* * *
Two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye.
I was on my way to the airport for the flight to Russia, waiting for the light to change on the road.
I had already checked the time five minutes ago, but my nerves got the best of me and I pulled my phone out of my pocket again.
“I left early, but traffic’s heavier than I thought.”
Maybe I should’ve just agreed when the Hunter Association offered to send a car.
I’m usually not one to be late, but lately my timing kept going off.
To be fair, this was my first time attending a party like this, so I’d spent a bit more time getting ready.
The clothes and watch were expensive enough to throw on without much thought—but the hairstyle was the real issue.
I’d never actually styled my hair before.
My dad even helped out, and I’d tried my best to follow tutorials on YouTube, but I had no idea if it turned out okay.
And it wasn’t even a party in Korea—it was overseas.
Dad suggested I just go to a salon, but there wasn’t enough time left.
Honestly, it also felt like a waste to spend money on something so trivial.
“Wearing a suit on a bike does look kind of weird, huh.”
My face was hidden under the helmet anyway, but I could still feel people sneaking glances at me.
Embarrassed, I adjusted my helmet—only to freeze mid-motion.
My eyes darted nervously in my stiff posture.
Wait. I spent all that time doing my hair… should I really be wearing a helmet?
Awakened hunters aren’t even required to wear helmets on the road, but I’d put it on out of habit again.
I’d told myself not to next time, but here I was, repeating the same mistake.
All that effort, wasted in an instant, thanks to muscle memory.
“Stupid. So stupid…”
Just as I was hanging my head in despair, unsure how to fix this mess, my phone buzzed with a soft vibration. I glanced at the screen—Woo Jaehyun.
For a moment, I thought about ignoring it, but then let out a long sigh and tapped the call button.
Somehow, he’d found out I got a new phone and was the first one to reach out.
“Hyung, where are you?”
His smooth voice came through the helmet’s Bluetooth.
Every time I heard it, it felt like it tickled my ears a little more.
You’d think I’d be used to it after two weeks, but nope.
“I’m almost there. Quit asking.”
“Are you riding your bike again? I told you, I could’ve picked you up.”
“No thanks. I’ll get there on my own.”
“Then at least let me—”
“Oh? The light changed. Gotta go.”
Truthfully, the light hadn’t changed at all. I just hung up on him.
The moment he found out I’d turned down the Hunter Association’s transport, he latched on like glue, trying to tag along.
He messaged me so persistently asking to go together, I actually considered blocking him last night out of frustration.
With the media already being a headache, I didn’t want any extra attention.
Especially not the kind that would come from getting in Woo Jaehyun’s car, with all the rumors flying around lately.
“I really need to learn to drive, seriously.”
Resolving that once again, I sped up the bike.
Thankfully, I made it to the airport on time.
Though I got a bit lost at first—the place was bigger than expected—I was able to find the right way thanks to a Hunter Association staffer who came to meet me.
“This way, Hunter.”
“Ah, right. Thanks.”
There wasn’t enough time to fix my hair, so I just swept it back hastily as I walked.
At least there weren’t any reporters nearby. Small mercy.
If an unflattering photo showed up online, my dad would probably be more upset than I would.
Huh?
“Woo Jaehyun. Cha Rui.”
As I approached the VIP terminal entrance, two familiar figures caught my eye.
One with red hair, the other beige.
Without realizing it, I smiled.
He’d been annoying over the phone, but seeing their faces after two weeks made me genuinely happy.
They were both built, of course, but dressed in three-piece suits, they looked like they’d just walked off an award show stage.
It was like the spotlight was shining only on that part of the room.
“You could’ve gone in first. What are you waiting for?”
“… …”
Cha Rui turned around slowly at my call, scanning me from head to toe.
His gaze started at my face and moved down—shoulders, waist, legs—his sharp look making me self-conscious.
I did wear what looked like the most expensive thing I had… was it not working?
My hair was ruined too. I should’ve just gone to a professional.
I was completely out of my depth here, and it made me shrink a little, adjusting my clothes awkwardly.
“Come here.”
Then Cha Rui stepped forward and reached out, stopping right in front of me.
With clumsy hands, he began fixing the messy strands of hair that had fallen out of place.
When he brushed the hair off my forehead, his fingers even trembled a little.
It was a little embarrassing standing there like that, letting him fix me up—but it also felt strangely… touching.
Was something like this really such a delicate thing?
