IH Ch 100

Chapter 100

The hunter was deliberately trying to focus solely on driving. Jae-i wasn’t unaware of why Ahn Yuna and the hunter had reacted so strangely just moments ago. Without a word, he raised the partition between the seats. With a soft whirring sound, the dark divider rose, and almost immediately, his phone vibrated. Though he wanted to ignore it, he knew that if he didn’t answer, they’d contact him through the vehicle’s built-in line.

Without checking the caller ID, Jae-i picked up the call.

[Guild Master, how could you leave me behind…!]

“I’m heading to the new meeting location. Just come there.”

With a curt, final tone, he ended the call and tossed the phone aside without care. When he turned his head toward Dohwa, he noticed Dohwa’s eyes fixed on the phone he’d just thrown. Jae-i parted his lips—then shut them again.

His usual self would have given a dismissive, “Don’t worry about it,” and left it at that. But recently, Dohwa had said a few things—told him to be kinder to the people around him. He still didn’t quite get what the point was, but it felt awkward to show it outright. So he picked the phone back up again.

In that brief span, Ahn Yuna had already tried calling him several more times. She really had a short fuse. With a sigh, Jae-i connected the call again and said the moment it picked up:

“I’ll find my way there just fine. So don’t worry too much—come slowly, carefully, and safely.”

[…]

The barrage of words Ahn Yuna had been preparing was stopped cold by the completely unexpected tone in his voice. After a moment’s pause, her hesitant voice crept through the phone:

[Guild Master… Are… Are you sick?]

This wasn’t how he usually behaved—why was he like this now? Alarm was clear in her voice.

Jae-i remained calm.

He had expected this kind of reaction. Even to him, it did feel off. Saying nothing more, he ended the call quietly and placed the phone down. Unlike before, Ahn Yuna didn’t attempt to call again.

“……”

It was a strange feeling. It was like doing something he didn’t want to—but it didn’t feel unpleasant.

As he sat back and relaxed into the seat, Jae-i looked down. Dohwa had reached out and gently taken his hand, holding it lightly, shaking it a little. It felt like a subtle gesture of praise. Though his face remained impassive, the tips of Jae-i’s ears turned red. Lifting his gaze slightly, he said to Dohwa:

“If your body doesn’t feel good, don’t hold back—just tell me.”

“Okay.”

“…It might’ve been better if you had just rested.”

Dohwa had clearly wanted to stay in bed the whole time, and during mealtime, Jae-i had practically pushed him back into bed, bringing over a tray packed with food. Rice, side dishes, desserts—he filled every bit of space on the tray. When Dohwa saw it, he’d laughed out loud, probably because it was so ridiculous. Embarrassed by his own actions, Jae-i tried to ignore the heat rising to his ears, and in his usual curt tone, simply handed over the tray with a “Here. Eat.”

But his words didn’t match his actions. He carefully spoon-fed Dohwa until he said he was full and couldn’t eat any more. When asked why he wasn’t eating any of it himself, Jae-i just replied that he didn’t feel hungry, despite having prepared so much. He eventually ate two slices of cake only because Dohwa kept staring at him.

After finishing the meal, Dohwa lay back down in bed. Even as he relaxed and stared at the ceiling, Jae-i didn’t leave his side. Whether he realized it himself or not, he looked like a dog about to be walked, anxiously waiting. Unable to watch him any longer, Dohwa repeatedly asked if he shouldn’t start getting ready to go to the guild, and only then—reluctantly—did Jae-i move.

Up to that point, he’d still planned to leave Dohwa at home.

Dohwa was in more pain than he let on—Jae-i hadn’t verbalized it, but he suddenly realized just how thoughtless his actions had been. How did it even occur to him to put something that large into such a slender body? He couldn’t think straight while it was happening, but now, all he felt was an overwhelming wave of guilt. So he decided—he’d go to the guild alone and make the evening meeting short so he could return home as quickly as possible.

But then, the schedule changed abruptly. Somehow, word had leaked that Hwang Jae-i was meeting with a high-ranking official from Hyeseong Group, and reporters had swarmed the event location.

Upon hearing this, Jae-i’s mood took a nosedive. He was furious—what were they even doing, letting this kind of information leak? But just as he was about to lash out, he felt someone’s gaze and turned around.

Dohwa had rolled onto his side and was watching him, one arm folded under his chin. Those quiet, steady eyes staring at him abruptly cooled the storm in Jae-i’s head. A strange calm settled over him as he listened to the explanation.

They’d urgently moved the meeting location and pushed the time forward. A car would be dispatched so he could head straight there, no need to drop by the guild. Jae-i only replied with a flat:

“Got it.”

