“…….”
Silence fell. The stillness, heavy with discomfort, scattered the crowd that had been noisily gathered and brought the commotion to an end. When the one who had drawn in that silence smiled without a word, Sihyeon unconsciously drew in a breath.
Lee Hayeok.
Even at a glance, he was a man who resembled Hamin enough to recognize who he was. The only difference was the atmosphere. As Sihyeon subtly shifted his gaze, he saw Hamin with his fist clenched. If it wasn’t his imagination, Hamin looked paler than usual.
As Sihyeon slowly blinked, the man began walking toward him. Not toward Hamin—but toward Sihyeon.
“Looks like you came out to hang around.”
“Ah… yes.”
“I’m Lee Hayeok from the guild ‘Redem.’ Sorry for the late introduction. You’re student Kang Sihyeon, right?”
I’ve heard a lot about you.
The man with the gentle voice extended his hand toward him. For some reason, it felt off, so Sihyeon didn’t take it. Hayeok smiled.
“Being cautious is a good habit.”
With that, he withdrew his hand and instead offered a business card. Sihyeon accepted the card labeled ‘S-class Hunter’ and looked down at it. Somehow, it felt heavier in his hand.
“I’m glad you at least took the card. I was wondering what I’d do if you refused this too.”
“…….”
“Do you have a guild in mind?”
“Not yet.”
“Then come to Redem.”
“Redem.”
“Yes. Whatever conditions you name, I’m confident I can meet them.”
Hayeok curved his eyes in a smile. Receiving a scouting offer right in the middle of the street made Sihyeon frown slightly, though he tried not to show it. Guild contact for prospective Mir Military Academy students was only allowed starting in their second year. Which meant Hayeok was currently using a kind of workaround.
When Sihyeon avoided answering, keeping his thoughts to himself, Hayeok smiled again—calm, confident. He looked at Sihyeon as if meeting his gaze, yet somehow it felt like he was looking down on him. Sihyeon ran his fingertip along the edge of the card.
I think he said he was twenty.
Recalling a line from an article, Sihyeon narrowed his eyes at the man before him. His demeanor and tone were far too mature for someone who had just turned twenty. The gentle way he spoke, the certainty he carried—it didn’t seem like something that came merely from wealth. He was distinctly different from Hamin. Sihyeon recalled their brief exchange.
Someone used to giving orders.
He was overbearing.
“Seems like you’re curious about me.”
“Not really.”
“Is that so? You were observing me quite carefully—I thought you might be interested.”
At the playful tone, Sihyeon wet his lips with his tongue. Watching Hayeok act as if he wasn’t the one in need, Hayeok’s eyes curved again into a smile. The atmosphere shifted. The light tone turned businesslike once more.
“Since we’ve met, I’d like to sit down and talk, but unfortunately—”
He tilted his chin toward his car. Judging by the man who looked like a secretary waiting for him, he seemed to have business to attend to.
“At least it’s a relief that Hamin seems close with you, student Sihyeon.”
Right?
It sounded less like a question and more like a statement spoken with certainty already in hand. Normally, Sihyeon would’ve denied it, but this time he felt like he shouldn’t, so he nodded. Hayeok’s eyes softened.
“That’s a relief.”
“…Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you next time. Until then, take good care of student Sihyeon, Hamin.”
With a warm smile that briefly revealed the image of a kind older brother, Hayeok got into his car. The wheels rolled, and the car carrying Hayeok disappeared. It had only been a brief moment, but it felt like a storm had swept through. Before they knew it, even the people who had surrounded them were gone.
Rolling his eyes, Sihyeon looked at Hamin, who was still pale. Just dealing with him for a few minutes had been uncomfortable—he could only imagine what it was like for someone who had grown up facing that person.
His tone, his presence—none of it felt like someone in their twenties. It was more like… someone on their second run at life.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
That low voice lingered in his ears. Smiling faintly as he said it, Hayeok looked to Sihyeon like a tiger pretending to be a cat. One that had hidden all its claws and teeth. A tiger.
