“Hyung, did you sleep well? I couldn’t really sleep because I kept thinking about having sex with you…”
That was Tae Woon’s greeting first thing this morning. Kim Sibaek had quickly silenced him by shoving a finger into his mouth, but now he was seriously apprehensive about answering the incoming call and facing whatever Tae Woon planned next.
— Hyung, what are you doing right now?
Fortunately, Tae Woon’s voice returned to its usual adorable tone.
“Watching YouTube. They aired footage of us leaving the portal yesterday. Did you see it?”
— Of course I did.
A soft laugh rippled through the phone.
— I’m thinking of printing out a high-quality image of you holding me and framing it.
“A frame sounds good…”
Just picturing it made Sibaek’s heart flutter slightly.
— Anyway, Section Chief Gwak just arrived at the office to deliver your Hunter ID.
As if on cue, a new notification popped up before his eyes.
[Quest 02. CLEAR]
[Who knew getting a simple Hunter ID could drag on like this? Let’s do better next time! ^^)9]
And with that, he’d apparently saved the world again.
“…”
Though how issuing a mere Hunter ID related to preventing Earth’s destruction was completely beyond him. Even the system admitted it wasn’t anything special.
— If you’re free, let’s have a date in the office.
“Right now? With Section Chief Gwak around?”
— Yeah. Unfortunately, someone named Gwak is here playing third wheel. Tsk.
In the background, Gwak Yoonsang protested meekly, “Excuse me, my grandfather paid good money at a naming service for the name ‘Gwak Yoonsang’!”
It seemed Gwak Yoonsang still had more business to attend to. Kim Sibaek gently scooped up the cushion where Biendeoé slept and stepped out into the hallway.
That Kim Sibaek regularly moved between the penthouse on the top floor and Tae Woon’s representative office was no secret within the 7777 Guild. The rumors of Tae Woon pampering “The One Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken,” whom he was clearly living with, had spread on the guild’s Anonymous Message Board like a spooky urban legend.
When the mysterious figure everyone knew but desperately pretended not to see appeared on live TV, the guild’s message board exploded once again. Consequently, as Sibaek stepped from the private elevator toward Tae Woon’s office, the sidelong glances he received were far more blatant than usual.
“Guess you really have to be S-rank to pet our guild’s Mad Dog…”
“Honestly, anyone who talks to a pet bird like a human is already suspicious.”
“Another S-rank joining should be good news… So why does it feel like our stock prices are about to crash?”
“Probably because our Guildmaster will openly act even more like a clingy little brother now.”
“I seriously want to quit.”
But Kim Sibaek paid no attention to any of it. He leisurely walked down the hall, holding the cushion in one hand and typing a quick message with the other.
By the time he’d sent a cheerful ‘^^’ emoticon to the HG Guildmaster to thank him for the earlier heads-up, he arrived at Tae Woon’s office. The secretary, entirely accustomed to Sibaek’s visits, opened the door immediately without needing confirmation.
“Ah! You’re here!”
Gwak Yoonsang sprang up from the sofa to greet him loudly, quickly covering his mouth when Biendeoé stirred slightly. Regardless of his consideration for the sleeping baby crow, his eyes still held a skeptical look, clearly doubting that the tiny bird was a divine Incarnate Body.
But since Earth’s deity never physically appeared, disbelief was unavoidable. Kim Sibaek didn’t mind. He placed the cushion gently on the sofa beside him.
“The Hunter ID printer still isn’t back online, so I’ve only brought the provisional issuance form. I’ll have the actual ID sent over as soon as it’s ready.”
Apparently, they’d registered him as a Hunter immediately once the system came back online that morning. Having Director Noh’s backing was reassuring.
Hmm? Then why did the system notification appear only now?
Since the system seemed directly linked to human perception, it should’ve recognized his registration immediately.
Does it only count as cleared once I’m aware of it?
Yet another ambiguous question lingered in his mind.
“Despite a few complications, you’re finally registered. Hyung, did everything go smoothly?”
Tae Woon was clearly referring to the quest completion. Kim Sibaek nodded lightly, and Tae Woon rose from his desk chair and sat down naturally next to him on the sofa, as if it were the most obvious thing to do.
“…”
Sibaek found it difficult to articulate what he felt. The complicated emotions of discovering that someone he’d always cherished as a younger brother now harbored sexual feelings for him were overwhelming.
He tried desperately to ignore how the sofa dipped slightly under Tae Woon’s weight, as well as the undeniable presence radiating from him. Yet the very act of trying to escape proved that he was already deeply ensnared.
