* * *
My eyes widened at the sight of the massive building.
I had no idea how he found a place like this.
Unlike the gloomy surroundings, the building sparkled as if it were the only one alive.
“…This is the nearest hotel?”
I asked, but Woo Jaehyun just shrugged and walked straight inside.
The other two followed as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving me puzzled for a second before I quickly chased after them.
Judging by their relaxed attitude, this was nothing out of the ordinary for them.
“But why is there no one here?”
Despite the size of the place, the hotel was eerily empty.
The enormous lobby held only one man, who looked like a staff member, standing stiffly as if to welcome us.
Was it just late?
Maybe I’d understand if I’d ever stayed in a hotel before.
While I awkwardly looked around, Woo Jaehyun had approached me without me noticing.
In his hand was a gold, square keycard glinting under the lights.
“Here you go.”
“Uh, oh…”
I took it without thinking and followed the three up to a room, still confused.
Not knowing how to use the card, I tried to mimic Cha Rui’s actions, only to accidentally make eye contact with him.
“There’s plenty of time, so rest up.”
His tone, though cool, had an unexpected touch of concern.
I let out a small sigh, trying to relax, and just then, Woo Jaehyun walked past, grinning as he playfully massaged my shoulders.
Well, I guess it’s fine.
Oddly, I felt more at ease, and my steps toward the room grew lighter.
But that peace cracked the moment I saw the inside—it looked straight out of a royal palace.
My face twisted in discomfort.
No wonder I felt uneasy in the elevator.
The room was decked out in blinding gold from top to bottom.
It screamed “Seo Inho.”
Even though the room was meant for one person, I couldn’t tell how many rooms were connected to it.
“Whatever, fine.”
I gave up on exploring the whole suite and walked straight to the window, drawing the curtains.
The view wasn’t anything special, but after everything that had happened today, it still felt like a luxury.
Honestly, I still couldn’t believe any of it.
I got dragged all the way to North Korea and tortured.
How long has it even been since I fell into this world?
And already, I’ve been kidnapped twice.
At this point, I’m basically a professional kidnapping victim.
The thought was so absurd it made me chuckle in disbelief.
I thought being S-Class meant life would be a little easier, but the world clearly didn’t work that way.
Now I understood why “Seo Inho” always kept a low profile.
“So damn annoying…”
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, this whole ordeal made me understand the Hunter Association President’s words a bit more.
They weren’t entirely wrong.
Unless my powers disappeared, wanting to rest didn’t mean I actually could.
But unlike “Seo Inho,” I didn’t have the option to just hole up at home, which made things even more complicated.
“Chirp.”
I rubbed at my tired eyes and called to Chirpy, who had been rustling about.
The little bird peeked out from my sleeve, then scurried down to the table.
“It must’ve been rough for you today too. Lucky we got out quietly.”
But when I reached out to pet him, Chirpy averted his eyes slightly.
He seemed a little restless.
His reaction felt suspicious, but I didn’t dwell on it and headed for the bathroom.
“Time to wash up.”
I hadn’t bathed in days, and my body smelled like it had been through hell.
Thankfully, the injuries were gone, but the clothes were a lost cause—soaked in dark red stains, ripped all over, and long past wearable.
If not for the jacket, I probably would’ve been kicked out of the restaurant already.
Swallowing a sigh of frustration, I stripped off the rags one by one.
After filling a bathtub the size of a swimming pool with warm water, I slowly eased into it.
“Haah… finally, I can breathe.”
I stared blankly at the steam rising all around me, my weary body gradually relaxing.
A bath really is the best thing when you’re exhausted.
I inspected my newly adjusted fingers, then closed my eyes and drifted into thought.
For the first time in a while, I finally had a moment of peace.
Ding-dong ♪
A soft chime suddenly echoed, snapping my eyes open.
The doorbell was ringing at the front entrance.
Who could it be?
Given what had happened before, my body immediately went on alert.
The bell only rang once—as if whoever it was expected me to answer.
I couldn’t just ignore it, so I stood up from the bath, threw on a robe in a rush, and headed to the door, still dripping wet.
Just when I was enjoying some rare downtime—whoever it was had the worst timing.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, hyung.”
I asked nervously, only to hear a familiar voice reply.
