RG 80

It was somehow even more embarrassing and awkward than I had anticipated. I hastily added, trying to excuse myself, “It’s not weird or anything. I was just searching for… someone’s name. Anyway, is it just me, or aren’t new posts showing up?”

— If you didn’t mess with the settings, there probably aren’t any new posts. How am I supposed to check if you won’t even tell me what you searched for?

Hyeon Dowun clicked his tongue in exasperation and continued.

— Or, it’s possible that it’s shadowbanned, so basic searches won’t show the posts.

“Shadowbanned?”

— To put it simply, it means people like you won’t see the posts when you search. You said you were looking up someone’s name, right? For example, if it were your name, they could tweak it by adding special characters to ‘Seohu’ or replacing letters, like turning it into ‘Seohwu.’

Listening to his long-winded explanation only made me more confused. I had no choice but to ask the fundamental question, “Why… would they do that?”

— …It’s just internet culture. You don’t need to understand it.

“Culture?”

— If not that, it’s because the account is private. No matter how much you search, private accounts won’t show up. Just give up.

His firm response drained some of my energy. I really wanted to see more posts praising Ryu Seonghyeon. They said there were lots of those on social media.

Oh well. I’ll dig into this later when I have more time. For now, I’ll wrap it up.

“Got it. Bye.”

— This jerk. Just saying what he wants and hanging up. I actually had something to tell you too. About last time when you—hello? Cha Seohu! Don’t hang up—!

Click.

Hyeon Dowun was still noisily rambling on, but I ignored him and ended the call. I’d contact him again about the search issue later, so it didn’t matter.

As I shoved my phone into my pocket and turned to the side, I saw Kwon Seoyul looking at me with a bright, eager expression. Without hesitation, I said, “Get lost.”

“Oh, bro! That’s too much.”

“That’s what I should say to the guy who broke the window,” I replied nonchalantly, but Kwon Seoyul grabbed my arm firmly. When I looked up, his eyes, framed by long lashes, were filled with deep frustration.

“I’m not joking around.”

“Neither am I.”

“I get that you want to start a new life outside the zone. It’s a lot better than not knowing where you were or what you were doing for months. At least now, with the guild, I can track your movements.”

“…”

I raised an eyebrow without responding. Perhaps taking it as encouragement, he continued more assertively, “But you could at least welcome me when I come looking for you. You stay in touch with Big Bro Dowun all the time, but not once with me—”

“Kwon Seoyul.”

No matter how hard I tried to suppress it, my lips kept curling up. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of what he was saying. I spoke with a half-smile and a strange grimace, “Even if it’s an excuse, couldn’t you at least think before you speak?”

“An excuse?!”

“Why do you care where I go? Before he ordered you, did you ever bother to wonder what I was doing or where I was?”

“Well, of course—”

“The fact that I disappeared for months, started a guild here, and even took in a kid—you came here already knowing all of it from your ‘intel.’ So why bother with this phony act? It’s disgusting.”

Claiming he used a skill because of an unfamiliar Awakened? That’s the dumbest excuse I’ve heard in a while.

The one who forged Cha Sahyeon’s fake identity was Hyeon Dowun. Even if it hadn’t been him, he could’ve easily uncovered the child’s existence with no effort at all. He wouldn’t send someone so carefully trained and reliable to keep an eye on me without ensuring he had all the information he needed.

‘The kid spread his shadow wide to block the attack, trying to protect me. A completely useless effort.’

When Kwon Seoyul attacked from outside, Cha Sahyeon’s location had been directly on top of me.

With orders not to harm me, Kwon Seoyul had targeted the one lying on me—Cha Sahyeon.

Instruments, by nature, must be handled with care and precision. For someone like Kwon Seoyul, who could manipulate the melody as he pleased, targeting only Cha Sahyeon wasn’t difficult at all. Judging by the angle, he must have fired from the rooftop of the building across the way.

“…So, what is it? What are you trying to say?”

The cheerful grin on Kwon Seoyul’s face disappeared like smoke, replaced by a blank expression as he asked quietly, “Do you really want me to leave? I told you I’m here on Father’s orders.”

“That’s your order, not mine. You can follow it all you want, but don’t expect me to cooperate.”

I yanked my arm free from his grip and turned my back on him again. Kwon Seoyul called out urgently, “Can’t you just come back to the zone with me? You can bring that brat too! Father and the others will understand.”

“I don’t need that. Just get lost. You’re bad for the kid’s emotional well-being.”

