#105
His slightly reddened cheeks. But Do-hyeok was the same way too. Both men’s cheeks had taken on the same color at some point.
“I’ll add that clause then.”
Do-hyeok said while still lightly pinching Ha-seong’s cheek.
“Really?”
“Yes. Then hyung has to keep what you said earlier too.”
“Of course.”
Ha-seong cleared his throat unnecessarily and moved away from Do-hyeok again. Was it because his rationality was gradually returning? He suddenly felt very embarrassed.
What did I just do? He had kissed another man. With Cha Do-hyeok, no less. And while completely sober. Even if Do-hyeok had been drunk and acting up before, this time was different.
“Hyung…”
Just as Do-hyeok was about to call Ha-seong, a loud rumbling sound suddenly came from Ha-seong’s stomach. Come to think of it, it was getting close to lunchtime. At that sound, Do-hyeok couldn’t help but burst into small laughter.
“Don’t laugh, bastard. I left without eating breakfast.”
“Should we go eat?”
Considering his current hunger, he would have naturally followed those words, but Ha-seong suddenly recalled what happened last time. The moment they entered that soup restaurant. How all the hunters inside kept glancing at Do-hyeok. Even though that place had particularly many hunters, other places wouldn’t be much different.
Moreover, while hunters would usually know Do-hyeok’s personality and temperament and avoid approaching him, civilians would be different. After they left that soup restaurant, the community had been filled with posts like <Cha Do-hyeok Soup Sighting Story> and <Info on the Soup Restaurant Cha Do-hyeok Visited> across various boards.
“Let’s just cook and eat at home. I’ll make something.”
“Hyung will?”
“Yeah.”
Then Do-hyeok’s suspicious gaze poured down. Ha-seong lightly pushed Do-hyeok’s forehead with his finger.
“Hey, what’s with that expression? I’m not bad at cooking.”
Of course, it was hard to say he was extremely good at it, but he was definitely not on the bad side. He’d made a few dishes so often that he’d practically become a master at them by now.
“The ramen I made for you that time was delicious too.”
“Who can’t cook ramen?”
“Be quiet. While I’m cooking, go play with that pig over there.”
The pig, perhaps bored from being alone, was peeking out just its eyes through the door crack, secretly watching the two of them. Ha-seong slowly got up and headed to the kitchen. Since he had to go to work too, he planned to make simple kimchi fried rice.
As he cut kimchi and stir-fried it with the rice he’d made this morning, Ha-seong recalled the kiss with Do-hyeok from just before. So what could the relationship between him and that guy be defined as now?
Ha-seong had said he would stay by Do-hyeok’s side. That was sincere. He hoped Do-hyeok wouldn’t become a murderer, and if he had to live his whole life suffering and getting hurt from things like revenge and the death of his benefactor, he was determined to watch over all of that from beside him. To be with him.
After all, he’d made that guy change the form of revenge he’d dreamed of for 10 years, so he should at least do that much. There were plenty of ways to achieve the dream of being a rich unemployed person. And those weren’t words he’d said because of simple interests or half-hearted feelings.
“…”
Ha-seong wanted to do that. He wanted to be beside that guy who lived carrying big burdens and wounds inside. Even if he broke down repeatedly from those wounds, his heart wanted to be there with him. Ha-seong knew it well too. The wounds and feelings of living after losing precious people. He too had lost countless colleagues.
While Ha-seong was lost in thought, the kimchi fried rice was appetizingly completed. He roughly divided it into bowls and glanced toward the living room.
“Pig, you’re faster than I thought.”
[That’s prejudice!]
Do-hyeok was playing with the pig using a doll he’d picked up somewhere. Ha-seong slightly raised the corners of his mouth seeing Do-hyeok looking somewhat more relaxed.
“Hey, let’s eat.”
Ha-seong vaguely thought it would be nice if such comfort could always remain on Do-hyeok’s face.
* * *
After eating lunch at home with Do-hyeok, Ha-seong returned to Nameless together with him. Originally, he’d planned to return to the guild as quickly as possible, but unexpected events had made him much later, so Ha-seong entered the purifier office while being mindful of others.
“Oh? Ha-seong-ssi is here?”
Just then, Yu-han walked out smiling from the break room inside. He’d expected no one to be there since afternoon raid schedules were starting one after another, but he was wrong. Ha-seong smiled awkwardly and exchanged greetings with Yu-han.
“Did your business go well? You went to the Management Bureau on an errand for Guild Leader-nim, right?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. That’s right.”
It seemed Cha Do-hyeok had given him a proper excuse for once. Ha-seong smiled naturally and went to sit at his seat.
“Speaking of which, Guild Leader-nim came looking for Ha-seong-ssi earlier.”
