IH Ch 20

Chapter 20

“…I’m twenty-three years old.”

“……”

It wasn’t Jae-i who said it.

Hwang Suhyeon turned to the one claiming to be twenty-three years old. No matter how generously she judged, he barely looked like a freshly minted adult, yet he claimed to be twenty-three. He was supposedly three years older than Hwang Jae-i—she wasn’t sure how to process that.

Suhyeon herself was often told she looked about twenty years younger than her actual age, but that was entirely thanks to the perks of being an A-rank and her own efforts. Given her environment and frequent exposure to Hunters, her sense of age might’ve gotten skewed—but it didn’t seem to be just that.

As she continued to stare, his head slowly lowered, seemingly flustered. In response, Suhyeon softened her expression into a gentle smile and said,

“I see. My mistake, then. If you’re twenty-three, you’re an adult—I shouldn’t have treated you like a kid.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

“Then, what’s your name? As I mentioned earlier, I’m Hwang Suhyeon, and I’m Hwang Jae-i’s aunt.”

“……”

He had already mentioned his name lightly in front of Jae-i before, but now, it felt uncomfortable. So he pressed his lips together and hesitated, when suddenly a voice chimed in from the front.

“This guy’s name is Blackie.”

Having said that, Jae-i let out a laugh, clearly amused by something. It felt as though he was deliberately teasing, and Dohwa focused all his attention on his rice bowl. He figured he’d just pretend not to know and let them call him Blackie. But Suhyeon rebuked Jae-i in a stern voice.

“Jae-i, he’s three years older than you. Don’t be rude. That’s not how you treat your elders.”

This time, it wasn’t Jae-i, but Dohwa who looked startled. He turned to Suhyeon in surprise, but she kept scolding Jae-i.

“In life, you’ll meet a variety of people—are you planning to act like this with them too? You’re a guild master. The guild’s reputation can shift based on your words. And we’re in Korea, remember? Age matters here. Don’t be disrespectful and make sure to call him ‘hyung’ properly. Got it?”

“……”

Since becoming a guild master, no one had scolded Jae-i like this. He blinked in the unfamiliar experience, then finally muttered,

“Dohwa.”

He then looked straight at the person sitting in front of him, who was nervously shifting his big eyes—Blackie.

“You said your name was Dohwa, right?”

“……”

He had told him, but he hadn’t expected Jae-i to actually remember. Though flustered by Suhyeon finding out, Dohwa couldn’t show it and simply nodded slowly.

Seeing that, Suhyeon’s stern expression softened, and she asked kindly,

“I see. Then, what’s your family name?”

“He says he doesn’t know. Just that he’s always been called Dohwa.”

This, too, came from Jae-i’s mouth. Picking up rice with his chopsticks as if counting grains, he continued explaining.

That he had been there since he was five years old. That since he’d been called Dohwa, he came to believe that was his name. That he began wearing the iron mask in his teens, and so on. All the things Dohwa had told him were now coming out of Jae-i’s mouth, one after another.

Embarrassed, Dohwa shifted his eyes and lowered his head.

“I see.”

Suhyeon gently placed her hand on Dohwa’s shoulder. Startled by the unfamiliar touch, he lifted his head, and she said kindly,

“You must’ve had a hard time.”

Then, as she stroked his hair, she added softly, “Eat plenty.”

“……”

Looking at her warm smile, Dohwa replied, “Okay.” He then resumed eating, but his pace was noticeably slower than before.

Watching Suhyeon and Dohwa, Jae-i’s gaze shifted to Suhyeon’s hand as it lifted from Dohwa’s shoulder. Around her finger was a strand of hair that had wound itself there. Frowning, Jae-i looked at her faint smile aimed at him, pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek and then pulling it away. His mouth still felt scratchy, so he scooped up a large spoonful of the beef radish soup next to him and took a bite.

Usually, after finishing their meal and having tea, Suhyeon would leave. But this time, she didn’t.

“I’ll take all these with me, so Jae-i, make sure to sort out the rest properly.”

“……”

“Don’t just pout like that. These are all from people who care about and love you.”

Even at those words, Jae-i’s expression didn’t change. He wasn’t pouting—he was just frowning because he was in a bad mood.

It had been a mistake to show Suhyeon the storage room where Dohwa had been staying.

