Hero Hunter is on Parental Leave C50

Chapter 50

“You’re the one who said to come to Apartment 303 when you were ready to speak honestly, Hunter Yeongung.”

“So soon? Then why didn’t you just talk earlier?”

That was why Yeongung felt flustered by the situation. If honesty had been possible within half a day, they could have talked before emotions were hurt.

Won Iheun watched Yeongung’s confusion for a moment, then headed toward the bedroom where Jaehee was sleeping.

“Jaehee’s asleep—why are you going into the bedroom…!”

That was when Won Iheun opened his status window.

{Copying Yeong Jaehee’s Nullification Skill.}

{Restriction temporarily nullified.}

{Gag penalty for disclosure temporarily lifted.}

{Time limit: 180 minutes.}

{Warning: System interference will reduce remaining time.}

“Restriction…?”

Blue aura flickered from Jaehee’s hand in Won Iheun’s grasp. He stopped Yeongung from rushing closer.

“Don’t worry about Jaehee. I put him under hypnosis—he should be enjoying himself in Tintinping Land right now.”

As if confirming the words, the child let out a small heh in his sleep, smiling. Only then did Yeongung relax, fixing Won Iheun with a demanding stare.

“It’s a temporary workaround, but at least I can talk to you now. Thanks to our son.”

“Go on.”

“But before that, promise me one thing.”

“…”

“That after I finish talking, you won’t blame yourself.”

What on earth was he about to say? Fear rose in Yeongung’s chest—but he wanted the truth.

“I promise.”

With a small nod, Won Iheun began.

“The exact wording of the restriction is: ‘Disclosure of all transaction records between the system and Awakener Won Iheun, and the fact of memory restoration related to Hunter Yeongung.’”

He took out an album—one Yeongung recognized as a special recording archive. When it opened, a video began playing automatically.

The location was Chahyeon’s reception room. The footage showed Won Iheun alone, after Yeongung had left following the ‘separate households’ declaration.

“…!”

Yeongung’s eyes widened in shock. Dark blood spilled endlessly from Won Iheun’s mouth as he vomited blood. It was painful just to watch—yet the man himself calmly cleaned the mess, eyes bloodshot from burst vessels. The same detached expression was on the Iheun standing before him now.

“The penalty damage ranges from coughing blood to death. Injury doesn’t matter—I tried to tell you anyway. But the system was harsher than I expected. Every time I tried to break the gag, it imposed physical restraints. The damage came as a bonus.”

Yeongung burned with anger in his place.

“Fucking system—bastard—!”

And then anger turned inward. Won Iheun would have handled it and told him eventually. Yeongung hadn’t waited—he’d pushed him. The real pain hadn’t been Yeongung’s; it had been Iheun’s all along. Regret flooded in. Was that why he’d asked for that promise?

“I didn’t know… I’m sorry.”

Seeing Yeongung’s darkening expression, Won Iheun shook his head.

The countdown on the status window was ticking away. Once the time ran out, there was no guarantee such a chance would come again. The doctor had said Jaehee’s ability still needed more study—three hours was all he’d allowed Iheun to copy it. As time dwindled, urgency tightened in Won Iheun’s chest. He didn’t want Yeongung misunderstanding him anymore.

“But you said you made a deal with the system?”

At Yeongung’s question, Won Iheun avoided answering. Even without the gag, that was something he didn’t want Yeongung to know. Yeongung already blamed himself over Jaehee—if he learned that Iheun had bargained with the system to save him, he’d carry that debt forever. What Iheun wanted from Yeongung wasn’t guilt. It was love.

“…Let’s start with the ‘restoration of memories related to Hunter Yeongung.’ The ‘memories’ here mean everything I lost before the Apocalypse.”

At that explanation, all the unnatural gaps finally made sense.

“To put it simply, I recovered my memories of you—but because of the gag imposed by the system, I couldn’t directly tell you. I couldn’t use a third party, and I couldn’t leave it in writing either.”

Won Iheun met Yeongung’s eyes head-on.

“I remember everything you talked about at the hospital. The rut we spent in the Spawning Room, the night of pleasure we shared—those are vivid memories for me too. There’s no way I could forget them.”

Then he confessed something unexpected.

“And my first sex, my first knotting—you took all of that.”

