IH Ch 28

Chapter 28

 

“Hello, we’ve met before. Do you remember me?”

 

Extending her hand cautiously, the woman introduced herself as Ahn Yuna.

 

Before—meaning the first time he had visited the Jae-i Guild—this was the person he’d seen. Dohwa remembered her clearly: the impressive way she suppressed her intense irritation in front of Hwang Jae-i. He nodded.

 

“…Yes.”

 

He gave a short reply, lightly took the hand she offered, then released it. As he discreetly tucked his hands behind his back, Ahn Yuna’s expression shifted oddly. Her face turned tender, like she was looking at a small, pitiful animal, before she glared at Hwang Jae-i again. Hwang Jae-i, however, remained seated on the inner side of the sofa, legs crossed, indifferent.

 

That posture alone seemed to offend her. Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Ahn Yuna spoke again.

 

“I should’ve paid attention from the start, but I had some personal matters. I’m sorry.”

 

“….”

 

Dohwa nodded silently in response. Ahn Yuna’s expression immediately brightened, and she slowly looked him over before asking,

 

“Do you like the clothes you’re wearing now?”

 

Clothes. Before, he had only worn a white lab coat, and once he came here, he wore something far too big for his body. It was inevitable, given it was Hwang Jae-i’s size. In contrast, what he was wearing now fit just right. He didn’t know how she managed to get them so quickly, but even the undergarments fit well.

 

Not having to constantly tug up his pants when moving was a relief, so he nodded again. That’s when a sharp voice cut in.

 

“Lost your voice? Don’t just nod—answer.”

 

It was Hwang Jae-i.

 

Since Ahn Yuna had arrived, Dohwa had barely spoken, only nodding. Biting his lip, he glanced aside.

 

Maybe she thought the small creature was being tormented by a predator. Ahn Yuna frowned and turned back.

 

“Why are you scaring him like that?”

 

“Scaring him, my ass.”

 

Snorting, Hwang Jae-i shot a piercing look at Dohwa. Feeling the intense gaze squarely on his face, Dohwa quietly averted his eyes. Clicking his tongue again in disbelief, Jae-i let out a long sigh before abruptly rising and heading further inside.

 

As he passed, he didn’t forget to shoot a sharp glare. Though Ahn Yuna quickly raised her hands to shield Dohwa’s face, he still felt the sting of that stare and lowered his head even more.

 

“Such a drama queen…”

 

As soon as Hwang Jae-i disappeared, Ahn Yuna grumbled.

 

“What’s wrong with him?”

 

Then she comforted Dohwa.

 

“That’s just how our guild master is. He startled you, didn’t he?”

 

Dohwa, having seen various sides of Jae-i during his stay, was unbothered. Since he remained quiet, Ahn Yuna continued chatting. She explained that S-Ranks were inherently abnormal. Compared to average people, they had worse social skills and tended to be self-centered. But their guild master was on another level, and in the end, she asked him to understand.

 

Though it sounded like criticism, it was clear she was defending him, so Dohwa simply nodded. Ahn Yuna’s face lit up again. Even so, feeling her gaze roaming across his face, he bowed his head further. On his feet were socks—soft and warm.

 

“By the way, what’s your name?”

 

“…Dohwa.”

 

It was the name he had already given to Hwang Jae-i. There didn’t seem much point in hiding it now, so he answered. Ahn Yuna repeated it twice—Dohwa, Dohwa—then smiled.

 

“It suits you so well.”

 

“….”

 

Even at the compliment, Dohwa only averted his gaze.

 

After talking this much, Ahn Yuna realized Dohwa wasn’t an easy person to approach. He answered when asked, but that was all. He couldn’t meet her eyes, avoided physical contact—he clearly lacked social skills. It reminded her a bit of how people acted around Hwang Jae-i, and with a faint smile, she asked,

 

“Have you eaten?”

 

Her gentle eyes sparkled in anticipation.

 

It was the biggest reaction so far. His expression and eyes shifted just slightly, and Ahn Yuna’s heart fluttered as she murmured,

 

“So you haven’t eaten yet.”

 

She immediately pulled out her phone. Delivery wasn’t an option, not directly to this location. That meant she’d have to go out and bring something back. No, if she carelessly moved about, she might get photographed by some paparazzi lying in wait.

 

All the clothes Dohwa was wearing were Ahn Yuna’s. She preferred oversized unisex styles and only wore boxer shorts, so she had no trouble pulling things out of her item stash. But food was different. While she had snacks, those wouldn’t be nearly nutritious enough. In that case—

 

“Just a moment.”

 

Ahn Yuna went to find Hwang Jae-i again.

 

“Guild Master!”

 

“….”

