Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi POV.
It turns out we hadn't had enough time to fully study what was happening with Taylor. Sadly and cruelly, the world kept turning, and there were things as inevitable as death itself that we couldn't avoid.
And one of them was the press conferences and after-parties following the successful raid.
Oh cruel and evil fate.
The Korean hunters' association had been using the excuse that all the hunters were exhausted after the raid, so they delayed all relevant events as much as they could.
But they couldn't really postpone it forever, and the Korean hunters' association wanted Taylor's presence and mine, along with everyone else, since we had been important to the raid.
But because I was locked up and Taylor was unconscious, it had been delayed until now. Luckily for them, Taylor had only been unconscious for half a day, and now she was almost completely recovered. Besides the whole Harbinder thing, Taylor was more than fit to attend.
So, here I was now, sighing beside a table of snacks after hours of speaking in front of an audience, cameras, and a crowd of people. It was… really tiring. I knew it should be something I'd have to get used to, but after the first hour, it got boring.
The journalists obviously focused on the Korean hunters, since this was their home turf, but there were also several foreign groups. There were several American journalists who asked Taylor questions, and several who asked me questions. And then there were the Japanese, who were also trying to get their share, although it was smaller. I had no doubt that we would have to repeat this once we got back to Japan. Just thinking about it was giving me a headache.
After much discussion, we were finally here, at a party honoring the hunters who helped clear and retake Jeju. Both Korean and Japanese hunters were the guests of honor. The entire party was being televised, and I had no doubt that all of Korea was truly celebrating, though I couldn't blame them.
I glanced sideways at the Draw Sword hunters. Some of them were chatting with other hunters or heroes, but most kept to themselves in their groups. Especially Goto, who was in a melancholic corner, completely alone and apart from everyone.
I was just curious about what Nezu had discussed with them. It was a surprise to discover that Nezu was now the chairman of the Japanese Hunter Association—at least temporarily and with exceptions, but still, it was damn impressive. So, in his new capacity as chairman, he had taken the entire Draw Sword group aside to speak with them completely alone.
And none of them had left unfazed. Even Goto had left the meeting looking pale. So, for the moment, none of them seemed to want to cause any more trouble.There was no need to worry about them; I just needed to focus on the party.
But the party was just as tedious. Luckily, after being approached by important people whose names I can't even remember, we finally escaped. I had had help dealing with them, but it was still a nuisance, so we finally slipped away and hid near one of the service tables.
I glanced at the small snacks there and grimaced before pulling a chocolate bar from my eyeshadow and starting to eat it. I could only sigh with relief as I savored my chocolate.
"I can't believe they were asking me questions. I'm a sword!" Mai groaned beside me as she drank from her glass.
"At least they asked you interesting questions related to the fight. I'm sure that Korean journalist insulted me by calling me a nerdy insect with flowery language," Taylor said dryly.
"You're such a nerdy insect," I said to Taylor playfully. "A cute one," I said, winking at her. Taylor blushed slightly before huffing and looking away. I chuckled. "And you guys got the best ones. That reporter implied I should be at home raising kids," I said dryly. Taylor and Mai groaned loudly.
"It's good that chairwoman Go intervened and kicked her out of the room immediately. I'm almost certain that Principal Nezu nearly wanted to tear her to pieces right there," Taylor said with amusement.
"What a shame. I wish I had done it," Mai said sadly.
"I doubt she'll survive a career in journalism from now on," Miorine said coldly. "I don't know how, but I'm sure the director will be able to ruin her career, even from different countries. And if he doesn't, I will." Miorine said almost as a hiss. I smiled slightly.
"I mean, I wouldn't cry over her, but it really wasn't as bad as the one who called me a whore when I was kidnapped by the League of Villains," I said playfully. That made Taylor moan even louder.
"Don't remind me. I still want to let my insects eat her." Taylor growled angrily. I chuckled.
"Thank you so much for coming. I'm sure that without you, by now I would have already hidden myself in the shadows." I said to Miorine with a sigh. She just nodded.
"I'm your representative, it's my job. I arrived the moment the raid was completed; I didn't need to be a fortune teller to know the Koreans would do something like this," Miorine said with a shrug. "It's what my father and all his 'friends' would have done," she added dryly. I chuckled.
"Even so, I appreciate it." I said to Miorine as I bumped my hip against hers. She blushed slightly and looked away.
"Don't worry," she said again.
"I thank you for helping me too, Miorine, you really saved me there," Taylor said with a look of relief. Miorine just nodded.
"It's a pleasure. At this point, your brand and Izumi's are practically one and the same; I could easily manage both," Miorine said with ease. I smiled broadly at her.
"Aww, you care about us." I said to Miorine, hugging her from behind. Miorine blushed and tried to pull away.
"It's my job," Miorine grumbled, embarrassed. "And let go of me, we're in public!" she snapped, her blush deepening.
"You're my fiancée." I reminded her with a smile.
"It's my job," Miorine repeated, blushing even more.
