* * *
Doyoung couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Beom Sinje didn’t look pleased, raising an eyebrow in clear irritation.
But after catching Doyoung’s insistent gaze, he reluctantly backed off and dug into his pocket.
“…Ah.”
The moment he saw the caller ID, an unusually startled look crossed Beom Sinje’s face.
“Who is it?”
“My mother.”
It was a title that made Doyoung straighten his back as well.
Even before, she had been someone he needed to be mindful of, but after becoming particularly close with Beom Sinje, she had become even more significant.
Of course, they hadn’t yet announced that they were in a romantic relationship.
Come to think of it, we should probably make it official.
Their relationship was already public knowledge.
They had made it official, and rumors had even spread that their year-long trip around the world had been a honeymoon.
Even if she was recuperating, she couldn’t be completely oblivious to outside news.
Only now did regret strike Doyoung—he should have told her sooner.
“Answer it quickly.”
Guilt sprouting like new shoots made Doyoung urge Beom Sinje.
Unable to hesitate any longer, Beom Sinje finally pressed the call button.
“Yes, Mother. It’s me.”
Doyoung quietly watched him talk.
Thanks to his keen hearing as an awakened, he could clearly hear the voice on the other end of the phone.
—Can you come see me when you have a moment?
Perhaps she had read his mind.
Doyoung thought so and nodded.
Seeing this, Beom Sinje raised his eyebrows again.
“Tell her we’ll go.”
But he obediently replied to Doyoung’s suggestion.
“Yes, I’ll come.”
Doyoung pushed Beom Sinje, who had insisted on driving, into the passenger seat and took the wheel himself.
There was somewhere they needed to stop before meeting Beom Sinje’s mother, Mrs. Jo Wonhee.
“I told you we don’t need to bring anything.”
When the car stopped at a traffic light, Beom Sinje frowned as he saw the department store across the intersection.
Only then did he realize what Doyoung was planning.
“Still, we can’t go empty-handed. We’re going to formally greet her.”
“It’s not like she hasn’t seen my face before. Why make a big deal out of it now?”
Doyoung shot him a look at the remark that sounded almost indifferent, if not outright careless.
“Is that the same thing?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Ha… I thought you were mature, but you’re hopeless when it comes to this.”
“What do you mean?”
This time, Beom Sinje’s eyebrows twitched, as if he didn’t appreciate being treated like a child.
It was best not to mention how cute he looked, exactly like someone his age.
“I want to make a good impression on the parents of the person I’m dating. Try to understand. I’m already way older—I should at least do this much.”
“What does age have to do with it? And hyung, you look at least ten years younger than you are. If anything, people just think we’re friends, so don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks for saying that, at least.”
No matter what, he couldn’t help but worry about meeting the parents of his lover, who was four years younger.
On top of that, Doyoung had an unusual background—he had once been the leader of the criminal organization Antithesis.
Sure, it had since come to light that he had actually been fighting for hunters against the government and that he was the original founder of ATE, a global pharmaceutical company.
“Let’s get out first.”
Despite his thoughts, Doyoung drove steadily and smoothly parked the car before turning off the engine.
Beom Sinje still seemed dissatisfied but quietly followed.
“What does your mother like?”
“Hmm, I’ve never really seen her eat snacks much.”
He swallowed the thought that she might have avoided them, considering them a luxury, and headed straight for the grocery section.
“Let’s get some fruit and a few types of cake. And maybe some easy-to-drink tea. That should be fine.”
Since she was in the hospital, bringing meat or seafood wouldn’t be practical anyway.
Doyoung’s eyes sparkled as he busily moved around the store.
For some reason, he looked oddly excited, so Beom Sinje silently followed without comment, pushing the cart behind him.
Had it only been ten minutes?
The cart was already overflowing with food.
Beom Sinje shook his head at the amount—enough to last them a month.
“Hyung, I think this is enough. Even if we buy more, there’s nowhere to put it. And it’s not like Mother eats that much anyway.”
Doyoung, who had been pondering what else to get, finally checked the cart and widened his eyes.
“Why is there so much?”
“Exactly.”
Beom Sinje stifled a laugh at the sight of Doyoung, who seemed unaware of how much he had piled in.
Come to think of it, Doyoung had a tendency to get so absorbed in something that he lost track of his surroundings.
Well, that’s probably why…
He had watched over and helped Beom Sinje—someone he’d never even met before—with such pure devotion.
Before he knew it, Beom Sinje’s gaze softened.
“Right?”
“Yeah, I think so. Ah—what do I do? Should I—should I talk to him?”
“Wouldn’t that be okay?”
A hushed conversation reached his ears.
He hadn’t meant to pay attention, but the name mentioned made it impossible to ignore.
“But his face is so pale… He really looks like an idol.”
“Right. If people had known Na Doyoung was this good-looking back when he was Zero, he’d have been even more popular.”
“A lot of hunters dabble in entertainment these days—do you think he’ll debut?”
“He doesn’t need to. His assets rival those of a chaebol anyway.”
“True…”
Beom Sinje looked at Doyoung anew.
As others had said, he really did have a striking face.
His clear, bright skin was flawless, and his features were perfectly symmetrical, without a single flaw.
Even the way he agonized over what else to buy gave off a cinematic vibe—it was hard not to just accept it.
“Hurry, go talk to him. Who knows when you’ll get another chance?”
“I—I guess it’s okay, right?”
Encouraged, someone cautiously approached.
They were still at a distance, but thanks to his heightened hearing as a hunter, their voices were clear.
“Hyung, your mother must be waiting. Let’s go.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Using his mother as an excuse, Doyoung immediately put down what he was holding.
Though he still seemed tempted to buy more, Beom Sinje thought they already had enough.
He pulled the cart and naturally moved behind Doyoung.
Glancing toward where the voices had come from, he saw someone in their mid-20s staring wide-eyed in their direction.
Too focused on Doyoung, they only just noticed Beom Sinje and froze in surprise.
“Uh… Guild Leader Beom Sinje…”
Beom Sinje, called “Guild Leader” by everyone, gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, making the other person’s face flush red.
When they looked ready to rush over, Beom Sinje shot them a look to stop, and they froze in disappointment.
“Beom Sinje?”
Doyoung, blocked from seeing the earlier exchange by the cart and Beom Sinje, called out curiously.
“Yes, hyung. Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
* * *
