IH Ch 38

Chapter 38

Barely a few minutes had passed after entering the Association President’s office when the two men left, leaving Hwang Jae-i alone. Motionless, he slowly leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“……”

Why does this bother me so much?

The moment I brought him home, I regretted it. I tried to send him back to the Association several times, so this should’ve been a good thing. Once the examinations are complete, the Association will take care of it. Maybe the person looking for him really is family…

“I stayed there at first because of my mom, and after that, I was just alone.”

“……”

Judging from what he said, there’s a high chance his mother had passed away there. And even if those people really are family, can they be trusted after showing up only now? If that’s the case…

Just as Jae-i was about to stretch out his legs and stand up, the Association President appeared.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“……”

Seeing Jae-i frown in displeasure, Kim Wi chuckled with amusement and walked inside, picking up a remote from the desk.

“Since yesterday, the celebrity who’s been making all of Korea buzz is here, sitting in my office.”

With a teasing tone, a large screen descended from the ceiling, displaying a close-up of Hwang Jae-i’s face. It was a moment where he tilted his head slightly and lifted the corners of his lips in a smile. At that instant, the flashes from the cameras that had been blindingly firing away came to a stop.

“The whole world seemed to go quiet at that moment. It was astonishing. But I didn’t realize it back then either. Because my eyes were also fixed on the smiling face of Guild Master Hwang Jae-i.”

He had known Hwang Jae-i longer than most, but even so, he had never seen him smile like that. Whether as a child or now, Jae-i’s default had always been annoyance and cynicism.

Even in important settings, Jae-i would behave like someone who didn’t know how to make a polite smile. Yet there he was, smiling like that in a completely unexpected situation. If even Kim Wi was surprised, then others would have been utterly shocked. Both the internet and public broadcasting were going wild over that one expression. Even those who had constantly made biased remarks about hunters were left speechless by that face.

Indeed, when someone acts out of character, the impact is enormous. Maybe I should try the same tactic—stick with a neutral expression as a base rather than keep smiling. But if I did that, I’d probably get torn apart. Guess there’s no helping it.

“People have to live according to their nature, I suppose.”

Kim Wi flipped through more channels.

Previously, the buzz was about Hwang Jae-i successfully closing an unstable gate, and now it was all about that smiling face. The more he saw it, the funnier it became. Actually chuckling, Kim Wi pulled his lips down when he felt the sharp sting of a piercing gaze on the back of his head. Turning slightly, he saw a visibly displeased Hwang Jae-i.

Turning off the TV, Kim Wi slowly walked toward Jae-i and perched on the edge of the nearby table.

“Even people I hardly hear from were calling me yesterday. Some wanted to set up meetings. Obviously, they’re thinking if they can butter up Guild Master Hwang Jae-i, they might get a sponsorship or ad deal.”

“……”

“But I didn’t smile for any of that. I just lifted the corners of my lips a little, like, ‘Here, take this and buzz off.’ That’s all it was.”

Even under Kim Wi’s gaze, as if asking for agreement, Hwang Jae-i remained silent.

“Yeah, you did well. Just because you’re in a bad mood doesn’t mean you have to show it. Sometimes it’s easier to live if you just go along with things. Keep that up, Guild Master.”

Kim Wi beamed as if proud.

Staring at that face, Hwang Jae-i finally parted his lips.

“Proceed with the matter regarding Pungjin.”

“……”

Kim Wi’s face shifted slightly. Clearly, he hadn’t expected that to come up now. His eyes darted sideways as if trying to escape, and he made a move to get off the table.

“That was part of the deal with Lee Myunghwan. You agreed to resolve the issue with Pungjin.”

Pungjin was the leading item distribution company in the country. They processed and refined rare byproducts from gates, sold them domestically, and exported them overseas. Not only were their items attractive and highly functional, but the quality was excellent, making them a consistently growing conglomerate.

And like in any country, such a conglomerate had close ties to power. Their connections extended not just to the political and business circles, but also deeply into the hunter world. There was no benefit to making enemies with them. It was best for everyone to get along. But Hwang Jae-i wasn’t like everyone else.

He stared at Kim Wi with calm eyes. He didn’t need to say anything—his gaze clearly conveyed: Just give me the answer I want. Pressured by that look, Kim Wi gave a strained smile.

“…Can’t we replace it with something else?”

