* * *

Beom Sinje went down to the parking lot and got into the waiting car.

Almost immediately, his smartphone buzzed.

“Yeah.”

• I heard you found Doyoung hyung? Did you bring him back?

The voice on the other end spoke urgently. It was none other than Yeo Giwon.

“Yeah.”

• Hey, you should’ve told me something like that first!

Beom Sinje’s short reply was full of annoyance, but Yeo Giwon didn’t seem to care, continuing to say whatever he wanted.

• Where is he? Where did you take him?

For some reason, Beom Sinje didn’t like the idea of someone else asking about Doyoung’s whereabouts.

Even if that person had spent the past six months tirelessly searching for him on his orders.

Even if they were an important comrade who would help lead the guild together in the future.

“Later.”

• Why?

It’d be nice if he just accepted that and left it at that, but Yeo Giwon was persistent, asking for a reason.

“I haven’t decided what to do yet.”

• What do you mean, you haven’t decided? About what?

Beom Sinje replied that it was nothing. Yeo Giwon didn’t know the truth about Doyoung. In fact, Beom Sinje was probably the only one aware of his past.

The infamous leader of the crime syndicate Zero had always worn a mask. And only Beom Sinje had seen his face when it was revealed after he fell from a 78-story building.

How Beom Sinje felt upon seeing that strangely serene expression—that, too, was something only he knew.

• Alright, fine.

Yeo Giwon gave up, realizing he wouldn’t get any more answers from Beom Sinje.

• But don’t be too hard on hyung, okay? He was just a non-combatant office worker, after all. He probably got caught up in that fight by accident that day. That’s why he went into hiding.

Yeo Giwon still thought Doyoung had shown up there by chance, just as he always had.

That he had simply gotten swept up in the chaos, like being struck by lightning.

Beom Sinje didn’t bother correcting him.

It was actually more convenient if Yeo Giwon kept thinking that way.

Unaware of Beom Sinje’s thoughts, Yeo Giwon kept talking.

• So don’t grill him too harshly. Besides, didn’t the government say they wouldn’t hold the hunters who went missing back then accountable?

When the so-called Antithesis Coup erupted, society had plunged into chaos.

‘We can’t overlook the government’s unfair treatment any longer!’

‘We’ll act independently as a private organization from now on.’

Hunters fed up with government policies had resigned en masse to form their own guilds.

Others had quietly disappeared during the upheaval.

The government had announced they wouldn’t bring the incident to light.

It was a decision pressured by the combined efforts of the guild leaders.

Though there had been speculation about why the government had given in so easily, none of the guild leaders had pursued the matter further.

They were too busy reorganizing their own factions.

No one wanted to waste time and resources digging up a problem that had already been resolved.

“I’m hanging up.”

If Yeo Giwon only thought of Doyoung as a runaway hunter, there was no need to tell him the truth.

It was something only Beom Sinje needed to know.

Feeling a little better with that thought, he remembered he had found Doyoung and brought him to his old officetel.

That was enough for now.

◇◆◇◆◇

How long had he been asleep?

When Doyoung opened his eyes, he saw it was dark outside, realizing night had fallen.

“What time is it?”

His voice cracked, surprising him.

“What… Was I shouting in my sleep or something?”

Even though he hadn’t, his throat was hoarse.

He could barely get a few words out, and even those broke up halfway through.

“Ugh.”

He tried to sit up and looked at his trembling arms with disbelief.

“Seriously? I just traveled a few hours, and now I’m like this?”

Even though he’d become frail, it was absurd.

He’d ridden in a car comfortably, even dozing off now and then, and he’d slept soundly once he got here.

“Sigh.”

Nothing he could do but accept it.

Doyoung had lived like this for six months, so he slowly pulled himself up.

“It’s so quiet.”

Was Beom Sinje not back yet?

Curiosity made him step out of the bedroom.

“Still, shouldn’t there be… something to eat?”

He muttered complaints until he opened the fridge, only to fall silent at the sight of neatly packed side dishes and ingredients.

‘But is it okay to eat this?’

He hesitated briefly before pulling out some side dishes and placing them on the table.

Checking the cupboards, he found something.

“There it is.”

Instant rice, stacked in perfect rows, ready for a meal.

It was something he had arranged for through a housekeeper when he’d lived here with Beom Sinje and Yeo Giwon.

“Does he still use that housekeeper?”

If so, he might be able to get a sense of what was going on.

Like whether Beom Sinje actually stayed here or if he just had it cleaned regularly.

Thinking about this and that, Doyoung microwaved the instant rice and enjoyed a hearty meal with the side dishes.

After a quick wash in the bathroom, he couldn’t think of anything else to do.

“Is there a laptop or computer somewhere?”

The thought made him remember the items he had preordered.

“Oh no! What about the goods I ordered?”

There was no way for him to go back and get them.

And he couldn’t exactly ask Beom Sinje to fetch them.

“Sigh…”

He felt heavy with worry and laziness.

Too tired to head back to the bedroom, he stumbled to the couch and collapsed.

If he couldn’t have teeth, gums would have to do.

At the very least, he’d check whether his order had shipped and if he could change the delivery address.

“I think I saw a notice saying I could pick it up at a nearby convenience store.”

Muttering to himself, he paused.

“But… am I even allowed to go out?”

No espers were watching him, nor were there locks on the doors.

He quickly scanned his surroundings.

‘Doesn’t seem like there are any cameras or bugs either.’

So, I guess going out really is unrestricted.

After checking things off, Doyoung leaned his head against the armrest and pulled up the package tracking details.

Fortunately, it hadn’t shipped yet, so he changed the delivery to a nearby convenience store.

Then, as always, he naturally lost himself in his fandom obsession.

Being like this… well, it didn’t feel too different from when he used to live in a small town.

“But what on earth is this guy thinking?”

He was staring at the face on the screen, sculpted like a masterpiece, when a sudden question popped into his mind.

Beom Sinje knew that Doyoung was the head of a crime syndicate.

So at first, he naturally assumed the guy intended to kill him.

‘I still haven’t heard the reason. That’s why you have to stay by my side.’

What did that even mean?

“Well, let’s ask him once he shows up.”

Trying to ignore the words that felt uncomfortably sentimental, Doyoung refocused his gaze on the small screen.

◇◆◇◆◇

“When is the Guild Master coming back?”

“They said he’s almost here, so just wait a bit longer.”

“Where the hell did he go, anyway?”

“How should I know?”

Yeo Giwon responded with an irritated look, eyes glued to his phone screen.

A flashy, impact-filled game was running, with his character wielding a sword larger than himself, sending flames spewing everywhere.

Each time, the monsters were thrown around like bowling pins.

‘If only all those annoying monsters were Beom Sinje.’

The unresolved questions built up inside Yeo Giwon like magma, ready to explode. And in moments like this, immersing himself in an action-packed game was the best escape.

“Team Leader Ye!”

The desperate, half-tearful call from a team member reached his ears.

Yet Yeo Giwon’s disinterested expression remained unchanged.

“What, seriously! I told you I don’t know.”

“If even you don’t know, who would?”

He couldn’t understand why they kept asking him about Beom Sinje’s whereabouts.

It’s not like the guy ever disclosed his destinations.

* * *