IH Ch 23

Chapter 23

At Jae-i’s words, the child slowly blinked, then smiled again. It seemed as though the child was trying to muster the brightest smile they could, and seeing that, a strain tightened at the corner of Hwang Jae-i’s mouth.

“At least fix your expression around kids.”

He recalled Ahn Yuna’s usual reprimand, muttered through clenched teeth like a ventriloquist, but something he had never managed before wouldn’t suddenly come easy now. So, he gave up on forcing a smile and simply met the child’s gaze.

He could see the strength gradually draining from the child’s previously cheerful eyes. Perhaps they had only just woken from sleep—now the eyes began to close once more, and the labored breathing, mixed with phlegm, returned. Jae-i gently wrapped his hand around the tiny one that fit entirely within his palm.

Hwang Jae-i never cared what people said about him. He only did what was required of him. That was why he handled gates mechanically, without hesitation or thought. Someone like him, who operated alone like a rogue, could never cooperate with other hunters. He always acted on his own whims—but no one dared to say anything. After all, he was S-rank.

As long as he fulfilled the role branded into him like a scar—this damnable S-rank—nothing else mattered. He didn’t care about any other duty. In truth, he wanted to quit being an S-rank hunter altogether. Regardless of whether the world needed him, he wanted to be alone in a place where no one knew him. What did anything else matter? Even with such twisted thoughts, if a gate occurred, if someone somewhere asked for cooperation, if they sought help—he always answered the call.

That alone meant he had done his part. He had no reason to carry any additional burdens. He didn’t even need to be here right now. And yet—

“……”

Hwang Jae-i gave the small hand in his grasp one final squeeze before slowly rising. Then, clenching his hand over the child, he opened it again to reveal a glowing yellow gem.

As he moved his hand aside, the golden light slowly descended, seeping into the child’s chest, drawn toward the heart, and vanished. A moment later, the child’s breathing began to stabilize, and the clogged sounds in the throat eased.

At the rustle of fabric, Jae-i turned his head. He could feel the startled gaze of the guardian who had been uncomfortably napping in the corner. Jae-i quickly raised a single finger to his lips.

Despite the suspicious nature of a strange man appearing in a hospital room with only a child inside, the guardian simply nodded. In response, Jae-i reflexively reached for his sunglasses, then let go and turned quickly.

“Hunter…?”

A cautious voice called from behind, but he ignored it and hurried away.

Wearing his hoodie pulled low and sunglasses too—how had they recognized him? Jae-i, oblivious to how much he stood out with his distinct physique and aura, felt caught off guard.

He rushed down the stairs and cloaked himself again in concealment just before stepping into the corridor. As he passed the lobby, he noticed the tired-looking nurse still focused on a chart at the front desk, then exited the building.

He could’ve returned home just like that, but something felt off. Maybe it was because he’d done something so out of character. His body felt restless. The fact that the guardian had recognized him also lingered in his mind. Hopefully, they wouldn’t say anything strange. There were already too many people claiming they’d suffered some loss because of him, despite never having met him. The thought made him anxious.

Jae-i pushed back his hoodie and reached for his sunglasses. Just then, a sudden sense of presence made him freeze. He turned around. With eyes unlike those of ordinary people, he spotted a crack forming in the distance—not far from the hospital.

“……”

Even if it wasn’t in the metropolitan zone, a gate was trying to open in what was considered a safe area. He had been close enough to sense it immediately. Normally, it would only be reported after the gate fully opened and the surrounding area entered the magnetic field zone.

By then, the hospital—within the effect radius—would likely be swept up in it.

“……”

What was with today?

Ever since he’d done that one out-of-character thing, everything troublesome seemed to follow. With a scowl, Jae-i furrowed his brow and sighed deeply, turning his body back in the direction he came from.

A white arm was held in a wrinkled hand. That hand stroked the pale arm up and down, delicately, as though handling a fine work of art, all the while muttering, “Yes, this is it. Perfect.” Then the hand cupped the smaller one with both palms and began to slowly lift it toward his lips for a kiss.

“A great man,” they had said. “In his presence, you must behave like a doll.”

He remembered hearing that before being brought here. He could tolerate the wrinkled hand touching him—but not the feel of that mouth. Though he had remained still the entire time, he couldn’t take it any longer. As he tried to pull his hand away, it instead lashed out and struck the old man’s cheek.