“The kid’s emotional well-being? Did you just say that?”

I approached Cha Sahyeon, who was still sitting in the spot I’d placed him earlier, calmly eating candy. Gently patting his head, I said softly, “Good boy. You listen so well, unlike someone else I know.”

Kwon Seoyul visibly trembled, as if shocked by my actions. “What do you mean I’m bad for the kid’s well-being? And more importantly, are you seriously planning to stay here? You’re not coming back?”

“If you’re going to argue, at least put on proper clothes first. Just because you don’t feel the cold as an S-class doesn’t mean you should advertise it to everyone.”

I couldn’t help but scoff at his shamelessness. When I said he was bad for the kid’s emotional well-being, I wasn’t joking. A loose shirt revealing his chest, a bold tattoo on his arm, piercings dangling from both ears—it was a sight that could influence a child like Sahyeon, who had once stubbornly insisted on piercing his ears just to wear earrings. The thought of him being influenced by Kwon Seoyul made me nervous.

“This is ridiculous…” Kwon Seoyul’s shoulders slumped in dejection.

It seemed he’d assumed that telling me he was here under Father’s orders would make me put up a token resistance before ultimately returning to the zone on my own. A naïve and superficial assumption born of ignorance about my current situation.

But then again, that’s just how Kwon Seoyul was. He didn’t care about things that didn’t interest him, a trait that had often frustrated and disappointed me in the past. Right now, however, it worked to my advantage.

I hoped he would stay disinterested in me. I had too many things to hide and too much work to do.

“If you’re done talking, get out. I’ve got cleanup to do.”

“I’m supposed to keep an eye on you…”

“Do I care? You’ve already got another place set up, so just leave.”

“Wait, bro—!”

Kwon Seoyul finally slouched out the door after I pulled out a sword from my inventory. He couldn’t defy me outright, bound as he was by orders not to harm me. Even as he left, sulking, he turned back at the entrance and pouted. “Are you really going to kick me out like this?”

“Yeah. And just so you know, if you come back, that’ll be the last day of your life. Got it?”

“Bro!”

“Goodbye.”

I slammed the door shut without hesitation, only to be hit by a wave of exhaustion the moment I turned around.

“Hah…”

Pressing my fingers against my tense forehead, I let out a long sigh. Cha Sahyeon, who had been stealing glances at me from the sofa, suddenly darted over and threw himself into my arms.

“There, there. You did well, kid.”

He must’ve been waiting for Kwon Seoyul to leave the whole time. Holding him close, I walked over to the window. Shards of glass littered the floor, remnants of the shattered window. The cold wind whistled through, making the tattered curtains sway desolately.

‘This can’t stay like this.’

Even in summer, it would’ve been a problem. With winter in full swing, having a broken window was downright dangerous. Should I call someone to fix it? Maybe hiring a restoration specialist Hunter would be better.

As I mulled over how to deal with the mess Kwon Seoyul had caused, a loud knock at the door broke my train of thought.

Thud, thud!

The sound made my stomach churn with irritation all over again.

‘Kwon Seoyul, you bastard, seriously…’

I took a deep breath to calm myself, trying to suppress my rising temper for Sahyeon’s sake. Finally, I walked to the door.

“I told you to get lost…!”

I flung the door open, my words cutting off as a fresh scent of cologne hit me.

Standing before me was someone in a sharp, black three-piece suit, completely unexpected. It wasn’t Kwon Seoyul’s bright and messy hair. Instead, it was a man with sleek, dark blue hair, neatly combed back. The sight of him was so unexpected that I couldn’t hide my shock and blurted out his name.

“Guildmaster of Yesung?”

“How have you been?”

Kwon Taehyeok greeted me with a polite nod, his calm gaze sweeping the room. His eyes took in the shattered glass of the window behind me, the chaotic state of the office, and finally, Cha Sahyeon, who glared at him fiercely from the safety of my arms.

“It seems you had a visitor.”

“Oh, uh…”

“A stranger was descending the stairs when I arrived.”

“…Did you run into him?”

Reluctantly, I asked, and Kwon Taehyeok nodded.

‘This is unbelievable.’

It really wasn’t my day. Of all times, Kwon Taehyeok had to show up now.

As I hesitated, struggling for a response, he silently observed me with a calm intensity. I half-hoped he’d say he’d come back another time, but it was clear he had no intention of leaving. With no other choice, I clicked my tongue in irritation internally and stepped aside.

“Come in.”