IH Ch 105

Chapter 105

“You must’ve expected that calling Hwang Ha-jin in would put distance between us.”

“…Why say it like that again? Speak comfortably. Isn’t it too stiff between us?”

“…”

“And don’t glare at me like that. I’m really scared, Guild Master Hwang Jae-i.”

Though the Association President tried to smooth things over with his easygoing tone, he still called him “Guild Master” at the end. It was a clear line being drawn between personal and professional matters. It meant he had nothing more to say regarding Hwang Ha-jin, and until he fully grasped the truth behind that skill, he intended to keep Jae-i at a distance.

Jae-i calmly analyzed the president’s response and the overall situation. If it had been his past self, he would have gotten emotional and raised his voice. The Association President would’ve soothed him a few more times and then finally said something like, “This is the kind of choice we must make given our respective positions.” He would say, “I’m the Association President and you’re a Guild Master, so for the sake of Korea and the people living here, we must put aside personal feelings.”

In the past, whenever he felt like he couldn’t get through to the president, he would’ve rushed straight to Hwang Ha-jin. But that bastard would’ve slipped out of reach, manipulating Jae-i in his agitated state. Claiming that “Guild Master Hwang Jae-i is still young and doesn’t know how to manage his emotions,” and adding, “His parents should’ve raised him better, but they didn’t.” Then, playing the victim. Public opinion would pick up on that narrative, and people would inevitably criticize Jae-i, with negative articles flooding the media.

It was a pattern that repeated over and over.

Even without Hwang Ha-jin being involved, it always played out this way. He was used to it and had never really cared. After all, what did it matter what people said behind his back, things they couldn’t even dare to say to his face?

But now, he finally realized that it did matter.

Jae-i stared straight at the Association President, who was clearly waiting for him to lose his cool. One corner of Jae-i’s mouth curled up.

“I understand your position, Mr. President. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

With a polite bow, Jae-i stood from his seat and turned away. The president, caught off guard by Jae-i’s sudden departure, hurried after him.

“Guild Master Hwang Jae-i! Jae-i, wait! Just a moment…!”

He rushed forward and blocked Jae-i’s path, his face filled with panic—as if to say, “This isn’t how it was supposed to go.” Jae-i didn’t even crack a smile at the sight.

He gently pushed the Association President aside and reached for the door handle. The man flailed a bit and then grabbed Jae-i’s arm with both hands. Jae-i shook him off and moved to leave, but just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Knock, knock.

Raising his head in surprise, Jae-i looked toward the source. The Association President quickly called out.

“Come in!”

As if waiting for that cue, Mason entered.

“Guild Master, are you leaving already? Mr. President, what are you doing?”

Despite the clearly odd scene he walked into, Mason remained unfazed. Because the two were standing in front of the door, he had to step around them to come in. He extended a file to Jae-i.

“Judging by the situation, it doesn’t seem like there’s time for small talk. Guild Master, if you don’t mind, please take a look at this.”

“What is it?”

Even if they tried to pull some scheme at this point, there was no chance it would change Jae-i’s mind. He was about to tell them not to bother with this nonsense when Mason, still smiling calmly, said:

“This is information related to the cohabitant currently living with you.”

“…”

Jae-i stared at Mason and took the envelope, pulling out the contents. The face on the documents was one he knew all too well.

It was Dohwa—looking noticeably younger than now. There were three photos: one from the front, one from the side, and a full-body shot. Below them was a nameplate made up of a combination of English letters and numbers.

Even now, Dohwa didn’t exactly look like someone who was twenty-three, but in these photos, the difference was obvious. His defiant and dissatisfied expression staring directly at the camera made him look very much like a rebellious teenager. After taking one last look at the frontal shot, Jae-i turned to the next page.

The file was fairly thick. He wondered why there was so much material, and soon found out—it wasn’t just about Dohwa. The following pages featured unfamiliar faces. Though the people were named and documented in detail alongside their photos, all of them—except Dohwa—were deceased.

