* * *
In particular, the subtle tension between Doyoung, who sat with his arms crossed pretending to be asleep, and Beom Sinje, who occasionally glanced at him while maintaining an indifferent facade, was palpable.
At least, that’s how it felt to Song Jihee, Park Chanoh, and Park Bora sitting in the front.
“Hunter Park Chanoh, contact the government agency and guild. Let them know there’s a boss-level monster at the lab, and it needs to be handled quickly for safety reasons.”
“I’ll make the call now.”
Grateful for the chance to escape the awkward atmosphere, Park Chanoh immediately pulled out his phone.
[Hello, this is Park Chanoh from Chunho Guild. Regarding the lab we discussed previously…]
This time, the car was filled with the sound of Park Chanoh’s conversation.
Doyoung let out a quiet sigh.
He wasn’t fond of the current mood either.
But he still wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it, so he kept his mouth shut.
‘It’s not like I can ask why you kissed me in front of everyone.’
Even just thinking about it made him flush with embarrassment.
He was on the verge of losing his mind wondering why Beom Sinje had done it.
He considered sending a message like Park Chanoh, but that felt ridiculous too, so he just waited for the car to arrive at the hotel.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before they entered the city, and a few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the hotel where they were staying.
“The video meeting is set for two hours from now.”
“Then come up to the suite an hour beforehand. Good work today. I’ll see you later.”
Beom Sinje addressed the guild members first, then turned to Park Bora and Lee Namsoo.
“Thank you both as well. The exploration went smoothly thanks to you.”
“Everyone worked hard. Let’s meet again if the opportunity arises.”
Realizing they were being dismissed, Park Bora nodded without complaint.
Their role had only been to guide the Chunho Guild members to the lab.
Continuing to accompany them beyond that would be unnecessary.
Lee Namsoo bowed deeply in response.
“If you have time later, let’s grab dinner together.”
Perhaps they had grown attached in such a short period—Song Jihee grasped Park Bora’s hand, expressing her reluctance to part.
Park Bora nodded in agreement.
“We’ll probably meet again in Korea anyway.”
Hearing that, Doyoung made a face.
‘They’re planning to meet up in Korea?’
Did she notice his stare?
Or was it just guilt on her part?
When their eyes met, she opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something.
‘What’s the big deal? There’s not much to hide anymore.’
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
They used to be labeled as a criminal organization despised by the public and at odds with the government.
But now, Beom Sinje was just a service center owner.
‘Still, wasn’t he practically their enemy?’
After all, it was Chunho that had dismantled their organization.
Maintaining ties with someone from there…
‘Not like I can say much.’
Realizing the irony of his situation, Doyoung frowned.
‘Ha…’
He couldn’t even deny it anymore.
His relationship with Beom Sinje was plain for everyone to see.
He had no right to lecture Park Bora about it.
‘She’ll handle it.’
With that, he dropped the matter and turned his head—only to freeze.
“What?”
At some point, Beom Sinje had been quietly watching him.
“Everyone’s personality seems unexpectedly nice. Including you, hyung.”
“What?”
Where was this coming from?
Doyoung tilted his head, confused.
Beom Sinje’s gaze shifted to Park Bora, still chatting cheerfully with the guild members.
“It’s only right to correct mistakes and resolve misunderstandings, don’t you think?”
“What are you even talking about…”
Could he explain in a way that made sense?
Doyoung raised an eyebrow, but Beom Sinje just smiled faintly.
“It’s fine if I’m the only one who knows. But that doesn’t feel right, does it?”
Seeing him continue to speak in riddles, Doyoung gave up on getting a straight answer.
He figured Beom Sinje would explain when he felt like it.
Their ties with the others were now settled.
From now on, they could live their own lives.
Though, for some reason, Doyoung kept running into former subordinates, even if he didn’t realize it.
“Shall we head up?”
At Beom Sinje’s words, Doyoung nodded, sparing a brief glance at Park Bora and Lee Namsoo.
He wasn’t sure if they caught the meaning in his eyes—he’d contact them later.
There were more pressing matters for now.
He followed Beom Sinje to the room, ready to ask what he couldn’t in the car.
But just as he opened his mouth—
“When did your powers return? And when were you planning to tell me?”
Beom Sinje asked calmly but with a tone that left no room for evasion.
Doyoung met his gaze head-on.
“I don’t know exactly when. It just… happened one day. That’s how it usually goes with abilities, right?”
Of course, that wasn’t true.
“I didn’t tell you because my powers are still weak. I didn’t want you worrying unnecessarily.”
That part was honest.
Beom Sinje knew how strong Doyoung used to be.
He didn’t want him feeling guilty over something trivial.
“I know I’m not the most reliable to you.”
“That’s not why.”
If Doyoung had known Beom Sinje would say something like that, he would have confessed sooner.
“Fine. I’ll be honest. It was pride. I didn’t want to seem weak in front of you anymore.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Beom Sinje’s eyes widened.
Then, his expression softened as he pulled Doyoung into his arms.
“Hey, what the hell! We’re in public! Let me go, now!”
The strategy meeting to deal with Charybdis was held in the suite where Doyoung and Beom Sinje were staying.
Guild members visiting their room for the first time looked around in awe, their mouths hanging open.
During the tour, Jihoon made an innocent remark that left Doyoung feeling embarrassed.
“Wow… The Guild Master’s room is seriously amazing. But doesn’t the guild cover things like this? Or did the Guild Master prepare this just for his secretary? Or… is it the other way around? Haha, not that something like that would actually happen.”
In any case, the group gathered consisted of five guild members from Chunho, the Vice Guild Master of GA, and a government official.
The official greeted everyone and briefly introduced himself at the start of the meeting, but after that, he adopted a passive stance, essentially leaving the matter in GA’s hands.
The meeting was initiated by the Vice Guild Master of GA.
He explained that he was participating in this mission in place of the Guild Master, who was away on an overseas trip, and then got straight to the point.
“I reviewed the data you sent regarding Charybdis. However, there’s very little information on the monster, making it difficult to devise an effective strategy.”
The Vice Guild Master’s scar, which ran from beneath his eye to his cheek, twitched slightly as he continued.
“So after some consideration, I’m thinking of blowing up part of the tank to drain the water.”
“You’re going to drain the tank’s water?”
Can they even do that?
* * *
