IH Ch 132

Chapter 132

“Then I’ll head out first.”

Rising from her seat, Ahn Yuna offered a polite bow before immediately calling for Dohwa.

“Dohwa-ssi, the conversation’s all finished. You can come out now—”

She was about to add take your time, when a tiny kya sound slipped through the slightly open door. Curious, she approached and peeked inside—only to find a child bouncing wildly on the bed, while Dohwa watched the beast with helpless patience. Apparently he hadn’t heard her earlier call; his eyes widened the moment he finally noticed her standing there.

“Let’s come down now.”

The child—currently in humanoid form—kept hopping without rest, wearing what appeared to be Dohwa’s shirt. Even Dohwa’s clothing was much smaller than the guildmaster’s, yet on a child who looked around four years old, it was still far too large. The shoulders had been bunched and tied with an elastic band to keep it from slipping off, and a safety pin had been clasped between the legs to keep the bottom from falling open. It didn’t seem uncomfortable at all; the little beast bounced a few more times with pure delight before finally noticing Ahn Yuna and scrambling off the bed.

It darted behind the opposite side of the mattress, peeking out only its face—with eyes so unmistakably identical to the guildmaster’s that Yuna almost laughed. But the hair was jet-black, and because it was a child, the resemblance only made it absurdly cute. Still… for some reason she could see both Jae-i’s and Dohwa’s features mixed faintly in that little face, and the oddity made her tilt her head.

“You’re heading out?”

Yuna turned to Dohwa. Their eyes met, and Dohwa lifted the corner of his mouth in the most awkward attempt at a smile she had seen outside the guildmaster himself. Yuna narrowed her eyes.

“Yes, I’ll get going now. And—”

She had been about to warn him not to stay alone with the child for too long—the beast might look adorable but was still a beast, and if he ever stepped out, he should keep it safely contained somewhere. But instead, she chose another comment.

“I’ll have your meal prepared soon. Or, you can come down to the dining hall on the fifteenth floor with the guildmaster if you prefer.”

“…Ah.”

“The sudden relocation has unsettled the staff a bit. Seeing the guildmaster casually come down and eat could help stabilize everyone.”

“……”

“That’s all I’m saying.”

Yuna was fully aware she was being petty—but also that this much was reasonable. Even a sulky face would help calm the guild members if it appeared here and there.

He wouldn’t listen if she said it. But if it came from Dohwa, the guildmaster would move instantly. Still, she wasn’t sure whether Dohwa—who, like the guildmaster, disliked attention—would actually pass the message along.

Before leaving, Yuna lifted a thumb toward Dohwa.

“And your haircut looks really nice. Clean and neat. When did you visit a salon? There’s one inside the guild too, you know—would’ve been easy to cut it there.”

Dohwa reflexively covered the back of his neck with both hands. He fidgeted, touching his hair awkwardly before mumbling in a tiny voice,

“Jae-i did it…”

“……”

Ah. So that’s how it happened.

She had heard rumors that the guildmaster had been watching hairstyling videos on set and fiddling with scissors for fun, but she hadn’t truly believed it. And yet—he had actually cut Dohwa’s hair himself. And surprisingly, it wasn’t his first attempt; it honestly looked like a professionally done cut. The world was truly unfair—why did a man with such a terrible personality get blessed with all these unnecessary talents too?

She nearly felt spiteful, but instead offered one more compliment before taking her leave.

The moment she disappeared, the beast scrambled eagerly back onto the bed and began leaping high again. It must have known to stay quiet around Ahn Yuna—it had been silent earlier—but now it lifted both arms and laughed out loud.

“Kya, kyaaa—!”

Seeing its excitement, Dohwa slowly slipped out of the room.

The moment he peeked his head out, he spotted Jae-i leaning back against the sofa with his head tilted, eyes closed. Confirming his eyes were shut, Dohwa hurried toward him.

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

“……”

He received no answer. Jae-i remained still with his eyes closed, so Dohwa hesitated behind him before gently placing a hand on Jae-i’s head. He rubbed softly, then settled both hands on either side, holding his head gently.