Worried about whatever shocking thing Tae Woon might say next, Sibaek bit his lower lip softly. But Tae Woon simply leaned back comfortably against the sofa, seemingly oblivious—or perhaps perfectly aware—of Sibaek’s troubled heart.
The subtle sound of Tae Woon resting his arm against the backrest behind Sibaek was unusually clear. The gentle tapping of his long fingers on the sofa immediately reminded Sibaek of how those very fingers had caressed his waist while they kissed last night. A faint tingle crept along his lower back at the memory.
Noticing the strange atmosphere, Gwak Yoonsang cleared his throat and brought up his reason for being there.
“You did excellent work yesterday. Now that you’ve officially become a government-recognized Hunter, we’d like to discuss your next steps together with the Seven Guild. Calling it lucky might be insensitive, but the timing really couldn’t be better.”
“What?”
Distracted by Tae Woon’s movements, Kim Sibaek hadn’t fully understood what Gwak was saying. Tae Woon offered a soft smile and clarified the matter.
“It was revealed for the first time in twenty-one years that humans and monsters can cooperate. With so many people feeling anxious, the government wants to shift public attention toward a new S-rank Hunter. It’s like releasing a celebrity scandal to distract people from political troubles.”
“Wait, no—when you put it that way, it sounds like we’re plotting something sinister. Please don’t misunderstand. It’s never good for society if fear spreads.”
The explanation made sense, yet it raised another question in Sibaek’s mind: just what exactly was a Hunter here? In Mak Slechth, Awakeners simply hunted monsters—nothing more, nothing less.
When he brought this up, Tae Woon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Perhaps hunting monsters feels natural to you because they’ve existed in your world for so long. In a few centuries, Earth might become like that too. But here, it’s only been twenty-one years since the Cataclysm, so Hunters stand out significantly—especially with Eid Portals appearing regularly. The government intentionally turns Hunters into idol-like figures to dilute people’s fears. Having someone reliable to count on during danger helps ease anxiety.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Indeed, greater fear and anxiety meant an increased chance of Eid Portals forming. The Paranormal Phenomena Response Agency must be using similar reasoning to manage public fears.
With that settled, Gwak Yoonsang cleared his throat again and opened a presentation on his laptop. Charts and statistics flashed by: viewership ratings spiking when Kim Sibaek appeared, real-time trending searches on social media, and mentions across various online communities.
Kim Sibaek, whose brain was neither scholarly nor scientific but purely athletic, could only stare blankly, barely registering anything beyond “the paper is white, and the writing is black.”
On the other hand, Gwak Yoonsang—self-appointed as Sibaek’s manager—was eagerly pitching his case.
“Now is the perfect time to publicly announce you, especially highlighting your unprecedented healing ability!”
Contrary to Gwak Yoonsang’s enthusiastic marketing, Sibaek remained perfectly calm.
“Actually, about that healing ability. I intend to reveal it’s not due to my Awakening, but rather the power of faith.”
“…Excuse me? The power of what?”
“The power of faith. It’s the truth, after all.”
“…”
Even after hearing it again, Gwak couldn’t help but grimace at how suspiciously cult-like that sounded. But technically, Sibaek wasn’t wrong. Plus, there had already been an agreement made earlier with Director Noh.
“What do you plan to do from now on? Will you join the Seven Guild?”
“Before that, Director, I’d like to ask your permission about something.”
In their previous meeting, Kim Sibaek had asked Director Noh if it would be acceptable to spread his beliefs. After some hesitation, she’d agreed unofficially, provided it didn’t cross ethical lines.
Gwak Yoonsang glanced nervously at the sleeping baby crow. The power of faith, huh…
Won’t our guild end up labeled as a cult at this rate?
He glanced anxiously at Tae Woon, only to see him blatantly ignoring their conversation and instead subtly inching his fingers toward Sibaek’s hair. Immediately, Gwak Yoonsang dismissed his worries. If anything went wrong, the guild’s Mad Dog would certainly handle it.
“All right. Since we can’t publicly endorse any religious stance, we won’t officially mention your healing ability. But there’s still one more thing I’d like to clarify.”
“Yes? Is there something else?”
“It won’t be part of the official announcement, but I need to know clearly so we can keep our stories straight.”
Gwak Yoonsang fixed an unusually curious gaze upon Kim Sibaek and Tae Woon.
“What exactly is the relationship between you two?”
