SMFC | Chapter 40

“How’s your body feeling?”

Haeon’s voice was calm, as always, but Lee Soo’s expression was anything but kind. He looked at Haeon as if wondering if he’d completely lost it. Despite Lee Soo’s incredulous stare, Haeon continued inspecting his condition with the same steady demeanor. After all, that sharp gaze wasn’t really meant for him—it should’ve been directed at Eve instead.

Lee Soo stood there, switching his baffled gaze back and forth between Haeon and the warm object in his hands. Finally, he frowned. Though calling it a “frown” might be overstating it—it was more of a clueless, confused expression that made it clear he hadn’t quite grasped the situation.

Lee Soo’s lack of understanding was one thing, but the fact that he was frowning at Haeon was unusual. It was so rare that Haeon found himself staring at the scrunched-up brow with quiet curiosity.

The moment Lee Soo noticed Haeon’s innocent reaction, his irritation melted away as if it had never been there. A faint chuckle escaped his lips, though he wasn’t sure why he found it so amusing.

It wasn’t like he’d just been released from prison. He had merely attended the training camp that every hunter was required to go through—a measly two weeks, at that. And yet, he was holding tofu as a gift from the Guild Leader.

He didn’t even know where to start. Lee Soo opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, his words faltering. His grip instinctively tightened around the object in his hands before he remembered what it was—tofu. Realizing this, he relaxed his hold.

“Tofu…” he muttered in a hollow voice, his eyebrows drooping as he turned to Haeon with a resigned expression.

“My body’s fine. But, no, more importantly… the Guild Leader told me to look forward to a gift after leaving the training camp. He said not to go anywhere and to wait for it. And the gift… was tofu? Not even handed to me directly, but delivered through you, Healer Haeon?”

“Yes. Hunter Ryu Leesoo enjoys tofu, doesn’t he?”

“Well, yes! If it’s there, I’ll eat it.”

“Then that’s good enough.”

Lee Soo’s dazed gaze was fixed on Haeon’s shoulders when he noticed something odd—Haeon’s body was trembling slightly. Slowly, Lee Soo raised his eyes to look at Haeon’s face.

Sure enough, despite his calm tone, Haeon’s lips were curved up in a broad smile, and his eyes sparkled as though something delightful had happened.

Watching Haeon’s joy directed toward him, Lee Soo found his irritation with Eve melting away, disappearing into nothingness.

Lee Soo wouldn’t admit it out loud, but when Eve mentioned sending Haeon to deliver a gift, Lee Soo thought it was a considerate move—an excuse to let them have a meal together. It seemed like Eve knew about Lee Soo’s feelings for Haeon and had created this opportunity on purpose. He’d even allowed himself to hope. It turned out he had been prematurely drinking kimchi soup.

Before mentioning the gift, Eve had asked if he’d eaten and told him to wait, implying Haeon would bring something. Anyone would assume it meant they’d eat together, right? Surely, it wasn’t just him! Grumbling inwardly to convince himself, Lee Soo carefully adjusted his grip on the tofu to avoid crushing it.

Tofu. It wasn’t a gift for someone just released from prison but rather a celebratory present for finishing training camp. Still, Lee Soo found himself standing there, having just exited the camp, holding a block of tofu.

The training camp, to explain briefly, was like a school for newly awakened hunters, particularly those with skills specialized for dungeon raids.

Most first-generation and 1.5-generation hunters had awakened inside dungeons and naturally knew how to handle their abilities. But things were different for second- and third-generation hunters, who were born in relatively stable times.

These newer generations often awakened through aptitude tests conducted at the Awakened Headquarters, known as Kakbon. If their predicted skill level was high, they underwent dungeon simulations to refine their abilities.

As a result, many of these newer hunters were barely more than rookies—people who knew their skills but had no clue how to use them. The training camp was designed to bridge that gap, helping them develop their abilities and survive in dungeons. It offered three months of rigorous training to prepare them for life as hunters.

That was the official definition of the training camp as stated by the first-generation awakened who had established it.

However, the actual experience of hunters who had been through it painted a different picture. Regardless of its shortcomings, the camp undeniably helped trainees learn to handle their skills. For Ryu Leesoo, who had already been through the training once, data on his skills still remained in the system.

Using Ryu Leesoo’s well-known secret—that the aftermath of necromancy sometimes caused memory loss—Lee Soo voluntarily entered the camp again. His conversations with the spirits had made him realize the importance of better adapting to his abilities.

Driven by that necessity, Lee Soo had joined the camp voluntarily and completed the three-month program in just two weeks by working through the nights.

