* * *
Doyoung checked the time quickly, then stood up as soon as he realized it was almost time.
“Zero? Where are you headed?”
One of his subordinates, who had just entered the office, called out in confusion, but Doyoung simply waved him off and strode past him.
He climbed into his car in the parking lot and drove straight to the school.
“You’re finally here.”
The first person he encountered upon arriving at the school was Beom Sinje.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
As usual, his face was calm, with a faint smile.
“What the hell did you do?”
Doyoung snapped, unable to conceal his irritation.
“You’re about to graduate, and yet you go and cause trouble. Do you know that this could affect your evaluation?”
In both corporations and government agencies, performance evaluations mattered.
Espers were officially registered as Hunters upon graduating from training school.
Their subsequent grade level, starting from Level 9 to Level 7, could rise easily enough, but advancing to higher ranks required more than just good performance.
Beom Sinje likely didn’t care about such things, but Doyoung hated the thought of him facing criticism.
Of course, he was more than willing to step in and protect him if such a situation arose, but it was better to avoid causing trouble in the first place.
It was uncertain whether Doyoung’s words would have any impact on Beom Sinje, who couldn’t care less about others’ opinions.
“Where have you been?”
Doyoung’s wandering thoughts returned to the present as Beom Sinje spoke.
“What?”
“Why didn’t you contact me even once in those two years?”
Despite the genuine advice he had given, Beom Sinje responded with an irrelevant question, leaving Doyoung at a loss.
He glared, but Sinje’s handsome face showed no hint of emotion.
“Why should I?”
Perhaps years of living according to the script had made him this way—his words and expressions naturally came out sharp.
Doyoung guessed he must look rather unpleasant.
Sure enough, Sinje’s face looked darker than usual as he gazed back at him.
“Don’t get into trouble anymore.”
Doyoung had come all the way here, worried despite his busy schedule.
Yet, Sinje was talking nonsense, oblivious to his intentions.
On purpose, he walked close enough to brush against Sinje, hitting his body with a loud smack.
He could feel the solid form flinch momentarily.
‘Did I hit him too hard?’
He regretted it for a second. Lately, he had been too absorbed in his villain role, failing to control his intensity.
But he brushed it off.
Meeting Sinje grounded him again.
It reminded him there was no good in getting involved with school matters.
Without sparing Sinje another glance, he turned and got into his car.
Judging by the burning sensation at the back of his head, Sinje was probably glaring at him.
Starting the engine, he stole a quick look in the rearview mirror.
“What’s he doing?”
Looking like a puppy abandoned on the roadside.
“Sigh…”
Suppressing the urge to brake, he forced himself to look away.
Sinje’s face lingered like an afterimage, but he ignored it.
Returning to work, he instructed his subordinate to handle the disciplinary issue swiftly.
His former executive subordinate was perfect for managing such matters.
Sure enough, within half a day, he received a report that everything was resolved without any punishment.
He informed them he didn’t want to hear about Sinje again.
‘We’ll be just fine from now on.’
When they met again, they would be rivals pointing weapons at each other.
So he had to quell his curiosity.
However, he continued overseeing the care of Sinje’s mother.
He couldn’t let an ailing family member hold him back.
◇◆◇◆◇
Nine years had passed since Doyoung had taken on the villain role.
His reputation hit rock bottom, and Antithesis, his faction, had grown so powerful it was known everywhere.
Especially within Korea, they were untouchable, thanks to his connections with high-ranking officials.
Lavish gifts, bribes, and his occasional personal appearances, complete with a touch of blackmail, played a big role.
Hunters from uninformed agencies constantly ground their teeth over Antithesis, which hindered them, harassed them, and sometimes even stole their missions.
‘Well, at least Sinje seems to be doing well.’
He recalled the time they had run into each other by chance in a dungeon.
Sinje exuded an even more intimidating and wild aura than a few years back.
His sharp gaze had been so piercing that Doyoung felt a chill run down his spine, briefly touching his face to ensure his mask was still on.
But there was no other way. Everyone had to play their role.
