Only after completely revealing his intentions through their previous conversation did Jae-hee withdraw his searching gaze. Whether he felt no further need to observe or was showing trust after agreeing to cooperate, just having the S-rank’s piercing aura disappear made Sa-yoon breathe easier.

I thought I was going to die from discomfort. When was the last time he’d been so blatantly observed by someone?

As Night Rats’s leader, everyone showed interest in Sa-yoon, casting searching glances to gauge his abilities. Though this was routine whenever he went out for guild activities, Sa-yoon didn’t mind. Those types usually quieted down and tucked their tails after he sent a few bursts of killing intent their way.

But Jae-hee was different. Even setting aside the fact that his threats had lost effectiveness since becoming C-rank, he was a madman immune to killing intent. He’d seen it clearly with his own eyes. The man hadn’t blinked even with a knife at his throat and had smiled brightly even when thunder struck. He was someone who would use a skill at the cost of his lifespan for his beliefs. Someone like that wouldn’t be intimidated by a little killing intent. Meaning Jae-hee would have observed him like this even if Sa-yoon had remained S-rank.

Where did someone like this come from? He could already picture Jongsik’s shock. He’d probably throw a fit saying he hadn’t known the guy was this crazy. Kyung-jin would probably sneer about picking up nothing but crazy people, while Yan would find him interesting and entertaining.

Come to think of it, he’d probably get along well with Yan.

Thinking how his smiling despite threats was quite similar to Yan, Sa-yoon put away the dagger he’d drawn when feeling threatened and threw a low-grade potion to Jae-hee. Though his S-rank wounds would heal quickly, he couldn’t just let him keep bleeding. Aside from looking bad, Jongsik would get angry if blood got on the bed sheets. Jongsik’s anger from overwork-induced irritability wasn’t welcome even to Sa-yoon.

It took a long time to pacify him, after all.

“So, what are you planning to do now?”

“Are you asking me?”

“Who else is here besides you?”

“Hmm.”

The man applying the low-grade potion to his neck like lotion met Sa-yoon’s eyes and chuckled.

“Whatever works for you, Sa-yoon.”

“What?”

“Since I decided to go with you, I’ll follow your lead. Is that not okay?”

“Don’t you have any schedules?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t have followed you.”

Listening to him, it made sense. No wonder he’d followed so readily – he had no plans at all. He was the opposite of how he looked. His proper and strict appearance suggested someone who planned things down to the second, but his actual personality was quite bold and spontaneous.

“You seemed to be constantly entering gates in Pohang, are you done with that?”

“That was because of Unknown. Since it didn’t appear again no matter how many times I entered, I’m thinking of trying other dungeons.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Look at this.

He’d thought Jae-hee might flinch even slightly at showing he’d investigated him, but Jae-hee remained calm. More than calm, he was completely at ease and composed. Sa-yoon let out a hollow laugh at his attitude of not caring whether he was investigated or not. Completely different from someone else. The guy he’d kidnapped and brought had panicked as soon as he realized he’d been investigated. Was this the difference experience in the hunter world made? Or was Jae-hee just unusual?

Probably both.

Realizing he’d thought of Geon-joo again mid-thought, Sa-yoon frowned and got up from the bed.

“So basically we need to enter a gate.”

“It’s not essential, so whatever’s convenient for you.”

“Then let’s go.”

“…?”

Question marks appeared on Jae-hee’s face. Thinking his blank expression was much easier to look at than when he suspiciously hid his thoughts or observed him, Sa-yoon grabbed the car keys stuffed in his pocket.

“Why are you standing there blankly? Didn’t you say we need to go to a gate?”

“We’re leaving now?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Umm…”

The man who let out a contemplative sound looked out the window. Sa-yoon caught his meaning from the dark scenery outside. It meant it was late and he was tired. In short, he wanted to go another time.

What to do about this?

He debated whether to match his pace or move at his own tempo. If they were equals, it would be right to step back here. Jae-hee had already compromised once by saying he’d move according to Sa-yoon’s schedule.

No, was that even right to see as compromise?

His mind was briefly chaotic. After considering several times, Sa-yoon clicked his tongue and looked Jae-hee up and down. Looking at him this way, he did seem quite frail. Well, being a summoner, it made sense he wouldn’t have muscles. He’d probably look similar standing next to Kyung-jin who worked a desk job.

“You’re weak after all.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind, get some rest.”

Figuring that as a summoner, Jae-hee would have low stamina and need rest after everything that happened today, Sa-yoon pushed his shoulder. Though the rank difference was significant enough that he could have resisted if he wanted, Jae-hee obediently let himself be pushed onto the bed. Sa-yoon patted his dumbfounded shoulder once and turned away.

