"......"
Silence fell. The unsettling stillness dispersed the bustling crowd, quieting the chatter. As the silence arrived, the person who brought it, without a word, smiled, causing Sihyun to unconsciously hold his breath.
Iha Hyuk.
Even with a brief glance, one could tell he resembled Hamin enough to be recognizable. The difference lay in the atmosphere they carried. With a quick glance, Hamin's clenched fists caught Sihyun's eye. If it wasn't a mistake, he seemed paler than usual.
Slowly blinking, the man started walking towards Sihyun, not Hamin, but towards Sihyun.
"Looks like you're out for a stroll."
"Ah... yes."
"I'm Iha Hyuk from the guild 'Redemption.' Sorry for the late introduction. You're Kang Sihyun, right?"
I've heard about you.
The man with a warm voice reached out his hand. Feeling a bit hesitant, Sihyun didn't take it, and Hyuk chuckled. Mentioning that caution was a good habit, he withdrew his hand and offered a business card. Sihyun, receiving the card that read 'S-Class Hunter,' looked down at it, feeling an odd sense that his hand was growing heavier.
"Glad you accepted the card. I was worried you wouldn't."
"......"
"Have you considered joining a guild?"
"Not yet."
"Then consider joining Redemption."
"Redemption?"
"Yes, because I'm confident I can fulfill any request as a condition."
Hyuk flashed a smiling gaze. Sihyun, trying not to show his emotions, despite feeling uneasy about the guild scout offer in the middle of the street, knew that contacting guilds was possible for prospective Mirgun members starting from the second year. So, the current situation with Hyuk was somewhat unconventional.
Avoiding the question, Sihyun smiled. Confident and relaxed, Hyuk laughed gently, meeting his eyes. While they were facing each other, Sihyun felt like Hyuk was looking down on him, and he swept the business card with his fingertips.
He seemed about twenty.
Recalling phrases from a magazine, Sihyun squinted at the man in his twenties. The atmosphere and demeanor were overly mature for just twenty. The calm tone and unique assurance seemed far from Hamin's, not merely due to wealth. Memories of the brief conversation with Hyuk came back to him.
He seemed used to giving orders.
He was authoritative.
"You seem curious about me."
"Not particularly."
"Is that so? I thought you might be interested since I was looking into you."
Sihyun stifled a retort at his brash tone. Hyuk's eyes softened, changing the atmosphere from casual to formal.
"Since we've met unexpectedly, I'd love to stay a bit longer, but unfortunately—"
He inclined his head towards the car he had arrived in. Seeing a man who appeared to be his secretary waiting, it seemed he had business to attend to.
"It's fortunate that Hamin seems to be friends with Sihyun."
Is that so?
His words seemed like a declaration. Normally, Sihyun would deny it, but this time, he felt it wouldn't be right to do so. He nodded, feeling strongly that the atmosphere had shifted since Hyuk's arrival.
As the uncomfortable atmosphere lingered, Sihyun glanced at the visibly pale Hamin. He felt awkward merely interacting for a few minutes, but he couldn't help wondering how Hamin, who grew up facing such situations, felt.
He didn't seem like a twenty-year-old in his mannerisms and demeanor. It was like experiencing life for the second time.
"I've heard about you."
The soft voice echoed in his ears. Hyuk, who had been smiling, now looked like a tiger mimicking a cat to Sihyun. Concealing both claws and fangs. A tiger.
"See, whether you like it or not, we're going to be involved."
Haewoon mumbled incomprehensibly. When Hamin glared at him, Geonu, standing behind him, coughed awkwardly, giving a pathetic apology. The heavy air felt wintry.
Despite it being April, there was a chill in the air, making it feel like December. Sihyun felt like an innocent bystander in a conflict. Trying to ease the tension, he opened his mouth.
"At least it's okay that some people have left. Is your brother not very popular?"
"It's not that he's not, it's that people are afraid to approach him. Once, there was a delay in dealing with an irregular due to a crowd. At that time, Hyuk was delayed due to fans causing a disturbance."
"Ah."
Sighing at Haewoon's clear response, Sihyun sensed the silence stretching on. His attempt to ease the mood had failed.
In the unrelenting atmosphere, Sihyun, feeling like he'd forgotten how to speak since Hyuk's arrival, tapped Hamin like someone trying to communicate with a mute person. Hamin turned away from Haewoon upon Sihyun's touch.
"...Why?"
"Your expression is making everyone uncomfortable."
"......"
It was better not to offer awkward comfort or advice. Ignoring Hamin's gaze fixed on him, Sihyun scanned the four boys. From platinum blonde to blue and silver. The variety of hair colors caught his attention. Sihyun swallowed his embarrassment. Dealing with those hairstyles seemed like the first step to take.
"Let's start by going to a store and getting some hats. At least cover those hairstyles so we can move around comfortably."
"Do you think wearing hats will make us less noticeable?"
Especially if Geonu wears one, it might even become a fashion statement.
Sihyun looked at Haewoon as he brought Geonu along, suggesting they go shopping. Imagining putting a hat on Geonu, it definitely seemed like a fashion item. Perhaps wearing a hat made them look better, despite it being a feeling-induced perception.