That day, Doyoung joined a raid team to disrupt them and even dealt with a fourth-rank hunter who had been harassing Sinje and begrudged his rapid rise.
In truth, he had gone there after overhearing the story, but Sinje would never know.
While Doyoung was meticulously fulfilling his duties, the most critical event was approaching—the annual Hunter’s Night gala.
He made a bold entrance at the City Hall ballroom.
Tonight, he discarded the mask, donning a crisp suit, with a few subordinates in tow.
“Quite a show.”
Hunters from all over the country were laughing and talking, losing track of time.
Among them were high-ranking officials he had steadily befriended.
His gaze met one of theirs.
As he smiled, the person hastily averted their eyes, flustered.
‘Ignoring a smile? Their pride is quite something.’
Clicking his tongue, Doyoung looked away just as his flushed acquaintance stole another glance, only to see him already walking elsewhere, disappointment evident on their face.
But Doyoung, who had lost interest, missed the adoring look cast his way.
‘Alright, it’s about time to make a move…’
As the atmosphere reached its peak and Doyoung was estimating when to begin, a shadow suddenly obscured his view.
Looking up, his gaze darkened instantly.
“Beom Sinje.”
Why was he here?
Sinje was supposed to be raiding a dungeon on a remote island to the southwest.
“It’s been a while.”
Lost in thought, Doyoung stared blankly as Sinje took another step closer.
“The last time, at the military-grade A-rank dungeon…”
Sinje’s intense gaze fixed on Doyoung, exuding a threatening aura despite his unchanged expression.
“What about that time?”
Doyoung feigned calm, lifting his chin.
After all, he’d been masked then.
Sinje couldn’t possibly know his identity.
Sure, he had lost his temper a bit more than usual due to the riled-up monsters, especially since they were up against Sinje’s popular team.
“No. It’s nothing.”
Sinje shook his head, lips sealed. But why was he staring so hard?
And why bring up that dungeon?
That incident had led to a reassignment for the raid team, practically exiling them to that far-off island.
This had also removed a hunter who persistently obstructed Sinje, all while keeping him uninvolved in the fallout.
‘No way. Just say what you mean!’
Holding back words he couldn’t say aloud, Doyoung locked eyes with Sinje.
Only then did he realize they had drawn curious glances from nearby onlookers, creating an unintended spectacle.
The attention was unplanned, and his expression hardened, shifting to a cold glare.
Crack.
Boom! Bang!
Suddenly, a section of the ballroom exploded, and a group of armed intruders burst in, shouting in a foreign language as they caused chaos.
“Aaah!”
“What’s happening?”
“Stop them! Who the hell are they?”
As the indiscriminate attack turned the hall into a frenzy, Doyoung watched coolly, then launched a dagger at the neck of an assailant charging at him.
Retrieving his weapon, he moved back as if he had done nothing.
But then someone grabbed his arm and pulled him sharply.
“Huh?”
What…!
Shocked, he turned to see Sinje running with him, his grip firm on Doyoung’s wrist.
“Uh…”
Why was he doing this?
Doyoung was too stunned to even call his name, staring with his mouth agape as Sinje led them to the ballroom entrance.
“Stop…”
Before Doyoung could shout for them to stop, it all unfolded.
“$@$%@#%!@@#”
With a loud blast, the door was shattered, and another wave of heavily armed men burst in from outside.
Like the ones before, their words were incomprehensible.
Doyoung hesitated for a split second.
He was caught right in front of them with no way to retreat.
‘What do I do?’
Sure, he had a hidden trump card, but what about Beom Sinje?
He was the protagonist, after all; he’d likely survive without a life-threatening injury.
But did that mean Doyoung should just ignore him?
No matter what, he really didn’t want to see him bleeding out and collapsing right in front of him.
“Aaargh!”
While Doyoung wavered, Beom Sinje made his move, swinging his massive sword at the armed men as if it were an extension of his own body.
The bloody carnage that ensued made Doyoung’s face go stone-cold.
* * *
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