“Sleep there tonight, and from tomorrow I’ll have a room made for you to stay in.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep, Sa-yoon?”

“I’ll rest in my room.”

Though this was actually his room, what did it matter? There was no reason he couldn’t give up his bed twice after giving it up once. Deciding to show generosity to his new collaborator, Sa-yoon left the room, leaving behind the supposedly fragile summoner Jae-hee. Though the S-rank threw a bewildered look at being worried over by a C-rank behind his back, unfortunately the downgraded Sa-yoon couldn’t notice that gaze.

“Oh, Jongsik. Clear out your room.”

Calling Jongsik as soon as he left the room, Sa-yoon made a unilateral announcement. Jongsik, exhausted from reviewing documents until late, was taken aback by the sudden order.

“Room? Why clear out my room when you have yours, Boss?”

“Your room is the second best in this building.”

His room had been the best, but since he’d given it to Jae-hee, he had to at least claim the second best. When he stated this boldly, Jongsik sighed and said he’d sleep on the couch so Sa-yoon could come in. Not heartless enough to kick his loyal subordinate out to the couch, Sa-yoon compromised at that point and was about to get in the elevator when he called up his system window.

There were no new pop-ups. The Resisting One activation quest was still frozen. If he could, he wanted to grab the system window with both hands and shout at it to unfreeze.

Why wouldn’t it unfreeze after meeting One Who Breaks the Flow and cooperating with him?

He should have met Lee Jae-hee from the start. If he had…

…If he had…

“How unsightly.”

It was meaningless speculation. Shaking his head at the pointlessness of thinking about what wouldn’t happen, Sa-yoon fiddled with his phone and contacted Kyung-jin. When he asked about tracking Han Geon-joo, the answer came back that there was no progress.

Where the fuck did this bastard run off to?

Could he still be in a gate?

If he’d come out of a gate, he would have been caught by Night Rats’s tracking somehow. That’s how much Night Rats’s information team was focusing on searching for Han Geon-joo’s whereabouts. But not finding even a strand of hair meant he was likely still in the gate he’d entered when they separated.

What kind of gate could it be?

He’d never heard of gates appearing in mid-air. Could he have entered an S-rank gate alone and died? At the sudden ominous thought, Sa-yoon looked at his quest window. What if the quest was frozen because Han Geon-joo had died?

Then he would lose both the way to activate Resisting One and Han Geon-joo himself. He’d lose the chance for revenge for being backstabbed, and essentially lose the chance to set everything right.

That’s what you get for running away.

Though nothing was certain yet, ominous thoughts kept coming, and Sa-yoon messed up his hair as he pictured Geon-joo’s face.

Fuck, that difficult bastard.

Han Geon-joo was consistently difficult whether he was present or not. He was unmatched at irritating Sa-yoon’s nerves, making him sigh. His head felt like it was boiling. Feeling heat rise throughout his body, he got in the elevator and leaned his head against the cold wall, when suddenly a scene from one day came to mind.

‘Noah.’

A man calling a small boy’s name hugs him and smiles joyfully. The utterly innocent boy grabbed the man’s cheeks and pulled them, pinched them, playing around, and the man gladly accepted it all while patting the boy’s head.

It was a comfortable, pleasant scene. Someone had been sitting on the bed watching the two kids fooling around together, sometimes snorting, sometimes letting out empty laughs.

It was himself.

Sa-yoon, who had held his breath for a moment remembering it happened in the field, traced his memories. What emotion had he felt watching Han Geon-joo and Noah then?

He’d probably been happy.

“…”

He slowly opened his eyes to face reality. Seeing nothing but the elevator wall and realizing he was alone, Sa-yoon bit his lip with arms crossed.

What? Die in a gate?

Nonsense. This was Han Geon-joo. The Han Geon-joo who fearlessly headbutted an imugi, who talked back to him firmly, who experienced several monster waves and grew explosively, who finally became A-rank and left his side.

He couldn’t be dead.

Fuck, just try being dead.

He was someone who should die by his hands if he died, not by some monster. Vowing to make him restless even in hell if he’d gone to the afterlife doing something foolish, Sa-yoon exited the elevator. As he was about to head straight to Jongsik’s room, a cool breeze blew in from somewhere. Turning his head at the cold air brushing his nape, he saw the window in the corridor.

Sa-yoon threw his gaze outside as if possessed. The brightly risen moon looked exactly like the full moon he’d seen in the field, unsettling his heart.