A railing with an ashtray piled high with cigarette butts.
I dial again as I look out at the unremarkable cityscape.
"She really isn't picking up."
If I don't like I Gangho, I just don't meet him.
But it's strange that she's ignoring my calls too.
An emergency contact I'd secured just in case.
When I called, a middle-aged woman with a hoarse voice answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hello, this is Gim Juseon, CEO of Meracle. Might I be speaking with Yu Mia's mother?"
"Meracle…… Ah, the matchmaking agency, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. Actually, the gentleman matched with Yu Mia has come looking for her. He says he can't reach Yu Mia—"
Yu Mia's mother answered with a sob.
"We don't know either."
"Pardon?"
"We don't know. Suddenly, suddenly Mia just disappeared. *Sob*! We reported it to the police too—!"
What followed was a torrent of venting from a mother who had lost her daughter.
Disjointed, emotional, repeating what she had already said.
I was shocked as well.
But I listened silently until the end. Because that was all I could do.
"You must be devastated."
There were no other words I could offer her.
— *Sob*, still, thank you for listening to the end like this.
After the call, I came inside and explained the chaotic situation.
Hunter I Gangho's face turned ashen; then he clasped his head in both hands and let out a pained breath.
"Ah—."
"This must be overwhelming."
After going through so many meetings, he had finally reached a good match.
And now the world had torn them apart.
"Could some kind of accident have happened?"
I handed him a tissue as he forced himself to breathe steadily and asked calmly.
"I'm not sure. For now, her mother said she reported it to the police—"
At my words, I Gangho carefully took out a ring case from his pocket.
Evidence of how sincere he had been about this match.
"I was thinking of marriage. And yet, for this to happen..."
One thing to know here.
A matchmaking agency receives what is called a "success fee."
In simple terms, if a client marries their match, the agency gets extra money.
I Gangho and Yu Mia.
Both are high-tier clients, so the money is substantial.
Five million won per side.
So if the two of them marry successfully, ten million won.
Instant noodles could turn into beef in an instant.
"Are you going to give up like this?!"
Bang!
I slammed the desk and urgently shouted at I Gangho to come to his senses.
"Y-yes?!"
"She's the woman you were thinking of marrying! Are you just going to give up because she suddenly disappeared?"
"Ah……"
"Let's find her. You have to get married, Mr. Gangho."
Moved by my words, I Gangho nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes!"
* * *
"Gim Yang, keep watch over the office. If a client comes, get their contact information."
"Yes, yes! Boss!"
Leaving behind Gim Yang, who saluted, I came down to the first floor with Hunter I Gangho.
Then, standing on the first floor was an unexpected yet familiar person.
"Ms. Renea?"
"A-ahem. W-where are you going?"
It had been a while since we last met after she left in tears the other time.
I don't know what she'd been doing all this time, but perhaps because she is an elf, there wasn't much change in her outward appearance.
"I was so furious, so furious I couldn't sleep. How dare they—to an elf—!"
I Gangho, who had been following behind, tilted his head slightly to the side.
"Ah, the elf from last time."
"Oh my, hello, oppa!"
What is this?
Am I dreaming?
"Oppa, where are you going? Can't I come with you?"
A bright, lively smile.
A refreshing eye smile.
From all of that, I could feel the desperation of a 1,901-year-old.
"Ah, well...."
I Gangho trailed off, finding it difficult to explain. I immediately cut in.
"Actually, we're going to look for someone right now. Ms. Renea, could you help us if you're available?"
"Huh? Me?"
A look of annoyance briefly flitted across her face.
But I couldn't miss this chance.
"Elves are good at catching scents on the wind, and you're experts at finding traces, aren't you? Besides, if you have spirits, you can even commune with them."
"It's possible, but...."
Right before she could answer that it was a hassle.
I Gangho stepped forward and pleaded.
"Really? P-please! I'm begging you!"
"Huh?"
"Actually, my girlfriend is currently missing. What happened is—"
I Gangho explained the whole story.
After hearing the story, Renea pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"Of course, oppa. I should help you. I'll do everything within my power."
"Th-thank you! Thank you!"
I was honestly surprised by her answer to help. Since we were going to find another woman, I had naturally expected her to refuse.
"I-I'll go get the car. Please wait!"
Worried she might change her mind, I Gangho hurriedly headed to the parking lot.
"I didn't think you'd help this easily."
In response to my question, Renea glanced at me, then leaned in and whispered.
"If I wrap a man who lost his lover in the warmth of an older woman, there might be a chance for this woman as well."
