[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl":3,"chapter-the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-chapter-298":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Hunter Wants to Live Quietly (bl)",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},996398,1298,"Chapter 299: Waiting Position","the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-chapter-298",298,"\u003Cp>Chapter 299: Waiting Position\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without a name, it was obvious who the handwriting belonged to. It had to be Lee Sa-young. Who else would call Cha Eui-jae 'you' in such an informal way? Cha Eui-jae rolled his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Now that I think about it…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, that brat had stopped calling him 'hyung' and had started saying 'you' instead, hadn't he? Cha Eui-jae ran his fingertips over the handwriting in the notebook. Of course, there was no warmth to be felt from the ink. Even so, he awkwardly muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Your handwriting's pretty neat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd assumed it would be as much of a mess as Nam Woo-jin's. Maybe Jung Bin had taught him how to write properly. With that idle thought, he rummaged through the chaotic desk in search of a pen. He was about to write a response in the notebook when he hesitated. 2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…Would it even get delivered if I wrote here?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it didn't, he'd just end up looking like some idiot who scribbled [I'm watching] in Nam Woo-jin's research notebook. But then again, Lee Sa-young probably wasn't sure that Cha Eui-jae would see this either. The way he wrote [by any chance] suggested it was a long shot. In that case, Cha Eui-jae could afford to take a long shot too. 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared at the neat handwriting Lee Sa-young had left behind. Then, picking up one of the crumpled sheets of paper lying around, he started an impromptu handwriting practice session. 2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm watching.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held up his own writing next to the neatly written letters in the notebook. Compared to Lee Sa-young's, his hastily scribbled words looked like they were written by a pair of worms. 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way. This won't do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae took a deep breath and tried again, putting effort into making his letters as clean as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm—wat—ching—…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ballpoint pen broke clean in half. All he did was grip it a little tighter, but it snapped, and— of all places —it broke right at the double consonant, making it feel even more ominous. Cha Eui-jae stared in disbelief at the two pieces in his hands before shoving them into his pocket. Well, sorry about that, Nam Woo-jin. He grabbed another pen from the desk and carefully wrote again, one letter at a time. 2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm—wat—ching—…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He broke three pens in a row before he finally understood— forced neat handwriting and flimsy ballpoint pens simply could not coexist. At the hangover soup restaurant, he always scrawled things messily with a marker, so he had never realized this before. 3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then another realization struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That brat had seen his handwriting plenty of times at the restaurant. There was no need to put in all this effort to make it look good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae sighed, twirling the broken pen pieces between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Still…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I'm going to write it, I might as well make it look nice. 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ruffled his hair in frustration. Luckily, Nam Woo-jin's lab was full of paper and pens— enough that breaking a few wouldn't even be noticed. Cha Eui-jae grabbed a crumpled sheet and started writing the same short phrase over and over. He kept at it until he was finally satisfied with how it looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm watching.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm watching.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm watching…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he knew it, the paper was completely filled with the same sentence, packed tightly from top to bottom. Only then did Cha Eui-jae stop. If anyone saw this, they'd think it was some stalker's letter. 4\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…Maybe I overdid it?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he scratched his temple with the back of his pen, he scribbled a slightly different phrase in the corner of the still-empty space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I miss you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Embarrassing words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Damn it, what am I even doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae crumpled the paper into a ball. His fingertips tingled. Even so, he didn't throw it away. If anyone saw it, that would be a disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They'd think Nam Woo-jin has a stalker.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed the crumpled paper into his inventory with a flick of his wrist. Out of all the stupid things he had done in his life, this probably ranked near the top. 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a bright light glowed from the notebook. Cha Eui-jae hurriedly checked it. Beneath the neatly written letters, a new message had appeared, written in the exact same handwriting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It's okay.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae murmured the words to himself. It's okay. Who was saying that? Lee Sa-young? Cha Eui-jae? The subjectless sentence stirred countless thoughts in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep down, he already knew. Lee Sa-young must have written it to comfort him— so desperately that he scribbled it into a notebook, unsure if his words would even reach their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae ran his fingers over the writing before blurting out,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Not okay at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt lonely. Because Lee Sa-young wasn't here. 11\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cha Eui-jae gripped his pen and stared at the notebook. Lee Sa-young had waited for eight years, holding onto nothing but a pinky promise. He wanted to ask him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How the hell did you endure it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had no guarantee that I would come back alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know you're out there, alive, and yet I feel this restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to spill every ounce of frustration onto the pages— fill them with curses and unfiltered emotions. But instead, Cha Eui-jae swallowed his restlessness and condensed it into a single sentence. The pen touched the paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black line stretched across, forming letters, and those letters formed words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I miss you.] 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sentence he couldn't bring himself to say out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the sentence was complete, Cha Eui-jae snapped the notebook shut with a loud clap, rubbing furiously at his masked face. It was just one line, yet it made his entire body itch. Just then, he sensed someone approaching the lab. Cha Eui-jae shot up from his chair.  3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the door even fully opened, a hoarse, irritated voice barked out,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…So, the director sent you? What now, more nagging? I've told you at least a thousand times—rushing me won't make it go any faster! What, do you want me to write a damn explanation letter? Get a medical certificate? That'll be fifty million won upfront!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blinding white light flooded in through the open door. Cha Eui-jae gawked. A pale face, crooked glasses, messy white hair lazily tied up, sunken cheeks, a wrinkled and crumpled lab coat, hunched shoulders, a slouching back, and battered old Crocs shuffling on the floor. Standing in the doorway was, unmistakably, a zombie. 