#60
Do-hyeok’s house was bleak. It was partly because it was too spacious for one person living alone, but it was more likely because the homeowner didn’t have much attachment to the space called home. The reason he insisted on a large house despite this was because this place had good privacy protection. Other than that, he had no great attachment or inspiration for this house. It was just a place to rest his body from after work until before going to work—nothing more, nothing less.
But lately, that dry house felt a bit different.
“Hey, what are you doing putting so much salt in? Do you know why Koreans get sick? It’s because they eat too salty food.”
When he was making dinner, Ha-seong would scurry over and interfere from the side.
“But if the house is this spacious, how do you clean it? There’s no way you do it yourself.”
He would throw useless questions at him at any time.
“Hey, want to go out and buy ice cream?”
Things he had never done before in his daily life increasingly happened together. Like going out to a convenience store late at night after finishing dinner, and so on.
And what gave the most different feeling was, of course.
“Have a good day.”
When he went to work, Ha-seong would always come out to the entrance and wave his hand. Sometimes he would come out half-asleep, not fully awake, and wave his hand, which was really strange. He felt an uncontrollable impulse for a moment, making him feel unfamiliar with himself.
So he had asked once. Why did he bother coming out every morning to see him off? When he asked because it seemed like he was going out of his way to do something bothersome, Ha-seong said casually:
“Well. There’s no particular reason? It’s because of someone, but since we’re living together for now, it would be a bit much not to see you off.”
It wasn’t an understandable answer. But he didn’t ask further. If he pried too much and Ha-seong got upset and stopped greeting him every morning, that would be problematic.
And today, just like any other day, Do-hyeok left the house at the same time. Ha-seong’s tousled hair was particularly noticeable as he said have a good day.
“Aren’t you going?”
When he stared blankly, Ha-seong asked strangely.
“I’m going.”
For a moment, he seemed to have thought about wanting to ruffle that hair. He didn’t know why he had such a thought. Originally, Do-hyeok had no feelings about touching someone. If anything, he would lean toward dislike. But that day when he went to the Hunter Management Bureau to meet Yoon Woo-bin. He held hands with Ha-seong for the first time.
It was contact with no personal elements involved at all. But he didn’t dislike it. Ha-seong’s warmth was warmer than expected, his hands were smaller than his own, and his skin was soft. He just had such thoughts. Strange thoughts he couldn’t identify made him curious, and he insisted on continuing to hold hands for ridiculous reasons.
Still, he couldn’t find the reason. He momentarily wondered if he had found an excuse to hold hands, but he couldn’t know even that.
“Good morning, Guild Leader.”
Receiving greetings from guild members coming to work one by one at the Nameless building, Do-hyeok entered the building. As he was about to scan his ID card and go up, one side of the lobby was noisy.
“No, look. I’m telling you it won’t work unless you made an appointment. Moreover, how can we just let in someone whose identity we can’t verify?”
“You guys. I’m telling you I know the guild leader here.”
“Yes. I understand. When the guild leader comes, we’ll check and let you know again. Until then, please don’t make a fuss and sit over there.”
“What? Fuss? When did I make a fuss? These young people these days.”
The security guard in charge of the lobby was dealing with someone with a somewhat troubled and tired expression. And he could guess who that target was without even looking. Among the people Do-hyeok knew, there was only one elderly person with that voice who would suddenly come here asking if he knew the guild leader.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh? You’re here.”
Then the security guard who recognized Do-hyeok bowed his head. He approached as if to explain the situation, but Do-hyeok waved his hand as if he already understood the whole situation.
“Why are you causing trouble in someone else’s guild?”
“Does this look like causing trouble to you? Rude bastard.”
At Dal-pyeong’s unrestrained words, the security guard began to glance at Do-hyeok. Whether he should step in or not, his dilemma was clearly reflected in his rolling eyes.
“Let’s go up first.”
Thinking this wasn’t the place to talk, Do-hyeok took Dal-pyeong up to the guild leader’s office. Then Shin-woo, who had come to work earlier than Do-hyeok, greeted him.
“Good morn… huh?”
Shin-woo recognized Dal-pyeong and bowed his head. The two had met exactly once before, almost strangers. Shin-woo only knew Dal-pyeong as Do-hyeok’s acquaintance.
“A guest has come.”
“The hospitality is fine, so go about your business.”
“Yes.”
Do-hyeok entered the guild leader’s office with Dal-pyeong. Then Dal-pyeong put down the backpack he had brought on the desk with a thud and rubbed his shoulders.
“Why are you refusing my hospitality?”
“Why did you suddenly come? Without even contacting me.”
