Chapter 89 – Invitation

‘He wants to invite me to his house?’

Min Do-jun’s brow furrowed immediately upon hearing those words.

‘What is this b*st*rd plotting?’

Though he said it was for reconciliation, Min Do-jun didn’t take the words at face value.

“What scheme are you planning by inviting me to your house?”

-…Haha. You really have developed a strong dislike for me. Given what I did, I understand your reaction. But truly, I have no other intention than offering a meal as reconciliation, so please don’t misunderstand.

“…”

Min Do-jun contemplated briefly.

He had no desire to reconcile.

Not even the slightest bit.

Only.

‘Could this be a chance to kill him?’

He was just debating whether to take this opportunity or not.

When Min Do-jun, who was expected to refuse immediately, remained silent, an expectant voice came through the call.

-What do you say?

“…”

-I really want to reconcile, so please don’t be suspicious. Please give me a chance to make amends.

“Since you insist… Alright. I’ll come, even if I’m being fooled.”

-Thank you! Are you free tomorrow evening?

“Yes.”

-Then I’ll pick you up at your home tomorrow. I’ll contact you again then.

“Sure.”

-Thank you, Do-jun. I apologize again for today. Sorry for calling so late, have a good night.

After ending the call, Min Do-jun still couldn’t understand why Lee Se-yun was being so humble.

* * *

A Ferrari appeared in front of the apartment complex.

Passersby turned to look.

“Do-jun! Get in.”

Min Do-jun clicked his tongue lightly at Se-yun’s call and sat in the passenger seat.

‘Always drawing attention…’

Min Do-jun was certain.

That Lee Se-yun was the type who enjoyed people’s attention.

‘Attention-seeking b*st*rd.’

Unaware of the cursing, Se-yun smiled brightly and said.

“Then I’ll take you to my home.”

While driving, Se-yun chatted away, but Min Do-jun remained silent.

‘His effort to get close is admirable but…’

Min Do-jun had no intention of opening his heart.

Even setting aside yesterday’s events, this was someone who would laugh at his death in the future.

‘I’ll cut it off before that happens.’

Se-yun probably just thought he was angry, never dreaming that Min Do-jun wanted to kill him.

“We’re here. Let’s get out.”

Getting out of the car, Min Do-jun saw a 100-pyeong country house that looked like it belonged in a drama.

*Beep*

When Se-yun pressed the doorbell, the gate opened.

“Come in.”

Following him inside, a spacious yard came into view.

As they walked in looking around, the front door suddenly opened and three people came out in their socks to greet them.

“Welcome, you must be Min Do-jun?”

“Ah, yes.”

“We’ve been waiting. Please come in.”

Min Do-jun slightly bowed as the middle-aged woman spoke with a smiling face.

‘I didn’t expect he’d have family.’

He thought they might meet alone when invited to his house, but that wasn’t the case.

‘Perfect. Just what I wanted.’

Min Do-jun hadn’t accepted the invitation just to have a meal.

He came to check if he could use the family members as bait.

‘This seems to be his mother, and these are siblings?’

Glancing aside, he saw a high school-aged boy and middle school-sized girl.

“Hunter, shall we go in?”

At Se-yun’s urging, Min Do-jun entered the house.

Only then did the family members who had been standing outside follow.

‘Something feels off…’

Though the thought that it might be a trap suddenly occurred to him, he didn’t mind.

He was mentally prepared enough to block even if Se-yun tried a surprise attack.

“Mother, how’s the meal?”

“Ah, it’s not ready yet… Could you and the guest wait a bit? It’ll be done soon.”

“Oh, really?”

Lee Se-yun responded casually and looked at Min Do-jun.

“Would you like a house tour while the food is being prepared?”

“Sure.”

Min Do-jun followed Se-yun around the house.

It was an even nicer and more spacious country house than those seen in dramas.

Being newly built, the wallpaper and design were sophisticated and clean.

While viewing the scenery from the second-floor terrace, the girl they saw earlier came up.

“They say the meal is ready.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Se-yun smiled and patted the girl’s head.

Min Do-jun didn’t miss how the girl flinched at that moment.

‘What’s that?’

Before he could sense anything strange, he went downstairs with Se-yun.

The table was filled with all sorts of delicacies as if for a feast.

“Let’s begin eating.”

“Enjoy your meal!”

“Please eat plenty, Hunter.”

The meal began with the clinking of dishes.

‘They wouldn’t have poisoned it, right?’

Even if they had, ordinary poison wouldn’t affect Min Do-jun’s superhuman body.

He focused on eating, using his chopsticks freely.

“It’s delicious.”

“Really? I’m glad it suits your taste.”

The middle-aged woman covered her mouth and laughed softly at Min Do-jun’s assessment.

It wasn’t mere flattery but an honest evaluation.

The food was quite delicious.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve had such home cooking.’

Living alone, Min Do-jun usually relied on delivery or simple instant foods, so such a warm meal was rare.

“You’re a hunter, Min Do-jun?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know our Se-yun? Are you from the same guild?”

