Side Story 7
This is driving me crazy.
Siwoo placed his hand on his forehead. Whether it was this one or that one, they spouted nonsense at every opportunity, making it impossible not to get angry.
“If you’re the dad, there should be a mom too. Pick one.”
Geonho, who pointed at himself while talking about “one person,” pulled his chair closer. Seojun wasn’t about to sit back and watch this.
“Geonho hyung’s face suits the son better. I’m the daughter.”
“Can’t you see the black fur mixed in? What do you mean they don’t even look alike?”
“I have white skin. You’re just dark.”
Geonho and Seojun both claimed to be the kitten’s mother. Dumbfounded by this ridiculous conversation, Siwoo was at a loss for words. He wondered if these guys had been drinking again without him.
Meow.
“Just ignore them. They’re sick in the head.”
Siwoo carried the kitten to the sofa, away from the noisy ones. Just then, Seojun received a phone call, bringing their conversation to an inconclusive end.
“Yes, Secretary. No. I’m resting right now.”
Seojun, while talking with the secretary, suddenly looked at Siwoo. Aware of the gaze, Siwoo met his eyes.
“Really? They can adopt it right away?”
Siwoo’s arms holding the kitten tensed. It seemed they had found an adopter.
Seojun exchanged a few more words with the secretary and then nodded, finishing the call.
“It’s Secretary’s distant relative.”
He immediately relayed everything the secretary had told him. From what he could tell, the person seemed trustworthy enough to leave the kitten with.
Siwoo stroked the kitten gently while listening attentively.
In fact, there had already been several potential adopters, but Siwoo had rejected them all. He stubbornly waited for a better adopter to appear, citing various reasons.
“What do you think? I think this person seems good enough.”
If it was the secretary’s relative rather than a complete stranger, Siwoo might feel less anxious. Besides, they said if desired, Siwoo could visit after adoption and they would continue sending photos.
“They said they can come pick it up right away if Guide is okay with it.”
“Without even meeting?”
Siwoo covered the kitten with a slightly surprised face. Even though they weren’t forcing the kitten away, he instinctively tried to hide it.
“Han Siwoo.”
Geonho approached Siwoo and placed his hand on his white cheek. In a voice resembling his brother’s, Geonho solemnly murmured.
“We’ve been saying it all along. If you want to keep it, you can.”
Everyone had been saying it since Siwoo and the kitten opened their hearts to each other. If you like it so much, let’s keep it.
The leader hadn’t objected either. He told Siwoo to do whatever he wanted.
But Siwoo had been hesitant until now, unable to make a decision. When potential adopters appeared, he opposed with all sorts of reasons, yet he never said he would keep it himself. He just said he would think about it.
“You don’t need to worry. Just do what you want. We’ll take care of the rest.”
What was he hesitating about? Siwoo hadn’t even explained the reason.
“…I want to think about it for one more week.”
Siwoo mumbled, clutching the kitten’s front paws.
“Is that okay?”
Looking back and forth between Geonho and Seojun, he asked, and the answer came immediately.
“Why even ask?”
“Of course.”
Siwoo smiled broadly and lay down on the sofa with the kitten. Thanks to his reliable espers, his mind was at ease.
“Thank you.”
He still needed more time to think. He wanted to explain the reason after he made his decision.
* * *
“Ah, yes. Sure. That’s fine. Then I’ll tell them we’ll contact them again in a week.”
The secretary smiled gently as he ended the call with Seojun. In fact, he had anticipated that Siwoo would reject this time as well. He had already told his relative that they might not get an immediate answer.
“He could just keep it himself.”
For whatever reason, Guide-nim seemed to need more time to think. The secretary just hoped that Siwoo would make the choice that would make him happier. That was the most important thing for the Baekya Guild.
The Baekya Guild had found peace thanks to Siwoo. The cold atmosphere of the guild, which had felt like walking on thin ice every day, had completely changed after meeting him.
