It has been four days ever since the incident and the people can't stop talking about it. Questions and speculations spread everywhere on the internet.
At the cafe, Yeon Yujun was biting his nail as he stood there at the corner behind the counter while Lee Seolji was wiping the countertop with a towel.
"What's got you anxious?"
"Nothing."
"That doesn't look like nothing," Lee Seolji raised a brow as she put the towel away and began making the coffee order for a customer.
When Lee Seolji couldn't ignore it any longer, "Seriously what's bothering you?" she added, tamping down the coffee grounds before transferring it to the machine.
"You look haggard, seriously."
"I look what I always look."
"Whatever…" she surrendered with a shrug as she focused on her task for today.
Yeon Yujun just huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, why would he say that mysterious man had been bothering him for days after that incident? That he could barely get any sleep because of that stranger…
***
Last night, Yeon Yujun was scrolling through his phone, his eyes were wide with dark circles underneath— he typed at such a fast speed that he looked desperate. He is desperate though, desperate to find that stranger who seemed to be a threat towards his life.
Too desperate that he even forgot to take his pills. He stared aggressively at his screen that it could crack at any moment under his wrathful glare.
Yeon Yujun has been more passively active than he usually is on social media. He started doomscrolling for days now, he has a job and why the hell is he acting unemployed?
On the ThreadIt app, he tapped on his own post.
[ @Pouch_Collector3152 (OP): Does anyone have any idea who could possibly that mysterious unregistered hunter? ]
{ATTACHED SCREENSHOT PHOTO FROM THE LOCAL NEWS}
Yeon Yujun's dark silver eyes landed on the replies.
[ @DarkloredIzDead: No idea, we can't see their face at all. ]
[ @SlimeyKnight: (replied to @DarkloredIzDead): maybe he also has a skill that 8 has! ]
[ @secretivegh0ster: (replied to @SlimeyKnight): or maybe that's 8 ]
[ @l0HenLover: (replied to @secretivegh0ster): bro who is surviving a vortex explosion? im crying ]
[ @secretivegh0ster: (replied to @l0HenLover): you never know ! 8 was the strongest hunter in Seoul. ]
[ @only1reader: (replied to @secretivegh0ster): Why are you glazing over a dead person who's a murderer??? Stop hoping he's still out there lol. ]
The irony of the replies never failed to make Yeon Yujun laugh humorlessly as he typed a reply to the user called "@secretivegh0ster".
[ @Pouch_Collector3152 (OP): (replied to @secretivegh0ster): I'm sure 8 is dead now. He's not coming back. ]
Yeon Yujun sighed as he logged out of his account from ThreadIt, wondering if he'll ever find that mysterious person.
Not too long, Yeon Yujun opened his second source — the articles, KS Hunter Times. When he opened the application, he was instantly met with the things he hoped to see.
At the "News of the day" category, his eyes feasted with frustration and curiosity.
"Unregistered hunter on the loose: A mysterious man cleared a vortex at the Chueok Museum."
"The next 8 of South Korea?"
"A man cleared a vortex in under just eight minutes, close to 8's four minutes record!"
"Song Dohyun says he appreciates the unregistered hunter for clearing the vortex."
"The mysterious hunter of Chueok Museum: Who could he be?"
Yeon Yujun couldn't help but grin at the sight of the information of who could that man possibly be, though, he hated how he's compared to some man who didn't even get to beat his four minute record for clearing a vortex.
"It looks like he won't beat me at all," he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride but it quickly faded when he tapped on one article.
After reading countless articles, Yeon Yujun still has no clue or idea who that man could be. Everyone doesn't have any leads of who it could be, just useless claims and speculations. It literally just wasted his time.
Yeon Yujun, filled with disappointment and frustration, put his phone aside. But he remembered something; he does have a clue.
That mysterious man could turn invisible.
But would anyone believe him at all? It seems like he's the only one who witnessed it since he hasn't found a single thread, article, or post about that man being invisible… He would appear suspicious.
"Pubu!!"
Yeon Yujun snapped his attention instantly to Pouch who had been tapping on his laptop for the entire day as it cried.
"Pubu… Pu…!!!" it sobbed, gesturing to the laptop screen as Yeon Yujun took a look at the screen.
"Pouch… did you just…" he trailed off, lost for words.