If it had been the usual messy mountain of unorganized gifts, she would’ve just clicked her tongue and left. But thanks to Dohwa, who had stayed there for several days, the storage room was now neatly arranged. As a result, all the gifts were clearly visible, and Suhyeon finally said what she’d always wanted to: that he should at least go through what people had sent him.

As a superstar who produced “Bba” and “Kka” memes in bulk, Hwang Jae-i received gifts from all over the world. The extravagantly expensive ones were usually returned or donated to charity. The acceptable ones were organized by the guild and handed over to him quarterly. He’d then leave them untouched until it was time to return them and receive a new batch.

“At the very least, the ones that made it here are probably from people who sincerely care about you. So…”

Just as she was about to say more, Suhyeon caught a look at Jae-i’s face and closed her mouth. Instead, she looked over at the sorted recycling piled neatly behind her and shook her head. She decided not to nag further. After all, just bringing those things out for recycling was already more than Jae-i usually did.

Then, Suhyeon looked toward the back of the room where Dohwa was standing at a distance. Gathering his long hair to the front, Dohwa flinched and bowed slightly when Suhyeon looked at him.

“Take care on your way. And… thank you for the meal.”

Suhyeon would leave, and Dohwa would remain in this house with Jae-i. It was, upon reflection, an odd arrangement. Normally, there was little chance an S-rank like Jae-i would be harmed. And from the looks of it, Dohwa posed no threat at all. Still, her steps were heavy as she tried to leave—it was likely because Jae-i was her nephew.

Suhyeon had never forgotten the first time she saw him—how small and fragile he had looked. She glanced up and smiled at the boy who now towered over her by a head and a half.

“I should stop nagging. If you don’t want the gifts, at least read the letters. That kid sorted them out nicely.”

His hands were skillful. The gifts, letters, and recyclables were all separated meticulously. That’s how she was able to place the box of letters on the living room table—where Jae-i spent most of his time. If it was somewhere visible, maybe he’d read a few in passing.

As always, their parting wasn’t anything special. Even though they kept in touch regularly for work, her steps felt heavy each time she left his home. Trying to shake that off, Suhyeon deliberately smiled more brightly than usual and said she’d be going. With just two fingers, she lifted the piles of recyclables that were larger than her own body and walked away, her heels clicking rhythmically against the floor. Before that sound fully faded, Jae-i locked the front door and turned around—immediately setting his eyes on Dohwa. Startled, Dohwa glanced around and shuffled a step to the side.

“Then… I’ll head back to my room now…”

“Hey.”

Dohwa immediately shut his mouth and looked at Jae-i.

“What room?”

“……”

That gaze could really deflate a person.

Dohwa bit his lower lip and then opened his mouth.

“Your aunt said I should use the guest room. Since I’m technically a guest you brought into this house, she said I should at least be treated accordingly.”

“……”

“She said… the storage room is where you keep your gifts, so it wasn’t appropriate for me to be staying there in the first place.”

As she had said—after seeing the storage room, Suhyeon had brought up the gifts, the letters, and the recyclables all at once. And when she found out Dohwa had been living there, she reacted like she’d just heard something utterly unreasonable.

How could you do that? Her eyes had made Jae-i flinch, as if he’d committed some terrible crime. In the end, she insisted Dohwa be given the second-largest room in the house. Knowing Jae-i wouldn’t comply if she only said it aloud, she took Dohwa herself, showed him where the room was, and even had him step inside.

The room was indeed spacious, with a bed, desk, and bookshelves. What caught Dohwa’s attention the most, as he looked at the books, was the attached bathroom. If I stay here, I won’t have to suffer with basic needs anymore. When Suhyeon asked if he liked it, he nodded without hesitation.

Jae-i hadn’t objected to Suhyeon’s decision at the time. He was clearly holding back because she was still present. Once she left, he might very well send Dohwa back to the storage room.

“That room has a bathroom, so… it’ll be more convenient for you too.”

“……”

“…And I’ll make fewer mistakes.”

Jae-i was the homeowner. If he said no, then it was back to the storage room. Though, honestly, it wasn’t that bad there. It had been a little cold, but today it had felt oddly warm. Even earlier, when he went in to take out the recyclables, the floor had been warm underfoot. And now that he had a blanket, he’d probably be able to sleep warmly from tonight…

Dohwa had wanted to ask if Jae-i was the one who arranged all that, but when he looked up, he hesitated. Jae-i was staring at him with a rather disapproving look. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed unlikely he’d be allowed to use that room.

Oh well.