Cha Eui-jae alternated between looking at two phones. Twelve missed calls from Lee Sa-young, and texts from Jung Bin. He let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead against the steering wheel. He wanted nothing more than to rush to the Seowon Guild and interrogate Nam Woo-jin, asking if he knew anything. But...
"Do whatever you want. Because now, hesitation has taken root in you."
Lee Sa-young's voice, echoing in monts like this— Cha Eui-jae's one and only shackle.
Yeah, fine. Lee Sa-young, you won.
Cha Eui-jae lifted his head. Yoon Ga-eul was looking at him with anxious eyes. Taking off the hat that had been pushed up from leaning his forehead on the wheel, he spoke.
"Ga-eul, do you have sowhere to go?"
"Sowhere to go? ...Well, maybe ho?"
"Won't your parents find it strange?"
"Oh, both of them are at work, so..."
"Then I'll give you a ride."
"Huh? Um, well, I'm not sure but... don't you have more to investigate?"
"I do, but..."
Cha Eui-jae muttered as he rubbed his thumb over the phone showing Lee Sa-young's missed calls.
"There's soone waiting."
"..."
He handed her the other phone.
"Can you give your number? I'll contact you if sothing else cos up."
"Oh, okay."
Yoon Ga-eul quickly typed in her number. Cha Eui-jae saved it and let out a short sigh.
***
After dropping Yoon Ga-eul off, Cha Eui-jae parked the truck in an alley a little distance from the Pado Guild. Technically, it was the goldfish that parked it for him.
Once he put on his mask and changed clothes, the goldfish drove off with the truck on their own. Their ability was really handy. Smacking his lips, Cha Eui-jae walked towards the Pado Guild building.
The mont he entered the lobby, though no one dared to approach, he could feel it— the gazes of everyone in the room glued to him. There wasn't any ill will or hostility, mostly curiosity. After all, he was ranked number one, and the subject of a deep scandal with the Guild Leader.
'Damn it.'
Cha Eui-jae pulled out a keycard from the inner pocket of his jacket and swiped it at the entrance. It was a temporarily issued card. Sohow, the whispers around him seed to grow louder, but he made an effort to ignore them as he quickly disappeared from view.
Back when Lee Sa-young was asleep, Cha Eui-jae would use the guild's private back door, thanks to Bae Won-woo's help. There was nothing to be gained from J staying in one place for too long. However, Lee Sa-young had forbidden the use of the back door and handed him a keycard instead.
"From now on, use the front entrance."
"..."
"Hmm... why that face?"
"I'm fine with how it is now."
"Isn't it better to walk confidently? You're not a rat..."
'You little—'
If only it weren't for that last remark, it could have been a sowhat fond mory. Lee Sa-young always had a way of adding unnecessary words to irritate him.
Cha Eui-jae entered the elevator, inserted the keycard, and pressed the button for the top floor. The view outside rapidly receded. Once the door opened, he sensed soone's presence.
"Oh? It's J!"
Kang Ji-soo waved enthusiastically. Bae Won-woo and Kang Ji-soo were crouched in front of the Guild Leader's office. Cha Eui-jae gave a small nod and asked as he approached.
"What are you two doing here?"
"The Guild Leader kicked us out."
"..."
"Looks like there's sothing they're being briefed on. Where have you been, J?"
"Ah... uh, the Awakened Managent Bureau."
"Ugh."
Kang Ji-soo made a gagging gesture, and Bae Won-woo looked at him with a strangely sympathetic expression. Was the Bureau really that bad? Having spent most of his hunter life with the Bureau, Cha Eui-jae tilted his head.
"Why?"
"Oh, it's just that whenever we go, we hear all sorts of nagging and end up paying fines. Captain Jung Bin— anyway, it's scary when they're angry."
"Yeah, the Director is scary."
"Hmm, I think so too."
Oh, right. Cha Eui-jae rembered his conversation with Ham Seok-jeong. He had ntioned that Jung Bin and Bae Won-woo had brought Lee Sa-young in. So Bae Won-woo had also been affiliated with the Bureau at one point? Since Cha Eui-jae didn't know about it, it must have been after the West Sea rift. He asked.
"The Director said you were part of the Awakened Managent Bureau, working with Jung Bin."
"Really? Ha... well, I wasn't officially part of it."
Bae Won-woo scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
"Because of the West Sea rift... well, manpower was lacking, so they recruited hunters. It was kind of like a rcenary gig."
"Ah, I see..."
"I worked with the captain briefly back then. Then we picked up Lee Sa-young, and when the brat said he wanted to start a guild, I followed him."
"Why?"
Soone like Bae Won-woo could have gotten a decent position even within the Bureau. With that experience, he could have joined any reputable guild. So why did he follow a newbie like the freshly awakened Lee Sa-young? Bae Won-woo glanced around before smiling awkwardly.
"Well... I was concerned about his health, and... his dream was big."
"Dream?"
"He said he was going to reopen closed rifts."
"..."
"Isn't that an extraordinary idea? Reopening closed rifts. It's sothing only a kid could dream of, not the hardened minds of adults."
Reopen a closed rift. Anyone with common sense could understand the implications of that statent.
'Reopening the West Sea rift.'
And whatever was inside...
