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Though he sat under the lighting, his face had looked strangely dark due to being so tense, but it instantly became bright. Just from one word from Samin.
It was like a flower blooming from a huddled bud. Samin continued speaking while looking at Doun as if enchanted. If Doun could smile by selling his own dark history, that was enough for him.
“I saw that old man suddenly collapse and groan in pain, so I thought he needed the bathroom urgently. Back then I didn’t really know about such things.”
“Really, haa…”
Doun held back his laughter and took a deep breath.
“That day our family bought the full family photo package. We bought so many from the large frames to small frames that, no lie, they’re hanging in every room at my family home.”
“Yeah.”
“When I moved out, my parents took out something else from the storage room besides the frame that was in my room.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“It was a new one they’d put in storage because there were leftovers even after hanging them in every room.”
“At that point, weren’t they dumped on?”
“That’s what I’m saying! I said I didn’t want to take it, but my father pushed it on me saying I should bear the weight of my mischief, so well, it’s hanging in the small room at my place. I’ll show it to you when you come visit my house later. There are family photos taken when we were all grown up too, but I don’t know why they insisted on giving me that one.”
Thanks to Samin’s dark history revelation, Doun was able to laugh comfortably, forgetting he was even being photographed. By the time Doun became stiff again, belatedly conscious of the photographer’s presence, the shoot was over.
Only retouching remained. The photographer who moved to where the computer was placed brought up several photos he liked at once and gave his personal impressions.
“I like these two the best. There doesn’t seem to be anything to retouch and the expressions came out so naturally well.”
Both photos the photographer chose showed Doun smiling. However, the atmospheres were completely different.
One showed him smiling faintly, while the other had a bright smile that made even the viewer smile along. They were all taken when he was laughing or concentrating while listening to Samin’s dark history.
“Which one do you like, Doun-ssi?”
“…This one.”
The photo Doun pointed to was the one where he was smiling brightly. Actually, he wanted to choose the photo where he was smiling slightly. But choosing that one outright felt like revealing his depression patient status, so he hesitated. If he hadn’t impulsively declared his depression in the park, he would have chosen the subtly smiling photo without hesitation.
“Oh. I was secretly hoping hyung would choose that one too. Did our telepathy work?”
Samin, who was standing behind the chair, bent his upper body forward and chuckled. At the voice drilling into his ear, Doun couldn’t help but flinch his shoulders.
‘His face is too close…?’
As their faces got closer, he kept remembering the kiss he’d allowed in the living room yesterday. Since Samin seemed like he had no shame, it felt like he’d casually kiss him again even if someone was watching.
“How should we do the retouching?”
“Uh… retouching, just not too weird…”
Doun could barely turn his head at the photographer’s question.
“Hmm. I’ll just lightly fix the hair that’s a bit sticking up here and the shirt collar. Actually there’s not much to retouch. Haha.”
At the photographer’s answer, Samin grinned and chimed in.
“Eunseong uncle. Our Doun hyung’s face is insane, right?”
“I know. How did someone like this get caught by your guild?”
“I won’t tell you. Ah, if you retouch it weirdly, I might smash the studio. If you ruin our hyung’s face, that’s destruction of national treasure.”
At the extreme flattery, Doun’s face instantly turned bright red.
“Hey. I’m embarrassed, so stop talking. Please.”
“Ah… Should I keep my mouth shut now? Okay?”
When Doun poked him with his elbow, Samin made a sad face and shrank.
“Geez. Living to see the #1 ranker’s face in person. Such days come too. Actually, I may look like this but I’m a hunter who’s been to the 22nd floor.”
At the photographer’s casual chat while working, Doun’s eyes widened.
“You do conquests and photography too?”
“I liked taking photos more than towers so I quit being a hunter. Money-wise being a hunter is better, but as I got older, I couldn’t ignore the high risk burden.”
“That’s true.”
Doun nodded. He also liked tower conquest, but couldn’t refute the assessment that the risk burden was high.
“Look, here’s before editing and…”
Samin decided to comfortably head to the bathroom while watching Doun converse with the photographer with a relaxed face. Being so close and smelling Doun’s warm skin scent, he’d been dying since a while ago.
“Hyung. I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Yeah.”
Doun’s gaze remained directed at the monitor as he answered. He couldn’t take his eyes off watching the photo gradually get tidied up with just a few clicks – it was just amazing.
“It doesn’t show at all, but how does it become like this?”
“Technology has gotten better these days.”
Excited by Doun’s pure admiration, the photographer took advantage of Samin’s absence to share various small talk.
“These days hunter guilds are increasingly becoming like companies, so they have websites and need lots of photos to post there. But Samin is the only guild master I’ve seen who pays for guild members’ photo shoots instead. Guilds sound nice, but they’re actually freelancer gatherings.”