“……”

This time, there wasn’t even a response. Just that unwavering stare. Kim Wi let out a deep sigh.

“I wish you’d changed your mind.”

His muttering was filled with regret and frustration.

Before launching a strike against Lee Myunghwan’s group, the Association had requested cooperation from five of the top guilds in the country. Three responded. In appreciation, the Association agreed to meet each guild’s terms. Jae-i’s guild also made a demand. On the surface, it was a rare item stored by the Association, but a separate, private agreement had been signed.

It was to expose the corruption the Association had uncovered regarding Pungjin.

It wouldn’t be enough to bring down a giant company in one blow, but it would be a serious shock. And if that happened, the man pretending to be all friendly while acting like a free hunter would take a considerable hit.

Knowing the connection between Hwang Jae-i and Pungjin’s CEO, Hwang Hajin, Kim Wi finally spoke.

“Jae-i. About that matter—”

“President, please keep your promise.”

Hwang Jae-i cut him off firmly before he could say more.

“And I’m here as a guild master, so please watch what you say.”

Looking into Jae-i’s resolute eyes, Kim Wi rubbed his forehead.

After a moment of hesitation, he slowly nodded and said, “Understood.” The Association President looked down at Jae-i with a smile.

“As agreed beforehand, we’ll strike first at Pungjin from our side. Things will probably get noisy for a while. The domestic item market might get shaken up. And perhaps Hunter Hwang Hajin, who’s been working freelance in the UK, might return to Korea. If so, you two might have a tearful father-son reunion.”

“……”

He asked whether Jae-i would really be okay with facing that man again, but Jae-i’s face remained impassive. The Association President grew more troubled at that unshakable expression.

Even Kim Wi couldn’t easily interfere in this matter. He had suspected that this would come up today when he heard Jae-i would be visiting, and now that things were unfolding as expected, his mind spun with possibilities. Still, stirring up Pungjin would entangle many players and could turn out to be entertaining. Smirking despite his concerns, Kim Wi casually asked,

“You’re not leaving right after getting the answer you wanted, are you? Let’s eat together.”

He would’ve liked to invite all the guild masters who had joined in the last operation, but he knew Jae-i would never agree to that.

Still, perhaps because of the rare smile from the day before that had shut down all gossip in one blow, Kim Wi felt grateful and wanted to treat him. Maybe if he fed him a good meal and loaded him up with his favorite desserts, it would be enough.

“There was that place you liked before. Vietnamese noodles and fried rice, wasn’t it?”

“……”

“Let’s talk about how we’re going to strike Pungjin most effectively over lunch.”

This was one of those times when it was better to make decisions and inform rather than wait for a response. If he made a reservation and told Jae-i they were going together— But just in case, Kim Wi turned to check his expression and hesitated.

With his mouth closed and eyes lowered, Hwang Jae-i looked extremely serious.

“……Do you have another request?”

To be honest, from the Association’s perspective, going after a domestic conglomerate was a massive burden. Even the government would make a fuss, and they would have to handle all that fallout too. Surely Hwang Jae-i knew all this and wouldn’t shamelessly ask for more. That would be a real problem. As Kim Wi stared at him in silence, Jae-i raised his head.

“That kid—once his examination is done today, where will he be sent?”

“……Ah, that person.”

At first, he didn’t realize who “that kid” referred to. Hwang Jae-i had never talked about anyone like that before. But then a face popped into his mind, and he wondered, Could it be him? Just as he was guessing, Jae-i spoke calmly.

“I still have business with him. I’ll need to bring him back.”

Mouth closed, Jae-i stared straight at Kim Wi.

Kim Wi’s face, initially puzzled, gradually turned strange. He lifted his chin, narrowed his eyes, and smirked, teasing,

“What’s this? Guild Master, do you like that kid?”

Despite usually treating him respectfully as a guild master, Hwang Jae-i’s deadpan expression only lasted so long. When Kim Wi stepped closer with an amused face, Jae-i stood up abruptly in disgust.

“It’s not like that! I just have something I owe him…!”

“Owe what? What exactly do you owe him—?”

Kim Wi crept up behind him in the blink of an eye, and Jae-i shot him a glare. What the hell is this guy doing? He was about to tell him to stop when Kim Wi, still grinning, said,

“Just don’t forget where you found that kid. He popped out of Lee Myunghwan’s final base. He might look ordinary, but who knows what he could be.”