* * *

Doyoung washed the dishes, tidied up the table, and left the kitchen.

His steps naturally took him to the front door.

Unlocking it and stepping outside felt almost automatic.

“Good morning, Hunter Park Chanoh.”

“Oh, uh, good morning, Secretary Na.”

Doyoung’s greeting sounded a bit awkward, and Park Chanoh couldn’t completely hide his discomfort as he gave a slight nod.

“Come on in.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Why not? Did the guild master order you to monitor the hallway? What if someone mistakes you for a suspicious person and reports you to the building manager?”

His argument was a bit of a stretch, but it surprisingly worked on Park Chanoh.

Imagining such a scenario, he frowned and quickly stepped inside.

Leaving him to his own devices, Doyoung returned to the bedroom.

The phone on the shelf was lighting up, its screen glowing.

He had a good idea who it might be. Sure enough, his guess was spot on.

“Beom Sinje, aren’t you busy? Why are you calling me from work?”

“I figured you’d be awake by now, so I called. I’ll tell Hunter Park to bring you over by lunchtime.”

“What?”

“Let’s have lunch together.”

What kind of development is this?

Before Doyoung could even protest, Beom Sinje ended the call with a casual “See you later.”

Staring at the phone in disbelief, Doyoung exhaled a deep breath.

Missed calls: 20.

Every single one was from Beom Sinje.

Doyoung blinked at the absurd number displayed on the screen, his jaw slack.

“What the…”

If he hadn’t spoken to Beom Sinje, he might’ve thought there was some kind of emergency at the guild.

The sheer volume of calls was incomprehensible.

“This is ridiculous.”

All of this… just to check if he was awake?

“Sigh…”

Maybe there was something else going on at the guild.

Tilting his head in confusion, Doyoung wandered into the living room, where Park Chanoh was sitting upright on the sofa.

“Did you talk to the guild master?”

Park Chanoh, startled by the question, straightened up even more.

“Yes, he told me to head out once you’re ready.”

“You’ll be joining us for lunch too, right?”

When Doyoung probed, the answer came as expected.

“I’ll just drop you off.”

“Got other plans?”

“Yes, several.”

Was it just his imagination, or did that sound like an excuse?

Probably not.

But instead of pressing further, Doyoung changed the topic.

“Anything urgent at the guild, like a dungeon report or something from ATE Pharma?”

“Urgent? No, most of the important matters were resolved yesterday. The rest will be handled by the guild master through reports from the raid team.”

“And nothing from the government?”

“There was a formal notice, but nothing significant. Oh…”

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Park Chanoh hesitated, glancing at Doyoung.

“Hmm?”

His unexpected reaction made Doyoung tilt his head in curiosity.

“Oh, it’s just… the government sent a notice about a personnel change for the official in charge of dungeon exploration.”

“The official in charge? Park Gyejang?”

“Yes.”

“Huh, really?”

Doyoung’s indifferent response reflected his lack of interest.

Personnel changes in government positions weren’t usually worth paying attention to.

Park Chanoh seemed to agree, nodding in understanding.

“Yes, I heard there was a bit of trouble with that government official last time, but I don’t think you need to worry about it.”

“Haha… It was just a professional disagreement, not a fight. These things happen all the time at work. Anyway, it would be nice if the new official is a bit more thorough.”

Smiling slightly, Doyoung answered naturally.

If Park Chanoh hadn’t been distracted by a message on his phone, he might have noticed the glimmer in Doyoung’s eyes.

It was a look of satisfaction or perhaps quiet pride in resolving the matter smoothly.

‘Government officials really respond well to complaints,’ he thought.

Just as he had discreetly handled the trainees who had once caused trouble for Beom Sinje, Doyoung had once again instructed that any obstacle in their way be taken care of quietly.

It seemed the outcome had turned out as planned.

“Alright, I’ll get ready to head out. Hunter Park Chanoh, please wait a moment.”

“Sure.”

Doyoung glanced briefly at Park Chanoh, who didn’t seem inclined to move, then headed to the bedroom.

When he returned shortly after, dressed in his outing clothes, Park Chanoh was still in the same spot.

“Hunter Park Chanoh, may I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Pardon? You? Not at all…”

Though he seemed surprised, Park Chanoh didn’t outright deny the possibility.

“If not, then please stay inside next time. And join me for meals too.”

“Ah, well…”

Once again, Park Chanoh trailed off awkwardly.

By now, Doyoung couldn’t help but suspect there was some issue he wasn’t being told.

‘No way… It can’t be that, right?’

Surely it wasn’t what he was imagining—something like Beom Sinje forbidding Park Chanoh from staying inside the house.

Shaking off the idle thought, Doyoung left the house with Park Chanoh.

Surprisingly, instead of heading to the guild, they arrived at a large building not far from the apartment.

“Secretary Na, please step out.”

Looking at the spacious parking lot, Doyoung’s curiosity grew.

It wasn’t the guild, nor did it look like a restaurant.

“There’s a restaurant on the top floor,” Park Chanoh explained as he led the way, seeming to anticipate Doyoung’s questions.

Nodding, Doyoung followed him into the elevator.

At that moment, he simply wondered why Beom Sinje would bring them to a restaurant of all places.

“Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, under Beom Sinje.”

A well-dressed staff member greeted them, confirming the reservation before guiding them through a sleek, enclosed hallway.

Doyoung’s curiosity deepened.

“What the—?”

He gasped as they stepped into an open space with a single table overlooking a breathtaking cityscape.

And there he was—Beom Sinje—hands behind his back, gazing out the window.

Upon noticing them, he turned slightly.

“What is this, Beom Sinje? Where are we?”

“Have a seat, hyung.”

Without offering an explanation, Beom Sinje approached, attempting to place a guiding hand on Doyoung’s waist.

Startled, Doyoung stepped back, prompting Beom Sinje to shrug before pulling out a chair for him.

“This way.”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Doyoung, who had remained composed earlier, raised an eyebrow, his tone demanding.

“I said we’d have lunch.”

“I can see that.”

Doyoung clicked his tongue inwardly at Beom Sinje’s clueless expression, while the staff member remained stationed by the entrance.

With no choice, Doyoung sat down.

Beom Sinje slid the menu toward him.

“Choose whatever you want.”

Despite his confusion, Doyoung started to grow curious about Beom Sinje’s intentions.

“What’s with this? You keep me cooped up at home in the name of recovery, and now suddenly bring me to this expensive private restaurant?”

As he spoke, Doyoung caught the staff’s neutral but attentive gaze.

His words must have sounded odd, as though he were recounting being imprisoned before being brought out to eat.

With a sigh, Doyoung reluctantly picked up the menu.

“I’ll go with Set A.”

Passing the menu back, Doyoung observed Beom Sinje quietly.

Despite his usual demeanor, something about him felt off.

‘But what?’

Before he could pinpoint the source of this unease, his phone buzzed with a message.

Glancing at the screen, Doyoung saw the sender’s name.

“Yeo Giwon?”

It wasn’t unexpected—Yeo Giwon occasionally contacted him. Opening the message, he read:

[Hyung, how’s the restaurant? I recommended it since Beom Sinje kept suggesting weird places. Does it suit your taste?]

The content was strange enough to make Doyoung mutter aloud, “What did you recommend?”

Before he could process it, his phone was snatched from his hand.

* * *