* * *

“That’s because I was thinking about him. He’s too proud to get treated properly in a public place with all those eyes on him.”

“Uh-huh. And why didn’t you bring him here today? Or stop him from taking on tasks like this?”

“Well….”

Because he figured as long as Doyoung stayed quietly at home, it didn’t matter what he did.

He didn’t particularly mind that Doyoung, even while unwell, was moving for his sake.

“See? You’re just proving my point.”

Anyone with eyes could see Beom Sinje treated Doyoung differently, even if he didn’t realize it himself.

It was a classic case of being blind to one’s own feelings.

“If you’re so sure, why don’t you just go to hyung and confirm it? Find out what’s really going on with you.”

He didn’t see why he needed to confront Doyoung about it, but the thought lingered.

Especially since his heart had been racing uncontrollably for a while now, and his thoughts felt tangled in knots.

“Fine. Maybe I will.”

Whatever it was, this wasn’t something to dwell on with Yeo Giwon standing right there.

Beom Sinje decided to cut the conversation short.

But returning home immediately wasn’t an option either.

The guild was drowning in tasks that demanded his attention.

Still, before he tackled any of that, he had to secure the situation.

Beom Sinje pulled out his phone and called Park Chanoh.

“Don’t let Doyoung hyung leave the house.”

—Pardon?

“I’m saying, make sure he stays put and rests until I get home. Don’t let him wander around.”

There was a brief moment of confusion on the other end, but Beom Sinje ended the call abruptly.

He glanced at Yeo Giwon, who was shaking his head in disbelief, and raised a sharp eyebrow.

“You still don’t get what I was saying, do you?”

“What?”

“You clueless brat… What’s the point of being skilled, efficient, or even a guild leader if you don’t understand your own feelings?”

“What?”

“Does hyung know? About you being like this?”

Yeo Giwon let out a heavy sigh, looking up at his much taller friend with a mix of pity and exasperation.

“Of course not. Knowing him, he hasn’t noticed a thing about your state. The road ahead is pitch black, I tell you. Completely hopeless.”

Yeo Giwon patted Beom Sinje’s shoulder again and clicked his tongue before walking off, leaving Beom Sinje rooted in place, trying to make sense of everything.

‘Should I step in and help?’ Yeo Giwon thought, despite being utterly clueless about relationships himself.

◇◆◇◆◇

Meanwhile, Doyoung, who had taken a nap after keeping an eye on the live broadcast’s reactions, rubbed his growling stomach as he wandered into the kitchen.

“Something spicy sounds good. Should I go grab some tteokbokki?”

He figured he could pick it up from a snack shop nearby.

Since he hadn’t set foot outside all day, it’d be a nice excuse to get some fresh air too.

Decision made, Doyoung grabbed a jacket from the wardrobe and headed to the door, checking his phone as he went.

[Don’t forget to eat dinner. I’m going to be a bit late since I’ve got a lot to handle today.]

He finally read the message Beom Sinje had sent while he was asleep.

Right below it was a strange message from Yeo Giwon that made absolutely no sense.

[Doyoung hyung, I don’t know what to do with that kid, Beom Sinje. It looks like you’re going to have a hard time because of him. If you’re ever struggling, talk to me, okay?]

“What is he even talking about?”

What did he mean by Beom Sinje being a kid and Doyoung having a hard time because of it?

Doyoung tilted his head in confusion as he slipped on his shoes.

Just as he opened the door to leave, he froze.

“Oh? Park Chanoh? What are you doing here?”

Standing by the elevator was Park Chanoh, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“Where are you going?”

His question caught Doyoung off guard, but he answered without hesitation.

“Oh, just to the snack shop across the street. I’m craving something to eat.”

“The snack shop?”

“Yeah, the one by the school. I was going to get something to eat.”

As he explained, Doyoung moved to press the elevator button, only to find Park Chanoh blocking the way.

When Doyoung gave him a questioning look, Park Chanoh avoided eye contact.

‘What’s this about?’

Doyoung debated whether to press him on it, but before he could, Park Chanoh finally spoke.

“I’ll go get it for you. Please stay inside.”

“That’s okay. I can go myself. I wanted to get some air anyway.”

Doyoung reached for the button again, but Park Chanoh stood firm, preventing him.

Their eyes met, and Park Chanoh flinched before reluctantly confessing the truth.

“The guild leader told me to make sure you stayed home and rested.”

Doyoung’s gaze bore into him, prompting an awkward explanation.

‘He really does have this strange aura sometimes, like a quiet charisma that even the guild leader doesn’t have.’

“You mean he told you to make sure I don’t step outside at all?”

When asked for confirmation, Park Chanoh rolled his eyes nervously, but even that was enough to get the message across.

“Then, please buy plenty of tteokbokki, sundae, fish cakes, and fried snacks. I’m not picky about the fried snacks, so just mix them all. Here, use this to pay.”

Without dragging the conversation any further, Doyoung finished speaking quickly and turned back toward the house.

The small smile lingering at the corners of his lips was already gone.

“So, I’m basically under house arrest right now, aren’t I?”

◇◆◇◆◇

Back inside, Doyoung immediately called Beom Sinje, but whether he was busy or simply avoiding him, the call went unanswered.

Sitting on the floor with the sofa as his backrest, Doyoung placed his smartphone on the table.

“Well, I’ll just ask when he comes back.”

It wasn’t like he was never going to return.

To be honest, being confined wasn’t that uncomfortable.

He still had his smartphone, there was a laptop on the table, and everything he might need for convenience was within reach.

Plus, there was Park Chanoh, who, despite being his “watchdog,” was willingly running errands for him.

Still, the situation was absurd.

“Shouldn’t he at least explain why he’s doing this?”

Beom Sinje, who had forced him to stay close under surveillance, even turning him into a secretary, now suddenly demanded that he stay inside the house.

Naturally, Doyoung was curious.

He opened his laptop and launched the messenger app.

The unread notifications piling up in his inbox were ignored as he clicked on the chat window with Beom Sinje.

[Come straight home after work. We need to talk.]

Doyoung didn’t realize how much his message sounded like a nagging spouse or a clingy partner.

After hitting send, he closed the laptop.

Just then, the front door opened, and Park Chanoh appeared with his hands full of shopping bags.

Doyoung moved to the dining table and quickly laid out the food.

“Let’s eat together, Hunter Park Chano.”

By the time they’d unpacked the tteokbokki, sundae, fried snacks, and fish cakes, there was barely any space left on the table.

“Sure.”

Park Chanoh sat down without hesitation.

“But, Hunter Park Chanoh, if you’re here, who’s assisting the Guild Leader?”

Doyoung casually started a conversation as he dug into the tteokbokki, which had caught his eye first.

“He said he’d handle everything at the guild, so there was no need.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Yes. He’s taking care of meetings, real-time reports, government documents, and even external appointments himself.”

“External appointments?”

* * *