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He decided to take his sister's advice to go out with somebody. And only one remained in his mind among all the blurred figures. Jin-woo hadn't seen her since the double dungeon, and according to the shadow, Hunter Cha had busied herself at Song Chi-yul's dojo. Despite being already powerful as an S-Rank, Hae-in thought she must become stronger to be able to defend the people around her, determined to exceed her limits.
It was not that she was not satisfied with what she had, Hae-in was fueled with a challenge.
She was always up for one once she saw it.
Jin-woo admired her for that. After knowing her, she turned out to be more than he ever thought. Jin-woo suddenly felt the urge to keep up with her. He imagined himself standing next to her against the great unknown, with their weapons in their hands.
“Would you like to go to the amusement park with me?” A simple invitation.
But to him, it was much more.
She arrived while he was waiting by the entrance, Jin-woo turned his head to her direction and let out a smile. Hae-in exuded radiance in her simple attire, and her beige coat draped over her shoulders, holding her frame as if she were a gentle being. Her face was in its usual stoicism, but Jin-woo would catch the small tug on the corner of her lips and the way her eyes lit up.
Such small details, almost not spotted easily, but Jin-woo still did. He liked observing her until he memorized the sparks glimmering in her eyes when she found something she liked, the way her cheeks flushed in timidness and embarrassment, how her composure trembled as if her walls had shattered, and the way her lips stretched into a smile—oh, what Jin-woo wouldn't give anything to see her smile.
They walked together in the amusement park, a place filled with dozens of people, which meant there would be eyes watching them from the sides. Jin-woo summoned his shadows to keep them from surrounding him and Hae-in. He understood what it meant to be famous; the desire to walk the streets without receiving any attention was tragically ripped away, exposing oneself to the spotlight.
Hae-in must've felt that way ever since she became a hunter. And the fact that she was in her early twenties hadn't helped either. Jin-woo knew she wasn't fond of cameras flashing around her, which almost froze her in her spot, not knowing what to do. It was one of the parts of her that stayed. Even as she made a mark among the country's most renowned hunters, she was a young woman who had dreams and made the most out of her life by putting others first above herself.
“Do you want to go on that ride?” Jin-woo pointed at the rollercoaster.
Hae-in chuckled. “Yes.”
“What about that one?”
“Okay.”
“That one?”
“That one looks fun, too!”
“How about the one next to it?”
Her laugh sang in the air. It sent his heart aflutter, treasuring the look on her face like a snap of a camera to remember every moment in his life. Jin-woo was glad that he was not the only one—it must've been a long time since she last did something that did not involve weapons or dungeons. He hadn't done anything like that since he awakened, throwing himself into work to support his little sister and provide for her needs.
The amusement park held a significant meaning to him. He recalled his father bringing him and his sister when they were little, encouraging them to have fun while his mother reminded them to be careful. Jin-woo felt a surge of nostalgia; each step he took was a trip to the lane of those memories, surrounding him with the feelings he once had and could no longer grasp. But Hae-in's presence grounded him, preventing him from delving deep into his thoughts. Right. I came here to have fun. He reminded himself. Hae-in needed it, too.
Hae-in glanced at the rides in a childish wonder. It turned out she hadn’t gone on any rides at the amusement park—except one. All she remembered was sitting on a carousel horse, waving at her parents as the ride gently spun. It was a sweet, innocent moment she cherished, a quiet memory from before she devoted herself completely to becoming an athlete.
Jin-woo smiled, he gently grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the rollercoaster. Hae-in clutched her coat to keep it from flying away, yet her laugh still echoed, trusting him fully on how to spend their entire day in what was known to be one of the happiest places on earth.
Their hands were eventually intertwined once they reached the line. Jin-woo moved closer to her, hiding their joint grip within their coats. He liked it as something he and Hae-in only knew, and no one else. It did not take long for the pair to wait in the line, Jin-woo brought her to the front, where they would face the ground below them and its heart-stopping movements.
Glancing at Hae-in, he couldn't hold back the mischievous grin on his face. Jin-woo was excited to hear her screams and the expressions she'd make as they dove into rapid heights and lengths.
Unfortunately. . . The ride was not as enjoyable as he'd thought.
Throughout the ride, Jin-woo expected to feel his heart leap to his throat just like when he was a kid. But it seemed as if everything was normal. The rest of the passengers behind them were screaming at the top of their lungs. The two hunters, however, were silent. Hae-in stared into the distance and was completely unfazed; Jin-woo frowned.
They tried the double shot ride next. Jin-woo let out a yawn while Hae-in began to ask him about the monsters he encountered after a minute of sudden drops of their seats in various intervals, which had kept him entertained as if the petrified screams did not exist. Perhaps those experiences with fighting monsters in tremendous sizes had erased that fear. Pendulum ride? Jin-woo talked to Hae-in about how the nice weather was. Haunted house? The scary actors seemed more apprehensive than them, and it felt as though they were walking in a quiet hallway with full lights.
The amusement park didn't turn out as amusing as Jin-woo thought it'd be. Was this the difference between hunters, especially high-ranked ones, and ordinary citizens? Things that were supposed to deliver a reaction suddenly became a small spectacle. But it was what made someone human.
“Are you not having fun?” Jin-woo asked, gently stirring his straw around his drink. His chin rested on his hand.
“Hm? No, no. I do have fun!” Hae-in smiled.
“But the rides must've felt slow to you, no?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. Perhaps I just like your company better.”
“Is that so?” Jin-woo’s lips tugged into a smile. He didn't know he had such an effect on someone. “Then, why don't we ride something that is a real thrill?”