“No, we just met a few times here and there.”

As the middle-aged woman nodded, Min Do-jun asked.

“Are these Se-yun’s siblings?”

“Ah, my goodness. Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced everyone.”

The middle-aged woman formally introduced herself and the family.

As expected, they were his mother and siblings.

‘So Se-yun must be the eldest son.’

Min Do-jun asked again.

“What about your father?”

It would have been an inappropriate question if he had passed away, but fortunately that wasn’t the case.

“He’s not done with work yet, so he’ll be home late today.”

“Ah.”

Min Do-jun occasionally asked questions while eating.

It was to gather even minor information.

Of course, he avoided asking suspicious questions.

Though there wasn’t much useful information to gain anyway.

“Did you prepare all the food yourself, mother?”

“Yes.”

“It must have been hard preparing alone.”

“Not at all. I just need to buy ingredients with the money Se-yun gives me and cook.”

Then the mother started praising her son.

“I was worried when he first became a hunter, but now we live so comfortably thanks to Se-yun. I’m really proud.”

Even during dessert time, the mother’s praise didn’t stop.

‘It’s natural for a mother to praise her son, but…’

The excessive praise made Min Do-jun suspicious.

‘It feels like she’s forcing the words out.’

Min Do-jun observed the siblings sitting across from him.

Their somewhat tense expressions raised questions in his mind.

After finishing dessert, he stood up.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Hoho, come visit again. And please take good care of our Se-yun.”

“Yes, well then.”

Min Do-jun and Se-yun left the house, leaving the family seeing them off.

“Do-jun, were you satisfied with the meal?”

“Yes. I enjoyed it very much.”

“Ahaha, that’s good.”

Se-yun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He seemed to think Min Do-jun’s anger had subsided, but he had only complimented the food specifically.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, let me give you a ride.”

“No need. I’ll take a taxi.”

Se-yun looked confused by the sudden cold response when things seemed to be going well.

“Why not just take my car comfortably…?”

“I’m more comfortable this way.”

“But still…”

“Spend that time with your family instead of giving me a ride. Goodbye.”

Without looking back, Min Do-jun walked away.

Only when he thought he’d gone far enough did he glance back.

‘This should be far enough that they can’t see me.’

There was a reason he insisted on going separately.

‘This way, I can monitor the house.’

He had sensed something unusual in the family’s behavior and decided to observe them, even briefly.

*Swoosh*

Equipping his hunter gear to amplify his mana, Min Do-jun activated Invisibility.

*Shhh*

[Time remaining: 4 minutes 36 seconds]

Now invisible, Min Do-jun retraced his steps.

He needed to finish observing and leave within the short five-minute time limit.

Thanks to his Ghost Step Boots, there was no sound as he ran freely.

Reaching the house quickly, Min Do-jun easily vaulted over the fence.

Then he jumped onto the second-floor terrace he’d left open earlier and infiltrated the house.

Still invisible, he moved to the stairs where he could hear Lee Se-yun’s voice from the first floor.

“Didn’t I tell you to prepare the food in advance?”

“S-sorry… I ran out of time…”

“I told you it was an important guest! You couldn’t even manage the timing?”

The unexpected scene surprised Min Do-jun.

It wasn’t just shocking to see a son scolding his mother but also surprising to see Lee Se-yun angry at all.

‘It’s my first time seeing him lose his temper like this…’

Descending the stairs, Min Do-jun peeked into the kitchen to observe the situation.

“I’m sorry, Se-yun. It’s my fault…”

“Why do you call yourself my mother? We don’t even share a drop of blood. Those brats here are your kids, not me.”

“Se-yun…! How can you talk like that in front of your siblings…”

“Don’t try to lecture me. I’m too old for your nagging. If you want to act like a mother, take care of your own kids. Leave me alone. And…”

Lee Se-yun turned to look at his frozen siblings.

“Do you think I’m joking? Didn’t I tell you to look relaxed when guests are here? If you look so stiff, won’t the guest think something’s wrong?”

“…”

“And now you’re not even answering?”

“…Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t talk to our mom like that…”

The younger brother glared at him with defiance, making Lee Se-yun chuckle coldly.

“Been a while since I came home, and you’re still clueless about reality.”

“…”

“Do you even know who I am? Do you understand what it means for me to be a level 2,200 A-rank hunter?”

“I said don’t talk rudely to mom!”

“You need some discipline.”

When Lee Se-yun grabbed his younger brother by the hair and tried dragging him away, their younger sister quickly picked up her phone.

“What? You gonna film me?”

“…”

“So you’re planning to expose my true nature to the world?”

Lee Se-yun boldly turned toward the camera.

“Go ahead. But before uploading that video, you’ll have to kill me first. Because as soon as it’s released, I might just kill your entire family.”

“…”

“You only have one life, so think carefully. If you don’t like it, leave this house. You live comfortably here because of me; at least be grateful. Tch.”

As if annoyed by having his mood ruined, Lee Se-yun let go of the boy’s hair.

“In this house, I’m the law. Got it?”