still meet Hunter Sung once the shopping trip was over, but Emiya had just told her that Hunter Sung would be away for a few more days.

Soon, they arrived at a large clothing store. Jin-Ah had suggested coming here for affordable trendy clothes since this was where she bought hers and her brother's outfits. Hae-In felt a little happy inside, seeing that she had often shopped here as well before becoming a Hunter two years ago.

Since it was Saturday, the store was crowded. Some people noticed her presence, but thankfully there were more women than men here. They flocked around Emiya, who Hae-In had to admit looked like a model. Especially so when Jin-Ah told him to try out some clothes.

Hae-In didn't expect the S-Rank Awakened who had just destroyed a quarter of Jeju Island to obediently accept the clothes Jin-Ah had shoved him with. If Chairman Go Gun-Hee hadn't told her, Hae-In would've thought Emiya was truly just an E-Ranker, considering the very faint smell of dust coming out of his body. In a way, he was similar to Hunter Sung, though Hunter Sung's smell is much more pleasant...

Waving away the embarrassing thought, Hae-In walked away from the crowd and went to the women's clothes section. Although Hae-In pitied the poor man, it allowed her to browse through the store in peace.

Unfortunately, her peace was shattered when Jin-Ah approached her and asked, "So, unnie, do you like Jin-Woo-oppa?"

"H-Huh?" Hae-In replied nervously, before shaking her head. "It's...It's not like...I'm just a little interested in him."

Jin-Ah hummed, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "I see. It's okay, everything starts from a little interest. So what makes you 'a little interested' in my dear brother?"

Because he smells nice, was what Hae-In wanted to say but obviously couldn't. "Hunter Sung had saved my guildmates during the raid a few days ago. I wish to express my gratitude to him."

"So that's why you want to meet him," Jin-Ah nodded in understanding, before sifting through a nearby clothes rack. Hae-In followed suit.

A comfortable silence fell between them, with sounds of cooing middle-aged ladies as their background music. Hae-In found a few blouses she wanted to try out and was about to go to the changing room when she felt a pull on her sleeves.

"Unnie, you owe my brother a favour, right? Since you told me he had helped your guild during a raid," the younger girl suddenly said.

"Yes, Jin-Ah-ssi," Hae-In readily agreed. Were it not for Hunter Sung, the Hunters Guild's Attack Team B would have been completely wiped out. As their vice-guildmaster, she was honestly grateful that none of her guildmates were dead or heavily injured despite the unexpected power coming out of the dungeon. "We are in his debt. I'd do anything to repay him."

"Then…," Jin-Ah bit her lip before bowing to her. "Can you help me take care of him?"

Hae-In blinked in return, before nodding. "Of course. The Hunters Guild is one of the most powerful ones in the whole country. If Hunter Sung wishes to join us, we'll be happy to take care of him."

"No, it's not like that," Jin-Ah straightened up. "Jin-Woo Oppa told me he's going to make his own guild, so I don't think he'll join other guilds. That's why I'm asking you personally, unnie."

Hae-In was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Is my brother a strong Hunter?"

"Of course. He's an S-Rank now," Hae-In replied. Moreover, judging by how fast and thorough he was at clearing an A-Rank dungeon all by himself, he was definitely a high-end S-Rank Hunter. "Don't worry, Jin-Ah-ssi. Your brother is very strong."

"That's the thing, unnie. I can't stop worrying for him."

Jin-Ah sifted through the clothes rack, before taking out a blue onesie.

"Have you heard about the double-lair incident a few months back?" Jin-Ah asked her, while her eyes still glued on the onesie. "My brother was one of the six survivors of that incident."

Hae-In remembered. It was a mysterious incident in which Master Song Chi-Yul, her swordsmanship teacher, was also involved. All six survivors testified that they had encountered the double-lair, but when the Association Inspectors and the White Tiger Guild reached the scene, no traces of the double-lair could be found but an altar. Not even the body parts of the deceased.

"Before he became strong, Jin-Woo-oppa used to be called the Weakest E-Rank Hunter. He always came back injured, even though I was told that a B-Rank Healer always stayed with him. He told me he was fine, that I shouldn't worry too much. So I trusted him and continued studying hard, because once I graduate and get a job, Oppa could then stop going to the dungeons.

"Then, one day, I got a call from the hospital saying that my brother was found unconscious in a double-lair dungeon. They told me he was uninjured and indeed, I've checked all over his body to find not even a scratch. But do you know what I saw when they gave me his clothes?" Jin-Ah asked, before lifting the onesie so that the whole attire was displayed in front of her. She then gestured to the right shoulder and the right knee. "Here and here. The right chest and shoulder were torn completely, and the whole lower part of the right leg was gone. The whole thing was full of holes and was soaked in b-blood."

Hae-In flinched at the implication. Master Song had lost his arm in the very same raid, so it was a miracle Hunter Sung had returned unharmed. She knew the income of low rank Hunters was often too meagre to afford even basic equipment. There had been talks about supporting unaffiliated low rank Hunters, but her guild was not a charitable organisation. She could only do so much with her own money.

Hae-In looked at the trembling girl, who was now crouching down and hiding her face with the onesie in her hands. Hunter Sung might've received Double Awakening and become unbelievably strong, but in his sister's eyes he must've looked reckless and weak. Needed to be protected.

Hae-In went down on her knees, before pulling the poor girl into a hug.

"S-so how could I not worry?" Jin-Ah choked back a sob, her voice muffled by the hug. "I know he's gotten strong, he's an S-Rank now, but what if I l-lose him too?"

"Sshhh," Hae-In murmured soothing words as she patted her back. "It's okay, he's still here, you won't lose him. I'll make sure he comes back home after every raid. I promise."

Hae-In almost missed Jin-Ah's imperceptible nod when she felt a burst of magic. Emiya suddenly appeared a few steps behind Jin-Ah. He blinked, and Hae-In blinked back at him. Then, he pointed a thumb at the cafe beyond the clothes store's glass door, before exiting the store.

"Are you feeling better now?" Hae-In asked once Jin-Ah's had stopped trembling. The girl sniffled and gave her another nod, prompting Hae-In to smile.

They stood up and straightened. Jin-Ah looked around. "Where's Emiya-oppa? We haven't paid for his clothes."

"We can do that later. Emiya-ssi just went to the cafe across the street," Hae-In said, pointing beyond the store's glass door. She could see her charge sitting near the window. "Do you want to get some coffee?"

"Mm. Thanks, unnie."

"You're welcome."

"Um, by the way, unnie," Jin-Ah tugged at her sleeve again, before dropping another bomb. "Do you think my brother is handsome?"

This time, Hae-In tripped over the protruding leg of a clothes rack.

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Meanwhile, at the cafe

Emiya bought a cup of coffee and asked the counter if he could borrow a pen.

He found a spot near the windows and sat down. He could see the clothes store from here, though he could not see the two women since they were hiding behind the clothes racks. When Emiya finally escaped from the terrifying flock of excited ladies (embarrassingly by using his magecraft), he found the two crouching on the floor. He dared not to approach them since Jin-Ah's shoulders were shaking and Hunter Cha was glaring at him.

Whatever happened when he was gone?

Emiya shrugged and sipped his coffee. He took a piece of tissue paper from the tissue box on his table, before writing with his borrowed pen. Satisfied, he put the tissue paper on the floor.

Then, he waited.

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Demon Castle Dungeon, 80th floor

"What?! Jin-Ah is crying?!"

That's it. Fuck the entry permit, fuck this dungeon. He's going home now.

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Creating more opportunities for Jin-Woo to interact with Hae-In. Fu fu.