Bending down, he pursed his lips and blew warm air across Jae-i’s brow. Feeling the soft warmth tickle his forehead, Jae-i opened his eyes as though waiting for that very moment—and smiled faintly at Dohwa’s worried gaze.

“As if I’d be hurt. I’m not sick anywhere.”

Saying it like it was obvious, he reached up and took Dohwa’s hand. At that touch, Dohwa immediately climbed onto the sofa, settling himself beside him. Jae-i’s smile deepened as Dohwa leaned in. Dohwa stared at him for a moment before speaking.

“Hey.”

“Mm.”

“……”

Lowering his head, Dohwa eyed a folded sheet of paper lying in the empty space at Jae-i’s left side. He leaned to get a closer look, curious—but Jae-i’s large hand slid over the paper and he asked instead:

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He pushed the paper further behind him. Dohwa lifted his head.

“I’ve been so busy since morning I didn’t even ask what you wanted to eat.”

“……”

To be fair, the morning had been chaotic—the beast had suddenly gained a humanoid form and started dashing everywhere. No wonder Jae-i seemed drained. And now that he thought of it, while the child had been bounding around earlier, a small mana stone had fallen from his grasp. Likely, Jae-i had fed it while Dohwa was asleep.

He grumbled and acted annoyed, but still made sure the beast was fed even when Dohwa wasn’t watching. Jae-i was always like that—kind beneath the prickles. But the heaviness in his gaze today reminded Dohwa of something Ahn Yuna had just said: that perhaps using the dining hall could help settle the uneasy staff after the sudden relocation.

“…Should we go eat in the dining hall?”

“……”

“There’s no need to trouble anyone else when we can just go down ourselves. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Jae-i answered without a second of hesitation and checked the time. The dining hall ran twenty-four hours. It would certainly be open now. That meant they could head down immediately—but first…

His eyes flicked toward the room where the beast remained. Dohwa understood what worried him and said, wait a moment, before rushing into the room.

While he was gone, Jae-i pulled the paper back out and unfolded it. His own exaggeratedly heroic face didn’t matter—but the other figure drawn beside him did. Dohwa’s smiling hand had been illustrated like a sharp blade, pointed and deadly.

“For a while, we’ll have more users than usual—so please double-check ingredient and supply levels. Also, everyone’s workload will increase temporarily, so we ask for your understanding. Normally—”

The head nutritionist stopped. Words like let’s work together during hard times never boosted morale. Instead, she lifted her hand and made a circle with her fingers.

“Starting today, additional bonuses will be paid. Everyone, pace yourselves and let’s do our best. Today too—!”

“Food is the best!!”

Yes—talking about extra pay always worked. Feeling the noticeably louder cheer, the nutritionist smiled and began work immediately.

The sudden relocation had been chaotic, but adaptation was swift. Many nutritionists were already living in the guild dormitories for various reasons. After their shifts, they would work out at the fitness center, watch movies, bowl, pursue hobbies, or study. The reason Jae-i Guild’s building stretched up thirty floors was because it was designed with employee welfare facilities packed into every level.

Those who lived with family could sort things out with some adjustment. And with the wide-open ocean view outside the window, even simply looking out eased the mind. The nutritionist muttered to herself, finally understanding why people came to see the sea.

“But honestly, everyone’s being outrageous.”

Things had been quiet for a while, but—as always—the media couldn’t keep its mouth shut and started attacking the guildmaster again. The frustration was maddening. But this time, the guildmaster had not held back—he had struck back decisively. Still, no one expected him to push through the relocation like lightning. Who else could do something like this except their guildmaster? He truly wasn’t an ordinary person.

Naturally, the main topic among staff was the sudden move. Everyone had assumed it would last maybe two weeks at most. They figured the guildmaster would resolve the conflict with the higher-ups and return the guild base to Seoul.

But now that they had arrived here…

It felt like staying longer might not be such a bad idea after all.