By Zephyria 
For a moment, Kim Si-baek flinched, as if Biyendwe had realized what he had dreamed the previous night, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
“When did you hear that story? Or did you read my mind?”
[Death and Beauty says that even when they try not to, it keeps surfacing in the shallow psychology of my apostle.]
“Well, I do keep thinking about it.”
With those words, Kim Si-baek simply continued grooming his feathers as if cutting off further conversation, so Biyendwe could not ask any more.
A silence settled quietly, and it was only when Biyendwe had nearly forgotten his question that a low voice drifted over.
“A relationship that is only for sex is far lighter than that of lovers.”
“…….”
“I hope that child slowly forgets the time spent with me, so that eventually, it fades into a shadow of a memory.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Around the same time, Kim Si-baek was not the only one struggling with Tae-un’s cuteness.
“Fuck! He’s a doll, a doll! Aaaagh! I should have gone into the portal with them and watched it in real-time! He’s so fucking cute!”
Lee Han-gyeol was practically going wild while watching the action cam footage that had been attached to Kim Si-baek and Tae-un to record the clearing process inside the Id Portal.
“Hyung! Noona! He’s fucking cute, right? This is insane!”
“Uh, yeah……”
“How can my brother be so handsome, cool, cute, and perfect all at once! He’s hogging all the traits! Argh, I was young and out of it back then, so I can’t remember Hyung properly from the old days—this is driving me crazy!”
Unlike Lee Han-gyeol, who was fumbling at the screen as if he wanted to dive into the display, the expressions of the other Awakened from the orphanage were utterly grim. And they weren’t the only ones. The thoughts of the Strategy Department head and the other raid leaders gathered to analyze the footage were not much different.
Objectively, Tae-un was handsome. Not just handsome, but very, very handsome. It was just that the synergy of the hideous scar covering half his face and the murderous aura reflecting his temperament completely eroded that handsomeness.
It was only natural that a handsome man’s childhood was that of a pretty boy. A 14-year-old Tae-un, without scars and without his temper manifesting on his face, was a miraculously beautiful and lovely boy.
However, there was one critical problem.
‘Even so, the one inside is a 35-year-old!’
Witnessing a robust 35-year-old adult man acting pretty, cute, and childish while behaving coquettishly caused people to feel a pain akin to the Avici Hell, as if their very souls were twisting.
Furthermore, that super rookie—no, he’s 49, so calling him a rookie is a bit odd, but anyway, that hunter with the unbelievable youthful looks—was coddling 14-year-old Tae-un as if he were a 4-year-old. The people in the conference room tacitly agreed that this man was the root of the problem.
“Eun-ho Hyung! Can’t we edit this video and release it? The whole world needs to know how cute Hyung is! Let’s make merchandise of 14-year-old Tae-un Hyung! It’s almost the end of the year, so let’s do a season’s greeting! I want one!”
“Stop talking bullshit… uh, no. Releasing the video actually sounds okay.”
“Right? Right?”
“Anyway, let’s talk details later, so just get out. I can’t get any work done because of you.”
Lee Han-gyeol, who had stormed into the conference room in a frenzy upon hearing that 14-year-old Tae-un had been recorded, was dragged out, leaving only a final shout: “Email me a copy of the video!”
Pi Min-hyeong rubbed his face with an expression of extreme exhaustion.
“What the fuck… releasing the video? What kind of crazy talk is that.”
“Not right this second. But I think if an issue arises where our guild needs to shift public opinion, throwing this video out there would draw everyone’s attention in that direction.”
Pi Min-hyeong, whose stomach had been turning from witnessing the brother’s flirtations, found himself agreeing after imagining the impact of a ‘cute-acting 14-year-old Tae-un.’ Though he wasn’t sure if the stock prices would drop or rise because of it.
“Seo Gae-un. Why are you so unresponsive? Do you feel nothing even looking at that brat’s state?”
“If I chant a spell, it protects my mind.”
“What spell?”
“Tae-un Oppa eats when he is with the Teacher.”
Not only Pi Min-hyeong and Yang Eun-ho, but the other raid leaders also unconsciously murmured the spell. Tae-un Hyung/Guild Master eats when he is with the Teacher.
“…….”
