Hero Hunter is on Parental Leave C48

Chapter 48

“Ah.”

“Huh? That’s not a banana!”

“Ah!”

After eating the banana so well, the child pretended to nibble at his father’s finger instead. Sayoung quietly observed Yeongung playing with Jaehee so naturally. A doll-pretty child, and a man utterly ordinary by comparison. If Won Iheun was a striking beauty, Yeongung had originally been a clean-lined, gentle-looking handsome man. Of course, now—thanks to the refined medication Sayoung had provided—he looked like a nondescript, easily overlooked man you could find anywhere on the street.

“Hyung. Are you taking the meds properly?”

“I’m sticking to the cycle and dosage you told me—regularly. Why ask all of a sudden?”

“…I just couldn’t remember what your face used to look like.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Seeing Yeongung brush it off without suspicion made Sayoung’s conscience prick; he wanted to confess. Hyung, that medicine you’re taking, actually—

“Have you ever caught a glimpse of your real face, even for a moment? I changed the purification method with the last batch.”

“Not really.”

Despite the user’s assurance that nothing was wrong, Sayoung fidgeted like a puppy desperate to go outside. What Won Iheun had taken was a composite supplement identical only in capsule color—a swap forced out of Sayoung by a man who wanted to see Yeongung’s true face again as soon as possible. After two years, it wasn’t hard to understand.

Won Iheun had hung Sayoung upside down from a tree and promised to spare him if he cooperated in switching the meds. In the end, Sayoung handed over a convincing fake supplement, and Yeongung had been taking the swapped pills for over a month now. It was only a matter of time before Yeongung’s face returned to normal.

“Is there a problem with the new purification method?”

“Th—that is…!”

They said you shouldn’t meddle in other people’s love lives. Sayoung decided to remain Won Iheun’s helper. Not because he was afraid of the man—absolutely not.

“Ah, damn it. I’ll just date someone myself. Those two will sort it out.”

“Poor guy.”

“Haa, forget it.”

Yeongung looked at the self-pitying Sayoung with sympathy. Irritated by the look, Sayoung raised a chant.

“Couples to hell, long live singles! Couples to hell, long live singles!”

A born-and-bred single, Sayoung lacked firsthand experience but was rich in secondhand exposure; watching dopamine-packed dating reality shows was his small hobby. I’m Sayoung—years of dating-show experience under my belt. From his perspective, the two simply had bad timing; the feelings were mutual. The arrows of love lined up.

“Fight and make up, live well.”

Sayoung offered his blessing in a hollow tone, then rolled the remaining egg across the train table with his palm and cracked it. Unlike before, he chewed loudly, smacking his lips.

“Hyung, don’t you want your handsome face back? The person you wanted to run from already found you—what’s the point of living with a fake face? You’ve got plenty of fans, and you’re always near the top of the favorite-hunter charts. Don’t you want that popularity back?”

“Dunno. At first it felt awkward, like I wasn’t myself, but now it’s comfortable. For one thing, no one recognizes me.”

Because Yeongung had awakened as the youngest hunter at fourteen, he’d been exposed to the media since adolescence, soaked in public attention. Along with fame came harsh moral scrutiny and severe invasions of privacy. One fan even illegally obtained his personal information and tried to file a marriage registration without consent.

“Living as ‘NPC No. 1’ isn’t so bad. And putting everything else aside, I want to raise Jaehee as normally as possible.”

He continued evenly. The child, fists clenched like tiny mittens, was fighting sleep. How even the habit of frowning when stubborn mirrored him so closely—Yeongung loosened the baby seatbelt and drew Jaehee into his arms. Jaehee burrowed into his father’s flat chest.

“Think about it. The Absolute Yeongung was actually an omega, disappeared for a while, and had a kid. And that kid looks suspiciously like someone from the number-one-ranked guild? Paparazzi would tail us at least until daycare.”

Pat, pat—at the steady rhythm, the child’s drooping eyes slid shut.

“There’s no need to broadcast every little thing about a child to the entire nation. I just want him to live his age—do what he wants, comfortably, like any other kid.”