2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The zombie, having unleashed a tirade, took a deep breath and adjusted his skewed glasses. His burnt-out white eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What the— J? When the hell did you get back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy standing beside him answered politely,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He returned today, Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You knew it was J and didn't tell me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did inform you. However, you heard only that the director sent someone and assumed it was another errand boy, so you ignored me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would you like me to repeat exactly what you said earlier, Master?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget it. Just give me an energy drink.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The zombie took the tumbler from the boy, downed it in one go, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's been a while. You came from an eroded dungeon, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh? Oh. Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you must have seen something in there. Considering how long you stayed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh… yeah, I guess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The zombie strode forward and clamped a firm grip on Cha Eui-jae's shoulder. A sharp, sterile scent mixed with who-knew-what chemicals flooded his senses. Those burnt-out white eyes glowed intensely— the eyes of someone completely unhinged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a lion's roar, the zombie bellowed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Spill EVERYTHING! From start to finish!\" 3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn't the time to sit around! Get the whiteboard ready! Set up the recorder! You, start taking notes! Bring a chair, a table, water— move!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy moved swiftly, and in no time, the chaotic lab transformed into an impromptu conference room. Cha Eui-jae found himself being ushered toward a whiteboard. The boy shoved a dry-erase marker and an eraser into his hands. Before he could even gather his thoughts, the zombie had already seated himself with a recorder in hand, looking every bit like an eager student in the front row of a lecture hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We start now. From the moment you entered the eroded dungeon to the moment you escaped— every last detail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get on with it! There's no time to waste! Start talking!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Nam Woo-jin, the zombie, a dangerous aura flared— an unspoken threat that if Cha Eui-jae didn't start the lecture right now, he might end up dissected with a scalpel. With a sigh of regret, Cha Eui-jae uncapped the marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Fuck, forget practicing handwriting— I should've just run for it.' 3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, regret always comes a step too late. With the boy's video camera set up and an overly eager student staring expectantly, Cha Eui-jae had no choice but to begin his lecture, powerless to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely unaware that the notebook had begun to glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drip, drip, drip… The IV fluid fell, one drop at a time. Ga-young yanked the thin curtain surrounding the bed aside with a rough motion. She turned to the man standing beside the bed and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just to make sure~ she's still not awake, is she?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"N-no… There's no sign of her waking up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ga-young inspected the bed. Lying there was Yoon Ga-eul. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, she could have been mistaken for a corpse— completely motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo. Ga-young let out a loud sigh, making sure the man heard it. Then, she grabbed a fistful of his hair, gritting her teeth as she whispered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You idiot… Just how much of the drug did you pump into her? Does it make any sense for her to be out cold for over a week? I told you to put her to sleep— not send her on a one-way trip to dreamland. Did I? Huh?\" 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I'm sorry…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh~ You think 'sorry' fixes everything? Must be nice! Meanwhile, they're already miles ahead of us! There's a limit to how much we can test on the believers, you know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ga-young shoved the man away with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud— He collapsed onto the floor before scrambling to his knees, bowing his head. Ga-young stomped down on his knee. The man clenched his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wake her up somehow… Got it? I don't care if you have to kidnap an Awakened. We need to at least hear what she's learned so far.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"U-understood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if you can't wake her up…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ga-young's voice turned ice-cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You'll be used as material instead. Keep that in mind.\" 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man's face turned deathly pale. He slammed his forehead against the ground, wailing, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… Ga-young ignored his cries and left the room. A researcher waiting by the door hesitantly spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ga-young-nim, perhaps we should ask the Seer for help…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Seer? Hah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ga-young scoffed, pretending to dig her ear with her finger as she replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What use is a person who does nothing but run their mouth? Forget it. I'd rather run another experiment in that time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"B-but, Ga-young-nim…! If someone hears—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're all too busy singing hymns to pay attention~ Let's get back to the lab.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From afar, the voices of people echoed. The believers, chanting in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ga-young clicked her tongue in irritation and turned her back on the praying masses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…ul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yoon Ga-eul!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoon Ga-eul flinched and snapped her head up. A stunning beauty had leaned in so close that their faces were nearly touching. Eek! She let out a small yelp, leaning back. Honeybee giggled, placing her hands on her hips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's got you so lost in thought? We were talking, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-ah, no… I thought I heard something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heard what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know… Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to apologize. How much of the conversation did you catch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh… Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at you, completely spaced out. Here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honeybee tossed something at her. Yoon Ga-eul instinctively caught it and checked— keys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else? House keys.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A house?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yep. J's house keys.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoon Ga-eul trailed off. Honeybee's gaze flickered toward someone standing behind her. There, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, was Lee Sa-young. His face was grim, murderous even. Lowering her voice, she whispered into Yoon Ga-eul's ear,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We made copies to share. So we can manage it together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2102,"2026-06-03T08:27:40.766Z","2026-06-03T08:27:45.013Z",1,"novelbin.me","f7c5dadc10c9b87efd18516e5445b0eed674ae32c24f90e17f2fdd6475b0c45d","the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-chapter-299","the-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-chapter-297",332,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-hunter-wants-to-live-quietly-bl-cover.jpg"]