IH Ch 74

Chapter 74

The reason he swallowed the words that had risen to his throat was because of the eyes that were looking at him. Pushed by the calmness of that silent gaze, Jae-i turned his head away. Even as he walked toward the entrance, Dohwa followed closely behind. Jae-i, slipping on the special shoes used when entering gates, tapped his toes against the floor and glanced ahead. Seeing Dohwa standing in front of him as if it were the most natural thing, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

A moment later, a barely audible voice slipped out.

“I’ll be back.”

With that, he bolted out the door like he was running away. He stepped into the elevator with such long, hurried strides that his face looked almost angry. Jabbing the buttons repeatedly, Jae-i lowered his head as soon as the doors closed and gripped his hair tightly.

What the hell was that just now? He’d acted like a complete idiot. Tightening his grip on his hair, his expression changed when a phone notification went off.

Focus only on what needs to be done right now.

Shaking off his unease, Hwang Jae-i gave his head a small shake.

Having seen Jae-i off, Dohwa returned to the dining table and picked up his chopsticks. But even with the delicious-looking galbi in front of him, he no longer felt the same appetite as before.

“……”

Strange. Just a moment ago, he could’ve eaten happily.

He took a big piece of meat into his mouth, but it didn’t taste as appealing as before. Odd. Chewing absentmindedly, Dohwa got up and retrieved a deep bowl from the cupboard. He filled it with meat, carrots, and a generous amount of sauce, avoiding the burnt edges and transferring it all to the bowl, then covered it with a plate.

Then, carrying the rice and the pot of galbi, he moved to the living room. He set them down on the table and sat on the floor, turning on the TV.

The moment it turned on, coverage of the newly opened gate appeared. The area was already blocked off with barricades, and the military and media vans were lined up densely. It wasn’t his imagination—there really were more reporters than soldiers. Apparently, Jae-i’s private life was more important than any scandal involving the country’s top conglomerates.

“……”

It was disgusting. Even for him, this was unbearable—how much worse must it be for Hwang Jae-i?

Stuffing his mouth full of rice, Dohwa flipped through the channels and stopped at a famous Hunter broadcast. As the host and several experts talked, one of them spoke with a suggestive tone.

[Do you think Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i will make a statement once the gate search is over?]

[Well, he’ll probably report the findings after the exploration, but I doubt he’ll do it himself.]

[You all know that’s not what I’m referring to. You know—that.]

Whether Hwang Jae-i would publicly address his family situation. That was what the speaker meant. There was no regard for how painful it might be for the person involved—only a hunger for gossip. The moment one person raised it, the others’ eyes lit up with interest. Dohwa thought they were about to spout nonsense, but thankfully, one sensible person stepped in.

[A gate has just opened. Since the Guildmaster himself entered, the odds of a successful clearance are high—but that’s no reason to let our guard down.]

[……]

[Even though the gate is in a restricted area, nearby residential zones could still be affected. And yet you so-called experts want to sit here chattering about one man’s private life? What are you doing?]

The people who were being criticized darted their eyes nervously, letting out awkward laughs.

[Sir, why so serious? We’re only discussing what everyone’s curious about—]

[And why exactly is that a point of curiosity? Because Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i, and other high-ranking Hunters, have always resolved gate incidents, you think it’s a given now? They’re human too, just like us. They have personal matters they’d rather keep private. And here you are, chuckling on a national broadcast, spewing nonsense! If I were Hwang Jae-i, I’d be so disgusted I’d toss everything aside and go on strike! Gate or not!]

Perhaps shaken by the intensity of his words, the anchor sitting in the middle fidgeted and then straightened his posture after glancing to the side. Clearing his throat, he quickly changed the topic.

[Breaking news. Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i has arrived at the gate site.]

The screen immediately switched to show the vicinity of the gate.

As the camera zoomed in on the white tent, the hunters who were preparing to enter the gate came into view. When some of them turned their heads, a man emerged from the tent. His golden hair glittered in the light. Even from a hundred meters away, his striking features were unmistakably those of Hwang Jae-i.

Even though Dohwa had just seen him off, it was oddly comforting to see him again on screen.

