17
“Ah, yes… Of course.”
Doun ended up shaking hands with him in confusion. He wondered what all this was about. Just as he was about to sit down on the sofa at the polite gesture to sit for a moment.
“Ah, I told you not to put that kind of pressure on hyung!”
A familiar voice echoed through the lobby. Like Doun who had left home early to arrive before the appointment time, Samin had also planned to wait for Doun in the lobby. But Doun’s arrival had been faster.
Samin, dressed in particularly emphasized thug fashion today, glared at the hunter next to Doun.
“A handshake is fine though. Don’t be petty.”
“No way. Our hyung is shy with strangers! And your face looks scary!”
They seemed quite close, as the words they exchanged were light and friendly.
“You used to say it was good because I looked like I’d chase away solicitors well!”
“That’s true, but you have a face that would chase away our hyung too.”
Samin snorted and cleanly ignored the hunter’s rebuttal. Doun, caught between the two, was just rolling his eyes around trying to figure out the situation.
“…Hmm. You came earlier than I thought?”
Samin slickly sat down next to Doun and spoke affectionately. Doun nodded and looked up at the hunter standing beside them. When their eyes met, the hunter quickly took out a business card case from inside his suit jacket.
“I’m Park Sangyeon. My contact information and nickname are written on the card.”
He awkwardly received the business card handed over politely with both hands.
[Yeoun Guild Hunter Park Sangyeon (B)]
[upkite]
Doun muttered as he scanned the letters written on the smooth, thick paper.
“Upkite… Aha…”
This person also seemed to use a nickname that was a direct English translation of his name. It was a common case, so he wasn’t surprised. But unlike the indifferent Doun, the man who had introduced himself as Park Sangyeon turned bright red and left, saying he had to go.
“…Did I make some mistake?”
“No. He’s just embarrassed about his nickname. Even though I told him it was fine and cool, I guess he doesn’t like it himself.”
Samin shrugged and changed the subject, telling him not to worry about it.
“If we go there from 12 o’clock, there will be too many people, so how about going around 1 o’clock when it gets quiet? If you say it’s okay even with many people, we’ll just go at 12.”
“1 o’clock? Isn’t that too late? It’s 11 o’clock now. What are we supposed to do for 2 hours?”
“What do you mean what to do? You can hang out with me in the office. Meet Jiyoon noona again, who’s about to be fired from sub-guild master, and I’ll give you a tour of the guild building. 2 hours will pass quickly.”
Doun’s eyebrows twitched at the modifier “about to be fired from sub-guild master.”
“Why would you fire a sub-guild master who’s just staying put?”
It was a position he’d never wanted. It was perfect for the saying about a rolling stone displacing a settled stone, but was he crazy enough to accept that proposal?
“Because I promised hyung. I said if you come to our guild, I’d make you at least sub-guild master, at most guild master. A man can’t say two things with one mouth.”
“I never said I liked that idea.”
“Wow. But you’re not saying you won’t come to our guild either?”
It was such natural boldness that it seemed like he’d started talking just to say this. Doun clenched his fist resting on his thigh. He’d have no regrets if he could just hit him once.
“Let’s go up first. There are more solicitors in the lobby than I thought.”
It might be quiet now, but after the sighting reports of the two appeared on the Veritas board, many people had been peeking around the Yeoun Guild lobby, keeping them busy chasing them away. If Samin hadn’t counter-photographed the faces of people hovering around with their phones, they would still be gathered here.
‘They’re at it again.’
Samin signaled to Sangyeon who was guarding the lobby entrance. Embarrassed about his nickname ‘upkite,’ he nodded and hardened his face completely.
Just from his appearance, he looked fierce enough to be mistaken for a gangster-turned-hunter. He was a hunter who had contributed to the rumor that Yeoun Guild was actually formed by gathering gangsters who had wielded some power in certain districts.
“But you came without a hat today?”
“…I’m kind of regretting it.”
“What? Coming here? Agreeing to eat with me? Saying you’d think positively about joining the guild? Which one?”
Samin poured out questions while leading Doun to the elevator. The inner elevator had actually become one that only Samin used. All the guild members who didn’t want to encounter their crazy guild master avoided the inner elevator.
Samin quickly pressed the top floor button and slyly put his hand on Doun’s shoulder.
“Why aren’t you answering? Hyung. I’m dying here.”
“I was talking about the hat.”
“Ah. The hat.”
“Why? Do you feel anxious without a hat?”
Doun hesitated for a moment. It would be a bit much to say yes, but saying no wouldn’t make sense either.
“I feel anxious without this ring.”
“Ring…?”
Doun’s gaze went to Samin’s large hands. As if he was someone with a grudge against accessories, he had several rings on his fingers, but the ring he pointed to was on his left ring finger.
