GM Ch81

Jung Seongwon, the deputy guild leader of the June Guild, was a busy man.

Reading reports, approving them, and handling emails were just the basics. Beyond daily tasks, his schedule was packed with meetings.

After having lunch with some acquaintances from the legal sector, Jung Seongwon returned to the guild, parked his car in the underground garage, and took the elevator.

Determined to leave work on time today, he entered his office, only to find an unexpected guest. It was Soohyuk.

“This is my office, you know.”

“I was waiting for you on purpose.”

Seeing Soohyuk lounging on the office sofa with a bright smile, Seongwon sat across from him.

Recently, Soohyuk had been exploring dungeons almost daily with Minjun. But today, he had a lunch appointment. He needed to know the outcome.

“Did it go well?”

“Yeah. My brother said he’d help.”

“That’s great.”

Right after the Poison Jar Dungeon incident, Seongwon and Soohyuk had been searching for Joo Myunghwan’s weaknesses.

As a hunter, it would have been easier to settle things with a fistfight, but in a democratic society, that was difficult. So they gathered evidence of Joo Myunghwan’s illegal activities, including stocks and bonds. When the Ace Guild’s stocks fluctuated due to the Poison Jar Dungeon closure, they scooped them up.

No matter how much the Ace Guild had grown, it was still a mid-sized company. When Soohyuk decided to invest heavily, he acquired a significant amount.

However, it wasn’t enough to take down the Ace Guild. And they couldn’t wield that power under the names of the June Guild and Soohyuk. It would be easy to criticize a large guild for swallowing a smaller one. So when Seongwon suggested using a proxy, Soohyuk agreed without hesitation.

Soohyuk, the beloved youngest son of a well-known family in the business world, had strong backing. When he asked his brothers for help, they all asked how much he needed.

The person Soohyuk chose was his second brother, Yoon Seungjae, who was in the magic stone crafting business. Magic stone crafting was similar to the defense shield business. Therefore, they could take over the Ace Guild without arousing suspicion.

The person Soohyuk had lunch with today was Yoon Seungjae. Seongwon had been worried that Soohyuk, who found his brothers’ overwhelming interest annoying, might abruptly leave, but it seemed to have gone well.

“My brother wants us to contact him soon.”

“You’ll have to give him a big bonus this time.”

Seongwon insisted on compensating the increasing workload with money, which made Soohyuk burst into laughter.

“I guess I’ll have to work hard in the dungeons and earn some money.”

“You need to make a lot of money. We invested a lot this time. But why were you waiting for me?”

“Oh, I was curious about when you need to report if your rank changes after reawakening. I asked you to find out before, remember?”

“That? It’s a month. The reporting period is the same as when you first awaken. But is it true? Is hunter Kim Minjun really reawakening?”

Even though it was his office, Seongwon lowered his voice. He assumed Soohyuk was exploring dungeons with Minjun because of the rewards from bound items.

At first, he didn’t think much of it. Hunters often raided dungeons hoping for reawakening. But when Soohyuk asked about the reawakening reporting date, he began to wonder.

“Is it true?” Soohyuk nodded, almost certain. When pressed for details, he simply told Seongwon to wait and see.

But now, Seongwon needed to know. If Minjun was truly reawakening, there were many preparations to be made.

“It’s true.”

“How? Don’t just tell me to wait and see. I need to know in advance to prepare.”

“When we took down the boss in the Grassland Dungeon, something called the Spirit King appeared. It looked like a giant wolf and vanished quickly, but its presence was overwhelming. It’s not in the report. I told Team 1 not to write anything about it. It seemed like Minjun could communicate with the Spirit King. Minjun said it told him to call when he got stronger. That’s pretty convincing, right?”

“Well…”

Even though he was now handling paperwork at a desk, Jung Seongwon had once been a combat hunter who raided dungeons. It was hard to believe Soohyuk’s words, but he knew that anything could happen inside a dungeon.

“You can see for yourself. Don’t leave after work today, just wait a bit. You’ll be able to confirm it soon.”

“Will he be A-class? You can’t summon the Spirit King as a B-class, right? If he really reawakens, he’ll be in the spotlight. Didn’t hunter Kim Minjun say he wouldn’t appear on broadcasts? Hmm. An official announcement might not be enough.”

