IH Ch 89

Chapter 89

 

Whirr—riding the elevator up, Jae-i wore an expression as if his soul had departed. Anyone who knew him would have been stunned by the unfamiliar look on his face. As soon as the doors opened, he stepped out without hesitation. Passing through the wide corridor and stopping at the door to his home, he opened it quietly and slipped inside. Even as he took off his slippers and stepped into the house, all his attention remained fixed on one thing.

 

At the very end of the hallway—his own room.

 

He had simply chosen it because it was tucked into a corner and had never really given it much thought. But after setting down the delivery he’d picked up from the kitchen and walking back out, Hwang Jae-i’s focus remained unwavering. He, who had never once tiptoed while living alone, now glided quietly toward the room.

 

He gently pushed open the slightly ajar door and focused on the sounds within. In the still room, only the soft and rhythmic breathing could be heard. And somehow, that alone brought him an immense sense of relief. As if drawn, Jae-i stepped inside. Moving even more quietly than before, he approached the bed at the innermost part of the spacious room.

 

There, Dohwa lay, sleeping on his back and breathing softly and evenly. Confirming this, Jae-i carefully perched on the edge of the bed.

 

“……”

 

He stared at Dohwa for a moment, then lightly tugged at the blanket he had pulled over him before going out. Bracing himself with one hand on the bed, he leaned down and studied Dohwa’s face intently. Thanks to the S-rank potion he had applied, the swelling in his lips seemed to have gone down a bit. What about the rest?

 

The first thing Jae-i did upon waking before Dohwa was to move him into this room. Truthfully, he had wanted to wash him too, but feared waking someone who was sleeping so peacefully. Instead, he wiped down parts of his body with a warm wet towel. And yet, throughout it all, Jae-i felt a heavy weight pressing against his chest. Because Dohwa’s body was in such a terrible state. To an outsider, it would have looked like he had been assaulted.

 

The bruises left from being sucked and bitten in a frenzy while Jae-i lost control looked like deep contusions. The skin that had been rubbed and scraped by his genitals was swollen and tender. But above all, his chest…

 

“……”

 

Staring at Dohwa’s chest, Jae-i’s expression hardened, and he sat up straight.

 

He’d lived his whole life without understanding things like lust. But maybe it had all been building inside him without his knowledge. And it had erupted like that—with Dohwa as the target.

 

“……”

 

The version of himself from his memory felt alien. Had it really been him? It was as if he’d been possessed by something unknowable. Or maybe… maybe it was that version of him who, unbeknownst even to himself, had been seeking Dohwa night after night. Even if it was still him, the thought of not being entirely himself while doing such things with Dohwa made him feel unbearable. Jae-i’s expression grew increasingly troubled.

 

“…What’s wrong?”

 

“……”

 

Startled by the weak voice, Jae-i quickly lowered his gaze.

 

“Why do you look so scary? Did something happen?”

 

“……”

 

When had he woken up? Staring silently at the sight of Dohwa looking up at him, Jae-i couldn’t even respond. Then, Dohwa slipped a hand out from beneath the blanket and reached for Jae-i’s face. As his fingertips brushed against Jae-i’s cheek, he finally parted his lips—only to find no words.

 

Dohwa continued to look at him and then tried to sit up.

 

“…Sleep a bit more.”

 

Finally speaking, Jae-i grabbed Dohwa’s shoulder, but couldn’t manage to lay him back down. Sitting upright, Dohwa glanced at the blanket slipping off and checked what he was wearing. Not pajamas, but a white T-shirt—far too large for his frame. One shoulder was fully exposed, and more than half his chest was plainly visible.

 

Seeing the exposed skin through the loose shirt, Dohwa raised his head. And upon seeing the complicated look in Jae-i’s eyes, he asked,

 

“Do you regret it?”

 

“……”

 

“Did you not like it?”

 

Back-to-back questions he had no idea how to answer. As Jae-i froze in panic, Dohwa locked eyes with him and continued without giving him time to respond.

 

“I liked it.”

 

Jae-i closed his eyes, then opened them again. Still mentally scattered, he took a deep breath in and then let it out before speaking. “I did too.” His voice, at first faint, soon found strength.

 

“I liked it.”

 

He didn’t know how it had come to this, but this was one answer he needed to make clear.

 

If he had truly hated it, if it had made him uncomfortable, he wouldn’t have been able to go that far. He wouldn’t have been able to suck and lick and touch Dohwa from head to toe like a man possessed, wouldn’t have gripped his own cock and stroked it so fiercely it felt like the skin might peel.

 

He truly had liked it. Kissing Dohwa, embracing him, inhaling the scent of his skin. The reason he kept ejaculating again and again, unable to calm his arousal, was because he’d been wildly turned on and overwhelmed with desire.

 

Seeing the now somewhat calmer look in Jae-i’s eyes, Dohwa once again reached out to touch his face. Stroking his cheek and lips, Jae-i hesitated before subtly lowering his head, almost as if asking for more. With Jae-i’s face nestled in his palm, Dohwa said,

 

“From now on, only do it with me.”

 

“……”

 

“And only use condoms with me. Got it?”

