IH Ch 90

Chapter 90

Today as well, Hwang Jae-i focused on his work. There were some documents and papers to review that made him think, “Why is this even being submitted right now?” but none of them were beyond his capacity to handle, so he pushed through them. And just as the morning schedule was nearing its end, Jae-i realized Ahn Yuna’s little scheme. Noticing that he was unusually diligent with his tasks, she had taken the opportunity to submit even non-urgent matters in advance.

Among them was a request for cooperation on a seminar involving guild members—a type of task Jae-i particularly loathed. He disliked standing in front of people. He would have much preferred assembling a team of troubled hunters and entering a gate. There was no better way to train than through direct experience. That way, skills naturally improved.

He signed everything else, but this, he didn’t want to deal with. Letting go of the paper, he subtly turned his head to the side. On the sofa, curled up in a ball, Dohwa lay fast asleep.

“……”

Staring at him for a moment, Jae-i quietly stood up. Moving closer in silence, he cleared away the empty strawberry juice bottle and plate from the table pulled up to the front of the sofa. Sitting lightly on the edge of it, he looked at Dohwa, whose face rested beside his folded hands. The swelling around his eyes and lips had gone down significantly.

To be honest, Jae-i had originally planned to leave Dohwa at home today. But Dohwa had said he liked it here. “I want to stay with you,” he had said. Those words touched something in Jae-i’s heart, and once again, they came to the guild together. On the way, they had stopped to pick up some food from a nearby restaurant. Fortunately, the place—popular among guild members—opened early in the morning.

Dohwa had dozed off on the way there, so Jae-i had been a little worried he might not have an appetite. But that concern proved groundless—Dohwa ate well. He finished one and a half lunch boxes and even polished off the dessert and strawberry drink they’d packed as snacks. He ate so well, in fact, that crumbs lingered on his lips. Reaching out, Jae-i tried to carefully remove a small piece, worried he might wake him, when Dohwa’s eyes opened. Still drowsy and not quite alert, Dohwa lifted his head, and Jae-i quickly clenched his hand into a fist. Dohwa, noticing the large fist in front of his face, lightly rested his forehead against it and then pulled back to glance around the room.

It seemed he was trying to grasp the time and the current situation, so Jae-i told him.

“It’s lunchtime.”

“……Are you eating?”

At the immediate question, Jae-i nodded.

“What do you want to eat?”

The words came out naturally before he even thought about it. Jae-i covered the blanket that had slipped down Dohwa’s legs as he sat up. Leaning back against the sofa, Dohwa rubbed beneath his eyes with the back of his hand. He yawned quietly, still looking dazed.

He seemed drowsy but not particularly uncomfortable or in pain. Yet even so, Jae-i couldn’t stop watching him intently, until Dohwa smiled.

“I really am fine.”

Dohwa spoke as if he completely understood why Jae-i was looking at him like that and lifted his head. Staring at Jae-i, he gently leaned forward, prompting Jae-i to instinctively lean toward him as well. When he embraced the approaching body, Dohwa wrapped his arms around Jae-i’s waist.

“……”

Though Dohwa had initiated the embrace, Jae-i’s posture still held a hint of stiffness, as if he wasn’t entirely used to it. Oblivious to that, Dohwa buried his face in Jae-i’s shoulder and murmured.

“You’re working while I’m just sleeping.”

“It’s okay.”

“Mm, thank you.”

At the words of thanks, Jae-i’s gaze lifted slightly.

This was his workplace, and he was merely doing what needed to be done. There was no one who would complain that Dohwa was resting comfortably in the meantime. So, there was no need for him to say thank you. That was what Jae-i thought—until his face darkened.

The door to the Guildmaster’s office had been left open.

Jae-i spread out the fallen blanket and, as if draping it over him, covered Dohwa again, then gently pushed his body away. As he stood, Dohwa turned around, wondering what was going on. Jae-i’s hand briefly brushed against Dohwa’s cheek, as if to say “don’t worry,” then pulled away. Dohwa, opening one eye and then the other, turned his whole body to face the door.

Jae-i was striding toward the door with such intensity that even with his hands clenched, his energy felt abnormal. Perhaps sensing that, the door swung wide open, and Ahn Yuna stepped inside.

“Guildmaster, what would you like for lunch?!”

She raised one arm high, pretending she had just walked in at that moment, but Jae-i’s expression as he looked down at her was ice-cold. His piercing gaze clearly said: “I know you were spying.” Flinching, Yuna gave an awkward cough.

“No, I just wanted to ask if there was anything you wanted to eat since it’s lunchtime, and also—there was a missing document in the batch I received, so I thought I should ask about that too.”

“……”

“I mean, that’s really all I was going to ask, but the mood didn’t seem right, so… You know what I mean, right?”

She desperately tried to explain that she hadn’t peeked through the door with the intent to snoop, but Jae-i’s expression and gaze remained unchanged. Feeling that no explanation would justify her actions, Yuna shifted her target.

“Dohwa-ssi, is there anything you’d like for lunch?”