[Sir, I expected you’d be upset by the sudden schedule change, so I—Wait, what? You’re… okay?]

“Make sure the driver knows the exact pickup time.”

Maybe they were shocked by how compliant he was? They didn’t ask anything else, and after ending the call, Jae-i strode straight toward Dohwa.

He needed to explain the change in schedule. He was going to attend a meeting, and Dohwa was to stay home and rest. The house was safe, but he planned to set up a few more protective effects. Normally, a select few people were allowed in and out freely—but not today, and not while Dohwa was there.

Just as he opened his mouth to say all that, Dohwa spoke first. He said he wanted to go too. With no immediate answer, Dohwa propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at Jae-i.

“I’m okay now. So I want to go with you.”

“……”

“…Is that okay?”

Perhaps sensing the hesitation, he repeated the question while looking directly into Jae-i’s eyes. There were no words Jae-i could say in response—he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Honestly, he wouldn’t be able to stop worrying even if he did leave Dohwa at home.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with Dohwa. He just didn’t want him to overexert himself.

“Who’s showing up at the meeting today?”

It was supposed to be a meeting with someone from Hyeseong Group, but Jae-i had no clue who specifically would appear. Most likely, it was the chairman.

The Hyeseong chairman was old and in poor health, and hadn’t appeared publicly for quite some time. With no definitive guess, Jae-i simply said,

“Someone high up.”

Whoever was meeting with him had to match his rank. That was only right. Watching how calmly Jae-i spoke of such things, Dohwa smiled brightly.

“Hello!!”

The bright voice came from a young girl.

She wore a cheerful dress and shiny shoes. Her neatly styled short hair was pinned with a cute flower-shaped clip. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and she smiled as she bowed to Ahn Yuna standing beside Jae-i.

“Hello!”

Then, as she lifted her head, her eyes landed on Dohwa standing behind Jae-i. Just as she was about to greet him as well, Jae-i raised a hand to stop her.

“Hold on.”

The girl halted mid-bow and looked up, confused by the interruption. Her sparkling eyes fixed on Jae-i, who raised one brow.

“This meeting was supposed to be with Hyeseong.”

Typically, a business meeting with a conglomerate meant sweating men in dull black suits. This petite little girl didn’t fit the image. The confusion only deepened—until the girl made an “Ah!” sound and reached into her small crossbody bag.

“This is me.”

Jae-i took the photo she held out instinctively.

They had arrived at a traditional Korean restaurant located on the top floor of a modest three-story building, far from the bustle of central Seoul. The interior was clean but empty, with not even a food setup. Expecting to meet the Hyeseong personnel in a more private room further inside, Jae-i was caught off-guard as he saw the picture. So was Ahn Yuna, who had just begun trying to reach Hyeseong for clarification.

“What is it? Oh—”

At the same moment, her eyes landed on the photograph in Jae-i’s hand—and froze. It showed a young child in a wheelchair, wearing a white hat and looking straight at the camera with clear, bright eyes. Something about the picture felt oddly familiar. Ahn Yuna glanced between the child and the photo, then whispered in disbelief:

“…It’s really her.”

The child nodded eagerly and looked up at Jae-i with a brilliant smile.

“Hunter Hwang Jae-i—thank you for saving me.”

“……”

Only after seeing the picture did Jae-i realize who this small girl truly was. He remembered her now—how she’d defended him in front of a crowd of reporters on TV. Holding the photo, he looked back down at her again.

“But… why are you here?”

Regardless of what had happened in the past, the girl’s current presence raised new questions.

As if answering them, an old man emerged from deeper inside the building.

“That, I’ll explain.”

He was a dignified elder, with neatly combed white hair and even a beard. The moment the girl saw him, her face lit up even more brightly than when she saw Jae-i, and she rushed over.

“Grandpa!”

Like a squirrel, she scampered over and threw herself into his arms. Carefully embracing her with one arm, the old man said calmly,

“Be careful, you might fall.”

“I’m fine! I can run really well now!”

Smiling wide, she spoke as if proving a point. The old man replied softly, “Good,” gently patting her small head. It was kind, but slightly awkward—like someone trying to be tender without much practice. Still, it didn’t come off as uncomfortable. The look in his eyes alone, as he gazed at the child, was undeniably genuine.

There was no doubt as to who this man was. The one who had raised Hyeseong Group to its current status. He had not made a public appearance in recent years, but his face was unmistakable—Chairman Ma Jung-seok.

Which meant—

“So that girl is his granddaughter.”

Hearing Dohwa whisper at his side, Jae-i slowly nodded.

He didn’t know how or why, but apparently, the little patient he had whimsically decided to help at the children’s hospital turned out to be the granddaughter of that tiger-like chairman himself.