That Face Is the Problem - vanish into fiction

That day’s gathering ended quickly. Since there was no alcohol and the meeting had been arranged to consider Jae-gyeong’s condition, everyone left in a hurry.

Before leaving, Da-sol hesitated for a moment at the entrance and then spoke to Jae-gyeong.

“If anything happens, tell me. I live right above you.”

“…Eh… uh… yes…?”

Jae-gyeong tilted his head, unsure if he had heard correctly. Seeing that confused expression, Da-sol rolled his eyes in annoyance and left. He did not seem like the type to repeat himself kindly.

If something happened and Jae-gyeong told Da-sol… because he lives right above… Does that mean he would come immediately?

Jae-gyeong slowly replayed Da-sol’s words in the empty house. No matter how he thought about it, that was the only way to interpret it, yet he could hardly believe that Da-sol had meant it.

On top of that, Jae-gyeong did not understand why Da-sol would even offer to come. Jae-gyeong was taller, stronger, and in the offensive category. He was not disregarding Da-sol, but logically, if anything happened, it seemed like Jae-gyeong should be the one going up to Da-sol’s place.

Yet the fact that a person so much smaller, cute, and resembling a little squirrel offered to help him was slightly funny and deeply moving.

Anyway, Da-sol was the kind of man who kept his word, and once he decided to open his heart, he genuinely made an effort for that person. Just realizing this made Jae-gyeong feel a light affection for Da-sol.

However, the conversation that had seemed like a heartwarming incident became a real situation a few days later.

***

Crash!

One evening, a sudden lightning strike hit hard, and all the lights in the house went out. Jae-gyeong was startled and looked out the window. But it wasn’t raining, and the other buildings were fully lit. Even the neighboring building in the same apartment complex was fine.

‘Is it just our building? Did lightning strike?’

But that was unlikely. Jae-gyeong sighed. It must have been a mistake caused by an awakened hunter with lightning abilities. Everyone knew not to use powers outside the dungeon, but hunters never seemed to care.

Jae-gyeong, hating his own kind, fumbled around the darkened house. It was not yet completely night, and some light came in from outside, so it was not pitch dark.

Soon, he heard a knock at the door. Tap, tap, tap. Jae-gyeong swallowed. This situation was scarier than the blackout itself.

He held his breath and listened carefully. Even though he could probably handle whoever it was, he could not stop his imagination from conjuring ghosts or intruders.

Tap, tap, tap.

A second knock came, slower and more regular this time. Should he ask who it was? But what if an unknown person said, ‘Hyung, it’s Byung-cheol. Please open the door, hyung’?

A sudden wave of fear pressed down on Jae-gyeong. He was very easily frightened by ghosts.

Then, boom! A loud, aggressive sound followed, far more intense than before. Tears welled up in Jae-gyeong’s eyes. ‘Oh no, it’s really a ghost… please just go away…’

Bang, bang, bang! Boom! Boom!

The knocking grew more intense. Now, a voice accompanied it.

“Jeong Jae-gyeong, hunter! Are you not home?”

“Ahhh!”

“Jeong Jae-gyeong, hunter? Hey! Open the door!”

“Ahhh… uh…?”

Startled by the shouting, Jae-gyeong froze. That voice sounded familiar.

“D-Da-sol…?”

“What? I said open the door.”

“R-Really Da-sol…?”

Why did Da-sol come here? Then Jae-gyeong remembered what Da-sol had said a few days ago when leaving his house.

‘If anything happens, tell me. I live right above you.’

Could it be that the blackout… is why he came?

Trembling, Jae-gyeong opened the door. There stood Da-sol, looking incongruously delicate and beautiful in the dark corridor. He frowned.

“Is something wrong? Why did you scream?”

“Uh… I thought you were a ghost…”

“What?”

Da-sol looked at Jae-gyeong as if he were observing the most pathetic bug in the world, then walked past him naturally into the house.

“Uh, why…?”

“I wasn’t sure what happened. Our upstairs neighbor called some friends to grill meat, used a lightning skill, and messed up the entire apartment wiring. There’s even a hole in our ceiling. Damn it.”

“Wha…?!”

It was a reason Jae-gyeong could never have imagined. And the hunter who had used the lightning skill was Da-sol’s upstairs neighbor.

“That guy said he will compensate for everything.”