After a brief consideration, Sihyun decided to add one more item to cover their faces.
"Let's wear masks too."
"Are we celebrities or something?"
When the topic of masks came up, Hamin, who had been silent, reacted. But with no other choice, he reluctantly opted for a handkerchief instead, claiming it was better than nothing.
Entering a store favored by Haewoon, Sihyun bought masks and hats and handed them out to Haewoon. Then, picking out clothes for Haewoon, Sihyun turned to look at Hamin. Seeing all of them covering their faces, it felt like observing a group of criminals.
"How should I dress Haewoon?"
Still, they were good-looking, so maybe they had an eye for fashion. With a gleam in his golden eyes, Kang Sihyun asked, taking out a shirt adorned with pink lace.
"Hey, thoughts on lace?"
"Why don't you try it on first?"
"This one."
"That's more your style, not Ban Haru's."
"Just put it on casually."
"Why? Want me to try sheer fabric or something?"
"This one's genuine."
Rejecting lace and the unhelpful Hamin, all that was left was Seowoo. Since she seemed to have the best fashion sense among them, Sihyun looked at her for a last glimmer of hope. Seowoo smiled softly and picked out a shirt from the rack, showing it to Sihyun.
"It looks good."
"...Not for me, for Haru."
"Yeah, shirts might work."
"..."
Was it really a conversation in Korean he just had?
Speaking the same language, yet the codes just didn't align. Sighing in resignation, Sihyun roamed the shop with Haru. Eventually, Haru, who had been hanging around like an eager puppy, seemed determined as he approached Sihyun with a piece of clothing. It was a black sweatshirt, but the wide neck suggested it could easily slip off the shoulders, almost becoming an off-shoulder outfit. Sihyun looked at the clothing Haru brought.
"You'll wear this?"
"...No."
"Then?"
"This... "
Haru briefly held out the clothing to Sihyun. Wondering if he intended to buy it for Sihyun, he looked at him, and Haru, embarrassed or shy, glanced downward with reddened eyes.
"I thought it'd suit you..."
"Oh..."
"...Do you dislike it?"
Glancing at Sihyun briefly, then lowering his gaze, Haru looked up with lingering regret in his eyes. His usual fierce look softened remarkably in these moments, leaving Sihyun astounded. Haru's eyes shimmered. Come to think of it, aside from the incident about the marks, Haru had never really suggested or asked something of him. Unable to refuse, Sihyun sighed and accepted the sweatshirt with a breath.
"Should I put it on?"
At that statement, Haru's face lit up. Remembering the food he couldn't receive from Haru during their first meal together, Sihyun looked at the sweatshirt in his hand.
It was quite an improvement from back then.
While I felt a bit sorry for disappointing his ecstatic joy, changing into the clothes and stepping out, I noticed how pleased Haru seemed. He complimented how well it suited me, blushing as he spoke shyly, his excitement making him want to wag his nonexistent tail from side to side.
Others might not notice, but in my eyes, seeing Haru so overwhelmingly happy, I thought, 'Well, if you're happy, that's good,' and sighed. Seeing Sihyun's reaction, Seowoo alternated between Haru and Sihyun.
"...Was that the kind of clothes you liked? I should've chosen something a bit more revealing."
"Even sheer fabric?"
Seowoo expressed disappointment, and Hamin teased. However, when she casually draped her coat over Sihyun's exposed shoulder, lending warmth to where it felt chilly, it wasn't a bad feeling.
"What's that for?"
"It's still cold."
You'll catch a cold like this.
Whoever walked around exposing their skin so much from the morning, it was beyond me. After awkwardly swallowing my words, including the clothes I was wearing, calculating Haru's clothes was quick. Haewoon, who had chosen even Geonu's clothes and handed them over to Hamin for the bill, contributed to this.
Despite complaining, the son-of-a-rich-family demeanor didn't hesitate to swipe the card, even for the clothes Haru wanted. Exiting the store with a strange feeling, Geonu's hunger kicked off the discussion about lunch menus.
Starting with Western food, we circled back to decide on tteokbokki for lunch. Seeing Sihyun, who seemed to wonder if the nobles ate such things, glancing at Hamin and Seowoo, it was evident. Hamin, who displayed a vigorous appetite for any food, and Seowoo, who nibbled on a salad, presented contrasting images.
"If you weren't going to eat, you should've said you couldn't."
As Seowoo only nibbled on the side salad, I ordered an egg roll for her, and she smiled gently as she looked at the steaming hot dish.
"Were you worried?"
"I was frustrated."
"That's good, though."
"What are you guys doing?"
Hamin's voice interrupted the conversation. Since it wasn't a particularly nutritious discussion, I shrugged and, after eating tteokbokki, finished paying the bill. Hamin casually slung his arm over Geonu's shoulder.
"Let's go."
Where? Surely not to a billiards hall?
His way of speaking was as if he was from a different world, giving rise to an ominous feeling. Thinking of pulling Haru and going back home, Hamin stopped in front of a building.
"If you've eaten, might as well have some fun, right?"
The place where Hamin stopped after saying that was, surprisingly, a PC room.
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