RG 163

I stared at the fake in disbelief, then let out a sigh and shook my hand dismissively. “It feels a bit burdensome. I’ll just accept the thought.”

“What’s there to feel burdened about? I said it’s a house, but really, it’s just a place to sleep—like a lodging. I’d be grateful if anyone came in and made good use of it.”

“Still, that doesn’t make my feeling of burden disappear. Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear it.”

At my firm refusal, the fake smiled in a way I couldn’t read. It looked suspicious enough that I narrowed my eyes, but then another voice suddenly cut in from the side, “Then how about staying at the guild?”

The owner of the voice was, surprisingly, Ryu Seonghyeon. It was shocking enough that he would speak up on this topic, but what he said was even more surprising.

“Stay at the guild? You mean the Circle Guild?”

I had only asked to confirm, but Ryu Seonghyeon doubled down and began trying to persuade me. “Yes. Hunter Cha Seohu, as you know, our guild has a room where you can rest comfortably. It has a bathroom, a bed, and furniture all set up. It should be fine for you to stay there with your brother.”

I knew well enough that the Circle Guild had such a room—because before my regression, I had lived in it.

“…That room is meant for injured or exhausted guild members, though.”

Since the Circle Guild didn’t own any dungeons and rarely joined high-rank dungeon raids, there weren’t many injured members who needed the room. Before my regression, I had taken advantage of that. But now, I didn’t want to do that again.

“What if I’m using it and then someone injured needs it? I’d rather not be a nuisance.”

“It’s not a nuisance. The room is only used once or twice a year. It would be much less of a burden than staying at the guildmaster’s home.”

“I’m not even part of the Circle Guild. Strictly speaking, I’m an outsider—people will feel uncomfortable if I’m staying there and walking around.”

“Everyone’s familiar with you, Hunter Cha Seohu, so it’s fine. You’ve helped with something the guildmaster asked, so I’d like to return the favor in some way.”

“Well, that’s…”

It wasn’t a favor, it was a transaction.

I glanced at the fake, but he only gave a small shrug, clearly unwilling to take my side. 

Even Song Ji-un, after glancing around to grasp the situation, backed up Ryu Seonghyeon’s proposal. “Hunter Cha Seohu, I think it’d be a good idea for you to stay here too.” His light green eyes were sparkling, as if he hoped that the one person he was somewhat close to would remain at the guild.

“We don’t know how long it’ll take to find a new place, and staying in a hotel will cost a lot. Plus, with so many people coming and going, it’s dangerous. You were almost in big trouble from that attack—wouldn’t it be better to have someone nearby to watch over you?”

“This place is going to be empty at night anyway.”

“Th-then I’ll stay at night too.”

That made no sense. There was only one room with a bed, so where exactly would Song Ji-un be spending the night? And if there was someone other than Cha Sahyeon around, it would restrict my ability to act under cover.

I shook my head again. “You really don’t need to go that far. It’s not like I’m a child.”

The fake, who had been quietly listening, cut in with a smile. “True, you’re an adult in your own way. Even if to us—or to Ji-un—you still seem quite young.”

At the obvious teasing, I glared at him, but this time it was Kwon Taehyeok who called to me, “Hunter Cha Seohu.” His black eyes, filled with determination, fixed directly on me. For some reason, that gaze made me uneasy. “I have a proposal that would perfectly address all the issues we’ve been discussing.”

“…What is it?”

“Come to the Yesung Guild.”

“…” Right, I was wondering why he’d been so quiet.

“The room for you and your younger brother is already prepared. You just need to bring your belongings and move in. The guild has a security system in place, so it’s safe 24 hours a day, and if you want, we can assign additional guards.”

“…What? No, wait—”

“The guild has a treatment system, so if you’re injured, you can immediately see a healer. Hunter Cha Seohu, you said before that you have healing skills but can’t use them on yourself, correct? In our guild, that won’t be as much of a concern.”

It was as if Kwon Taehyeok had been waiting for this exact moment—he rattled off the details without the slightest hesitation.

“As for the concern that the guild members might feel uncomfortable, you don’t need to worry. We have so many members that most don’t even know each other. Above all, you may not be widely known, but you’re a benefactor to our guild, so there’s no need to feel any burden.”

“…I already feel burdened, though.”

Standing beside the confident, self-promoting Kwon Taehyeok, Ryu Seonghyeon looked slightly downcast. He was probably feeling the stark difference between Yesung, a top guild, and the modest Circle Guild. Seonghyeon had always quietly seen the small size of his guild as a weakness.

‘You’re really bragging about your guild in the middle of a small guild’s home turf?’

As someone whose heart still belonged to Circle, I found Kwon Taehyeok, with all his resources, a little irritating. “I’m truly grateful for all these offers, but I think I’ll have to put it on hold for now. You saw them too, Guildmaster—those two in the reception room.” I swallowed down my personal feelings and gave an apologetic look. “They came all the way here to see me, so it’s hard to turn them away coldly. Whether they decide to return to the district or find another path, I need to see that resolved before I can feel at ease.”

