* * *
The person who appeared next was none other than Doyoung, the very person Beom Sinje had been avoiding just moments ago.
And he wasn’t hiding the mocking smirk on his face, his arms crossed defiantly.
“Hunter Park Chanoh asked me to tell you that the handover is complete, and you can leave for the airport whenever you’re ready.”
Beom Sinje, unsure how to respond, remained silent.
Sensing this, Doyoung was the first to speak, sticking strictly to the point, which momentarily relieved Beom Sinje’s anxiety.
At least they weren’t bringing up that matter.
“Then let’s head out now.”
“Please wait a moment. The medical center is preparing some medication, so we’ll need to wait for their call.”
“Ah, understood. I have a few things to take care of as well, so that works.”
Hearing the word “medication,” Beom Sinje nodded indifferently.
He already knew what it was for.
But as he did, Doyoung’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“You’re not even curious? I take it you already know what kind of medicine they’re giving me, Guild Leader?”
Beom Sinje had been walking past the desk toward Doyoung but froze at the accusatory tone.
As their gazes met, Beom Sinje noticed the crooked smile tugging at Doyoung’s lips.
“Hyung, it’s just—”
“Yeo Giwon told me. Said he’d known for a while that you had feelings for me. Even before what happened in the dungeon, apparently.”
And just like that, the topic Beom Sinje had been desperately avoiding came out of Doyoung’s mouth first.
“So that means even when we were rolling around in bed, you already felt that way. You shameless bastard.”
The sharp glare in Doyoung’s eyes left no doubt about his anger.
His words were rough, and Beom Sinje couldn’t even begin to gauge just how bad this was going to get.
“Hyung, no. Never. Do you really think I’m the kind of person who’d use something like that as an excuse to act on my feelings?”
He prayed silently that Doyoung would understand his sincerity.
That he wouldn’t misinterpret Beom Sinje’s actions as taking advantage of a vulnerable moment.
Beom Sinje’s gaze conveyed his desperation.
Doyoung exhaled heavily and softened his expression, though Beom Sinje didn’t realize why.
Doyoung, however, knew the truth: Beom Sinje wasn’t someone who would exploit a situation to his advantage.
“If he were that kind of person, he wouldn’t have let the government manipulate him so easily,” Doyoung thought.
Even so, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of betrayal.
“You should’ve told me! Told me how you felt before any of this happened!”
If Beom Sinje had, Doyoung wouldn’t have had to hear about his feelings secondhand from Yeo Giwon.
“I’m sorry, hyung.” Beom Sinje lowered his gaze.
“I’m not asking for an apology.”
“I know. But still. I truly didn’t know how I felt before what happened in the dungeon. I didn’t realize it myself until then.”
It might have sounded like an excuse, but Beom Sinje’s earnest eyes left no room for doubt.
“Even so, I’m sorry. Sorry you had to find out this way.”
Doyoung shook his head.
“You didn’t even know yourself. There’s no need to apologize.”
“Hyung.”
Beom Sinje met Doyoung’s unwavering gaze, anxiety creeping in.
“But Beom Sinje, let me make one thing clear. I’m sorry, but I have no intention of reciprocating your feelings.”
Doyoung’s firm response hit Beom Sinje like a blade.
“That’s fine. I understand. But hyung, does this mean I make you uncomfortable, or—”
“I’m rejecting your feelings, not you as a person. It’s not because you’re a man or because we’re the same gender. I don’t find it disgusting or anything like that.”
Doyoung wasn’t interested in romantic relationships, period.
His life was too consumed by his own battles, leaving no room to look outward.
Still, he couldn’t deny the admiration he had once held for Beom Sinje, a hero he had rooted for from afar, long before their lives intertwined.
Even so—
“So, does that mean it’s okay if I stay by your side?”
“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”
Beom Sinje’s heart eased ever so slightly.
He might have been rejected, but at least he wasn’t being pushed away entirely.
“After all, opportunities arise for those who stay close.”
At that moment, a knock interrupted their conversation.
It was a staff member from the medical center, bringing Doyoung’s medication.
As Doyoung received the medication, he sighed, knowing full well it was supplied by ATE Pharmaceuticals, likely influenced by the CEO’s connections.
“Shall we head out now?”
Doyoung asked, ready to move on.
When the medical center staff left, Beom Sinje picked up a large bag of medicine and exited the guild master’s office.
In the elevator, he encountered Hunter Jang Jihye and two of her team members.
After greeting Beom Sinje, the guild master, they warmly inquired about Doyoung.
“We were so worried when you didn’t come to work for a few days. Secretary, please take better care of your health.”
“That’s right. The guild was on edge while you were away.”
Doyoung chuckled softly.
The guild members’ remarks were no different from what Yeo Giwon and Joo Taekwon had said earlier.
Nodding in agreement, the guild members flinched when they noticed Beom Sinje standing behind Doyoung.
Actually, it was because Jang Jihye, who was standing in the back, poked them with her finger, silently urging them to be mindful.
“Well, there were several issues in the guild while you were away. Normally, you handle external matters so excellently…”
“Even things like posting notices on the website… Oh, no.”
One of the guild members rambled on until they accidentally mentioned a notice Beom Sinje had posted on the guild’s website.
Realizing their slip-up, they quickly shut their mouth, stealing a glance at Beom Sinje to see if he had noticed.
Oddly enough, the guild master seemed lost in thought, paying them no attention.
“Oh… I heard about that too. The guild has been in an uproar because the guild master posted something unilaterally.”
“Ah…”
Unfortunately, Doyoung brought it up again, ignoring the guild members’ desperate looks for a subject change.
“Plus, I heard the guild master got hit with a balloon filled with paint, and the culprit hasn’t even been caught.”
Doyoung’s words seemed to prick their conscience.
The two guild members, except for Jang Jihye, darted their eyes nervously.
“Secretary, you’ve come back sharper than ever.”
It was Jang Jihye who stepped in to smooth things over.
“Maybe I’m just a bit on edge because I didn’t get proper rest.”
“Why? I heard rumors that the guild master took excellent care of you for a whole week.”
At her teasing remark, Doyoung snapped his head toward Beom Sinje.
If such rumors had spread while he was cooped up at home, there could only be one culprit—the tall and impeccably handsome guild master.
“Team Leader Yeo assured me not to worry because the guild master would take good care of you. Was that not true?”
Although her words dispelled the misunderstanding, Doyoung silently vowed to deal with Yeo Giwon.
On reflection, most of the strange rumors seemed to originate from him.
‘Is he the chatty type?’
In the original story, he was just a character used and discarded, so it was hard to discern his true personality.
But the more Doyoung got to know him, the more mischievous Yeo Giwon seemed.
‘I did learn a lot about Beom Sinje’s feelings thanks to him, though.’
That aside, he resolved to keep Yeo Giwon from talking about him anymore.
“I take care of Doyoung myself. It’s not something I’d leave to others.”
* * *
Wah