“See? I told you—you’d end up getting tangled with him whether you like it or not.”
Haeun muttered something incomprehensible. Hamin, who had been clenching his fist, shot him a glare. Startled, Haeun hid behind Geonwoo and offered an apology that was worse than saying nothing at all. The heavy air that settled felt like winter.
Even though it was April, the chill in the air felt like December. Haru glanced around nervously. Feeling like an innocent bystander might get caught up in this, Sihyeon spoke up to lighten the mood.
“Still, it’s good the crowd cleared out. Your brother isn’t very popular, huh?”
“It’s not that he’s unpopular—they’re too scared to approach him. There was a time when a crowd delayed subduing an Irregular. After that, Hayeok hyung sued everyone who got in the way—even people who claimed to be his fans—for obstruction.”
“…Ah.”
At Haeun’s straightforward answer, Sihyeon let out a sigh. Silence followed. His attempt to ease the atmosphere had failed.
As the tension refused to lift, Sihyeon finally reached out and tapped Hamin, who had been acting like he’d forgotten how to speak ever since Hayeok appeared. At the touch on his arm, Hamin pulled his gaze away from Haeun.
“…What?”
“When you make that face, it makes everyone else uncomfortable too. Relax your expression.”
“…….”
Half-baked comfort or advice would’ve been worse than saying nothing. Ignoring Hamin’s silent stare, Sihyeon looked over the four boys. Starting from platinum blonde to blue to silver—their vividly colored hair immediately drew attention. Sihyeon swallowed a sigh. First, they needed to do something about that hair.
“Let’s stop by a clothing store and buy some hats. At least cover your hair so we can walk around comfortably.”
“You think wearing hats will make us stand out less?”
“Especially if Geonwoo wears one—it’ll just become a fashion item.”
At Haeun’s comment, dragging Geonwoo into it, Sihyeon looked at him. Imagining a hat on Geonwoo, it really would just look like a fashion piece. Was it just his imagination, or did it somehow make him look even better?
After a brief moment of thought, Sihyeon decided to add one more item to cover their faces.
“Let’s wear masks too.”
“What are we, celebrities?”
At the mention of masks, the quiet Hamin finally reacted. But since there wasn’t a better option, Sihyeon suggested, “Then do you want to wrap a handkerchief around your face?” Reluctantly, Hamin chose the mask. It seemed he’d decided it was better than walking around like a bandit.
Entering a store Haeun said he frequented, Sihyeon first bought masks and hats and put them on Haru. Then, as he was picking out clothes for Haru, he turned back and looked at the Four Heavenly Kings. With all of them covering their faces together, they looked like a group of criminals.
“What kind of clothes should we put Haru hyung in?”
Since they were at least good-looking, he figured they might have some sense of style and asked. Golden eyes sparkled. A pale hand pulled out a shirt with lace—a flashy pink lace shirt.
“I have an opinion! How about lace?”
“Why don’t you try wearing it first?”
“This is—”
“Bears are your taste, not Haru hyung’s, Baek Geonwoo.”
“Just dress him in anything.”
“What, should we go with see-through?”
“Seriously…”
After rejecting lace and teddy bears and brushing aside the completely unhelpful Hamin, only Seowoo remained. Since he seemed to have the best fashion sense among them, Sihyeon looked to him as his last hope. Seowoo met his eyes, smiled faintly, and picked a piece of clothing from the rack.
Then he held it up—against Sihyeon.
“Looks good.”
“…Not me. Haru hyung.”
“Yeah, shirts would suit you too.”
“…….”
Was he really having a conversation in Korean right now?
They were speaking the same language, yet nothing was getting through. Concluding that Seowoo would never listen no matter what, Sihyeon gave up and dragged Haru around the store himself.
