* * *
“No, as I mentioned earlier, I came with Yeo Giwon, and we took a taxi to the basement. The entrance was secured, so I didn’t encounter any reporters.”
Doyoung watched as Park Chanoh finally relaxed and found it amusing.
How similar his behavior was to Beom Sinje’s—it was hard to tell whether that was a compliment or an insult.
“So why are you here, hyung?”
It was Beom Sinje who brought the conversation back on track, finally addressing the real question. Doyoung answered casually.
“I heard you were attacked.”
“Attacked? Me?”
Doyoung glared at Beom Sinje, who looked completely clueless.
“I heard you got hit by a paint-filled balloon in front of the guild. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
“Ah… that.”
Beom Sinje nodded nonchalantly and dismissed it as if it were nothing.
“You didn’t even catch the culprit, so how can you say it’s nothing?”
“It wasn’t life-threatening. Things like that happen sometimes while working.”
That’s not for you to decide, Doyoung thought, sighing inwardly at Beom Sinje’s apparent inability to grasp the severity of the situation.
‘This is why you drive me crazy.’
No matter how competent he was at work, he showed no regard for his own safety.
It wasn’t surprising that he had people criticizing him every time something went wrong, despite his efforts in the dungeon.
While the guild now had a strong support system, thanks to someone’s behind-the-scenes work, Doyoung wondered if Beom Sinje even realized that.
“So, you’re heading overseas for the Dungeon Ecology Research Institute?”
Switching the topic, Doyoung brought up something else.
But even that seemed to make Beom Sinje uncomfortable.
“Why?”
“I heard several research institutes overseas were attacked recently. And there’s suspicion that it’s the remnants of Antithesis. You’re going to confirm it yourself, right?”
“Hunter Park Chano, shouldn’t the government officials be arriving soon? Escort them to the meeting room.”
Beom Sinje avoided answering, instead giving instructions to Park Chano.
“Yes, Guild Leader.”
Doyoung remained silent, recognizing Beom Sinje’s intent to send Park Chanoh away.
Once it was just the two of them, Doyoung spoke again.
“Why do you have to go there yourself?”
“Isn’t it suspicious? Why attack the research institutes now, of all times?”
“So you think this happened for a specific reason?”
“Of course. They’ve been quiet all this time, and now they’re suddenly making a statement by rendering several institutes unusable.”
It’s like they’re only meant to send a warning.
Doyoung blinked, realizing the situation might be bigger than he thought.
Apparently misunderstanding his reaction, Beom Sinje spoke more firmly.
“They’re making this about Antithesis to escalate the issue. That’s why I need to be there.”
“Still, you don’t have to act right away.”
Doyoung did not avoid the gaze fixed firmly on him.
“No. There’s no time to hesitate. Acting immediately when something happens makes it easier to grasp the situation.”
“That may be true, but…”
“Besides, this isn’t about just anyone. It’s your issue, isn’t it? I can’t leave it to someone else.”
The unwavering determination not to entrust matters involving himself to anyone else was clear in Beom Sinje’s eyes.
In any case, this was a situation Doyoung had orchestrated deliberately, and it would naturally be forgotten with time.
Any further escalation could unnecessarily attract the attention of foreign powers.
‘This is turning out to be more complicated than I thought.’
The directive was merely meant to signal that the Dungeon Ecology Research Institute was a completely separate organization from Antithesis and to suppress their activities.
However, Beom Sinje’s unexpected course of action had left Doyoung flustered.
Moreover, no matter how he looked at it, Beom Sinje showed no intention of giving up on traveling abroad.
In that case, there was only one option left.
“Well, fine. I’m curious too—why exactly are they doing something like this?”
Although he deliberately held back from suggesting they go together, Beom Sinje’s twitching eyebrow suggested he had caught the underlying meaning.
“The distance is significant, and the travel time alone exceeds twenty hours. It’s far too much for you to handle.”
As expected, Beom Sinje rejected the idea outright.
“You’re misunderstanding something. I’m not an invalid. I can manage that much easily.”
Technically, he wasn’t unwell, but he omitted the fact that his stamina was lacking compared to other hunters.
“That’s something for a doctor to decide.”
Suddenly, Beom Sinje reached out. Doyoung instinctively tensed his shoulders.
Having been pestered by him for days, the sudden approach made him react unconsciously.
Noticing this, Beom Sinje hesitated midway.
His gaze immediately examined Doyoung’s face, which filled Doyoung with embarrassment over his misplaced reaction.
‘What was that? Why did I get so nervous just now?’
It seemed clear that Doyoung was beginning to feel self-conscious around Beom Sinje.
“Why are we even talking about a doctor now?”
“Why do you think? To check if there’s still poison in your system.”
“Oh…”
Only then did Doyoung realize he had misunderstood Beom Sinje’s words.
It was all because they’d been stuck together for days, practically glued to each other.
“Just stay here. I’ll come back with the doctor after the meeting.”
“If it’s a meeting with the government, I should participate too.”
Doyoung also wanted to hear firsthand what they had said to Beom Sinje.
“No. Stay here.”
Beom Sinje rejected him firmly and walked out of the guild leader’s office before Doyoung could stop him.
“What the…?”
Left alone, Doyoung crossed his arms and glared at the door.
He wanted to ignore the order and follow, but this was the guild.
It wouldn’t do any good for the guild members to see their secretary arguing with the guild leader.
Moreover, defying a direct order to join the meeting didn’t make sense either.
“So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”
If that was the case, he would have to prepare in his own way.
Using the excuse of catching up on pending tasks, he began digging around.
First, he needed to check the information Kim Jinsoo had relayed.
While he could contact Kim Jinsoo directly, he decided it wasn’t the right time to reveal any personal ties.
Doyoung returned to his desk, which had been empty for days, and accessed the company intranet to find the bulletin board where interview materials were stored.
“Let’s see… where’s the résumé?”
Thankfully, he found what he was looking for quickly.
“It’s not here.”
But the crucial part—the details related to Kim Jinsoo’s report—was missing.
“Well, I guess they wouldn’t leave something like that in the interview files.”
So, where could it be stored?
As Doyoung tapped his mouse, his gaze drifted toward the guild leader’s desk.
If it wasn’t something officially announced or verified, there was a high chance Beom Sinje, as the guild leader, had it organized separately.
“Hm…”
Even so, rummaging through the guild leader’s desk was out of the question.
‘Looks like I have no choice but to contact him directly.’
Doyoung quickly dialed the number he had memorized.
After a few rings, the call connected.
- Hello! Secretary Na Doyoung! I’m honored to get a call from you!
The voice on the other end was so loud and enthusiastic it seemed like it might burst through the phone.
* * *
