* * *

“How about we recruit clinical trial participants on our side and test it first?”

“A trial?”

“Yes, it might be the most visible way for us to see the effects.”

“Hmm… But do we even have hunters in the guild who are suffering from aftereffects?”

The moment Doyoung finished speaking, the silent response in Beom Sinje’s gaze was enough.

“Are you suggesting that I participate?”

“Among the hunters I know, you seem to need it the most.”

“Haha…”

It was a sad reality he couldn’t deny.

“Propose it to ATE Pharmaceuticals. We’ll accept participants through an official notice.”

“Alright, I got it.”

For a brief moment, Doyoung wondered if a mere secretary should be handling matters of collaboration with another company.

Yet, excitement filled him at the thought of finally seeing the drug he had invested so much effort in again, and he nodded.

‘I regretted not getting to see the results.’

Moreover, now he could communicate officially with Sarah Choi, which was also a positive outcome.

“Then I’ll be working inside, so just call if you need anything.”

“Sure.”

Doyoung nodded eagerly. Watching him quietly, Beom Sinje soon disappeared into a study set up as a makeshift office.

“Ah, I’ll have to keep my laptop well managed…”

Doyoung glanced over at the room Beom Sinje had just left, sighed, and slowly got up to head inside.

Although the close call had left him shaken, there were still tasks left unfinished.

Just as he logged back into the tool page with a slight smile, a notification popped up in his taskbar.

[Zero, it was nice seeing you again after so long.]

It was an email from someone he hadn’t heard from in ages. Dropping his smile, Doyoung opened his inbox.

[I’d like to meet tonight. I’ll be waiting at the address below, so feel free to stop by whenever you can.]

Below was a map to the location.

“Heh…”

When Doyoung saw it was a shop within an office building, he let out a sigh.

It seemed they’d set their mind on meeting today.

Yet, despite having awaited this message for so long, visiting wasn’t that simple.

Beom Sinje was staying over to work from home tonight.

“Hyung, are you hungry? What should we do about dinner?”

The very person troubling his thoughts appeared, interrupting him.

“Ah… is it already that late?”

Doyoung looked back at the laptop he hadn’t let go of.

The clock in the lower right corner read past six.

Had time flown by this quickly?

Realizing it, a wave of hunger hit him.

“The assistant left some side dishes and soup in the fridge. We can heat them up.”

It was food stocked by the assistant while Doyoung was at work.

He hadn’t touched it at lunch, as it seemed too much for just him, but now, with Beom Sinje here, it seemed perfect for the two of them.

“Really? Got it.”

Beom Sinje nodded and turned.

Wondering why, Doyoung watched as he drifted toward the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“Preparing dinner. I’ll call you when it’s ready, so continue what you’re doing.”

“Huh?”

Why did Beom Sinje assume he would take care of it?

Caught off guard, Doyoung quickly got up, feeling awkward just sitting there.

His legs, stiff from sitting in the same position, wobbled as he walked.

“I’ll help too.”

As he said that, he stepped into the kitchen, only to meet eyes with Beom Sinje, who wore a strange expression.

“What?”

“…Nothing. I’ll be done soon, so just wait over there.”

When he asked again, the response was a polite rejection.

It seemed that Doyoung’s unsteady walk hadn’t gone unnoticed.

He sat at the table, watching Beom Sinje’s busy back.

Honestly, it was kind of amusing.

He could finally admire his favorite person in real life, someone he’d only ever seen through a screen.

‘Oh, right.’

Then, he remembered another issue.

His gaze drifted to the bedroom door—his own bedroom.

‘It should be fine, right?’

The laptop was one thing, but the room also contained items he’d rather not have Beom Sinje find out about—like the stash of recently purchased collectibles.

Though he had plenty of spare rooms, Doyoung still felt hesitant about fully using the entire apartment.

His precious collectibles were carefully stored in the closet connected to his room.

While Beom Sinje wouldn’t likely dig through his closet, he couldn’t shake a feeling of unease.

“Do you need anything?”

“Ah!”

Startled by Beom Sinje’s sudden approach, Doyoung practically gasped.

“Oh, no. Nothing.”

Seeing the scrutinizing look on Beom Sinje’s face, he hastily redirected his attention.

“Did you take out the marinated crabs? They look delicious.”

On the table, the side dishes and rice were neatly set.

“Yeah, they’re there. Try them.”

“Alright.”

He eagerly reached for the crabs.

If he changed the subject now, maybe he could convincingly act as if he’d just wanted a taste.

“Wait.”

But before he could touch the crab, a large hand stopped him.

Beom Sinje deftly grabbed one, swiftly removing the meat and placing it on Doyoung’s rice.

“Go ahead.”

“…I could have done that myself.”

“Only one person’s hands need to get messy.”

He wasn’t wrong, but still…

Was this level of hospitality really necessary?

It felt awkward to either decline or question it.

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

Grateful for his kindness, Doyoung took a bite.

The savory, tender crab meat was undeniably delicious.

“…”

Just as he swallowed, another piece of crab appeared on his rice.

“You’re good at this.”

“Am I?”

“Yeah, you must’ve eaten it often.”

To Doyoung’s casual remark, Beom Sinje simply met his eyes without comment, signaling with a nod for him to eat.

As he lifted his spoon, a thought suddenly struck him.

“Sorry, that was careless of me.”

“About what?”

“Just… never mind.”

Beom Sinje grew up taking care of his sick mother and handling various jobs, given their tough financial situation.

It dawned on him later how thoughtless his comment about expensive food like marinated crabs must have sounded, so he apologized.

“Sometimes when I went to the market, the ladies would give me food. Crabs were one of those things.”

Beom Sinje said this as he skillfully prepared another bite of crab for Doyoung.

“People were kind.”

“Yes, that’s true. Aren’t you the same way?”

When Doyoung raised an eyebrow, as if he didn’t understand, Beom Sinje placed a slice of pickled radish on top of his rice and continued casually.

“The vendors give me oranges, rice cakes, and even remind me to eat well.”

“Oh…”

That did happen, didn’t it?

Recalling memories from the small town that now felt distant, Doyoung wrinkled his nose for no particular reason.

“It’s also because of my mom that they took special care of me. She used to run a stall in the market a long time ago.”

“Really?”

“Yes, she struggled for 15 years…”

It was mentioned in the novel’s background that Beom Sinje’s mother was unwell.

But Doyoung hadn’t known that she’d been a market vendor and had fallen ill because of it.

‘Experiencing it firsthand is definitely different from just reading about it.’

Beom Sinje, too—he was certainly an appealing character on paper.

But seeing him up close, displaying his emotions, he was even more captivating.

“Still, whenever we talk these days, she says she’s happy.”

“You seem to talk to her a lot.”

Doyoung glanced at Beom Sinje with a twinge of guilt.

* * *