A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 25: Hunters (9)

*11 hours ago.*

“Excuse me!”

Someone lightly patted my cheek.

“Excuuu-se meee?”

The world was dim. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains.

In the stillness of the hospital room, I groggily sat up.

“Miss… Hong Seon-ah?”

“That’s me!”

Her mid-length hair, its ends dyed a fiery red—or perhaps imbued with magical energy—made her instantly recognizable. She sat on the edge of my bed, smiling brightly.

“How’s your body holding up?”

“Ah, it’s fine. And you, Miss Hong? Are you doing okay?”

“I hear you’re running a foundation.”

Her smile shifted slightly, becoming unreadable—hovering somewhere between genuine and blank.

“And I hear you’re planning to start a PMC?”

“…How did you find out?”

“There are Awakeners with excellent hearing, you know.”

Feigning nonchalance, I nodded.

“Yes, I was planning to discuss it with you all once the sun was up.”

“With Uncle Chun-sik?”

“…Yes.”

She smiled innocently.

“TV says we’re amazing people!”

“…Well, it’s more than I deserve, but yes, we’ve been hearing that.”

“Was escaping Seoul really that impressive?”

“It seems so.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Hong Seon-ah’s face turned expressionless again, the faint smile gone.

“For Awakeners, escaping Seoul was easy. Simple, really.”

“…Is that so?”

“The real inconvenience was moving with *civilians.*”

Hong Seon-ah stood, leaning against the window frame. The moonlight reflecting off her figure made her appear almost chilling.

“But staying in Seoul because civilians whined about not wanting to leave their homes?”

That was the reason they had remained in Apgujeong. She smiled wryly, as though in pity.

“Hmm. That doesn’t seem quite right, does it? Don’t you agree?”

“Well, as a politician—”

“Aren’t you a Hunter, Seung-Moon?”

It was the first time she used informal speech with me.

“We’ve walked together, shoulder to shoulder, through dark, hellish paths. Doesn’t that mean we have… *something*?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Hoo!”

A small spark flickered from her lips, glowing brightly in the dim room like a tiny lantern.

“Yap-yap!”

With playful hand gestures, she sent the flickering flame toward my face.

It was beautiful in its undulating dance, but for a moment, I felt my face heat up. Then, a cold chill ran down my spine. I realized that, with a mere whim, Hong Seon-ah could incinerate me right then and there.

She smiled sweetly, sitting back on the bed and taking my hand. Gently, she placed it into the flame.

“Now, try moving it.”

“…It’s beautiful.”

“Here, try making a lark, or maybe a fish…”

The flickering flame morphed effortlessly in shape. A small, fiery lark glided gracefully through the darkened room, illuminated by moonlight.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, she extinguished the flame, clapping her hands as though she’d just remembered something.

“This trick? It’s something I learned from the friend who shared the cheese tuna mayo tteokbokki recipe.”

“…I see.”

“That friend could control water. They died protecting the Apgujeong Camp. Got shot.”

Hong Seon-ah smiled faintly.

“Did they die from getting shot? Or did they die because they wasted time catering to whining civilians?”

This was taking an interesting turn. I let my expression fall into something more neutral.

“Oh, don’t take it too seriously! I’m not some lunatic like Magneto who thinks Awakeners should rule the world or anything!”

She smiled brightly again, resting her chin on the bed’s railing.

“I’m just saying, Awakeners shouldn’t feel obligated to sacrifice everything for civilians.”

“…I agree.”

“I knew I had a good eye for people!”

“Yup!” She playfully extended her fist toward me. I returned the gesture with a polite tap.

“Hmm. You’ve been speaking poorly of the military for some time now.”

“……”

“You do want to get along with Awakeners, don’t you? That’s why you’re trying to draw us into the foundation, using this plan as your method.”

She pulled the contract out of my bag.

“A private military company disguised as a subcontractor.”

“…You’re quite the pickpocket.”

“Am I wrong?”

“You’re not.”

Still smiling, she stared at me while holding the contract. Then, without hesitation, she burned it to ash. The remnants drifted gently out the window.

“Uncle Chun-sik may not realize it—or rather, he’s too noble to understand us.”

“……”

“There have always been people with thoughts like mine. It’s just that we couldn’t act on them because we owed him our lives.”

Hong Seon-ah’s expression turned somber, even concerned.

“If Uncle Chun-sik ends up taking a massive share of the company, leaving the rest of us with scraps, someone’s bound to feel bitter. After all, plenty of people got hurt—or worse—indulging his ideals.”

“Is that someone you?”

“Exactly! So, instead of a contract like the one you showed me, why not restructure it? Uncle Chun-sik keeps 30%, I get 10%, and the extras get 0.5% each. What do you think?”

*Translation:* *Give me a reason to divide the group internally.*

It wasn’t a terrible proposal. If structured this way, the foundation would end up with an even larger share—40%, the same as before.

Hong Seon-ah added, “Wouldn’t it also be better for you if the company had some kind of buffer rather than letting Uncle Chun-sik unilaterally call the shots?”

In truth, I’d already built in such a buffer. The PMC’s administrative team consisted entirely of people loyal to Yang Pan-seok and myself.

Still, the possibility of leveraging someone like Hong Seon-ah as a tactical asset was undeniably appealing.

However—

“Wouldn’t it be a little boring if the company fell into chaos as soon as it opened?”

“Don’t worry. I know my manners. And I have no plans to stir up trouble—*yet.*”

*Yet.*

“You’re looking quite far ahead, aren’t you?”

“A friend’s death stays with you forever.”

Hong Seon-ah smiled bitterly and took my hand.

“Assemblyman Han Seung-Moon, I’m not saying I plan to overthrow Uncle Chun-sik and seize power.”

“……”

“I just don’t believe Awakeners are obligated to play heroes.”

Her voice dropped as her smile turned melancholy.

“The issue is, a hero like Kim Chun-sik will eventually drop that burden on us—one way or another.”

Her grip on my hand tightened, her sadness almost tangible.

“I just don’t want to lose another friend.”

As I looked into her sorrowful, almost pitiable eyes, I weighed my thoughts carefully.

This beguiling gaze.

I couldn’t trust it completely.

Hong Seon-ah, despite her overwhelming abilities, had stood by and watched while we faced the wolf. She didn’t use her powers until David Kim had doused the wolf in oil. She even had the audacity to apologize to me afterward.

Hiding her abilities was another matter altogether. While it was likely a calculated decision for the benefit of the group, the way she had gone about it was disturbingly natural—too seamless, considering she knew I was a politician.

As always, my judgment came quickly.

Her motivations didn’t matter right now.

“That’s… quite a reasonable proposal.”

In the moonlit shadows of the dark hospital room, with a flickering wisp of foxfire hovering between us, an unspoken agreement passed between two Hunters.

Who would devour whom remained uncertain.

“It’s an honor to work with the best Hunter.”

A true Hunter doesn’t discriminate against their prey.

“You’re too kind, Assemblyman Han Seung-Moon.”

Be it monster or human.