“Sometimes I envy Jaehee. If I’d had parents as warm and affectionate as you…”

From the flamboyant irezumi covering his shoulders and hands to his bleached hair—despite a job that demanded erasure, Sayoung lived loudly. Like Yeongung, he carried a deep loneliness. Perhaps the adornment was a signal to the world: Please, look at me.

Sensing the mood sink, Yeongung deliberately widened his eyes and joked.

“What—are you asking for milk now?”

Sayoung jumped.

“Aaagh! Please don’t say horrifying things! Damn it—you killed the mood!”

At Sayoung’s horrified expression, Yeongung burst into laughter. After laughing his fill and wiping the tears from his eyes, he noticed the blond glaring at him.

“Thanks.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously—thanks for thinking of it that way. I’m still a pretty lacking dad, but hearing you say that puts me at ease.”

The curve of Yeongung’s mouth lifted gently—a smile that made even onlookers feel better. Embarrassed, Sayoung crossed his arms and snorted.

“Tch. Just know this: you’re the only one who gets to tease the head of the Hidden Guild Hwaweon like he’s the youngest sibling. In front of my people, I’m a dignified, charismatic boss.”

So, contrary to Won Iheun’s hopes, Hyung wanted to keep this face. Lost in thought, Sayoung suddenly looked up—another worry had surfaced. If Yeongung returned to his real face, would he let Sayoung off easy? Keep the fake face and die by the guildmaster’s hand; return to the real face and die by the Absolute’s. In a past life, he must’ve been a traitor who doomed a nation—nothing else explained this cruel balance game.

A headache seemed to swell. Whose hands would be the better funeral? As he entertained the pointless thought, a pure curiosity arose. If Won Iheun and Yeongung fought, who would be stronger? Both were rare, all-round hunters with similar experience—hard to predict. Unable to resist, Sayoung asked:

“Hyung—have you ever fought the guildmaster? Not a lovers’ quarrel—hunter versus hunter, for real.”

“No. We’re busy joining forces to deal with the system; why waste internal strength?”

“Rationally, sure. But does the world always go the efficient way?”

“Sounds like you want us to throw down.”

Yeongung briefly considered smacking the pestering Sayoung again.

“I bet other awakened folks have imagined it at least once. Rank-one Master Won Iheun versus the Absolute Yeongung—who’s stronger? Damn, I just pictured it—epic, heart-pounding, insane.”

Sayoung gestured wildly as he described the scene in his head. Erasers were rare but weak in pure combat; he’d always admired offensive hunters.

Ignoring the noise, Yeongung tried to imagine Won Iheun attacking him. It wouldn’t come into focus. Attacking him? The bastard? If it was another kind of “attack,” maybe—but not that.

“He’s actually kind. Soft, even.”

That was Yeongung’s conclusion. Sayoung was speechless. He had no idea where to begin correcting Yeongung’s misunderstanding of the guildmaster; the memory of a man who pressed without mercy made his hair stand on end.

“Hah—that guy? Soft? I like you and all, hyung, but no. Even with a hundred concessions, I can’t agree he’s soft.”

“You stick around long enough, you meet all kinds of bastards. Won Iheun’s decent, comparatively. And the responsibility he carries is huge. You can cut him some slack for being prickly.”

“…So this is what love-blindness looks like.”

Someone in white had told him something similar once. As the high-speed train raced along the coastal rails, Yeongung gazed out the window and said casually:

“Sayoung, you sound just like Cha-hyeon. You two would get along.”

“Director Lee Chahyeon? Sorry, pass. Not my type.”

Sayoung crossed his arms in an X and shook his head.

Chahyeon surprisingly preferred muscular, rugged men; Sayoung, with not a single muscle, was out. Knowing his friend’s taste, Yeongung snorted.

“The one giving rice isn’t even thinking about it—you’re getting worked up alone. Sorry, you’re far from Chahyeon’s type too. I meant you’d make good friends.”

“Anyway, you’ve never fought hunter versus hunter.”

There had been times they’d saved each other with their lives. Once each, they’d put their necks on the line. Sayoung’s offhand questions led Yeongung into deeper thoughts—and to missing someone.