Karaoke with his schoolmates ended up becoming a bigger deal than he thought. The room that could only fit twenty people had over thirty, and that was only because the staff had kicked out the others who were trying to force their way into the room.
But still desperate to acquaint themselves with the new hunter, multiple rooms were being rented out by the students who weren't lucky enough to get a seat in the main room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kwon Moon.
This was Kwon Moon's first time going to karaoke with someone else.
Don't forget, he was nothing more than an overweight loner a month ago.
He was enjoying himself as he listened to his schoolmates dance, sing, and make jokes.
Everyone had their attention on him at all times, but he wasn't uncomfortable with it.
He even sang a few times, and regardless of whether or not his singing was good, everyone cheered and clapped for him.
"Tell me the truth, was my singing good?" he asked Jin Haneul.
"It was okay. Out of ten, I'll give you a solid six."
"Hmm, not bad."
The two of them continued having conversations like this in between songs, sneaking in dialogues meant solely for the other person whenever they found the opening to do so.
It didn't take long for the other students to realize that something was forming between the two of them.
The girls there didn't give up, and they continued to chime in even if they had to be a little more aggressive.
The boys were jealous, but they didn't dare express it as nobody deserved one of the three goddesses more than a hunter who was good-looking too.
"It's getting late. I'm going to head home now," he announced to the group.
They tried to get him to stay, but he warmly declined.
A few girls tried to ask him to walk them home or to the bus, but because they were getting in each other's way, he ended up being able to leave without having to decline any of them personally.
It took a little bit of effort, but he was able to sneak out through the men's bathroom window without anyone following him.
He didn't want them to discover where he lived. That would only create trouble for his family.
Just as he landed and dusted off his pants, he heard a voice behind him.
"My gut told me you were going to come out this way."
He turned around and, with her back leaning against the wall, it was Jin Haneul.
"I was wondering where you went. You said you needed to use the bathroom, but never came back. Were you just waiting here for me?"
"Yeah."
"May I ask why?"
"Shouldn't a gentleman like you take me home? It's getting late. What if some scoundrel tries to harm me? You know, I haven't even had my first kiss yet."
She was the daughter of someone worth so much money that he owned multiple buildings. He knew that she had a personal driver who took her home every day, but he didn't expose a fact that both of them knew he was aware of.
"Where do you live?" he asked.
"Not too far from here."
"Okay," he said as he grabbed her hand, "let's leave before one of them catches us and tries to follow."
Jin Haneul looked at their hands as she followed behind him closely. A smile grew on his face.
"Smooth," she commented. "Was that on purpose?"
"Yeah," he answered with the truth.
"Are you interested in inheriting my father's wealth by any chance? Is that why you aren't keeping me at a distance like the other girls interested in you?" she inquired.
"I'm a hunter. The same one you think is going to eventually become a household name. You think I need your father's wealth?"
"...True. So what makes me different from the other girls?"
The answer was her name.
A name that took up a part of the limited amount of memories that he was allowed to retain when he returned to the past.
But obviously, he wasn't going to tell her that.
"You're also my type."
"My face?"
"That too. But your subtle bluntness and snarkiness… it reminds me of a mischievous cat in a way."
"I'm a cat?"
"Yeah. Why? You don't like that comparison?" he asked.
He stopped and turned to face her. She didn't avoid his gaze, and the two of them stood there still, their hands still holding each other.
"No. I like it. I'm a cat. Which is strange considering that I'm allergic to them."
"That doesn't mean I'm allergic to them," he said as he leaned closer to her. There was a four-inch height difference between them, but in that moment, those four inches were closer to four millimeters.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll treat my owner like a slave?" she asked, a cheeky grin on her face. "Meow."
The two of them continued talking while walking.
They were walking on the sidewalk, and to their left was a river that was shimmering a beautiful orange-red gradient because of the sky above.
"That's okay with me. As long as you come home and rub your body against mine before heading to sleep every night, I'll spoil you so much that you won't even think about leaving me."
"...You dirty-minded boy going through puberty."
"..."
"Hahaha. Why don't I dislike it? Hmm… your face is too much of my type. This will be a problem. I don't think I'll be able to live without you in the future if we go any further. You might become my catnip."
"Then let me. You're rich. It's not like you'll be unable to afford catnip."
"I knew it. You're after my father's wealth," she chuckled.
There was a pause of silence between the two of them.
"You know you're the first boy who I'm interested in, right?"
"According to your friends and your own words, yeah. I know."
"It's true. Half of it is because of my gut feeling, 49 percent is because of your face."
"What's the last percent?"
"I… I don't know. Maybe it's just love at first sight."
"Is that a thing? Is love at first sight even possible?"
"Probably not."
The silence between them lasted until they were outside the gates of her home.
"What are we now? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Cat and owner? Owner and slave?" she asked, her smile showing all her teeth, including the sharp canine teeth that made her look even more like a cat.
Or more accurately, a tiger that couldn't wait to nibble on their dinner.
"Let's go with the first."
"Hmm… okay. Boyfriend," she called him by a name that wasn't his but was also… now his.
"Babe, baby, honey, pookie, which one do I go with?" he asked as he brought her hand that was still holding his up to his mouth. He kissed the back of her hand without removing his gaze from her eyes for one moment. Not even a blink.
"Just call me by my name," she said, her face turning red even though she wasn't trying to show it.
"My girlfriend, Jin Haneul."
"My boyfriend, Kwon Moon. Hehehe. You know, we don't even have each other's numbers yet. Let me get yours."
They exchanged phones, and when he got his phone back, there was a new contact under the name "My girlfriend" with a cat emoji next to it.
"Can you believe that we only properly met for the first time today?" she giggled. "Can you look over there?" she asked as she pointed somewhere.
He did as she asked, and he felt a warm sensation on his cheek.
"That's all?" he asked as he smiled.
"You'll have to work hard to get more. You know how cats are. You have to spoil them like crazy just for them to show a little affection."
"Hmm… challenge accepted."
The two of them separated shortly after, their chests feeling warm, their heartbeats a little faster than normal, and their faces the same color as the sky.
Meanwhile…
"Fuck you Kwon Moon!" Fletcher screamed as he used the body of a dead monster to block the ice arrows that were flying across the sky. "You get yourself a girlfriend while I'm in here fighting for my life?!"