"What brought you here?"
Ha Min was the first to react to the man who appeared without a sound, his voice laced with wariness as he narrowed his eyes at his brother. With his naturally wolf-like, fierce demeanor, Ha Min's deliberately hostile expression was intimidating.
Had I been in his shoes, I might have flinched at such a menacing look, but Ha Hyuk, accustomed to this, greeted his brother nonchalantly.
"It's been a while, Min-ah."
"I told you not to call me that."
"Look at you, getting all pouty after such a long time."
"......"
Dismissing every word as mere child's play, Ha Min could only let out a sigh. His expression alone conveyed the thought, "This guy, we just can't communicate."
"There's no particular reason I can't be here. I'm not banned from the association, am I, Team Leader Kang?"
Caught off-guard, Uiheon hesitantly agreed. Ha Min bit his lip, glaring at his brother. As always, he just couldn't win against Ha Hyuk.
Despite being only three years his senior, the gap in their maturity was evident. The showdown between Ha Min, who was unmistakably a high school student, and Ha Hyuk, who seemed to be on his second round of life, had a predictable outcome.
Confrontation would only exhaust those around them. Si Hyun, adept at dealing with Ha Hyuk, diverted the Guild Leader's attention.
"What brings you all the way here?"
"Long time no see, Si Hyun."
"Yeah, well."
"Team Leader Kang, long time no see as well. Has it been a year?"
"Yes, well..."
Uiheon's response was somewhat vague. The awkwardness wasn't so much between Ha Hyuk and Uiheon as it was Uiheon unilaterally finding Ha Hyuk bothersome, a sentiment Si Hyun could empathize with.
"The last time we met was during the Daegu airport incident. Seeing you here, I'm a bit worried you're here to poach our guild's talent."
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Tilting my head, I saw Ha Hyuk's hand resting lightly on it, causing me to grimace.
As if we were close friends, he pulled me towards him, and reluctantly, I allowed myself to be led. Ha Hyuk seemed the best way to escape Uiheon's persistent scouting offers.
"I hope we can meet under more amicable circumstances next time. You've finished your business, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then I'll be going."
With a slight nod, Ha Hyuk turned his back on Uiheon. Having been forcibly dragged along, I stood there momentarily before glancing at Uiheon, who was holding his forehead in frustration.
"Is this okay?"
"It's fine. We hold more sway anyway. Just say the word if the association bothers you."
The mix of informal and formal speech was almost childish. It was as if he was saying, "Don't worry, I'm stronger." I threw him a disdainful look, quickly composing my face before Ha Hyuk noticed. As the absurdity and frustration faded, Ha Hyuk smiled faintly.
Was this the first time I'd seen him so closely since last summer?
His smile was unchanged, perhaps even a bit more chilling. As I caught sight of Ha Hyuk's hand still on my shoulder, I started to feel the urge to shake him off.
"Looks like we have a lot to discuss, but let's get in the car first, shall we? It's getting a bit chilly."
He pulled out the car keys. The only vehicle flashing its headlights in front of the association clearly couldn't accommodate us all.
"Can all eight of us fit in one car?"
Including Ha Hyuk, nine people seemed too many for one vehicle. Concerned about our safety, I voiced my apprehension, but Ha Hyuk glanced back at the rest of the group.
"Of course, we all can't fit."
"Then?"
"We'll split up. It'll be uncomfortable for the others with me around, so I'll only take those I'm familiar with."
I had a sinking feeling I was among those "familiar faces." Detaching Ha Hyuk's hand from my shoulder, I attempted to broach the subject of becoming strangers when Ha Hyuk preemptively called over Ha Min and Haru.
"The four of us will be just fine."
I missed my chance to object.
The rest would ride with Team Leader Lee, as Ha Hyuk pointed to a white car parked a bit ahead of his own. Freed from Ha Hyuk's grip, Down, Jihye, Seo Woo, Hae Un, and Gun Woo boarded the white car with visibly relieved expressions.
Must be nice.
I wished to share their relief. I wanted to be in that car, pitying those who ended up in Ha Hyuk's vehicle. As I begrudging
ly followed the Guild Leader's gesture to get in the passenger seat, I couldn't help but resent his inconvenient kindness.
Why make things difficult by being so considerate?
Though frustration bubbled up, I couldn't voice all my thoughts. Tired and drained as I was, I still had some sense of propriety. I awkwardly smiled and climbed into the car, struggling to maintain my composure.
Fortunately, the atmosphere lightened somewhat once Ha Min and Haru took their seats in the back.
"How did the test go? Everyone did well, I presume."
Their voices were tinged with satisfaction, a stark contrast to Uiheon's disappointment at losing me. Uncertain who the question was directed at, I responded vaguely and checked if my seatbelt was secure before leaning back comfortably.
"Looks like you've received quite a bit from the association."
He must have noticed the ginseng extract and eel extract Uiheon had given me.
"They offered, so I accepted. Would you like some, Guild Leader?"
"No need, but you might as well leave it here."
"Really?"
"Don't just accept anything given to you, especially not ginseng or eel extract. What if you consume something odd and fall ill?"