"Wow, what a piece of trash. And you call him oppa, so why the warmth of an older woman? Pick one."
"I'm trying to seduce him from every angle. Does it not show how sincere this woman is?"
"Haah."
"If it works out, we'd be connected through Meracle anyway, so if I say I'll pay, would that shut you up?"
"Of course, customer."
This is a whopping ten million won case.
Right on time, a Silla Motors SUV arrived in front of us.
The moment I got into the passenger seat, I set the destination.
"Now, let's go to her workplace first. Yu Mia was a nurse, right?"
"Ah, yes! That's right. I'll guide you. Please get in the car."
"A man driving is so sexy!"
"What kind of cuteness is this from a 1,901-year-old...."
When I muttered beside her, Renea immediately reached out from the back seat and jabbed me with a poke.
"Watch it? I'm a customer too."
"Ahem."
The latest SUV had a smooth ride and a spacious interior. As I looked around from the passenger seat, Hunter I Gangho smiled bitterly.
"I bought this car to ride together after getting married and having kids."
"Oh my! And he's family-oriented too!"
Are elves emotionally different from humans?
When I glared at her through the rearview mirror, Renea awkwardly lowered her head, perhaps thinking she had gone too far.
Thanks to that, we could go in relative quiet.
In the middle of the drive, an alert went off on my phone. When I checked, it was Gim Yang's social media.
"I told her to watch the office, and she's off dancing and falling over."
Just because I wasn't there, she uploaded a Short of herself dancing in the office.
The place we arrived at by car was outside Seoul.
A makeshift ward built from containers for hunters injured while hunting magical beasts.
We hadn't gone far, just barely outside Seoul—if you fell over, your nose would touch it—but still, it had been a while since I'd been outside the city.
"Are the magical beasts around here still all beast-type these days?"
"They are, but maybe because it's getting colder, you don't see them much these days. So hunting magical beasts has become competitive too."
"As I always say, nothing in life is easy."
When even matchmaking faces fierce market competition, how could being a hunter be easy?
Just then, I spotted a smoking area.
"Shall I have a smoke before we go in?"
"Ah, I quit. I'll go inside and talk to Mia's colleagues first."
Having said that, Hunter I Gangho headed inside the container.
I put a cigarette in my mouth and took a drag. Renea sidled up and furrowed her brows.
"Seoul seems like a truly fascinating place."
"Huh? All of a sudden?"
"To elves, magical beasts are simply invaders of the forest. I've never thought of hunting them, dismantling them, and making money from it like they do here."
"Well, that's the 4th Floor for you. The folks on the 3rd Floor are the type to first think of whether anything can be turned into money."
Aren't even human connections being bought and sold here?
"So, about that."
"Yes?"
"Can I pay afterward?"
"...."
I stopped mid-smoke and stared at her. Renea hurriedly made excuses.
"Ah, no! I just saw that hunting magical beasts seems profitable! I-I'm quite good at fighting, you know? I'm the Elf Queen!"
"You need a Hunter's license to hunt magical beasts in Seoul. What, you don't have money? Then you're not a customer?"
"...I can get it soon."
"That bow. You said it was expensive. Just sell it."
If you're not a customer, honorifics are omitted.
"M-my bow is off-limits! Th-this isn't expensive!"
"What are you talking about? Don't you remember boasting about how expensive it was last time?"
When I looked at her incredulously, Renea turned bright red and eventually made a self-defeating move.
"I-I'm old so I forget quickly."
"...."
"It's dementia. When you're 1,901 years old, you forget everything from an hour ago."
I immediately flipped her off.
"Why are you cursing me?!"
"You'll forget anyway."
"Humans are so rude, I swear—"
"You're one to talk. More importantly, do you sense anything unusual?"
"Something unusual?"
"Elves have keen senses. Don't you feel anything out of place?"
"Haah."
That sigh just now really felt like that of a 1,901-year-old.
Was that an advertisement for being old?
Arms crossed, feeling the cold wind against her skin, Renea clicked her tongue.
"The scent of humans is wafting."
"There are a lot of nurses here."
"That's not it."
Renea's expression hardened.
"Should I say it's a bit tangled? The scent is blowing from the same direction, but there are far too many."
"Far too many?"
The direction Renea was looking was beyond the perimeter, where there shouldn't be many people.
I was puzzled, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Boss! Ms. Renea! The nurses have told us everything!"
At I Gangho's shout from behind us, we headed for the container ward for now.