 

Jae-i remembered Dohwa asking if he was really going to use one when he first saw the condom. And yesterday, when they were watching TV, Dohwa had asked what he thought of the celebrity he called his ideal type.

 

It felt like his previously chaotic thoughts were beginning to settle. As if pulled by something, Jae-i nodded. It could have been interpreted as a silent agreement, but Dohwa wanted to hear it from him directly.

 

“You mean it?”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

Jae-i nodded again and softly replied, “Yeah.”

 

It was a completely gentle, non-confrontational response. Dohwa, staring at the dazed-looking Jae-i, bit his lower lip then hesitated. Instinctively bringing a hand to the corner of his mouth, he made Jae-i’s expression tighten as he sat up abruptly.

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

His face and eyes grew frighteningly sharp as he stepped closer to ask. With his hand near his lips, Dohwa looked straight at him and shook his head. But just as he was about to say no, his chest stung. Wondering what it was, he tugged at the shirt and saw the swollen, tender skin.

 

At first glance, it looked raw—but it wasn’t quite that bad. He’d been worried, but it wasn’t in terrible condition. After confirming this, Dohwa lowered his shirt and looked up. And just as Jae-i flinched at the sight of his chest and swallowed hard, Dohwa leaned forward.

 

Jae-i pulled the approaching body into an embrace. From last night through the early hours of morning, they had clung together so tightly it was as if they’d never let go—but now, it suddenly felt awkward. Not knowing where to put his hands, Jae-i clenched and unclenched them a few times before gently placing them on Dohwa’s back. As Dohwa rested his cheek against Jae-i’s chest, he murmured,

 

“Did you get up early because of me?”

 

“……”

 

He probably had. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he must’ve thought he had to wake before Dohwa to clean things up. And looking at it practically, it only made sense that he should be the one to take care of it all.

 

“You must be tired.”

 

Jae-i remembered Dohwa coming all the way to the front door before he left for the gate, telling him not to get hurt. Telling him to wear something warm because it was cold. To eat because he looked hungry. Asking if he was okay, if he was tired. He couldn’t recall exactly when, but all those things—Dohwa had said them to him.

 

Even though he was an S-rank Hunter and none of those things were strictly necessary, it still felt good to hear them. It had made him happy, even if just a little. Now sitting more comfortably on the bed than before, Jae-i held Dohwa in a more secure and relaxed embrace.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Greeting the office staff half-heartedly with a wave, Ahn Yuna sat down and chugged half her coffee. After mentally reviewing her to-do list for the day, she flipped her hair back. There was something she needed to deal with before officially starting the day.

 

“The Guildmaster…”

 

“He arrived about 20 minutes ago.”

 

No doubt he hadn’t even left the house yet. Having sent a vehicle to his place, Yuna was about to tell the staff to notify her when he departed, but she stared at them instead. She didn’t register the words immediately and blinked a few times before repeating,

 

“What?”

 

“He’s in his office.”

 

Yuna laughed. She thought it was some unfunny joke. But the staff member who said it only shrugged. Becoming suspicious, Yuna walked straight to the Guildmaster’s office door. She reached out to knock but instead gripped the handle and gently opened the door.

 

Peering through the narrow opening, she paused. The Guildmaster, who had usually stayed away from that couch where Dohwa used to linger, was now sitting on it—with Dohwa right beside him. As if glued together. And then, the scent of food drifted up her nose.

 

“……”

 

Yuna quietly closed the door and turned around. The staff member who had followed her gave her a look that said, “See? I told you.” They looked vaguely miffed that Yuna hadn’t believed them and had gone to check in person. Yuna pulled the employee aside and, lowering her voice, asked,

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They’re… eating in there, right?”

 

“Yeah, seems like the Guildmaster brought a bunch of takeout. Since he came early, I guess they didn’t eat before. Looks like they’re having breakfast now.”

 

“……”

 

“Oh, and the same guest from yesterday is with him again. Today he’s wearing a pink hoodie. Sticking real close behind the Guildmaster.”

 

The employee trailed off. Unlike yesterday when they’d walked with some distance between them, today they were exactly as described—stuck together. Not that Dohwa had insisted on it—it looked more like the Guildmaster had grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

 

“Looks like the Guildmaster’s made a new friend.”

 

Even the staff member wasn’t sure how to interpret it, muttering the words like a personal observation.

 

“It’s strange. I’ve never seen the Guildmaster keep someone that close.”

 

“Right?”

 

Listening to the employee, Yuna added softly,

 

“But just in case, don’t go spreading this around. Got it?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The number-one requirement for working close to Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i was discretion. That’s the reason this staffer had lasted over two years in this position.

 

Even their comments about the Guildmaster’s early arrival had only been voiced in Yuna’s presence—never around others. With a gesture of zipping their lips, the staff member went back to work.

 

Only after they had disappeared did Yuna look again at the closed door to the Guildmaster’s office.

 

“……”

 

It was a good thing, she supposed—that the Guildmaster now had someone he could keep nearby. But the change felt almost too sudden. Remembering how their shoulders were practically touching, Yuna scratched her head.

 

“Well, it’s a good thing, anyway.”

 

After yesterday, she had realized that around Dohwa, the Guildmaster turned unusually gentle. Today, she was already scheming how to use that softness to her advantage, as she headed back to her desk.