IRNH C52

#52

Rustle—

The edge of a thin shirt scraped roughly against the wall, crumpling.

Sihyeon glanced down briefly at the faint sensation, then pressed his body closer to the wall, carefully surveying his surroundings again.

Though it made sense that enemies were stalking him, necessitating caution and stealth, he couldn’t comprehend why the Hunter Association was taking such measures.

“Enemies everywhere again. Haah.”

It felt ridiculous—it was only recently that he’d been attacked by the entire Central Plains. Now the situation was devolving similarly.

And this time, despite having done nothing!

“Still, I’m here with you.”

At that moment, a familiar, gentle voice echoed nearby.

Sihyeon slowly turned.

‘When did the little one get so grown up that he can comfort his master?’

Unconsciously, Sihyeon raised his hand, poking the smooth white cheek with his index finger, then pinched it lightly and stretched it alongside.

He thought the boy had disliked this before, but now, with his eyelashes fluttering politely, it oddly pleased him.

Though his build had grown, to Sihyeon he still seemed youthful.

Yet the obvious height difference, deepened voice, and other signs forced him to accept that the child had grown rapidly, which left a bittersweet feeling.

‘Am I treating him too much like a kid?’

Truthfully, Sihyeon was himself a rookie with only a few years of work experience.

Before adulthood, indifference had consumed him; no one was genuinely curious about him, so he showed nothing.

Living with such deprivation made it difficult for him to understand or express himself.

Even as an adult, relationships felt tiring, and he had no will to maintain them artificially.

Though late-in-life he learned how to feign kindness or ignorance and fit in, he was quickly sucked into the game before mastering it.

‘Maybe Taewoon, who had a fate more tragic than mine, appeared then…’

At first, it was just pity for a poor child recalling his past self.

But perhaps because of the impressive encounter in this new world, the feeling embedded quickly.

Taewoon, seeming to notice, came to rely on him for everything.

Eventually, that pity transformed into affection and responsibility.

So naturally, that boy became very precious to Sihyeon.

‘So a bit of overprotection is okay.’

He accepted that he was somewhat overbearing.

But if all had gone his way, he wouldn’t find himself pondering or waxing nostalgic now.

Sihyeon frowned deeply, recalling the last ten years overlapping with these complex circumstances, trying to calm his wild heart.

“Master?”

“Yeah.”

“We should move. But you seem deeply lost in thought…”

“Oh, right. Time to go.”

Sihyeon smiled faintly, watching the glossy red eyes like pearls filled with concern.

“By the way, I’m really glad you’re by my side.”

Taewoon’s body stiffened slightly then relaxed, the smile slowly shifting to something like a grimace.

‘If you say things like that and look at me so frankly, I can’t help but melt.’

Still, it wasn’t unpleasant. That genuine attitude always pleased him.

Though somewhat oblivious—actually, very oblivious—time would fix that if Taewoon remained by his side.

“Let’s go.”

Taewoon turned his back but treasured the sight of Sihyeon leading him once more.

“Wow, you live here.”

Entering a remote villa neighborhood, Sihyeon looked around, fascinated.

Though he checked the address with some trepidation, this was a place he knew well—it was near the orphanage where he grew up.

Despite earning some money as a hunter, he didn’t know why he still lived here; Sihyeon scrutinized an aging red brick villa, pushing away distractions.

‘No suspicious followers yet…’

With at least two groups now targeting him and Taewoon, caution was imperative.

Sihyeon took position on the rooftop opposite the building, eyeing the street dense with CCTV cameras.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and messaged Ha-jung.

• “Leave the window open.” 

Ha-jung’s reply came immediately.

• “What the hell are you talking about?” 

“Ugh, she’s so temperamental.”

Though Ha-jung’s response was like that, seeing the fifth-floor window slowly open brought a quiet chuckle from Sihyeon, who kicked off the railing.

“Ugh!”

Silently entering the room, Sihyeon appeared before Ha-jung, who was pacing near the window.

A short scream burst out, and a small fireball shot swiftly toward Sihyeon’s face.

“Hey, I sent the message!”

He smashed the fist-sized fireball into pieces with a chop of his hand, then shouted.

Though he was partly to blame for not explaining properly before popping in unexpectedly, that was about 0.05% of responsibility. Still, it didn’t matter.

“…Damn, Jeong Sihyeon, you crazy bastard. Haah.”

The tension eased as the sputtering embers converged toward Ha-jung.

Her embarrassed cough filled the room and faded.

“Sorry for attacking. But you brought this on yourself. Anyway, you didn’t get caught, right?”

“Judging by how clumsily you were shocked, looks like it.”

“Damn, that bastard.”

Sihyeon laughed heartily at Ha-jung, who clutched her forehead and shook her head, then nodded toward the man quietly standing behind him.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Before Ha-jung could even settle, Sihyeon leapt to ask about the current chaos.

The relaxed mood immediately tightened and calmed.

Ha-jung debated how much suspicion to share before slowly speaking only of the facts.

“First… the investigation is complete, and the house will probably be restored soon. The landlord will get compensation, so no more issues.”

“Sounds like good news. But who is the investigator?”

“Uh, should I call them that?”

The Hunter Association had a special agency not found before.

Equal in power to a military deterrent, their existence influenced policies, legislation, and made massive economic contributions.

Inevitably, power was concentrated there.

One special authority awarded managers the right to create personal teams and act privately.

Though the team size was limited to about ten, one could form a significant force if desired.

Some used this power for private hit squads, operating under the radar.

Meaning practically no one abstained from this power.

“Among them, Chief Park Chul is of the latter type.”

His exact involvement and participation in the mess was unknown.

Yet after giving Ha-jung a warning disguised as advice, his demeanor suggested the case wouldn’t be overlooked.

“So, your point is, no more information will be available, and the current info isn’t fully reliable?”

“That’s right.”

“And they have a poor opinion of me, and that Chief Park might also be taking action?”

“Yes. So even if the house gets fixed, don’t go there. They probably plastered it with listening spells and more.”

A deep sigh escaped Sihyeon.

He realized Taewoon had not once rested comfortably at his home since arriving and lamented the situation.

Then suddenly, Sihyeon flinched at his fading presence.

Damn.

Taewoon muttered curses roughly, familiar with the discomfort.

He quickly suppressed his stiffening face amid the gazes fixed on him.

Though recurrence was expected, this was too soon.

If this phenomenon became regular, it would surely harm Sihyeon again.

‘That can never happen.’

Now, outside battle, ignoring stares might pass unnoticed; but if weapons flew nearby, his head would already have been severed.

He needed a solution quickly.

Taewoon recalled the place and foes where this first happened.

They seemed deeply connected to those pursuing Sihyeon and his master, holding some secret society.

‘Good. We must catch and finish them now.’

Taewoon curled his lips barely, suppressing rising murderous intent.

Looking at Sihyeon with soft brown eyes as if nothing happened, he gave a faint smile.