The cheaper the item, the lower the quality tends to be.
It was fortunate for Uiheon that he wasn't present to hear this. Had he heard, he might have exploded in anger or engaged in a futile argument, or perhaps he would have directly called the chairman of the association. Regardless of his reaction, it surely would have led to some form of breakdown. Si Hyun was reminded once again of Ha Hyuk's character, realizing he hadn't changed a bit.
His way of twisting words showed he still possessed a character as intricate as silk.
"There's no need to buy them again."
"Am I not buying you things, and that's why you're accepting these from everywhere?"
Am I being reprimanded right now?
Receiving something because it was offered, only to be scolded for accepting it, felt unjust. Ha Hyuk's tone, questioning whether Redem wasn't treating him well enough, made Si Hyun nervously glance at Ha Min through the rearview mirror for support. Ha Min, with a click of his tongue, turned away.
That ungrateful jerk.
After everything Si Hyun had done for him, Ha Min acted as if he didn't know him.
As Si Hyun internally grumbled about Ha Min's lack of gratitude, Ha Min finally spoke up after staring out the window for a while.
"Stop tormenting the innocent kid and just drive properly, will you?"
The intention was good, but the delivery was off. The remark was borderline provocative, making Si Hyun check Ha Hyuk's reaction, feeling stuck in an awkward situation. At that moment, Si Hyun found himself missing Uiheon.
"Was Si Hyun ever naive? Well, that must be why he accepts anything without suspicion."
"...Next time, I just won't accept anything."
Accepting anything from someone seemed to merely provide them leverage over him. It was better not to accept in the first place to avoid such hassle.
If things went south for not accepting, Ha Hyuk would have to take care of it himself.
Si Hyun was prepared to blame everything on Ha Hyuk if he was going to interfere in his life. With this mindset, Si Hyun responded in the car, and Ha Hyuk commended him with a straight tone.
"You've thought it through well."
"Yeah, yeah."
Responding was becoming a chore.
After what felt like a 10-minute conversation about the gifts, Ha Hyuk shifted the topic, inquiring about various things. He asked Haru about the test results, then expressed surprise and light praise upon hearing about a 50-minute record. He asked Ha Min about his progress and ended up getting scolded. When he asked Si Hyun about the test, Si Hyun nonchalantly replied it was manageable, instantly regretting his words.
"If it wasn't too difficult, then taking Si Hyun to the next major rift seems like a good idea."
"Come to think of it, it was a bit challenging."
"That's fine. It's all about gaining experience through participation."
"...Ah."
This was a mistake.
This slip of the tongue meant Si Hyun was likely to be roped into high-stakes missions or rifts next time. Si Hyun wore a look of dismay, Ha Min snickered from behind, Haru declared he'd join Si Hyun in what seemed like a pact of solidarity, and Ha Hyuk appeared satisfied. It was a harmonious conversation for everyone but Si Hyun.
"......"
After about 20 minutes, the car quieted down as Si Hyun peeked over his shoulder to check on the backseat. Ha Min and Haru were out cold against the window.
They must have been more tired than they let on.
After all, Si Hyun was the only one who hadn't rested in the waiting room.
Spending hours waiting and then another hour focusing intensely on the test would tire anyone out. Si Hyun felt a sense of pride at how well they had held up when Ha Hyuk initiated a conversation.
"You're not sleeping, Si Hyun."
"I'm not sleepy."
"Is it that you can't sleep?"
"Yes. We're almost there, and I'm in the passenger seat. If Guild Master falls asleep, someone needs to wake him up."
"How thoughtful."
It wasn't about being thoughtful; it was common sense. Didn't he realize how dangerous drowsy driving could be? The driver who hit Si Hyun was also dozing off. Of course, Si Hyun admitted to his own fault in that incident for crossing the street while distracted by his phone.
Adding almost to himself that he was just worried about causing an accident, Ha Hyuk chuckled softly, thanking him for the concern. Si Hyun, who hadn't meant it as a worry, refused to engage further in conversation with Ha Hyuk.
Whether Ha Hyuk got the message or simply reverted to his usual self, there was no further talk until they arrived. This allowed Si Hyun to relax a bit more on the way back, unfastening his seatbelt as they approached the familiar guild building. The return trip seemed slightly shorter than the outbound journey.
"Good work, everyone. Rest up today, and we can resume missions tomorrow. The rest of you can head back to the lodgings, and Si Hyun, could you stay back for a moment?"
After seeing the A-group kids off, Ha Hyuk gestured for Si Hyun to come over last. Meeting Ha Hyuk's gaze, both cordial and eerie, Si Hyun suppressed his desire to refuse, reluctantly opening his mouth to reply.
"Yes..."
The reluctance in his voice was palpable, filled with unease.
Was it a mistake to say he wasn't sleepy in the car?
Had he mentioned feeling tired, perhaps Ha Hyuk would have let him go without further ado. Mulling over the what-ifs, Si Hyun leaned against the elevator mirror, weary eyes struggling to stay open, glaring as if to bore holes into Ha Hyuk's head. A sigh escaped him.
He wished the association, Redem, and everyone else would just leave him be.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