I’d already told him beforehand that Hyeon Dowun was a cherished friend, so he had every reason to understand.

“Honestly, Guildmaster, you were only considering me and my brother—you have no intention of taking in those two as well, right? So until things are settled, we’ll stay at a hotel.”

The two of them could just grab any random hotel room and make do. I had no desire to pay for a hotel room for the perfectly healthy S-class DPS Kwon Seoyul, but if I only looked after Hyeon Dowun, he’d throw a fit, so I had no choice.

“That’s…”

In any case, my long-winded persuasion must have worked somewhat, because Kwon Taehyeok, who had been so confidently trying to recruit me, now looked as deflated as Ryu Seonghyeon.

“Then… what if those two come as well…?”

“You’re not serious, are you? I appreciate the sentiment.”

No matter how approachable Kwon Taehyeok might seem to me, he was still the leader of the number-one guild in the country. Offering rooms to me and my brother was one thing, given the debts and trust between us—but taking in Kwon Seoyul and Hyeon Dowun, both from another district, would be difficult. There was the security issue he had just bragged about, and if those two caused trouble inside the guild, both he and I would be in a bind. The fact that he even muttered the suggestion of bringing them along out of regret was remarkable in itself.

Once all the offers were turned down and we decided on staying at a hotel, Cha Sahyeon, who had been holding my hand, looked extremely satisfied.

‘I thought he’d change a little after regaining his memories.’

Apparently, his clinginess toward me hadn’t changed one bit from before. It was a good thing he was still young—if this had been his true self, it would’ve been creepy.

“Oh, Yesung’s guildmaster.” Now that my living arrangements had been decided, I brought up something I’d been meaning to ask ever since meeting Kwon Taehyeok. “The ranking match is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.” Just as he had warned me—well, Cover—Kwon Taehyeok had even rented the official arena for the ranking match. If I remembered correctly, the match was tomorrow or the day after. “It’s scheduled for tomorrow, isn’t it?”

Ah, so it was tomorrow.

“I was actually waiting, since we’ve heard nothing from Hunter Cover.”

Kwon Taehyeok’s eyebrow twitched as he looked at me. His expression said, Could it be…?—so I happily confirmed his suspicion. “He says he’ll participate in the ranking match. He just couldn’t respond sooner because he has no way of contacting you.”

“…Haa.” Kwon Taehyeok let out an exasperated sigh. “Does Hunter Cover still not have a phone?”

“Hmm… looks like it.”

“When I see him, ranking match or not, the first thing I’m doing is giving him a phone.”

“Is that really necessary? After the ranking match, you won’t have any reason to meet him. Oh, and tell me the match time, please.”

“It’s set to start at 8 p.m., so Hunter Cover should arrive at the arena by 7 p.m. at the latest.”

It was better than holding it during the day, but still cutting it close. Even if I waited near the arena and transformed right before going in, 7 p.m. would be tight.

“Could we push it back an hour? I really don’t think he can make it.”

“…Thirty minutes is possible. But an hour would be too much.”

I had even added a hint of sweetness to my tone when asking Kwon Taehyeok, but it didn’t work. Tch, so 30 minutes really was the limit, huh? Well, who would agree to reschedule just a day before? The arena probably had its own schedule too.

Thirty minutes… I could work with that.

I started mentally mapping the shortest possible route, when Kwon Taehyeok asked, looking troubled, “It’s tomorrow already—will you be able to let Hunter Cover know?”

“Hmm… I’ll try. If not, Cover will probably find a payphone and call. Of course, the call will be collect.”

“Even if the phone bill is a million won, I don’t care—just get the message to him on time.”

A million won? Wow, that’s generous. The rich really are different.

***

“Hey, Kwon Seoyul.”

It had been about ten minutes since Cha Seohu had gone up to the representative’s office. Lounging on the sofa without a shred of manners, Kwon Seoyul looked over at Hyeon Dowun, who had called out to him. “What?”

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

When Hyeon Dowun asked reluctantly, Kwon Seoyul grinned.

“What kind of question is that~? Of course I’m sticking to Brother Seohu like glue. I didn’t go through all that trouble just to see his face for a moment.”

“…”

“You’re the same as me, you know.”

At his teasing remark, Hyeon Dowun couldn’t respond right away and awkwardly looked away.

Having known Hyeon Dowun for as long as Cha Seohu had, Kwon Seoyul could easily read the answer from his reaction.

“There are always pests buzzing around my brother. I’ve gotta keep them in check~”

Maybe it was because he’d finally met Cha Seohu, but Kwon Seoyul’s tone was playful and drawn-out, like taffy. His face was full of smiles.

“Pests? Didn’t he say they weren’t friends-with-benefits?”

“Come on, bro, are you really that naive? Even if that was a misunderstanding, the way those guys look at Brother Seohu…” Clicking his tongue at Hyeon Dowun in exasperation, Kwon Seoyul was about to launch into a long explanation when—

A vibration came from his pocket. Frowning, Kwon Seoyul pulled out his phone.

Brother Hae-il
010-GANA-DARA

The name flashing on the screen made Kwon Seoyul’s expression twist even further.