Hunter Academy’s Battle God

Lee SungHwan, SiWoo’s father, was in charge of Korea's city guards. He read the news with a blank expression on.

"I thought that the Shin-oh family would handle the Metro City incident. To think that an Italian guild would lead. How weird."

"Thanks to that, they asked for collaboration from the city guards." Lee SiHyuk, the oldest son, spoke with the utmost respect to his father. Rather than father and son, they looked like boss and subordinate.

"The Shinsung Group's proposal… Yes. There's no need to think too much about it. We have to collaborate, obviously. Gather and send as many elites as possible."

"Understood." Lee SiHyuk was about to leave the room when…

"Wait." SungHwan stopped him.

"SiHyuk, are you aware of SiWoo's travel records?"

SiHyuk scratched his head nervously.

SiWoo was SungHwan’s masterpiece. SiHyuk knew he was interested in him, but he never thought he'd be monitoring his travel records despite him being a 1st-year student.

"If you're talking about the portal that leads to Japan, yes. I know know."

"Then you know where SiWoo is going, right?"

SiHyuk made a troubled expression at his question. He was the one who helped him go to Japan, so there's no way he wouldn't know where he was going.

"Probably… The archery dojo."

"The archery dojo…?"

"It's one of the places selected as a training area for the nearby city guards. I helped them make the decision.” There was no point in telling him a lie, so SiHyun told the truth.

"I don't even need to ask… SiWoo probably asked you to do that."

SiHyuk remained silent, and SungHwan looked out the window with a serious expression.

He saw the city guards spread all around the city. The existence of city guards was fundamental since they were in charge of maintaining the safety and order of the city, but they needed strength in order to protect people.

If a strong villain or monster appeared, their role was just to support the Hunter's Association—that's why Lee SungHwan taught his son how to shoot.

It might indeed have been too harsh for a kid, but one needed to have strength if they wanted to protect others, and SungHwan wanted to create the strongest weapon.

'Japan…'

He wasn't interested in what was happening in Japan anymore, but he didn't want his masterpiece to get contaminated by something weird.

"SiHyuk, do you know why I've let SiWoo do as he pleases until now?" As usual, his voice was low.

SiHyuk couldn't help but feel chills when he saw SungHwan’s smile. "I… I don't."

Although the person before him was his father, he couldn't help but nervously sweat.

"He didn't have anything he needed to protect." SungHwan's smile made it look like he was praising SiHyuk. "But even an angry cat can become meek as a sheep once something he wants to protect appears…"

He hadn't been able to control him because he had no goals or ambition, but if something Lee SiWoo wanted to protect appeared…

If he could hold that in the palms of his hands, controlling SiWoo was easy for someone like SungHwan.

"Thanks. I'm not sure what that dojo means to SiWoo, but things have become quite entertaining. You may leave." SungHwan had already finished thinking it over.

"Fath—"

"Do you have anything else you want to report to me?"

SiHyun wanted to say something but decided not to when he heard his father’s cold voice. "No…"

Things had gotten twisted, and SiHyuk’s steps were heavy as he left the office.

* * * *

[Hanasaki Sakura!]

[The dojo the Cherry Blossom girl attended!]

Sakura was embarrassed by the hanging banner, but thanks to her achievement in the International Competition, her archery dojo became a very famous place in the area.

On top of that, thanks to SiWoo, it was set as one of the training places for the city guards, so the energy in the dojo had returned.

Pang-! Paf!

Pang! Whish! Paf!

The members put down their bows, and an arrow whished through the air.

"The feelings of the shooter are often in the arrow. If you’re frightened and shake, that hesitation will appear in the arrow."

Her father’s voice as he taught the members made Sakura happy.

Pang-! Whish! Tap!

Sakura loosed an arrow, and it flew right into the center of the target.

"One…"

Pang! Tap!

"Two…"

Another arrow split it down the middle. Her expression completely relaxed, she loosed one more arrow.

* * *

* * *

Tap!

"Three."

The arrow pierced through the other arrows. After she finished with her spectacle, she spoke to SiWoo. "Aren't you going to shoot?"

"No. I'm not going to shoot. It's the weekend. I also need to rest, at least on days like this." Although SiWoo said it without much thought, Sakura began laughing.

"Ah~ You're resting because it's the weekend? Yes, you might take a break on the weekend~"

"Why are you laughing?" SiWoo asked Sakura while narrowing his eyes.

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing~ It's just that hearing you talk made me wonder about something."

"So… What are you wondering about?" Lee SiWoo yawned.

Sakura opened her mouth while making a mischievous expression. "It's just that you confessed that you came to Japan to rest. How cute."

It was then that SiWoo realized his mistake, but Sakura wasn't going to let him go easily.

"Why did you come here~? To take a rest and leave the comfortable~ Korea behind?"

SiWoo did his best to ignore her. He began thinking about how to reply while looking at his Pocket.

"I… I was wondering… about if the dojo was doing well. That's it." SiWoo's excuse was good.

Sakura didn't push him any further and let him go that time. "It's going well. We’ve gotten more students and Father is happy too. It's thanks to you, SiWoo…" She smiled at him. "It would've been great if you'd come in spring… There's a cherry blossom tree behind our dojo, and it's really beautiful when it flourishes."

"I wanted to show you…" Sakura mumbled while making a disappointed expression.

When he saw her weak look, SiWoo looked back at his Pocket and said, "What's the problem? I just have to come next year…"

Sakura did her best to contain her laughter. Despite wanting to take a break, he visited Japan on the weekends. Not only that, but when she said something weak, he promised to come the next year as well.

'Although he's really nice, he tries to act harsh. Fu, how cute.' Sakura smiled at SiWoo.

"What's up with that expression?" he asked her.

"SiWoo~ Come and eat lunch!"

They heard Sakura’s mother in the distance.

SiWoo quickly got up. "Ah, yes. Thanks!"

"You can remain seated~ Fufu. You're so well-behaved! Sakura, your father and I are going to eat out, so feel free to eat with SiWoo first, okay?"

"Okay~"

Then she grabbed SiWoo's hands and took him to the table. "Come on. Eat."

"If someone hears you, they'll think you're the one who made it."

"I'll make you something next time~"

Clack.

The atmosphere as he ate with Sakura was different from what he was used to. It felt warm.

"SiWoo…" she said.

"Yes?"

"Can I go to meet your family?"

SiWoo didn't reply immediately to Sakura's question. Although he looked similar to usual, his expression was darker somehow. That was enough to make Sakura realize something.

"SiWoo, feel free to come to my house at any time. It really… is okay."

Lee SiWoo kept eating while looking at his rice plate. "Thanks…"

Sakura sighed when she saw his bitter smile; then she slowly moved closer to him.

"SiWoo…" She softly wrapped her arms around his head and licked the rice sticking next to his lips.

"Nyam~"

"Eek?!" SiWoo moved back in surprise, and Sakura smiled while covering her mouth like a fox.

"Hey! Y-you!" Blushing, SiWoo pointed at her.contemporary romance

"You had rice on your cheeks~ Dummy~" Sakura just replied, making a mischievous smile.

She’d pranked SiWoo to make him feel better.

He was still blushing. "Y-you really…"

Although Sakura and SiWoo didn't go to the same Academy or live in the same country, they were becoming more and more important to each other.

done.co