Thinking about it, there really was only one person who’d show up like this.
Couldn’t stand being alone, even on a deserted island.
Relieved for some reason, I opened the door without suspicion.
And just like that, a bright face popped into the gap as if it had been waiting.
Woo Jaehyun’s eyes, tinged with a faint smile, slowly roamed from my face down my body.
Even though I was clearly wearing a robe, it somehow felt like I was completely naked, and I awkwardly shifted my posture.
“Ah… you were bathing. Mind if I come in?”
He shook a wine bottle slightly and slid his foot forward as if it was nothing.
Then why even ask?
His shamelessness was unbelievable, but I couldn’t exactly tell him no.
After all, he had come to rescue me.
“What’s that?”
“Brought it to drink together. If you’re okay with it… I thought maybe I could ask for forgiveness too…”
He glanced at me nervously like a puppy that just got scolded, then walked to the table by the window.
Despite his huge frame, his sheepish behavior made me laugh.
This guy could probably pulverize a person with one hand—so why was he acting so timid?
Over me of all people?
“It should be safe to drink. Don’t you like wine, hyung?”
“Uh, well…”
Truthfully, it was “Seo Inho” who liked wine, not me.
I’d never even touched the stuff.
But since he went through the trouble, I picked up the wine glass and tried to act nonchalant.
And yet… right before drinking, I hesitated.
Memories from my old world suddenly surfaced.
No way…
He didn’t spike this or anything, right?
Even though I knew he wouldn’t pull something like that with the others nearby, I found myself closely inspecting the wine.
Besides the distinct aroma, there wasn’t anything unusual about it.
The red liquid looked just like what we had back at home.
This wine, specially crafted for S-Class hunters, was called Celeste—from the Russian word meaning heavenly.
There was a whole stockpile of it in the bribe storage, so I was familiar with its qualities.
“There’s nothing in it, I swear.”
Seeing how overly cautious I was being, Woo Jaehyun immediately looked dejected.
Hmm… maybe I went too far, especially with the person he brought sitting right in front of me.
I let out a small, awkward cough and cautiously took a sip of the wine.
The sweet yet slightly bitter aroma spread through my mouth, and my face flushed with heat.
Just one sip, and already like this?
As expected of something only an S-class would drink—its alcohol content was no joke.
If a non-awakened person drank this by mistake, it could be dangerous.
But then again, if you weren’t S-class, you couldn’t even open the cork in the first place.
“It’s not bad.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
To be honest, it was more than just “not bad”—the taste lingered perfectly on my tongue.
I took another sip, then set the glass down.
That’s when long fingers lightly tapped my arm.
It was a timid gesture, just like when he’d asked for a favor at the shop last time.
“Hyung⋯.”
Woo Jaehyun suddenly shifted his tone, drawing out the word as he lowered his body toward the table like he was about to collapse onto it.
He looked up at me with the most pitiful expression.
His jewel-like, clear grey-green eyes sparkled even more under the lighting.
“I was wrong. Can’t you just let it go this once?”
“⋯⋯.”
I swear I’ve seen this scene in a drama before.
To be fair, there wasn’t really anything left to forgive at this point—but with a face like that, it felt like I ought to forgive sins that hadn’t even been committed.
Those eyes were so impossibly pure, it felt like not forgiving him would doom me to hell.
Hot iced Americano-level contradiction.
Woo Jaehyun and “pure”?
Even I had to admit, it was a ridiculous comparison.
“Fine, let’s hear it. Why’d you do it?”
I sighed softly and poured more wine into my now-empty glass.
Come to think of it, he implanted the tracker during our very first meeting—at the hospital, no less.
That meant he’d had some kind of plan from the beginning.
But just how long had he been watching “Seo Inho”?
I couldn’t even begin to guess.
There was a reason he’d picked up on the shady backdoor dealings behind the shop building—something even I hadn’t known.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m interested in you.”
Woo Jaehyun straightened his posture and spoke with a surprisingly serious expression.
That line again.
Back then, I’d brushed it off, but at this point, I couldn’t help getting curious.
For a moment, I wondered if it was about my skill—like all the others—but someone who was already at the top wouldn’t go this far, even planting a tracker, just for that.
Maybe… deep down, I was hoping that wasn’t the reason.
* * *