Do-hyeok stared at the bag Dal-pyeong had put down. It clearly looked like it weighed several kilograms, and he found it amazing that this old man had carried it here without any trouble.
“I was going to contact you. I changed my phone and your number got deleted, so I couldn’t.”
Well, it wasn’t a strange relationship anyway. Dal-pyeong and Do-hyeok. Those two could be considered as close as family, but in reality, they had lived like strangers for long periods without seeing each other. They only saw each other’s faces occasionally when there was business.
Still, they didn’t worry about each other. They both had the personality of thinking the other was living well somewhere on their own.
“But well, I was going to come visit regardless of contact.”
“So. What’s the reason?”
“Why? You came to me first talking about some Founding thing.”
“……Did you make it?”
This was something he hadn’t thought of. That day he had gone to Dal-pyeong without notice and asked him to remake the broken measuring device, but he had thought it would take considerable time. It was such a precise item. But not long after, Dal-pyeong appeared before him.
Perhaps when he got off work today, he could give Ha-seong an unexpected gift, he thought.
“I did bring it……”
Dal-pyeong pointed to the huge backpack. So there was a reason that bag was so huge.
“But I couldn’t complete it.”
“……What?”
Do-hyeok turned his head sharply with a deflated expression. When he glared at him with eyes asking why he came then, Dal-pyeong cleared his throat.
“I made it halfway, but strangely the progress isn’t going well.”
“That’s grandfather’s problem.”
“This little bastard. I’m going through the trouble of finding rare ore and making it for you.”
Dal-pyeong scolded him not to talk like he was well-fed.
“So I want to change the work environment a bit.”
“……”
For a moment, an ominous premonition flashed by. There had been a time like this long ago. It was when Do-hyeok had just established Nameless. Dal-pyeong had suddenly come to Seoul, so he thought he was going to give him a gift to commemorate establishing the guild.
Of course, half of it was right. Dal-pyeong had brought a measuring device that day as a guild establishment congratulatory gift, but it was unfinished just like now. Saying he couldn’t finish it because he came up in a hurry, Dal-pyeong stayed at Do-hyeok’s house for several days from that day, making and completing the measuring device.
“Come to think of it, I completed it at your house then too. I have to follow the exact same process to get the same item.”
He was about to say what kind of dog-eating-grass nonsense that was, but realizing his opponent was Dal-pyeong, Do-hyeok decided to stop. That top-skilled item craftsman was eccentric, eccentric. He had a history of suddenly going on a world tour saying inspiration wasn’t coming, and even when he completed items, he would destroy expensive weapons with costly materials, saying he didn’t like them.
“So.”
“Let me stay at your house for a few days. You said to make the Founding quickly.”
Do-hyeok had nothing to say and kept his mouth shut. It was true that he had asked for the measuring device to be made quickly, so he had nothing more to say. Actually, Ha-seong occasionally asked how the Founding incident was concluded, so he was planning to tell him like a gift when Dal-pyeong contacted him.
After deliberation, Do-hyeok nodded. Anyway, even if he refused, that eccentric grandfather wouldn’t back down, and it was a clear fact that when he did such strange behavior, amazingly perfect top-grade items would come out.
He just hoped Ha-seong wouldn’t be surprised.
* * *
When he returned home with Dal-pyeong, Ha-seong fortunately didn’t seem surprised. However, he had a puzzled expression. His eyes demanded an explanation of the situation, and Dal-pyeong was the same.
“What, do you live with others now too?”
Dal-pyeong asked Ha-seong immediately upon seeing him.
“Ah, that’s not it. I’m a Nameless employee who is temporarily staying at this house due to circumstances.”
Ha-seong seemed to think Dal-pyeong was Do-hyeok’s guest, so he greeted him politely and introduced himself. Then Dal-pyeong looked at Ha-seong with subtle eyes.
“Hyung, it’s fine. You don’t need to treat him like that. This person also came to our house for similar reasons as hyung.”
“Really?”
“That guy’s right. I also came to stay for a while. My name is Park Dal-pyeong.”
Before Ha-seong could bow his head, Dal-pyeong extended his hand. It also meant that although he was an elder, he didn’t need to be so polite to him. Ha-seong grabbed his hand without hesitation.
“……”
Dal-pyeong keenly observed Ha-seong’s hand that he was shaking.
“Hyung, let’s go in.”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Do-hyeok stopped Ha-seong from trying to help with Dal-pyeong’s luggage and walked down the corridor with him. Dal-pyeong looked down intently at the hand he had shaken with Ha-seong.
“Why did that guy bring a monster into his house?”
Dal-pyeong chuckled and went inside with his luggage.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
