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“That’s cool…” In a small, inaudible voice, the young Kang Inheon in the dream said. That appearance somehow seemed to overlap with the real Kang Inheon.
The real-life Kang Inheon had awakened not too long ago then, so he must’ve not known the value of his own grade or the circumstances of the industry and even applied for December… Then, he was tricked by his unreliable words…
“Even if you awaken as a hunter, don’t even dream of my company…”
It wasn’t something he should be saying, but it was the worst start-up for a first job. Kang Inheon must’ve not known that many people were fooled by flattering words and had their ankles grabbed by their first job…
When Lee Juwon unconsciously let out a long sigh, Kang Inheon covered his face with both hands and said, “I-I know. I-it doesn’t f-fit me.”
“Yeah… Now that you mention it, yes…”
He could now admit that he had held onto his ankle and he could have been much more successful if he had gone to another company or struck out on his own. However, Kang Inheon spat out something strange, “H-how can some like me be a h-hunter…”
“…What?”
Lee Juwon couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it. Was there anyone in the world more suited to be a hunter than Kang Inheon?
“No, being a hunter is your calling.”
But Kang Inheon seemed to interpret Lee Juwon’s laughter differently. His voice shrank even further, “Y-you can laugh at me… B-being a petty thief but d-dreaming so big…”
“…Inheon-ah.”
“…Y-yeah?”
“It’s not being a hunter that doesn’t fit you, it’s being a thief. It really, really doesn’t fit you.”
“……”
“So don’t do it anymore in the future.”
Lee Juwon knew that he didn’t have the qualifications to say these things, as he fitted being a thief the best. But since he was a nationally recognized boomer, he had to say something, even if it meant turning a blind eye to his own shortcomings.
“What you’ve done so far is fine. If you don’t have any money, you can borrow some, right?”
Even in his dreams, he couldn’t stand to see Kang Inheon downcast. With the kind of person you are.
“You’ll be righteous and cool and damn strong later on… Anyway, you’re going to be an S-class hunter that does everything by himself and saves the world a hundred times over… And you’ll pay back everything you’ve borrowed until now.”
“……”
“So, it’s okay.”
After being wordless for a while, Kang Inheon shook his head.
“…H-how can I be…” Powerless, Kang Inheon’s voice faded as he continued, “Y-you just s-said not to d-dream of your company j-just now…”
No, that’s because the CEO of that company is a bit… Lee Juwon swallowed the words he couldn’t spit out. Kang Inheon’s youth was both cute and pitiful. His voice grew smaller and smaller, “E-even if I a-awaken by luck, I’ll just be an F-class…”
Lee Juwon frowned. It was frustrating to see him shrinking back like that, not knowing his future. It was said that if you keep a flea in a glass for too long, it can only jump as high as the glass when you release it, and if you tie a young elephant to a stake, it won’t be able to pull the small stake out when it grows up. Kang Inheon had enough qualities, but he set limits for himself.
Lee Juwon suddenly grabbed Kang Inheon’s lowered head with both hands and lifted it up. Their eyes met. Only then did his clear black eyes stare straight at Lee Juwon.
“Okay, then I don’t care if you’re an F-class, apply for my company.” Slightly raising his left eyebrow where the band was attached, he said, “I’ll do my best to support you from behind.”
Kang Inheon couldn’t blink his wide-open eyes. After staring blankly at the young Kang Inheon, Lee Juwon shook his head.
“No, no.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “It’s okay even if you don’t become a hunter.”
“……”
“Just live long and happy.”
“……”
“Always watch out for the water… Don’t go near any rivers.”
Kang Inheon’s eyelashes fluttered and the corners of his eyes turned red. Coming to his senses, he stumbled backwards. Lee Juwon let him go obediently.
Tap, tap, Lee Juwon patted Kang Inheon on the back, and his delicate body swayed back and forth as Lee Juwon patted him. It was as if he was nodding with his whole body.
