* * *
Sinje even knew that Doyoung had made a long phone call in the bathroom earlier, though the person on the other end remained a mystery.
“Hyung.”
By now, the jeep was nearing the dark hills.
The research facility was probably hidden somewhere around there.
Doyoung squinted ahead, scanning the road, before turning to Sinje.
What was he going to say now, looking so serious?
‘This guy keeps trying to pull something whenever there’s a chance.’
Just as Doyoung narrowed his eyes in suspicion, Sinje asked,
“Those two… They’re connected to you, aren’t they?”
“What?”
Doyoung tried to feign ignorance, but deep down, he was shocked.
‘How did he figure that out?’
By now, it wouldn’t be surprising if the protagonist’s skillset included an almost supernatural intuition.
Or maybe the two up front had been acting suspiciously obvious.
But there wasn’t time to think further.
“What the…!”
It all happened in an instant—his hand was grabbed, and he was dragged along by Beom Sinje.
Startled, Doyoung was about to protest when a longer, firmer hand brushed against his palm, tracing something.
He quickly realized it was writing.
“Antithesis.”
The word written on his palm was a name.
“Is that right?”
Beom Sinje asked nonchalantly.
“What are you doing?”
Honestly, when his hand was pulled so abruptly in public, Doyoung had assumed it was some sort of ploy.
But apparently, it wasn’t.
Realizing he had misunderstood, Doyoung shifted his embarrassment into a sarcastic tone.
“You could’ve just said it.”
“Couldn’t exactly say it out loud, could I?”
Fair enough.
Though Doyoung was unsure whether it was shock or something else, his heart raced slightly.
The fact that he’d reacted at all made him uneasy.
“Say it. Let’s see if I’m guessing right.”
“And if I am?”
Doyoung deliberately gave a neutral response—neither a confirmation nor a denial.
The mere fact that Beom Sinje had asked that question meant he was confident, but there was no way Doyoung would confirm it himself.
I told you to be careful about this.
Now what?
ATE Pharmaceuticals was a problem, Joo Taekwon at the medical center was an issue, and now even the service center was getting involved.
Why does everyone seem determined to cling to me?
Sighing inwardly, Doyoung shook his head.
At this rate, it wasn’t just Beom Sinje, with his sharp instincts, he had to worry about—there was a risk of the world catching on.
“The recent lab explosions—those were connected to you, weren’t they?”
But this wasn’t the time to dwell on such things.
The real issue was how terrifyingly accurate Beom Sinje’s instincts were, piecing things together from just a few encounters with old subordinates.
“That’s just…”
Doyoung opened his mouth, intending to deny it, but—
“We’ve arrived!”
Thankfully, Park Bora, seated in the passenger seat, cut the conversation short as the jeep came to a stop.
“We’re here.”
Wasting no time, Doyoung jumped out of the vehicle.
Beom Sinje followed without a word, while the hunters in the front piled out after them.
The lab stood in front of them—a gray, three-story building nestled against the mountains.
Though not large, its underground depth was impossible to gauge.
“Can we head straight in?”
“Hold on.”
Park Bora shaded her eyes with her hand, scanning the surroundings.
She seemed to be looking for something, and sure enough, a dark-skinned man with clear eyes approached them from a distance.
“Who’s that?”
“A local resident. Wait here for a moment.”
Answering Doyoung’s question, Bora approached the man.
The two exchanged words in an unfamiliar language, the local occasionally glancing toward them as if asking who they were.
“What do you think he’s saying?”
Bored from waiting, Lee Jihoon nudged Park Chano.
“Who knows? Probably wary of strangers showing up. Especially with all the commotion lately.”
“Wasn’t the guide supposed to arrange this?”
Jihoon tilted his head, puzzled.
From Bora’s earlier demeanor, it seemed like she had contacted someone in advance.
Had he misread the situation?
Just then, Bora returned.
“The lab’s empty,” she announced. “Residents nearby heard strange noises last night and came to check it out.”
According to the local, a few people guarding the lab overnight had entered the building at dawn, only to find nothing inside.
“Does that mean people were coming and going before?”
This time, it was Beom Sinje who voiced the question.
Bora asked the local, who responded while glancing their way.
“Yes. Not often, but they saw container trucks coming and going at night.”
“Containers?”
“Yes.”
Doyoung and Beom Sinje exchanged glances, their thoughts aligning.
Only they knew that the Dungeon Ecology Lab had been experimenting on monsters here.
“When was the last time they saw containers coming and going?”
“About a week ago.”
A week—before the service center had even begun its operations.
“And after that, nothing?”
“That’s right.”
Doyoung crossed his arms, scanning the area around the lab.
Come to think of it, Sarah had mentioned the same thing—nothing unusual.
No monster corpses or anything similar.
Looking back at Bora, he mouthed, “I have no idea either.”
“Let’s go inside.”
At Beom Sinje’s words, the guild members followed the local into the building.
Doyoung, however, gestured for Bora to come closer.
He planned to question her once they’d fallen a bit behind the group.
“Hyung.”
But it seemed Beom Sinje had other plans.
The moment he noticed Doyoung lagging, he stopped and turned around.
“I’ll follow from the back, Guild Leader.”
The guild members had come to investigate.
Doyoung was merely tagging along as a secretary; there was no reason for him to keep pace.
And hyung?
There weren’t just guild members here—he was supposed to be here as Beom Sinje’s assistant.
Can’t you pick one title and stick to it?
That’s what he meant to say, but it seemed the message didn’t land.
“Stay by my side, just in case.”
Beom Sinje even stopped walking, waiting for Doyoung, causing everyone else to turn and look at him.
That bastard is doing this on purpose, isn’t he?
He must’ve been holding a grudge over Doyoung avoiding his earlier question.
Knowing this but unwilling to back down, Doyoung felt his pride as a former villain flare up.
“Tch.”
Watching Doyoung with feigned innocence, Beom Sinje sighed.
As his thoughts wandered, he realized something troubling.
This is bad.
If everything he did kept making Doyoung seem adorable, it was a serious problem.
And if Doyoung knew how he felt, he’d surely complain endlessly.
Even so, Beom Sinje couldn’t suppress the upward curl of his lips.
“What’s with you? Why are you smiling like that again?”
Doyoung, standing close enough to touch, glared up at him.
Beom Sinje leaned down slightly, whispering.
“Who knows?”
Doyoung’s shoulders trembled.
“You…!”
Realizing it was deliberate, he raised his voice but quickly schooled his expression, clamping his mouth shut.
Turning away with a huff, he accidentally locked eyes with Park Bora, who wore an enigmatic expression.
This felt familiar—like something he’d seen before. Doyoung sighed inwardly, recalling another time he’d been subjected to such a gaze.
Fortunately, Bora was soon distracted by the local speaking to her again.
“Keep your distance.”
Doyoung grumbled.
Isn’t there a rule about maintaining at least ten centimeters between men?
But Beom Sinje only smiled faintly, refusing to step away.
The rest of the guild paid no mind to their bickering as they followed the local into the lab.
Only Lee Namsoo and Park Bora exchanged glances before continuing inside.
* * *