Dohwa, who had been watching them, quietly averted his gaze when she suddenly addressed him. Though they had seen each other a few times, he still seemed shy. Yuna thought it was cute, but didn’t let it show. The weight of Jae-i’s gaze, sharp enough to sting her skin, made her hold back.

Normally, she would have shrugged it off and left, thinking, “Wow, he’s really intense.” But this time, she had a response she was determined to get from the Guildmaster, so Yuna looked back at him.

“By the way, Guildmaster, why haven’t you checked the seminar schedule? You know very well how much the guild members look forward to being with you.”

Raising one eyebrow, Jae-i responded in a low, firm voice.

“Why would I do something like that? If hunters are struggling to improve their skills, just send them into the next gate.”

“You can’t just send anyone into a gate! They need to have a certain level of skill. For newcomers or less experienced hunters, seminars are essential. All you’d have to do is stand in front of them, answer questions, and give some feedback on their techniques. It would be such a big help to them! Just three hours of your time could become the nourishment they need to grow.”

“That’s why—”

Just as he was about to say, “Why should I care?” Yuna turned to Dohwa.

“What do you think, Dohwa-ssi? The Guildmaster all dressed up, confidently answering a flood of questions from the guild’s hunters… It would be so helpful for their growth. Don’t you think so? They’d be so grateful to him. They’d say our Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i is the coolest. Don’t you agree, Dohwa-ssi?”

Jae-i’s face grew grim. He was already displeased by her intentions, but now she was dragging Dohwa into it.

Why should he, of all people, have to care about the new hunters? There were already experienced hunters in the guild who specialized in that kind of mentoring. And Yuna knew that too. She was just using this excuse to involve Dohwa. Just as Jae-i was about to scold her for it, a calm voice spoke from behind him.

“Jae-i should do that only if he wants to.”

“……”

Jae-i paused and turned around. Dohwa, leaning against the sofa, stared into his eyes and added,

“That’s something Jae-i should decide.”

It was his way of saying it wasn’t his place to tell him what to do.

Yuna hadn’t expected that response and was taken aback. Just yesterday, Dohwa had said the Guildmaster looked cool sitting and working at his desk. She thought he’d respond similarly this time—but instead, he passed the decision back to the Guildmaster. And if left up to him, there was no way he’d do it. She was about to ask him to reconsider when a low voice dropped from above her head.

“Ahn Yuna.”

She flinched and slowly lifted her head.

“Stop wasting time and get out. I’ll take care of lunch myself. And unless you have something genuinely important to report, don’t pull stunts like that again.”

“……Understood. I’m sorry.”

Yuna deflated. She had really thought he would agree to the seminar. But she had failed. Filled with disappointment, she turned to leave, then stopped and looked back.

“There’s a new samgyeopsal (pork belly) place near the intersection. I heard the meat quality is really good. If you’re interested, I can make a reservation. The owner is a big fan of yours, Guildmaster.”

Apparently, the place had even set up a private room just for Hwang Jae-i’s use. Some restaurants created exclusive spaces for famous hunters as a promotional tactic, but this one seemed genuine. Johan had already eaten there and said it was impossible to get in during dinner hours without a reservation. Though Jae-i probably wouldn’t need one since he had a private room, she mentioned it just in case.

Then, confirming that Jae-i still looked ominous, she slipped out quietly. As soon as the door closed, Jae-i let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

“……”

How long had she been watching? Though Ahn Yuna and Dohwa weren’t strangers and had seen each other several times already, it still left a bad taste in his mouth. More than anything, he didn’t like how she casually spoke to Dohwa in front of him.

“Jae-i.”

“……”

As Jae-i’s expression grew darker with every passing thought, he turned at the sound of his name.

“Did I say something unnecessary?”

“……”

At that, Jae-i immediately walked over to him. Placing one hand on the back of the sofa, he stood beside Dohwa, who said,

“If it was something you really needed to do, and I stopped you by saying something I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s not like that.”

He had never once done a seminar like that before.

Most people thought he had only known Ahn Yuna since becoming Guildmaster, but in truth, they went back further. She knew him well. She must have figured something out from yesterday’s events. Probably assumed that if she used Dohwa, he’d agree to seminars or other obligations. Ridiculous. As if he’d do something so troublesome. Jae-i frowned at the thought.

Then, sensing a gaze on his face, he looked down. Dohwa was still staring at him. Jae-i wondered if he had come off too curt just now. He’d only spoken the way he usually did, but people often disliked that. Dohwa, being used to him, probably wouldn’t mind…

Jae-i hesitated. He realized something felt off—how he was speaking harshly and assuming Dohwa wouldn’t mind simply because he was used to it. Maybe he shouldn’t act that way in the first place.

“……”

His mind suddenly stalled, as if stuck in a lag. At that moment, a pale hand gripped the wrist resting on the sofa. At the soft call of “Jae-i,” he lowered his head.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Dohwa, with his knees drawn up, reached out further with his other hand. When his warm palm pressed gently against Jae-i’s forehead, he closed his eyes. This time, his mind seemed to go completely blank. Feeling as if his thoughts had short-circuited, Jae-i leaned his body toward Dohwa.