After spitting out all the words he wanted to say, Lee Juwon felt a little ashamed that he sounded like an ahjussi preaching to middle school students or an old man who believed in the Tojeong bigyeol. Was it because, even if his body changed, he couldn’t fake his age…?
At some point, the food stall had more and more customers. The tables, which had been sparsely populated, were full and the sound of people talking was loud.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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When he saw a customer roll up the curtain and enter before leaving when they saw that there was no space, Lee Juwon tried to say that it was time to get up now, but Kang Inheon gulped down the remaining fish cake soup and tak, he put the cup down resolutely and said, “…S-should we t-try w-writing one too?”
Kang Inheon pointed to a pile of post-it notes on one side of the tent next to the table. In all sorts of shapes such as butterflies, cars, hearts, and the like, post-it notes of all colours were left as guest books, written in each customer’s handwriting.
The best taste since the revolution!
May the boss prosper^^
Buy me a trailer honey
Kyungha-ya it’s almost Christmas get a boyfriend
Yujun♡Suyeon FOREVER
Kwon.Mi.sun. Stay.Healthy.
Lee Juwon tapped his index finger on the bamboo container containing wooden chopsticks and Sharpies and said, “I’ve been wanting to write one since I got here.”
Instead of writing his own, Lee Juwon stole a glance at Kang Inheon, curious to see what he was writing. However, it wasn’t even a test but he made a wall with his hand and hid what he wrote for his guest book. When Lee Juwon tried to look over his shoulder, he exerted himself to cover it even more.
“You’re going to put it on the wall anyway, so why cover it up?”
“S-still… r-right now is…”
“Hmph, I’ll cover mine too then.”
The two of them made a barrier with one hand and wrote their guest books. Even after they finished, they quarrelled about who should put it up first. When it seemed like the dispute would never end, Lee Juwon suggested, “Let’s stick it on at the same time on the count of one, two, three!”
Kang Inheon nodded his head, and Lee Juwon counted, “One, two, three!”
But no one stuck the post-it notes on the count of three.
“Wow… I’m disappointed?”
“Y-you too…”
The two looked at each other dumbfounded and then grinned, “Then, should I count for real again?”
“Yeah…”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three!”
Kang Inheon shouted three along with him. And tak, only Kang Inheon stuck the post-it note.
“W-what the hell…?!”
Kang Inheon looked at Lee Juwon with a deceived expression, but Lee Juwon unabashedly read aloud the guest book Kang Inheon had written on the blue post-it note, “I wish time would stop like this. 12.24.”
Lee Juwon admired it without realizing it himself and continued, “Wow, that’s so like you.”
“…W-what’s so like m-me?”
At Kang Inheon’s slightly irritated tone, Lee Juwon couldn’t help but laugh again. “You seemed like the protagonist of a drama just now?”
“…What d-did you write?”
Lee Juwon stuck his yellow post-it note next to Kang Inheon’s blue one. His gungseo-type handwriting was excellent. Lee Juwon’s handwriting was always neat.
The stove with red embers blazing, the owner’s freshly made tteokbokki, and Kang Inheon’s face looking at the post-it,
All were red and warm despite the below-zero weather.
“Twelve thousand won—.”
The owner, busy stirring the seasoning for the tteokbokki, said the amount without looking at the two people standing in front of the register. When Lee Juwon pulled out two bills from his pocket, Kang Inheon grabbed his wrist.
“Y-you paid the bill for the arcade too…”
Kang Inheon reached into his pant pocket for his wallet and stopped. Lee Juwon said, looking at the faltering Kang Inheon who couldn’t bear to take out that wallet, “Isn’t it better to use my money rather than that money?”
Kang Inheon gave a small nod and rubbed his reddened earlobe.
Lee Juwon took the change from the store owner and stuffed it into his pocket. In his pant pocket, he felt for the few remaining coins.
“Open your hand.”
Kang Inheon opened his palm, a little puzzled. His hands were big for his young frame. It was a pretty and long hand.
“Even if I’m not here, go play some games when you’re bored.”
Five silver coins clinked and landed in Kang Inheon’s palm.
