“Do Soohyuk…”
“I’m relieved you are safe.”
Do Soohyuk, who had been staring intently at me, slowly lowered his gaze after saying those words.
For some reason, he looked down only at the floor, his face shadowed with guilt.
Now that I thought about it, it had been a long time since we stood face-to-face like this.
I hadn’t expected him, who had remained silent all through Russia, to speak to me first like this.
“I was…”
He was about to say something, but clenched his fist tightly and rolled his eyes.
He wasn’t particularly looking anywhere; he seemed unable to find a place to rest his gaze due to anxiety.
It was a look I rarely saw from the usual Do Soohyuk.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally opened his mouth cautiously.
“I was confused.”
“……”
“I felt like the feelings I worked hard to accept… were being denied.”
I couldn’t bring myself to give any answer to his hard-won words.
I merely looked up at Do Soohyuk, my eyes wide and my expression blank.
Feelings he worked hard to accept?
For a moment, I wondered if I had correctly understood the meaning.
If so, he had just confessed a feeling that went beyond simple liking.
From Do Soohyuk, no less.
Who wouldn’t be shocked by a situation as unbelievable as this?
It was natural for my mind to go blank.
“But due to my selfishness, I put Hunter Seo Inho in danger. I will accept it even if you resent me.”
“……”
“I should say this now, but I…”
“Fucking hell, bullshit.”
At that moment, a raw curse came from directly behind my back.
I finally came to my senses and turned my head to see Woo Jaehyun glaring at Do Soohyuk with a face twisted like a demon.
The guy who had maintained his composure even while fighting was now utterly furious.
Clang!
He roughly tossed something he was holding onto the floor.
It was an empty potion bottle.
I didn’t know when he had managed to grab it, but the wounds that had covered his entire body were now completely gone without a trace.
However, I had no time to question that.
Woo Jaehyun was emitting an overwhelming aura and began to stride towards Do Soohyuk.
If they clashed again here, this time they wouldn’t stop until one of them fell.
At that point, even if I wanted to intervene, there wouldn’t be a gap to squeeze into.
Before the situation escalated further, I had to put an end to it somehow, on my own terms.
“Woo Jaehyun, stop.”
As I quickly snatched his wrist, the large stride of his steps came to an abrupt halt.
He could have shaken off my hand and kept walking forward at any time, but Woo Jaehyun did not.
“I’m sorry, but the vacation ends here.”
“……”
He showed no reaction or change in expression to my words.
However, the killing intent in his eyes, as he looked at Do Soohyuk, remained unconcealed and fiercely sharp.
An ominous feeling, as if he might explode at any moment, suddenly overcame me.
My sudden reappearance was truly enough to turn Korea upside down.
Even before an official statement was released, the sight of me getting out of the car was unintentionally spread online, and naturally, all forms of media and social media instantly went into a frenzy.
Moreover, the news that S3, who was thought to be in Russia, was in the country spread like wildfire, causing global public opinion to once again fluctuate wildly.
Countless reporters were camped out in front of my house, preventing me from stepping even a foot outside.
The fact that Do Soohyuk’s influence couldn’t reach them meant that this incident was a serious national matter.
Since this was the second kidnapping of an S-rank, the attention poured on it was incomparable to the last time.
Preposterous speculative comments, as well as suspicions that it was a self-staged event, were not uncommon.
However, most people were greatly concerned about the second kidnapping of the country’s only S-rank Supporter.
Public opinion rapidly spread that some measure was needed, and demands were poured onto the government to prepare countermeasures.
All of this happened in just three days.
Even while discussing the official statement with the Hunter Association President, the situation spiraled out of control.
However, this controversy subsided as if cold water had been poured on it the moment the official announcement was made.
This was right after it was announced that the incident was merely an accident, not a kidnapping by anyone.
The Hunter Association President explained that Hunter Seo Inho was looking at the low-wall garden of the mansion when he was caught up in a Gate explosion and got lost in the forest.
He added that the area within a few hundred kilometers was all forest, and to make matters worse, his phone signal couldn’t reach, causing the incident.
This excuse was devised because the incident absolutely had to be taken to the grave.
As a result, while some people demanded detailed circumstances, the majority opinion was that they were just relieved that it wasn’t a kidnapping.
Anyway, two weeks had already passed since that storm-like incident occurred.
With the public’s attention visibly decreasing, I finally felt like I had regained my daily life.
However, my worries were truly just beginning.
No, my head ached so much that perhaps enduring the media scrutiny was better.
For the past two weeks, Woo Jaehyun and Do Soohyuk had been contacting me every single day.
Given the circumstances, they couldn’t visit in person, but my phone was constantly busy, to the point where I thought it would be better to just talk face-to-face.
While it was typical for Woo Jaehyun to even video call without hesitation, this was the first time Do Soohyuk had been so proactive in contacting me.
If I carefully considered the content of their calls, they weren’t saying anything particularly important.
It was just small talk, asking how my day was and exchanging greetings.
To me, it felt like even he didn’t know what he should be saying.
Should I say he seemed self-conscious about his own actions?
Seeing his obviously clumsy attempts at conversation, I eventually started to be actively responsive myself.
I couldn’t just pretend not to notice when he was trying so hard.
But separate from that, there was one point that bothered me significantly.
He hadn’t brought up the near-confession he made since it happened.
Since I had somehow left it unanswered and vague, the situation had become even more awkward.
“…nim.”
So, if you ask if I had organized my thoughts, ridiculously, the answer was still no.
They might call me selfish, but I didn’t want any of the three people to leave my side.
The affection I received for the first time was too precious to me, and I absolutely did not want to let it go.
No matter what happened…
“Hunter Seo Inho-nim?”
At that moment, a tap on my shoulder made me blink and snap out of my thoughts.
I looked back to see a customer hesitantly looking at me.
“We’d like to order…”
“Ah, yes.”
I must have been too deep in thought while cleaning the table.
The shop was crowded with customers both inside and outside, yet here I was, idly spaced out.
Since the controversy swept through like a storm, the shop had been packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
While it was always busy, the line outside had increased to more than double what it used to be.
These people had come solely to see me, even though S3 wasn’t here this time.
In a way, I had caused a scene at an international diplomatic event, but the public reaction was not as negative as one might expect.
Wasn’t this a situation that I could never have imagined just a few months ago?
“Four servings of Tteokbokki and three of Sundae, right? I’ll bring you some fish cake broth, so please have a seat.”
I quickly wrote down the order and stepped outside, receiving a flood of attention.
When I first arrived here, I couldn’t adjust at all, but now, people holding up their phones felt like a part of everyday life.
Hmm?
As I walked towards my father, I tilted my head.
The way he was frying the food while yawning, and his half-lidded eyes, made him seem somehow unlike his usual self.
“Father, are you alright?”
“Huh? It’s nothing. I think I’m just a little tired since I slept late yesterday.”
My father and I had watched a movie late last night and finally went to bed around 1 AM.
It was a long movie, and although I suggested watching the rest tomorrow, my father insisted on finishing it and didn’t leave his seat.
Since he usually finished preparing ingredients and went to bed by 10 PM, it was natural for him to be sleepy.
Should I have just turned off the TV then?
I looked worriedly at my father’s face, which looked oddly lethargic.
“I’ll do the rest; why don’t you go inside and rest first?”
“No, I can’t do that. It wouldn’t do to overwork my only son.”
But my father forced a cheerful expression and waved his hand dismissively.
I ended up nodding at his calm yet firm refusal.
In truth, there were too many remaining customers for me to handle alone, so I couldn’t ask again.