"Are you sure you came here just to represent us? Weren't you even a little worried about us? For me? I'm sure I saw a sigh of relief when you saw us." I said mockingly without letting go of her. Miorine shuddered slightly.
"O-of course not! Stop talking nonsense!" Miorine grumbled, embarrassed, as she looked away. Taylor and Mai laughed beside us. I was about to speak when they interrupted me.
"Miyamura." Someone called from behind me. I turned to look at Sung Jinwoo. Finally, I let go of Miorine, who hadn't actually left my side, though she did turn with me to look at Jinwoo. I just smiled lazily.
"Why all the formality, Jinwoo? It almost seems like you don't love me." I sighed, clutching my chest in mock pain. Jinwoo just looked at me with a pained expression. He finally sighed.
"Can we talk?" he finally said, gesturing for me to follow him. I looked at him amused before nodding.
"I'll be right back," I told the three girls with a nod. They both looked at me for a few moments before nodding. Miorine took the longest, glancing at me, but finally nodded in my direction. "Lead the way," I told Jinwoo. He simply nodded, and we started walking. We easily navigated the crowd and left the enormous ballroom that was hosting the dance in honor of the raid group. We walked through several hallways until we reached an empty room. "If you want to get rid of me, this is a bad place to do it," I said with an amused smile as I looked around.
"If I had wanted to do it, believe me, I wouldn't have chosen this place and time," Jinwoo said dryly. I smiled lazily.
"Wow, you've got experience making people disappear?" I asked playfully. Jinwoo just looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I burst out laughing. "So, what's up? Will you give me your blessing to chase after Jinah? We had a good time during our-"
"No," Jinwoo interrupted, his eye twitching as he glared at me. I raised both hands playfully.
"So?" I finally asked. Jinwoo just stared at me before taking a small piece of paper out of his pocket and showing it to me between his fingers. I recognized my own handwriting easily. My eyes lit up in recognition.
"You put this paper inside my shadow," Jinwoo said, narrowing his eyes. "During our double date, you somehow managed to slip a note into my shadow without me noticing. It took me two days to realize," Jinwoo said, sounding tense. I smiled broadly.
"Skill Issues?" I asked simply. Jinwoo just stared at me, making me chuckle. "Joking aside. I don't see the problem. You found the note just in time, and in the end, it wasn't necessary since the matter was resolved," I said easily, shrugging.
"Did you know that mutant ant, Harbinger, would appear in Jeju?" Jinwoo accused seriously, and we fell silent. I just stared at him with a slight smile.
"I did," I told him honestly. "And once again, the problem was solved. I don't see the need to discuss it further," I said easily. Jinwoo stared at me intently before unleashing his power. I felt his aura trying to press against me with force, and I stood there looking at him with the same gentleness. How terrifying; it was possibly the largest amount of aura I had ever felt, aside from the few national ranks I had had the misfortune of encountering.
"You knew about Harbinger. You didn't tell anyone. You had important intelligence for the raid. For the survival of the Korean hunters. And yet, you didn't mention it. You didn't tell anyone."
"The Korean hunters were in danger. They were almost killed by Harbinger when they were taken by surprise by that monster. The hunters would have been better prepared if you had informed them."
"But you didn't do it. And all for what? So that your wife can claim it, control it, make it stronger, and take it to Japan? You were planning to sacrifice the Korean hunters for that?" Jinwoo practically spat while glaring at me. I just smiled softly. I guess... it really could be seen that way. I finally sighed and shook my head.
"You can believe me, or you can't, but... I really didn't expect Taylor to do something so stupid." I chuckled before sighing. "Let's start from the beginning. I... yes, I knew Harbinger was going to show up in Jeju, or at least, I knew there was a possibility it would happen." I sighed with a hum. "My... visions of the future, or at least, what are glimpses of the distant future, aren't... completely reliable. It might happen, or it might not."
"I had seen the rise of the Harbinger. I had seen that none of the hunters present during the raid, Korean or Japanese, would be strong enough to fight her."
"So, I went to solve it myself. You can call me arrogant or an idiot, in fact, maybe both, for being confident enough to solve it when a dozen S-rank hunters wouldn't be able to, but I have confidence in my strength."
"I'm being honest when I say I wanted to keep everyone safe, and I might sound arrogant, but I'm not so stupid as to not consider the possibility that I might fail to defeat it. That's why I wrote you this letter telling you everything," I finally said, looking at Jinwoo. "You're one of the only people I was sure could defeat it if I couldn't," I said gently. Jinwoo stared at me intently, as if trying to find some lie, and I just stared back.
"So much confidence in my abilities? Our training was barely enough to truly see what we were capable of. You could have given it to my father." Jinwoo finally said, frowning.
"Was I wrong? After what you saw of the fight, tell me you're not capable of defeating Harbinger on your own, and I'll apologize." I said with an arrogant smile. Jinwoo remained silent, and I chuckled. "What I saw of the future wasn't just Harbinger," I told Jinwoo playfully. His eyes sparkled slightly in recognition.
