IH Ch 45

Chapter 45

It was important to leave before Hwang Jae-i had a chance to react. However, the reporters this time were especially persistent.

“Guildmaster! Wasn’t your recent appearance at a public event a sign that you’re reconsidering your previous stance?! Can we expect you to start media appearances in the future?!”

As if.

Just because he smiled once, now they were making all sorts of assumptions. An Yuna pulled Hwang Jae-i along even more urgently.

“There are claims that the recent gate exploration was part of an image overhaul! That child patient who said you visited—were they merely being used as a prop…!”

Suddenly, a sharp sense of danger filled the air. Even if a C-rank hunter used their ability, ordinary people could feel a palpable pressure. It was impossible for a regular person to withstand the killing intent of an S-rank. Naturally, it was illegal for hunters ranked B or above to intimidate civilians like this.

An Yuna yanked Hwang Jae-i forcefully. Though he initially refused to budge, he reluctantly moved. After much effort getting him into the vehicle, An Yuna fixed him with a steely gaze.

“Guildmaster…!”

She had meant to say something more, but upon seeing Hwang Jae-i, she closed her mouth.

Had he done anything wrong? He hadn’t. The ones who had trespassed into a restricted area were them.

“…I’ll proceed with legal action. But word will still spread that you threatened them.”

“…”

Hwang Jae-i’s expression quickly returned to its usual disinterested state. It was as if he couldn’t care less. Seeing that face made the one he’d shown while smiling in front of dozens of cameras just days ago feel like a scene from a past life.

As expected, the only reason he’d smiled then was because he hadn’t been feeling well. They had no idea and came at him like this. Do they really not understand Hwang Jae-i? Just because he smiled for a few seconds, did they really think he had changed? An Yuna asked lightly,

“You’re going back to the guild, right?”

“…”

There was an obvious reason for asking such a redundant question—because of someone currently in the guild.

For a moment, a deeper crease appeared between Hwang Jae-i’s brows. He pretended as if something he’d forgotten had just come back to him, but An Yuna read something else there. It looked more like the return of an unresolved issue, bringing with it a hint of dismay.

The lounge connected to the Guildmaster’s office was a space meant for showering or changing clothes. After entering a gate, it was inevitable that one would come out dirty. Until now, only Hwang Jae-i had ever used that space—but today, a stranger was there.

“…He hasn’t eaten.”

Standing by the door, An Yuna glanced at Dohwa, who was curled up tightly on the sofa. She could sense Hwang Jae-i watching silently.

She’d heard he was twenty-three—not exactly a child, so she figured he could handle himself. Still, to think he hadn’t touched his food and had just been lying there—perhaps she should’ve asked someone at the guild to wake him up.

Seeing Hwang Jae-i say nothing, An Yuna started to feel like she’d made a mistake by leaving him alone. She carefully moved closer to the sofa and peeked underneath. His face wasn’t clearly visible—it was obscured by his hair and a mask. Even so, his eyelashes were remarkably long. They said a beautiful person couldn’t hide their looks no matter what, and he seemed to be one of those people. Feeling a growing sense of guilt for letting him sleep undisturbed, An Yuna reached out a hand.

“Um…”

Before she could finish her sentence, his eyes—closed until now—suddenly opened wide. At first, he only shifted his gaze to check who she was. Then, in one swift motion, he sprang up and darted to the opposite corner of the room. His movements were quick and graceful, almost catlike. A stray cat wary of humans, never touched by one.

Clutching the blanket he’d been using, Dohwa curled up in the corner. Seeing this, An Yuna raised both hands in surrender.

“I wasn’t going to do anything weird. The Guildmaster’s here, so I just came to wake you…”

At that, Dohwa’s eyes moved to the side. Spotting Hwang Jae-i standing expressionless at the doorway, the sharp line of his eyes softened. It was subtle, but clearly, he was relieved. An Yuna couldn’t believe it.

Why would he feel more at ease seeing that man than her? Just from appearances alone, didn’t he seem way more dangerous? Had she actually lost to Hwang Jae-i of all people? A wave of annoyance washed over her. Still, she couldn’t just give up. Assuming he had misunderstood something upon waking, An Yuna reached for one of the food containers on the table.

“This is probably cold now. I can get you a fresh one…”

Growl. Before she could finish her sentence, a loud stomach growl echoed in the room. An Yuna’s eyes slowly shifted toward Dohwa. He ducked his head, pretending not to hear. But pretending didn’t erase a noise that loud.