The coins, retaining the heat from inside his pocket, were warm. He blankly stared at them, glistening in the white light.
“Ah, this one’s faulty though?”
Lee Juwon’s hawk eyes shone as he picked up a coin from Kang Inheon’s palm. Both sides of the coin were heads.
The machine would spit it out if this coin was inserted. A single coin cost 250 won, and yet it was faulty? The arcade was a long way away, but Lee Juwon was always sincere when it came to CS.
“Wanna go change it?”
“N-no… Thank you…” Kang Inheon shook his head and put all the coins in his pocket.
The snowflakes were still fluttering as they raised the curtain and left the food stall. The below-zero temperature was similar to that of before, but they felt much cozier than they had earlier because their stomach was warm and full.
His stomach was full, but he couldn’t pass up the sight of a carp bread rear car on the side of the road. Like relieving his hunger after starving in the dungeon, Lee Juwon’s eyes lit up whenever he saw street food.
“Wanna eat carp bread?”
Without even listening to his answer, Lee Juwon bought two thousand won worth of carp bread. Each time he took out a piece of well-baked carp bread from the white paper bag, it made a crunching sound.
Lee Juwon took a bite out of the golden baked tail. The red bean paste inside the crunchy bread was sweet.
“Isn’t it too cruel to eat them head first?”
He remembered almost being eaten head-first by the Crita in the dungeon. He shuddered again at the memory.
“Y-yeah…”
Kang Inheon was about to eat the head first before furtively turning the tail to the front.
As they walked along, talking about small things like whether to eat adzuki beans or cream, crucian carp or carp, they eventually arrived at the bus stop. The bus stop, which was a little away from the main road, was empty because it was the only place where the number 17 bus that Kang Inheon wanted to get on came. The interval between buses was long and the last stop was the intercity bus terminal.
The opaque, blue plastic that the bus’ barrel roof was made of blocked the flurry of snow piling up. Brushing the snow from their hair and shoulders, the two sat on a bench under the roof and chatted as they waited for the bus.
“Yeah, at that time, the barbarian threw a hook with his left but you turned around at the speed of light and twisted his arm. That was really no joke.”
“I-I don’t know how I did it…”
“And you were even faster when you fought the round one than the barbarian. Reaching growth in the middle of a fight… You know that feeling? As expected of a champion…”
“……”
When Kang Inheon’s eyes sharply rose, Lee Juwon laughed lightly and raised both hands.
“Alright, I’ll only say one verse. You’re scaring me.”
As far as Kang Inheon was concerned, Lee Juwon had already sung four verses. But he didn’t mind him singing a round.
Snow continued to fall from the night sky, whitening the asphalt floor. Except for a small patch under the roof where they were sitting, the snow had accumulated quite a bit. Enough to leave footprints now.
The coldness of the wooden bench ran from his tailbone to his spine, making his body quiver. Lee Juwon glanced at Kang Inheon and saw him slowly taking his uniform jacket off. He then placed the non-woven jacket on Lee Juwon’s lap. Beyond dumbfounded, Lee Juwon couldn’t even stop him and just stared, Kang Inheon then quickly said, “I-I don’t get cold, so…”
“……”
“I-I really d-do feel h-hot right now.”
Kang Inheon even fanned his face with his hands, trying to show that he was hot, but even without the fan, the cold winter wind whipped between them.
Lee Juwon looked down at the school jacket on his lap. Various little goosebumps stood on the nape of his neck, but he said he wasn’t cold. Not only did he exert himself to pay for the pizza and hospital bills, but it seemed like he would even be robbed of his soul if he dated anyone.
Even thinking of the young Kang Inheon going out with anyone didn’t make him feel so pleased. A young thing like him already bluffing…
Lee Juwon’s gaze fell on Kang Inheon’s feet.
“What’s your shoe size?”
“T-two hundred seventy…?”
“A little thing like you is already the same size as me?”
Lee Juwon, who had just witnessed Kang Inheon’s bluff with his own eyes, looked at him in disbelief.
“No way? It’s just your shoes that are big, no?”