"I see," Jinwoo finally said. "So... it was all planned? You approaching us during our first meeting? The training? You coming to our house? The exit to the mall? Was all this just to deliver this letter?" Jinwoo finally asked, frowning. I just shrugged.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe part of our double date at the mall was to discreetly deliver the letter to you. And maybe the other part was to flirt with your sister. Who knows?" I said with a teasing smile. Jinwoo's eye twitched slightly.
"You're unbearable," Jinwoo finally said, massaging his temple. "And an idiot," he added dryly.
"I get told that a lot, yeah," I said playfully. I finally sighed before relaxing slightly. "And you?" I finally asked. Jinwoo looked at me, almost confused. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" I asked curiously. "You said it yourself. You discovered the letter two days later. That still left you a day for the raid."
"You could have mentioned it to anyone. Chairwoman Go, the Korean hunters, or even your own father. But none of them seemed to really know about Harbinger. So… why? " I asked curiously. Jinwoo pursed his lips into a thin line as he looked at the paper between his fingers.
"I guess we're both idiots," Jinwoo finally said, shrugging. "If I told anyone, the raid would definitely be stopped without a doubt. President Go wouldn't risk sending the hunters into unknown danger. And if it was as dangerous as you made it seem, that monster needed to be killed sooner rather than later."
"I really wanted to see if your... ability to see the future was real. And I guess... I wanted to see if you were capable of defeating it on your own," he added honestly. I chuckled.
"Wow, thanks for your trust," I said playfully. "Also, you sent your shadows with the Koreans; you could have intervened at any time," I said with a smile. Jinwoo just sighed.
"Of course you felt them." Jinwoo said, shaking his head.
"Of course, it's impossible not to." I shrugged, then looked at Jinwoo. "Even so… you play dangerous games, Jinwoo. You could have told anyone, and if something bad had happened, you would have shared the blame." I said gently. Jinwoo grimaced.
"I know," he said solemnly. We both remained silent. I just sighed.
"I guess that's all?" I asked gently. Jinwoo just nodded.
"For now, yes," Jinwoo said with a sigh, then looked at me intently. "I'll trust you, Miyamura. Don't make me regret this, or I'll make you regret it even more," Jinwoo threatened. I chuckled.
"Of course. I'll try to live up to it," I said with a nod. Jinwoo finally nodded and started walking back to the party. I quickly followed him before smiling broadly. "By the way, now that you trust me and all, does that mean—"
"You're not going out with Jinah." Jinwoo growled, glaring at me before continuing to walk back into the ballroom. I burst out laughing and was about to keep teasing him, but I noticed the party atmosphere had changed.
I could see the crowd gathered in front of a small stage where Chairwoman Go, Chief Director Costa-Brown, and Nezu were seated on a small, high stool. President Go was the one holding the microphone.
"Four years ago, I was the one who authorized and coordinated the first incursion into Jeju. Four years ago, I was the one who had to deliver the bad news to all Korean citizens of our failed attempt," Chairwoman Go began solemnly. "And the same was true during the second and third incursions. Each time, I stood before you, bowed my head, and announced our failure."
"Many of us had given up on Jeju Island. It's a shameful symbol that our hunters and heroes haven't been able to keep the Korean soil we love so much safe and intact."
"But today, today, I can stand before you with my head held high, completely proud, and announce with all my joy: We have reclaimed Jeju!" Chairwoman Go 's voice boomed as she extended her hand. The hall practically erupted in applause and cheers. Chairwoman Go let them quiet down before continuing. "After so many years, we have reclaimed Korean territory from the clutches of the monsters. Our hunters and allies made it possible. Today, we won, and it was thanks to our hunters and allies. I will be the first to thank them."
"Thanks to them, Jeju Island is once again in the hands of its people. It will take years of reconstruction to repair what the monsters destroyed. But we will do it. We will rebuild everything and celebrate this victory once more."
"So thank you. Thank you for the combined efforts of the Korean and Japanese hunters who made this possible. Thank you very much." Chairwoman Go said, bowing her head. Cheers and applause echoed loudly in the hall once more. I joined in the applause; it was a good speech. After several seconds, Chairwoman Go raised her head with a huge smile. "And now, I have one last announcement."
"Our alliance with the Japanese hunters and the Jeju Island has taught us another lesson; they have shown us once again that united, we are stronger. That no nation has to face threats of this magnitude alone."
"Therefore, it is my honor to formally announce the creation of a strategic alliance between the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States of America. We may have reclaimed Jeju, but dangers still lurk in the shadows! When the next threat comes to any of our nations, we will not stand idly by; none of us will have to face it alone."
"We will do it together with our new allies! Thank you for listening," Chairwoman Go said firmly, taking a step back.
I could only stare in disbelief at what was happening. Like me, everyone in the room was surprised by the announcement's twist. We all remained silent for what felt like an eternity. I even glanced at Jinwoo, who also seemed surprised by the announcement.
"What the hell— " The room erupted in a huge uproar. I could see the three leaders, still impassive. The… what?