CHAPTER 499: ASSURANCE OF COCO

Coco entered the room, her footsteps coming to a pause as she immediately picked up on the tension in the air.

Her gaze flickered between Kairo and the stranger by the coffee machine, taking in their guarded stances and the strained atmosphere which caused a frown to crease her brow as she silently assessed the situation, wondering what had happened during her absence.

"Everything alright here?" She asked, her gaze darting between the two mediators in an attempt of gauging out what could possibly have happened.

When she received no response, she let out a huff and turned to the stranger.

*What did you do, Greinzer?" Coco raised her eyebrow in a questioning manner as she turned her attention towards the stranger fully, her tone was firm, laced with protectiveness as she addressed him by his name.

She would have called him "sir" like usual, but she felt like something happened.

The stranger, Greinzer, met her gaze, his expression remaining stoic which made Coco’s eyebrows furrow further.

"Nothing, just a casual chat." He replied, his voice calm and measured as he made a point of keeping his answer vague, clearly unbothered by Coco’s insinuation.

Kairo’s frown remained though, his gaze meeting Coco’s as he confirmed their interaction.

"Yeah.. Just casual chat." The mediator echoed, his voice holding a little uncertainty, the casual cover-up not quite convincing enough to ease her concerns.

Coco noticed Kairo’s frown and the doubtful underlying tone in his words, her instincts flaring up as she picked up on the tension.

She made a mental note to keep a watchful eye on the hunter, knowing that there might be more beneath of what he let on, but she simply refrained from pressing further.

Instead, she turned her attention back to Kairo, her voice softened as she spoke, her tone tinged with worry. "Kairo, can I talk to you outside for a moment? Let’s step outside real quick."

Kairo nodded his head, his gaze lingering on the stranger for a moment longer before turning and following Coco out the door.

While they stepped out into the hallway, Kairo cast one last guarded glance at the stranger, his instincts still on edge from their encounter— the stranger’s words echoing in Kairo’s head.

Once they were out of earshot, Kairo turned towards Coco as she closed the door, a look of confusion and worry crossing his face.

"What is it?" He inquired, swallowing thickly as he watched Coco shift in her feet.

Coco sighed, her gaze meeting Kairo’s as she informed him about the stranger’s identity and status while staring directly into his eyes.

"That man.." She began, her voice tinged with frustration and a huff. "His name is Greinzer and he’s one of the strongest hunters here in the guild.."

Then, her tone shifted to a more serious note, her expression firm as she delivered a warning. "But if he’s crossed you in any way, then you better tell me, okay? I don’t care if he’s strong because if he did something to do, then I would beat his ass."

Kairo nodded his head slowly, a hint of relief evident in his eyes. "Okay... But I swear, he really didn’t do anything wrong. We just had a chat, that’s all."

Coco studied Kairo for a moment, her gaze thoughtful as she processed his words and studied his body language.

She could sense that there might be more to the story than he was sharing, but she held back from pressing further just yet— it’s none of her business after all.

Coco nodded once again, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Is that so! Anyway, I got some pretty good missions from the board just now." She shared, unable to hide the hint of excitement in her voice, her mood beginning to lift. "The other hunters haven’t taken the good ones yet so I took them instead."

Coco paused and stared at him, thinking if she should let him know that she’s planning to leave after their interview, before she continued, her smile unwavering. "I’m planning to leave once you and Heiren are done with the interviews."

Her eyes flitted to the door of the room, where Heiren was currently being interviewed. "I’m sure he’ll walk out of that room triumphant, but I just want to know how he did before I leave."

It was clear that she’s confident in Heiren’s ability to handle himself during the process, but it was still endearing to witness.

Unfortunately, even if Coco was talking about him and Heiren.. Kairo’s heart couldn’t help, but skip a beat at Coco’s words, the idea that she would wait for him until he and Heiren were done with the interviews filling him with an unexpected rush of adrenaline.

The fact that she was willing to wait so she could see if they passed or not made his stomach flutter with butterflies, a familiar feeling of warmth spreading through his chest.

"Thank you.." He nodded at her, a soft smile playing at the corner of his lips. "I appreciate it.. It means a lot that you’d wait for us."

Coco hummed softly. "It’s my job to ensure that you two will be alright, so don’t mention it."

Kairo’s smile was small but sincere, his gratitude for Coco evident in the gentle curve of his lips. "Thank you, Coco.. Really."

Coco returned his smile, her eyes softening at the sight of his genuine appreciation. "You’re welcome, Kairo."

The two of them shared a moment of quiet, the unspoken bond between them strengthening with each passing second— even if Coco wasn’t aware of what it was, she still felt happy.

Then, the door to the office where Heiren had been with his interviewer creaked softly open, the sound breaking the silence between Coco and Kairo.

With the door swinging open fully, Heiren stepped out into the hallway, his gaze scanning the hallway like he was looking for someone or something, then his gaze landed on Coco and Kairo.

"What’s the news?" Coco asked.