Yeongung’s face burned. His pale, translucent skin flushed easily with emotion. Won Iheun knew exactly how soft that skin was, how perfectly it fit in his hands. When was the last time he’d held Yeongung? The desire piled up over time threatened to burst all at once.

While Iheun struggled to rein in his lust, Yeongung thought the man was just saying what he wanted to hear. Aside from Iruvin, Yeongung had seen more than a handful of Iheun’s Omega partners.

At the distrust filling Yeongung’s eyes, Won Iheun let out a deep sigh.

“Haah. I guess this is all my karma.”

Letting go of Jaehee’s hand, he slowly approached Yeongung. Even with the contact broken, the copied nullification skill was still active.

“You said my attitude after waking from the coma confused you.”

As the distance closed, Yeongung stepped back—one step for every step Iheun took forward—until his back brushed the window curtain.

Rustle.

Iheun caught the floating linen curtain and draped it over Yeongung’s face like a veil.

Thump, thump.

The sound of a heartbeat thundered near his ears—so close he couldn’t tell whose it was.

“Fuck… I’m sorry. I’m at my limit.”

The beautiful Alpha cursed and greedily claimed Yeongung’s lips.

“Mm…!”

He didn’t miss a single breath, devouring even Yeongung’s smallest gasp. Starved for air, Yeongung kicked at the Alpha’s shin—but he didn’t budge. Beneath the handsome face was a body as solid and unmoving as stone. Giving up on pushing him away, Yeongung switched tactics and began stealing the Alpha’s breath instead.

The stiff Omega’s red tongue moved boldly now—biting Iheun’s lower lip, teasing his frenulum with a pointed tongue. Iheun’s eyes curved with a smile at the change. The moment Yeongung was distracted by that soft smile, Iheun’s thick tongue invaded the most sensitive part of his mouth. After a kiss like a battle—back and forth, neither yielding—their bodies finally parted.

With a final smack, Iheun sucked at Yeongung’s swollen lips and stamped one last kiss. Even that small act made Yeongung shudder with embarrassment. He covered his face with his wrist to avoid Iheun’s heated gaze.

“Do you know what the system calls me?”

“…What.”

“An idiot. A fucking idiot who doesn’t even understand his own heart.”

Grabbing Yeongung’s wrist and pulling it down, Won Iheun looked unfazed despite the insults.

“It’s fucking infuriating, but I can’t even argue. Thinking about what I did to you in the past—being an idiot is the least of it.”

With a self-mocking smile, he whispered seriously.

“I love you.”

A sentence Yeongung had believed he would never hear in his lifetime. His shoulders trembled as emotions beyond words surged.

“I’m sorry I realized it too late. I’m sorry—again and again.”

He pulled Yeongung’s rigid shoulders into an embrace.

“What do bloodlines and households even matter? I was arrogant, thinking I didn’t believe in love. I kept you by my side for so long and still left you lonely—I’m so sorry I want to kill my past self.”

He’d longed to hear this confession for so long—yet what was this feeling?

Large tears spilled from Yeongung’s wide eyes, one after another. All the bitterness of unrequited love crashed down like a massive wave. Iheun licked away the falling tears with his red tongue—not erotic, but comforting, like a cat soothing its owner.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you so quick with everything—rejection, confession….”

“I’m sorry.”

“You bastard… fucking bastard… damn bastard…!”

“I’m sorry.”

Once the tears burst, they wouldn’t stop. Yeongung cried as if something inside him had broken. Iheun accepted every curse and resentment, apologizing until his lips felt worn.

Kissing Yeongung’s swollen eyes, he said softly,

“You said you realized your feelings when I showed up with an Omega.”

“How would you even know that….”

“I heard it by chance—on the train earlier.”

Brazenly turning his tailing into a coincidence, Iheun continued without shame.

“I had my own trigger too. Seeing you in the Apocalypse Zone—your body in tatters, your face pale like someone about to die—it drove me insane.”

His head throbbed from the pressure of crying too much. Through blurred vision, Yeongung looked up at the beautiful man confessing.

“When I thought that Hunter Yeongung might disappear from this world—that I’d never see you again—that’s when I finally faced my own heart.”

As he spoke with unwavering sincerity, Won Iheun’s brow suddenly furrowed.