Even though guilds were gradually adopting company-like systems, hunters were still heterogeneous beings who couldn’t easily mix with ordinary people. As hunters who abused skills to commit crimes increased, and despite high death rates, ordinary people’s views toward top rankers who tried to conquer towers ran to extremes.
Recklessly crazy bastards who voluntarily sought dangerous places, or pioneers who risked their lives to advance into seemingly impossible unknown territories.
Either misunderstood or understood. It was one or the other.
“That bastard Samin may look like that, but he’s extremely devoted to his people.”
“…Yes.”
“Yeoun Guild is a decent place, so I hope you get along well. Well, it’s not really something for a washed-up hunter meeting Doun-ssi for the first time today to say. Haha. The 1st and 2nd rankers will handle things well, but this old man is being meddlesome with age. Right?”
At the photographer’s awkward laugh, Doun shook his head.
“…No. Thank you for saying that.”
Doun gathered his social skills to make an awkward smile. Hearing Samin’s praise from someone else’s mouth felt strange. The Yeoun Guild-affiliated restaurant owner had said something similar.
‘Even if Samin is a bit weird sometimes, he’s loyal, and above all, he takes amazingly good care of his people. Mag, um, Doun-ssi will understand if you keep staying with him.’
One person could be questionable, but two people gave similar assessments. It really meant he was affectionate and loyal in others’ eyes too.
‘Why does a guy like that like me?’
Doun pouted for no reason while looking at his photo filling the screen. Just a few days ago he’d been standing like a ghost making death faces every time he looked in the mirror, yet here he was laughing about something so enjoyable.
‘It must be thanks to Samin…’
He felt anew that he’d done well to accept Samin’s guild invitation. As the photographer’s mouse clicking sounds continued, Samin returned from the bathroom and asked.
“Uncle, are you almost done retouching?”
“Yeah. Retouching goes smoothly when I’m talking behind your back.”
The photographer who had just been praising Samin answered with a mischievous smile. Then Samin glared.
“Wow. How can uncle do this to me?”
Doun became flustered at suddenly being caught in the middle, and the photographer burst into hearty laughter.
“This guy can’t take a joke.”
Doun quickly nodded.
“Right. The photographer wasn’t saying anything bad.”
“Hmm. If hyung says so, then it must be so. I’ll believe it.”
Samin, who had seemed ready to rampage, nodded and grinned as if nothing had happened.
“Where’s the bathroom?”
“Go out to that hallway and it’s at the right end.”
“Got it.”
When Doun left his seat, the studio became quiet again. As if waiting for this moment, Samin looked around then secretly whispered to the working photographer.
“Uncle. I’ll pay extra, so give me all the data you shot of our hyung today.”
“All of it?”
“Yes. Everything.”
There were often cases of receiving several additional original data files, but asking for everything was a first. The photographer thought for a moment then agreed.
“Hmm. But this friend’s face really has nothing to touch up.”
“No matter how I look at it, our hyung looks better in person. The camera can’t capture all of this. You’re not using a cheap camera, are you uncle?”
“Hey, this guy?”
Watching the photographer get indignant, Samin grinned. He wanted to hurry and brag to others that this cool, cute, and pretty Lee Doun belonged to his guild.
When Doun returned from the bathroom, the photographer showed him the original and retouched versions, explaining what was modified. Then he took out a business card from the card case on the desk.
“Samin asked for all the photos of Doun-ssi taken today, but if you need retouching later, please contact me. I’ll do it once for free.”
Even though he casually mentioned that Samin had asked for all the photos, Doun didn’t feel anything strange and preciously received the business card the photographer handed him.
“You can also contact me when you want photos taken. I always welcome Doun-ssi.”
He knew it was common lip service, but since the 44th floor conquest, this was the third time receiving a hunter’s business card besides Samin.
The first was Park Sangyeon who he met in the guild building lobby, the second was restaurant owner Choi Seongbeom whom Samin had taken him to meet. And today photographer Hwang Eunseong’s business card was added.
Every time the business cards preciously kept in his bedroom nightstand drawer accumulated one by one, Doun felt proud. Because it seemed like his mental preparation to return to society was complete.
“Can I really contact you?”
He knew that asking this in response to lip service was unsophisticated and pathetic. But Doun really wanted to ask at least once.
Whether they really wouldn’t treat him like a murderer and would actually take his calls.
He wanted to tell his past self, who desperately wanted to hear even lip service, that such a day had come.
“Of course. You’re completely welcome. Come secretly without Samin. That guy can only take selfies but gives too much unwanted advice.”
Photographer Eunseong answered with a bright smile. Just like the Yeoun Guild members who smiled at him every time they saw him at guild dinners.
Doun could smile comfortably while looking at the photographer whose kind wrinkles formed around his eyes. He felt a little happy.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