At that mont, the door opened silently. A black-haired head wearing sunglasses popped out. Seo Min-gi. He looked at the two crouched in front of the door and then at J standing there, and said,
"The Guild Leader says to tell the Vice-Guild Leader that he's been rambling about the past too much because he's old. Ti to knock it off."
"Hey! Say that in front of soone else, and you'll get mobbed for calling them old!"
The black-haired head disappeared back inside but popped out again.
"He says he doesn't care."
"Ah, seriously."
"Also, the Guild Leader says both Vice-Guild Leader Bae Won-woo and Hunter Kang Ji-soo should return to their posts, and J is the only one to co inside."
"See? He just wants to hog J all to himself again!"
"Guild Leader! You know you have to finish that paperwork by the end of today, right?"
"He says get lost now."
"This guy... it's like he's using the Guild Leader as an excuse to say what he wants."
"Yeah, I was thinking the sa thing, Ji-soo."
"He says shut up."
"Hey, you're coming with . This is ridiculous."
"Non-violence... ouch!"
Seo Min-gi got dragged off by his tie. Even while being pulled, he made eye contact with Cha Eui-jae and winked through his sunglasses. What was that wink for? It made Cha Eui-jae uneasy. Giving a stiff nod, Cha Eui-jae cautiously entered through the slightly open door.
Inside the spacious Guild Leader's office, Lee Sa-young was sitting at his desk, wearing a shirt without a tie, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was flipping through a file but looked up when Cha Eui-jae entered. Was it the different outfit? For so reason, Cha Eui-jae felt unusually tense. Lee Sa-young's gaze slowly traveled from the top of Cha Eui-jae's head to his feet, and his violet eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"Seems like you had fun? Not answering my calls."
Propping his chin on his interlocked hands, he spoke. Cha Eui-jae, feeling oddly defensive, replied more bluntly than usual.
"Hey, how could I take a call while talking to an elder?"
"I take calls."
That's because you're rude. Cha Eui-jae swallowed back the words. Pushing up his slipping glasses, Lee Sa-young rested his chin in his hands again. The pen between his long fingers twitched.
"So?"
"What do you an, so?"
"What did you talk about?"
Why did it feel like Lee Sa-young already knew everything? Cha Eui-jae scratched his head and answered.
"Just talked about the old days. Why?"
"You could've told too... I've been stuck in here all day."
Lee Sa-young beckoned him over with his hand. Cha Eui-jae clicked his tongue.
"What, waving your hand at an elder like that?"
"So, are you not coming?"
"..."
As Cha Eui-jae finally started walking over, a low chuckle escaped Lee Sa-young's lips. Cha Eui-jae stood across from him, the desk between them. Was it just his imagination, or did Lee Sa-young's gaze look more mischievous than usual? Cha Eui-jae swallowed nervously. A pale, delicate hand stretched out in front of him, palm up. A long, thin scar ran across the center of that pretty, pale palm.
"...What?"
"Your hand."
He wanted Cha Eui-jae's hand? Cha Eui-jae placed his hand on top of Lee Sa-young's. Lee Sa-young removed his glasses, set them aside, and gently pulled Cha Eui-jae's hand towards him. He then pressed Cha Eui-jae's palm to his cheek, closing his eyes. Cha Eui-jae's eyes widened. The cold, soft cheek filling his palm and the faint tickle of eyelashes brushing against his fingers made him feel uneasy. His lips moved to speak.
"Now I feel a bit better..."
Watching Lee Sa-young rest his face on his hand stirred a warm, soft feeling deep in Cha Eui-jae's chest, like a gentle spring breeze. He tightly clenched his other hand, hidden behind his back. Then.
"...But."
Lee Sa-young's teeth lightly grazed the plump part of Cha Eui-jae's palm. Cha Eui-jae frowned. What now? Lee Sa-young slowly opened his eyes.
"Did you eat sothing with Ham Seok-jeong? Like street food?"
Ah, crap.
"It slls sweet..."
Of course it does, since he'd stirred the tteokbokki a hundred tis with that hand!
Cha Eui-jae replied casually, trying to play it off.
"Yeah, I ate at a street food stall nearby."
"I see... You must have eaten well. Considering you were wearing a mask."
"..."
As Cha Eui-jae awkwardly turned his head, Lee Sa-young bit his wrist. It didn't hurt. Lee Sa-young looked at the faint teeth marks left on Cha Eui-jae's wrist with satisfaction before letting out a dramatic sigh, as if on purpose.
"Honestly, you're always lying... And you're terrible at it too."
"What."
"Never mind. I'll let this lie slide. I won't even ask what you were doing."
What's going on? No way. What are you planning now? Cha Eui-jae studied Lee Sa-young with suspicion. Lee Sa-young only smiled, softly tickling Cha Eui-jae's hand.
"But."
As expected, there's sothing up. No way this guy would let sothing like this pass so easily. Cha Eui-jae glared at Lee Sa-young through the mask, curious to see what unreasonable demand he'd make this ti. Lee Sa-young interlaced their fingers, bringing Cha Eui-jae's hand to his lips.
"For the general assembly, enter with ."
"..."
"Wearing the clothes I prepared."
Cha Eui-jae could feel Lee Sa-young's lips curve into a smile against the back of his hand.
"Not as my secretary, but as J."
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