Finally, he picked out a thin knit sweater and felt satisfied. Haru, who had been fidgeting like a puppy that needed to go to the bathroom, seemed to make up his mind and approached Sihyeon holding a piece of clothing. It was a black sweatshirt, but the neckline was wide enough that it could slip into an off-shoulder look. Sihyeon blinked at it.
“You’re going to wear that?”
“…No.”
“Then?”
“This…”
Hesitantly, Haru handed the sweatshirt to Sihyeon. Thinking he meant to buy it, Sihyeon looked at him—but Haru’s red eyes dropped to the floor, as if embarrassed.
“I thought… it would look good on you.”
“Ah…”
“…Don’t you like it?”
Haru glanced at him briefly before lowering his gaze again. Then he looked back up at him with lingering disappointment. His usually sharp eyes softened endlessly at moments like this, leaving Sihyeon at a loss. Haru’s eyes sparkled brightly. Come to think of it, aside from the Awakening Mark incident, this was the first time Haru had asked or suggested something to him.
Unable to refuse, Sihyeon parted his lips before letting out a sigh and taking the sweatshirt.
“…Should I try it on and come out?”
At that one sentence, Haru’s face lit up. Sihyeon glanced at the sweatshirt in his hands, recalling the meal Haru hadn’t been able to give him during their first cafeteria encounter.
Compared to then, this was quite an improvement.
Seeing how happy Haru looked, Sihyeon hesitated but changed into the clothes anyway. When he came out, Haru was visibly delighted. Perhaps he had been very embarrassed about recommending the outfit—his face was flushed as he quietly said it suited him. If he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging wildly.
Others might not notice, but to Sihyeon, Haru’s joy was obvious. Well, if you’re happy, that’s enough. He sighed.
Watching the two, Seowoo looked between Haru and Sihyeon.
“…So that’s your taste. I should’ve picked something with more exposure.”
“Want me to get you something see-through?”
Seowoo sounded regretful, while Hamin openly teased. In response, Seowoo calmly stepped closer, took off his coat, and draped it over Sihyeon’s exposed shoulders. Warmth spread over the cool skin. It wasn’t a bad feeling.
“What?”
“It’s still cold out.”
You’ll catch a cold like that.
And who was walking around this morning with their skin completely exposed? Sihyeon swallowed the words. Soon enough, the payment for both his and Haru’s clothes was finished. Haeun had dumped all the clothes—including Geonwoo’s—onto Hamin, asking him to pay.
Grumbling the entire time but swiping his card without hesitation, Hamin carried the unmistakable aura of a rich young master. As a result, even the clothes Sihyeon had intended to buy for Haru ended up being paid for by him.
Leaving the store with mixed feelings, Geonwoo’s complaint about being hungry sparked a discussion about what to eat for lunch.
After going back and forth from Western food to other options, they eventually settled on tteokbokki. Wondering if these rich kids even ate something like that, Sihyeon looked at Hamin and Seowoo. Hamin, who ate anything heartily, and Seowoo, who was picking at even a simple salad, came into view—completely opposite eating habits.
“If you weren’t going to eat, you should’ve said you couldn’t.”
Since Seowoo was only picking at the side salad, Sihyeon ordered steamed eggs and placed it in front of him. Looking at the steaming dish, Seowoo smiled softly.
“You ordered it because you were worried?”
“I ordered it because it was frustrating.”
“That works too.”
“What are you two doing?”
Hamin’s voice cut through, breaking the flow of conversation. Since it hadn’t been a particularly meaningful exchange anyway, Sihyeon just shrugged. After finishing the tteokbokki and stepping out, Hamin suddenly slung an arm over Geonwoo’s shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
Where? A pool hall?
The way he spoke felt exactly like some rude male lead from a web novel, giving Sihyeon a bad feeling. When he thought of places the Four Heavenly Kings might hang out, only pool halls, bowling alleys, or bars came to mind. Just as he was about to grab Haru and head back, Hamin stopped in front of a building.
“If you’ve eaten, shouldn’t you loosen up your fingers?”
The place Hamin stopped at, surprisingly, was a PC café.
