* * *
“Never mind. Whatever you’re imagining, Beom Sinje’s recent behavior probably has nothing to do with me.”
“Really? Hmm… Oh, but Beom Sinje did say something. He mentioned that Antithesis fought in place of hunters back in the day. Without them, civilian guilds wouldn’t have emerged so openly or peacefully.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I kind of agree. If they hadn’t challenged the government’s wrongdoings, no one would’ve realized how messed up things were back then.”
“Good to see you acknowledge that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t expect Beom Sinje to think that way.”
Doyoung waved it off casually, and Yeo Giwon moved on to another topic.
“Anyway, that’s why I hope you’ll come back to work soon. Without you, Beom Sinje’s been acting wilder than ever.”
“Guess you’re realizing my value now?”
“I’ve known it all along, but lately, it feels even more urgent.”
Watching Yeo Giwon’s playful grin, Doyoung chuckled.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to promise anything just yet.
“I’ll talk to Beom Sinje and decide. You’ve got nothing else to report?”
“Nope, that’s about it.”
Yeo Giwon glanced at my smartphone and shook his head.
Doyoung did the same with his own device. Still no messages—absolute silence.
He understood that back-to-back meetings and the earlier chaos might make it difficult to call, but this complete lack of contact feels deliberate.
‘Like someone’s actively avoiding me.’
“Well, I’ll be heading out now.”
Yeo Giwon placed his empty glass down and stood up.
Doyoung got up as well to see him off.
“But, hyung.”
“Hm?”
“Take better care of yourself.”
Where did that come from?
Doyoung raised an eyebrow, and Yeo Giwon clicked his tongue, his gaze scanning him up and down.
“You said you’ve been resting at home, but you look like a mess.”
Yeo Giwon sighed heavily as he caught a proper look at Doyoung’s face.
“Seriously, hyung. What have you been doing to end up so frail? You should ask Beom Sinje to buy you some restorative meals. Judging by how he’s been acting, he’d probably do anything you ask.”
“I’m already giving him enough trouble, so don’t worry about it.”
“Huh?”
Doyoung muttered under his breath, only to flinch when Yeo Giwon gave him a questioning look.
He knew his own condition well enough, even without looking in the mirror.
‘I must look completely drained and exhausted.’
In truth, his body felt leaden, and his eyelids were heavy.
Given how little time he’d spent awake during the day recently, his current lethargy wasn’t surprising.
Still, there was no need for him to snap like that.
‘Guess I’m more out of it than I thought.’
For now, he needed to see Yeo Giwon off, then maybe grab a nap.
“I’m taking care of myself, so stop worrying unnecessarily. You should focus on keeping Beom Sinje from causing more trouble.”
“Shouldn’t you be the one keeping him in check? From what I can tell, you’re the only one who can rein him in. But judging by your state, that’s not happening anytime soon.”
Yeo Giwon seemed to decide that on his own, ending with a vague suggestion to talk things out with Beom Sinje before leaving.
Left alone, Doyoung massaged the back of his neck, then picked up his smartphone.
Despite his mounting fatigue, Yeo Giwon’s flurry of words had struck a nerve.
He couldn’t just leave things as they were.
The call rang for a long time.
Just as he began to wonder if it would end in yet another voicemail, a voice finally came through.
“Yes, hyung.”
At last, the line connected to Beom Sinje.
“What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this?”
Doyoung’s cold voice cut through sharply.
Hearing the icy reproach over the phone, Beom Sinje gazed into the distance.
“What was I thinking?”
The answer was simple.
He’d merely seized the opportunity when it came, as the old saying goes.
And he had an excellent excuse: he needed to control the poison coursing through Doyoung’s body.
His thoughts drifted back to a few hours ago.
“Hyung must’ve hated every second of it, but…”
He traced a finger down Doyoung’s tired, pale cheek.
Doyoung had passed out after hours of torment and showed no signs of waking from this light touch.
Considering how fragile his body already was, it was no surprise he’d collapsed after being kept up all night.
Beom Sinje felt a twisted satisfaction seeing Doyoung struggle because of him.
He knew how despicable it was.
But seeing someone who always seemed so strong now cling to him and beg—it was intoxicating.
“So really, it’s your fault, hyung.”
For giving him the opening to exploit.
Beom Sinje let out a bitter laugh at his own cowardice, blaming his actions on Doyoung.
He leaned closer, inhaling the faint, fragrant scent of freshly washed skin.
They used the same soap, yet Doyoung always seemed to smell better.
He didn’t understand why.
Unable to resist, Beom Sinje pressed a kiss to the cheek he’d been stroking.
A quick, feather-light touch, yet warmth and a ticklish sensation spread through him.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
He wanted to linger, but the persistent vibration from his phone disrupted the moment.
His gaze fell on the smartphone glowing on the nearby shelf.
If it were Doyoung, he’d pull the device toward him with a mere glance.
But Beom Sinje lacked such power, which only frustrated him.
“Hah…”
The thought made him sigh.
Their current relationship stemmed from that incident in the dungeon, after all.
Because he hadn’t properly dealt with the boss monster, Doyoung had stepped in, pulling the creature close with his telekinesis to finish it off.
That’s when he’d been attacked and poisoned.
Even now, the memory sent a shiver down Beom Sinje’s spine.
“You need to take better care of yourself, hyung.”
Why had Doyoung gone so far for someone like him?
He would’ve handled it on his own, but he’d still intervened.
Let’s be honest—knowing Doyoung got hurt for his sake thrilled and excited him.
Yet, seeing Doyoung neglect himself stirred an inexplicable anger.
Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.
The relentless vibrations deepened Beom Sinje’s frown.
“Mmm…”
The soft groan from the sleeping Doyoung finally broke his resolve.
Slipping out of bed, Beom Sinje snatched the phone from the shelf.
Several missed calls from Chunho and a government agency filled the screen, making his brows shoot up.
‘What’s going on?’
Multiple parties had been trying to contact him urgently.
Phone in hand, he walked to the door.
After consulting with the doctor about Doyoung’s condition, the two had started sharing a room.
Sleeping in Doyoung’s bed had become second nature.
Would Doyoung mock him for finding it more comfortable here than his own room?
Beom Sinje smirked faintly and answered the call.
“What is it?”
- Guild leader! Finally, you picked up!
The voice on the other end sounded relieved, with others in the background celebrating the successful connection.
“I asked why you called,” Beom Sinje replied indifferently.
- It’s an emergency request from the DF Guild. Something went wrong with their dungeon raid at 3:11.
The DF Guild was a small team of fewer than five members, typically handling C-rank or lower dungeons.
Occasionally, they sought assistance from Chunho when short-staffed.
“What happened?”
- While the hunters were fighting monsters, intruders broke in and stole the loot.
Beom Sinje’s expression darkened.
“Outsiders entered the dungeon and stole their loot?”
- Yes, guild leader.
“Who did it?”
- They identified themselves as the Dungeon Ecology Research Institute.
Beom Sinje frowned deeply as the bizarre situation unfolded further.
* * *
