IH Ch 76

Chapter 76

Seeing that thoroughly deadpan face made it clear she had misunderstood. At the same time, though Ahn Yuna acknowledged it had been her mistake, she couldn’t help but feel that his reaction was a bit much. Hwang Jae-i’s lips even twitched with suppressed irritation—clearly still fuming over the bizarre misunderstanding. Watching his thoroughly pissed-off expression, Ahn Yuna grew sheepish.

“I mean, normally you don’t even notice when I forget my double-eyelid tape, and then out of nowhere you ask me my clothing size? Of course I was thrown off. Still, I admit I overreacted, and I’m sorry. Let’s just move on, yeah?”

“…….”

“But seriously, why did you ask for my size?”

Why the hell would he need to know that?

Unable to make sense of it, Ahn Yuna’s mind flashed with a possibility. She looked over at Hwang Jae-i, her voice uncertain.

“Is this about Dohwa’s clothes?”

His silence was confirmation. Seeing his tightly sealed lips and softened expression, Ahn Yuna hesitated, then grabbed the phone lying nearby. Realizing it was her work phone, she quickly rummaged through her bag to find her personal one.

“The stuff I gave Dohwa that time was just my comfy home clothes, you know? They’re free size, so they were oversized. But seeing how they fit him, I think a more tailored size would look better. So, uh—this line here.”

Unlocking her phone, Ahn Yuna navigated to her favorite shopping site and showed him the brand’s page. It seemed the site had updated since her last visit, with several new arrivals that hadn’t been there a few days ago. Spotting a few designs that matched her taste, she quickly added several to her cart before looking up again.

“I’ll send this site to your phone. I’ll screenshot it too just in case… Or should I just pick some out and order them myself?”

For most people, simply sharing the link would be enough. But the Guildmaster wasn’t like most people. She couldn’t imagine this man clicking through a website and picking out clothes for someone else. Seeing his brows furrow in confusion as if none of what she said made sense, she immediately offered an alternative.

As soon as he gave a firm nod without hesitation, Ahn Yuna let out a weary sigh. She stared at him for a few seconds with a troubled expression, then glanced back at her phone screen. She was so familiar with the brand that just by looking, she could tell how the fabric would feel and how the fit would look.

“If I pay extra for shipping, they can deliver within an hour. Let’s go with that. And these two tops, oh—and this one would suit Dohwa too. Not sure if the jeans will be comfortable, but… I’ll get these. The waistband is elastic in the back, so they’ll be comfy.”

Though she phrased it like a question, she didn’t really expect an answer from Hwang Jae-i.

In a flash, she ordered six tops, four pairs of pants, and several sets of underwear. Thinking he might need shoes as well, she estimated his size and ordered pairs in 250 and 260 millimeters. If they didn’t fit, they could always be returned.

Finishing her shopping spree in record time, Ahn Yuna looked at Jae-i.

“They should arrive within the hour. I figured it’d be weird to send them straight to your place, so I had them shipped to the guild. I’ll pass them along from there.”

“……Do whatever.”

Her fingers had moved so quickly it was dizzying. Jae-i briefly wondered if all that rapid shopping had actually resulted in anything worthwhile, but decided not to ask. Asking would only invite trouble. More importantly, it was over now. The gate exploration was done, and he was ready to go home, when Ahn Yuna cautiously called out,

“Guildmaster.”

“What?”

She said his name but didn’t follow it with anything.

Noticing the complicated and troubled look in her eyes, Jae-i raised an eyebrow. Ahn Yuna lowered her voice to ask,

“Should I order condoms too?”

“…….”

“They even make extra-large ones for Hunters, apparently.”

Her words pierced his right ear, stirred around in his brain, and got stuck before exiting the left. As if revealing that everything up to now had been a joke, Jae-i’s expression turned grim with a touch of disdain. Clenching his teeth, he growled in a chilling tone,

“I’m going to sue you for sexual harassment.”

“……I’m just saying it out of concern!”

Did she think she wanted to be talking about this?

The Hwang Jae-i Ahn Yuna knew had zero experience in that department. He probably had no interest and never would. A man who recoiled just from being touched, who freaked out if someone even hinted they liked him—how would he ever have a relationship?

Ahn Yuna suddenly remembered that around the time he’d started acting differently, a stranger had entered his daily life. The moment he asked for clothing sizes—not for himself, but to dress someone else—lightning struck her brain.

