VSP 57

It had been a week since Sejun got paired with Lee Dohun.

The world was quiet. Eight S-rank hunters, including Ryu Sehyun, had been split into four teams, numbered from Team 1 to Team 4.

When the dungeon raids of Teams 1 through 4 finished, the members would rotate again through Teams 1 to 4, removing the uncertainty of random selection and making sure the members were redistributed fairly.

That was the conclusion after a short meeting, not quite a meeting, between Cha Dogyeong and Ryu Sehyun. And it was a conclusion no one could really object to.

Sejun also thought it was fair.

It wasn’t particularly comfortable, but even if someone like Jeong Siwoo or Na Yookyung ended up paired with him, it wouldn’t be that bad, he thought. But he never pictured a future where he was teamed with Lee Dohun.

He figured it would only stress him out.

Out of the seven others, the only one he truly felt was unbearable was Lee Dohun. The rest he could at least manage with. Choi Yerin, too, after having gone on one mission together, didn’t seem like she would be too uncomfortable.

Most of all, she had openly said during that mission that she forgave Sejun and that she believed she survived thanks to him. So it didn’t seem like it would be too bad.

Choi Hangyeol, well, he was crazy, but he didn’t hate Sejun, so it would be fine. Ryu Sehyun went without saying. And Cha Dogyeong.

Cha Dogyeong was… good. Maybe even better than Sehyun-hyung.

So.

…So.

“How the hell is it Lee Dohun right from the start!”

Sejun screamed.

Of course this team assignment had to feel like unfair targeting. His whole life had been that, unfair treatment from the author herself. But even in this world, desperate to push him together with Cha Dogyeong, how could they still throw this kind of unfairness at him?

If he waited, eventually it would come around again. But still!

“No matter what…”

How did he end with Lee Dohun right from the very first 2-person team?

Sejun despaired.

Who was Lee Dohun? If you had to list people who hated Seo Sejun from 1 to 10, he would take all 10 spots.

It was like hating Sejun was engraved in his DNA, like it was only natural. From their first meeting, it had been rotten to the core.

A guy younger than him by a year, but who never once used honorifics.

A guy who hit people without ever apologizing, who never said thank you even after being saved. A rude bastard.

And now Sejun was paired with that bastard.

“Ryu Sehyun: Sejun-ah, will you be okay?”

Their bad relationship was so well known that Ryu Sehyun had sent him a message on the very day the teams were set.

And what could Sejun say? Was he supposed to complain, “Hyung, I really hate this, can’t you switch my team?” There wasn’t much he could do. Even if he dodged it now, the turn would eventually come around anyway. He couldn’t complain to Sehyun and demand a swap.

“Uh, I’ll be fine.”

Sejun answered as calmly as he could. Of course, his hand shook as he typed, but at least Ryu Sehyun couldn’t see that.

And of all things, they were Team 2. After Team 1 got dispatched, Team 2 would be called right after.

So a week later, the day arrived.

“Dungeon occurrence, A-rank, Namyangju. Team 2, Hunters Seo Sejun and Lee Dohun, raid requested.”

•••

“Ha.”

The day he learned he was paired with Seo Sejun, Lee Dohun couldn’t help but scoff when he saw the message.

It wasn’t the first time he had been on the same team as Sejun. During the period when raid teams weren’t being rotated, they had ended up in the same team several times.

Of course, back then, Cha Dogyeong had been there in the middle, so there hadn’t been much chance for direct contact with Sejun, or for the two of them to actually clear dungeons together. But they technically had been on the same team.

And through all those raids, not once had Seo Sejun been of real help.

If you had to nitpick, there was one time in the assimilated dungeon when the idiot pulled him out of the way and kept him from getting more injured. But Lee Dohun himself had once smashed through a wall and saved Sejun, so he considered it mutual.

How could Seo Sejun and him mutually support each other? The thought alone was an insult to his pride.

That was why the way he drove toward Namyangju grew more reckless. So reckless that nearby cars honked and made a racket, but Lee Dohun didn’t care.

With the reflexes and vision of an S-rank hunter, the chance of an accident was near zero. He ignored the navigation flashing red and warning about the speed limit and drove straight to the destination.

“Tsk.”

At the assigned parking lot, a white PorXsche was already there. He didn’t need to check the plate to know it was 7879, Seo Sejun’s car.

That guy seemed to treasure his car. Should I give it a kick? If he raised hell, I could just pay the repair cost.

He entertained the nasty thought, but in the end, he didn’t act on it.

For some reason, he just didn’t feel like it.

At some point, the strong rejection he had always felt toward Seo Sejun had started to fade like air leaking out of a balloon. Lee Dohoon knew it himself.

He didn’t really want to admit it, but that was the truth. So instead of kicking Sejun’s fancy car, he just clicked his tongue and walked away.

He walked slowly toward the dog cafe where the dungeon had appeared. Namyangju had several large dog cafes, and this one looked like one of the bigger buildings.

Fortunately, the dungeon had opened not in the building but in the middle of the wide exercise yard. The cafe looked the same as usual, except that instead of customers and staff, there were Association employees around.

And near the dungeon, Seo Sejun was already standing, having arrived before Lee Dohun.

“……”

Lee Dohun carefully looked at him.

About 180cm tall with a slim build, wearing a thin black coat fit for spring weather and a black turtleneck. He looked dressed more for a date than for a dungeon raid. It suited someone who put his summons in front and didn’t fight directly.

In contrast, Dohun wore his dedicated combat gear, clothes made not to tear even when he transformed into a beast.

Every little thing like that got on his nerves. It wasn’t like Sejun bragged about being a summoner, but still.

“Hey, idiot.”

He made no effort to hide his irritation as he walked closer and called out.

Sejun raised his head reflexively and, when he saw Dohun, his expression distorted right away.

Oh?

It was the same as usual, but for some reason Dohun found it even more unpleasant this time. He picked a fight without holding back.

“Are you out here on a date? Look at those clothes.”

He pointed out what had been bothering him since earlier, and Sejun frowned even harder, his face saying, why are you starting trouble over that?

“Why out of nowhere? I’ve always dressed like this.”

“That’s because you always slack off and stand behind while the raid ends.”

“When did I ever slack off? I did my best in my own way.”

“Some best.”

Of course, it wasn’t true that Sejun only ever slacked off. Dohun knew that too. But from his perspective, Seo Sejun was still a useless teammate.

“You better watch yourself. There’s no Dogyeong or Sehyun-hyung here to save you if you’re in danger. I won’t care if you die. Got it?”

Dohun sneered. Sejun stared at him for a while, speechless then his eyes dulled.

“Haa.”

He sighed openly, then turned his head away from Dohun, like he wouldn’t deal with him anymore.

That made Dohun more irritated than anything else.

“Hey, Seo Se…”

Vrrrrrm.

Just then, the dungeon entrance, which Association staff had been waiting on, split open.

The staff, who had been glancing nervously at the two hunters bickering, started moving busily.

Tsk. Dohun pulled his attention away from Sejun. With the dungeon right there, it wasn’t the time to stir up more noise.

Once he stopped, silence fell. The two of them didn’t speak another word.

It was rare for them to be alone, but whenever they were, silence had always filled the space. Yet today, for some reason, that silence made Dohun uncomfortable. He didn’t know why.

“Hunter Lee Dohun, Hunter Seo Sejun, the dungeon has fully opened. Will you enter now?”

Dohun nodded. Since it was open, there was no reason to delay.

He stepped forward without asking Sejun’s opinion.