* * *

“Alright then, let’s go.”

Seemingly satisfied, Beom Sinje began to walk.

“Where are we going?”

Only when they were in the elevator, heading down, did Doyoung, curious, ask.

By then, they’d reached the basement parking lot, and Beom Sinje diligently escorted Doyoung to the car.

“What… seriously.”

How many times had he said that today?

Doyoung, half-seated like he’d been dumped into the car seat, looked up at Beom Sinje.

“Go home and rest.”

And with that, Beom Sinje shut the door.

Doyoung blinked, then leaned slightly forward, watching Beom Sinje talking to Park Chanoh outside the car.

Park Chanoh nodded, then rushed over to the driver’s seat and got into the car.

“The guild leader ordered me to take you home first.”

“Ha.”

With a sigh that escaped involuntarily, Doyoung turned to glare at Beom Sinje standing outside, but he doubted the latter noticed, thanks to the tinted windows.

Doyoung crossed his arms, leaning back in the seat with a slight tilt.

Despite the absurdity, he figured the quiet car ride would at least give him time to gather his thoughts.

‘So, he knows I’m here.’

He’d realized it while talking with Sarah Choi.

The way Beom Sinje kept glancing at him throughout their conversation was far too obvious to be a misunderstanding.

‘So, he came to Cheonho with a purpose.’

If that was the case, he would probably contact him soon.

And, surprisingly, Doyoung’s assumption was correct; he got a call as soon as he arrived back at his apartment.

“Did you order a package?”

“Huh?”

“There’s something in the locker under your name.”

“…Ah.”

Doyoung quickly nodded.

He’d ordered Beom Sinje-themed merchandise through a group purchase a few days ago, and it was due to arrive today.

Once Park Chanoh left, Doyoung opened the package in his empty home.

Inside the box, along with the merchandise, was a small letter.

[Zero, please contact me through this email.]

The brief note was signed with a letter he couldn’t possibly mistake.

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

Doyoung let out a sigh, then opened his laptop and quickly sent an email.

---

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Hearing the electronic sound, Doyoung’s head shot up.

He was sitting on the sofa, legs propped up with his laptop resting on them.

Shortly after, Beom Sinje appeared.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Beom Sinje, who’d been stepping inside, paused, giving Doyoung a long look as he playfully waved.

“What are you doing there?”

“Just… killing time. But you’re home early, huh?”

Doyoung’s gaze shifted to the bottom right of the monitor as he discreetly minimized the open window.

It wasn’t even five yet, way too early to be back.

“Yeah. I can do the rest from home.”

Is it okay for a guild leader to leave so early?

And what did he mean by doing the rest at home?

Doyoung had many questions, but he didn’t ask.

“Did you eat?”

“I did.”

Doyoung nodded as if he understood, watching Beom Sinje disappear into his room.

‘Now I can’t even indulge at home in peace.’

Until moments ago, Doyoung had been browsing a fan site for hunters that he visited daily, planning to order some new merchandise.

And just then, Beom Sinje had shown up.

Of all people, it was a bit embarrassing to get caught by the man himself.

Besides, there were a few other things Doyoung hoped Beom Sinje wouldn’t find out.

‘Why hasn’t he replied yet?’

Doyoung thought back to an email he’d received earlier.

He had replied immediately upon reading it, but there was still no response.

“Doyoung-hyung.”

The unexpected voice made Doyoung flinch and turn around.

“Uh, wh-what is it?”

“Have you seen the files uploaded to the intranet?”

“Huh? No,”

Having been goofing off since getting home, Doyoung looked a bit guilty.

“I just uploaded something from ATE Pharmaceuticals. Take a look.”

“Oh… alright.”

Doyoung hurriedly replied and reached for the mouse, but then paused.

The laptop he was using didn’t have the intranet installed, so he would need to go through an authentication process.

“Wait a sec.”

Sensing Doyoung’s hesitation, Beom Sinje approached and, without giving him a chance, effortlessly took the device off his lap.

“Hey….”

Doyoung stared up at him, his mouth open in surprise.

The large 17-inch laptop seemed no heavier than a folder in Beom Sinje’s arms.

“I’ll handle it. Just hand it over!”

Doyoung quickly got up, trying to reclaim his laptop. But his outstretched hand caught nothing but air.

The sudden movement was too much for his body, stiff from sitting in the same position for so long, and he toppled forward.

Anticipating a fall, he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Ugh!”

But instead of hitting the ground, he felt strong arms steadying him around his waist.

With a groan, Doyoung opened his eyes.

Sure enough, he found himself securely held by Beom Sinje.

“Be careful.”

Beom Sinje’s voice was as calm as ever, unaffected by Doyoung’s weight.

“Uh… ha, yeah… I just got up too fast.”

Doyoung, feeling a bit self-conscious, wiggled his toes and looked away.

Then a faint chuckle drifted to his ears.

“What’s so urgent that you’d stumble around like that?”

Thinking he was being teased, Doyoung looked up to see nothing but a sturdy arm in his line of sight.

Or rather, his laptop in that arm.

He couldn’t help but notice the minimized window still on the taskbar.

‘He wouldn’t open it… right?’

That window still displayed the merchandise listing, plastered with Beom Sinje’s photos.

Thankfully, instead of opening the minimized window, Beom Sinje launched a new browser and proceeded with the setup.

“All done. You can log in with your account to view the files now.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Relieved, Doyoung finally exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

He was just one step away from reclaiming his laptop without incident.

“Here….”

Beom Sinje, who had finished his task, was about to hand it back when he pressed the touchpad with his thumb.

The cursor slid down, clicking the hidden window.

Doyoung was the first to see it. His eyes widened as he reflexively looked away, his face heating up.

“…”

“Heh… uh, just… give it back.”

Thinking he should close the window before Beom Sinje saw, Doyoung quickly reached for the laptop.

Fortunately, he retrieved it smoothly.

Hastily, he closed the window and opened the intranet, though he could feel Beom Sinje’s eyes on him.

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

Beom Sinje looked at him as if in thought, then shook his head.

Though he’d caught a glimpse of multiple images, he couldn’t be sure.

‘Maybe it was nothing.’

But an inexplicable feeling of curiosity kept him from looking away from Doyoung.

Then, suddenly, he noticed Doyoung biting his lower lip slightly—a habit he had whenever he was focused.

It was something he did often, though he probably wasn’t aware of it himself.

“It seems they want a pre-contract for a drug not yet on the market. What’s your opinion on it?”

When Doyoung opened his mouth to respond, a flash of pink showed through his slightly parted lips.

At that moment, Beom Sinje felt an odd dryness in his mouth. He licked his lips.

“Beom Sinje, what’s your take?”

“It’s too risky to bring it in immediately. They must understand the risks on their end too, which is why they’re likely willing to meet any pre-contract conditions.”

“No matter that it’s been approved in the U.S., there’s no guarantee the domestic hunters will readily accept it.”

Doyoung scanned through the documents sent by ATE Pharmaceuticals once more.

Every line seemed tailored to offer better terms for the guild.

For someone seeing it for the first time, it would certainly feel suspicious.

‘This is too dangerous. What are they planning if the truth is exposed?’

To Doyoung, it looked like they were recklessly pushing to enter the Korean market.

‘It probably has something to do with me…’

The head who insisted on coming had gone into hiding.

And yet, here they were, showing up at the very guild that had crushed them, with him as the guild leader’s secretary.

It must have caused them some concern.

* * *