The smack sent the old man reeling back with a grunt, and chaos broke out around them.

“You!!”

Especially the woman standing nearby—her expression turned sharp.

She pressed a stun baton to his neck. Electricity shot through his entire body. He couldn’t even scream before collapsing backward. Even as his body trembled from the lingering shock, he captured every detail of the surrounding uproar with clear eyes.

The humans cloaked in white fabric rushed toward the old man.

“Teacher, are you all right?”

They sounded on the verge of tears, as if some great disaster had struck.

“Teacher, teacher…”

It was maddeningly noisy.

Then, the old man raised his hand. Looking around at those fussing over him, he spoke solemnly:

“I’m all right.”

Everyone made a show of relief, clasping hands or falling to their knees. The woman with the shock device quickly clung to the old man, tearfully calling out, “Father.”

Feigned concern, fake sorrow—and the old man offered a gentle smile, bowing his head like a benevolent figure. And in unison, they all turned to look at him, still collapsed on the floor.

He expected punishment for striking the old man. But instead, the old man muttered with satisfaction:

“Healthy and spirited. Good. That’s what we like to see. Yes, this is—”

In that moment, the old man, the woman, and the veils draping the scene all crackled and glitched. The old man’s voice distorted into a warped, static-laced sound. Hating the crackling noise, he instinctively clamped his hands over his ears.

I don’t want to hear this.

Please stop.

Clutching his aching ears, he squeezed his eyes shut.

He wanted to escape everything that tormented him, but the tangled voices continued to haunt him.

I hate this. I said, I hate it.

He thought it over and over, but couldn’t bring himself to speak it aloud.

Thud.

“……”

The loud noise startled his eyes open.

His eyes stung, his head spun. Dohwa, dazed and disoriented, staggered to his feet and turned toward the source of the noise. Though he had moved from the storage room to the guest room, someone had still come looking for him and now stood outside the door.

Today had been more exhausting than usual. He wanted to ignore it and go back to sleep, but he was afraid of having another nightmare. Maybe it was better not to be alone right now.

Stretching his legs out from under the bed, Dohwa slowly stood up. Though the room spun a little, he ignored it and walked toward the door. When he turned the handle, sure enough—Hwang Jae-i was standing outside.

But something was different. His head hung low, streaked with dust and soot, and worst of all, there was a smell. Thick and metallic—it reeked like blood.

Where had he been?

Dohwa knew he occasionally left the house, but he had never returned looking like this.

Right now, it looked almost like…

“You got into a fight?”

There was no way someone like Hwang Jae-i, an S-rank hunter, had taken a beating. If he was in this condition, the opponent must be in much worse shape.

Then, Hwang Jae-i slowly lifted his head. Through the messy strands of hair, Dohwa saw red eyes fixed on him. They were always sharp—but now they looked dazed and unfocused.

Jae-i’s lips moved. He murmured something under his breath, but Dohwa couldn’t make it out. Even though something told him not to approach, not when Jae-i seemed this off, his body moved on its own. As he leaned forward slightly, the soft murmur grew clearer.

“……I feel gross.”

He didn’t want to stay like this.

Dohwa thought he understood what Jae-i had left unsaid. Looking up and seeing those still-clouded eyes, he hesitated, then asked,

“Then… do you want to wash up?”

It didn’t seem like he’d be able to sleep comfortably in that state. Dohwa was going to tell him to use the bathroom down the hall, but Jae-i moved first. He passed by Dohwa and entered the en suite bathroom inside the room. His movements were so natural there was no time to stop him.

What the—?

While Dohwa blinked, Jae-i began undressing without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he was stark naked. Frozen in shock, Dohwa watched as he yanked down both his pants and underwear in one motion.

“……!”

Startled by the full display of skin, Dohwa squeezed his eyes shut and quickly turned his head away.

The sound of fabric sliding followed by the bathroom door opening, then the sound of water.

Shhhhhhhh.

The noise of the shower rang in his ears, making Dohwa fidget anxiously.

What should I do?

Should I tell him to wash up and go back to the storage room?

That might be best.

As he hesitated and opened his eyes, he spotted Hwang Jae-i standing beneath the showerhead inside the bathroom. Thankfully, the glass partition offered some modesty, so even though he was nude, it didn’t feel too awkward.