Dohwa. That beautiful person who still lingered in her thoughts now and then.

A pitiful beauty swept up by whim, who seemed to have captured the Guildmaster’s heart. Anyone else might’ve brushed it off as a simple crush, but not the Guildmaster. For him, the whole emotional process—from developing interest to actually liking someone—was probably at an elementary school level.

“Guildmaster, have you ever received sex education?”

“I’m really going to sue you.”

His expression crumpled so severely it looked like he was about to die from humiliation. Though he turned away quickly in a rage, the tips of his ears were red.

Ahn Yuna knew she’d crossed a line. But who else was going to say this stuff to him? Not like she wanted to be worrying about her boss’s personal life either. She was just trying to do what someone had to do. Just as Jae-i was about to step out of the tent, Ahn Yuna called after him.

“And start working again!”

Jae-i paused, and she added quickly,

“Your vacation’s over, Guildmaster! You know that, right?!”

It didn’t feel like he’d had any time off at all, what with all the incidents cropping up—but time had passed regardless. In fact, he’d already overshot his scheduled return by a day. Technically, he was supposed to be back in the office today, but she’d been willing to give him a one-day grace period.

“Come to work starting tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll come drag you in myself.”

“……Haah.”

Hwang Jae-i moved with the air of someone holding back a thousand things he wanted to say.

After he left, Ahn Yuna slumped onto a nearby chair, utterly drained.

“…….”

Left alone, she suddenly wondered if she’d been too meddlesome. Maybe the Guildmaster had genuinely wanted to give Dohwa something to wear, and she had overanalyzed it all.

“Yeah right. As if that guy would ever do that.”

Hwang Jae-i caring about someone else’s clothes? That was love. Based on years of accumulated data, if not full-blown love, it was at least an affection strong enough to drive such behavior. The problem was that her emotionally stunted Guildmaster would never admit it that easily.

Would he realize too late—or deny it so hard that it caused problems down the line?

Sitting still, Ahn Yuna shook her head quickly. She told herself it was to shake off negative thoughts, but when the other Hunters returned to the tent and saw her acting strangely, they could only think, “What’s up with her now?” Deliberately avoiding eye contact with her, they silently returned to their tasks. Professionals, all of them.

Arriving at the guild via teleport stone, Hwang Jae-i picked up the clothes he’d ordered and headed home. He could have used another teleport to travel directly, but he wanted to drive—something had come to mind. Donning the glasses that altered his appearance, he stopped by a few dessert shops before finally arriving at the underground parking of his building.

With a shopping bag full of desserts in one hand and the clothing box slung over one shoulder, Jae-i stepped into the elevator and glanced to the side. A small round mirror hung on the otherwise drab elevator wall—a decorative addition brought in and installed by a guild member when they first moved in.

Normally, he paid it no mind, but today his eyes kept drifting back to it. Catching his own reflection, he used a thumb to brush his hair aside, tilted his head slightly, and assessed his face. Satisfied, he stepped out as the doors opened.

Unlocking the front door and stepping inside, he opened his mouth.

“I’m ho—”

—but didn’t finish the sentence. Because something felt off.

He’d lived here alone for nearly seven years. People thought he’d only moved in after becoming a Guildmaster, but in truth, he’d lived here since he was thirteen. While the exterior looked impressive, the interior had long been neglected. Over the years, he had gradually shaped the space into what he wanted. That hadn’t changed.

There was a particular atmosphere he expected when he came home. But this time, it was different. The air was lukewarm. There was an unfamiliar scent, and then—

He heard the quick, slick sounds of bare feet against the floor. A moment later, a small head popped out from the end of the hallway. With wide eyes blinking up at him, Dohwa smiled faintly.

“You’re back?”

“…….”

It was a face that radiated joy at the sight of him. Without stopping there, Dohwa ran up and reached for the box slung over Jae-i’s shoulder.

“Want me to carry that for you?”

“….No. It’s not heavy at all.”

It was just unnecessarily bulky, not heavy. And even if it were, there was no reason for Dohwa to carry it. His arms were skinnier than Jae-i’s wrists. The offer was ridiculous—but for some reason, it made Jae-i feel a ticklish warmth in his chest. Without a word, he held out the dessert-laden shopping bag.