“Cha Do… I mean, Guild Leader-nim did?”
“Yes. He was asking about Ha-seong-ssi, wondering if you hadn’t returned yet. But lately it seems like that’s been happening quite often.”
“What do you mean?”
Ha-seong looked at Yu-han sitting across from him.
“Guild Leader-nim visiting our purifier office. He usually rarely comes here. He might come once or twice a year at most, but recently he’s already come twice. Both times looking for Ha-seong-ssi.”
That was the first time he’d heard this. That Cha Do-hyeok had come down to the purifier office, which he rarely visited, looking for him. From the circumstances, it seemed he’d come here, confirmed that he hadn’t come to work yet, and then went straight to his house.
“It’s because I’m Guild Leader-nim’s team purifier.”
Ha-seong roughly made an excuse while suppressing his rising lips.
“Does Guild Leader-nim treat you well?”
Yu-han asked carefully, seeming a bit curious. Well, since there was no dedicated purifier on Do-hyeok’s team before Ha-seong joined, everyone seemed curious. When he went out on purification support work, other team members had often stared at Ha-seong intently with faces that looked like they had many things they wanted to ask him.
“Yes. Well.”
“That’s a relief then. Honestly, when Ha-seong-ssi got caught up in that gate before, I was a bit worried because of the attitude Guild Leader-nim showed.”
Even when told that a purifier, no different from a civilian, had been caught up in a gate that day, Do-hyeok hadn’t panicked or shown any signs of worry, nor had he taken any special measures. To Yu-han, who didn’t know their relationship, Do-hyeok must have seemed like a cold-blooded person who wouldn’t blink an eye even at his own team member’s crisis.
“Guild Leader-nim personally rescued me that time too.”
Ha-seong smiled and casually told a lie. Rather than rescuing, it would be more accurate to say he’d overcome the adversity himself.
But Cha Do-hyeok had definitely looked after Ha-seong several times. Using the excuse that he couldn’t leave injured Ha-seong alone, he’d forcibly dragged him home and served him hand and foot, and now that he thought about it, that soup they’d eaten seemed to have been deliberately taken there because it was good for the body.
Also, while grumbling, he would faithfully follow whatever Ha-seong asked him to do. As such scenes came to mind one by one, Ha-seong even found Do-hyeok a bit cute. What was this, suddenly wanting to see his face… even having crazy thoughts like that.
“Ha-seong-ssi?”
Just then, Yu-han lightly tapped his partition and called out.
“Yes?”
Ha-seong, who had been lost in thoughts of Do-hyeok, looked up in surprise.
“Is there something good happening?”
“Huh? Why?”
“No, you were suddenly smiling.”
Then Yu-han made a gesture of raising the corners of his mouth upward. Ha-seong turned his head to stare at the mirror attached next to the office door. There really was his own image smiling gently reflected there. It was an awkward sight even to himself. Ha-seong, who had become someone who suddenly smiled just from thinking about Do-hyeok, found such a version of himself only strange.
While continuing to chat casually with Yu-han, his phone on the desk briefly rang. When he glanced at it, there was a text from Do-hyeok.
[Cha Do-hyeok: I’ve revised the contract. I’ll send it by text, so check it when you have time.]
He’d handled something he’d mentioned just a few hours ago this quickly. His impatient personality was really something to acknowledge. Ha-seong was about to send back that he understood, but paused in thought for a moment, then tapped his phone screen.
[Do Ha-seong: I’ll just come up to Guild Leader’s office now.]
After sending the text, Ha-seong got up from his seat.
“Yu-han-ssi, I got called by Guild Leader-nim so I’ll go see him.”
“Okay. I should probably head out for afternoon raid business soon too.”
Ha-seong left the office and immediately got on the elevator. He didn’t know why, but perhaps because he’d talked about Do-hyeok with Yu-han earlier, he suddenly felt like seeing his face. While he wasn’t used to such feelings about himself, he didn’t entirely dislike it either.
When he got off the elevator, Shin-woo greeted Ha-seong with a smile. After briefly informing him about the pig’s current status, he entered Guild Leader’s office without hesitation.
“You didn’t need to come. You just needed to check the changed clause.”
Do-hyeok’s eyes, who had been sitting at his desk, widened slightly as if he’d just checked the text.
“Hey, contracts are something where you’re supposed to meet face-to-face and talk when there are changes like this. A contract isn’t child’s play.”
Ha-seong naturally sat down at the table, telling Do-hyeok to bring the contract. Do-hyeok muttered “is that so” quietly and slowly got up from his seat.
Ha-seong decided not to bother saying that he just wanted to see his face once, so he’d come up while he was at it. More precisely, he couldn’t say it. How could he say such embarrassing words?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