“N-no.” Kang Inheon denied it and even waved his hands, but Lee Juwon still didn’t believe him.
“Take off your shoes. Let me measure your feet.”
Caught in the moment, Kang Inheon took off his shoes, and he and Lee Juwon put the sides of their feet together to compare the size. Sitting on a bench with their legs stretched out and placed together, their feet were similar in size.
“It’s… it’s right?”
Lee Juwon nodded as he put on the shoe Kang Inheon had taken off.
“Oh, yeah, they fit.”
“…Huh?”
“Doesn’t it look good? Should we switch?”
Lee Juwon slung his arm around Kang Inheon’s shoulder and tapped it. Their eyes met, and Lee Juwon smirked like a delinquent. Then he pushed his shoes in front of Kang Inheon’s feet.
Kang Inheon had seen the exchange of shoes or padded jackets many times before. But while he had been excluded, he had never been bullied like that. It wasn’t like anyone wanted to exchange items with what he was wearing. By all accounts, Lee Juwon’s shoes looked much better.
“T-the soles are all r-run down… T-they’ll fall off soon…”
“I know.”
“Huh…?”
Lee Juwon said, getting up from the bench, “The bus is here. Aren’t you supposed to get on that one?”
From afar, a bus could be seen approaching the bus stop on the two-lane road. The number 17 on the front of the bus got bigger and bigger.
At some point, the bus stopped in front of the stop. The front door, frosted white, opened with a clatter.
“Goodbye, see you later.”
“…Y-yeah.”
Lee Juwon handed Kang Inheon his school jacket and said goodbye, and Kang Inheon nodded his head.
Kang Inheon clutched the jacket in his hands and walked timidly to the front door of the bus. Lee Juwon never took his eyes off Kang Inheon’s back.
He said he’d see him again, but he wasn’t sure when or if he’d ever see him again. Still, he was worried about the worn-down condition of Kang Inheon’s sneakers, so he was glad. It would be bad luck if the sole fell off. You fall, you slip, you roll… One had to wear and walk around in good shoes.
Kang Inheon started to climb the stairs of the bus but then turned around. When he was halfway up the stairs, he and Lee Juwon, who was looking at his back, were at eye level and their eyes met head-on.
Flustered by how their eyes faced each other more closely than he expected, Kang Inheon unconsciously lowered his gaze. However, he soon raised his head again and looked directly at Lee Juwon.
Large snowflakes continued to fall from the dark night sky. A cold wind blew over the snow. The fluttering white snow fell on the bridge of Kang Inheon’s nose and Lee Juwon’s eyelashes then melted.
Hoonk-!
The bus driver honked his horn. He half-closed and then opened the front door in a threatening manner, and Kang Inheon, almost getting his body stuck in between, climbed up the bus in the panic of the moment. At the same time, the front door slammed shut.
As if to make up for the lost time, the bus departed in an instant. The white frost on the bus windows made the inside look blurry and not visible.
Even after the bus rounded the corner and disappeared from view, Lee Juwon remained standing at the stop for some time.
orcinus comments:
my favourite line from this chapter is “And you’ll pay back everything you’ve borrowed until now.” haha juwon is making my heart flutter too 
the next part should be the last for chapter 4… goodbye middle school arc (waving handkerchief)
I really like how it is written. The past feel like a parenthesis, a bout of time enclosed in a little space, untouchable.
Thank you for this (very long) fourth chapter !
All i can say is juwon on this day had such a huge influence on inheon…im gonna cry.
Ops didnt mean to reply huhu
Thank you for the chapter♥️ This part was so wholesome, like Juwon sharing the basic moments in middle school, but for kang Inheon is the best day that he doesn’t want the day to finish, so cute 😩
THANK U ORCINUS i always look forward to when ull post a new part ❤️❤️❤️ TYSM SERIOUSLY i love this novel
Nooo your profile pic 😭😭😭
its so beautiful can u blame me…
What’s the sauceee(of your pfp)😭
its the sole yess & yes fanart that exists and its the river scene 😭
I really love this story so much 🫶😭 Thank you for the translation!
oh my bad I didn’t mean to respond to yours lmaooo
its like watching a workaholic husband and his worried wife.