“Hm?”
“Let's finish eating. I'll show you after.” Jin-woo grinned, grabbing a fry from the box between them. Hae-in didn't ask a question, but he could tell she was curious.
He had a perfect idea to make their date greater. Something that would fit between them as S-Rank hunters. And it was also something he planned to make it special for his date; Jin-woo was determined to see the smile on Hae-in's face in every way possible. He wondered if it was the same feeling of how his father described his mother. He was little back then, but Jin-woo remembered the look on his father's face when he asked him how he met his mother. The face he had when his mother smiled at him after an exhausting day at work.
Kaisel rose from the shadows, stretching its wide wings, almost blocking the sunlight from the two hunters. Hae-in's lips parted in a silent gasp. Jin-woo grinned smugly and climbed onto the wyvern's back. He offered his hand to her, but Hae-in stared at it for a second before taking it, letting him gently guide her to settle behind him. Her arms carefully wrapped around his waist, causing his heart to skip a beat.
“Just hold on tight to me, alright?” He spoke over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Hae-in swallowed, yet nodded.
With that, Kaisel soared into the sky, climbing so swiftly that Hae-in instinctively tightened her grip around Jin-woo’s stomach. His breath hitched at the force of it—her hold was so strong, he half-wondered if he'd snap in two. She let out a startled yelp, followed by a stream of jumbled words, while Jin-woo could only laugh in response. Picking up on their reactions, Kaisel dove even higher, piercing through the clouds in a dramatic ascent, giving the hunters the amusement ride they deserved. All the shouts, all the screams, all the laughter. Free. Jin-woo had never felt such a freedom since.
Eventually, he patted his wyvern's back, and the creature paused, its wings spread wide to let the wind carry them higher. They soared among the clouds, silent and steady, the rhythmic beat of the air beneath their wings the only sound. The city below shrank to a scatter of specks, like shards of glass, and streets winding like grey threads.
“Like what you see?”
Hae-in's eyes were wide. “It's. . . It's so beautiful.”
Jin-woo smiled broadly. He removed her hands from his waist and got up, leaving her confused. He offered his hand to her and Hae-in did not think twice of taking it, allowing him to bring her to her feet. Her breath quivered, yet she immediately grasped on her composure, standing straight with her hand intertwined with the hunter next to her. Together, they gazed at the golden and rosy hues spilling from the sun.
“Do you always do this?”
Jin-woo nodded. “After closing every gate. But never like this, where I take in and admire my surroundings.”
He was tempted to show her the world he saw. Vast, unfathomable, breathtaking.
“But. . . Why did you go to the amusement park when you can always experience something like this?”
“The gate my father went missing in— it spawned in that very park.” Jin-woo answered, not taking his eyes off the distance. “So that's why I've wanted to go there. And with you, as I wanted to thank you for being there by my side, and I thought I'd give you a memory to cherish.”
“Jin-woo. . .” Hae-in parted her lips, almost speechless. “I should be the one thanking you. You've done so much for me, and I don't know how to repay you.”
He squeezed her hand. “You don't have to.”
Being here with me is enough. His eyes softened.
She took his breath away the moment he saw her. She made his heart race when she walked toward him.
So this was love.
He wanted to show her, share with her, the beauty beyond the chaotic world they lived in.
“Mind if I do something?”
Hae-in looked at him, puzzled. “What is it?”
Jin-woo stepped behind her, his hand never leaving hers. With a gentle tug, he spun her around—her skirt flaring out, her coat following in a soft swirl. She turned to face him, lips slightly parted, eyes wide with surprise.
“Woah!” Hae-in tripped at the sudden gesture.
Kaisel lightly flapped its wings. The blond hunter clung to the sleeves of his coat to keep balance, while Jin-woo held her in her elbows, reassuring her that she was safe in his hands. He would not waste this chance. After all, she turned the battlefield into her dancefloor, tearing through her enemies with grace, and Jin-woo was curious what elegance she exuded if she was in a peaceful place.
“Why— what was that for?!” Hae-in exclaimed.
Jin-woo chuckled. “Something I've wanted to do since we left.”
“What's with you and always surprising me?” She grumbled.
“Why not? You look cute every time,” he grinned.
Her cheeks instantly heated, but Hae-in rolled her eyes, as if in an attempt to cover it. “S— shut it.”
“See?” Jin-woo chuckled. He cleared his throat and stepped back, placing his hand to his back. His hand stretched out for her. “So, shall we leave the world for a while, Hunter Cha?”
As the pinkish hue remained on her cheeks, Hae-in erupted into a chuckle. She accepted his invitation and walked closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Never thought I'd see this part of you.”
“And I should thank you for that,” smiled Jin-woo.
It was just him and her, and the song in his head, playing over and over.
The two hunters remained in each other's arms as Kaisel continued to fly, gently swaying to the strong winds that brushed against their bodies. This time, Hae-in didn't scream, already grown accustomed to the height and speed. But more importantly, she was with him. Jin-woo made sure she was comfortable, and he was certain she was more than capable of handling herself, but he wished to be the person whom she could rely on. How she trusted him was an honor he could receive.
When Kaisel spun in the air, Hae-in squealed, clutching tightly on him. His laughter vibrated from his chest. The beautiful woman in his arms soon joined him, laughing freely as the wind tangled her hair. Their joy echoed through the open sky, unburdened and wild, like two stars in orbit. They escaped the world—responsibilities, burdens, and problems. Jin-woo had yearned to breathe freely, wishing it was like this forever.