#73
By nature, being the guild leader’s executive secretary was truly an arduous job. Not only did he have to assist the head of the guild, but the guild leader’s schedule became the executive secretary’s schedule. So initially, Shin-woo had thought that perhaps he had come to this position because they needed to hire someone with good stamina.
And today as well, Shin-woo was sitting in his chair, nodding off drowsily. He had to organize the monthly reports from each team to submit to Do-hyeok, but his eyes kept closing during that task. Anyway, it was rare for Do-hyeok to leave work on time. In other words, even if he dozed off a little now, there was no worry of being caught by his boss.
It was when Shin-woo was about to close his eyes and head to sweet dreamland. Suddenly there was the sound of the guild leader’s office door bursting open, and thanks to that, Shin-woo, who was greatly startled, jumped up from his desk.
“No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t dozing off. Absolutely not.”
Shin-woo mumbled repeatedly that he hadn’t been dozing off with a face that was still half-asleep.
“Shin-woo. Wipe your drool.”
Do-hyeok, who had been watching that sight, shook his head back and forth. Then Shin-woo reflexively wiped around his mouth with his hand.
“If you’re tired, you should say you’re going home early.”
“I can’t do that when the guild leader isn’t leaving. And I still have work left.”
Actually, Do-hyeok’s words were right. There was something Do-hyeok had been emphasizing since Shin-woo came as his executive secretary. He didn’t need to be overly cautious or overly accommodating just because he was dealing with the guild leader – just do his job properly. In fact, he had a track record of letting Shin-woo leave work earlier than himself several times, and he was the type who wouldn’t stop him even if he said he wanted to leave early.
It was just that Shin-woo had such a diligent personality and was so considerate of others that he couldn’t easily do so.
“But what do you need?”
It wasn’t very common for Do-hyeok to come out of the guild leader’s office. Except when he went out for raids, or went to meetings, or had appointments, he mainly stayed holed up inside.
“No, I’m going to leave work.”
“Yes, have a good… what?”
Shin-woo reflexively nodded and then raised his voice. The current time was 6:05. It wasn’t that Do-hyeok never left work on time. It was just very rare. But today he suddenly said he was leaving work early without any notice. Now that he looked, he was already dressed and ready to go.
“Keep that in mind and you should leave work too. Do the remaining work tomorrow.”
“Ah, yes. Should I drive you?”
Perhaps he wanted to leave early because he was tired? Having such a vague thought, Shin-woo naturally reached for the jacket hanging on his chair. But Do-hyeok waved his hand.
“I’ll go on my own. When I leave, you go straight home too. If my secretary collapses from overwork, it’ll be troublesome for me.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Shin-woo nodded with a slightly dejected expression. Even though those words seemed cold, he knew that Do-hyeok was saying them out of his own way of worrying, but Shin-woo was a tender-hearted person. He had no immunity to such words.
Like that, Do-hyeok received Shin-woo’s farewell and immediately got on the elevator going down to the basement. The time it took for each floor to go down felt particularly longer today.
Kang Won-hyeok and other guild members often said that the happiest time of the day was when they left work. But Do-hyeok, who was indifferent to everything, found it difficult to empathize with those words. However, today for the first time, he seemed to understand a little what that feeling was like.
Would Do Ha-seong be waiting obediently in front of the car? Do-hyeok entered the parking lot having such thoughts. He could see a familiar figure from behind in front of where he had parked his car.
“Hyun…”
A very small, faint smile appeared at the corners of Do-hyeok’s mouth, and it was when he was about to call Ha-seong. Only when he got closer did he notice that there was one more person standing beside him. Looking closely, it was Lee Seung-woo, the youngest from Team 7.
“Oh? Guild leader-nim, are you just coming down now?”
Ha-seong smiled broadly and approached Do-hyeok with formal speech that didn’t suit him at all. Then Lee Seung-woo, who was standing beside him, also fidgeted and bowed almost 90 degrees in greeting.
“What are you doing, hyun…”
As Do-hyeok narrowed his brows and began to speak, Ha-seong stepped firmly on Do-hyeok’s foot without losing his smile.
“Haha, the guild leader-nim said he would give me a ride. But Seung-woo-ssi’s house is in a similar direction too. I thought we could go together.”
Saying that, Ha-seong smiled even more deeply. Right now, he had to act as a subordinate employee belonging to the guild leader’s team in front of Seung-woo, so he was telling him to play along appropriately.
While the two were exchanging conversation, Seung-woo, who had been restless, lightly grabbed Ha-seong’s sleeve.
“I… it’s really okay.”
He seemed to be reading Cha Do-hyeok’s mood. Well, to Ha-seong, Cha Do-hyeok was just a young crazy guy, but to Seung-woo and other hunters, he was the high and mighty guild leader himself.
However, Ha-seong had already made up his mind. He wouldn’t send that dejected young hunter home alone and dejectedly today. Ha-seong said it was fine and smiled once at Seung-woo, then immediately looked at Do-hyeok again.