The secretary, walking leisurely down the long corridor, tilted his head when he saw a doctor coming out of Taebeom’s office. He was Taebeom’s attending physician.
“Is the leader unwell?”
The secretary approached the doctor quickly, startled. If he had called him to the office, his condition must be quite bad.
“No, he’s fine. He called me to check his prosthetic hand.”
The doctor reassured the startled secretary, repeatedly explaining that there was really no problem. Only after hearing that he had actually become healthier did the secretary put his worries aside.
He had always been a worrier, but after the incident, he became even more sensitive to the condition of the leader and guild members. He was especially concerned about the health of the leader who had once died and come back to life.
He was relieved about Geonho and Seojun because they spent a lot of time with Siwoo. Jihan still had a lot of fieldwork, but he was the type who was good at taking care of himself, so there was nothing to worry about. He was the type who handled everything well on his own.
“Leader, I’m coming in.”
The secretary opened the door while knocking and scrutinized Taebeom with eagle eyes. If his complexion looked even slightly off, he was ready to send him to the dormitory immediately or send an SOS to Guide-nim.
However, Taebeom looked perfectly fine, as the doctor had said. Sitting upright at his desk, he looked as intimidating and perfect as usual.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. You just look great today as well.”
The secretary returned to his seat, making a frivolous comment. Thinking about it, if the leader’s condition had been bad, Guide-nim would have noticed first.
I forgot. They’ve imprinted on each other.
The secretary smiled brightly and shook his head while touching his forehead. To forget such an important fact. It was so unreal that he still occasionally forgot, even though more than a month had passed.
It was because Taebeom and Siwoo didn’t show it. They acted the same as usual in front of others. They just talked on the phone a bit longer, but didn’t act particularly intimate. It was different when they were alone though.
“Leader, please confirm this.”
Just then, Jihan suddenly appeared from thin air, holding documents.
“A-rank rookie guild assignment table. Some people with incompatible synergies seem to be mixed in, so I changed it a bit.”
He handed the thick documents to Taebeom, waving them. Taebeom didn’t accept them and passed them to the secretary instead. This kind of information didn’t necessarily need Taebeom’s verification.
“Just tell me what you want.”
“You’re really like a ghost sometimes.”
He’d been caught immediately using the document check as an excuse to visit. Jihan smiled shrewdly and revealed his real purpose.
“Let’s cancel our year-end interview.”
“No. Get out.”
Jihan, whose request was flatly rejected, made an exaggeratedly hurt face. Since this topic had been brought up numerous times, Taebeom didn’t budge at all.
“Then at least leave Guide-nim out. Think about it. The day his existence becomes known, everyone will go crazy trying to take him away.”
It was clear that not only domestic but also foreign entities would target Siwoo. They might somehow contact him or persistently follow him, and in severe cases, they might even attempt kidnapping.
He couldn’t understand why the intelligent leader would ignore this clearly foreseeable situation. It’s hard enough to hide him, but to put him on broadcast? It was incomprehensible.
“He won’t be taken away.”
Taebeom’s even, calm voice filled the room. At his unwavering, quiet voice and gaze, Jihan lost the words he was about to say and closed his mouth.
His anxious heart suddenly subsided quickly. With just one sentence.
“Okay. I understand.”
Taebeom commanded people’s hearts even without psychic abilities. His very existence inspired confidence. It meant he hadn’t risen to this position just because of a rare ability. Even after his ability had disappeared, people’s trust in Taebeom remained unchanged.
“Then I’ll trust our leader and rest assured.”
Jihan waved his hand lightly and was about to leave.
“Yoo Jihan.”
Before that, Taebeom stopped Jihan. Wondering if there was something more to say, Jihan waited, but Taebeom just looked at him closely. The secretary also followed Taebeom’s gaze and examined Jihan carefully, then slightly tilted his head.
“Are you sick?”
Jihan’s face was flushed. Like someone with a fever.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