As a competent deputy guild leader, Jung Seongwon anticipated what might happen next. During the opening ceremony of the Kim Minjun Memorial Hall, Soohyuk and Minjun stood side by side, facing the cameras. Minjun’s title as Korea’s only elementalist and his looks, which rivaled Soohyuk’s, drew attention.

A few days later, the buzz had died down, only being mentioned occasionally. However, broadcast offers kept coming in. Despite the PR team rejecting them all, the interest didn’t wane. If Minjun reawakened, HunterNet might explode with activity.

“Just make an official announcement. I’ve arranged an interview with the guild magazine, so that should cover it.”

“Easier said than done.”

“I’m leaving now.”

Unaware that he had shattered Seongwon’s dream of leaving work on time, Soohyuk waved lightly and left the deputy guild leader’s office.

He had a dungeon raid scheduled with Minjun at 2 PM. If he changed clothes at the dormitory and left now, he’d be on time. But he suddenly wanted to see Minjun. Even though they had parted ways after a dungeon raid yesterday and would meet again soon, he couldn’t help himself.

It felt like there was a hole in his rationality. Whenever he had a moment, he found himself thinking about Minjun. Amusingly, instead of being annoyed, he found it strangely enjoyable. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have romantic feelings.

Soohyuk acted on his impulse. He crossed the underground passage to the dormitory, heading not to his room but to Minjun’s. There were still 30 minutes left until 2 PM, but he doubted Minjun would turn him away.

When he rang the doorbell, Minjun appeared with wide eyes.

“Guild leader?”

“What were you doing?”

“Watching TV. What’s up? We still have some time.”

“I just wanted to see you sooner.”

He genuinely wanted to show off and see Minjun as soon as possible. It was also his way of expressing his feelings. However, it didn’t work on Minjun. He looked at him with cold eyes, as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

“Do you want to come in?”

“If you’re inviting me, I’d be grateful.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t turned away at the door. Soohyuk smiled brightly and stepped inside.

It was his second visit since Minjun had moved into the dormitory. As Soohyuk took off his shoes and entered, he inwardly clicked his tongue at the barren interior. Even when he first came here, amidst the chaos of moving, he thought there weren’t many belongings. Now that everything was organized, it was even more apparent.

In the living room, there was only a TV, a table, a sofa, a cellphone, and a remote control. There were no cushions, potted plants, cups, snack bags, picture frames, clocks, calendars, or any of the usual knick-knacks.

The kitchen was the same. The four-person dining table was spotless, and the sink was empty. The only thing on the dish rack was a single mug. It felt like entering a hotel room rather than a home. Even hotel rooms get cluttered once someone starts living in them, but here, there was none of that.

“Make yourself comfortable. What would you like to drink? I have water, cola, and coffee.”

“I’m fine. More than that, let’s get ready and leave early. We only have two left now.”

There were exactly two dungeon boss raids left to reach a hundred. To finish the raids as quickly as possible, Soohyuk had secured two F-grade dungeons under the guild’s name.

“Just a moment. I just need to put on my socks.”

Minjun went into his room, saying he needed to put on his socks. It wasn’t long before he returned, wearing socks and a black bear leather jacket.

The dormitory living room faced south, so the March afternoon sunlight poured in. It made Minjun’s appearance glow brightly.

Soohyuk was overwhelmed by the urge to lightly touch Minjun’s white cheek, contrasting with his black outfit. He almost laughed at the childish desire. It was surprising to discover such a juvenile side of himself. Yet, he didn’t bother to hold back.

“Minjun, can I touch your cheek?”

“My cheek? Why?”

“It’s so white, like a rice cake. I’m curious about how it feels.”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Do you mind?”

“Go ahead.”

Minjun’s easy permission made Soohyuk smile. Even though he had looked at him with a frosty gaze for being curious about something strange, he still offered his cheek, which was just like Minjun.

It was nice to be so close without any awkwardness. Minjun, not thinking anything of it and looking down with a nonchalant expression, was also endearing.

Muttering to himself that he was completely smitten, Soohyuk brushed Minjun’s cheek with the back of his hand. It wasn’t as soft as a rice cake, but it was incredibly smooth. Having been intimate several times, the sensation of bare skin was familiar. Still, deliberately touching him under such bright sunlight for the first time made his heart flutter.