“This is a ring that’s been passed down in our family.”
“So?”
“If I lose this, my parents said they’d disown me, so without this ring I really feel so anxious I can’t even breathe. I haven’t even inherited half the family fortune yet.”
What kind of crazy person is this? Doun was shocked but also stared down at Samin’s fingers. They were large hands with protruding knuckles. The ring on his ring finger had a smooth shape but had a blue gemstone embedded in the center.
‘So there are things like family heirloom rings.’
Even when his parents and younger sibling were alive, his family hadn’t been very wealthy. It had been a life of moving from one monthly rental to another, worrying about overdue electricity bills, so he’d never heard of rings passed down through family generations.
“The ring is pretty.”
At Doun’s response, which was no different from meaningless small talk, the elevator doors opened. It was the top floor where the guild master’s office was located. Since he’d been here once before, it was a familiar place, so Doun tried to get off first, but Samin was just standing blankly inside the elevator.
“…What are you doing?”
When Doun glanced back, Samin exhaled and stepped out.
“Hyung, you seduce people too randomly at any time, it’s a big problem.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“You’re not even aware of it.”
At words that could be either lamentation or complaint, Doun’s eyes sharpened. Suddenly talking about rings and then spouting this nonsense. He was someone whose conversation flow was impossible to follow.
“Well, please come in. Prospective sub-guild master-nim.”
Samin grabbed Doun’s hesitating shoulders from behind and pushed him into the office. Being pushed forward while walking, Doun was busy making weak protests.
“Wait. I said I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Wow. Your ambition is extraordinary too. Fine. Prospective guild master-nim. I’ll give my position to hyung. Please take good care of our rabbit-like Yeoun Guild… Ahhh!”
Finally, Samin, who got hit in the solar plexus by Doun’s elbow, screamed. Choi Jiyoon, who had been watching this scene from the office, clicked her tongue.
“You’re here? We meet again.”
It was meant to be a friendly greeting, but given the situation, Doun felt as uncomfortable as if sitting on a bed of nails.
“Hello…”
At the shy greeting, Choi Jiyoon made a pitying expression. Poor Magnetic being dragged around after getting caught by that crazy Kyung Samin. He really has no luck with people. How is he surrounded only by guys like this?
Choi Jiyoon pitied Magnetic inwardly, but the problem was her appearance. With her sharply raised eyes and pupils large enough to be described as bulging, when Choi Jiyoon with her cold impression narrowed her eyes and stared, 100 out of 100 people would think:
‘Is there something she doesn’t like?’
Doun was no exception. Unable to make eye contact, he was busy not knowing what to do with himself like a guilty criminal.
‘I should say it’s a misunderstanding. But I can’t speak because I’m reading the room…’
Doun’s first impression of Choi Jiyoon had clearly been ‘a woman with a rough personality who doesn’t match her face.’ Enough to make him feel meddlesome concern that she’d be taken advantage of like himself in the harsh hunter world.
But since Samin had come in spouting nonsense about prospective sub-guild master and such, even the most oblivious person would feel the need to read the room.
“Um, Magnetic-nim?”
At the sound calling him, Doun’s head snapped up. It had been a while since he’d heard his nickname face to face, and he’d always felt a sense of distance from his own nickname.
“Please call me Lee Doun.”
“Oh… Right. Doun-ssi. Are you uncomfortable being called by your nickname?”
“I’m just more comfortable with my name.”
At Doun’s answer, Samin quickly sat him down on the sofa. Then he took out his phone and started looking for the menu.
“Should I order that thing you drank last time again? Peach smoothie?”
“No. I want something else…”
It was a bit uncomfortable talking with Choi Jiyoon, so it was fortunate that Samin interrupted with conversation. Doun brightened up and leaned forward to choose from the menu.
“Iced americano? I thought hyung liked sweet things.”
Samin tilted his head as if Doun’s choice was unexpected.
“I don’t really eat sweet things usually. It’s not that I’m picky about it.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Samin didn’t pry for detailed reasons. After politely asking Choi Jiyoon about her menu choice and finishing the order, he suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“…?”
“Just a moment.”
Samin briefly touched the startled Doun’s shoulder then began rummaging through a pile of boxes stacked in the corner of the office. Soon after, he came back holding something wrapped in rustling plastic.
“Hyung, would you like to wear this hat for now if you need one urgently?”
Doun narrowed his eyes looking down at the pitch-black lump Samin handed him. Wondering if he was seeing things wrong. But the letters written in the center of the black baseball cap were clear.
‘Yeoun’
Doun opened his mouth speechlessly at the hat that gave off the strong feeling of being custom-made for guild members as a group. For a moment, he was grateful to be wearing a mask.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