“Aren’t you going? Guild leader-nim?”
Ha-seong slightly winked. His tone was extremely polite, but his eyes were not at all. They were saying exactly this: how long are you going to keep me standing here with aching legs? Do-hyeok sighed deeply and pressed the car key. If he dragged out more time here, he would definitely get an enormous scolding from Ha-seong later.
“Get in.”
Do-hyeok first gestured to Seung-woo as well and got into the driver’s seat. Ha-seong looked at Seung-woo and smiled slightly as he opened the car door.
“I… Ha-seong-ssi, is this really okay? No matter what…”
“Why not? The guild leader-nim said it was fine too. And Seung-woo-ssi, you were a long-time fan of Cha… I mean, the guild leader-nim.”
While waiting for Cha Do-hyeok, he had chatted warmly with Seung-woo and unintentionally learned quite a lot. Private aspects like Seung-woo’s family relationships, and also that he greatly respected and liked Cha Do-hyeok as a hunter. That’s why he had worked very hard to enter this Nameless guild.
When the two got into the back seat side by side, Do-hyeok fastened his seatbelt and turned his head sharply. He stared at Ha-seong as if something displeased him.
‘What.’
Ha-seong took advantage of when Seung-woo was busy fastening his belt to mouth silently asking what he was looking at. Then Do-hyeok gestured toward the passenger seat. It seemed like he was telling him to come to the side seat. Ha-seong made a strange expression and waved his hand.
If he got in the passenger seat, Seung-woo would also notice something was strange, and besides, sitting like this would make Seung-woo less self-conscious – Ha-seong was saying all that with his eyes. As if understanding this like people who knew each other just by looking at their eyes, Do-hyeok looked forward again. Of course, his expression was still sulky.
“Lee Seung-woo.”
“Yes!”
Whether he was nervous or not, Seung-woo answered loudly with great spirit.
“Tell me your address.”
“Ah, just a moment!”
Seung-woo showed his phone to Cha Do-hyeok. Do-hyeok looked at it and entered the address into the navigation. Ha-seong stared intently at Seung-woo’s home address.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Looking at the very nervous Seung-woo, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Do-hyeok’s car smoothly exited the parking lot and soon entered the road.
“But Seung-woo-ssi’s house is quite far from the guild?”
According to the distance shown on the navigation, it was about 20 minutes. If it was that much by car, it would definitely take about 30 minutes by bus.
“Yes. All the studio apartments around here are expensive. Ah, as I mentioned earlier, I’m from the countryside so I live alone. I chose the closest place among the cheapest rooms.”
“Ah, I see.”
Ha-seong nodded. After that, the two continued to chat warmly. Perhaps because Ha-seong recognized Seung-woo as a rookie hunter, he was treating him quite comfortably. Not knowing that Do-hyeok was glancing at that sight through the rearview mirror.
Screech-
Then Do-hyeok suddenly braked sharply.
“Ah! You…!”
Ha-seong, who had been talking with Seung-woo, was caught off guard and crashed his nose into the front seat. Feeling dazed, Ha-seong grabbed his nose and stared at Do-hyeok’s fine profile.
“I was very… surprised. Guild leader-nim. Haha.”
When informal speech almost popped out suddenly, Seung-woo looked with wide eyes. Ha-seong quickly covered up his words, afraid that his private relationship with Cha Do-hyeok might be discovered.
“Sorry.”
Sorry? There wasn’t even a grain of soul in those words. He definitely did it on purpose. He would definitely have something to say to him later when Seung-woo got out. While Ha-seong was making such a resolution, the light turned green and the car started again.
“But Do Ha-seong.”
Do-hyeok called Ha-seong while looking ahead.
“…Yes?”
“Did you finish writing the purification work report? I’m sure I told you to write it bit by bit.”
Do-hyeok narrowed his eyes through the rearview mirror and made eye contact with Ha-seong. Ha-seong was glaring back with an expression saying when did you ever say that, you crazy bastard. Of course, just like hunter guild members had to write and record work reports, guild members with purifier status also had to write activity reports.
However, since Ha-seong wasn’t hired as a literal purifier, he didn’t need to bother with such troublesome processes – Cha Do-hyeok himself had told him so.
“Write it and submit it by tomorrow morning.”
“…Yes.”
Ha-seong gritted his teeth and forced a smile. He was definitely doing this because he was excited to get the chance to speak formally in front of a third party.
“Please stop talking now and focus on driving. Guild leader-nim. Above all, safe driving is most important.”
Ha-seong also raised the corners of his mouth and asked very politely, not to be outdone. Then Do-hyeok’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Like that, some kind of indescribable current flowed in the car. Seung-woo looked between the two people who seemed strange yet not strange and tilted his head as if puzzled, but being as oblivious as he was, it was beyond his ability to figure out what that atmosphere was.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