“Would you rather just eat this? I can heat it up in the pantry.”

“…It’s fine.”

That rumbling stomach didn’t sound “fine.”

Just then, Hwang Jae-i moved from where he’d been standing the whole time. With long strides, he walked in and casually tapped Dohwa’s small head as he sat on the edge of the sofa.

“Eat.”

“…”

An Yuna was the one surprised by his action. With such a big, rough hand—what was he doing touching him like that? Frozen in shock, she watched Dohwa raise his head. He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the touch and simply looked at the Guildmaster. That said enough for An Yuna, who suddenly felt a pang in her chest.

“…I think I have something to do. I’ll excuse myself.”

She forced a warm smile as she spoke.

But Dohwa continued to focus solely on the Guildmaster. Watching that, An Yuna felt an inexplicable sense of defeat. That beautiful person clearly found the Guildmaster more comfortable. Could he possibly think he was the safer one?

“Director, what’s with that face?”

As soon as she entered the office, the question hit her, and An Yuna replied gloomily,

“…What face?”

“Like you’re about to drop dead from shock.”

“….”

Shock? That’s a bit much. Still, she didn’t feel like denying it. It wasn’t like she’d often been compared to Hwang Jae-i, but she never expected to meet someone who found him safer than her.

Then again… maybe it was just familiarity from spending time together. No matter how dysfunctional his personality was, perhaps he had looked out for him in some way.

“So he’s the kind of person who can get along with others.”

Had he really matured upon turning twenty? That couldn’t be right. Still baffled by the situation, she tilted her head just as a staff member seated farther inside raised their hand.

“Director, could you check what I sent you?”

Wondering what now, An Yuna returned to her desk and looked at the screen.

The first document was a report related to today’s gate exploration. That was routine—she could go through it step by step. The second was, as always, a batch of lawsuits from random parties. Most were ridiculous, but there were a few worth reviewing.

And the last one—

“…What is this?”

The Hyesung Group had formally requested a meeting. An Yuna frowned at the sight of the top-ranking corporation’s name.

“Apparently, the Guildmaster’s public image has suddenly improved. Probably because of that video from a few days ago…”

“…”

“Those of us who know him figured he must’ve eaten something strange that day, but it seems others don’t think so.”

A nearby staffer cupped a hand to their mouth and whispered,

“Can you believe it? Some people actually think the Guildmaster has become kind.”

Absolutely impossible. And surely, those shrewd corporations knew that better than anyone. Even if they scheduled a meeting, they weren’t likely to get the outcome they wanted. What were they thinking? Just because he lifted the corners of his mouth a little, did they think he’d gone soft? That if they nudged him the right way, he’d give them the answers they were looking for?

Arms crossed, An Yuna stared seriously at the screen.

“…”

She knew what kind of person Hwang Jae-i was. But he couldn’t continue to act like a lone wolf forever. After a moment of deliberation, An Yuna decided to accept the meeting with Hyesung.

From the shower at the far end of the lounge came the refreshing sound of running water. Listening to it, Dohwa ate from one of the lunchboxes. Though it was cold, the rice and side dishes were all delicious. The bulgogi, in particular, was still tender with no trace of a gamey smell.

Seasoned anchovies. Braised black beans. Seasoned radish and kimchi. Whenever something seemed unfamiliar, Dohwa would sniff it first before taking a bite. He made sure to chew each bite ten times. The food was so tasty he almost swallowed it whole without thinking, but he tried to follow the rules, recalling Hwang Jae-i’s stern warning.

By the time he had eaten about half, Hwang Jae-i came out. With only a towel wrapped around his waist and water still dripping from him, he strode out, gave his hair a rough shake, and headed straight for the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of sparkling water, opened it one-handed, and downed it in one go. Tossing the empty can into the trash, Jae-i flopped onto the bed in the back.

“…”

This was Hwang Jae-i’s guild. Coming back from a gate exploration, showering, and collapsing onto the bed afterward must’ve been part of his usual routine. As for himself—he’d just quietly finish eating his lunch.

Rising slowly, Dohwa glanced at the bed behind the sofa. For a moment, he thought he saw something strange under the towel and squeezed his eyes shut, raising his head again. Carefully stepping away from the sofa and over to the bed, he looked down. With Jae-i’s arm draped over his eyes, his expression wasn’t clearly visible.