Jae-i, standing in front of the tent, gestured to someone and then headed toward the gate. Naturally taking the lead, the other hunters followed behind him. They entered the gate, which gaped open like a dark maw, without hesitation.

“……”

Once they had gone in, the screen returned to the studio. Whatever had happened during the cutaway, the anchor and experts now wore visibly stiff expressions. Only the man who had defended Jae-i remained composed.

Seeing this, Dohwa changed the channel. Every station was focused solely on the gate. Strangely, despite the bombshell news of Jae-i being an illegitimate child, not a single channel was talking about it. That was odd. This wasn’t how Dohwa remembered the media behaving.

Did they all suddenly regain their sanity after being struck by lightning overnight? Had they finally realized the value of an S-rank Hunter and decided to tread carefully?

“……This is weird.”

It was better than hearing people who didn’t know a thing blabber nonsense about Hwang Jae-i, but the abrupt shift in tone was suspicious. What if this was a setup, a calm before the betrayal? Jae-i couldn’t be hurt again.

Dohwa recalled Jae-i the previous night—burying his face in his large palm as he struggled to speak. It had been pitiful to watch. That’s why Dohwa had tried to ramble on. If he hadn’t, he might’ve embraced him instead of just patting his back. While he did hold him every night when they slept, it was different when fully awake. What if Jae-i disliked it? He didn’t want to be hated by him.

Eventually, Dohwa, having finished the plain rice, used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat and started flipping through channels again, trying to catch a glimpse of Jae-i.

“The gate’s search completion is at 75%.”

“Why is it going so fast?”

Normally, people would be happy when a gate was cleared quickly. But Ahn Yuna didn’t seem pleased, and the Hunter scanning the information checked the time Jae-i had entered the gate and nodded.

“If we’ve reached this level in five minutes, those guys must’ve had a rough time.”

To be more precise, the Hunters who went in with the Guildmaster.

Even though the Hunters had impressive stats, they couldn’t possibly manage this speed on their own. It was likely Jae-i had led the charge. When he was in a good mood, he would drive them hard under the pretense of training. That was terrifying in its own right, but when he took the lead like today, it was a nightmare. Fall even slightly behind, and he’d start yelling.

In the short time they were speaking, the search rate climbed to 88%.

“At this rate, he’ll be out in three minutes. He’s going to head straight home after finishing, right?”

Jae-i always disappeared right after completing a gate. Interviews and cleanup were Ahn Yuna’s responsibility. Everyone knew this, including the reporters crowded outside.

They weren’t there for the gate—they were there for the Hwang Jae-i scandal. That much was obvious. Even though it was merely a personal family matter, they had swarmed in like flies, which was grotesque.

Foreseeing the chaos to come after the gate was cleared, Ahn Yuna spoke with a firm expression.

“First, get the teleportation stone set up. Make sure the Guildmaster can immediately return either to the guild or home.”

“Of course. I’ll place it near the entrance to the tent.”

If he vanished straight from the gate, that would cause more gossip, so they’d at least have him walk back to the tent. Just then, a Hunter walked into the tent and commented with a puzzled tone.

“The reporters are leaving all of a sudden.”

“What? Another boycott?”

There had been a time when reporters had pursued Jae-i so relentlessly that he crashed into one of their vehicles. It had been disguised as a minor accident, but the affected party would know—Jae-i had rammed them on purpose.

The media had gone into a frenzy. Despite being the ones who’d tailgated him, they kicked up a fuss and eventually declared a boycott. They probably thought they were playing hardball, but Jae-i had responded with indifference. Honestly, since 90% of the coverage amounted to malicious gossip, a boycott was a blessing. The Jae-i Guild hadn’t responded, and soon after, realizing they’d misplayed, the reporters slinked back as if nothing had happened.

With the recent issue involving Pungjin and the illegitimacy scandal, they’d closed off all communication with the outside. Even interviews were rejected, which seemed to have upset the media. Ahn Yuna, almost hopeful, wondered if another boycott was incoming.

“It’s not that. Apparently, a directive just came down. Orders to refrain from discussing Hunters’ private lives. They’re calling it a reporting guideline, but from what I hear, any violations will result in revoked press credentials and harsh disciplinary action.”