* * *

As Doyoung was about to lead the ATE guests to the reception room, Park Chanoh delivered the welcome news.

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

“Yes, we can now…”

However, just as he was about to continue speaking, Chanoh paused, tilting his head at the sound of a vibrating phone ringing loudly from somewhere nearby.

It wasn’t his phone.

Then he noticed Doyoung squinting down at his screen.

Who could be contacting him to make him look like that?

Curious, Chanoh watched as Doyoung gave him a look that seemed to ask for understanding, then, as if mindful of the ATE Pharmaceuticals staff nearby, he stepped a few feet away before putting the phone to his ear.

“Hey, what’s with the call?”

• Where are you?

“Where else? Right outside the Guildmaster’s office.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, followed by a short sigh.

• Honestly… you never listen.

“What the heck is that supposed to mean?”

Feeling a surge of irritation, Doyoung raised his brow to respond sharply, but then Beom Sinje’s voice came again, cutting him off.

• Stay there. I’m coming now.

What was this, some sort of manhunt?

It sure sounded that way, but he couldn’t bring himself to retort.

“Did he just hang up?”

He stared at the phone in mild disbelief as the call ended abruptly.

---

The conversation between Beom Sinje and the ATE Pharmaceuticals representatives was frosty from the beginning.

The Guildmaster had thrown an aggressive question their way, asking them outright what business they had here.

“You must have misunderstood. We simply want to establish an exclusive deal with the Cheonho Guild. From there, we plan to expand gradually to other areas,” replied Sarah Choi, ATE Pharmaceuticals’ representative, maintaining a courteous tone.

“So then, why the insistence on dealing exclusively with our guild? I’m saying I don’t understand your intentions.”

“Isn’t Cheonho the guild that represents Korea? We wanted to work with an organization recognized worldwide; there’s no other motive.”

Beom Sinje scrutinized her as if trying to read her intentions, but Sarah Choi’s polite smile never faltered.

“Well, given how quickly you arrived, you might understand if we find your visit a bit suspicious.”

“We confirmed all the necessary details about the Korean market before reaching out. We concluded that Cheonho Guild would be the most suitable partner for our endeavor.”

“‘Suitable’? Interesting choice of words.”

Beom Sinje’s lips twisted into a wry smirk, his expression unmistakably hostile.

Sarah Choi noticed this and, for the first time, seemed slightly flustered.

“My apologies if I came off as disrespectful. I just wanted to express the level of consideration we put into this visit.”

“Let’s leave it at that,” Beom Sinje replied coldly, remaining unmoved by her apology.

Yet his demeanor shifted sharply when Sarah Choi brought up the true purpose of their proposed deal.

“The medication we’re offering is for hunters who suffer from side effects or loss of ability due to excessive use of their powers. We hope you’ll consider our offer, Guildmaster Beom.”

She locked eyes with him, and Doyoung, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, felt his heart jump in surprise.

“What’s your opinion?”

Not only did she look his way, but she even directed the question at him.

Because of this, the ATE representatives turned their attention to Doyoung.

‘Wait, why are you suddenly asking me?’

He had planned to stay unobtrusively in the background, but now he had no choice but to answer.

“Well, I think we should hear more about it. We need to clarify the conditions, exactly what they want in the deal, and the exclusivity terms.”

As he spoke, Doyoung studied each of the ATE representatives, eventually landing on Sarah Choi, who returned his gaze with a smile that struck him as somewhat patronizing, leaving him faintly annoyed.

‘Great, I barely look away for a while…’

Suppressing his irritation, Doyoung continued calmly, “I don’t think it’s something that would harm us in the long run.”

After all, the purpose of creating a pharmaceutical company was to help hunters suffering from excessive power use.

Though he wasn’t entirely without ulterior motives, Doyoung genuinely hoped Beom Sinje would find a way to keep things amicable with ATE Pharmaceuticals.

“If that’s what you think…”

Doyoung quickly cut him off before he could say anything that might sound misleading to others.

“Guildmaster, that’s just my personal opinion.”

But judging by the exchanged glances among the ATE representatives, they seemed to have caught on to some hint of a relationship between him and Beom Sinje.

‘Is this guy trying to get back at me for coming here without telling him?’

The suspicion simmered in his mind, especially as Sarah Choi opened her mouth again.

“We at ATE Pharmaceuticals also hope to foster a good relationship with the Cheonho Guild, just as Assistant Na Doyoung suggested.”

Hearing his name, Beom Sinje raised an eyebrow slightly, then gave a calm nod.

“Very well. From now on, let’s handle all matters regarding this partnership through my assistant.”

“What?”

“It seems fitting to wrap up our meeting here. Let’s adjourn for today.”

Doyoung was left dumbfounded by the unexpected responsibility placed on him.

Why was he being tasked with managing this particular deal?

“Guildmaster, what are you talking about? How am I supposed to handle this?”

“Why? It’s not any different from your usual work. Is it too challenging for you?”

“My usual work…?”

Faced with his steady gaze that seemed to say, “You know exactly what I mean,” Doyoung found himself at a loss for words.

“Fine, I understand.”

Seeing as Beom Sinje wasn’t the only one present, Doyoung restrained himself and nodded.

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Beom Sinje kept firing questions his way, clearly intent on making things difficult for him.

Everyone else watched with a curious interest, making it impossible for him to avoid responding, yet he also couldn’t act too familiar, leaving him sweating bullets.

---

After finally seeing off the ATE representatives, Doyoung slumped down where he stood, pressing his head in his hands as a throbbing headache set in.

Just then, a warm touch landed gently on the crown of his head.

“Are you alright?”

Though the tone was gentle, Doyoung found it infuriating.

“Take your hand off. It’s heavy.”

Of course, the one who had mercilessly tormented him earlier wasn’t about to back down; Beom Sinje’s hand drifted from the back of his head to the nape of his neck.

The sudden touch sent a strange thrill down Doyoung’s spine, goosebumps rising along his skin.

“What… are you doing?”

He looked up, eyes narrowing at Beom Sinje, who met his gaze with an unbothered, calm expression.

“Get up.”

“Fine.”

Even as he answered, Doyoung stayed put, unwilling to show Beom Sinje just how weak his legs felt.

‘Damn it, all I did was stand there.’

He had done nothing more than listen and respond to Beom Sinje’s endless string of questions, yet he felt as though he’d fought a full-scale battle.

He knew his stamina wasn’t what it used to be, but that didn’t make it any less disheartening.

“Ah…”

Just then, a pair of arms slipped under his armpits, lifting him up as he let out a short gasp.

“Put me down. I can stand up on my own.”

Because of their considerable height difference, Doyoung ended up being hoisted like a child, and his face scrunched in frustration.

It didn’t help that his arms dangled helplessly, adding further insult to his pride.

Despite his sharp tone, Beom Sinje remained unfazed, instead turning him halfway around so he could lean against him.

“What… what is this?”

“I’ll help you.”

“I’ll politely decline, so let go.”

Doyoung struggled, but for some reason, he just couldn’t overpower Beom Sinje.

‘Ugh, this is really humiliating.’

With a grimace, Doyoung twisted his body, desperately trying to free himself from Beom Sinje’s grip.

But no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t budge an inch.

“Fine… do whatever you want.”

In the end, Doyoung was the one who gave up.

* * *