"DID YOU JUST ORDERED…"
Yeon Yujun instantly snatched the laptop from Pouch as he frantically looked at the screen. Four margarita pizzas, four milkshakes, ten pieces of fried chicken, shrimp and so on…
"Pouch, I told you not to click on any ads and just watch your… cooking videos or mukbangs on MeTube!" he scolded, trying to cancel the order worth 80,000 won.
"Pubu…! pupu…" Pouch whined as it crawled up to Yeon Yujun as if apologizing.
Yeon Yujun checked his bank account on his phone and saw 80,000 had just been deducted on his money. "POUCH!!"
"Bubu!!" Pouch cried as it tugged on Yeon Yujun's pocket.
"My inventory?"
"Pubu!!"
Yeon Yujun almost forgot that inventories exist— of course, he's a former hunter and still awakened, he still has some perks even if he wasn't a full-time hunter now.
He summoned his status window and swiped through his inventory, inside, he had 1000+ items he never cared about checking. Does it hold any value? That thought crossed his mind as he tapped on the small red earrings icon.
When he did so, the pair of red earrings appeared on his hand as the hologram screen displayed next to the item.
( "[A] Red Earrings of Persephone (replica)" *Obtained from the vortex chest. It gives an extra 500 mana when equipped. )
"Earrings…" Yeon Yujun traced the glossy and firm material of the ruby earrings. He had never worn this at least once, he barely used any of the stuff he obtained from loots and vortexes.
Come to think of it, hunters and unawakened collectors are after this kind of stuff… Would any of his items hold value?
It'll probably get him at least 5,000 or 10,000 won for selling those earrings. But not for now.
"I'll think about selling these soon," Yeon Yujun said as he put the earrings back in his inventory and closed the status window.
"But that doesn't mean you'll buy everything you see online! I'm banning you from buying things, Pouch!" he scolded, tugging the fur of the small creature, just enough to discipline as it squirmed.
"Bubu! Pupu!!!"
"Now I have to refund the things you ordered." he let go and gently patted Pouch's head before canceling the absurd order that Pouch unknowingly put.
***
Now, back at the present, Yeon Yujun is focusing on his job as the barista, carrying on his day as usual while Lee Seolji kept glancing at him as if he had done something wrong.
It was supposed to be another normal day from Yeon Yujun, except, it's not.
It was now 2:45pm in the afternoon, the skies outside were a beautiful orange hue and the skies were parting from each other like cotton candy.
Lee Seolji untied her work apron, hanging it to the rack as she grabbed her bag. "Hey, I'm clocking out early today. I have to babysit Jinho and I have tutoring in the library today."
"Yeah, of course. I can handle this by myself, there's not much customers today."
"I also left a list of the things we need to order, it's on the cabinet. Grandma kept insisting we order now since the prices are going to be high again," Lee Seolji said as she put on her hat.
"Just deal with it if there's no customers coming this evening. I'll be back soon, Oppa!" With that, Yeon Yujun gave her a thumbs up as she exited through the backdoor, leaving Yeon Yujun in charge of the day.
Yeon Yujun took out the list from the cabinet just how Lee Seolji instructed him. He should close soon after dealing with this since it looks like he won't be expecting any customers for today.
Yeon Yujun began to deal with the orders needed, more milk, coffee, syrup, cream and other stuff. He grabbed his phone from his bag at the ground and dialed the delivery service. He turned around on his back and began jotting down the list at the countertop.
When the phone connected, Yeon Yujun began speaking, his gaze was focused entirely on the paper. "..Yes, we'll order more ground coffee beans, at least five sacks of it. Then we'll need more…"
Suddenly, the bell of the cafe door opened, Yeon Yujun stopped speaking as he didn't turn around just yet. It seems like there's one more customer to deal with today.
He heard heavy footsteps of familiar combat boots and chains clacking— this is no ordinary customer. Yeon Yujun got his guard up as he ended the call without any other word.
"Hey."
Yeon Yujun almost flinched from the unfamiliar deep voice as he slowly turned around, the man before him was wearing tactical gear and a dark jacket draped on his wide shoulders, his silvery long hair tied in a single ponytail.
The man's face was completely covered with a white and worn-out wolf mask with faded crack marks.
Who is this man?
"I finally found you," he tilted his head to the side, leaning in closer to Yeon Yujun's face.
"Kitten."