They recalled the recent sight of Tae-un, who would have spent his whole life nibbling on energy bars and starving if he didn’t have an appointment, consistently eating three meals a day while spending time with Kim Si-baek. Since he’s the person who can even get him to eat, I guess that’s possible…
As Koreans, their pain was soothed by the shared consciousness regarding food, and they barely managed to return to the main point of the meeting.
Yang Eun-ho brought up the profile of Kim Dae-ho, the host of the Id Portal, on another screen.
“Since it was so long ago, I didn’t recognize him just by the name and face, but after seeing the portal clearing video, I vaguely remember.”
As the video was quickly rewound to the Dongdaemun Stadium, those who remembered the tragedy of 21 years ago let out low groans. Among them, the 4th raid leader, who had participated in the attack on Dongdaemun Stadium at the time, spoke up.
“If the host is missing his left arm, then… who was it. I think there was a young man who got brazenly angry at the Guild Master; is it him?”
“There’s a high probability.”
The 5th raid leader scratched his head vigorously.
“I think I vaguely remember who it is. Among the survivors of the Dongdaemun Stadium shelter, there was one bastard who fucking hated us, right? Is it him? The guy who remained uncooperative until the end, but couldn’t leave us because other places were too dangerous. He used to throw tantrums all the time.”
People shared stories in low voices, reviving hazy memories. As they pieced together the fragmented old memories, the outline of the man began to form.
Tae-un, and expanding the scope, a man who might hold a grudge against the 7777 Guild. Yang Eun-ho summarized calmly.
“Fortunately, there were no deaths, but it is an incident that raises several questions. What is certain is that it has been revealed that demonic terrorists can collude with magical beasts. Please be cautious, as there may be others who hold a grudge.”
“Doesn’t the Guild Master say anything about this?”
“You’re worried about me? You? Me?”
Thanks to Yang Eun-ho’s vivid imitation of Tae-un’s voice, the people in the conference room were immediately convinced. That sounded exactly right. He’s a man who strolled through an Id Portal on the verge of mutation as if he were taking a walk; who would he be worrying about?
“Currently, Manager Gwak Yun-sang from the invitation bureau is visiting and they are talking. And there is one more thing to mention. It’s about the Teacher, meaning Hunter Kim Si-baek in this video……”
When he sent his account number to the HG Guild Master after opening a bank account, he immediately received a reply saying the payment for the magic stones had been deposited. He was told he could check the amount via the banking app, but after trying to install the app, Kim Si-baek gave up within 10 seconds and decided to use telebanking later. Since they had even written a contract, they probably wouldn’t cheat him.
Thank you^^
I felt uneasy because it felt like I was holding onto borrowed money, but I’m glad I finally got to settle it with you haha
Before Kim Si-baek’s slow fingers could even finish typing the word ‘late’ in the long sentence ‘I’m sorry for telling you late^^’, his phone received a text.
[HG Guild Master]
By the way, the person who cleared the Id Portal with the Seven Guild Master yesterday was you, right?
Puzzled, Kim Si-baek typed ‘I am the one, but how did you find out?^^’, but while he was deleting typos after getting as far as ‘I am th on’, another text arrived first.
[HG Guild Master]
Here’s the video link!
“…….”
There were further messages asking if he was hurt, but Kim Si-baek’s eyes wouldn’t leave the link.
He didn’t bother clicking it. The thumbnail was already set to a scene where Tae-un was carrying him in a princess carry. ……This was broadcast? And a live broadcast at that?
Though he had appeared on broadcasts many times, this was the first time in his 97 years of life that his face had been exposed for something like this. Kim Si-baek sank into deep agony. And two minutes later, he emerged from it.
What can you do when the milk is already spilled? He couldn’t erase the memories of everyone who saw it.
Regardless, he hadn’t noticed yesterday because of the chaos, but seeing it again on screen, because Tae-un was holding him with both arms, Tae-un’s suit pants were pulled taut and the coat draped to the side, clearly revealing the elastic line falling from the waist, through the thighs, to the knees. Beautiful.
‘His body line is truly lovely. He’s tall, so he would have been perfect as a model… Who does he take after to be this pretty? Me?’
While he was slowly typing a message to the HG Guild Master asking if they knew how to save the thumbnail to the phone, a call came in.
♥Un-i♥
As Kim Si-baek confirmed the caller’s name on the screen, his Adam’s apple bobbed with tension.