Chapter 49
He was curious about who he had tried charm experiments on and how, but first Eunseong needed to resolve the questions where the premise didn’t match. The three hunters’ attention focused instantly.
“I’m asking because there seems to be something that doesn’t quite add up, but don’t items discriminate by grade? All the items brought here are too high-level for me… Am I remembering wrong?”
“You’ve grown.”
Mujin immediately gave an answer as if the question was trivial.
“I’ve grown?”
Mujin just shrugged with an enigmatic expression. Ha Yera, frustrated, continued the explanation.
“When oppa got beaten to a pulp fighting in the Huiseon building. Even though Hunter Lee Haesu was keeping watch, Hunter Baek Mujin stubbornly insisted… and used all kinds of items in the recovery room.”
“So that’s why I’ve grown?”
When Eunseong, taking it literally, pointed to the top of his head, Mujin couldn’t help but chuckle. Cute guy.
“As if you’d grow taller.”
As if to clear away Mujin’s teasing, Ha Yera waved her hands and stepped forward.
“All the items worked on oppa then. So we were like, oh, this works—”
“Hyung didn’t know. Ready-made products for civilian buyers are manufactured at N-grade. If S-grade performance was released to the market, it would be total chaos. What’s here now is stuff I upgraded specifically for Eunseong hyung. Didn’t you notice the protective glasses are incredibly high-grade too?”
“Actually, item performance depends on understanding of power, so I think oppa’s production-type bloodline might have shone through.”
“Hyung probably got rewarded for doing good deeds.”
“Complete transformation? Is that why oppa’s skin is so good?”
With the two of them chattering around him, he couldn’t concentrate at all. Eunseong snatched the ice pack Mujin was holding and put it on his own forehead. The ice had all melted, making sloshing water sounds.
Mujin touched Eunseong’s cheek with his fingertip.
“Don’t worry about guild finances, just choose comfortably. Pick what seems good for you to use.”
“How did you know?”
“How could I not know that?”
When Eunseong looked suspicious, Mujin looked incredulous.
“I really do have a lot of money, you know? And you’re allowed to use that much.”
Whew— Joo Hyeonwoo playfully whistled from beside them.
The knee that had been touching his since earlier was hot. His gaze was definitely serious, but perhaps because of his flushed cheeks from fever, it sounded a bit childish. Eunseong reached out and grabbed Mujin’s wrist. The fever was higher than he’d expected.
“How many hours has it been since you took fever reducers?”
“One hour?”
“……What’s your temperature now?”
It was when a somewhat surprised Eunseong was trying to check the wristwatch.
Mujin slowly pulled his hand away. Then he walked to the other side of the table and sat down, burying himself in the wing chair. Ignoring Eunseong’s question and pulling away and distancing himself was both completely natural and utterly unnatural.
“……”
Since it was the first time experiencing this, Eunseong curled up his embarrassed hand. As if Mujin intended to properly ignore him, he even avoided eye contact by unnecessarily examining the panel where items were placed.
What the hell.
Silence fell at the obviously deliberate behavior, and Eunseong felt a bit awkward. When he looked at Ha Yera, she just shrugged as if she didn’t know either.
Maybe he doesn’t want to take medicine.
Eunseong stared intently at Mujin sitting across from him. The person in question seemed to have no thoughts about it, playing with Curry indifferently.
What looked like Mujin tapping the table like playing piano would seem like meaningless fidgeting to others’ eyes, but to Eunseong’s eyes, he could see Curry excited about hunting games like it had become an eagle.
“Oppa, what are you doing. You need to choose items.”
“Oh, yeah……”
It was Ha Yera who refreshed the atmosphere. Eunseong could focus on the items using her urging as an excuse. When he carefully selected a few that seemed okay for him to use, mainly ones made by Joo Hyeonwoo, enthusiastic applause poured out.
“How can you choose so well? Eunseong hyung has the best eye!”
“Then oppa’s outing preparations are all done now. When is the Sayeong Guild buffer coming?”
Eunseong laughed at the mention of outing preparations. As long as Mujin maintained his stance that his identity must be hidden, they had to go register a fake identity at the Rift Control Agency. It was definitely closer to criminal activity than an outing, but he didn’t bother pointing that out.
“The buffer who agreed to help with treatment is already here. For the skill helper side, I’m in this condition.”
Mujin answered the question instead. He looked extremely tired for some reason.
“What does Hunter Baek Mujin being sick have to do with Eunseong oppa’s training?”
“Ah, we decided to do it together with Mujin.”
