IH Ch 145

Chapter 145

It was laughable, wasn’t it. Where exactly were they supposed to acquire Hunters and beasts to use as test subjects. Everyone pretended not to know, yet they were already doing all sorts of depraved things under the guise of producing stronger Hunters.

“At this rate, we’ll end up with social problems even worse than the gates.”

Her tone was light, almost joking, but Suhyeon believed preparations needed to begin now. They would organize everything step by step, share the findings with the Jae-i Guild, and eventually connect with other organizations as well. Laying the groundwork in advance would only help.

The long, aimless talking she had done earlier was a form of consideration. She knew Jae-i’s mood was progressively worsening in real time, so she had tried to soothe him a little. It seemed to have been mostly ineffective.

“Dohwa must have been one of those experimental subjects.”

“……”

“And that beast you’re keeping now probably came from a similar environment.”

The experiments had not been performed solely on humans. Beasts had been used as well. They tested various things on both to determine which yielded the most efficient results.

Suhyeon had collected a hair strand during her first visit to see Dohwa. She had originally extracted it just to investigate Dohwa’s personal information. She had not expected to stumble upon something abnormal.

At first, she assumed it was just contamination. But something felt wrong. So she kept digging. Her information network was one of the most formidable, but because nearly all remnants of Lee Myunghwan’s people had already been wiped out, she uncovered little. Still, just when she began to trace a faint trail, Jae-i contacted her.

‘Can you check whether Dohwa was ever subjected to experiments at the place he stayed as a child?’

At first, she wondered if he had somehow noticed her discreet investigation. But she soon realized that wasn’t the case. After calmly answering that she understood, she gathered the information she had pieced together and brought it to him. With more time she could uncover more, but for now, this was enough. Digging any deeper would only torment Jae-i further.

Suhyeon stared out at the empty road.

After the Jae-i Guild relocated here, the entire surrounding radius was restricted. No vehicle or individual without prior authorization could enter. Anyone who wasn’t originally a resident here had to undergo a strict vetting process to even approach.

Jae-i had come here partly as self-punishment, saying he wished to volunteer and make amends for his mistakes. But Suhyeon knew very well there was another reason behind this choice. In a low voice, she asked:

“You really like Dohwa that much?”

“……”

He didn’t answer, yet that was an answer in itself.

The Jae-i she knew absolutely hated even joking about these things.

“You haven’t even known him that long, so at first I wondered if this made sense. But… well, people fall at first sight, don’t they. Besides, would you have done all this for anyone but him?”

“……”

“When I said he was pretty, you gave me that ‘what nonsense are you talking about’ look. You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Only then did Jae-i’s head move. The stare he gave her felt exactly like: Stop talking about Dohwa.

Seeing him already protective, Suhyeon couldn’t help letting out a disbelieving laugh. Resting one hand on the steering wheel, she brushed her fingers along its edge and spoke.

“You came all the way here, and you’re not even giving me a cup of tea?”

“……”

“Should I just go back, then?”

Her teasing gaze tilted as she watched him, waiting to see what he’d do. Jae-i turned his head away.

If they were in Seoul, maybe. But if she went back now, she would have to spend several hours inside a car. He knew exactly why she had driven all the way here and why she had rushed to investigate his request. Thinking of that, he simply said, “Go to the guild.”

And when they arrived at the building, he saw the person waiting for him.

Perhaps the night had grown cold, but Dohwa was bundled in an oversized padded jacket with the hood pulled deep over his head, standing quietly at the entrance. The moment he recognized him, Jae-i instinctively reached for the door to jump out—only for Suhyeon to sharply hiss through her teeth, stopping him.

He hadn’t heard that kind of “Don’t.” since he was nine.

While he momentarily froze, the car rolled smoothly forward until it stopped right in front of Dohwa. Only then did he get out. He turned back toward Suhyeon.

“Park in the garage and come up.”

“Got it. Now hurry and go.”

“……”

“My goodness. Living with Hwang Jae-i, I get to witness everything.”

Still half in shock from how he’d almost leapt out of a moving car, she waved him off with exaggerated disbelief. After a light shove to his back—Go—Jae-i finally moved. But the moment his door clicked shut, he immediately changed, striding straight to Dohwa and bending low toward him.

Suhyeon let out another soft, incredulous laugh.

“……”

She hadn’t expected anything like this—finding humor amid a tangled mess of problems. Even as she parked outside, she couldn’t help smiling to herself.

“Why are you outside?”

As soon as he asked, Jae-i reached for Dohwa’s hand. Dohwa’s eyes shifted slightly.

“You said you’d be back in an hour, but it got late… Did your aunt come too?”

“She had something to give me. I came up for tea with her.”

Suddenly, he wondered whether Suhyeon would leave tonight or stay the night. It was late, and traveling back would be tiring. Maybe he should suggest resting at the guild. Or assign a Hunter to escort her to Seoul.

While he considered this, Jae-i held Dohwa’s hand tightly.

The coat Dohwa was wearing was Jae-i’s. Its sleeves were long enough to cover his hands, and even then, his skin felt cold in the night air. That bothered him, so he kept holding and releasing his hand repeatedly. Dohwa’s gaze shifted again. Finally, he gently slipped his hand from Jae-i’s grasp and intertwined his own fingers together.

“Hello.”

Dohwa bowed politely as Suhyeon approached with a smile.

“Yes. Even though we just saw each other a few days ago, it somehow feels like it’s been a while.”

Suhyeon, significantly taller than Dohwa though not quite as tall as Jae-i, lightly placed a hand on Dohwa’s arm.

“You seem well. I’m glad to see it.”

“……Yes. Thank you.”

After another polite bow from Dohwa, she smiled brightly.

“Let’s go inside. No need to stand out here in the cold. Jae-i, shall we head to the guild master’s office?”

“……”

The guild master’s office—where the beast was.

Dohwa pressed his lips together and glanced at Jae-i. Knowing exactly what he was thinking, Jae-i stepped forward first.

“Let’s go.”

At that, Dohwa looked back at Suhyeon, then politely gestured toward the entrance. “Please go in,” almost as though he were escorting her. Adjusting his slipping hood, he forced a small smile, and Suhyeon, amused, linked her arm with his.

“Yes, it’s cold. Let’s go.”

Dohwa yelped softly at the unexpected arm-in-arm contact, and Jae-i jerked mid-step.

“Auntie, why are you… linking arms…?”

“What? Do you want to link arms too?”

Feigning innocence, she reached out and hooked her other arm through his as well. With both men trapped on either side of her, she hummed cheerfully while marching toward the building.

She didn’t release either of them until they reached the floor with the guild master’s office. She moved ahead, looking around as if the place felt strangely nostalgic.

“It really does feel like it’s been ages since I came here. How odd.”

Then she moved toward a large decorative plant near the hallway. These plants had been placed throughout the building for employee welfare. Normally, Jae-i never even glanced at them, but Suhyeon admired them with enthusiasm—“How pretty. They’ve been well cared for.”

Sensing her attention was elsewhere, Dohwa tugged at Jae-i’s sleeve. Without question, Jae-i allowed himself to be led.

Inside the guild master’s office, Dohwa checked that the door was fully closed before speaking.

“Jaemin is here. Is it okay if your aunt comes in?”

“……”

For a moment, Jaemin—who? But then he remembered.

The name he had blurted out earlier for the beast when the children asked.

Apparently Dohwa had heard it. He hadn’t expected him to use it so naturally. Even though he was the one who created the name, hearing it from Dohwa felt strangely disconcerting. Hesitating, Jae-i murmured:

“About that…”