Jae-i flipped through the earlier pages one by one, but after a while, he started skimming. Among the confirmed deceased were some familiar faces.

One of them had been a presidential candidate three years ago. The man had shown deep interest in welfare, healthcare, and housing issues. He had been quite popular, promising to make the country a better place for everyone. But he had died in a terror attack. After that, the Association had started cracking down on Lee Myunghwan’s group.

Jae-i glanced at the smiling face of the middle-aged man in the photo, now marked with a “Deceased” label, and turned to the final page.

“…”

He was met with a face more familiar than any other—his own.

As he looked at the file containing his photo and his name, Hwang Jae-i, a bitter smirk formed on his lips. But it didn’t last long. Almost immediately, he recalled something Dohwa had said a few days ago:

“So I did everything they told me to. I lived with kids my age, studied, trained, even took weird drugs.”

Though he spoke calmly, he had averted his gaze mid-sentence and fidgeted with his hands. That was when Jae-i had felt it—though Dohwa was being cooperative, he was still hiding something. Was this the thing he had kept from him?

Was the weight of the file in his hands proof of all the lives lost—because of Dohwa?

“…”

“I saw you a lot there. I think I saw you more than I saw myself.”

Dohwa had spoken so casually, but the moment he talked about Jae-i, his eyes had sparkled. Back then, Jae-i had asked if he was the target, and Dohwa had replied:

“You were my objective.”

As soon as he remembered Dohwa watching him closely after saying that, Jae-i moved to burn the file in his hands.

“What are you—?!”

The document didn’t immediately ignite, probably because of some kind of safeguard, so Jae-i infused it with more of his skill. Crackle. Snap. The paper crumpled, fractured, and finally turned to ash. Even as the last embers faded from his hand, Jae-i glared straight at Mason.

There were so many things he wanted to say, but none of them were properly formed yet.

So, these bastards had already figured out a lot about Dohwa’s identity. That’s why they’d shoved this in his face.

Did they see the fact that Jae-i was living with Dohwa as a weakness? Because he had never let anyone get close before, and now that someone finally had, they assumed there was something “special” between them?

Their guess was correct. But so what?

Jae-i shifted his gaze to the Association President. The man’s acting had dropped, and his expression had hardened.

Jae-i opened his mouth.

“Before you bring up Dohwa again, maybe the Association should properly investigate the case it tried to bury involving Lee Myunghwan.”

“…”

“If that info leaks to the public, and you wanna find out who’s gonna be more fucked—then by all means, keep pushing me.”

He knew it was basically admitting that what they had was a weakness—but he didn’t care to calculate or react that way anymore.

Everything these people did disgusted him. It was so transparent: they just wanted to protect their own positions and silence him to keep everything neat and tidy. That’s why they dragged Dohwa into it.

Clearly, their tactic had worked, because he was fuming. But there was one thing they hadn’t considered—the kind of side effects this method could cause.

If they’re gonna go this far, then I can’t just sit back anymore. Not just by throwing a tantrum or lashing out in anger—but by striking back strategically.

What would it take to really, properly screw them over?

While rage simmered in his mind, one by one, calm calculations began to click into place. When the Association President finally called out, “Jae-i, wait,” it was already too late. Jae-i let out a laugh.

“Sure. If this is how the Association operates, I’ll make sure to match your level. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

He shot Mason one last look before turning away without regret.

With long strides, he walked to the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened, and just as he stepped in, Mason rushed over. His usual calm and leisurely face now looked subtly anxious.

“Guild Master, just a moment. The President—”

But before he could press the button, Jae-i cut him off with a sharp warning:

“Touch that again, and you’ll lose your arm.”

“…”

Mason froze mid-press. The doors shut, and Jae-i bowed his head slightly.

Nothing in the documents was particularly new. Based on his recent conversations with Dohwa, he had already pieced together most of it.

So why was he this angry?

Why did he feel this anxious, this out of control, all of a sudden?