Once he was done, he tilted his chin toward the terminal like he was telling me to go in.
I nodded and followed, feeling somewhat relieved that maybe I didn’t look as bad as I thought.
But then Woo Jaehyun suddenly pressed right up against my shoulder.
Come to think of it, he usually would’ve been the first to say something—but today, he was oddly quiet.
Curious, I turned to look at him, and sure enough, he had his brows drooped with a clearly sulky expression.
I thought about ignoring him, but cutting off the call earlier was nagging at me.
“What’s with that face? Cheer up.”
“… …”
I nudged his shoulder playfully, but his sulky look didn’t budge.
No doubt he was upset because things hadn’t gone his way again.
He was nothing if not stubborn, and if I left him alone like this, he’d definitely keep this up until we returned to Korea.
For the sake of keeping the schedule smooth, I had no choice but to raise the white flag first.
“Fine. I’ll take your car when we head back, okay?”
“Really?!”
Before I even finished speaking, Woo Jaehyun broke into a bright smile and threw his arms around my waist.
Ever since we took that photo together a few days ago, his touchiness had only gotten worse.
Case in point—he was still holding me tightly now, showing no signs of letting go.
Worried someone might see, I hurriedly wriggled out of his arms and glanced around, catching Cha Rui’s eye for no reason.
…Come to think of it, where’s Do Soohyuk?
He was probably already inside the plane, waiting for us.
That was the logical assumption—but still, I kept looking around without even realizing it.
I didn’t show it outwardly, but part of me was wondering…
Could he be waiting for me too, like these two?
Honestly, who do I think I am?
Even I had to admit it—that was a ridiculously shameless thought.
After a while, I boarded the plane behind Cha Rui and immediately started checking out the seats.
Since it was a private jet arranged by the Hunter Association, the layout was definitely different from the last one I’d flown on.
Where is he…
I craned my neck and scanned the cabin until I finally spotted Do Soohyuk sitting alone in the distance.
He sat with his legs crossed, gazing out the window from a spacious seat.
His sharp features, propped up with one hand, dressed in an elegant outfit—it almost looked like a scene straight out of a movie.
But just like in the meeting room, he didn’t spare me even a glance.
Nothing but indifference.
For some reason, the weight in my chest tightened, and I loosened my tie slightly.
Tap tap!
As I sat there zoning out, a sudden sound snapped me back to reality.
I turned to see Woo Jaehyun tapping the seat next to him, clearly inviting me to sit.
The sheer expectation on his face made something inside me rebel.
He’s younger than me, for crying out loud…
I found myself thinking something weirdly old-fashioned and turned my head sharply.
It was bad enough that I’d agreed to ride in his car later—I didn’t want to be stuck next to him for the whole flight too.
Besides, lately, he’d been getting more and more handsy, and I couldn’t pretend I didn’t notice.
But shaking off Woo Jaehyun was never easy.
When I ignored him and sat next to Cha Rui instead, he predictably followed and plopped down in front of me.
“We’re heading straight to the party venue, right?”
I asked as I instinctively pushed him away, casting a glance at Cha Rui.
She shot a look of absolute disgust at Woo Jaehyun before giving a small nod.
“Stick close. Don’t wander off.”
“……”
That was her way of saying: don’t even think about wandering off alone—stay close to the three of us.
It made sense, considering how many people were after me lately.
Of course, whether I could follow that advice was another matter entirely.
“Yeah, sure.”
When I answered without protest, Cha Rui raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
It wasn’t like I wanted to get into trouble.
I felt kind of wrongly accused but held my tongue.
For now, I planned to stick close to the group until the episode officially started.
I might have to split off later, but I had my reasons for keeping a low profile at the beginning.
The party was a one-day-only event.
Originally, we were supposed to arrive in the late afternoon and return on a red-eye flight early the next morning—a tight schedule.
Originally, anyway.
But thanks to a major incident, the trip would unexpectedly be extended to three days.
And since I had zero intention of getting involved, it was more important than ever for me to read the room and move accordingly.
“I’m not really interested in getting buddy-buddy with Russian Hunters either.”
“Didn’t you used to love networking?”
Sure, Seo Inho did.
Even if he had no plans to actually support anyone, he was probably always casting bait, hoping to reel in someone who’d bribe him.
“Not anymore.”
Because I wasn’t that Seo Inho anymore.
* * *