“Ridiculous. Why don’t you just sleep together too. People who say time is tight.”
Ha Yera snorted as she gathered up the unselected items and stood up. Mujin didn’t even pretend to listen, but she also had the personality to say what needed to be said.
“Hunter Baek Mujin, I understand the anxious feelings… but you know Eunseong oppa isn’t such a weak person.”
She trailed off while looking at Eunseong. Though he might not know it himself, Ha Yera knew how solid a person he was.
When she first met Eunseong, Ha Yera was walking at the bottom of life. The basement of an old house full of mold smell, the hand extended while opening a locked door. Unlike his soft, white cheeks and warm eyes, the hand he held was surprisingly firm.
He wasn’t weak. Even after losing all his family like herself, he didn’t collapse, but rather helped others stand up. Then and now, Yoo Eunseong was someone who could save others.
“Anyway oppa, I sincerely congratulate you on your return. Seeing you choose items and such, it really feels like you’ve returned as a hunter. You look much better than before too. I’m really happy. From now on, only good things will happen.”
Eunseong stood up from his seat, following Ha Yera who was about to leave.
“Thank you, Hunter Ha Yera. No… thank you, Yera.”
At the awkward but carefully changed form of address, a smile immediately bloomed on Ha Yera’s face.
“Yes! Next time you go out to the Control Agency, I’ll go with you too.”
“Hyung, let’s eat dinner together later.”
Ha Yera and Joo Hyeonwoo left the guild leader’s office with smiles. The two people of the same age divided the luggage amicably while bickering.
After closing the door and turning around, it was hellish silence. Eunseong naturally found himself watching Mujin’s mood. He was concerned about why his mood had suddenly soured and whether his condition was that bad.
Even while sitting in his seat putting eye drops in and sipping a drink, it continued. Only the sound of Curry fluttering could be heard in the spacious guild leader’s office.
Eunseong turned on the item panel again. While carefully re-reading the instruction manual for the items Ha Yera had left behind, he suddenly became curious and took off Seorin that he wore around his neck to examine it.
[ Seorin ]
Grade: Undetermined / Creator: ☺
You can be invincible for about 5 seconds.
Note: Core part
“This description is too insufficient……”
Core part? Then does that mean there are other parts? An item that doesn’t even need a power source has near-unlimited uses. It doesn’t even say what energy it recharges with.
They said the creator’s signature and description were the maker’s signature. The crooked smiley face signature looked like a child’s prank and the note added was unhelpful. It was fitting for an item where even the discovery location from two years ago and the owner were all shrouded in mystery.
Thunk, at the sound of fingertips tapping the table, Eunseong looked up. Mujin was staring intently with pitch-black eyes.
“Eunseong-ah.”
“Yeah?”
Eunseong couldn’t hide his pleased expression.
“Do you want to go alone?”
“……Since you’re sick, probably?”
Eunseong, who had paused wondering what he was talking about, soon nodded and answered. He thought that despite pretending not to care, Ha Yera’s criticism had bothered him.
“And you might get sicker. When people are sick, they should rest. You’re not a robot either……”
“……”
“You don’t need to worry too much.”
Was he upset about not being able to do his job because he was sick? Eunseong smiled and added comfort.
“Let’s take medicine first. Go to the treatment room too.”
“Medicine is fine. It has no effect.”
Hearing his grumpy voice, he really seemed irritated from being sick. Eunseong recalled Yeon Seokchun’s words about how he seemed like someone who had never caught a cold before. People who had never had minor illnesses usually got very sick when they finally did.
“It’s better to eat porridge and take medicine.”
“I’ll be fine if I sleep a bit.”
“Then go home and lie down to sleep.”
“……”
“Get up. I’ll take you there.”
Mujin, who seemed like he would continue being stubborn, unusually got up. After shooing away Curry who kept pecking at his hand as if annoyed, he approached Eunseong closely.
“Your eyes are red. Where are your protective glasses?”
“At home. So let’s go quickly.”
Eunseong, who had hesitated briefly, grabbed Mujin’s forearm. He wondered if he’d shake it off since he was giving such an intense stare to where he was grabbed, but this time he obediently followed along again.
“Is it because you’re sick? I can’t figure you out at all. Is it because you have a high fever?”
It hadn’t even been a few steps. Mujin staggered and leaned his body against Eunseong. Huh? Flustered, Eunseong embraced and supported him. Sighing whispers poured onto his nape.
“I’m dizzy.”
Was 39 degrees such a hot temperature? It seemed like steam was rising from the embrace.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