 

Seeing her dash past, Dohwa looked down at his clothes again.

 

The banded pants, the shirt, the socks—he liked them all. They seemed comfortable and wouldn’t get in the way when he moved. As he fidgeted with his sleeve, a loud sound made him jump. Looking up in surprise, he saw Hwang Jae-i shoving Ahn Yuna roughly in the back, his expression vicious.

 

Watching with wide eyes, he saw Ahn Yuna resist being pushed by bracing her legs and speak up.

 

“Dohwa looks hungry, so I thought I’d get him something to eat. What’s the problem? You could go without food for days, but not him. Normal people need three meals a day!”

 

No matter what she said, Hwang Jae-i kept shoving her toward the front door with a look that said, “Talk all you want, I don’t care.” Once she was forced all the way to the entrance, Ahn Yuna looked up, startled. Flinching at his stern expression, she paused.

 

Before coming here, her only goal had been to make sure Hwang Jae-i showed up for tomorrow’s appointment. But if things went sour here, that plan could fall apart. She knew when to back off, but she couldn’t help worrying about leaving Dohwa behind.

 

Testing the waters, she carefully said,

 

“I was going to get something for you too, Guild Master. Just allow delivery to the first floor. I’ll take care of everything.”

 

“Forget it. Just go.”

 

“Guild Master—”

 

“You confirmed there’s nothing going on between me and that kid, right?”

 

“….”

 

At that final, definitive statement, Ahn Yuna fell silent.

 

So he’d been stewing over it—no wonder he seemed off earlier.

 

Still uneasy about Hwang Jae-i’s reaction, Ahn Yuna returned to Dohwa. As he quickly tried to lower his head from where he was perched on the bed, she raised both hands above her head and slowly approached, assuring him she meant no harm. Then she scanned the room again.

 

Not just the room—she also peeked into the adjoining bathroom, where discarded clothing lay like shed skin. But that was all. The bed was clean, and Dohwa’s face, from what little she saw, looked simply well-rested. Most of all, he didn’t seem uncomfortable.

 

If something had happened between him and someone as large as Hwang Jae-i, could he really be sitting there like that? Ahn Yuna used the excuse of checking his clothes again to look him over one more time and concluded—there really hadn’t been anything between them.

 

Of course. This was Hwang Jae-i. The same man who had rejected countless people, no matter how hard they came on to him. Feeling sorry for having doubted him again, Ahn Yuna wanted to apologize—but then sighed.

 

No, now wasn’t the time. Best to quietly slip away. Muttering to herself, she shoved her feet into her boots.

 

“Don’t starve yourself just because you’re stuck indoors. Uh… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Only after Ahn Yuna bowed her head and made her escape did Hwang Jae-i finally relax his expression. Looking weary, he slowly turned around. There stood Dohwa, dressed in the clothes Ahn Yuna had given him.

 

Peeking out from behind the wall, he flinched as their eyes met and tried to retreat.

 

“Hey.”

 

Dohwa stopped, his small head peeking timidly from around the corner, and Jae-i’s expression turned grave.

 

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Dohwa and took a step forward. Thud, thud, thud. His heavy footsteps grew louder as he approached, and Dohwa’s gaze lifted gradually. Staring up at Hwang Jae-i, now standing right before him, he unconsciously reached up to fiddle with his hair.

 

Hwang Jae-i’s face, hard and unreadable, finally moved.

 

“Yesterday…”

 

Growl

 

Ahn Yuna had left. Now that they were alone, he had meant to ask about the previous night. But then—

 

A huge rumble came from Dohwa’s stomach, and his small face turned red with embarrassment. He wrapped his arms tightly around his belly, and Hwang Jae-i frowned. Ahn Yuna’s words echoed in his mind—normal people eat three meals a day.

 

“….”

 

Only now did Jae-i truly notice Dohwa’s thin arms and frame. In a subdued voice, he muttered,

 

“Come on. Follow me.”

 

Rubbing his face with a large hand, Jae-i lifted his head. He looked over at Dohwa, who was chewing away with one cheek adorably puffed out. All he’d done was warm up a few things from the fridge, but Dohwa was eating like it was the best meal in the world.

 

Jae-i observed what he was eating: plain rice, a few fried bits, braised potatoes, and some pickled radish. A typical lunchbox. As he watched Dohwa pick out each green pea from between the rice grains, Jae-i scolded him, incredulous.

 

“Eat those too.”

 

Dohwa’s happily chewing jaw stopped, and his wide eyes darted side to side. Then, trying to be sneaky, he used his chopsticks to pile rice on top of the peas he’d set aside. Jae-i issued a warning.

 

“I can see everything, so don’t try to pull anything.”