His urgency was partly due to the promise of a gift from Eve, but to think the gift turned out to be tofu… Not that he hated it—well, maybe he did a little. Then again, the fact that Haeon had personally delivered it made it feel charming and sweet, softening his irritation. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all? But still… tofu? No, it’s cute. But seriously, tofu?

While Lee Soo valued anything gifted by Haeon, including tofu, he couldn’t help feeling a little bitter, likely because of his unfulfilled expectations. This is why you shouldn’t let yourself hope for too much, he muttered to himself with a wry smile.

“Tofu… Hmm, thanks for bringing it. I’ll make sure to thank the Guild Leader myself,” Lee Soo said with a small chuckle.

Haeon rolled his eyes briefly at Lee Soo’s short reply. Though most would call him clueless, the truth was, Haeon simply didn’t pay much attention to others. Even so, he could sense that Lee Soo’s mood was oddly mixed. He didn’t seem particularly upset, but he didn’t seem happy either.

Haeon had brought the tofu because Eve had insisted Lee Soo would like it. Plus, it was an excuse to see him. Was it not enough?

He almost asked if something was wrong but shut his mouth again. If he let his guard down for even a second, he felt he might grab Lee Soo by the shoulders and ask, “What’s wrong?” Instead, he bit his tongue lightly to suppress the urge and erased the faint smile on his lips.

Lee Soo, unaware of Haeon’s silent struggle, swayed the tofu idly in his hand before suddenly lifting his head.

“You know, Healer Haeon.”

“…Yes? Go ahead.”

“If you have time, would you like to grab a meal with me?”

“A meal?”

“Yes! I was thinking tofu hot pot might be nice.”

Haeon blinked slowly at Lee Soo’s playful tone before exhaling softly, as if letting out steam. “Sure, why not,” he replied quietly. Lee Soo’s face lit up with a smile so wide it nearly hid his bright yellow eyes.

If Haeon wouldn’t express what he wanted, or didn’t even know what he wanted, then Lee Soo figured he’d just have to propose what he wanted. He knew Haeon had a soft spot for him, and today’s absurd tofu incident had made that even clearer.

Standing together in the shade, Lee Soo waited for Haeon to find a restaurant on his phone. When Haeon finally found one and stepped into the sunlight, Lee Soo watched him quietly for a moment. As Haeon walked ahead, Lee Soo suddenly called out in a singsong voice.

“Healer Haeon, I’m back.”

Haeon, realizing Lee Soo hadn’t followed him, stopped in his tracks. He turned around, wide-eyed, before breaking into a gentle smile.

“Welcome back,” he said warmly.

***

“Knock, knock. Anybody home? Actually, no, I know you’re here.”

Eve strolled into the room uninvited, tapping on the wall and mimicking the sound of knocking with her mouth. Lee Soo turned his head toward her, raising an eyebrow at her cheeky antics. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her playful behavior. After all, he’d noticed someone loitering near the door earlier, so he wasn’t too surprised.

After finishing a three-serving tofu hot pot with Haeon, exchanging pleasantries with some guild members, and lounging in Haeon’s office, Lee Soo now felt comfortably full. Eve’s lively voice echoed in his ears as he melted into the sofa, relaxed and content.

Straightening his slouched body, Lee Soo adjusted his clothes and gave Eve a belated bow. “It’s been a while, Guild Leader. The tofu… um, I received it well.”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it? So, how was the tofu? Haeon delivered it, right? I asked him to do that, so you should be grateful. Oh, but it’s nice to see you after so long. Makes me wonder if there’s ever a day in my life I’d see that face of yours in a good mood. Right?”

The way she spoke confirmed that sending the tofu was meant as a joke. And the real gift? Clearly, it was the time with Haeon. Lee Soo’s expression twisted with disbelief. Choking on a laugh at Eve’s casual reference to him as “that face,” Lee Soo barely managed to stifle a cough.

Eve, watching him with her fox-like eyes, shifted her attention to Haeon. Unlike Lee Soo, who had been sprawled on the sofa, Haeon sat upright at his desk, showing no intention of moving, even with Eve in the room. In fact, he hadn’t even acknowledged her entry until Lee Soo reacted, as if only then realizing she existed. Eve, noticing this, pouted slightly.

Though she’d disguised the gesture as a gift for Lee Soo, it was clear she was also worried about him. Using the tofu as an excuse, she had sent Haeon to check on him. Yet now, Eve muttered to herself that neither of them seemed particularly grateful for her efforts.

Still, Eve wasn’t so oblivious as to miss the fact that she’d interrupted their peaceful time together. And honestly, she hadn’t planned on staying long anyway, even if she didn’t break the mood outright.