Aww now, christmas eve takes a whole new meaning to inheon :’)) and makes sense why he insisted so much going out with juwon on 24th december
AND THANK U ORCINUS I LOVE YOU AND YOUR TRANSLATIONS
I love this story sooooo much
Thanks for the chapter ❤️
It makes so much senes how Inheon loves Christmas. How he likes snow, how he always is worried that Juwon is not eating. Love how persistent he is over the years and still loves him despite Juwon acting totally different all the time. 🥰
😭😭😭😭 his hubby didn’t recognize him even with all the time they have shared in the company. Hopefully with our mc back in the present the hubby that once was becomes himself fully again.
Are they going to separate in high school? ;(
Ugh I love how there’s references to Inheon’s little quirks sprinkled all throughout this interaction. The two headed coin, the way he eats carp bread, URGH ITS ALL BECAUSE OF JUWON he’s so whipped. Seriously this author is a genius…
Thanks for the chapter
What did Lee Juwon write on the post-it note ?!😩
I love how even the smallest details from their small interactions are significant in shaping Kang Inheon’s character in the future.
Also, the flow of the scenes are almost natural, like we’re reading their actual experience and not the author’s made up words. I really like how you translated this! It was easy to read <33
AAAA the double head coin!
And mc saying he’ll put up a Hunter’s company and telling ml not to apply then apply 🥺
And then their food choices
And saying ml will be a great hunter someday
Sucks that it’s like a fever dream esp for ml who’s confused and stuck in the past 🥺 mc changin a bit and havin no recollection. But ml followed through and for years till present.
Glad that they’ll meet again soon.
“Just live long and happy.”
“Always watch out for the water… Don’t go near any rivers.” — hence him disliking the Han river lol (based on the fans)
‘both sides of the coin were heads’ (seems like he use this whenever he’s making dungeon choices)
“Isn’t it too cruel to eat them head first?” —his interview with the kids T.T
“Goodbye, see you later.”
Bye I’mma cry! He remember it ALL TOO WELL. 🥲
it’s nice to know that no matter how many years have passed, Inheon still tries to hint at Juwon about this precious memory they once shared
sad thought….but i think inheon drowned himself in the river Because juwon told him to watch out for water and to avoid rivers
.esta historia a veces me quita el aire…maravillosa…a pesar de estar basada en el cuento navideño de Dickens…creo que esta es tan hermosa, tan bien construida…que ya adquirió vida propia
But the coin that Inheon used to save that hunter was given to him by Juwon, and his fandom name “champions” was also from Juwon, the Time stopping power that he had, he probably awakened it from juwon too because he didnt want the moment with lee juwon to end. His words, about the eating the head or tails first during the interview with children is because Lee juwon said it now. The Salad pizza and pineapple pizza that Inheon puts in the company freezer is because the future lee juwon who travelled back in time said he “liked it” and that inheon will like it later on too. But he only said he liked it because his inheon put pizza in the fridge . Like both of them affected and changed eachother in both major and minuscule ways. ts wild but Kang inheon essentially fell in love with a Lee Juwon that didnt exist yet, because his lee juwon hasnt gone back to time. This crazy ass time paradox is so cool, I really love stories like this where the future affects the past rather than the opposite. And ones where the lines blur between the past, present and future, and multiple A characters have yet to experience or do actions that changed B characters who were changed by the A characters that travelled to the past before. Its so hard to explain because its like multiple time loops where time is intertwined and the future affects the past. aibfjsndbbd Sorry for rambling but this is just so fun(‘▽’)
Thanks so much for giving us such a great translation; I’m really enjoying the novel so far!
This chapter really warmed up my heart 🥺🥺
this tugged so hard at my heartstrings
Bro me too I’m crying
This keeps giving me Xie Lian and Hua Cheng vibes because one side forgets and the other makes it the focus of their life and just waits for the other
I’m in tears 😭